On the other side of the door stood a tall, gaunt man, nearly seven feet in height but seemingly underweight. His close-cropped brown hair and taciturn expression gave him the imposing look of a stern disciplinarian. Anyone, though, who had the fortitude to maintain eye contact with the man could see a playful flicker in his eyes, hidden underneath a well-practiced veneer of emotional discipline. This man, Lieutenant Robert Samuelson, had been chosen by Dobbins himself to be the ship’s chief of security and chief weapons officer. His reputation in all forms of combat only added to the mystique created by his formidable appearance.
“Captain on board!” he proclaimed in a strong, tenor voice. From somewhere out of Dobbins’s field of view, a boson blew a whistle, a tradition dating all the way back to sea-faring ships on ancient Earth.
As the last tones of the whistle faded, Dobbins stepped out of the shuttle and onto the ship—his ship. He looked around at the assembled crew. Two hundred officers, the best men and women in the fleet, and another three hundred enlisted personnel. All stood at attention, eyes staring straight ahead.
One figure, an elderly gentleman with innumerable medals attached to the front of his uniform, stepped forward. Reading from the handheld in front of him, he went through the history of the Hyperion’s development, describing the ship’s history and shakedown cruise in detail. Finally he said, “As of this date—July 11, 2137, I, Captain Luther Travest of the Ship Development Division, relinquish command of the EHS Hyperion, first in the class of hyperlight-capable ships built at the Lasalle Shipyards orbiting Mars.” He crisply raised his hand in a salute towards Dobbins.
Dobbins returned the salute. “I relieve you, sir.”
“I stand relieved,” Travest replied. He stepped forward to shake Dobbins’s hand while simultaneously giving him the handheld. “Captain, welcome on board. Your specific orders are contained here. Without a doubt, you have the finest ship and the finest crew in the Fleet. I leave her in your hands, take good care of her.”
Dobbins shook the older man’s hand and took the device containing his orders. As the other captain stepped back to his spot in formation, Dobbins surveyed the crew, took a deep breath, and began his welcome speech.
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
I Forgot (Again)
So, I forgot to post on Sunday. Sorry. I got distracted by other things. I will do my best to post tomorrow and try to get back on my regular Wednesday/Sunday schedule. For now, this in-between post will have to suffice, because I'm tired and just want to rest.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Story: The Lethe, pt. I
With the school year getting underway, my time to ponder and plan interesting things to post has dwindled substantially. So, each Wednesday, I'm probably going to post pieces of a story that wrote earlier this year. (I'll try to post random thoughts & comments on Sunday, still, for those of you who don't care about the story.) I will be the first to admit that I did not necessarily write this story for anyone else. My main motivation was that I have a master's thesis to write next year, and I wanted some practice in writing something that was longer than a 5-page graduate school essay. This story definitely is longer than 5 pages. So, if you're curious (or want to see what happens when a math teacher tries to engage in creative writing), read on. (As always, all content of this blog is copyrighted.)
The Lethe
Captain Christopher Dobbins of the Earth Space Fleet sat anxiously in his seat as his shuttle climbed away from the surface of Mars towards Dry Dock Four. His blue eyes darted quickly from the controls to the handheld computer containing his orders. He had read the orders many times in the thirty minutes since liftoff, and he fought the urge to read through them again. He tugged at the tight collar on his dress uniform. He hated dress uniforms. They never seemed to fit him right, despite the assurances from every technical expert that the scanners on clothing fabricators always got the fit exactly right. It seemed to him that the collars always came out just a bit on the small side, constricting his throat just enough to be annoying but not enough to cause any problems. After one more futile yank on his collar, he stared out the window of his shuttle as it neared the newest ship in the fleet, the ship that was about to become his: the Hyperion.
The Hyperion’s opalescent appearance stunned him. He had seen the schematics, of course, even pictures on the holovision. To see the ship in person, however, made it seem more real, somehow. Perhaps, the realization that he would soon be walking her decks and get to experience first-hand her unique abilities worked to create this heightened awareness of reality.
The Hyperion was no ordinary ship. Unlike its predecessors, which relied on an Ion Drive to propel themselves at speeds approaching the speed of light, the Hyperion had a new form of propulsion—jump drive—that allowed the ship to avoid the speed limitations imposed by special relativity. In a process that Dobbins really did not understand, the jump drive allowed the Hyperion to bend space in such a way that the ship could, in essence, move to a different location instantaneously.
Fleet Command had told Dobbins of the plans to build the Hyperion three years ago, naming him as commander-in-waiting. Those three years passed slowly, as Dobbins slowly bided his time on the Constellation, continuing an interesting (but dry) research mission in the solar system’s Kuiper Belt. Despite his love for exploring, he found the concept of getting to explore other star systems firsthand too fascinating to escape his thoughts. More than once, he had dreamed that he was onboard the Hyperion, giving the orders for the first jump out into the great unknown.
