I just returned from a visit up to the college I went to not too many years ago. The amount of changes that I found amazed me. If you know anything about Iowa State University, read on to hear my comments on the changes that I saw. If not, all I can say is that while it was good to see some old friends and to briefly visit so many places where God worked to alter the course of my life, it was bittersweet. The most bitter part of the visit was realizing that I graduated seven years ago and that it hasn't seemed that long. Time has flown.
For those who know that campus a lot has changed in the past seven years. Helser Hall is only about a third the size that it previously was. In its place is the Union Drive Commons. Also in Union drive is a new, suite-style residence hall. I'm fine with that change. One change in the UDA area that I wasn't excited about was Clyde Williams Field being turned into parking lot, however. The new Engineering buildings are wonderful. It's great to see the run-down Engineering Annex building finally torn down. And the work they've done to make the Marston Water Tower stand out is amazing. Most of the halls that I frequently had class in are still there and basically unchanged: Gillman Hall, MacKay Hall, Physics Hall, Lagomarcino Hall, and Agronomy Hall. It was great to see them. There's the new Honors and Business buildings, although they're just okay. I have nothing to compare them to.
The biggest shock, though, was seeing how different the Towers residence halls looked. Two of them are gone completely: Knapp and Storms were demolished in the past year. Only the Knapp-Storms Commons remains. It amazes me how small a footprint those buildings had because it hardly seems like those gigantic concrete edifices would fit within the ground that remains. Yet they were there: all 11 stories of them. Now, however, there's just open space. And the remaining two Towers, including my home home for 2 years: Wilson Hall, are next.
Overall, I approve of most of the changes made to the University grounds. A lot of work needed to be done, and I'm glad to see that it has been done.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Rambling: Memorial Day Already?
Is it just me, or was this the fastest five months in the history of the world? At this rate, I'm going to wake up tomorrow and find myself as a 60-year old. Ack!
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Rambling: One More Day!
Contrary to popular belief, teachers are just as relieved to be done with school for the summer as the students are.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Commentary: Slanted News
Once again, the media are at work trying to get another Democrat elected to Congress by attempting to create a scandal out of nothing. A recent example is an article in the Topeka Capital-Journal. This attack piece on Representative Ryun is presented as a news piece. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The article is really just another attempt by the anti-Republican media to attack a representative who does not agree with their values. Throughout the article, the author betrays his bias by slanting his description of the facts. For example, he goes to great lengths to try to point out that the house was never listed with a real estate agent. (Question: what's wrong with that?) Another example, he insinuates that Representative DeLay bought Ryun's influence by contributing to Ryun's campaign. The author's reasoning? Ryun voted with delay 94% of the time. This is shoddy reasoning. Of course Ryun would vote with DeLay frequently. They're both from the same party and share many of the same core ideals. The author's raising the issue is nothing short of a smear on Rep. Ryun. Overall, the article is cynical about Mr. Ryun, slanted against him in every way. The contempt of the author practically bleeds through the page.
I am disappointed in the Topeka Capital-Journal for running such an unprofessional article that is really nothing more than propoganda for the Democrat party. They should know better, and they should be ashamed of such blatant political manipulation.
The article is really just another attempt by the anti-Republican media to attack a representative who does not agree with their values. Throughout the article, the author betrays his bias by slanting his description of the facts. For example, he goes to great lengths to try to point out that the house was never listed with a real estate agent. (Question: what's wrong with that?) Another example, he insinuates that Representative DeLay bought Ryun's influence by contributing to Ryun's campaign. The author's reasoning? Ryun voted with delay 94% of the time. This is shoddy reasoning. Of course Ryun would vote with DeLay frequently. They're both from the same party and share many of the same core ideals. The author's raising the issue is nothing short of a smear on Rep. Ryun. Overall, the article is cynical about Mr. Ryun, slanted against him in every way. The contempt of the author practically bleeds through the page.
I am disappointed in the Topeka Capital-Journal for running such an unprofessional article that is really nothing more than propoganda for the Democrat party. They should know better, and they should be ashamed of such blatant political manipulation.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Rambling: Color of the Sky at Sunset
In response to a recent comment, I thought I'd take a minute to give a brief explaination of the colors of the sky at sunset.
The sky appears orange, red, purple, and even yellow at sunset due to the scattering of the sun's rays by the atmosphere and particles within the atmosphere. When a light ray interacts with an atmospheric particle, it scatters in a manner known as Mie Scattering. This scattering is responsible for the blue color of the sky during the day.
Depending on the angle of the sun with respect to the atmosphere, though, different wavelengths are more likely to be scattered, giving off characteristic colors. The "cleaner" the air, the less scattering there is and the less interesting the sunset because only certain wavelengths are favored. However, the more dust, pollutants, and cloud particles there are in the atmopshere, the more scattering that occurs, creating a beautiful array of colors.
Even though I know that the scientific reasons behind the sunset, I never cease to be amazed at their beauty, nor to praise God for the wonderful design of the universe to allow such glorious displays! Praise God for creating such beauty!
The sky appears orange, red, purple, and even yellow at sunset due to the scattering of the sun's rays by the atmosphere and particles within the atmosphere. When a light ray interacts with an atmospheric particle, it scatters in a manner known as Mie Scattering. This scattering is responsible for the blue color of the sky during the day.
Depending on the angle of the sun with respect to the atmosphere, though, different wavelengths are more likely to be scattered, giving off characteristic colors. The "cleaner" the air, the less scattering there is and the less interesting the sunset because only certain wavelengths are favored. However, the more dust, pollutants, and cloud particles there are in the atmopshere, the more scattering that occurs, creating a beautiful array of colors.
