In no particular order:
1. I'm six-feet, 3/4 of an inch tall (but I tell people 6'1").
2. I have two pets: an Australian snake-neck turtle
and a rose Chilean tarantula. (Separate tanks)
3. I used to think I was phobic of spiders,
but I'm starting to think now I'm just normal.
4. I've been in Taiwan since July 3, 2001.
5. They've got some really big, really fast spiders here
that scare the crap out of me.
6. I married the first local girl I met.
7. I'm not proud of too many things,
but my marriage is definitely one of them.
8. I have two children, who come really close to being classified as pets.
9. I got my daughter's name, Tosnia, from my favorite movie.
10. I lived on a hog farm during my high school years.
(FYI, pig shit has a rather sweet taste to it.)
11. I was Prom King, though I was shocked as everyone else
when my name was called.
12. I have a thing for zombies, Spartans, and the Samurai.
13. My wife is going to be ticked when she sees I referred to her as a local.
She grew up in Australia.
14. I've got a really strong stomach.
(I watched Two Girls, One Cup while eating my dinner.)
15. However, I do get the "heebie jeebies" failry easy.
I watched a guy get bot fly worms pulled out of his back (and they're HUGE)
and that left me with the creeps for days.
16. I love horror films, but only one has truly scared me
and that was The Blair Witch Project.
17. I thought the ending to The Sopranos was brilliant.
18. My love for semantics started about 10 years ago with trying
to figure out the difference between courage and bravery.
Go ahead. Give it a try.
19. I don't care for golf, baseball, gambling, beer, or chick-on-chick action.
Think what you will.
20. I'm incapable of "chit-chat".
21. My favorite children's book is THE DOT by Peter Reynolds.
I highly recommend it.
22. I have 3 heroes: Thurgood Marshall, Hugh Thompson, and Bill Hicks.
23. I'm allergic to pistachios, cashews, and macadamia nuts.
24. Over this past election process,
I found out that I'm much more conservative than I realized,
and that most "conservatives" are not so conservative.
25. I think the word "acquaintance" should be used more often,
because I try to take my friendships seriously.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Acceptance Speech
I know he's got it in him.
I would have loved it if he went up to the podium, leaned into it, and said,
"Can.........You.............Dig it!"
And then gone back to his usual white self.
I would have loved it if he went up to the podium, leaned into it, and said,
"Can.........You.............Dig it!"
And then gone back to his usual white self.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
My Day at the Hospital
Monday, February 11, 2008
A Question
This was sent to me by a friend who lives in New York.
I'll try to answer it, but I'm also going to ask a few of my friends
who probably have a bit more insight into this than I do.
Hey Rob,
The other day, a thought crossed my mind, and I was trying to figure this out,
and maybe you could help me understand it.
As you know, presidential campaigns have begun already in the US,
and plenty of dirt has been thrown. Often I hear the Republicans declare Democrats and Liberals as "God-less" or "lacking in moral values."
Ironically, the recent headlines seem to find many GOP involved in infidelity scandals (Robert Livingston, David Vitter, Randall Tobias). At the same time, the Republican Party seems to be able to cater to the Big Business capitalists, such as Big Oil, Big Pharmaceuticals, the Military Industrial Complex, Tobacco Companies, etc. Many of these Big Businesses are engaged in industries and practices that are often contradictory to Christian values.
For example,- Pharmaceutical companies lobby against the establishment of an Universal Healthcare System in the US. (I'd think Jesus would favor UHS.) They also make birth-control pills, condoms, etc which are typically not favorable to Church teachings.-
The Military Industrial Complex's contradiction to Christian ideals should be
self-explanatory. In addition, the US is heavily in a budget-deficit because of the war-machine.-
Big Oil could possibly be the top polluter of the global ecology.
I just find it hard to believe that conservative Christians share in the same core values as business interests.
So my question is this:
How are the Republicans able to court these two very distinctly different,
and often contradictory groups?
My own thought on this leads me to believe that it comes down to 2 things:
Gay-rights and abortion.
But it just seems that it's too naive to accept that these 2 issues could cause
most conservatives to overlook the other conflicting ideals.