As the shuttle neared the Dry Dock, it began a series of complex maneuvers in order to align itself properly for docking with the Hyperion. Slowly, the shuttle neared the main shuttle docking bay on the starboard side of the ship. As the two vessels drew near, the automated controls of the shuttle took over, guiding the small transport flawlessly into the port. With a dull clang, the two ships joined together, and the doors at the right side of the shuttle slid open.
The Lethe
Captain Christopher Dobbins of the Earth Space Fleet sat anxiously in his seat as his shuttle climbed away from the surface of Mars towards Dry Dock Four. His blue eyes darted quickly from the controls to the handheld computer containing his orders. He had read the orders many times in the thirty minutes since liftoff, and he fought the urge to read through them again. He tugged at the tight collar on his dress uniform. He hated dress uniforms. They never seemed to fit him right, despite the assurances from every technical expert that the scanners on clothing fabricators always got the fit exactly right. It seemed to him that the collars always came out just a bit on the small side, constricting his throat just enough to be annoying but not enough to cause any problems. After one more futile yank on his collar, he stared out the window of his shuttle as it neared the newest ship in the fleet, the ship that was about to become his: the Hyperion.
The Hyperion’s opalescent appearance stunned him. He had seen the schematics, of course, even pictures on the holovision. To see the ship in person, however, made it seem more real, somehow. Perhaps, the realization that he would soon be walking her decks and get to experience first-hand her unique abilities worked to create this heightened awareness of reality.
The Hyperion was no ordinary ship. Unlike its predecessors, which relied on an Ion Drive to propel themselves at speeds approaching the speed of light, the Hyperion had a new form of propulsion—jump drive—that allowed the ship to avoid the speed limitations imposed by special relativity. In a process that Dobbins really did not understand, the jump drive allowed the Hyperion to bend space in such a way that the ship could, in essence, move to a different location instantaneously.
Fleet Command had told Dobbins of the plans to build the Hyperion three years ago, naming him as commander-in-waiting. Those three years passed slowly, as Dobbins slowly bided his time on the Constellation, continuing an interesting (but dry) research mission in the solar system’s Kuiper Belt. Despite his love for exploring, he found the concept of getting to explore other star systems firsthand too fascinating to escape his thoughts. More than once, he had dreamed that he was onboard the Hyperion, giving the orders for the first jump out into the great unknown.
As the shuttle neared the Dry Dock, it began a series of complex maneuvers in order to align itself properly for docking with the Hyperion. Slowly, the shuttle neared the main shuttle docking bay on the starboard side of the ship. As the two vessels drew near, the automated controls of the shuttle took over, guiding the small transport flawlessly into the port. With a dull clang, the two ships joined together, and the doors at the right side of the shuttle slid open.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Round 7
Tomorrow, I begin my 7th full year as a teacher at Cair Paravel. It's a bit hard for me to believe that I have had the blessing and privilege of serving the Lord in this way for as long as I have. It has not always been an easy road; teaching, although it becomes easier with time, never reaches the point of being dull. Every year, I have a different group of students in each class, with their own strengths, weaknesses, failures, and fears. The challenge is to help them learn about mathematics and a bit about God, too. It is a task that I am not sufficient for, at least, not in my own strength. Only by God's grace can I have any hope of being effective at this challenging task.
So, as the 2009-2010 school year looms, I look ahead with excitement, yet also with a bit of fear and trembling. This year is going to hold many joys and trials, many highs and lows, and above all, innumerable little opportunities that will require me to have to trust in His grace alone. To paraphrase a cliche, I don't know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future. And I know that they'll be exciting times coming.
So, as the 2009-2010 school year looms, I look ahead with excitement, yet also with a bit of fear and trembling. This year is going to hold many joys and trials, many highs and lows, and above all, innumerable little opportunities that will require me to have to trust in His grace alone. To paraphrase a cliche, I don't know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future. And I know that they'll be exciting times coming.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Zounds! Summer Hasn't Happened!
So, now that I've completely by pointless goal of using all of the letters in post titles, I can get on to the important aspects of blogging.
And the weather once again is the story of the day. Well, that and the fact the Topeka City Council (thankfully) realized that they simply did not have enough money for a police helicopter unit. Unfortunately, they still wound up raising the property taxes to fund the Metropolitan Transit Authority (or whatever its official name is). Still, it's better to have a smaller increase than a huge one, which is what would have happened if the helicopter unit had stayed.
