About that iPhone...

GOOD NEWS! GOT IT!

Well, didn't get the phone itself, but even better, I got a $600 check.

The whole process was laborious. I don't recommend it to anyone. This was just something I wanted to do to see if you really could take advantage of those little sidebar advertisements. However, if you are thinking about trying it, some tips:


1. Check out scam.com to see if that site is legit
Good site where I learned some dos and don'ts.

2. Create a secondary email address
I stopped deleting all the spam from my gmail account, and now it's around 1200.

3. Get a gift Visa card to fill out the offers
This way you can't get taken advantage of if something does go wrong.

4. Be patient but persistent
I called and emailed the company probably 20 times total. The process took over 9 weeks, but it probably would have taken longer had I done nothing.


It is also a good idea to avoid offers that make you list friends email addresses to participate. All I had to do was complete 5 offers, that ranged from $1 to $10 to sign up for. Over all I spent about $35. Another potential catch is that if you sign up for an offer over $600 you have to submit a W9 form for IRS gift reasons. I looked into the integrity of the site I was using and it was reputable. I saved all of their emails and "Terms and Conditions" policies to make sure. It ranks in the top 100 most visited sites in America. Overall, grueling process, but it was worth it.

Bob Dylan's Brush

Random collection of some Dylan paintings in Germany.
You can also read about it here.

Chaco Sockos

The jig is up.

Who doesn't love Chacos? You? Well, then this post isn't for you.

Chacos are the world's best sandal. Period. I even started a Facebook group about them. The only downside is that you can't really wear them in the winter...

A while ago I had an idea to make some socks you can wear with Chacos. I told Luke about it, and that's about as far as I got. I do not know the first thing about marketing an idea to anyone, so, I forgot about it. Whoops.

Turns out some guys in Florida also came up with the idea and have since cashed in on it. You can see their website here.

Kudos to them. I like my product name better though.

One man's trash...

So if you frequent Goodwill, you will be surprised at what you find. Old records, used couches, sketchy golf clubs, the stale air of dead possessions*...yes. But guess what I got today.

$6 Wallabees.

Great shoes that cost over $100. So that's the good news.

Bad news is that they're women's. But good news is that Rachel wanted some Wallabees. So, technically bad news is good news now. It's a win, win, win situation.

On a related note, at Caribou this morning, a man in a corduroy jacket reported the men's restroom was a little dirty. Being the only male on that shift, I had to assess the situation. It was around 7am and we were pretty busy, so i decided to wait a minute to go look at it. A minute turned into an hour. I finally trudged into the bathroom, weathering laughs from my fellow employees. Brevity will serve us well here. On the walls, floor. Paper towels etc. stacked up a half foot high in the corner. Who in the world.
I'll tell you who... we noticed after a while that the same man who reported the incident kept going to the bathroom - he went at least 4 times. Culprit? Well, there's no proof anymore, thankfully.

The Fuzz (part 2)

Twiddily dee, twiddily doo, blue lights.
I saw the cop following me as I was taking Rachel home after an amazing date. I knew as I was being pulled over that I had done nothing wrong. I knew it.

Officer: License and (yada yada yada)...please

Innocent Jon: Here you are Sir, what seems to be the problem Sir?

Offy: (slowly reaches for pepper-spray) Have you purchased a new car recently young man?

InoJon: Ahhhhhhhh, No Sir.

Offy: I've been following you and ran your plates. DMV records show you are driving with a canceled license plate. It says you turned it in. I'll be back in a moment.

IJ: Bwaaaaaaaaaaht?

To make a painful dialog short, I got a ticket for...(hang on, I'll get the ticket and quote it...one second here):

"You did unlawfully and willfully operate a motor vehicle on a street or highway, (DISPLAY)(REGISTRATION NUMBER PLATE) knowing the same to be cancelled. (G.S. 20-111(2))."

So! I called some family members to get an idea about what just happened. Talked to my parents, grandparents (who help with insurance), and they had not the fainest idea. So, I called the DMV. Calling the DMV is a lot like waiting in line at the DMV, only, electronically. Very frustrating. Finally got through and told them the situation, and they told me that I had turned in my plate on 4.13.07. That I personally canceled it.

I jumped on my horse and went the the DMV and asked what had happened. They pulled up my records and told me the same thing. I then presented to them my license plate, in its original non-turned-in state, and they contacted headquarters for about 30 minutes. I stood there reading my book, just waiting. In the end, they denied any wrongdoing and sent me on my way with a new plate (I kept the old one to take to court).

