For those of you who, like I do, get lost around Day 10....
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Search is for Rescue
I was referred, via The Port Stands at your Elbow, to David Mills' column The Advent Search over at First Things (I love that name). Mills writes, in part:
The column itself is quite well-written, and I quite agree with Mr. Mills, but what really got me thinking were the reactions to it: both on other blogs, such as the initial post at TPSAYE, and in the comments section of the column itself; and by both defenders and critics of the column.
My good friend Robert at TPSAYE, as is his wont these days, sees the similarities between Unitarian-Universalist thought and the more theologically liberal arm of Protestantism when he comments: "I’d say that a great deal of what Mr. Mills says also applies to the liberal wings of the mainline Christian denominations." While the point is valid, I'd gently remind him that that is in no way an indictment of all of non-RC denominations. Rejection of U-U thought is not enough to thrust me into the arms of Rome, I'm sorry to tell him.
But the response that really got me thinking, and with which I agree in a great part, if not in all the details, is by Professor Mondo. He writes, in part:
Where I agree STRONGLY with Professor Mondo is in our objection to the subjectification of faith. As one UU defender comments at First Things, "There are a great many of us who believe strongly. The thing is, it doesn't matter what in, as long as we can agree to certain principles." It's not WHAT you believe, the UU argues, but THAT you believe. You've reached the point of faith in... faith. Or perhaps I should say, Faith.
This is also one of the biggest shortcomings in the prosperity doctrine heresy known as the Word-Faith Movement. In their thought, Faith is a "force", a spiritual equivalent of a law of science that has to be heeded by all actors, including God Himself. Speak something in Faith, enough Faith, and it is destined to come about. Once again, faith in Faith. But this reverses the actual order of things. Faith is not a force, it is not a higher end, it is a response to a force, a means to an end. It is objective, not subjective -- it really does matter what you believe, and in what you have faith.
Why? Because there really are consequences to believing something that is untrue. Because at its core, faith is not just belief -- faith is entrusting yourself TO your belief. That's what James meant when he wrote that faith without works is dead. Faith goes beyond merely the intellectual assent of belief -- faith places reliance on belief. Faith is the process of belief informing action. Whether that is external action, in how we interact with the material world, or spiritual action in how we open ourselves up to being changed by our beliefs, if it isn't put in action, it isn't faith.
And since actions have reactions, consequences, WHAT we believe really is as important as THAT we believe. faith that puts into action incorrect beliefs is going to cause undesireable consequences and reactions -- perhaps not always immediately, though that is often the case, but eventually. Searching implies that something is missing. Searching without finding is failure, but so is finding the wrong thing. If you're not careful, that failure can be fatal.
“Derek? Who’s Derek?” begins a flyer I have in my files. “He isn’t a
prophet or a god, just a member of the Unitarian-Universalist Community at Pitt. You see, we draw upon many sources in our search for truth. Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism. And most importantly You[sic]. After all, you determine your own faith.”
The flyer then explains that you don’t have to believe anything
to be a member of this community, and concludes: “It’s a religious community for people who question. People who look for life’s meaning. People who think. People just like you and Derek.”
But maybe not a good community for people like you and Derek. The trouble with this kind of religion is that no one in the Unitarian-Universalist community expects you to join in order to move on
to a committed Christianity or Judaism or Islam. The community isn’t really about searching at all, because real searching leads to finding. I don’t think I’m being unfair to the Unitarian-Universalists by saying that they are not really big on finding.
The column itself is quite well-written, and I quite agree with Mr. Mills, but what really got me thinking were the reactions to it: both on other blogs, such as the initial post at TPSAYE, and in the comments section of the column itself; and by both defenders and critics of the column.
My good friend Robert at TPSAYE, as is his wont these days, sees the similarities between Unitarian-Universalist thought and the more theologically liberal arm of Protestantism when he comments: "I’d say that a great deal of what Mr. Mills says also applies to the liberal wings of the mainline Christian denominations." While the point is valid, I'd gently remind him that that is in no way an indictment of all of non-RC denominations. Rejection of U-U thought is not enough to thrust me into the arms of Rome, I'm sorry to tell him.