And I digress. Back to the weather. I can't remember the last time (because there hasn't been one in my 7 years in Topeka) where the weather was nice enough that we could have had soccer practice at 4 in the afternoon without worrying about the heat. Usually, it's already closing in on 80 degrees by 9 a.m. So far, it's been cool, cloudy, and rainy far more often than it has been hot and sunny. This unusually cool pattern is a welcome break from several years of hotter weather. I'm hoping that this cooler-than-average trend continues for the rest of the summer. I would love to be able to sit outside on some of these evenings and read and relax a little.
(Only 4 days left until school starts....)
And the weather once again is the story of the day. Well, that and the fact the Topeka City Council (thankfully) realized that they simply did not have enough money for a police helicopter unit. Unfortunately, they still wound up raising the property taxes to fund the Metropolitan Transit Authority (or whatever its official name is). Still, it's better to have a smaller increase than a huge one, which is what would have happened if the helicopter unit had stayed.
And I digress. Back to the weather. I can't remember the last time (because there hasn't been one in my 7 years in Topeka) where the weather was nice enough that we could have had soccer practice at 4 in the afternoon without worrying about the heat. Usually, it's already closing in on 80 degrees by 9 a.m. So far, it's been cool, cloudy, and rainy far more often than it has been hot and sunny. This unusually cool pattern is a welcome break from several years of hotter weather. I'm hoping that this cooler-than-average trend continues for the rest of the summer. I would love to be able to sit outside on some of these evenings and read and relax a little.
(Only 4 days left until school starts....)
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Yes, I forgot about the Letters
I just remembered that I was trying to use every letter in the alphabet in my post titles. So, today, I knock out another letter. Whether I remember to use the last remaining letter is another story.
I worked 5 soccer games yesterday over in Kansas City. This was the second time that I've gone to a tournament outside of Topeka. It was a good experience to work with different referees in a different city. Interestingly, of the 5 games I did, two of the games involved a team from Topeka. It was a bit strange to drive 1 1/2 hours only to referee teams from my hometown. I'd write more about it, but I'm so tired that I'm not going to write any more.
I worked 5 soccer games yesterday over in Kansas City. This was the second time that I've gone to a tournament outside of Topeka. It was a good experience to work with different referees in a different city. Interestingly, of the 5 games I did, two of the games involved a team from Topeka. It was a bit strange to drive 1 1/2 hours only to referee teams from my hometown. I'd write more about it, but I'm so tired that I'm not going to write any more.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
The "Enemy"
News today out of Somalia, a lawless country, that four Somali Christians working at a Christian orphanage have been beheaded by radical Muslims. These Christians were killed for refusing to deny their faith in Jesus Christ.
This callous disregard for human life and the "convert-or-die" attitude are two hallmarks of the radical, militant Islam that underlies Islamic terrorism worldwide. Too many Westerners still think that we can negotiate with these terrorists or come to some sort of "life and let live" agreement with the radicals. The unfortunate reality is that such accords are probably not possible. Islamists, such as these radicals in Somalia, are literally following the Koran's command to make war on the infidels and to kill those who renounce Islam. They will not stop until the entire world is "Muslim" (with all the "infidels" dead) or until they are dead.
This sort of evil has been around for hundreds of years; it is part and parcel with much of Islam's history. These radicals are not going away, but we need to be aware of their motives if we are going to develop an effective response. Our current approach is to try to create win-win scenarios. That doesn't work well when the other side's only interested in "I win-you lose" and will not settle for anything less.
One part of the solution is highly active missions efforts on the part of Churches worldwide. If the Gospel can take root in this Islamic cultures, there will be fewer Muslims from which the radical sects can draw their resources and personnel. Another part of the solution is developing another energy source besides oil. If the Middle East, the source of oil and the money for most Islamic terrorism, no longer had billions of dollars at its disposal, many of these terrorists would cease to be a threat. There are other pieces to the puzzle, including the use of military force. But I won't discuss those here. One last thought, on the difference between radical Islam and radical Christianity: "The radical Muslim kills you when you refuse to believe; the radical Christian prays for you when you refuse to believe."
This callous disregard for human life and the "convert-or-die" attitude are two hallmarks of the radical, militant Islam that underlies Islamic terrorism worldwide. Too many Westerners still think that we can negotiate with these terrorists or come to some sort of "life and let live" agreement with the radicals. The unfortunate reality is that such accords are probably not possible. Islamists, such as these radicals in Somalia, are literally following the Koran's command to make war on the infidels and to kill those who renounce Islam. They will not stop until the entire world is "Muslim" (with all the "infidels" dead) or until they are dead.
