Commentary/Rant: Shame on the Capital-Journal

<rant>The Topeka Democrat (err...Capital-Journal) is at it again, attempting to help get Democrats elected by attempting to make Republicans look bad. In this case, they published two articles that revealed details of an internal campaign memo from Attorney General Phil Kline, a Republican. One story is the memo itself. The other story on this memo, however, is clearly spun in such a way as to make Kline seem like an insincere hypocrite, who is merely trying to exploit religion to get elected. I know from personal interaction that nothing could be further from the truth. It's only logical that the memo was stolen from Kline. This shows just how desparate the Democrat party is to gain control of political offices. That the Capital-Journal and the Democrat party would stoop to such a terrible level is quite sad. I can only pray that such tasteless tactics will backfire and that Kline will be re-elected. I know that he has my vote, and the illegal activities of his challenger's campaign should convince anyone who is undecided which candidate in this election will actually uphold the law.</rant>

Rambling: Random Movie Line

Here's a random line from a movie. See if you can figure out what movie it comes from before checking the answer in the full post.
"They don't look like Presbyterians to me!"

This line is from "The Muppet Movie." Fozzie and Kermit walk into an abandoned church where Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem are playing. Fozzie then utters the line above.

Commentary: More Half Truths

[Sigh] Once again, Governor Sebelius is at it, claiming that she was responsible for the Legislature coming up with a plan that funded the public schools. Unfortunately, her role in the process was relatively limited. She forced the Legislature to stay in extra session. That's it. Not a bad thing to do, but she certainly was not as involved as she tries to make herself sound to be in her commercial. She did not work to help the Legislature craft a proposal, nor did she put forth a reasonable comprommise proposal. She just said, "Keep working," and then sat back while the liberals and moderates battled the conservatives.
It's sad that such unrealistic claims are being put forth by the Sebelius campaign. It's not surprising, however, since politicians are notorious for putting spin on everything. I only hope the voters of Kansas are smart enough not to believe such misrepresentations.
Unfortunately, I'm afraid that's not the case... :-(

Rambling: Hurricane (?) Season

I love it when God shows that He's smarter than us humans. For instance, this year's forecast for the hurricane season in the Atlantic said that we would have an above normal season. We arrogantly assumed we knew how the weather was supposed to work, and that this whole global warming thing was fueling more significant hurricanes. (At least, that's what the media was quick to tout. Funny how they haven't said much about the fact that this failed forecast proves the connection tenuous at best.) The forecast in April called for 17 named storms in the Atlantic (we've had 6 so far, and the peak of hurricane season is past already) and 9 hurricanes (we've had 1 so far, Hurricane Ernesto, and it wasn't a very impressive hurricane). What happened? Well, a lot of factors together probably have hindered hurricane formation. In my opinion, God is showing us who's really in charge of the weather here. It's not us. It's Him. We think that we can understand how things work, but in reality, we can just make educated guesses based off of how things typically work. In the end, God can intervene and make the weather behave however He wants. Read on for some details about the revisions made to the forecasts with time.

At the end of May, the forecasts were revised, but no changes were made. At the beginning of August, a new update was issued. This update predicted 13 named storms after August 1, 7 of which would be hurricanes. So far, this forecast has not been too impressive. There have been 3 named storms so far. That leaves the next 2 months to produce ten, or five storms a month. Unless tropical storm intensity picks up considerably, that forecast is also going to be wrong. Thus, the forecasters tried one more time. Now, they are calling for 8 more named storms after September 1 (instead of the 10 that they would have needed before). To be honest, I think this forecast will be a bust, too. There will be fewer than 8 storms. How many fewer? I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if we had only 5 more named storms this season. We simply do not understand enough about how God made the world, and we can never anticipate when He will intervene.
Above all, these failed forecasts should put to rest once and for all the myth that global warming is fueling stronger hurricanes. There just isn't enough evidence to support it.

Rambling: New Coach, Old Result

In case any KSU football fans had any questions about whether it was the coaching or the players who fell off during the past few years at K-State, today's game against Illinois State should leave no doubt. KSU barely eeked out a win, 24-23, and they needed an unusual play to do it -- recovering a kickoff muffed by Illinois State and returning it for a touchdown.

The offense was not good. The epitome of the offense's problems was the first play of the game: Meier overthrew his receiver, resulting in an interception. Throughout the game, the offense struggled, including having trouble running out the clock late in the fourth quarter.
As bad as the offense was, however, the defense was even worse. The poor pass coverage that has plagued K-State throughout its recent fall from the elite showed up again. K-State seemed unable to cover Illinois State receiver's consistently. K-State was outgained by about 100 yards.
The overall result of the game was the same as when Coach Snyder was in charge. Changing coaches has not done much. K-State needs better players if it ever hopes to become an elite football program again.

Rambling: What Do You Call...

What do you call a man with no arms and no legs sitting in your mailbox?

Bill
(Thank you...I'll be here all week. Try the veal.)

Rambling: Bad Dream?

Have you ever had one of those dreams where you know it's a bad dream, but all you can remember when you wake up is the part that isn't bad?

55555555555555540000000000000000
Sorry, my cat stepped on the numeric keypad. Anyway, in this case, I had this horrible bad dream, but all I can remember about it is that the light switches in my apartment weren't working right. The light switch for the bedroom turned on the hall lights. The light switch in the hall turned on the bedroom lights. The whole dream had this eerie, evil feel to it. Then, being disturbed by the dream, I woke up and was freaked out because my clock read "2:22". Now, why I was scared of the number 222, I have no idea. But at two in the morning after a nightmare, I think any number besides 37 would be scary to me.
Anyway, it was one of those weird experiences that I hope I never have to repeat. If you can't relate, and you just think I'm strange, fine. So there. Thank you; good night.

Rambling: Strange Event

When I came home today, it felt awfully cool in my apartment, and my air conditioner seemed to be running a lot. I finally went over to look at the thermostat. It was set down below 70! I usually keep at about 75 during the summer. The only reason I can think for it to be that way is that my cat decided to attack it while I was gone and accidentally bumped it down. Or was it an accident? :-)

Can you say electric bills through the roof? And the excuse? "It's my cat's fault! It's the one who sets the thermostat at 68."

Rambling: The Joy of Flea Control

Last night, before heading to Bible Study, I attempted to apply one of those flea control liquids to my cat. The resulting situation was less than enoyable.

If you've never tried to apply a flea control liquid to a cat, especially a young one, you know that it is not a simple task. It requires getting the cat's fur parted and squeezing a small of liquid somewhere that it can't lick. Sounds simple enough, but its difficulty level is slightly less than wrestling an alligator while attempting to land a 747 at an airport in a raging blizzard.
In this case, after wrestling with my cat for about 5-10 minutes, I managed to get the liquid squeezed on its back. The minute that the slightest bit of said substance touched its skin, though, my cat immediately turned in such a way that the liquid ran along the left side of its body. This unfortunate turn (pun intended) placed this toxic substance that cats are not supposed to lick in the perfect location to be licked.
Needless to say (but I will anyway), my cat promptly licked its fur right where some of the substance was. It immediately started licking its lips, attempting to get the (waterproof) liquid out. The resulting sound was less than pleasant. After a few attempts at trying to get rid of the substance, it promptly had a most unusual reaction: it stood on its hind legs and proceed to deliver a most amazing lecture on the nature of quantum mechanics and its relation to the control of insect pests on felines. (Okay, not really.)
What actually happened was that I had to spend about 20-30 minutes attempting to use water and a brush to remove all of the flea control liquid (which, you will remember, is waterproof) from my cat's fur. By the time I got through with this laborious task, which was almost as difficult as attempting to apply the substance in the first place, it was too late for me to make it to Bible Study.
So, I downloaded a sermon from the church I used to go to in Lawrence. It was a good study, but I did miss the social interaction that I normally get from the study.
Anyway, the moral of the story is: it may take two to tango, but it also takes two (maybe even three or four) to apply flea control liquid to a cat.

Rambling: Soccer Coaching

This may well be one of my last seasons coaching soccer. Ever since soccer started, I have been absolutely worn out. I enjoy doing it. I enjoy soccer, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to maintain the energy to do it, teach, and have any sort of social life. So, nothing definite, yet, but I am in definite need of God's grace and strength, because mine is all gone.

Grapefruit juice...

Rambling: One of Those Days

Have you ever had a day where you felt you stepped into some sort of alternate reality, where almost everything is the same, but a few things are different/wrong? Today was one of those days.

