Arrogant American – noun – a citizen of the United States who is more concerned about the well being of our economy than the lives of those affected by war.
Monthly Archives: July 2006
Repetition
Repetition is a potent tool. With it, many kids are drilled repeatedly, helping them to remember the knowledge necessary to understand so many other things. Pedagogues have long made their students recite math tables in order to start learning mathematical concepts.
On the other hand, repetition is a dangerous tool. Many people repeat themselves because they’re not prepared or they don’t know what they’re talking about. In the end, those that mindlessly use repetition are pawns, unknowingly wasting the time of so many other people.
Like any tool, the use of repetition can be good or bad. If I chose to take a hammer and hit your hand, you would most assuredly say that is bad (even if Mr. Kevorkian were involved). And the red mark on your hand undoubtedly proves your point. But repetition isn’t so easy to diagnose.
I propose that repetition falls into two categories: intentional and incidental. Rote memorization or didactic teaching would be examples of intentional repetition. Intentional repetition is both healthy and good. It is an effective method of teaching and learning. On the other hand, speakers that endlessly repeat their points or people that ask the same questions fall into the category of incidental repetition.
You see, people who ask silly, unneeded questions, or lose their train of thought and start at the beginning only serve to waste everyone else’s time. This has long been a pet peeve of mine, and I am continually exasperated trying to discern what causes incidental repetition.
And the best answer I’ve found is this: people don’t care about other people. Of course, this is a wide-ranging statement and cannot be universally proven true, but I’m making generalizations about general societal trends—not universal truths that apply to everyone.
We get into this terrible habit of feeling like we exist solely as individuals. We forget the interconnected nature of mankind, so when someone sleeps through class and asks the same questions that were posed during class, their actions say that they don’t care about their classmates’ time. The same applies to meetings: if the leader of the meeting doesn’t plan adequately and directs a circular meeting, he (or she) is not respecting his peers (or subordinates) time by endlessly repeating himself for no good reason. Teachers fall into the same trap, but I’m sure you get the idea, so I’ll move on.
So you ask, “Are you saying that not paying attention in class is disrespectful of your classmates?” Yes, I am. “Does that apply to meetings as well?” Absolutely. “Are you saying that unprepared teachers or meeting facilitators disrespect those in the meeting or class?” I couldn’t have said it better myself. It is generally easy to distinguish between those who are prepared and those who are not.
Every day I realize more and more how much your actions describe who you are. And everyday I see that incidental repetition is another sad indicator of pride and/or apathy. Perhaps I get the best view because I see my own life first hand.
Time is a fleeting and precious resource. It continues on, unimpeded by man’s best intentions. And as such, incidental repetition wastes what is undeniably one of life’s most important features.
So what to do with this diatribe? Think about others when you lead. Think about others when you ask questions. Think about others when you choose not to pay attention. Stop thinking about yourself so much and start considering those things which are outside of you.
And please, don’t waste our time with unnecessary, incidental repetition.
Disintegrating Gum
Did you know that gum completely disentegrates if you chew it long enough?
I didn’t. That is, I didn’t until I chewed my gum into a pulp and swallowed it the other night. You should try it sometime.
Champion Forest, Part II
Yes, folks, we’re now entering CFBC v2. (That simply means the second version of the church website). With little fanfare and even fewer problems, we launched the new version of the website. For you less-technical folks, you may want to skim this post, and I do plan on posting about several of the interesting new features of the site.
So, before I begin, check it out at Championforest.org.
Things Removed:
The color “Baby Blue”
Large title graphics with “related” imagery
Bloated Stylesheets
Clumsy Nav Structure
Rigid Home Page
Unneeded Forms
Things Added
The color green.
Textures
Popups
Fades
Customizable Home Page
firo (Flash Image Rotation)
Useful Forms
Notables
The cleanest, purest, and best code I’ve ever produced. The code is completely void of hacks which clogged the former design.
The JavaScript was written entirely by me (except for a few reused Fucntions, sIFR, and the moo.fx toolkit).
firo and the Flash Graphic were both imagined and written by myself.
The idea is a culmination of my design efforts and a watchful eye on thousands of other sites. I think it’s very unique, but you can find similar concepts among other websites.
It was conceived and produced in a significantly less amount of time than my first version of the site.
So, go check it out at Championforest.org.
Pirates of the Caribbean 2
PotC 2: Dead Man’s Chest was….well…an interesting movie. And I’m being liberal in calling it that. Mainly, it was a segue masquerading as a film. The story was weak, the conclusion was missing, and the effects were large and loud. Like so many sequels, it was an overproduced menagerie of technical and cinematic elements formed into a movie that replaced a story with over-the-top CGI, while hoping the star power and good name of the first maintained it. As far as the box office is concerned, the movie is a huge hit, but I walked away wishing for more.
I guess I’ll have to wait until part three arrives next summer.
Dreams
I was in Grapevine Books early this today when an employee asked me which school my ring was from. I let her know it was a ring from A&M to which she replied, “Oh did you just get it.”
Of course, this whole dialog reminded me of how young I look. I left the store thinking about how I look forward to the day that I look more like an adult than a high school student. As I drove off, I wondered why I was so concerned about impressions and why they caused me to wish for things I don’t have.
You see, I “dream” of the day that I look older. Ironically, older people dream of being young (see any birthday card as an example). Single people dream of not being single. Others dream for more money or a better job. Some married folks dream of being single again. Everyone dreams of things, but the question to ask is, do we waste our times dreaming about certain things?
