Tuesday, October 12, 2010
bleh, meh, ick, other synonyms for eesh
there are some days when it is nigh upon impossible to feel pretty. so what do i do on those horrible occasions? i slap on some thick mascara, a coat of fire-engine-red lipstick, and put on my feel-good black t-shirt. try it someday. it makes life so much better. unless you happen to be a guy. that would just be awkward.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
a deadly combination
dear humanity,
if you wish to fully decimate your brain cells, by all means please do the following. if, however, you value your brain at all and wish to avoid irreparable trauma, take heed.
it happened that today had two important tasks in store for me. one: begin a paper on aristotle's definition of justice contrasted with scripture's definition of justice. two: clean the bathroom. because it's a nice cloudy day, and i'm not tempted at all to dance about on the campus lawn in the sunshine, i thought completing these fetes would prove to be easy. simple. like baking a cake if you didn't have to measure everything. but, alas, i failed to account for the intermingling of these tasks. clorox and aristotle's endless ramblings are benign if never allowed to mingle. however, when combined, the two are an effective way to lose one's mind. i didn't have any inclination of going insane. at all. but i'm afraid it's happened all the same. i can't seem to focus on anything for more than five minutes. in fact, i've gotten up three times whilst writing this to jump around, stared off into space for at least ten minutes, and done several topply pirouettes just because i had socks on and thought it might be fun. does this sound like sane behavior to you? yeah, me either...
so, beware of the combination of cleaning products and greek philosophy. the effects are... i'm sorry, i've forgotten what i was saying. i want waffles.
if you wish to fully decimate your brain cells, by all means please do the following. if, however, you value your brain at all and wish to avoid irreparable trauma, take heed.
it happened that today had two important tasks in store for me. one: begin a paper on aristotle's definition of justice contrasted with scripture's definition of justice. two: clean the bathroom. because it's a nice cloudy day, and i'm not tempted at all to dance about on the campus lawn in the sunshine, i thought completing these fetes would prove to be easy. simple. like baking a cake if you didn't have to measure everything. but, alas, i failed to account for the intermingling of these tasks. clorox and aristotle's endless ramblings are benign if never allowed to mingle. however, when combined, the two are an effective way to lose one's mind. i didn't have any inclination of going insane. at all. but i'm afraid it's happened all the same. i can't seem to focus on anything for more than five minutes. in fact, i've gotten up three times whilst writing this to jump around, stared off into space for at least ten minutes, and done several topply pirouettes just because i had socks on and thought it might be fun. does this sound like sane behavior to you? yeah, me either...
so, beware of the combination of cleaning products and greek philosophy. the effects are... i'm sorry, i've forgotten what i was saying. i want waffles.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
a simple equation (which have always been my favorite type)
the degree of interest in homework is inversely proportionate to the amount of time spent on it. just saying.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
perhaps the best i've ever written...
i thought i'd post this just for kicks. i had an assignment in political philosophy (one of the best classes i have ever taken) to write a paper using 5 words to describe humanity, using bible verses to back up my claims. this, by far, is one of the most exciting assignments i've ever been given. being a bit of an amateur philosopher, it was right up my alley. i'm (unfortunately) rather proud of this paper, which means it'll probably be ripped to shreds and given a sub-par grade. but, nevertheless, i did enjoy this. anyway, here's what i wrote:
"As I began researching words I might use to describe humanity, I found it difficult to limit my description to five adjectives. The complexity of human nature is overwhelming, but I think can best be examined by dividing our general traits into positive and negative categories. I’ll begin with the negative aspects (our fall from grace, deceitfulness, and fear), which I found to be more obvious than the positive, and conclude with the more inspirational elements of humanity (our capability for courage and compassion).
First, we are fallen. The Bible is abundantly clear on this fact. The first chapters of Genesis chronicle the creation and descent of Adam and Eve into sin. Genesis 2:17 contains the first warning to us, “…but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die." This speaks not only of a physical death, but also of the separation of God and mankind. Isaiah 3:8 and Amos 5:2 describe Israel’s fall from God’s favor through their continual rebelliousness and indifference toward His commands. Galatians 5:4 speaks of our separation from God because of our inability to fulfill the requirements of the law. God requires perfection, and we simply cannot attain it in our own efforts.