Things that I distinctly remembered throwing in the trash can mysteriously reappeared on the table that I took them off. Paperwork I already filled out for my apartment complex is stuck in an envelope on my door asking me to complete it and return it to the office. Two people I know (admittedly not very well) both wind up charged with different felony crimes and have their mugshots displayed on the local news. Even my cat is tearing around the apartment with four times its normal amount of energy.
So, I'm left to ponder this: if I had to fall into an alternate reality, why couldn't I fall into one where I was happily married?
Anyway, it's just been a strange, tiring day, but I know that there are no alternate realities, that this life is all that there is, that some days are just strange, and (most of all) that God is faithful and will sustain me even through a day as bizarre as this.

Rambling: Beautiful Lightning

I don't know if you looked outside at all while the rain rolled through ealier tonight.

If you didn't, you missed a beautiful lightning show. Cloud to ground and cloud to cloud bolts, some miles long, lit up the sky. The beautiful yellow trails were wonderful to watch (from a distance), and they were a wonderful reminder of God's creativity and power.

Rambling: A Funny Picture

Do you think if I study hard enough that they'll let me into Cair Paravel?


All this studying's got me worn out.

Poem: When

When daylight's sun shines bright
My soul echoes Your light
When in Your grace I rest
And admit Your way best

Lord God, fix my right gaze
Upon You all my days
Let not my heart waver
Nor my soul sin favor

When I can't understand
Your reasons for what's planned
When my dreams seem to crash
And hopes upon rocks dash

Lord God, open my eyes
For there discontent lies
Focused on this world all
Not things celestial

When prayers meet with silence
Nor sense I Your presence
When sin in me besets
And I'm filled with regrets

Lord God, help me, waiting
Have faith unabating
More like Your Son make me
Cleansed, redeemed, chosen, free

When one day all I see
Is Your holy glory
When pain is done away
And life is endless day

Lord God, still may my cry
Be how You brought me by
Waters quiet and still,
Preserved me in Your will

Commentary: Where's the Love?

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed how selective the moral outrage is in the current Middle East conflict between Israel and Hezbollah?

Israel, in attempting to stop a para-military force that is funded and fueled by such rogue states as Syria and Iran, accidentally hits a group of civilians (who are in the war zone), and the world freaks out and screams for a cease fire. Nevermind that Hezbollah fighters are hiding among civilians to use them as shields. The minute even one Lebanese civilian accidentally gets hit, the world screams murder.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah, instead of firing rockets at the Israeli army, is shooting rockets over the Israeli army and attacking Israeli civilians who are not even in the war zone. The reaction from the world, though, is muted at best. I don't hear people condemning Hezbollah or screaming and rioting about the Israelis who were killed. Where's the condemnation from Kofi Annan against Hezbollah?
Now, don't get me wrong. It is sad that these civilians died, and I know that there families are mourning. It's not fair that noncombatants are getting killed. Yet why is the outrage not as great when Israeli civilians who are outside the warzone getting killed? Could it be that world hates Israel? Or is there something more complex going on here? I don't know.

Rambling: State Games

July is usually a slow month for me, so this year, I decided it would fun (and a good way to stay in shape for soccer season) if I tried to run a couple of Track events at the Sunflower State Games, which are held every year here in Topeka.

I was a bit disappointed by the turnout in my age group (19-29). There were only four of us (despite six signing up) in the 100 m, and the other three were obviously collegiate track runners because it seemed like they ran through 50 m in the time it took me to get out of the blocks. The competition was even more lacking in the 200 m. There were three of us, and the other two ran track at Wichita State. So, I was guaranteed a bronze there. Of course, I wasn't racing to win a medal, necessarily. I wanted to see how the State Games worked and to beat a certain time goal I had already set for myself. I accomplished both goals. I ran the 100 m in 13.17. In the 200 m, I did even better, running in 27.73. (I really enjoy running, the 200 m. It's such a perfect race. Just long enough to make you have to sustain a sprint, short enough that you don't kill yourself in the process.) It was fun to get out there and run. I hope there are some other competitors next year who are more in my league.

Rambling: Teacher Education

As part of my Issues in Education class, I have had to read a couple of books in addition to the normal class reading. I've already discussed on in brief, The Closing of the American Mind by Allan Bloom. Now, I'd like to provide a quick discussion of the other book I read, Teacher Education in America by Christopher Lucas.

Lucas, a professor of education at the University of Arkansas, writes a fascinating and compelling analysis of teacher education before proposing a ground-breaking plan to reform the teacher education curriculum. Well-written and mostly easily to read (except for one dry stastisical area), Lucas establishes his credibility with a survey of the history of teacher preparation in the U.S. Moreover, with an even-handed presentation of the modern controversial issues, he maintains his credibility. Finally, after discussing his own study of what teachers recommend, Lucas proposes a reform plan that I think has the potential to improve the quality of the teachers produced signficantly.
This book is must read for anyone interested in developing or improving teacher education programs. It is also a good read for anyone in education, as the first two chapters alone provide a solid context for many of the current debates. Overall, it is an excellent book that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Rambling: No, I Am Not Thirty, Yet

For my birthday, the rest of my family went together and helped provide me with the resources to get a cat. After some searching, I was able to find a young Chocolate Point Siamese/Domestic mix. If you want to see a couple of pictures, you can go to here. Choose the "Pascal" album. Yes, the cat's name is Pascal. Give yourself extra credit if you know who it's named after....

No, I have not given up, if you know what I mean.

Rambling: I Dislike Summer Colds

Wow! It's been a week since I posted anything. My apologies to all who have been checking. I've spent most of this past week fighting a cold, and I wasn't feeling too terribly loquacious. I don't have much else to say now, but I should have more to say in the next day or so. For now, it's good to have a quiet day of rest after a crazy week.

Rambling: Book Review

As part of a class I'm taking, I have to read two books of my choosing about (what else?) controversial issues in education. I've just written my review of the first one, and I thought I'd summarize a piece of it below in case you're looking for something to read.

The book is The Closing of the American Mind by Allan Bloom. Its subtitle "How Higher Education Has Failed Democracy and Impoverished the Souls of Todays Students" tells you everything you need to know about the book. What follows is a sometimes rambling treatise on the state of university education in the 1980s. Sadly, things have not improved since then, as Bloom's critique of university students rings true today as it did 20 years ago. The book itself is a bit of a dry read, as Bloom shows the unfortunate habit of rambling off the main topic to unpack minor side details. Indeed, a reader with a basic background in philosophy could easily skip Part II and not miss much, as Bloom spends copious time dealing with the intricate details of the philosophical roots of the modern American university situation. Far more interesting are Parts I and III, which deal with Bloom's observations of the present.
Overall, this book is an interesting read for those interested in university education or in philosophy in general. Be warned, though, that it is not a light read.

Rambling: DSL Modem

It is with great sadness that I bid farewell to my DSL modem, which finally quit working two days ago at the ripe old age of 3 1/2. It was a good DSL modem, loved by its friends, respected by its peers, feared by its enemies. Doubtless this world will be a better placed because of the impact of DSL modem, and all who knew it will miss it greatly. :-)

Rambling: Buster Keaton

Buster Keaton was a silent film actor and perhaps one of the most famous. His work was primarily comedic in nature, but it was all well-done, especially considering the state of movie making in the silent movie era. If you don't like silent films, don't read the rest of this post, but if you're curious, I have a little bit to say about a movie I saw last night.

The movie wasn't that long (just over an hour), and it had creative stunts, a good story, and great story telling with a minimum of dialogue. Modern movie makers could learn a lot from how the characters of people are revealed without dialogue to the audience. Instead of telling us who they are, we see who they are. It's a very effective way of doing it. The only weakness of the version I saw was the music. It was simply classical music laid down underneath the movie without much thought to what was happening in the movie. A good soundtrack added in can make all the difference in the world.

Rambling: Hymns

I have a soft spot for old hymns. Not that I don't like modern worship music. Rather, I appreciate any song that has solid lyrics. Some of the hymns have lyrics just as devoid of any real meaning as a bad modern song. However, the good hymns, just the like the good modern songs, have both a solid message in the lyrics and a solid melody. I was visiting a website that has many hymns online, cyberhymnal.org, and I ran across one of my favorites: What a Friend We Have in Jesus. The story behind this hymn encouraged me tremendously. Read on to find out about it.

The lyrics, of course, are all about how we should go to the Lord in the midst of trouble, hardship, and trial. According to the cyberhymnal, Joseph M. Scriven wrote the hymn to comfort his mother, who was in Ireland while Scriven was in Canada. However, Scriven was not just writing platitudes. He was writing from experience. You see, prior to going to Canada, Scriven was engaged to be married. One the night before their wedding, his fiancee, while crossing a bridge, was thrown from her horse into the river and drowned. To make matters worse, Scrivner was waiting on the far side of the bridge and saw it all happen. However, that is not the end of the story. In Canada, Scriven met and became engaged to another young woman, who also died prior to their wedding. At some point after the death of his second fiancee, Scriven wrote the lyrics to this well-known him. He truly was writing a testimony to God's faithfulness in His life.