Don’t get me wrong: dreams aren’t bad. But I think we waste a lot of energy dreaming about worthless things. All of things I mentioned above require a shift of perspective, not a shift of reality. Reality stays the same, and the key for us to enjoy what we have now, and dream of the things that we can actually effect.
Beautiful…
Justice and Ken Lay
I am convinced that the concept of justice is woven in the fabric of everyone. There is some underlying value that everyone possesses—it sounds a little alarm when injustice is committed. I don’t have any “scientific” proof of this but to understand this, randomly hit someone. If they don’t swing back, they will say something like, “What did I do to you? … So what did you hit me for?”
We intrinsically understand that actions should determine consequences. If you do something bad, then something bad should happen in return. Conversely, if you do something good, you should receive good in return. Of course, the definition of good and bad varies widely from person to person and from time to time. But that’s another story for another day.
I was reminded of this fact today when I read of Ken Lay’s death. Several months ago, Lay was convicted of fraud related to the fall of Enron. Whether or not he was guilty, I can’t conclude, but he was found guilty before the law, so I will have to assume that he did commit fraud. He was scheduled for sentencing this fall, and he was likely to receive a lengthy (20 years or so) term in prison.
But that was all put on hold today as they wheeled his body into the coroner’s office. Lay was dead, and he is now subject to judgment on all that he did during his life. Of course, this is from Christian perspective, but what about other religions. Assuming he was a bad person, every major religion includes the concept of judgment for the actions of earth. (I.e. If you think prison is bad, that would be terrible). And assuming an atheistic perspective, his life is over, arguably the worst possible punishment: cessation of existence.
So I was very surprised to read that former Enron employee, Sherri Saunders, said that Lay “got off easy.” I wondered…where is the mercy?
I didn’t lose any money in the Enron scandal. I don’t know what it felt like. But it seems to be a sad harbinger of society when people clamor for more justice than death. I mean, who better to deal with injustice than God (remember, most of the country still believes in God). And secondly, what better punishment is there than death.
But it seems that society has devolved into this strange bloodlust, always seeking to make others pay for what they have done. We want to see their pain. We want to see them writhe in agony as the punishment for their sins against us. Sure, most people wouldn’t say “sin,” but the concept boils down to that.
You see, we all crave justice for the wrongs committed against us. And we want to see the criminals punished. But there is a strange dichotomy: why do we keep saying that violent criminals should be rehabilitated? Why do we blame their problems on a rough childhood? Aren’t they to be held responsible for their actions? And aren’t the people they hurt in need of justice as well?
This seems to be another indicator of the strange deconstructivist nature of society today. The absolutes have been replaced by the relatives, and as well all know, if it happens to me it is worse. We have become so terribly narcissistic that we seek the delights of ourselves in spite of the obvious nature of reality: the world does not revolve around ourselves.
Sure, Lay did some bad things, and he hurt lots of people. But to be disappointed that he didn’t suffer enough—that’s terrible.
And sad.
Two Hundred Thirty
Happy Birthday America….
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America.
When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred. to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
The River
I floated down the Guadalupe River yesterday afternoon. These are the stories of the day.
Exhibit A
Shortly after embarking on the journey, we were greeted with the rapturous sounds of screams and yells. These noises prompted everyone to look in that direction and see that a handful of guys were in fisticuffs. Like any good fight, there was blood flowing from the face of one of the guys as he was going back for more (you think he would have learned his lesson the first time)… As far as I could tell, the whole incident is related to some girls who were throwing out Jello shots, and apparently the guy with the busted nose wanted more than he got.
As this began to get out of hand, the cops arrived and busted those who were involved. I floated past the scene after the police arrived, but I’m going to guess a few of the people got a free trip to jail. Oh yea, and did I mention these guys were drunk? As they were walking (or laboring) toward the police, you could see that they were having rough time walking.
Exhibit B (Not for the kiddos)
“Show me your weenie for a beer.” That’s right, folks. Those were the words out of the mouth of a number of whores girls toward the end of the trip. Like all good, drunk, college-aged males, one accepted the challenge and got a free beer. But still, who does this?
Exhibit C
After finishing the ride down the river, we exited, grabbed our toobs and waited for the bus. We stood there and watched as two guys and two girls gingerly climbed up the hill next to the river. You could see how taxing this activity was for them. The girls were staggering back and forth, and the guys were only having a little more luck. At the top of the hill, the girls were about to collapse to the ground when they piggy-backed their way on the backs of the guys.
This was an interesting scene because the guys couldn’t walk in a straight line when they weren’t carrying the girls. They made it to the line to wait on the bus and set the girls down. The girls proceeded to lie on the ground, obviously hating life at that moment.
That’s right: these folks were drunk as a skunk. (I don’t really know what that phrase means, but I used it anyways). And for the life of me, I can’t understand why you would choose to imbibe so much alcohol that you would put yourself in that position.
Exhibit D
All of the other interesting things I saw at the river: syringes (no needle points, though), turtles, fat people with enormous gyrating bellies, old ladies that have felt the sting of gravity, old ladies that have felt the burn of the sun, people whose swimwear disappeared underneath a mass of fat, a keg, lots of police, groping people, kissing people, a weed-eater propeller, and more.
It’s quite an experience…