Even though I know that the scientific reasons behind the sunset, I never cease to be amazed at their beauty, nor to praise God for the wonderful design of the universe to allow such glorious displays! Praise God for creating such beauty!
Monday, May 15, 2006
Rambling: End of Year
It's the end of the year, everyone's tired, and the finish line is in sight. It's time for the stretch run. Will my sanity survive? :-)
Friday, May 12, 2006
Rambling: Beautiful Day
How often in May do we get to enjoy weather as beautiful as it was today. It was a great day to have our final soccer practice of the season, and it looks to be a beautiful weekend to referee soccer. I'm loving this weather!
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Rambling: Dreams/Goals
People often associate having dreams and goals with being a teenager. It's the kids who are expected to have huge dreams for the future. Yet, even at 28, closing in on 29, I still dream.
I dream of owning a house.
I dream of earning a master's degree.
I dream of doing better as a teacher, coach, and referee.
I dream of leading short-term mission trips from my church.
I dream of being a radical man of God who effectively shares the Gospel in word and deed.
I dream of being married and having a family.
Is it childish to still have dreams? I don't think so. God continues to allow me to have goals and dreams in order to keep me headed in the direction that He wants me to go. Without some sense of where to go, I would stagnate, content to be where I am. And while I like where I am, I know that God has more in store for me in the future, especially in eternity, which I will get to spend with Christ.
So, I will let God work in my heart and mind to shape these dreams to fit His purpose for my life. But I will not abandon even the seemingly most impossible dream until He makes it clear that I should.
I dream of owning a house.
I dream of earning a master's degree.
I dream of doing better as a teacher, coach, and referee.
I dream of leading short-term mission trips from my church.
I dream of being a radical man of God who effectively shares the Gospel in word and deed.
I dream of being married and having a family.
Is it childish to still have dreams? I don't think so. God continues to allow me to have goals and dreams in order to keep me headed in the direction that He wants me to go. Without some sense of where to go, I would stagnate, content to be where I am. And while I like where I am, I know that God has more in store for me in the future, especially in eternity, which I will get to spend with Christ.
So, I will let God work in my heart and mind to shape these dreams to fit His purpose for my life. But I will not abandon even the seemingly most impossible dream until He makes it clear that I should.
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Rant: Calvinball and DC Security
I just got back from visiting Washington, DC. Overall, it was a great trip, and it was fascinating to see the city again. I enjoyed getting to see the inside of the Jefferson Memorial for the first time. We also had the privilege of visiting the White House, which has changed little since I was there back in 1995. Above all, it was a good experience.
<rant>However, there is one thing about DC that drove me crazy that I just had to rant about for a minute: the security.
Now, it's not the amount of security that bothers me. I realize that there are some very militant Muslims who will stop at nothing until our country of "infidels" is a smoldering ash heap. My concern goes with how the security personnel behaved. The best way to explain their behavior is to compare it to Calvinball.
Calvinball was a game made up by Bill Watterson in his comic strip Calvin and Hobbes. It was a game of ever-changing rules, made up on the spot. One minute something was okay, the next something wasn't, and there was no warning when something would or would not be okay.
The security in DC was that way. There were next to no notices about what was or was not allowed. Sometimes, we could do something, sometimes we couldn't. Sometimes things that weren't even crimes were made into huge deals. Above all, I felt like Alice on her trip through the looking glass. I never quite knew what the rules of the game, and I didn't appreciate the arbitrary nature of the rules.
For example, just after some of my group got out of the White House, they sat down as they were waiting for the rest of our group to finish the tour. They weren't doing anything wrong. They weren't bothering anybody. They were just sitting on the curb. However, the security wasted no time assailing them as if they had just threatened the President, yelling at them to stand up as if they had just committed a felony. I explained to the secret service agent that they were waiting for the rest of our group, but that did not produce the usual, understanding response. Instead, the guard was harsh and disprespectful to our group. Strange.
Anyway, I was amazed at the lack of good communication about what was and what was not allowed. I can only hope that clear rules will be set out and spelled out. When that happens, it will be a more enjoyable experience for visitors to DC, who are innocent tourists minding their own business.</rant>
<rant>However, there is one thing about DC that drove me crazy that I just had to rant about for a minute: the security.
Now, it's not the amount of security that bothers me. I realize that there are some very militant Muslims who will stop at nothing until our country of "infidels" is a smoldering ash heap. My concern goes with how the security personnel behaved. The best way to explain their behavior is to compare it to Calvinball.
Calvinball was a game made up by Bill Watterson in his comic strip Calvin and Hobbes. It was a game of ever-changing rules, made up on the spot. One minute something was okay, the next something wasn't, and there was no warning when something would or would not be okay.
The security in DC was that way. There were next to no notices about what was or was not allowed. Sometimes, we could do something, sometimes we couldn't. Sometimes things that weren't even crimes were made into huge deals. Above all, I felt like Alice on her trip through the looking glass. I never quite knew what the rules of the game, and I didn't appreciate the arbitrary nature of the rules.
For example, just after some of my group got out of the White House, they sat down as they were waiting for the rest of our group to finish the tour. They weren't doing anything wrong. They weren't bothering anybody. They were just sitting on the curb. However, the security wasted no time assailing them as if they had just threatened the President, yelling at them to stand up as if they had just committed a felony. I explained to the secret service agent that they were waiting for the rest of our group, but that did not produce the usual, understanding response. Instead, the guard was harsh and disprespectful to our group. Strange.
Anyway, I was amazed at the lack of good communication about what was and what was not allowed. I can only hope that clear rules will be set out and spelled out. When that happens, it will be a more enjoyable experience for visitors to DC, who are innocent tourists minding their own business.</rant>
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