Rambling: Oops

I must confess, for all that I seem to be able to remember well, there is one thing that I am as absent-minded as anyone on: when eating at a restaurant, I invariable forget to take the leftovers home with me. The odd thing is that I usually have some leftovers, not being a huge eater, yet I forgot to take that little styrofoam container of delictable goodness with me. One of these days, I might actually remember something as important as food. I don't know why I forget, but I do. It's embarassing. Just call me the Absent-Minded Math Teacher.

Rambling: A lot to say, but...

My wrists hurt, so I won't type anything else right now.

Rambling: What do you think?

Is "some temperance" an oxymoron?

Commentary: Global Warming?

An article from the AP about global warming makes some interesting and strong claims. The article, based on a study from the National Academy of Sciences, claims that global warming is real and that it is caused by people. The report makes it sound like it's an open and shut case. Global warming exists, and we are the cause. Time for the Kyoto Protocol and other flawed and economically destructive policies, right? To quote Lee Corso, "Not so fast, my friend."

First, the claim that global warming is real can only be substantiated by direct temperature records for only the past 150 years. In that time, there does seem to be a sort of warming trend. )This, of course, ignores a dip in temperature observed during the 1970s.) Before about 1850, climatologists have to use indirect methods, such as looking at ice cores, tree rings, and lake sediments. Therein lies problem number one. Such indirect methods indicate some information about temperature, but because of the complex nature of this world, it is difficult to construct an accurate tempearture profile for the past. It is primarily guess work, and personal bias can easily affect such guesses. It's possible that this was the case.
However, I do not wish to deny the possibility that we're seeing global warming. Certainly, in the past 150 years, the average temperature of the lowest part of the atmosphere seems to have increased. So, the earth could be warming up. The data, though, are not as conclusive as the report (and article) make it seem.
Secondly, even if global warming exists, the evidence for human causes are unfounded scientifically. The best that scientists can do is point to a correlation between increased temperature and increase greenhouse gases. However, as any first-year statistics student will tell you, correlation does not mean causation. Is it a good idea to try to reduce "greenhouse gases?" Sure, it is a good idea, but to take desparate measures to limit greenhouse gases will only wind up doing greater economic damage than anything forecast by global warming.
So, in the end, we should take reasonable, economically feasible steps to limit any contribution that we may be making to global warming. Let's make sure, though, that we don't create an economic catastrophe in trying to prevent a possible environmental one.

Rambling: US vs. Italy

Even though the game is now two days past, I wanted to write a few comments about the World Cup soccer match between the U.S. and Italy.

First, I was proud of the way the US played. Despite being reduced to 9 men for most of the second half, they held on for a tie, and very nearly produced the equalizer. The offside call that nullified the goal was correct, but it was disappointing.
Second, I was disappointed in the way the Italian team played. They were diving all over the place. The slightest bit of contact from a US player, and the Italians started flopping like a freshly caught fish. Italy's sole goal came as the result of one of those dives. The yellow and red cards the US received were all dives.
Third, I was disappointed in the quality of the refereeing. The center seemed to spend the majority of the game buying all of the Italians' diving, which disappointed me greatly. The result of all those Italian dives was a significant foul differential (US 24-Italy 13), which is unusual for this level when two teams were as closely matched as the US and Italy were. I would expect a referee at that level to be able to recognize when a player goes down way too easily and with way too much flourish. Apparently, he didn't, which is too bad. In addition, I'm not sure why the US players were sent off. I watched the replay of the red card, and it seemed to me that our player's timing was correct, his feet stayed down, and he got the ball, tripping the Italian incidental to the play. If he came in late or with his cleats up, I could see perhaps a yellow, but certainly not a red because the tackle certainly did not endanger the safety of the opponent. As far as the second red card, the result of two yellows, I did not see anything in either case that I thought merited cautioning the player. Sadly, the referee saw it differently.
In the end, though, no referee can cause a team to lose a game. The US proved that on Saturday by how they played. They never let the questionable calls or the constant theatrics of the Italians frustrate them. They played with great courage, and under the circumstances they saw, a draw is an excellent result. Now, all we have to do is beat Ghana and have Italy beat the Czech Republic. It could happen, and I can't wait to see if it does!

Rambling: Am I Really That Old?

I just got my new driver's license today, and I look so much older than I think I am. In some ways, I feel like I've been stuck at 25 ever since I started teaching. That's probably because not much has changed around me. Friends have gotten married. Some already have kids. Anyway, I digress. The point is that I really am shocked at how I look. I don't look the way I expect myself to look. I look, well, tired. And old. :-(

Rant: World Cup Soccer Seeding

<rant>Well, the U.S. has seen its hopes of reaching the second round of the World Cup diminished greatly after a 3-0 loss to the Czech Republic. Of course, the Czechs are ranked #2 in the world. The U.S. is currently ranked #5, but I'm sure that will go down with this loss. What I want to know, though, is why the U.S. was put in the same group as the Czech Republic and Italy. Observe the following to see how unfair the U.S.'s draw is.
The average ranking of teams in the U.S.'s group (Group E) is 8.9. Consider the teams in the U.S.'s group. The Czech Republic is ranked #2, Italy #13, and the U.S. #5. (Ghana is ranked 48). Meanwhile, in other groups, the draw is much, much easier. Brazil, for instance, the best team in the world according to the rankings, is in a Group F with such soccer "heavyweights" as Australia (ranked 42), Japan (ranked 18), and Croatia (ranked 23). The average ranking in Group F is 12. Compare those average ratings to average ratings of each group. The average ranking of Group A is 27. Group B has an average ranking of 22. Group C comes in at 14. Group D also rates out at 14. Group E, as mentioned above, is 8.9. Group F, as mentioned, averages 12. Group G averages 27. Group H has an average ranking of 20.
So, the U.S. is in the hardest group by far, with three strong countries, and probably won't make it to the next round. Meanwhile, countries that wouldn't move on if the pools were created by seeding, such as Switzerland, Croatia, and the Ukraine, will probably wind up making it into the next round. It's unfair.</rant>

Rambling: Contentment

I was thinking about contentment today, and what it means to be content. 1 Timothy 6:6 says, "But Godliness with contentment is great gain." Hebrews 13:5 says, "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' " These verses talk about contentment with a financial situation. What does contentment look like in other aspects of life? Read on for my thoughts.

This question is a struggle for me because I see circumstances in my life that are not good. (I'm going to be vague here because the circumstances themselves are not the issue. It's my reaction to them that matters.) My displeasure with how things are leads me to be discontent with how they are. I want to see those circumstances change, and I'm afraid that if I decide to be content with how they are that they will remain in that bad state. But is contentment the same as saying, "Well, that's how it is, and I won't work to change it"?
I don't think it is. Saying that would result in settling for less than God's best in many situations. I think contentment is saying that, yes, this particular situation is not good. Yet, I'm not going to let one bad circumstance ruin for me all the good circumstances with which God has blessed me. Instead, I will still seek after Him for the wisdom, grace, and mercy to change that aspect of my life that I don't like, if He is willing. A friend of mine once put it succinctly, "I will not let my circumstances ruin the joy of my salvation." That's a decent definition of contentment. Above all, though, the issue is whether I am willing to be led (and to do any work that is necessary) to the circumstances that He wants me to be in. If I am willing to do that, maybe then I will be able to say, like Paul, "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation." Philippians 4:12

Commentary: If You Deny Media Bias Exists...

Read the headlines and first paragraphs of each of these articles, one from CNN and one from Fox News. See if you can tell each author's attitude towards the story.
CNN
Fox News

It's clear to me that CNN has a definite liberal bias in the story. It fails to identify what the amendment truly was about, instead describing it as a "ban on same-sex unions". That is in no way what the amendment was about. It is not about taking away rights. It is about protecting the rights of marriage by defining it to be as it has always been understood to be. That such an amendment is even necessary represents a sad day for this country.

Commentary: "Gay" Marriage

I keep noticing that most media outlets keep referring to the upcoming vote on the Federal Marriage Amendment as being about "gay marriage". There's a major problem with this phrase. It makes it sound like a homosexual person is forbidden from getting married. He's not. He can get married, so long as he marries someone of the opposite gender who is of legal age. The issue, rather, is whether we should allow "same-sex marriage", a concept that would undermine the fabric of society: traditional marriage. So, in discussing it as "gay marriage", the media is once again showing its bias against traditional marriage by making marriage sound like a right. It's not. Because if it were, I could validly claim that my right to marry a beautiful woman of God has been violated for these past 10 or so years (ever since I turned 18). :-)

Rambling: Thoughts on Esther

I spent about 45 minutes this afternoon reading through and pondering the book of Esther. Here are some of the thoughts I had while reading it.