So, if you could, help me understand how this came about.
Thanks, LH
I'll try to answer it, but I'm also going to ask a few of my friends
who probably have a bit more insight into this than I do.
Hey Rob,
The other day, a thought crossed my mind, and I was trying to figure this out,
and maybe you could help me understand it.
As you know, presidential campaigns have begun already in the US,
and plenty of dirt has been thrown. Often I hear the Republicans declare Democrats and Liberals as "God-less" or "lacking in moral values."
Ironically, the recent headlines seem to find many GOP involved in infidelity scandals (Robert Livingston, David Vitter, Randall Tobias). At the same time, the Republican Party seems to be able to cater to the Big Business capitalists, such as Big Oil, Big Pharmaceuticals, the Military Industrial Complex, Tobacco Companies, etc. Many of these Big Businesses are engaged in industries and practices that are often contradictory to Christian values.
For example,- Pharmaceutical companies lobby against the establishment of an Universal Healthcare System in the US. (I'd think Jesus would favor UHS.) They also make birth-control pills, condoms, etc which are typically not favorable to Church teachings.-
The Military Industrial Complex's contradiction to Christian ideals should be
self-explanatory. In addition, the US is heavily in a budget-deficit because of the war-machine.-
Big Oil could possibly be the top polluter of the global ecology.
I just find it hard to believe that conservative Christians share in the same core values as business interests.
So my question is this:
How are the Republicans able to court these two very distinctly different,
and often contradictory groups?
My own thought on this leads me to believe that it comes down to 2 things:
Gay-rights and abortion.
But it just seems that it's too naive to accept that these 2 issues could cause
most conservatives to overlook the other conflicting ideals.
So, if you could, help me understand how this came about.
Thanks, LH
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Semantics Lesson #5: PRIDE/PROUD
As most of you should know I spend a lot of time thinking about the meanings of words that we find important in our culture. My previous posts on semantics have covered Know & Belief, Trust & Faith, then Bravery & Courage, followed by Compassion, and my last one was about Incorrect Usages.
With this new one I'd like some help.
I'm not content with how we use the word PROUD.
Like most of our words, it has too many uses. I have found that when that is the case, then the word loses its value. And those values are important as they help us each and every day to be better people. (Does that sound as corny as I think it does?)
My problem with PROUD is that I don't think it should be used in reference to other people. I believe it should only be used to describe how you feel about yourself. Once I started thinking about it, it made no sense to me that a person could feel PROUD about another person's accomplishments. Unless, of course, that person helped the person in some way to attain those accomplishments, but even then you are proud of what YOU did, not really what the other person did.
Here's the problem, I don't know what to call the feeling that one gets upon witnessing someone else's accomplishment.
Let's say your father saves a young boy from drowning. He's a hero, etc.
What we're used to is saying that we are so PROUD of him.
I want to change that, but I'm not sure what to.
Admiration?
It doesn't have the same weight to that PROUD has, does it? But maybe it should. After all, words are just what we make of them. They only have the power that we give them. But that's not to belittle the power that they do have, and is why I make such efforts to be aware of them and their actual and intended meanings.
Any thoughts?
With this new one I'd like some help.
I'm not content with how we use the word PROUD.
Like most of our words, it has too many uses. I have found that when that is the case, then the word loses its value. And those values are important as they help us each and every day to be better people. (Does that sound as corny as I think it does?)
My problem with PROUD is that I don't think it should be used in reference to other people. I believe it should only be used to describe how you feel about yourself. Once I started thinking about it, it made no sense to me that a person could feel PROUD about another person's accomplishments. Unless, of course, that person helped the person in some way to attain those accomplishments, but even then you are proud of what YOU did, not really what the other person did.
Here's the problem, I don't know what to call the feeling that one gets upon witnessing someone else's accomplishment.
Let's say your father saves a young boy from drowning. He's a hero, etc.
What we're used to is saying that we are so PROUD of him.
I want to change that, but I'm not sure what to.
Admiration?
It doesn't have the same weight to that PROUD has, does it? But maybe it should. After all, words are just what we make of them. They only have the power that we give them. But that's not to belittle the power that they do have, and is why I make such efforts to be aware of them and their actual and intended meanings.
