With the school year getting underway, my time to ponder and plan interesting things to post has dwindled substantially. So, each Wednesday, I'm probably going to post pieces of a story that wrote earlier this year. (I'll try to post random thoughts & comments on Sunday, still, for those of you who don't care about the story.) I will be the first to admit that I did not necessarily write this story for anyone else. My main motivation was that I have a master's thesis to write next year, and I wanted some practice in writing something that was longer than a 5-page graduate school essay. This story definitely is longer than 5 pages. So, if you're curious (or want to see what happens when a math teacher tries to engage in creative writing), read on. (As always, all content of this blog is copyrighted.)
The Lethe
Captain Christopher Dobbins of the Earth Space Fleet sat anxiously in his seat as his shuttle climbed away from the surface of Mars towards Dry Dock Four. His blue eyes darted quickly from the controls to the handheld computer containing his orders. He had read the orders many times in the thirty minutes since liftoff, and he fought the urge to read through them again. He tugged at the tight collar on his dress uniform. He hated dress uniforms. They never seemed to fit him right, despite the assurances from every technical expert that the scanners on clothing fabricators always got the fit exactly right. It seemed to him that the collars always came out just a bit on the small side, constricting his throat just enough to be annoying but not enough to cause any problems. After one more futile yank on his collar, he stared out the window of his shuttle as it neared the newest ship in the fleet, the ship that was about to become his: the Hyperion.
The Hyperion’s opalescent appearance stunned him. He had seen the schematics, of course, even pictures on the holovision. To see the ship in person, however, made it seem more real, somehow. Perhaps, the realization that he would soon be walking her decks and get to experience first-hand her unique abilities worked to create this heightened awareness of reality.
The Hyperion was no ordinary ship. Unlike its predecessors, which relied on an Ion Drive to propel themselves at speeds approaching the speed of light, the Hyperion had a new form of propulsion—jump drive—that allowed the ship to avoid the speed limitations imposed by special relativity. In a process that Dobbins really did not understand, the jump drive allowed the Hyperion to bend space in such a way that the ship could, in essence, move to a different location instantaneously.
Fleet Command had told Dobbins of the plans to build the Hyperion three years ago, naming him as commander-in-waiting. Those three years passed slowly, as Dobbins slowly bided his time on the Constellation, continuing an interesting (but dry) research mission in the solar system’s Kuiper Belt. Despite his love for exploring, he found the concept of getting to explore other star systems firsthand too fascinating to escape his thoughts. More than once, he had dreamed that he was onboard the Hyperion, giving the orders for the first jump out into the great unknown.
As the shuttle neared the Dry Dock, it began a series of complex maneuvers in order to align itself properly for docking with the Hyperion. Slowly, the shuttle neared the main shuttle docking bay on the starboard side of the ship. As the two vessels drew near, the automated controls of the shuttle took over, guiding the small transport flawlessly into the port. With a dull clang, the two ships joined together, and the doors at the right side of the shuttle slid open.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Round 7
Tomorrow, I begin my 7th full year as a teacher at Cair Paravel. It's a bit hard for me to believe that I have had the blessing and privilege of serving the Lord in this way for as long as I have. It has not always been an easy road; teaching, although it becomes easier with time, never reaches the point of being dull. Every year, I have a different group of students in each class, with their own strengths, weaknesses, failures, and fears. The challenge is to help them learn about mathematics and a bit about God, too. It is a task that I am not sufficient for, at least, not in my own strength. Only by God's grace can I have any hope of being effective at this challenging task.
So, as the 2009-2010 school year looms, I look ahead with excitement, yet also with a bit of fear and trembling. This year is going to hold many joys and trials, many highs and lows, and above all, innumerable little opportunities that will require me to have to trust in His grace alone. To paraphrase a cliche, I don't know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future. And I know that they'll be exciting times coming.
So, as the 2009-2010 school year looms, I look ahead with excitement, yet also with a bit of fear and trembling. This year is going to hold many joys and trials, many highs and lows, and above all, innumerable little opportunities that will require me to have to trust in His grace alone. To paraphrase a cliche, I don't know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future. And I know that they'll be exciting times coming.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Zounds! Summer Hasn't Happened!
So, now that I've completely by pointless goal of using all of the letters in post titles, I can get on to the important aspects of blogging.