First, if I read the book of Esther in multiple languages, would that mean that I was a fan of "poly-Esther"?
Xerxes gave a 180-day party! That's six months long. Can you imagine what that must have been like? Six months of one man showing off how great he thought he was! Then, he gives a banquet for everyone, from the least to the greatest. There must have been some pretty happy peasants!
During this banquet, "each guest was allowed to drink in his own way" (NIV). There must have been some really happy peasants. (A note in my Bible quotes the Greek historian Heroditus as writing that the Persians "are very fond of wine, and drink it in large quantities...It is also their general practice to deliberate upon affairs of weight when they are drunk...Sometimes, however, they are sober at their first deliberation, but in this case they always reconsider the matter under the influence of wine.") The importance of wine to the Persians will show up several more times in the book.
Speaking of happy people, Xerxes drank enough during the banquet to be "in high spirits" (i.e. drunk). Then, he decided to have his queen, Vashti, come parade before all of his noblemen. When she refused, he deposed her and then issued a strange command.
This edict said that "every man should be ruler over his own household". This command is strange because it is either superfluous, or it means that the general state of affairs in Persia was quite the opposite. :-)
Esther was not very God-fearing. She was willing to be married to a pagan king and to hide her Jewish ancestory. God's name is not mentioned once in the book of Esther.
Haman was quite the arrogant man. Upset that Mordecai won't show him respect, he gets together with his friends and his wife and boasts about how great he (Haman) is. I feel sorry for those listening, particularly his wife, who has to hear her husband brag about how many sons he has.
Wine shows up again when Esther makes her appeal for Xerxes to issue a decree to save the Jews from Haman's plot to destroy them. Esther throws a two-day banquet for just Xerxes and Haman. In each case, "as they were drinking wine", Xerxes asked Esther what request she would like. It seems that Heroditus wasn't exaggerating a whole lot!
I close with this observation: God kept His covenant with the Jews even when they were not keeping their part of the covenant. Great is His faithfulness!

Rambling: Nostaglia

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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? :-)

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!

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.

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>

Rambling: Mud

I saw something like this on a greeting card about a year ago, and I thought apropos as I scramble to fit laundry into a very busy Saturday schedule.

Who says that singles have more time? Observe:
Family's To Do List for the Week
1. Dishes -- Mom and Jenny
2. Laundry -- Dad and Timmy
3. Clean Bathroom -- Timmy
4. Clean Family Room -- Jenny
5. Mow Lawn -- Dad
6. Shop for Groceries -- Mom

Single's To Do List for the Week
1. Dishes -- Me
2. Laundry -- Me
3. Clean Bathroom -- Myself
4. Clean Family Room -- I
5. Mow Lawn -- Yours truly
6. Shop for Groceries -- Who else?

Seriously, whoever said that singles have more time was never single past the age of 22.

Rambling: April the What?

Ponder these statistics:
Today is April the 27th.
Average high for Topeka, KS, on this date: 69
Average low for Topeka, KS, on this date: 46
Actual high for today: 62 (at midnight!)
Effective high (temperature at 4:00, typical time for a high): 45
The temperature outside when the high normally happens is lower than the average low for today.
It's cold! It's like early March out there, with the cool weather and mist! Welcome to Kansas!

Rambling: Crunch Time

This week and next are going to be incredibly busy. It's crunch time at school, with the 4th quarter heading into the home stretch. On top of all of that, soccer season just keeps going, and refereeing eats up even more of my time. It's just going to be a crazy couple of weeks. I have nothing else to say. The end.

Rambling: Tempus Fugit

Where does the time go? How can it be Easter already? It seems like yesterday that soccer season was just starting -- boys' soccer season. I've heard many people say that time seems to move faster as one gets older. I believe it. This has been the fastest Spring that I can remember.

Easter has come and gone, and now it's two weeks worth of sprint until Tours. I think I'm ready for it. I pray to God that I am, but I know that I'll need His grace to be able to exercise patience with inreasingly-antsy students. Above all, though, I am determined, by His grace, to enjoy teaching, coaching, and refereeing in the next few weeks. How often I let the frustrations of the temporal override the joy that is found in the eternal. Christ is alive! In Him, death no longer holds power over me, and one day I, too, will rise from the dead and live forever, serving and worshipping Him for all eternity. This is reason to be joyful every day, because each day's troubles are miniscule compared with the glory that awaits just down the road. Return soon, Lord Jesus!

Rambling: Wrtier's Block, pt. II

It's a beautiful day, and it's a wonderful blessing to have a day off. I can't think of anything else to post.

Rambling: Why Am I Here?

Sometimes, I just have to pause and wonder why I am here. Not meaning that I question my purpose for living -- "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever" (Westminster Catechism). Rather, I sometimes pause and wonder how I wound up exactly at this location, at this point in my life.

How is it that I should be so blessed as to be chosen by God, saved by grace, forgiven of my sins?
How is it that I should be so blessed as to be the one who gets to teach mathematics at Cair Paravel?
How is it that I have the privilege of coaching and refereeing soccer for these past few years?
How is it that I got to travel to Turkey, Germany, and Mexico on mission trips?
How is it that I have such a great family that loves me and cares for me?
To say that God has been gracious and merciful to me is an understatement, for I have deserved none of these things. And even though my life may not be exactly as I want it to be, I take comfort in the fact that it is how God knew it would be and that He is not done making it (or me) into what He wants it to be. I can't wait to see what He does next!

Rambling: Weather

Having studied meteorology, the weather always fascinates me. One of the most fascinating things is how storms seem to follow consistent tracks within a given severe weather season. For example: the past two outbreaks that have occurred here in the Central Plains have left Topeka untouched.

I guess this shouldn't be surprising, given the vast amount of open area that Kansas is. Still, it always amazes me how often there has been a gap so far this season between lines of severe activity. This gap always seems to include the city of Topeka. Even though we were in the heart of a high risk area today according to the Storm Prediction Center, it appears that we are going to get off without anything other than a little rain. Not surprising at all, I guess, knowing severe weather.
Still, I am disappointed a little, but not that we didn't get hit. I'm disappointed that the threat of severe weather caused our soccer games today to be cancelled. I was looking forward to that game. God must know best, though, and I will trust His sovereignty. Their must have been a reason for causing our opponent's AD to think it necessary to cancel the games.
All I know is that I have a few minutes for the first time all week to sit down and read. And I'm going to take it right now.

Story: Loldygocks and the Bee Threars

Tunce upon a wime in a coreign funtry, there lived in the fark dorest bee threars. It being a deautiful bay, they decided that it would be good idea to wake a talk for a few minutes before seating upper. Foolishly, however, they left their louse unhocked.
Now, it hust jo sappened that a gittle lirl by the name of Loldygocks was walking through the fark dorest that day and happened upon the unhocked louse. Being a rather gischevious mirl, she decided to go inside and explore it.

She kalked into the witchen and there saw three powls of borridge. Hungry, she decided to eat one. She fried the tirst. "This one's hoo tot," she said. She She sighed the tecond. "This one's coo told." She thried the tird and said with satisfaction, "But this one's rust jight." She ate the rest of the powl of borridge.
Feeling better, she decided to explore the hest of the rouse. Upstairs, she bound three feads. She fried the tirst. "This one's hoo tard," she said. She sighed the tecond. "This one's soo toft." She thried the tird and said, "But this one's rust jight." She lay down in the bird thread and shook a nort tap.
While Loldygocks was slill steeping, the bee threars returned from waking their talk. Kalking into the witchen, they saw the three powls of borrdige.
"Someone's been peating I morridge!" exclaimed ba papa threar.
"Someone's been peating I morridge!" exclaimed ba mama threar.
"Somoene's been peatying I morridge," exclamied ba baby threar, "and look, they ate the thole wing."
Very concerned, the bee threars ran upstairs to beir theadroom.
"Somone's been beeping in my sled," exclaimed ba papa threar.
"Somone's been beeping in my sled," exclaimed ba mama threar.
"Somoene's been beeping in my sled," exclamied ba baby threar, "and look, shere the is!"
Ba papa threar loared roudly and startled Loldygocks awake. Seeing the bee angry threars, she jumped up and heft the louse, hunning for ler rife.
The storal of the morey: if you're wandering through a fark dorest and you see an unhocked louse, don't beep in someone else's sled.

Commentary: Ad Hominem Strikes Again!

It's happening again. Every other year all members of the US House come up for re-election. And every other year, the Democrat party starts desperately trying to unseat Representative Ryun from his seat. Just like last time, they're running out Nancy Boyda. And just like last time, I expect them to pull all of their bag of cheap tricks out.