This sort of evil has been around for hundreds of years; it is part and parcel with much of Islam's history. These radicals are not going away, but we need to be aware of their motives if we are going to develop an effective response. Our current approach is to try to create win-win scenarios. That doesn't work well when the other side's only interested in "I win-you lose" and will not settle for anything less.
One part of the solution is highly active missions efforts on the part of Churches worldwide. If the Gospel can take root in this Islamic cultures, there will be fewer Muslims from which the radical sects can draw their resources and personnel. Another part of the solution is developing another energy source besides oil. If the Middle East, the source of oil and the money for most Islamic terrorism, no longer had billions of dollars at its disposal, many of these terrorists would cease to be a threat. There are other pieces to the puzzle, including the use of military force. But I won't discuss those here. One last thought, on the difference between radical Islam and radical Christianity: "The radical Muslim kills you when you refuse to believe; the radical Christian prays for you when you refuse to believe."
Sunday, August 09, 2009
American Football Starts Tonight
Although the game is basically inconsequential, being an NFL preseason game, tonight is the first football (American football) game of the season. It's a harbinger of the end of summer. Soon, school will be in session, the weather will start to cool off, and MLB will be crowning another champion. Meanwhile, American soccer will be dwindling, European soccer begin, and American football will be in full swing.
I'm not sure I'm ready for summer to be over, yet. I feel like this summer has been the busiest I can remember in 10 years. I know that I've had plenty of slow days and plenty of goofing off, but I sort of wish I could have a week at home with nothing to do. Of course, the last time I thought I wanted that, I wound up with the flu over Spring Break and was miserable. So, I guess I need to be grateful to God for the times of rest He has given me. And I need to try to be more efficient with the time I have left so I can work and play.
I'm not sure I'm ready for summer to be over, yet. I feel like this summer has been the busiest I can remember in 10 years. I know that I've had plenty of slow days and plenty of goofing off, but I sort of wish I could have a week at home with nothing to do. Of course, the last time I thought I wanted that, I wound up with the flu over Spring Break and was miserable. So, I guess I need to be grateful to God for the times of rest He has given me. And I need to try to be more efficient with the time I have left so I can work and play.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
X Has Not Been Used
As I ran through the list of post titles that I have used over the years in blogging, I've noticed that I've never used three letters. Today, I use up one of the three: X. Now, I realize that this is trivial and pointless, but I had to start the post some way. On to the point of this post!
There are a couple of national-level hot-button issues that are currently affecting Kansas. One is the placement of a new national biological and agricultural defense laboratory in Manhattan. The building of the lab in Kansas stirred controversy, and even though the government has already chosen a site, the hubbub still has not died down. A report (some speculate leaked by politicians from Texas) claims that the Kansas site was chosen incorrectly. A few Kansans are still concerned about what would happen if a tornado hit the facility. I personally don't care a lot about this issue. I trust the selection process to work correctly (most of the time). In this case, because of the choice (Kansas over some rich, influential states like Texas), I think that the decision was legitimate. I'm sure that the building's designers will be sure to set up the lab in such a way as to withstand a tornado. It can be done, for the right price, and if there's one thing that the federal government has shown over the years it's that it knows how to spend citizens' money quite well.
The other major issue is the suggestion that the terrorists currently held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, be housed instead at Fort Leavenworth. This idea has evoked strong negative reactions from people on both sides of the political spectrum. Kansan Democrats who favor closing Gitmo still oppose bring the prisoners to Leavenworth. And the case they make is compelling: Leavenworth simply is not equipped to handle such prisoners. At the same time, there is a maximum-security prison in Michigan that is about to shut down, and it seems like the people in that city want to have the prisoners housed there. It seems logically to me to put the terrorists there if we have to move them. I still don't understand why Democrats are so big on moving everyone out of Gitmo in the first place. Do they think that we'll "Gitmo" respect for foreign countries by shutting down the prison in Cuba? There's one problem with that: most countries already dislike us for some of the abuses (or imagined abuses) that have occurred there. Shutting it down isn't going to do much to improve our standing in the world. Our allies already like us. Iran, Venezuela, North Korea, and any other country run by an egomaniac already dislike us. And France was just starting to like us (not anymore), but that's another story. So, really, to me, ignorant of the details that I am, it seems that the best option is to leave the Cuban prison open. The second-best option is to put the prisoners in Michigan. Leavenworth seems like a bad idea from the start. And given that Congress has not authorized any funding for moving the prisoners or opening a new facility in the U.S., all of this speculation could be just that.
To re-cap, X now has been used as a title for a post. I'll try to knock out the other two letters in the next couple of posts.