Any thoughts?
Monday, April 09, 2007
What Philosophy Do I Follow?
You scored as Existentialism. Your life is guided by the concept of Existentialism: (At least I like to think so.)
What philosophy do you follow? (v1.03) created with QuizFarm.com |
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
My Criticism of Christianity
I'm sorry for the delay with this post, but I have tried to write it on three different occasions and was never happy with them. I'm now to the point where I'm just going to write it and deal with the rest in the comments section.
Here's what prompted this post:
"How would you describe the activities of Christians over the past 1700 – 1800 years?
From the grand scale acts to the every day ones,
Christians have a lousy track record."
It's important to point out that my criticism, and judgment, of Christianity isn’t done from a comparison standpoint. Rather, I hold them to their own standards and beliefs. I don’t see the point of comparing Christians/Christianity to the Mongols. To my knowledge, the Mongols never made the claim that forgiveness, compassion, and love were the staples of their religious beliefs.
If you reread my statement, you'll notice I asked for a description.
I said nothing about being the worst.
That would be a comparison.
Here's my (hopefully brief) description of the history of Christianity.
Unfortunately, the Crusades, the Inquisitions, and the Witch Trials are mentioned so often that they are now treated as cliches. However, that doesn't change how horrendous they were. If you haven't done any research on them, you certainly should.
Something else that I hold Christians responsible for is the founding of the United States. Everyone knows that Christians love to argue that they are the ones who founded the U.S. and I agree with them. It makes sense to me since Christians were (and are) the overwhelming majority of the population.
However, what needs to be acknowledged is that America would not be what it is today without the eradication of one race and the enslavement of another. Of course, you don't see any Christians putting a claim on that.
As Frederick Douglass said,
"For all slaveholders with whom I have ever met, religious slaveholders are the worst.
I have ever found them the meanest and barest, the most cruel and cowardly, of all others.
It was my unhappy lot to belong to a religious slaveholder."
With this example, you can see that I don't only hold the Church accountable,
but the individual people as well.
World War II is another example. I know most view it as a non-religious war, but I don't.
Hitler's campaign was Christian based. Watch Triumph of the Will sometime.
(If you're in town, you may borrow my copy.) Hitler catches a lot of grief,
but he couldn't have done a thing without the help of a lot of Christians.
I also hold Christianity accountable for what it's done to our culture.
And it has done plenty!
Women
They haven't been equals since day one.
They were taken out of the picture with the Holy Trinity.
Just look at it. The FATHER. The SON. And the HOLY SPIRIT???
What does common sense tell you? You have a father, a son, but no mother?
Of course it used to be that way, but the good church took care of that,
and women have been paying the price ever since.
Also, the wise old woman was turned into a crone (witch)
and it has lasted over the centuries.
Nature
What will most likely be the end of us was started by the Church and has only gotten worse.
I'm referring to a complete lack of reverence for nature.
John 6: 28 - 29
28 Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"
29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
This one really pisses me off. (Eehhhh, they all piss me off.)
Imagine a world where Christians were actually required to do good in order for them to be good. Wow, I think I'd actually like that world, but instead we have this one. It's ridiculous that faith is the only requirement.
It should be about DEEDS.
Heck, even the Ten Commandments mostly tell you what NOT to do, rather than what to do.
Odds & Ends
My friend, Ryan, used this example in an attempt to support Christians,
"In the case of Christians, I think that they more than compensate for this annoying tendency with their charitable activities. I mean, if I get lost in Africa one day and am dying of thirst, I hope I come across a church."
Naturally, I disagree.
Not with the "being lost in Africa part", but seriously, when is that ever going to happen? (Knock wood.) Instead, a small but common example that I'd prefer to use is when my wife went on line into a chat room to find help for her problems with pregnancy. Not medical problems, but more along the lines of depression.
All the women in that room were talking about how great it was to be pregnant, etc. and when my wife tried to bring up her problem she was ridiculed.
THAT has been my experiences with Christians.
"with their charitable activities."