Second, we are deceitful. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Our very core, our heart, is consumed with lies. The psalmist knew the hopelessness of our situation when he wrote, “What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you, you deceitful tongue?” But why are we so encumbered by deceit? I believe the next trait I will describe effectively answers this question.
There are many verses in the Bible that warn us against fear. Why is there such a dedication to this one subject? Essentially, as a result of our knowledge of right and wrong and the awareness of our sin, we have become fearful of the discovery of our warped nature. Adam’s first action after the fall was to hide from God. “He said, ‘I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself,’” Genesis 3:10. Of course, his concealment was redundant, because no one can hide from God.
Though the negative aspects of humanity are painfully obvious, we do have our redeeming qualities. Or, rather, we have the capacity to aspire to goodness because of our redemption. The first positive quality of humanity I found is courage. Five times in the book of Joshua (1:6-7, 1:9, 1:18, 10:25) God commands Joshua to “Be strong and courageous.” Obviously, God would not demand something from us if He were not inclined to make us capable of achieving it. However, without the strength God provides we would cower in fear conceivably forever, because it is our nature to be fearful.
The second positive quality I found is compassion. Though compassion is most often used to describe God, as beings created in His image (Genesis 1:27), we too are called to demonstrate compassion. Colossians 3:12 says, “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience…”
In conclusion, though human nature is multifaceted and often rather ugly, we can aspire to something more than the mess we have become if we allow God to work in us and change our hearts."
"As I began researching words I might use to describe humanity, I found it difficult to limit my description to five adjectives. The complexity of human nature is overwhelming, but I think can best be examined by dividing our general traits into positive and negative categories. I’ll begin with the negative aspects (our fall from grace, deceitfulness, and fear), which I found to be more obvious than the positive, and conclude with the more inspirational elements of humanity (our capability for courage and compassion).
First, we are fallen. The Bible is abundantly clear on this fact. The first chapters of Genesis chronicle the creation and descent of Adam and Eve into sin. Genesis 2:17 contains the first warning to us, “…but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die." This speaks not only of a physical death, but also of the separation of God and mankind. Isaiah 3:8 and Amos 5:2 describe Israel’s fall from God’s favor through their continual rebelliousness and indifference toward His commands. Galatians 5:4 speaks of our separation from God because of our inability to fulfill the requirements of the law. God requires perfection, and we simply cannot attain it in our own efforts.
Second, we are deceitful. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Our very core, our heart, is consumed with lies. The psalmist knew the hopelessness of our situation when he wrote, “What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you, you deceitful tongue?” But why are we so encumbered by deceit? I believe the next trait I will describe effectively answers this question.
There are many verses in the Bible that warn us against fear. Why is there such a dedication to this one subject? Essentially, as a result of our knowledge of right and wrong and the awareness of our sin, we have become fearful of the discovery of our warped nature. Adam’s first action after the fall was to hide from God. “He said, ‘I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself,’” Genesis 3:10. Of course, his concealment was redundant, because no one can hide from God.
Though the negative aspects of humanity are painfully obvious, we do have our redeeming qualities. Or, rather, we have the capacity to aspire to goodness because of our redemption. The first positive quality of humanity I found is courage. Five times in the book of Joshua (1:6-7, 1:9, 1:18, 10:25) God commands Joshua to “Be strong and courageous.” Obviously, God would not demand something from us if He were not inclined to make us capable of achieving it. However, without the strength God provides we would cower in fear conceivably forever, because it is our nature to be fearful.
The second positive quality I found is compassion. Though compassion is most often used to describe God, as beings created in His image (Genesis 1:27), we too are called to demonstrate compassion. Colossians 3:12 says, “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience…”
In conclusion, though human nature is multifaceted and often rather ugly, we can aspire to something more than the mess we have become if we allow God to work in us and change our hearts."
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