There are a couple of national-level hot-button issues that are currently affecting Kansas. One is the placement of a new national biological and agricultural defense laboratory in Manhattan. The building of the lab in Kansas stirred controversy, and even though the government has already chosen a site, the hubbub still has not died down. A report (some speculate leaked by politicians from Texas) claims that the Kansas site was chosen incorrectly. A few Kansans are still concerned about what would happen if a tornado hit the facility. I personally don't care a lot about this issue. I trust the selection process to work correctly (most of the time). In this case, because of the choice (Kansas over some rich, influential states like Texas), I think that the decision was legitimate. I'm sure that the building's designers will be sure to set up the lab in such a way as to withstand a tornado. It can be done, for the right price, and if there's one thing that the federal government has shown over the years it's that it knows how to spend citizens' money quite well.
The other major issue is the suggestion that the terrorists currently held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, be housed instead at Fort Leavenworth. This idea has evoked strong negative reactions from people on both sides of the political spectrum. Kansan Democrats who favor closing Gitmo still oppose bring the prisoners to Leavenworth. And the case they make is compelling: Leavenworth simply is not equipped to handle such prisoners. At the same time, there is a maximum-security prison in Michigan that is about to shut down, and it seems like the people in that city want to have the prisoners housed there. It seems logically to me to put the terrorists there if we have to move them. I still don't understand why Democrats are so big on moving everyone out of Gitmo in the first place. Do they think that we'll "Gitmo" respect for foreign countries by shutting down the prison in Cuba? There's one problem with that: most countries already dislike us for some of the abuses (or imagined abuses) that have occurred there. Shutting it down isn't going to do much to improve our standing in the world. Our allies already like us. Iran, Venezuela, North Korea, and any other country run by an egomaniac already dislike us. And France was just starting to like us (not anymore), but that's another story. So, really, to me, ignorant of the details that I am, it seems that the best option is to leave the Cuban prison open. The second-best option is to put the prisoners in Michigan. Leavenworth seems like a bad idea from the start. And given that Congress has not authorized any funding for moving the prisoners or opening a new facility in the U.S., all of this speculation could be just that.
To re-cap, X now has been used as a title for a post. I'll try to knock out the other two letters in the next couple of posts.
Monday, August 03, 2009
Selling Something Nobody Wants
American car companies have almost failed in recent years because they make cars that nobody wants to buy. It looks like the government is trying to take the same approach with health care reform. This article summarizes the negative response. Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Arlen Specter, Democrat Senator from Pennsylvania, received a very poor reception from Specter's constituents. There seems to be strong opposition to this legislation in Philly. I have a feeling that this resistance is not isolated, but I could be wrong. We shall see. In this instance, it sure looked like the government was selling something that nobody wanted.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Two Weeks Left
In two weeks, my summer will be over. While the first day of classes is still three weeks away, all teachers have to be back in two weeks. So, as summer draws to an end, I can't help but find myself wishing for another week. Normally, I'd be very much ready to get to the business of teaching, but this summer has been so busy--and this school year seems so daunting--that I would love to have a week of "boredom" before the craziness of school starts.
Since I won't have that extra week, I need to remember--and live by--Jesus's words in Matthew 6:34 -- "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." I should probably make that verse my theme verse for the year. I can't change what is coming my way. I can--and have--prepared for it. Soon, it is time to take everything day by day. For now, I'm going to try to focus less on what's coming and more on enjoying what God has put before me. Doing so makes life more enjoyable, anyway.
Since I won't have that extra week, I need to remember--and live by--Jesus's words in Matthew 6:34 -- "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." I should probably make that verse my theme verse for the year. I can't change what is coming my way. I can--and have--prepared for it. Soon, it is time to take everything day by day. For now, I'm going to try to focus less on what's coming and more on enjoying what God has put before me. Doing so makes life more enjoyable, anyway.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Summer? What summer?
I am amazed at how cool this summer has been. Usually by now, it's sunny for days on end, with temperatures in the upper 90s and heat indices topping 110. It's felt more like late Spring than late Summer in the past two weeks since I've returned from Romania. It's quite nice, actually. I've enjoyed being able to have the windows open in the middle of the day, to be able to paint at any time of day, and to be able to get exercise without having to worry about the heat. I know that the hot weather is probably coming eventually. It's still too early in the summer for another heat wave not to show up. Until it does, though, I'm going to be thankful to God for the great weather, and enjoy it as best I can.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Concerning Returning
The past week has been an intense week of getting caught up from being gone for two weeks. It hasn't always been easy. It's always a challenge to recover from jet lag, whether going east or west. It's also a challenge to return slowly back to "normal" after the "high" of a short-term mission trip. I've certainly ridden the emotional roller coaster a little for most of the week. It's only by God's grace that I was able to function in spite of the ups and downs. It was not the most fun week of my life, but I've had worse.