But the response that really got me thinking, and with which I agree in a great part, if not in all the details, is by Professor Mondo. He writes, in part:
What I find interesting is what I see as two yoked ideas from the tractI'm not sure I agree that faith is not my own doing -- I do agree that God should be the "entity in charge of the transaction", but I see that as the role of grace, whereas faith is my response to the initiator of the transaction.
— the capitalization of You (which Mills has the good sense to [sic]) and the idea that we determine our own faiths. As I’ve mentioned previously, I don’t see my faith as my own doing — in fact, I spent a portion of my life trying to run away from it. What I have is something that God has given me, perhaps as a tool for whatever purpose He has for me. I didn’t choose God — He chose me. To believe that we determine our own faith is to put the wrong entity in charge of the transaction.
Where I agree STRONGLY with Professor Mondo is in our objection to the subjectification of faith. As one UU defender comments at First Things, "There are a great many of us who believe strongly. The thing is, it doesn't matter what in, as long as we can agree to certain principles." It's not WHAT you believe, the UU argues, but THAT you believe. You've reached the point of faith in... faith. Or perhaps I should say, Faith.
This is also one of the biggest shortcomings in the prosperity doctrine heresy known as the Word-Faith Movement. In their thought, Faith is a "force", a spiritual equivalent of a law of science that has to be heeded by all actors, including God Himself. Speak something in Faith, enough Faith, and it is destined to come about. Once again, faith in Faith. But this reverses the actual order of things. Faith is not a force, it is not a higher end, it is a response to a force, a means to an end. It is objective, not subjective -- it really does matter what you believe, and in what you have faith.
Why? Because there really are consequences to believing something that is untrue. Because at its core, faith is not just belief -- faith is entrusting yourself TO your belief. That's what James meant when he wrote that faith without works is dead. Faith goes beyond merely the intellectual assent of belief -- faith places reliance on belief. Faith is the process of belief informing action. Whether that is external action, in how we interact with the material world, or spiritual action in how we open ourselves up to being changed by our beliefs, if it isn't put in action, it isn't faith.
And since actions have reactions, consequences, WHAT we believe really is as important as THAT we believe. faith that puts into action incorrect beliefs is going to cause undesireable consequences and reactions -- perhaps not always immediately, though that is often the case, but eventually. Searching implies that something is missing. Searching without finding is failure, but so is finding the wrong thing. If you're not careful, that failure can be fatal.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Exit, Stage Implausible
I once read that while he was studying in war college as a young officer, Von Clausewitz was given the assignment of planning an assault on a fortified castle as part of a fictional war between two countries. His immediate response was to ask why the two countries were at war. He was told it didn't matter, just plan the assault. His response was, of course it matters, how can I know what outcome to pursue for the battle if I don't know what the causes of the war were?
Clausewitz understood, you see, that nothing occurs in a vacuum. And that's my biggest gripe with Life After People, a show on the History Channel (or as I've grown to see it, the Aliens/Holy Grail/Nostradamus/FreeMasons/Cryptozoology/2012/Crackpot Theory Channel). The series starts with the premise that overnight, every human on Earth is just... gone. It doesn't explain how, or why, or even try to -- did we die? Get abducted by aliens? spontaneously combust? Evacuate? Phase shift into another dimension? Or did we, in the words of Chekov (Pavel, not Anton), simply "Wanish"? It apparently doesn't matter to the writers of the show. We're gone, and everything on the planet is exactly as we left it, and then we watch over the cours of hours, days, months, years, centuries, and even millenia to see how man-made objects stop functioning, go haywire, fall apart, deteriorate, etc. And in that sense, it does have some interesting and informative points regarding human made structures, devices, systems, and how they must be maintained and the effects of entropy that would take place if they were not. But in terms of giving an accurate general picture of how life on Earth would look without the human race, it doesn't, and really, can't. The two adjectives are mutually exclusive. Because HOW we go and WHY we go really are crucial, aren't they?
I mean, look, there are now almost what, 7 Billion of us? That's a lot of people to haul outta here in one fell swoop. To do it all in one literal 24-hour period would require either a level of technology and infrastructure unimaginable even by all but the most far-fetched of science fiction writers (I mean hell, this makes Greg Bear seem timid), or a natural catasprophe on a scale that would definitely affect far more than the biological entity that is the human race -- we're talking planet killing asteroids, etc. Whatever the cause, the outcome is not going to take us and leave everything else untouched and pristine. And if the exodus takes time, humanity will have reacted to whatever circumstances caused it.