I've grown up surrounded by Christians my whole life and I can't think of a single one who did charitable work. I do know someone who works at a charity foundation. One of the rare foundations where most of the money (over 85%!)
actually makes it to the people who need it. That person is my mother and she's not even a Christian. (She recently came to the conclusion that she's a deist.)
Ok, that's as short as I can keep it.
We'll go from here.
Here's what prompted this post:
"How would you describe the activities of Christians over the past 1700 – 1800 years?
From the grand scale acts to the every day ones,
Christians have a lousy track record."
It's important to point out that my criticism, and judgment, of Christianity isn’t done from a comparison standpoint. Rather, I hold them to their own standards and beliefs. I don’t see the point of comparing Christians/Christianity to the Mongols. To my knowledge, the Mongols never made the claim that forgiveness, compassion, and love were the staples of their religious beliefs.
If you reread my statement, you'll notice I asked for a description.
I said nothing about being the worst.
That would be a comparison.
Here's my (hopefully brief) description of the history of Christianity.
Unfortunately, the Crusades, the Inquisitions, and the Witch Trials are mentioned so often that they are now treated as cliches. However, that doesn't change how horrendous they were. If you haven't done any research on them, you certainly should.
Something else that I hold Christians responsible for is the founding of the United States. Everyone knows that Christians love to argue that they are the ones who founded the U.S. and I agree with them. It makes sense to me since Christians were (and are) the overwhelming majority of the population.
However, what needs to be acknowledged is that America would not be what it is today without the eradication of one race and the enslavement of another. Of course, you don't see any Christians putting a claim on that.
As Frederick Douglass said,
"For all slaveholders with whom I have ever met, religious slaveholders are the worst.
I have ever found them the meanest and barest, the most cruel and cowardly, of all others.
It was my unhappy lot to belong to a religious slaveholder."
With this example, you can see that I don't only hold the Church accountable,
but the individual people as well.
World War II is another example. I know most view it as a non-religious war, but I don't.
Hitler's campaign was Christian based. Watch Triumph of the Will sometime.
(If you're in town, you may borrow my copy.) Hitler catches a lot of grief,
but he couldn't have done a thing without the help of a lot of Christians.
I also hold Christianity accountable for what it's done to our culture.
And it has done plenty!
Women
They haven't been equals since day one.
They were taken out of the picture with the Holy Trinity.
Just look at it. The FATHER. The SON. And the HOLY SPIRIT???
What does common sense tell you? You have a father, a son, but no mother?
Of course it used to be that way, but the good church took care of that,
and women have been paying the price ever since.
Also, the wise old woman was turned into a crone (witch)
and it has lasted over the centuries.
Nature
What will most likely be the end of us was started by the Church and has only gotten worse.
I'm referring to a complete lack of reverence for nature.
John 6: 28 - 29
28 Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"
29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
This one really pisses me off. (Eehhhh, they all piss me off.)
Imagine a world where Christians were actually required to do good in order for them to be good. Wow, I think I'd actually like that world, but instead we have this one. It's ridiculous that faith is the only requirement.
It should be about DEEDS.
Heck, even the Ten Commandments mostly tell you what NOT to do, rather than what to do.
Odds & Ends
My friend, Ryan, used this example in an attempt to support Christians,
"In the case of Christians, I think that they more than compensate for this annoying tendency with their charitable activities. I mean, if I get lost in Africa one day and am dying of thirst, I hope I come across a church."
Naturally, I disagree.
Not with the "being lost in Africa part", but seriously, when is that ever going to happen? (Knock wood.) Instead, a small but common example that I'd prefer to use is when my wife went on line into a chat room to find help for her problems with pregnancy. Not medical problems, but more along the lines of depression.
All the women in that room were talking about how great it was to be pregnant, etc. and when my wife tried to bring up her problem she was ridiculed.
THAT has been my experiences with Christians.
"with their charitable activities."
I've grown up surrounded by Christians my whole life and I can't think of a single one who did charitable work. I do know someone who works at a charity foundation. One of the rare foundations where most of the money (over 85%!)
actually makes it to the people who need it. That person is my mother and she's not even a Christian. (She recently came to the conclusion that she's a deist.)
Ok, that's as short as I can keep it.
We'll go from here.
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