It was not a pleasant shock to return to the cynicism and pessimism that pervade American culture. The whole Harvard-professor-getting-arrested fiasco exploded into the headlines right when I got back. That story, coupled with the usual doom-and-gloom that seems to pass for news lately, worked mostly to make me wish I was back at camp and isolated from all of the negativity. I realize that such is the world, such is life. Upon Christ's return, all will be set right and all of these hardships will be but distant memories. Until then, I will just have to rely on His grace to live each day well.
It was not a pleasant shock to return to the cynicism and pessimism that pervade American culture. The whole Harvard-professor-getting-arrested fiasco exploded into the headlines right when I got back. That story, coupled with the usual doom-and-gloom that seems to pass for news lately, worked mostly to make me wish I was back at camp and isolated from all of the negativity. I realize that such is the world, such is life. Upon Christ's return, all will be set right and all of these hardships will be but distant memories. Until then, I will just have to rely on His grace to live each day well.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Painting and More Painting
The house painting project continues, but the end is in sight. Accent work is going on right now. Once it's complete, all that's left is the front porch and back deck. Then, it will finally be finished. I'm looking forward to having it done!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Back from Romania
I'm back from Romania. Still process everything and trying to get caught up with life and graduate school from being gone for nearly two weeks. No time to post anything else right now.
Monday, July 06, 2009
Another Bad Idea Floating around Washington, DC
In the midst of concern that Congress was going to do something detrimental to our nation, like passing Cap & Trade or creating government-run health care, I hadn't noticed another provision slipped into the health care "reform" bill. It would require all businesses with 25 or more employees to carry health insurance for their employers. Such a requirement is an unbearable financial burden for many companies and not possible for others. For example, I work at a company that has more than 25 employees. The company does not provide health insurance because the majority of our employees are insured through their spouse's insurance. As a result, our pool of people who would be covered by a plan is so small that no insurance company wants to cover us. Even if they did, the cost of such a policy is about twice what I currently pay in the "self-enrolled" pool. Requiring our company to provide health insurance for all of its employees is not only unnecessary, but it is also costly, as any policy that its available will be more expensive, not less.
This bill working through Congress is just another in a long line of ideas that our legislators are putting forward that show how out-of-touch many of them are with what life is like in normal America. I wonder how much longer the U.S. can last with this sort of disconnect between reality and what its leaders perceive to reality? Fifty years? Thirty years? I don't know. It's not good, though, and I fear that in thirty years I'll be looking back at my life today and reminiscing about them being the "good old days."
This bill working through Congress is just another in a long line of ideas that our legislators are putting forward that show how out-of-touch many of them are with what life is like in normal America. I wonder how much longer the U.S. can last with this sort of disconnect between reality and what its leaders perceive to reality? Fifty years? Thirty years? I don't know. It's not good, though, and I fear that in thirty years I'll be looking back at my life today and reminiscing about them being the "good old days."
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Weather
The weather is the news here, again. In this case, the news is good news: it's going to be "cool" here for the next few days. Cool, in this case, means about 90 degrees, which feels wonderful when compared to the near-100 temperatures that we saw last week. Aside from just having enjoyable weather, the best part of this cooler weather is that I can finally get my house painted! It's hard to get much done when you have to stop at noon because it's too hot. So, here's to a couple days of hard work to getting my house looking like new!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
More Random Thoughts
A couple more random comments on news items.
1. The benefits (at least for teachers) of a union can be seen in this story from the AP and reprinted on Fox News. To summarize, hundreds of New York City teachers who are under suspension for one reason or another (each teacher has his own story, and all claim to be innocent, of course) are required to report to a "rubber room," where they have basically nothing to do. Some teachers are there for years. They still get full pay, however, because the union rules require them to be paid even while they are suspend. Moreover, the rules require that these suspended teachers continue working at tasks that do not directly involve teaching. The estimated yearly cost for this situation is $65 million. (Comment: We spend $65 million for basically nothing, and we wonder why our average per-pupil expenditure is so high!) Of course, a big part of the problem is that every tenured teacher (who are the ones who get reassigned to this "rubber room") has the right (again, thanks to the union contract) to have a disciplinary hearing with an arbiter. There are 23 arbiters in New York City. They work 5 days a month. (Comment: What?! So, we have teachers who, legitimately or not, are trapped in a sort of limbo and can't get out because the arbiters who are supposed to adjudicate their cases are only available 1 day a week? What sort of nonsense is this? Oh, wait, a union's involved. Never mind. I'm not shocked anymore. I have to wonder if unions have perhaps outlived their usefulness...)