So while, as I've said, it's an informative look at just how things fall apart if the center cannot hold, because it focuses only on what happens after our exit, stage implausible, and not during it, the show falls short for me.
Clausewitz understood, you see, that nothing occurs in a vacuum. And that's my biggest gripe with Life After People, a show on the History Channel (or as I've grown to see it, the Aliens/Holy Grail/Nostradamus/FreeMasons/Cryptozoology/2012/Crackpot Theory Channel). The series starts with the premise that overnight, every human on Earth is just... gone. It doesn't explain how, or why, or even try to -- did we die? Get abducted by aliens? spontaneously combust? Evacuate? Phase shift into another dimension? Or did we, in the words of Chekov (Pavel, not Anton), simply "Wanish"? It apparently doesn't matter to the writers of the show. We're gone, and everything on the planet is exactly as we left it, and then we watch over the cours of hours, days, months, years, centuries, and even millenia to see how man-made objects stop functioning, go haywire, fall apart, deteriorate, etc. And in that sense, it does have some interesting and informative points regarding human made structures, devices, systems, and how they must be maintained and the effects of entropy that would take place if they were not. But in terms of giving an accurate general picture of how life on Earth would look without the human race, it doesn't, and really, can't. The two adjectives are mutually exclusive. Because HOW we go and WHY we go really are crucial, aren't they?
I mean, look, there are now almost what, 7 Billion of us? That's a lot of people to haul outta here in one fell swoop. To do it all in one literal 24-hour period would require either a level of technology and infrastructure unimaginable even by all but the most far-fetched of science fiction writers (I mean hell, this makes Greg Bear seem timid), or a natural catasprophe on a scale that would definitely affect far more than the biological entity that is the human race -- we're talking planet killing asteroids, etc. Whatever the cause, the outcome is not going to take us and leave everything else untouched and pristine. And if the exodus takes time, humanity will have reacted to whatever circumstances caused it.
So while, as I've said, it's an informative look at just how things fall apart if the center cannot hold, because it focuses only on what happens after our exit, stage implausible, and not during it, the show falls short for me.
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Misfortune Pronated
This past Monday, my son, or "The Upgrade" as I call him, had an appointment with a pediatric orthopedic specialist. It turns out he has a congenital condition in his left arm called Radioulnar Synostosis. What that means is that his radius and ulna are fused together at their upper end. This prevent him from rotating his arm past 90 degrees, or supinating it at all. It's uncorrectable, so he'll never have full range of motion in that arm.
It hit me at a really rough time. I'm still dealing with regret about not living with him 24/7 since his mom and I broke up, it's the holidays and I'm struggling to afford any gifts for him, and now, I get to wonder if my crappy genetics brought this on him.
Still, he's such a happy, active 5-year-old, and such a loving, considerate child, I think he's more of a comfort to me than I to him at this point.
It hit me at a really rough time. I'm still dealing with regret about not living with him 24/7 since his mom and I broke up, it's the holidays and I'm struggling to afford any gifts for him, and now, I get to wonder if my crappy genetics brought this on him.
Still, he's such a happy, active 5-year-old, and such a loving, considerate child, I think he's more of a comfort to me than I to him at this point.
An Inconvenient Atrocity
So since I closed this place down, in fact, just recently, domestic terrorism hit close to home. One of the reasons, in fact, that I decided to start blogging again. I'm talking, of course, about the Portland Christmas Tree Bomber. Oregon's in the national spotlight, and not just because the Ducks are kicking ass all over the west.
Here's the thing that disturbs me the most about the whole thing: as part of their sting operation, the FBI sold him the bomb he tried to use -- albeit, a fake one. that means the kid was buying a bomb from them.