And the weather once again is the story of the day. Well, that and the fact the Topeka City Council (thankfully) realized that they simply did not have enough money for a police helicopter unit. Unfortunately, they still wound up raising the property taxes to fund the Metropolitan Transit Authority (or whatever its official name is). Still, it's better to have a smaller increase than a huge one, which is what would have happened if the helicopter unit had stayed.
And I digress. Back to the weather. I can't remember the last time (because there hasn't been one in my 7 years in Topeka) where the weather was nice enough that we could have had soccer practice at 4 in the afternoon without worrying about the heat. Usually, it's already closing in on 80 degrees by 9 a.m. So far, it's been cool, cloudy, and rainy far more often than it has been hot and sunny. This unusually cool pattern is a welcome break from several years of hotter weather. I'm hoping that this cooler-than-average trend continues for the rest of the summer. I would love to be able to sit outside on some of these evenings and read and relax a little.
(Only 4 days left until school starts....)
And the weather once again is the story of the day. Well, that and the fact the Topeka City Council (thankfully) realized that they simply did not have enough money for a police helicopter unit. Unfortunately, they still wound up raising the property taxes to fund the Metropolitan Transit Authority (or whatever its official name is). Still, it's better to have a smaller increase than a huge one, which is what would have happened if the helicopter unit had stayed.
And I digress. Back to the weather. I can't remember the last time (because there hasn't been one in my 7 years in Topeka) where the weather was nice enough that we could have had soccer practice at 4 in the afternoon without worrying about the heat. Usually, it's already closing in on 80 degrees by 9 a.m. So far, it's been cool, cloudy, and rainy far more often than it has been hot and sunny. This unusually cool pattern is a welcome break from several years of hotter weather. I'm hoping that this cooler-than-average trend continues for the rest of the summer. I would love to be able to sit outside on some of these evenings and read and relax a little.
(Only 4 days left until school starts....)
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Yes, I forgot about the Letters
I just remembered that I was trying to use every letter in the alphabet in my post titles. So, today, I knock out another letter. Whether I remember to use the last remaining letter is another story.
I worked 5 soccer games yesterday over in Kansas City. This was the second time that I've gone to a tournament outside of Topeka. It was a good experience to work with different referees in a different city. Interestingly, of the 5 games I did, two of the games involved a team from Topeka. It was a bit strange to drive 1 1/2 hours only to referee teams from my hometown. I'd write more about it, but I'm so tired that I'm not going to write any more.
I worked 5 soccer games yesterday over in Kansas City. This was the second time that I've gone to a tournament outside of Topeka. It was a good experience to work with different referees in a different city. Interestingly, of the 5 games I did, two of the games involved a team from Topeka. It was a bit strange to drive 1 1/2 hours only to referee teams from my hometown. I'd write more about it, but I'm so tired that I'm not going to write any more.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
The "Enemy"
News today out of Somalia, a lawless country, that four Somali Christians working at a Christian orphanage have been beheaded by radical Muslims. These Christians were killed for refusing to deny their faith in Jesus Christ.
This callous disregard for human life and the "convert-or-die" attitude are two hallmarks of the radical, militant Islam that underlies Islamic terrorism worldwide. Too many Westerners still think that we can negotiate with these terrorists or come to some sort of "life and let live" agreement with the radicals. The unfortunate reality is that such accords are probably not possible. Islamists, such as these radicals in Somalia, are literally following the Koran's command to make war on the infidels and to kill those who renounce Islam. They will not stop until the entire world is "Muslim" (with all the "infidels" dead) or until they are dead.
This sort of evil has been around for hundreds of years; it is part and parcel with much of Islam's history. These radicals are not going away, but we need to be aware of their motives if we are going to develop an effective response. Our current approach is to try to create win-win scenarios. That doesn't work well when the other side's only interested in "I win-you lose" and will not settle for anything less.
One part of the solution is highly active missions efforts on the part of Churches worldwide. If the Gospel can take root in this Islamic cultures, there will be fewer Muslims from which the radical sects can draw their resources and personnel. Another part of the solution is developing another energy source besides oil. If the Middle East, the source of oil and the money for most Islamic terrorism, no longer had billions of dollars at its disposal, many of these terrorists would cease to be a threat. There are other pieces to the puzzle, including the use of military force. But I won't discuss those here. One last thought, on the difference between radical Islam and radical Christianity: "The radical Muslim kills you when you refuse to believe; the radical Christian prays for you when you refuse to believe."