2. The scary (and foolish) cap-and-trade legislation is headed to the floor of the House. This poorly-conceived, scientifically-flawed legislation is exactly what we don't need in this struggling economy. According to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, the average annual cost of this legislation per household is $175. Big deal, most of you probably are saying. But consider those who are not rich, such as myself. I'm a teacher, and unlike my counterparts in New York, I don't make huge amounts of money. The only way I'm going to get an extra $175 a year out of my budget is to cut about $15 a month out of my budget, meaning that I am going to have live on the bare-bones necessities if this legislation passes. And to make matters worse, this bill, which purportedly will help combat global warming, will do nothing of the sort, since global warming is a naturally-occurring phenomenon that we have absolutely no control over. So, we're going to spend a ton of money to enact a program that won't solve anything. All it will do is bankrupt more Americans who are already struggling in this faltering economy. I hope that this legislation fails miserably. This is the sort of "change" I feared would happen if the Democrats got control of both Congress and the White House. Get used to bad ideas coming out of Washington for a while. Socialized medicine is next. Get ready to wait in line. :-(
1. The benefits (at least for teachers) of a union can be seen in this story from the AP and reprinted on Fox News. To summarize, hundreds of New York City teachers who are under suspension for one reason or another (each teacher has his own story, and all claim to be innocent, of course) are required to report to a "rubber room," where they have basically nothing to do. Some teachers are there for years. They still get full pay, however, because the union rules require them to be paid even while they are suspend. Moreover, the rules require that these suspended teachers continue working at tasks that do not directly involve teaching. The estimated yearly cost for this situation is $65 million. (Comment: We spend $65 million for basically nothing, and we wonder why our average per-pupil expenditure is so high!) Of course, a big part of the problem is that every tenured teacher (who are the ones who get reassigned to this "rubber room") has the right (again, thanks to the union contract) to have a disciplinary hearing with an arbiter. There are 23 arbiters in New York City. They work 5 days a month. (Comment: What?! So, we have teachers who, legitimately or not, are trapped in a sort of limbo and can't get out because the arbiters who are supposed to adjudicate their cases are only available 1 day a week? What sort of nonsense is this? Oh, wait, a union's involved. Never mind. I'm not shocked anymore. I have to wonder if unions have perhaps outlived their usefulness...)
2. The scary (and foolish) cap-and-trade legislation is headed to the floor of the House. This poorly-conceived, scientifically-flawed legislation is exactly what we don't need in this struggling economy. According to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, the average annual cost of this legislation per household is $175. Big deal, most of you probably are saying. But consider those who are not rich, such as myself. I'm a teacher, and unlike my counterparts in New York, I don't make huge amounts of money. The only way I'm going to get an extra $175 a year out of my budget is to cut about $15 a month out of my budget, meaning that I am going to have live on the bare-bones necessities if this legislation passes. And to make matters worse, this bill, which purportedly will help combat global warming, will do nothing of the sort, since global warming is a naturally-occurring phenomenon that we have absolutely no control over. So, we're going to spend a ton of money to enact a program that won't solve anything. All it will do is bankrupt more Americans who are already struggling in this faltering economy. I hope that this legislation fails miserably. This is the sort of "change" I feared would happen if the Democrats got control of both Congress and the White House. Get used to bad ideas coming out of Washington for a while. Socialized medicine is next. Get ready to wait in line. :-(
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Random Thoughts on Random Topics
Father's Day
Happy Father's Day to my Dad. In a society where fathers are becoming more and more absent, I'm realizing what a great blessing from God my Dad was to me and my siblings. I would not be half the man I am without him in my life.
Iran
On the one hand, I understand why everyone in the West is upset with the Iranian government for how they're handling the recent election and the post-election protests. It is not right to have a vote and to say that people are electing the next president (sort of a #2 leader in the country) and then rig the vote to ensure that one man is guaranteed to win. The handling of the protests also is quite wrong. Opening fire on peaceful protesters and generally trying to stifle the voice of the opposition is wrong on every level.
On the other hand, I'm also not surprised at what is happening. It is quite in keeping with the nature of dictatorships, such as the one in Iran, that elections are rigged or manipulated as needed to establish who the powers-that-be want as legitimate. Protests are, of course, squashed as quietly as possible. And when quite calming doesn't work, there's always the aggressive tactics that we're starting to see. China has used such an approach for years, and we're seeing something similar in this situation.
These protests, I fear, are going to do very little, unless the military refuses to obey the Ayatollah's orders and organizes a coup to throw him out. That is not likely to happen.