And that's what's wrong with kids today: they want everything done for them. No work ethic, no patience, just instant gratification. What happened to the days of terrorist nutjobs with work ethic and pride in their craftsmanship, like Ted Kaczynski or Timothy McVeigh? Sure, they were psychopathic monsters, who deserve everything they got, but among all their evil faults, laziness was not one. On top of all the misanthropic psychosis of Mohamed Osman Mohamud, he was also a slacker, and a stupid, lazy one to boot.
Guy Fawkes would be spinning in his grave. If he were in one piece.
Here's the thing that disturbs me the most about the whole thing: as part of their sting operation, the FBI sold him the bomb he tried to use -- albeit, a fake one. that means the kid was buying a bomb from them.
And that's what's wrong with kids today: they want everything done for them. No work ethic, no patience, just instant gratification. What happened to the days of terrorist nutjobs with work ethic and pride in their craftsmanship, like Ted Kaczynski or Timothy McVeigh? Sure, they were psychopathic monsters, who deserve everything they got, but among all their evil faults, laziness was not one. On top of all the misanthropic psychosis of Mohamed Osman Mohamud, he was also a slacker, and a stupid, lazy one to boot.
Guy Fawkes would be spinning in his grave. If he were in one piece.
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
New Digs
On the off chance anyone who ever read me still gets post updates or stumbles across this dusty old blog, I've a new one. I'm keeping the pseudo-Latin theme in the new title. You can read me once again at Ex Posteriori.
Saturday, January 09, 2010
The Kitchen Is Now Closed
I don't suppose this will come as much of a surprise to anyone, if anyone notices at all, but it is with a twinge of regret that I announce that this will be the final post on this blog. It's been a good run, it's been over 5 years since I started it, but it's time to lay Memento Moron to rest. the reasons are several:
It's been a long, very long time since I was prolific, and even longer since my posts were anyhting more than a feeble "Hey, I'm still here". In preparing for this post, I went back and re-read some of mt earliest posts. Damn, I was good. I was passionate, and it was reflected both in the thoughts expressed on this blog, and in the care I took in crafting the words used to express those thoughts. Lately, though, my writing has been hasty and rudimentary.I've lost the style, I've lost then content.
In part, this stems from a sense of exhaustion -- physical, mental, and emotional. I'm spent, I'm worn, I'm beaten down. I started the blog during the 2004 presidential campaign, and while I did blog a lot on my personal life, I was also doing a lot of political blogging. The campaign and its oucome were very important to me, and that outcome seemed, at the time, to still be in question. Pair that with a sense that by blogging and challenging my readers to consider some issues, I could actually make a difference, and it made for a very heady cocktail. I was intoxicated and hooked. But since then, I've lost that sense of... well, of importance. Don't get me wrong -- the things on which I blogged are important, my opinion is still as important as anyone elses, but how influential my words might be here, well, that's where things have lost their sparkle.
The other big reason is that I'm just too busy these days. That change started back in 2006 when I got laid off from my tech support job and accepted to culinary school. I was no longer spending 8 hours or more a day at my computer, much of it with plenty of time to blog between calls. You can see the steady decline of the quantity AND quality of my posts from that time forward, with only a few brief spikes along the way.
And now, my life is WAY too busy AND exhausting. I have two jobs now. One is M-F from 7:30 AM to 1:00 PM. The other is MWThF, 5:30 PM-close (usually 8:00 or 9:00), Sat 11:45-2:30 & 5:30-Close (usually 9:00), and Sun 11:45-2:30 & 5:00 to close (7:00). My last full day off was New Years Day, and I don't know when the next will be -- maybe Sun the 24th, for The Lad's birthday party (He's turning 5, can you believe it?).
The last straw was the notice from Haloscan that they would no longer be free. That completely cut off my comments. I could switch to either Blogger's internal comments, or find another service, but both would require money, time, and effort, three things at a premium for me right now.
So instead, I'm shuttng her down. I'll leave the blog here for as long as Blogger allows, just in case someone wants to read something. But IF and WHEN I start blogging again, it will be with a fresh start.
I'd like to thank all of my loyal readers, you were few but you were faithful. I want to thank the Bloggers who inspired me along the way -- Blogfather Rusty at The Jawa Report, who got me started in this. Ditto to Blogmother Da Goddess. Yips and Noto Benes and such to The Llama Butchers, Maximum Leader at Naked Villainy, OregonGuy, and two bloggers I've met personally and consider friends - Bob at Eugene Rant, anf Ken, the Fifth String on the Banjo of Life.