Next, I called and emailed the head honchos at the DMV. I eventually talked with the head of the DMV and she apologized and emailed me the records containing my "cancellation." She said I'd get it thrown out in court. Whew. That was fun.

IPHONE update:
I was contacted recently by the company doing the promo, which incidentally began in May of this year, and they informed me I would be receiving a check for $600 for the iphone. They ran out or something. Oh well - cut out the middle man. I was going to sell it anyway. I'll let you know when the check comes...

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Drive safe.

More Huckabee

Look in the top right corner of the pic - my blog! On Mike's website! I'll be famous soon.

A few other Huckabee observations:

1. Huckabee got a $400 haircut back in May to poke fun of John Edwards. The money went to Autism research. A few days ago, Tom Tancredo, a much darker horse, boasted he was going to get a $400 hair cut. Little late there Tommy.

2. Chuck Norris now approves Mike Huckabee - this is very funny.

A Prairie Home Companion

This is a weekly NPR show produced in St. Paul Minnesota. So, so funny. Here is a quote from "Thanksgiving Script," a hilarious story about college kids returning home for the holidays.

"Thanksgiving is the closest America gets to an Islamic state. Rooms separated by gender. Men in the living room, women in the kitchen. Men bow down to the football game, women bow down to the turkey."

To listen to the whole thing go here.

On another note, I've also started a new workout plan. It's called "Your Girlfriend's Dad Needs Wood Split." Ok, this is worth a lengthier side note...

I worked at the Bou from 5:30am to 11:00am today, then headed over to Rachel's house. Her dad needed some wood chopped up, so, I volunteered. However, the closest thing my city-softened hands have come to this process is this. So. The first log I picked happened to be a wet one. Not the wipe. A soggy, heavy piece of wood that I hacked at for 8 minutes. Every hit was a resounding "novice" or "weakling." Then Mr. Beard told me to stop, and gave me a dry one. Much easier. From then on out, after a few blisters and a lot of sweat, I made a stack. Thank you, thanks, no, stop it, thank you very much. Now, I'm sore. But at least I know that somewhere, somehow, a family will be warm this winter. That's what makes me do it...that's my fuel. And I needed to impress Rachel's dad.

To Wed

I shot a wedding in Angier with The Autumn Agency (alwaysautumnstudios.com) this past weekend. I've probably filmed/photographed/played guitar in some 15 weddings now. Come to realize that Christian weddings are really more beautiful. There is a reverence about the whole ceremony. The crowd is expectant. The preacher sincere. The couple gleaming. The reception dry (usually). That translates into an easy shoot, because I feel like I'm part of 'their day.' There is warmth.
Non-Christian weddings are almost the exact opposite. Sure, happy people, but there is a stench of alcohol, cigarette smoke, inappropriate joking, materialism, and overall banality. It's just a motion with status attached and some tax relief. Plus, your there until 12 a.m. filming because drunk people don't know how to stop dancing.

It's plagiarism, to be honest here. Marriage was created by God. That's why we have it. It's a gift to explain a covenant He made with us. You disrespect that when you give no credit to whom credit is due.

Now, as to why Christian marriages are ending up in divorce at the same rate as the rest of the world, I do not know. I don't really respect that statistic, because I've only heard it in sermons. I'll look it up on Barna later.

Okay, now some fun facts!
*Men, you leave your last coat button unbuttoned, so you can draw your sword. It's an old tradition, obviously.
*Firefox is about 58x better than Safari.
*Cariobu launches its Christmas promotions tomorrow. Ridiculous. We're classy though...waited until after Halloween. Oh, and the theme is equally as ridiculous: "Rule Your Yule." I can't even say that clearly.
*Everyone should read the last 2 chapters in "Above All Earthly Pow'rs" by David Wells.
*I have to go to the dermatologist to get cancerous skin removed from my leg.

G'nite!

Whataday.

Staff infections.
Wildfires.
Dumbledore is gay.

On top of all that, I received a package in the mail today.
No, it was not a sparkly new phone, something far, far more strange.



Allow me to explain.
This past summer, my friend Brandon and I ate at Hardee's once and a while in between classes. One of those days, we received a Hardee's punch card to get a free, I kid you not, fishing pole.

So, that was a surprise. Hardee's feeding me for life.
A bigger surprise was the "warning" label that was casualy printed on the handle of the rod. It reads:

WARNING:
THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS A CHEMICAL KNOWN
TO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO CAUSE CANCER,
BIRTH DEFECTS AND OTHER REPRODUCTIVE HARM.

They might as well have sent me anthrax on a stick.
Craigslist here I come!