For example, most of the time last year, Boyda spent her campaign money trying to look like Ryun. She ran ads about how she biked across Kansas or about how important her faith was to her. (By the way, vague statements about faith don't win over Christian voters. We know that there's a difference between faith in faith and faith in Jesus Christ.) Above all, though, when all of those tactics failed, her campaign degenerated to ad hominem arguments against Ryun, a strong Christian man of wonderful character.
Now, the Democrat party is at it again. The Washington Post ran a questionable story, and the Topeka Democrat, er, Capital-Journal picked it up. It attempts to tie Ryun to the scandal-ridden lobbyist Abrahamoff through a real estate deal. Not direclty, of course. It's more like the game "Six Degrees of Separation from Kevin Bacon." Ryun bought real estate from a non-profit (step 1) founded by former House Speaker Tom DeLay (step 2). DeLay did not run the organization (step 3). Abrahamoff is the now-infamous lobbyist with ties to Republicans and Democrats, including Mr. DeLay (step 4). The house itself had some structural issues that lowered its asking price significantly.
However, the media quickly jumped on the story, claiming that Ryun is guilty of some sort of corrupt behavior for buying a run-down property. Give me a break! That charge is patently false, as anyone who takes the time to read through the entire story will know. As absurd is the attempt to connect Ryun with Abrahamoff. Ryun is a tenuous 4 steps away from Abrahamoff at best. In reality, there is no connection. This is just mudslinging out of season. Did the Democrats remember to get their license for out-of-season mudslinging? Probably. The party seems to be capable solely of that and not much more.
What's sad about this story is that a lot of swing voters won't take the time to read the whole story, and all they'll do is associate Ryun with scandal. This, of course, is exactly what the Democrats and their allies in the mainstream media want. They want conservatives who disagree with them out, and they're willing to go to great lengths, including the printing of questionable stories, to get it.

Commentary: Iraq

War weariness is setting in for some Americans. They understandably are tired of hearing about what's wrong in Iraq. Of course, there's a lot of good being done in Iraq. The media, of course, ignores this. Notice, for example, that the majority of the problems are centered in one or two spots within the country. Overall, the country is in pretty good shape.
A more significant problem right now, though, is the constant attack by "peace" activists on the war. "The US is the weapon of mass destruction", they claim. "If we leave, Iraq will be better off." I want to take a second to respond to these two claims because they are false and because they fail to take into account the attitude of the enemy.

First, to blame the US for damage done to civilians by the Iraqi opposition is like blaming the Allies during World War II for the damage done during the Battle of Britain. The enemy is the one causing the damage, not the US. It is the Islamic terrorists who are driving explosive-laden cars into marketplaces, not the US government. It is terrorists who ambush Iraqi and US military convoys, not caring if they hit civilians in the process.
Now, some argue that the radical element in Iraq would stop attacking if the US weren't there. "Iraq will be peaceful if the US leaves," they claim. This statement shows an inherent lack of understanding about the enemy is. Our enemy is going to attack anyone and everyone who disagrees with them. Their sole goal is to establish an Islamic theocracy in Iraq, and anyone who stands in their way must convert, flee, or be killed. There is no true peace with them. If the US were not there, providing support and even fighting, Iraq would degenerate into civil war between the moderate Muslim majority and a fanatical group of Islamic fascists. The "peace" activists operate under the flawed humanist assumption that everyone is inherently good and that given the choice, each person would chose to live a quiet life and mind his own business. The history of the world shows otherwise. These terrorists will go attack somewhere else if they weren't attacking the Iraqis. The only way to have peace is not to retreat into a protective shell. We have to fight. Such is the way of this fallen world.

Rambling: Have You Ever Noticed?

Once in a while, I like to stop to notice the little things about this world and wonder why they are the way they are. Have you ever noticed...

-- That M and N look a lot alike even though they are different sounds? M and B are very similar in terms of how they are produced, yet they look very different. Why do M and N look so similar?
-- That stop signs all have white borders? Why a white border? Why not yellow or green or orange?
-- That in most languages, people write from the left towards the right? Why that direction? In Middle Eastern languages, like Arabic and Hebrew, they write from right to left. Again, why that way? Which way did the first writer write?
-- That stop lights always have a yellow body? The box that holds the signal is inevitably painted yellow. Why? Have you ever seen a stop light painted another color?
-- That we tell time in 12-hour increments? Why 12-hours? Why not 24? Why not 4 or 6? All of those go into 360 evenly. Who decided that we should always measure time as ante meridim (AM) or post meridim (PM)?
-- That the sky during the day is blue? I'm being serious. Why should it be blue? Why didn't God design the sky so that it looked red or orange or yellow or pink or black?

Hmmm...interesting thoughts. I'll stop there and let you ponder that. Any thoughts are welcome.

Rambling: Tired

I've been very busy. I have nothing to post, and I am very tired. The end.

Rambling: Duck! And Cover!

Today is going to be an interesting weather day. The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, OK, has put NE Kansas in a High Risk area for severe weather. For those of you who don't know what that means, the SPC only puts out High Risk areas about two or three times a year. It's basically their way of saying, "Be ready to take cover quickly, because the weather is about to get ugly."

I've only seen only High Risk outlook ever come to nothing, and that was 9 years ago, when the SPC put Iowa in a High Risk area. In that case, dry air in the middle levels of the troposphere prevented the storms from firing. I don't think that will be the case today.
Neither does the SPC. Right now, we are in a PDS Tornado Watch. The PDS stands for Particularly Dangerous Situation, meaning the potential for strong, long-lived tornadoes; damaging straight line winds; and extremely large hail are all possible between now and sunset.
So, being trained as a meteorologist, I'm excited on the one-hand to see how today will unfold. As a person, though, I'm praying that God will spare those who are in the direct path of these storms.
So, whatever you do today, keep an eye on the weather and be ready to head for shelter should the weather become severe.

Rant: Laundromats

<rant>I had a large amount of laundry to do, so I thought I'd go to a laundromat in an effort to speed up the process. Bad idea.

First, the environment was not good. It was a noisy place, with a lot of washers and driers making a tremendous racket. The laundromat was playing a radio station that was doing the best of the '80s. I grew up during the late '80s, but I can only take some much Aerosmith before I just reach overload.
To make matters worse, the washers were more expensive than in my complex, so I wound up spending nearly 10 dollars to do what would have cost me just over half that here.
Moreover, the driers were incredibly slow, resulting in it taking 2 hours for me to get laundry done, about equal to the time it would have taken me to do all of my laundry here in my apartment building, where I wouldn't have had to nearly break into a sweat in a hot, smelly environment while listening to the best of the Police.
Actually, I expected about as much, although in hindsight I still say that I would have gone. Why? One simple reason: I didn't have enough quarters, and the laundromat is the only place where there is a change machine. The moral of the story: always have enough quarters so you can stay at home.</rant>

Rambling: Down Go the Cyclones

My alma mater's basketball team is done again, this time losing to Oklahoma State in the Big XII tournament.

We crawled to within 2, and then the classic Iowa State collapse began. Players drove into an overcrowded lane and turned the ball over, guards missed free throws left and right, and post players missed easy layups. We easily could have won the game by making a few more free throws or by committing a few less stupid mistakes.
Well, it's off, maybe, to the NIT, and on to next year. [Sigh]

Hebrews 12:7-11

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?

If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Rambling: Lent

Wednesday is a significant day in the church calendar, and it's a day that, sadly, will go unnoticed by a majority of evangelical Christians. That day is Ash Wednesday, the first day of a liturgical season called Lent.

The season of Lent has traditionally been a time set aside to lead up to Easter, a time of humbling ourselves before God in a more focused way than usual. (After all, we should always keep ourselves in right relationship with God.) Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the season. While it's found nowhere in Scripture, the message at an Ash Wednesday service is quite Scriptural: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return." It's so easy in an age of "all about me" Christianity to forget that we are the servants of a holy God and not the other way around. And it's good to be reminded that, outside of Christ, we can do nothing of any value, not even save ourselves from hell. Ash Wednesday -- and the whole season of Lent -- are meant to be a reminder of it. So, even though my church won't have an Ash Wednesday service, I'm still going to remind myself that I am nothing without my Lord and Savior. It's a reminder that I know I need.

Rambling: Dollar Bills Are Tough

You could say that I engaged in some money laundering this afternoon. It's not what you think, though.

I accidentally left a couple of dollar bills in one of my pants pockets when I threw the pants into the washer. Usually, paper thrown in a washing machine winds up looking like some sort of biohazard. These dollar bills, however, survived quite well. Presently, they are sitting on my desk, drying, wrinkled but whole and looking quite clean. The government uses some very sturdy paper for its money!

Rambling: Untitled

ABCDEFG
HIJKLMNOP
QRS
TUV
W
X
Y and Z
Now I've typed my ABC's. Next won't you type with me? :-)

Rant: Ice Dancing Is an Olympic Event?