This callous disregard for human life and the "convert-or-die" attitude are two hallmarks of the radical, militant Islam that underlies Islamic terrorism worldwide. Too many Westerners still think that we can negotiate with these terrorists or come to some sort of "life and let live" agreement with the radicals. The unfortunate reality is that such accords are probably not possible. Islamists, such as these radicals in Somalia, are literally following the Koran's command to make war on the infidels and to kill those who renounce Islam. They will not stop until the entire world is "Muslim" (with all the "infidels" dead) or until they are dead.
This sort of evil has been around for hundreds of years; it is part and parcel with much of Islam's history. These radicals are not going away, but we need to be aware of their motives if we are going to develop an effective response. Our current approach is to try to create win-win scenarios. That doesn't work well when the other side's only interested in "I win-you lose" and will not settle for anything less.
One part of the solution is highly active missions efforts on the part of Churches worldwide. If the Gospel can take root in this Islamic cultures, there will be fewer Muslims from which the radical sects can draw their resources and personnel. Another part of the solution is developing another energy source besides oil. If the Middle East, the source of oil and the money for most Islamic terrorism, no longer had billions of dollars at its disposal, many of these terrorists would cease to be a threat. There are other pieces to the puzzle, including the use of military force. But I won't discuss those here. One last thought, on the difference between radical Islam and radical Christianity: "The radical Muslim kills you when you refuse to believe; the radical Christian prays for you when you refuse to believe."
Sunday, August 09, 2009
American Football Starts Tonight
Although the game is basically inconsequential, being an NFL preseason game, tonight is the first football (American football) game of the season. It's a harbinger of the end of summer. Soon, school will be in session, the weather will start to cool off, and MLB will be crowning another champion. Meanwhile, American soccer will be dwindling, European soccer begin, and American football will be in full swing.
I'm not sure I'm ready for summer to be over, yet. I feel like this summer has been the busiest I can remember in 10 years. I know that I've had plenty of slow days and plenty of goofing off, but I sort of wish I could have a week at home with nothing to do. Of course, the last time I thought I wanted that, I wound up with the flu over Spring Break and was miserable. So, I guess I need to be grateful to God for the times of rest He has given me. And I need to try to be more efficient with the time I have left so I can work and play.
I'm not sure I'm ready for summer to be over, yet. I feel like this summer has been the busiest I can remember in 10 years. I know that I've had plenty of slow days and plenty of goofing off, but I sort of wish I could have a week at home with nothing to do. Of course, the last time I thought I wanted that, I wound up with the flu over Spring Break and was miserable. So, I guess I need to be grateful to God for the times of rest He has given me. And I need to try to be more efficient with the time I have left so I can work and play.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
X Has Not Been Used
As I ran through the list of post titles that I have used over the years in blogging, I've noticed that I've never used three letters. Today, I use up one of the three: X. Now, I realize that this is trivial and pointless, but I had to start the post some way. On to the point of this post!
There are a couple of national-level hot-button issues that are currently affecting Kansas. One is the placement of a new national biological and agricultural defense laboratory in Manhattan. The building of the lab in Kansas stirred controversy, and even though the government has already chosen a site, the hubbub still has not died down. A report (some speculate leaked by politicians from Texas) claims that the Kansas site was chosen incorrectly. A few Kansans are still concerned about what would happen if a tornado hit the facility. I personally don't care a lot about this issue. I trust the selection process to work correctly (most of the time). In this case, because of the choice (Kansas over some rich, influential states like Texas), I think that the decision was legitimate. I'm sure that the building's designers will be sure to set up the lab in such a way as to withstand a tornado. It can be done, for the right price, and if there's one thing that the federal government has shown over the years it's that it knows how to spend citizens' money quite well.
The other major issue is the suggestion that the terrorists currently held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, be housed instead at Fort Leavenworth. This idea has evoked strong negative reactions from people on both sides of the political spectrum. Kansan Democrats who favor closing Gitmo still oppose bring the prisoners to Leavenworth. And the case they make is compelling: Leavenworth simply is not equipped to handle such prisoners. At the same time, there is a maximum-security prison in Michigan that is about to shut down, and it seems like the people in that city want to have the prisoners housed there. It seems logically to me to put the terrorists there if we have to move them. I still don't understand why Democrats are so big on moving everyone out of Gitmo in the first place. Do they think that we'll "Gitmo" respect for foreign countries by shutting down the prison in Cuba? There's one problem with that: most countries already dislike us for some of the abuses (or imagined abuses) that have occurred there. Shutting it down isn't going to do much to improve our standing in the world. Our allies already like us. Iran, Venezuela, North Korea, and any other country run by an egomaniac already dislike us. And France was just starting to like us (not anymore), but that's another story. So, really, to me, ignorant of the details that I am, it seems that the best option is to leave the Cuban prison open. The second-best option is to put the prisoners in Michigan. Leavenworth seems like a bad idea from the start. And given that Congress has not authorized any funding for moving the prisoners or opening a new facility in the U.S., all of this speculation could be just that.