GOP, Pick Huckabee...

Wow. Watch all 6 if you can...


After watching this, I am fully convinced this is whom I'll be voting for (should he get the GOP nomination). Other than the fact he is a genuine conservative, ex-preacher, successful governor, and eloquent speaker, he is honest. Authentic. He wants to lead with honor and dignity and restore the United States to our heritage. I hate taking sides so early, especially with a candidate that is certainly riding a dark horse, but if more people could see how good of a man he is, well, they might be more inclined to vote for him. Thus, blog.

Hallogiving's Eve

I had an appointment with a Mac genius at the mall the other day. As I walked in, I noticed hoards of packaged Christmas decorations sitting in the middle of the mall. Christmas?
It's not even Halloween! Or Vinegar Day (Nov 1)! Or Plan Your Epitaph Day (Nov 2)!
Or Thanksgiving for that matter...

Then I went to K-Mart with Rachel before we went to the Buck50. K-Mart, bless them, has Christmas trees up. And right beside the trees, Halloween masks and pumpkin carving kits. I really cannot believe it.

We are such a consumer driven culture. It's turning our holidays and pastimes into bargain bens.
The problem is, once those "special days" start getting more and more materialized, we will eventually forget why we are celebrating anything. The only thing that unites us as Americans is that we get off work. Well, most of us. I have to work on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve...

Application

So, as you know, I have been writing papers and reading a lot. Good news! I was actually able to have an intelligent discourse with a Muslim man named Ali last night. He was an intellectual, and wanted to discuss Christianity in “today's world,” i.e. post-modernism (or the neo-enlightenment). Most of the talking points concerned universals and particulars, as well as how to define truth. We conversed for about 45 minutes.
Anyway, I was encouraged, and he got the gospel. Pray for Ali.

post-script

During our discussion, one of his friends, a more devout Muslim, was yelling things like, "Read Qur’an, follow Allah!" or "You study Qur’an, and live well, and go to paradise!"
This made me think of many evangelical Christians and how we respond to the criticism of the world - namely, that there is a right/cordial way to go about defending and explaining Christ. Next time I see a man simply hold a "Jesus SAVES" sign, I'll go up to him and say,

"Yes, Jesus SAVES us the embarrassment of appearing undisciplined and ignorant by giving us the ability to study to show ourselves approved, and thus sufficiently communicating with (and not simply TO) a lost and dying world."

I should get that down to a phrase and make a T-shirt. However, that would make me a hypocrite. Pass this time.

Latricia

I work with a girl named Latricia. She is very witty...I keep trying to convince her to quit Caribou and do stand up for a living.
Here is a story she related to me [with my emphasis bracketed]:

Latricia: Hey, want one of THESE? [She flung a couple of rectangular cards over her back as she walked by]

Jon: What are those? [bending down and inspecting the cards, then rising...]

Latricia: OK... [very irritated] I took this lady's order at the bou-thru [drive-thru], and she had like, 400 candy apples in the back of her car. I was like, "You working at the Fairgrounds this week, Ma'am?" Lady said [excitedly] "Oh yes!" Then she reached into the back of her car, and I was thinkin like "Yeah! she's gonna give me some fair tickets, coupons, or candy apples or summin. Then she popped her head back around and gave me these cards!"

Jon: [examining] Oh...a business card?

Latricia: Yeah! [angrily disappointed]. A business card! I was like "Get outta here ya carny!"


And that, ladies and gentlemen, kept me laughing throughout the whole day.

Happy Days

I was working on the last page of a 15 pg. report that is due tomorrow...

Cell Phone Pics: Round One

Busch Gardens

Whew.
Got back from Busch Gardens Williamsburg last night.
That was a looooooooong day. I went with Rachel and two of our friends, and I walked at least 8 miles.
Here's some BG advice: always go on a weekday. We found a parking spot right when we got there, hardly waited in line for rides, never bumped into anyone...it was great. I am sore. I can't imagine trying to take a family there for the day.
I am exhausted.
All that and I successfully avoided studying for my online exams for one more day. Basically, I have to take one today, and finish the other tomorrow. I really should not even be typing this up. Ok, off to the coffee man.

iPhone update...

Read my Aug 25 blog to get some context here.

So I Clicked...and waited...and waited.
And, no joke, I have been a bit skeptical myself through this whole ordeal.
But let's just say there is a way to get around the hoopla if you spend the time researching the site(s) and reading all the "Terms and Conditions." Well, spammers, I read them, meticulously. I provided a pseudo-email address, called you and confirmed many details. And looks like now, the iPhone is almost in the mail.