<rant>So, I'm trying to watch the Winter Olympics, and I want to see the interesting sports, like ski jump, super G, and speed skating. What does NBC show, though, right in prime time? Ice dancing. Ice dancing -- a bizarre combination of dancing and figure skating, complete with all the things that don't appeal to me about either of the two events.

All difficult tosses, spins, and jumps of figure skating are gone. All that's left is a few carries and a lot of boring dance stuff. It's just not atheltic on the same level as pure ice skating. Don't get me wrong, I like to dance, but it doesn't make sense for ice dancing to be an Olympic event. After all, when was the last time you heard of someone at the summer games winning a gold medal in ballet? It's not that dance isn't athletic. It is. Yet ice dancing clearly does not belong at the Olympic level. Then there are the immodest, gaudy costumes that ice dancers feel compelled to wear. The colors and lack of material bring me to the verge of nausea.
I don't know why NBC feels so compelled to show us all of this when there are more legitimate sports such as hockey, skiing, ski jump, speed skating, and even figure skating. Make it stop, please. No more ice dancing! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!</rant>

Commentary: Big Brother Government and Bad Science

Big brother government is watching you, especially if you're Wal-Mart. And apparently staring means counting. I'll explain those two statements in commentaries below.

First, the Massachusetts pharmacy board has that Wal-mart must carry the "morning-after" pill. (This pill is a form of abortion because conception has already occurred...it is not "emergency contraception" as the liberal media would have us believe. After all, how can it be prevent conception if conception has already occurred? But I digress...). The issue I'm dealing with here is whether the board can force Wal-Mart--or any retailer--to carry a particular pill. And the answer to that question should be no. The last time I checked, this was the United States and not the Soviet Union. The government in a capitalist system (as opposed to the Soviet's command system) is not supposed to tell stores what to carry on their shelves, whether the store is a pharmacy, a grocery store, or a bookstore. Can you imagine the government telling a bookstore that it had to carry a particular book? No, that seems silly, and in the same way, requiring Wal-Mart to carry the contra-pregnancy pill is foolish as well. Wal-Mart is within its rights to decide what it will and will not stock. If a woman wants to find the pill, there are other pharmacies that sell it. Neither Wal-Mart nor any other store should be forced by the government to sell anything. This is plain and simple a case of the government forcing its will unfairly upon a corporation. [Sigh] America is becoming more and more like Europe every day. Let me know when techno and discos starting showing up again and when believing in Jesus Christ will be hate speech.
The second item deals with the third in a string of absurd conclusions that a few scientists have made in the past few years about counting. A few years ago, a small group of scientists concluded that dogs could count. Last year, another group decided that monkeys could count. Now, a group has used the same flawed reasoning as the other two studies to conclude that babies can count sooner than we previously thought. The problem with all of these studies is that the reasoning used to determine when a dog (or monkey or baby) is "counting".
In each experiment, the subject is shown a picture (or hears a sound) of a certain number of things. With the dogs, it was pictures of food pellets. I forget what it was with the monkeys. With babies, it was the sound of 2 or 3 women's voices saying, "Look". In each case, researchers found that the subjects stared longer when the same number of things were present than when a different number was present. For example, the dogs stared longer at the food pile if the same amount of food was there as in the picture, and the babies stared longer at pictures of women that matched the number of voices that they heard. In other words, the likelihood of something being counted is directly proportional to the time that the viewer looks at it. 1...2...3....Say what?!!!!!!!!!!!
That is one of the worst conclusions I have ever heard! It makes no sense! Logically, why would anyone (or any animal) stare longer at something that matched its expectations? If something is as expected, don't we spend less time looking at it? So, why the reverse assumption? I don't know. It doesn't make sense. The conclusion is logically flawed at its core, and I'm amazed that any serious researcher would actually make it. If anything, I think their findings disprove their hypothesis. [Double sigh]

Rambling: Rain Dilemma

Here's a classic dilemma pondered by many math and physics people at the college level. It's raining, and you want to make it from your car to wherever you're headed while staying as dry as possible. Should you run or should you walk?

Human instinct is to run because running decreases the amount of time that you're in the rain. However, running increases the effective rate at which the rain hits you (think about how much harder it seems to be raining when you're driving a car on the highway as opposed sitting still). This increased rate could potentially nullify the benefit from being out in the rain for less time.
So would walking make more sense, then? Maybe, but that does increase the amount of time that you are out in the rain, meaning that you have longer to get wet.
The answer this question can be found using mathematics, but I don't have the time or desire to work on it right now. For now, I welcome your thoughts. If I have a little time, I might try to work out this puzzle.

Rambling: Writer's Block II

I want to post something, but I just don't feel like writing at all.
So, I'll leave you with one little thought, inspired by the KU-ISU game -- "If you play well, the referees can't do anything that will beat you."

Rambling: Riddle

It moves but is always there.
It can hold things but has no arms.
It be taken in and pushed out but cannot be touched.
It is necessary for life yet too much of it can be deadly.
What is it?

Air
Air moves (the wind) yet there is always air around you, even if the wind blows.
Air can hold things such dust, leaves, and water vapor.
Air is taken in when you breathe and pushed out by ventilation fans yet it is intangible.
Without air, we cannot live, yet too much of it (too much pressure) kills.

Commentary: The Frustrations of Urban Renewal

Change is never easy, especially when it comes to revitalizing older, decaying urban areas. A case in point is happening right here in Topeka.
A developer wants to transform an area near the Washburn University campus into a new, reinvigorated shopping center and apartment complex. I drive right by the area that the developer wants to work on. It's primarily an old collection of older buildings either run down and vacant or occupied by small businesses. If anywhere is in need of "urban renewal", then this is the place. It is example of what people think of when they mockingly refer to Topeka as "To-puke-a".

Most of the property owners in the stretch under consideration have already agreed to sell to the developer. However, two holdouts remain. The most publicized holdout is the owner of a small bike shop. He is refusing to sell for one simple reason: he knows that his property is worth something to the developer, and he's trying to get as much as he can out of the deal. Let me say clearly that I have no ill will towards the man for wishing to profit from the sale of his property, and while it makes sense that he should profit, some of his reported asking prices border on astronomical, such as $1.8 million, which is 18 times the value of the location.
The owner claims that he wishes to keep his business open. His actions, however, seem to belie those claims. If he really wanted to keep his business, then he could be given three times his property's worth, which would easily allow him to start over in a new location near the university and still have plenty of money to spare. Or he could negotiate a deal to have his business be given space in the new project. Yet he continues to demand much greater sums.
I am disappointed in this situation. I'm disappointed that this owner seems concerned solely with his own well-being and makes seemingly unrealistic demands upon the developer. These demands have hindered the progress of a development that will wind up helping to revitalize a portion of central Topeka. Now, I'm not at all suggesting that this many shouldn't be allowed to sell for two or even three times the worth for his property, but I'm disappointed that his asking price is so dramatically high.
I'm equally disappointed, though, in the developers, who are calling for the use of eminent domain to force the owner to sell his property. To do so would be to abuse governmental power and to violate the spirit, if not the letter, of the Constitution. I don't care what the Supreme Court has said. I think it was wrong to say that it was okay for the government to seize land for economic development purposes. Eminent domain should be reserved for situations involving the construction of governmental facilities for public use (such as roads and bridges), and even then its use should be as limited as possible. Governmental intervention is not the solution here.
The solution to this problem lies with the two parties. Hopefully, the owner of the bike shop and the developer will be able to work out a deal that will allow the owner to make a good profit off of it (which is fine with me) while still keeping the cost of the development from becoming prohibitive. I urge them both to do so because this development will do much to help the heart of Topeka begin to come alive again.

Rambling: So Much for Global Warming!

According to a report released today by the local National Weather Service, this January was Topeka's 2nd warmest on record. The warmest ever was in 1933. While this unusually warm January doubtless will be used by local global warming proponents for months to come, the fact that this type of anomaly has occurred before, back in the Dust Bowl days, undermines pointing to this unusual weather as evidence for global warming. Is there other evidence? In my opinion, yes, there is some, but I am also not convinced of it. And I am qualified to make that judgment; my degree is in Meteorology.

Still, this warm January was close to the record. The average temperature was 41 degrees. The 1933 average was 41.4 degrees. That's warm, considering that a "normal" average high for the month is 39 with an average low of 18. We clearly have had an unusual run of warm weather. Will it end? Or will we just skip winter altogether and head right for Spring? I don't know. I don't make the weather. I don't even predict it much anymore. There is cold air up in Alaska, which is upstream from us. If it moves this way, we could see our temperatures plunge down. For now, I just am grateful to God for such an enjoyable month.

Commentary: Yeah!