Thanks, everyone, it's been a good run, and you've all helped make it all the better. If you want to keep in touch, write me -- my email address is brianbinor (at symbol) gmail dotcom.
And don't forget to stay humble -- remember the reason for this blog's title in the first place.
It's been a long, very long time since I was prolific, and even longer since my posts were anyhting more than a feeble "Hey, I'm still here". In preparing for this post, I went back and re-read some of mt earliest posts. Damn, I was good. I was passionate, and it was reflected both in the thoughts expressed on this blog, and in the care I took in crafting the words used to express those thoughts. Lately, though, my writing has been hasty and rudimentary.I've lost the style, I've lost then content.
In part, this stems from a sense of exhaustion -- physical, mental, and emotional. I'm spent, I'm worn, I'm beaten down. I started the blog during the 2004 presidential campaign, and while I did blog a lot on my personal life, I was also doing a lot of political blogging. The campaign and its oucome were very important to me, and that outcome seemed, at the time, to still be in question. Pair that with a sense that by blogging and challenging my readers to consider some issues, I could actually make a difference, and it made for a very heady cocktail. I was intoxicated and hooked. But since then, I've lost that sense of... well, of importance. Don't get me wrong -- the things on which I blogged are important, my opinion is still as important as anyone elses, but how influential my words might be here, well, that's where things have lost their sparkle.
The other big reason is that I'm just too busy these days. That change started back in 2006 when I got laid off from my tech support job and accepted to culinary school. I was no longer spending 8 hours or more a day at my computer, much of it with plenty of time to blog between calls. You can see the steady decline of the quantity AND quality of my posts from that time forward, with only a few brief spikes along the way.
And now, my life is WAY too busy AND exhausting. I have two jobs now. One is M-F from 7:30 AM to 1:00 PM. The other is MWThF, 5:30 PM-close (usually 8:00 or 9:00), Sat 11:45-2:30 & 5:30-Close (usually 9:00), and Sun 11:45-2:30 & 5:00 to close (7:00). My last full day off was New Years Day, and I don't know when the next will be -- maybe Sun the 24th, for The Lad's birthday party (He's turning 5, can you believe it?).
The last straw was the notice from Haloscan that they would no longer be free. That completely cut off my comments. I could switch to either Blogger's internal comments, or find another service, but both would require money, time, and effort, three things at a premium for me right now.
So instead, I'm shuttng her down. I'll leave the blog here for as long as Blogger allows, just in case someone wants to read something. But IF and WHEN I start blogging again, it will be with a fresh start.
I'd like to thank all of my loyal readers, you were few but you were faithful. I want to thank the Bloggers who inspired me along the way -- Blogfather Rusty at The Jawa Report, who got me started in this. Ditto to Blogmother Da Goddess. Yips and Noto Benes and such to The Llama Butchers, Maximum Leader at Naked Villainy, OregonGuy, and two bloggers I've met personally and consider friends - Bob at Eugene Rant, anf Ken, the Fifth String on the Banjo of Life.
Thanks, everyone, it's been a good run, and you've all helped make it all the better. If you want to keep in touch, write me -- my email address is brianbinor (at symbol) gmail dotcom.
And don't forget to stay humble -- remember the reason for this blog's title in the first place.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Win, Ducks, Win!
"OSU will fight till the end but WE WILL WIN!"
Roses, baby! We're going to Pasadena! Well, at least my team is. Oregon beat Oregon State tonight, 37-33. With that win, we clinch the PAC-10 championship outright, and seal a trip to the Rose Bowl.
I'm actually glad the game was close. over the last few years, the theme among OSU fans has been that the Ducks are the flashy, prima donna team, all show and no substance,while they, the Beavers, are therd-working, tough, scrappy team.
Well, tonight, the Ducks dispelled that myth. They trailed at half time, and came back in the second half. They held on late when OSU threatend again, and when it was gut check time, they passed -- on FOurth anf Three, Masoli took a broken passp lay and ran it for four yards. Three plays later, the Ducks got another crucial first down, and that was the game.