Oh, and in case I don't get it, this was all a big joke.
Buah...

Bono Bush: Video 2

Pick Your Poison

So if it's 95 degrees in October, you wear shorts.
But if you go into any building, you will freeze. I'm sitting here trying to study and my feet are stuck to my flip flops. I can almost see my breath. In El Salvador, people wore pants all the time, I rarely saw a man in shorts, unless he was a gringo. I also burned my fingers today at Caribou. Not like, "Ooee, that shower water is too warm..." but like, a boiling pot of spagetti noodles hit the floor and sprayed your inner-thighs. That kind of ouch.
Luckily, a girl had gone through some kind of kemo, and I found her burn cream in the first aid kit. Though bandaged, one of my fingers is producing tiny blisters.
So if it's 95 degrees in October, you burn yourself.
And to cap it off, here are some funny T-shirt designs that I would have worn 10 years ago...

Random Things You Should Know

The "IHS" found on some crosses and churches stands for "In Hoc Signo" or "In this sign." It was the sign that God apparently revealed to Constantine that was plastered on some shields, that gave him victory in some wars.

Nalgenes are not unbreakable. I shattered my friend Chip's nalgene in college.

Defenestration means to hurl someone or something out of a window.

Mountain Khakis are the best pants.

If you collect a gallon milk jug full of tabs from aluminum cans, you won't get $100 from the recycling people.

Ergo literally means "therefore"

Jude quoted the Apocrypha.

You can not simply submit a word to Mirriam-Webster to have it inserted in the dictionary.

The national food of El Salvador is pupusas.

I have a midterm to study for. I should go do that now.

God-o-meter

http://blog.beliefnet.com/godometer/

Worth a looksee...

O Hill No

I don't quite understand why, but Mrs. Clinton is currently running campaign ads against herself. She notes her bad decision making concerning Iraq and poor health care agendas in the early nineties. Oh, and her cackle. Thankfully someone has cleared this up for us - here's the quote:

“The American people want a leader,” said Clinton campaign spokeswoman Carol Foyler. “And if her rivals won’t come out and attack her, Sen. Clinton is going to show leadership by attacking herself.”

Ahhhhhm...

The Village

After manning a study table in the fiction section I realized something. Of all the sections of the library, this one is the most frequented (and the hardest to study in). People flutter about, marching up and down the aisles, scanning and flipping through titles, shoving them into plastic green baskets. They seemingly avoid the history, non-fiction, resource, and informational sections. Why is this? I would suggest that they are obsessed with diverting their attention from the trials of this world, so as to lose themselves in a story (Pascal's "Pensees"). I would not have mentioned this if I had not made a trip to the restroom.
The library was about to close down, so I packed up my belongings. I hurried to the restroom. To make a taboo story short, as I was leaving, I noticed a pamphlet on the ground soaked in God knows what. I kicked it, and the title of the tract was "Knowing God Personally." (Let's not get into our presuppositions on tracts, whether or not we should hand them out, etc.) But seeing this gospel material and remembering the fiction section led me to this:

One: This is modern man's response to the gospel. Unsuitable for the intellectual mind...uneventful and unentertaining.
Two: This is the impact God's children have on a literary scale. We stay off the common shelves. I realize there are some Christian authors that contribute ideas of redemption and godliness in the modern digest. But why are there not more? Lewis, Milton, Bunyan, and Tolkien vs. LaHaye, Miller, Bell...and? Someone help me out here.

Well, back to Herm.

Side Notes

It's really hard to study when you're sick. I don't even know what I have. I think it's from overworking myself. Work from 5:30-10:30am, then class some days until 6:30pm. Mixed with no exercise and unhealthy eating habits = sick.
I have this perpetual headache and occasional nasal greenery. Not the worse – still very, very annoying. And my exams are next week. If you are of the praying persuasion, pray for me.

On a side note...

Have you ever heard anyone say, "our thoughts and prayers go out to such and such…"?
Prayers I get. But "thoughts"? What is that? Thoughts are nice, but useless. Like a car, with...ah, no wheels. You get it.

One other side note...
This is for people who take verses out of context.

Picture Da Vinci's Mona Lisa. Beautiful smile, pleasant features, apparently sitting on a mountainside, etc. Now picture me cutting a nice hole in the canvass, plucking her wondering eye from its rightful place.
You should cringe, or at least tell on me.
Why did I do it? Well, for me, I like the tone of the paint in and around her eye. It warms me when I'm down. Not only that, now I know that she's always looking at me.