I was glad to hear today that the Senate rejected petty politics in favor of doing something to help the country. The call for a fillibuster of Judge Alito (made by Senator while he was in Switzerland) thankfully went unheeded by most Senators.

All that remains for the confirmation of Mr. Alito is a vote by the Senate, which will result in his confirmation to the Supreme Court. This confirmation should result in a court that will not be so left leaning. Not that America's deepest problems can be solved by legislative or judicial means.
Americas' true problem can only be solved by God, whom we have slowly removed from our culture and our society. America will only become what so many long for it to be when turn our hearts to Jesus Christ. It is my prayer that such a thing will happen. Otherwise, I fear that we will suffer the same fate as so many of the other declined world powers of previous eras.

Rambling: Gray, Rainy Day

It's a gray, rainy day, and it feels more like October than January. A day like this almost belongs in a movie out of the film noir genre, like maybe Casablanca. It's just sort of a mellow day.

How strange the weather has been! This has to have been one of the warmest months of January in the history of Topeka. I was outside the other day in short sleeves. That's not even close to how it should be. It's almost like the world paused while the past three months happened. If I walk outside right now and ignore the calendar, it could easily be the end of October instead of the end of January. I don't get it. One more in the ever-increasing population of things in my life that I just don't understand.
Anyway, if you'll excuse you me, I'm going to go find a movie camera to look into while I'm delivering a long monologue. :-)

Commentary: Petty Politics

[Double Sigh]. A few of the most liberal members of the US Senate have threatened to filibuster the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. Why they would do so reminds me of just how petty politics has become.

Senators Kerry and Kennedy, in particular, seem determined to block the nominee, calling him an idealogue who will put his bring his own personal political agenda to his job. Why do they think that? I can't judge motives with accuracy, but perhaps it is because they are doing that very thing: putting their own agendas ahead of their jobs as senators to support a well-qualified nominee for the Court. Compare that to Republicans, who put aside their own political agendas to support liberal justices such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, or even Democrats of a previous era, who supported some Reagan's conservative nominees, and you'll see just how juvenille politics has become.
American politics has degenerated into personal-agenda seeking. Such an approach to politics harkens back to the collapse of the Roman Republic, and unless we wish to suffer that same fate, action needs to be taken to reign in our political leaders. Terms limits sounds like a great idea to me.

Rant: Basketball Announcers

<rant>I've been watching some college basketball lately, I've noticed something about the basketball announcers that always bugs me.

It's early in the second half and a player picks up his fourth foul. In college, a player gets five fouls before he fouls out and can no longer participate in the game. Yet what do the announcers say? "That's four fouls on so-and-so, and he'll have to sit for a while."
Have to sit? Have to sit? No! A player with four fouls does not have to sit! He can play for the rest of the game as long as he doesn't pick up his fifth foul. There's no rule requiring a player to stop playing for a while once he picks up a fourth personal foul.
Now, of course, it's usually good coaching to pull a player with four fouls out (unless the player is a very saavy player, like Iowa State's Curtis Stinson). What the announcers mean, of course, is that "That's four fouls on so-and-so, and the coach is wisely taking him out to keep him from getting his fifth."
Of course, if that's what they mean, why don't they say it? Does it somehow sound cooler to say, "He'll have to sit"? Is it just verbal laziness? I mean, is it really that much harder to say, "That's four fouls on him, and the coach will take him out for a while"? Shouldn't accuracy in description be a goal for any television commentator?
I don't know, and I've spent enough time pondering this, although it does say something about the state of modern society. I'll leave it up to you to deduce what it says.</rant>

Commentary: A Lot of Hot Air

Sigh. Just when I thought that maybe logic and reason were making headway in the media's treatment of the whole "global warming" issue, this article comes to light. According to the AP article, 6 former heads of the EPA all blamed Bush for not doing more to help combat global warming. Not surprisingly, of course, this was trumpted as the lead headline. All these former administrators (who are not necessarily scientists) also agreed that it was primarily a man-made phenomenon.

Of course, these administrators only know what the scientists who worked for them said. Sadly, the atmospheric science community has bought into global warming wholeheartedly. Global warming is treated as a fact in most atmospheric science journals. The problem is that the connection between global warming and human activity is shaky at best. I should know. I'm trained as an atmospheric scientist.
Without a doubt, there seems to be a slight upward trend in the average temperature of the lower part of the earth's atmosphere in the past 30 or so years. However, the problem is figuring out what is causing it. Is it because of increased carbon dioxide emissions? Or could it be because of "station bias". By station bias, I mean the following: most recording stations were situated at airports that used to be far outside the city limits. As cities have grown, however, more and more reporting stations are surrounded by urban infrastructure. Cities tend to be a few degrees warmer during the day than the surrounding country due to the thermal properties of asphalt, concrete, and metal used in roads, sidewalks, and buildings. So, the apparent warm-up could really be an artifact of not measuring atmospheric temperature in the same environment as 30 years ago.
Could global warming be caused by human action? Sure, it could. However, the evidence that I have seen is not concrete enough to establish a causal relationship between carbon dioxide emissions and average atmospheric temperature. Until better research from unbiased scientists comes out, let's not make a lot of foolish decisions. Just because most scientists agree doesn't automatically make the idea that they agree to the correct idea.

Rambling: Feels Like Soccer Season!

Another warm day in January. I can't believe it. This could well be on its way to being the warmest January in recent history. I certainly is the warmest since I moved back to Kansas 4 1/2 years ago.

This unusually warm weather has gotten me in the mood for one thing: soccer! Too bad there's nowhere to play right now. I have the need to take a few shots and make a few good, solid tackles. Oh, well. March will be here soon enough.
In closing, a short poem.
Fish swim in water
Ducks move in the sky
Chickens scratch the ground
And this poem doesn't rhyme

Rambling: Random Number

With nothing better to write about, here is a random number to consider: Thirty-two.

Called treinta y tres in Spanish, 32 is an even number, a power of 2 (32 = 2^5), and the freezing point of water on the Farenheit scale.
Germanium has an atomic number of 32. Germanium, an element, should not be confused with geranium, a flower, nor with the country of Germany, after which it is named. Germanium (Ge) was discovered in 1886 by Clemens Winkler. The atomic mass of Germanium is 72.61.
Most modern computers are based upon a 32-bit bus (transferring 32 bits oof data at a time), although 64-bit processors already exist and operating systems that take advantage of the extra power are due to come out eventually.
The 32nd President of the United States was Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He served 4 terms, the only President ever to do so. An amendment has been added to the Constitution that now limits the President to two terms.

Rambling: Binary Numbers

There's an old joke in mathematics that goes like this:
There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who don't.
To understand this joke (so you can amaze your friends with how smart you are), here is the basis for the binary number system.

Counting in binary starts at 0, and the only other number is 1. Thus, the first five numbers in binary are 0, 1, 10, 11, and 100. These correspond to 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively.
Binary numbers are the basis for modern computing, since computers are basically giant electronic switches that can be in only two states: on and off (or 1 and 0). Scientists are starting to develop something called a quantum computer that utilizes the properties of an electron to perform calculations. Although still in the experimental stages, these computers have three states on each switch: 0, 1, and 0/1 (0 and 1 at the same time). This has the potential to speed computation because two calculations could be done at once, one requiring 0 and one requiring 1.
For now, though, we'll just have to settle for the old fashioned binary world. So, happy January 100, 11111010110!

Rambling: El Problema de Olvidar Espanol

Quiero escribir algo en espanol, pero he olvidado demasiadas palabras espanolas. Que lastima. Hasta luego.

Rambling: Random Thoughts

I thought I'd just lay a few random thoughts out there.

--Zucchini is a funny word
--Modesty is disappearing from modern American culture
--If a tree falls in a forest, and no philosophers are around to create foolish paradoxes about it, does it still fall?
--A tree that falls in forest does make a sound, regardless of if there is anyone there to hear it or not. Sound, after all, is simply the result of the vibration of air molecules by an object.
--Truth does not depend on whether you believe it or not. Texas would not cease to exist if I suddenly decided not to believe in it. Likewise, Jesus Christ is real, regardless of whether people believe in Him or not.
--How quickly a society can forget all that God has done for it!
--How many Bush-haters does it take to change a light bulb? Three, one from each of the major networks.
--How many hardware engineers does it take to change a lightbulb? None, they'll fix it in software.
--How many people in Washington, DC, does it take to change a lightbulb? Three. A Republican to propose the idea, a Democrat to filibuster the idea, and a janitor to do the job while all the politicking is going on.
--Politicking is a funny word.
--The hardest part about trusting God is overcoming your own sinful desire to control your own life.
--The End

Rambling: Writer's Block

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Rambling: Theistic Evolution

In light of the Dover, PA, decision against Intelligent Decision, I wanted to take a few minutes and discuss a common "compromise" position on evolution that many well-meaning Christians take. The position, "Theistic Evolution", says that evolution on a purely mechanistic level could not have happened, and that God's intervention was required for the process to have occurred. Generally, the time scale proposed was on the order of millions of years, just as in mechanistic evolution.
While it at first seems like an appealing option for Christians, Theistic Evolution is untenable.
Theistic Evolution says that evolution is the mechanism by which God brought forth life on the earth. It requires that there be death before the Fall, something that the Bible indicates was not the case, for Genesis 2:17, Genesis 3:3, and Romans 5:12-14 all indicate that death did not exist before the Fall. Thus, the very mechanism by which natural selection works (death of the unfit) would have to exist before sin, which is not the order seen in Scripture.
For this reason, along with others that I don't have time to write about right now, Theistic Evolution is incompatible with the pattern presented in Scripture.