To re-cap, X now has been used as a title for a post. I'll try to knock out the other two letters in the next couple of posts.
There are a couple of national-level hot-button issues that are currently affecting Kansas. One is the placement of a new national biological and agricultural defense laboratory in Manhattan. The building of the lab in Kansas stirred controversy, and even though the government has already chosen a site, the hubbub still has not died down. A report (some speculate leaked by politicians from Texas) claims that the Kansas site was chosen incorrectly. A few Kansans are still concerned about what would happen if a tornado hit the facility. I personally don't care a lot about this issue. I trust the selection process to work correctly (most of the time). In this case, because of the choice (Kansas over some rich, influential states like Texas), I think that the decision was legitimate. I'm sure that the building's designers will be sure to set up the lab in such a way as to withstand a tornado. It can be done, for the right price, and if there's one thing that the federal government has shown over the years it's that it knows how to spend citizens' money quite well.
The other major issue is the suggestion that the terrorists currently held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, be housed instead at Fort Leavenworth. This idea has evoked strong negative reactions from people on both sides of the political spectrum. Kansan Democrats who favor closing Gitmo still oppose bring the prisoners to Leavenworth. And the case they make is compelling: Leavenworth simply is not equipped to handle such prisoners. At the same time, there is a maximum-security prison in Michigan that is about to shut down, and it seems like the people in that city want to have the prisoners housed there. It seems logically to me to put the terrorists there if we have to move them. I still don't understand why Democrats are so big on moving everyone out of Gitmo in the first place. Do they think that we'll "Gitmo" respect for foreign countries by shutting down the prison in Cuba? There's one problem with that: most countries already dislike us for some of the abuses (or imagined abuses) that have occurred there. Shutting it down isn't going to do much to improve our standing in the world. Our allies already like us. Iran, Venezuela, North Korea, and any other country run by an egomaniac already dislike us. And France was just starting to like us (not anymore), but that's another story. So, really, to me, ignorant of the details that I am, it seems that the best option is to leave the Cuban prison open. The second-best option is to put the prisoners in Michigan. Leavenworth seems like a bad idea from the start. And given that Congress has not authorized any funding for moving the prisoners or opening a new facility in the U.S., all of this speculation could be just that.
To re-cap, X now has been used as a title for a post. I'll try to knock out the other two letters in the next couple of posts.
Monday, August 03, 2009
Selling Something Nobody Wants
American car companies have almost failed in recent years because they make cars that nobody wants to buy. It looks like the government is trying to take the same approach with health care reform. This article summarizes the negative response. Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Arlen Specter, Democrat Senator from Pennsylvania, received a very poor reception from Specter's constituents. There seems to be strong opposition to this legislation in Philly. I have a feeling that this resistance is not isolated, but I could be wrong. We shall see. In this instance, it sure looked like the government was selling something that nobody wanted.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Two Weeks Left
In two weeks, my summer will be over. While the first day of classes is still three weeks away, all teachers have to be back in two weeks. So, as summer draws to an end, I can't help but find myself wishing for another week. Normally, I'd be very much ready to get to the business of teaching, but this summer has been so busy--and this school year seems so daunting--that I would love to have a week of "boredom" before the craziness of school starts.
Since I won't have that extra week, I need to remember--and live by--Jesus's words in Matthew 6:34 -- "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." I should probably make that verse my theme verse for the year. I can't change what is coming my way. I can--and have--prepared for it. Soon, it is time to take everything day by day. For now, I'm going to try to focus less on what's coming and more on enjoying what God has put before me. Doing so makes life more enjoyable, anyway.
Since I won't have that extra week, I need to remember--and live by--Jesus's words in Matthew 6:34 -- "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." I should probably make that verse my theme verse for the year. I can't change what is coming my way. I can--and have--prepared for it. Soon, it is time to take everything day by day. For now, I'm going to try to focus less on what's coming and more on enjoying what God has put before me. Doing so makes life more enjoyable, anyway.
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