Ridiculous.

When you rip a verse out of context, you are essentially defacing a masterpiece. Mere recognition of a biblical verity does not free you to misapply it. As students of the Word of God, we must consider the sentence in the paragraph in the chapter in the section that is in the letter or document. Look at the background context. Study the literary devices used. It is ignorant to do otherwise. All Scriptural meaning will be universal, application is what will vary.

Barry Bonds

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/27/sports/baseball/27ball.html

This article describes the future of Barry Bonds' 756th homerun ball. It sold for $752,467, and the new owner wants to have some *special work done to the ball before he donates it to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Funny and sad.

Ideas Have Consequences - Richard Weaver (1948)

Weaver begins his discourse by identifying medieval nominalism as the principal cause that fragments universals into particulars. To discard universals is to assume man has no authority outside of himself; this leads to moral corruption. As knowledge becomes more and more empirical, man becomes increasingly materialistic, and the metaphysical dream is lost. Virtue is then devaluated. The media becomes indecent, infants and elders are neglected, and heroism vanishes. As a result of this egotism, art becomes impulsive and subjective, and hard work insufferable. Man has become his own ends with comfort as his means. Weaver issues three chapters to reconcile mankind from this moldering mindset. By guarding private property, education, and piety, those who uphold universals and absolutes may revive their fellow man and civilization.

Richard Weaver was heralded for upholding conservative, southern values. He grew up in Asheville, NC.
Ideas Have Consequences was quite a read, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys the history of ideas. You will gain a new perspective about the culture we live in today, if you can suffer a week or two of focused reading in this book.

Eaves!

I don't try to listen in on other people's conversations.
But recently I overheard some interesting things. Let me set them up for you.

1. Coffee Shop
I'm listening to classical guitar and writing up a paper. Two sorority sisters sit down and begin having a conversation beside me. To quote Stanley from the Office, "Sometimes women say more in their pauses than they say in their words..." Needless to say, he is so right on this one. I had to leave the coffee shop because I heard the word "like" at least 76 times. I couln't take it.

2. Coffee Shop
I was, yep studying, sitting between an Asian couple and three Arab guys, with a Mexican mother/daughter combo across from me, and two guys speaking German in the corner. I didn't overhear too much this time. But quite the melting pot, eh?

3. The Library
By now you've firgured out my daily routine. Sitting at the library, studying mind you, and I heard the following conversation between two elderly women trying to find a library card in their wallets.
(Increase volume by 10x)
"IS THIS THE CARD?" (one woman who doesn't have her specs hands the card to the other woman)
"WELL, NO THIS ISN'T IT...THIS IS A CARD TO GET TEN FREE PANTIES, IT EXPIRES IN 2003"
I have no words to further this entry.

That's it for now.

Old Ironsides

Ay, tear her tattered ensign down!
Long has it waved on high,
And many an eye has danced to see
That banner in the sky;
Beneath it rung the battle shout,
And burst the cannon's roar; --
The meteor of the ocean air
Shall sweep the clouds no more.

Her deck, once red with heroes' blood,
Where knelt the vanquished foe,
When winds were hurrying o'er the flood,
And waves were white below,
No more shall feel the victor's tread,
Or know the conquered knee; --
The harpies of the shore shall pluck
The eagle of the sea!

Oh, better that her shattered hulk
Should sink beneath the wave;
Her thunders shook the mighty deep,
And there should be her grave;
Nail to the mast her holy flag,
Set every threadbare sail,
And give her to the god of storms,
The lightning and the gale!

(one of my favorite poems by Oliver Wendell Holmes)

The Great Stereopticon

Title says it all, right?
I am reading "Ideas Have Consequences," by Richard Weaver. A philosophical rant on the decadence of Western culture in the 30s - 40s. It is really hard to read, I have learned at least 50 new words. Like decadence.
Weaver calls the mass media "The Great Stereopticon" for good reason. First of all, a stereopticon is a 3D projector, that layers or dissolves images, to make them appear life-like. What a great idea. He argues that radio, press, and television herald industrialism and therefore only promote what is ultimately materialistic and mundane, turning the public eye from what he calls "the metaphysical dream" and subjects them to "falsity born of technology and commercialism." Thus the 3D idea; fake. A great illustration of the media machine.

Oh, and earlier he went off on Jazz music. Here is a quote that will probably take me a minute to type...