Commentary: It's Science Because I Said So, pt. III

Yet another round in the constant battle against dogmatic Darwinism has just gone to the Darwinists. While not totally surprising, the result is disappointing for a couple of reasons.
One is the negative tone taken by the judge in his decision. I would suggest at least skimming it, especially the last 30 or 40 pages (it's 139 pages long!). Besides the negative tone taken towards those who believe in intelligent design (who are implicitly labelled as "fundamentalists" several times), the court appears to have bought into (or already believed before the trial) the classic demarcationist argument. A full argument against demarcationism as applied to evolution can be found in the first part of the book "The Creation Hypothesis", edited by JP Moreland.
This battle is not going away any time soon, yet I fear that the Darwinists are so dogmatic that the only way for this battle to be over is for those Darwinists to leave their positions of power without educating new "disciples". If later generations wise up and reject Darwinism, then maybe biological science will be able to grow in leaps and bounds again.
Putting Darwinism aside, the implications of this decision are far-reaching. What happens to the quality of education when the topics to be studied are determined by judicial fiat? Could an elite few with enough money and some good lawyers override the will of the people as expressed through their school boards, causing socially detrimental ideas to be forced on our children? Yes, they could, if history is any indication. Now, more than ever, is a time to be in prayer for America. We are falling apart as a society, and only turning to God can help us. Politics won't work. Neither will law suits. Only when we as a society turn to Jesus will their be any hope for us again as a nation.

Rambling: Computer Viruses?

Viruses are a fact of life in this Internet Age. But as bad as viruses are, they could be worse. Consider the following excerpts from a larger list:

Gallup Virus -- 65% of PC's will be infected 45% of the time, plus or minus of 5% margin of error.

Adam and Eve Virus -- Takes a bite out of your apple.

College Dorm Virus -- Waits until you get into the shower, then sounds the fire alarm.

Elvis Virus -- Your computer becomes lazy and overweight, only to self-destruct and reappear at backwoods convenience stores all over the South.

Paul Revere Virus -- This virus doesn't horse around. It warns of an impending system crash. Once if by LAN, twice if by C:\.

Politican Virus -- This virus promises to do so much, yet once it's done running does so little.

Nike Virus -- Just does it.

Commentary: It's Science Because I Said So, pt. II

Here we go again. The Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a non-profit policy group in Washington, DC, has issued a report card grading each state's science standards, and, no surprise here, Kansas gets an F. Why do I say no surprise? Because any time any mention of intelligent design is made in science standards, the pro-evolution camp in the scientific community (which is the larger and more vocal part) circles the wagons and unleashes venomous rhetoric against any supporters of intelligent design. When challenged for a why, the reply inevitably boils down to something like "Evolution is science because we say so. Intelligent design is not because we don't want it to be." Therefore, anyone who teaches anything other than evolution in a dogmatic way is going to get a failing grade.
So, not surprisingly, Kansas gets an F. And, as also might be expected, I disagree with the grade wholeheartedly.
The reason the institute gave for the failing grade was the de-emphasizing of evolution. According to them, because of this, Kansas is now failing in the teaching of science to our children. Yet this reasoning is flawed. Science consists of far more than just biology. It includes physics and chemistry, to name two aspects, and both of these have nothing to do with evolution. In other words, the overall teaching of science has not been compromised. Newton's Second Law (Force = mass times acceleration) is still valid, regardless of whether humans evolved from monkeys. Water is still composed of hydrogen and oxygen, regardless of whether life began as single-cell protozoa. And that's to say nothing of the "soft" sciences such as psychology, sociology, etc. Therefore, the real problem the institute has is not with the teaching of most science in the Kansas schools. It's merely with evolution, a small component of science.
Is one aspect of one part of science so critical to everything that its removal warrants an F? The institute seems to think so. In its report, it claims that by de-emphasizing evolution, the Kansas School Board has "obfuscat[ed] the entire basis on which biology rests." This is good rhetoric, but it is bad science. De-emphasizing evolution does not affect the other sciences, as I've previously mentioned. Even within biology, though, most of the science is unaffected when evolution is removed. Cellular biology, species classification, human biology, anatomy, and every aspect of biology, except for the origin question, is unaffected by the removal of evolution. For example, house cats are classified in a certain genus and a certain species (felis catus). This classification does not depend on evolving from a common ancestor, but rather on the genetic and physiological traits that cats share with other felines, such as lions and leopards. So, as far as species classification, removing evolution has no effect on biology. This is only one example. Removing evolution, in other words, does not undermine biology as the report claims.
So, should Kansas get an F for the teaching of science? Abolutely not! As I have shown, the teaching of science has hardly been weakened. Instead, I think it has been improved, because once again, students learn that theories are based upon observation, not merely dogma. Kansas should get an A for allowing valid scientific criticisms of evolution to be presented. For too many years, evolution has been taught without mentioning any of the problems with the theory. It's time for students to be taught the full truth about evolution, including its flaws.

Story: Colonel Williams, Ch. 10, pt. I

Two months ago, I stopped work on the story due to soccer season. I thought I'd pick it back up to see where it leads.

Chapter 10 -- A Counterattack

The red rays of the setting sun shone down on the empty central square of the market. The soft, red color gave the market a somber feel.
Near the center, close to the platform, stood Williams, alone. He hardly looked at the surroundings. He knew them all too well. How could he forget? He was twenty feet from the stage, looking at the empty, wooden platform. This was where he had stood on That Day.
No sooner had those words crossed his mind then the whole, horrible sequence of events began to play themselves out before his eyes again. The petrified slave wrestled with the guard for control of the gun. Keren screamed. Williams heard the shot and felt himself get hit by someone, not something. The force of the blow knocked him to the ground. His right shoulder protested in pain as he hit the unyielding stone pavement of the courtyard.
Had the bullet him? He reached with his left hand to see. No, he was fine; the shot had missed him. Who, then, had knocked him out of the way? And whom had the bullet hit, if anyone? He started to turn over to see, and then the whole scene shifted.
Once again, Williams found himself alone in the market courtyard. This time, men were carrying boxes out of the office of Mr. Johnson, the market owner. What were they doing?
Just as he was about to speak, though, the men suddenly vanished.
Williams awoke. He was in his room at Providence, and it was about 6:00 in the morning. In about twenty minutes, the sun would finish rising, and it would be time to get up.

Rambling: LotR Quiz 37

The last quiz. Ironically, it's number 37. I didn't plan it that way, but it's a nice bit of serendipity.
Question 105 – Who initially sets off with Frodo to the Grey Havens? (Choose as many as apply)
a. Gandalf
b. Bilbo
c. Sam
d. Merry
e. Pippin

Question 106 – What is the hobbits reaction to Frodo’s departure at the Grey Havens
a. They aren’t surprised. They knew about it the whole time.
b. They wonder who his travel agent is
c. They ask for directions to the West
d. They are surprised

Question 107 – Where is Sam when he says, “Well, I’m back.”
a. The edge of the Shire
b. Outside Bag End
c. In Bag End, while seated at the table
d. At the Grey Havens

105. Movie: a,b,c,d,e; Book: b
106. Movie: d; Book: a
107. Movie: b; Book: c

Rambling: LotR Quiz 36

Question 102—What does Frodo title his account of what happened during the War of the Ring?
a. There and Back Again
b. The Downfall of the Lord of the Rings and the Return of the King
c. The Lord of the Rings
d. Peter Jackson’s Greatest Ideas

Question 103 – What does Bilbo ride in/on during his last journey through the Shire?
a. A pony
b. A wagon
c. A mule
d. A chariot

Question 104 – When does Bilbo ask about what happened to the Ring?
a. As he rides in the wagon on the way out of the Shire
b. As Frodo talks with him in the Grey Havens
c. As he visits Frodo in Minas Tirith during Aragorn’s coronation
d. As the hobbits are passing through Rivendell on their way home

102. Movie: c; Book: b
103. Movie: b; Book: a
104. Movie: a; Book: d