So well played, OSU, but better luck next time. Good luck in your bowl game -- I'd love to see a PAC-10 sweep.
We'll be doing our best to do our part in Pasadena.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Musical Geography Trivia Question
If like all the jolly good fellows, you drink your whiskey clear, from where are you?
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Dude Looks Like a (Lunch) Lady
I have something extra for which to be particularly thankful this Thanksgiving -- on Tuesday I found a second job -- I was hired on as a substitute cook for a local school district. Things are looking up!
Monday, November 23, 2009
An Almost Perfect End to a Long Night
A Savonelli, its bowl filled with a light cavendish. All that was missing was a snifter of brandy.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Musical Geography Trivia Question
If they were chopping them up and they were chopping them down, from where were they?
Gridiron Flip Flop
Sad day. My Alma Mater, the Douglas High School Trojans lost a squeaker to Sweet Home -- Congratulations to SHHS, you earned it.
On the other hand, the Ducks performed an incredible comeback to defeat Arizona, 44-41, in double OT! Way to go, Ducks! I'm still smelling roses!
On the other hand, the Ducks performed an incredible comeback to defeat Arizona, 44-41, in double OT! Way to go, Ducks! I'm still smelling roses!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Hope and Change Smoke and Mirrors
FTFY, Mr. President.
A Tip of the Toque to Gaius at Blue Crab Boulevard.
Remember Obama's promise to bring transparency to government? Apparently, not so much. From a new article by ABC News:
That's not mere human error. That's either laziness or intentional deception on the part of the recovery board for not verifying the claims before postingthem to a government website.
Meanwhile, over at the New York Times (of all places!), Ross Douthat points out the moving of goalposts by the administration:
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain. I am the Great and Powerful Obama.
A Tip of the Toque to Gaius at Blue Crab Boulevard.
Remember Obama's promise to bring transparency to government? Apparently, not so much. From a new article by ABC News:
Here's a stimulus success story: In Arizona's 15th congressional district, 30 jobs have been saved or created with just $761,420 in federal stimulus spending. At least that's what the Web site set up by the Obama administration to track the $787 billion stimulus says.
There's one problem, though: There is no 15th congressional district in Arizona; the state has only eight districts.
And ABC News has found many more entries for projects like this in places that are incorrectly identified.
Late Monday, officials with the Recovery Board created to track the stimulus spending, said the mistakes in crediting nonexistent congressional districts were caused by human error.
"We report what the recipients submit to us," said Ed Pound, Communications Director for the Board.
That's not mere human error. That's either laziness or intentional deception on the part of the recovery board for not verifying the claims before postingthem to a government website.
Meanwhile, over at the New York Times (of all places!), Ross Douthat points out the moving of goalposts by the administration:
...The stimulus bill was framed and sold primarily as a jobs bill, and the Obama administration placed a substantial bet on the promise that the unemployment rate would start dropping before 2010 arrived. When the stimulus passed with almost no Republican support, Rahm Emanuel, the president’s chief of staff, declared that “the most important number ... is how many jobs it produces, not how many votes it gets.”
He was right. But with unemployment near a 25-year high, that “most important number” isn’t looking very good. The White House is stuck arguing counterfactuals — how much worse the economy would be without the stimulus — and trumpeting obviously inflated estimates of how many jobs have been “created or saved” by federal dollars.
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain. I am the Great and Powerful Obama.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Veterans Days
Happy Veterans Day to all the veterans who stop by and read me. Thank you for your service, it means the world to me. And a special message to my favorite veteran:
Happy Veterans Day, Dad.
I miss you.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Happy Birthday, Marines
Sorry I haven't posted earlier in the day. I had a busy one -- out enjoying that freedom you purchase for me, often with your very lives.
But don't think the day went unnoyiced, nor your sacrifices unappreciated. Those of us who live inside the walls on which you stand your watch are grateful, and we're keeping the hearth warm for you.
Come back to us safely. But if you cannot, know you will come home to an honored rest.
But don't think the day went unnoyiced, nor your sacrifices unappreciated. Those of us who live inside the walls on which you stand your watch are grateful, and we're keeping the hearth warm for you.
Come back to us safely. But if you cannot, know you will come home to an honored rest.
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