"Jazz, by formally repudiating restraint by intellect, and by expressing contempt and hostility toward our traditional society and mores, has destroyed this equilibrium [of sentiment and reason in art]. That destruction is a triumph of grotesque, even hysterical, emotion over propriety and reasonableness. Jazz often sounds as if in a rage to divest itself of anything that suggests structure or confinement. (brackets mine)"

I wonder what he would think of Donald Miller...

That's all for now. Time to read.

Mail Purses

Ok. I have a Timbuk2 bag, a messenger bag, and I recently got some criticism for carrying one.

One: It's not a purse.
Two: I don't have makeup, millions of receipts, gum, wallet-size photos, trinkets, or any feminine nick-nacks in it.
Three: I don't have it with me all the time.
Four: Contents: Books, computer.
Five: The Pony Express used them.

In closing, I will submit that only one of the two ways of wearing the bag looks feminine. If you don't wear it across your chest (See Jack above), but wear it only on one shoulder, you are more likely to be accused of carrying a purse (see below). That is all.

V8

So there I was, just sitting there, listening to Dr. Little. All seemed well.
I was tempted to close my eyes for a moment; I was tired. Had to get up the past couple mornings before 5 am to open Caribou. Needless to say, I was almost comatose.
Out of the blue, the gentleman beside me flung his elbow down on the desk separating us, and in effect propelled his V8 tomato drink into the air. In an attempt to catch it, he knocked it over sending rich tomato juice in my direction.
Half awake and half asleep, I made no movement to avoid the blast. I just accepted the V8 all over my pants and almost, almost, on my laptop. Missed the Mac by inches. It was pretty funny, seeing that the class was dead silent and Dr. Little was in the middle of refuting some point, or something.

The Asian man in front of me got it worse though. The juice hit the back of his head, and ran down his neck, also spilling on his collar. Lesson learned? V8 is gritty and disgusting, in and out of the can.

King Jimmy

I didn't know, until today, that the original KJV (1611) included the Apocrypha (Old Jewish texts not part of Protestant Bible). And some people think the book of James was actually the book of Jacob. In Greek it's IAKABO, like Jacob. Oh and King James was rumored to be gay, or at least bisexual. Sir Walter Raleigh called him "Queen James." This is the stuff they don't tell you in Independent Baptist Churches.

More on Mitt

Listen to: 10:40 - 14:30
Well worth it. Click around on the time bar until you get to 10:40...

I googled "Mitt Romney" and got this:

Clearly produced by evangelicals, and poorly animated. I did some extensive research in college on Mormonism, and I read about almost all of this. Except the "heavenly counsel" part.

Here's a tid bit: "Moroni?" Really? "Moron-i? The angel "Moron-i?" Even if I was an unbeliever, I would not buy that. And by the way, if Jesus is a "spirit child" of Elohim, who married three women and had kids, and whose words are not truly contained in the Holy Bible, then we are talking about two different Jesuses. One is real, one is fake.

So, I don't mind Mitt Romney thus far. Some case is made that he has flip-flopped on abortion (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzZC92IXHyw) and other issues, but frankly and ashamedly, he looks presidential. He has charisma and an authoritative aura about him. Is that all it takes in my view? No, of course not. But as a frontrunner for the GOP, one has to consider a formidable candidate to run against the likes of Obama or Clinton.
But who should actually win?
The man with a funny name, no hair and not a lot of money.
Yep, I'm talking about Mike Huckabee. Please just YouTube Huckabee and listen to him talk. He is a phenomenal speaker and orator and he is staunchly evangelical. He does seem too nice sometimes, which could hurt his image, with people labeling him as a pushover. But he is solid on his beliefs. If not President, then Huckabee for VP. This man's presence in the White House would give evangelicals a stronger, more soothing voice, to say the least.

Apparently, after signing up on his website, I will be receiving some "I Like Mike" bumper stickers and buttons. I'll use the buttons for now...

Also, and iphone update: Apple released new ipods today (the nano and touch ipod being the most impressive), and apparently announced the discontinuation of the 4 GB iphone. I hope I don't get that one. I mean, and Mr. Jobs reduced the price of the iphone by $200. Dangit Jobs, you're killing me here.

Prank: Video 1

Heavy Metal

I like watching shows about how things are made. Hmm, vague.
Like shows that, well, show you how snowmobiles, buildings, bridges, rocket ships, and other modern wonders are made. But then I thought:
Where did they get all the parts for the machines? Who made the metal? Are there metal-mines? How do they get get the metal out? With metal machines. Okay, and how did those machines get made? Somewhere at the beginning someone used wood to get the metal out, they formed the metal into parts, with wood or stone casts I guess. Lumber I get; metal is a bit fuzzy. I blame the public school system and The Learning Channel.

So I looked it up on Wikipedia, and found out, well, not a lot. I did not understand most of the lingo, and though each word was highlighted to give me a better explanation of that particular term, I just read enough to know that the Hitties mined iron ore first, and they did it with wooden machines. Then I saved the Wiki picture (above).

Now the more I think about it, I love diversity. That someone would love being an engineer, or scientist, etc. Because if this world were made up of a bunch of me's, we'd be living in caves playing relatively crude musical instruments and talking about God. And probably doing something athletic every once and a while. God, games, and music.

And, there would be around 30 billion of us on earth, if you get my drift.

Tyro

"a beginner in learning; a novice"
(please read this slowly)
I started at Caribou Coffee today. I started at 5:30am.
I made some 50 vats of coffee and greeted some 100 people.
I got a blister on my foot. I did not stand still for longer than a minute.
I loved it.
And I get free coffee and other stuff too. Don't ask me for free coffee yet.
I'll let you know when though.

I'm a Credo-phile

Evangelical fingertips are burning. There has been quite a buzz in the blogosphere resulting from a statement by John Piper on the idea of credobaptism (believer's baptism) as a requirement to join the local church. Involved in this discussion are names such as Al Mohler, Wayne Grudem, Mark Dever, and Sam Storms - whoever he is.

The crux is that some unbaptized believers (UBs) don't deem it necessary to be dunked to join the church, based on their understanding of Scripture. Some pastors do deem it necessary to be baptized, based on their understanding of Scripture.

The question was raised, and cautiously so, "is this an example of unrepentant sin?" While the UBs would take this ad hominem, the credobaptists have a point. Scripture plainly says to be baptized after conversion (cf Matt 28:19-20, for more, you look it up). But the UBs would argue that faith alone has saved them, and in the case they are paedobaptists (dunked as an infant) their claim is they have already been baptized into the local church. Though I would side with the pastors here, what are the ramifications for the UBs in future church fellowship?

Let's get ready to RUMBLE! In our stomachs, that is.

If refusing baptism is indeed unrepentant sin, then UBs should not be partaking of the Lord's Supper. Paul warns the Corinthians of frivolously taking the Lord's Supper, which resulted in sickness and death for them, and dishonor for God. There is also the issue of these UBs serving in positions as deacon and elder in the church, and whether or not they have any say whatsoever in the church.

While all that is food for thought, the humorist in me makes the following assertions...
1. Are you really that convicted about baptism, or is it that you're an aqua-phobe?
2. Two was too racy, I deleted Two.
3. If a bunch of UBs get sick from eating the Lord's Supper, then we'll know what's up.

until next time...

Dumb Christians

We need a cough drop here, amen.
Why are Christians losing their voice in the public squares? Notice I did not insist airwaves, blogs, or seminaries. It would seem that the scholars are doing it right. Preaching, teaching, learning, reading, combatting...but what about Jack and Jane?
Too often I don't think. I exist. I'm good at day to days.
While all around me, important questions are being raised and I either get hyper-Calvinistic or deterministic. TV shows too demeaning? Brush it off as liberal media. People swearing and maligning? Forget about it. Family members or friends stuck in misconstrued worldviews? It's their choice. This is how to interact, if you have no regard for the name of Christ.
Enter my Christian Philosophy class, Dr. Bruce Little presiding.
I am learning to think, with information. Learning how to understand the basic argument and how to refute it. Learning the power of the gospel and how to work it into each and every life I come in contact with. This reminds me of a time...(hear the wavey flashback music crescendoing in)

Once in downtown Athens, Luke Newton and I were parousing some dusty old shop, looking for souvenirs. As we started to leave, a Greek man came up to us and asked why we were there. I told him we were doing a "Footsteps of Paul" tour through Turkey and Greece. He introduced himself as "Constantine." This began one of the most memorable nights of my life.
Constantine was not a fan, to say the least, of Jesus. When he learned we were Christians, he promptly pulled out a Bible, and began to flip through it, showing us all the "contradictions" of the New Testament. Luke and I, and a man that looked like Chris Tomlin (also on the tour), whose name escapes me at the moment, vigorously refuted arguments, and defended Christ. After 45 minutes or so the Holy Spirit adrenalin began to subside and we bid our adieus and began to leave. At this point, another one of my friends who had said nothing the whole time, turns to Constantine and says, "We preach Jesus Christ crucified by the power of the Holy Spirit!" Or something along those lines.
I turned to myself and exhaled a quandary, "What did that accomplish?"
The more I think about it, the more I don't blame my friend. But I do. He is now doing great things for Jesus, I'm sure.
At this point I did want to shake and bake him a little.
Do we preach Jesus? Yes! To whom? Everyone! That is not the issue. The issue is that there is a time and a place to discuss Jesus, and react to unbelievers' questions about the Way. There are questions that if answered could move someone closer to an understanding of Christ. That is why we argue and refute; we exalt the name of Christ. Just like Paul. Just like Paul.
And we were in Athens! We were probably 5 block from Mars' Hill! You know, where Paul debated with the Philosophers of Athens and won some of them to Christ. Time and a place.
So where do you and I come in? We learn Christ, in and out. We learn how to think logically next. We then learn what our world is thinking, and understand that ideas have consequences. Then we make ourselves readily available to talk with unbelievers. It's really that simple. By doing so, we win the square. Just like 4 square...which is in the shape of a cross.
Long post.

I Clicked

So, while checking my facebook, I noticed a little iPhone jumping up and down on the side of my screen.
'Hey, I've heard of those,' I thought. Now I know alot about them...
I clicked it. I know, I know, somehow I've just dehumanized myself in your eyes, but let me tell you.
I have a Mac. No viruses. Anyway...
I filled out a survey, and 'participated' with 5 sponsors. So far I've received a free $20 gas card, lots of coupons, 2 CD's for $6.99 each (free shipping), and got signed up for Netflix. (I also bought a vile of Vioderm and sent it back (my wrinkles persist) and I host a web-domain named "jointhemayhem.com," which is humorous.)
So then, withhold your nays. I should be getting a free iPhone in 3 months.
If I don't then you can laugh at me. Really.
If I do...does anyone need an iPhone? I'd rather sell it than pay $80 a month in charges.

I really hope they aren't outdated by then...

The Fuzz

I was pulled a while ago for easing through a 4-way stop in rural Wake Forest, NC, at 12:30am. With a highfalutin smirk, I was issued a ticket and a date to represent myself, if I would so choose, in the Courthouse building in downtown Raleigh. As I graciously nodded and rode away, I began to vent all the way into Raleigh...all that I thought was "Great, another PFJ." Thank you NC for praying that my judgment would be more concise, next time (w/in the next 3 yrs).
One moment.
This is not a rant against what the police do. Thank you for taking care of rapists, murderers, pedophiles, thieves, and hooligans. But no thank you for lurking in shadows in podunk towns and tracking down otherwise law-abiding citizens. I think Wake Forest is the safest place in NC. Maybe that's why. Johnny long-arm pulls a Stretch Armstrong and, in my obvious opinion, devalues the importance of law-enforcement. Give grace, not prayers; I will respect you more.

Well, if there are quotas to meet in the WFPD, at least I put food on someone's table.

Meet Joe Black

Anthony Hopkins is my hero.
This movie was creative. I'll give it that. Death meandering about in a handsome body, falls in love, to realize his place in the 'grand scheme of things.' The only annoying part was the melodrama and, say the 178 minutes long it was. But hey, thanks to Netflix and free trials, that's okay.

Just an idea of the melodrama

Lesbians

I recently attended the civil union of my aunt and her friend Alice.
Not only did I attend, I also did most of the photography for the wedding. I say mostly because nowadays everyone and their cousin has a digital camera. While shooting I had people getting irritated at me, because I was in their shot. Yeah.
Inconsequential point. What I'm shooting for here is a discussion. I was one of the lone family members at the event. No one really showed up, because it was 'disgraceful' to the family. Was my attendance compromising to the message I adhere to? If God is indeed handing people like this over to their 'degrading passions,' then should I?
It would seem that Jesus would reach out here as well. I may not have a great case for going, but I do know one thing. I have respect in her eyes as someone she can trust now, because I put aside my shunning glances and label-makers to tell her that I still love her. What do you think? Is there a difference between attending/celebrating the marriage of unbelievers and this?

Also one funny aside: At the end of the ceremony, the lady preacher stated, "and by no authority invested in me by the State of Virginia, I now announce you, wives." I laughed.

Where's Cosby

I think she speaks for us all...

Idiot Wind

Dan Hawkins gave me my first Bob Dylan CD, "Blood on the Tracks."
"Idiot Wind" is a song on that CD, where Dylan is venting about his relationship with his estranged wife, and more universally, his qualms with those who communicate slander, malice, lies, etc.
This blog isn't quite a rant or rave. But it is.
I also realize I'm not as eloquent as I will be...
so much of what I communicate is in fact, Idiot Wind.