I'm disappointed in the response of our President to this whole situation. He seems to be convinced that he can negotiate with Iran and have good relations with them. They have clearly indicated the opposite, and even if they started being nice to us, I fear that it would only be a part of some elaborate deception on their part. They do not trust the United States and have not ever since they deposed the American-backed Shah in the 1970s. No amount of playing nice now is going to change how they see us. We are seen as an evil country, and that is not going to change as long as Iran remains a theocracy.
Health Care
I am scared at what I'm hearing about the health plan being proposed by the Democrats in Congress. To force every American to carry health insurance is not going to do anything to address the real problem in the health care industry: spiraling costs. These spiraling costs result from many factors, one of them being the addiction of American medicine to technology for diagnoses and another being the fear of malpractice suits if every avenue isn't exhausted. Congress can't do much about our technology-obsessed society, but they can do something about the malpractice suits. There needs to reform in how medical malpractice suits are handled. I don't have any specifics because I am not knowledgeable enough in law or medicine to know what to suggest, but I do know that there are some proposals that could work. I would far rather have that than be trapped into a government-run health care program, which will be the eventual outcome of a program such as the Democrats propose.
Weather
Central Kansas had some brief tornado touchdowns yesterday, a brief burst of late-season tornadoes. Tornado season is nearly over for Kansas for the Spring. As the summer progresses (it technically began today), the middle atmosphere is going to become too warm to allow for thunderstorm development on a regular basis, hindering the development of tornadoes.
That's All, Folks!
I have no more random thoughts to write right now. So there!
Happy Father's Day to my Dad. In a society where fathers are becoming more and more absent, I'm realizing what a great blessing from God my Dad was to me and my siblings. I would not be half the man I am without him in my life.
Iran
On the one hand, I understand why everyone in the West is upset with the Iranian government for how they're handling the recent election and the post-election protests. It is not right to have a vote and to say that people are electing the next president (sort of a #2 leader in the country) and then rig the vote to ensure that one man is guaranteed to win. The handling of the protests also is quite wrong. Opening fire on peaceful protesters and generally trying to stifle the voice of the opposition is wrong on every level.
On the other hand, I'm also not surprised at what is happening. It is quite in keeping with the nature of dictatorships, such as the one in Iran, that elections are rigged or manipulated as needed to establish who the powers-that-be want as legitimate. Protests are, of course, squashed as quietly as possible. And when quite calming doesn't work, there's always the aggressive tactics that we're starting to see. China has used such an approach for years, and we're seeing something similar in this situation.
These protests, I fear, are going to do very little, unless the military refuses to obey the Ayatollah's orders and organizes a coup to throw him out. That is not likely to happen.
I'm disappointed in the response of our President to this whole situation. He seems to be convinced that he can negotiate with Iran and have good relations with them. They have clearly indicated the opposite, and even if they started being nice to us, I fear that it would only be a part of some elaborate deception on their part. They do not trust the United States and have not ever since they deposed the American-backed Shah in the 1970s. No amount of playing nice now is going to change how they see us. We are seen as an evil country, and that is not going to change as long as Iran remains a theocracy.
Health Care
I am scared at what I'm hearing about the health plan being proposed by the Democrats in Congress. To force every American to carry health insurance is not going to do anything to address the real problem in the health care industry: spiraling costs. These spiraling costs result from many factors, one of them being the addiction of American medicine to technology for diagnoses and another being the fear of malpractice suits if every avenue isn't exhausted. Congress can't do much about our technology-obsessed society, but they can do something about the malpractice suits. There needs to reform in how medical malpractice suits are handled. I don't have any specifics because I am not knowledgeable enough in law or medicine to know what to suggest, but I do know that there are some proposals that could work. I would far rather have that than be trapped into a government-run health care program, which will be the eventual outcome of a program such as the Democrats propose.
Weather
Central Kansas had some brief tornado touchdowns yesterday, a brief burst of late-season tornadoes. Tornado season is nearly over for Kansas for the Spring. As the summer progresses (it technically began today), the middle atmosphere is going to become too warm to allow for thunderstorm development on a regular basis, hindering the development of tornadoes.
That's All, Folks!
I have no more random thoughts to write right now. So there!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Quiet Week So Far
Things have been relatively quiet in Topeka, lately. No more proposals for roundabouts in places that they probably shouldn't be, no fights breaking out between city council members, and no major weather events in the city itself, other than some rain. It's nice for things to be quiet once in a while. Usually, there's some sort of crisis happening. So, I'm going to enjoy the quiet and get to work painting the outside of the house.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Media Bias or Non-story?
I ran across an interesting story from my old hometown today. You can read an article discussing the story here. To summarize, a conservative political science teacher in Lawrence, KS, has not had his contract renewed for next year. He is protesting the decision, claiming that it was political bias that cost him the job, not poor teaching.
I don't have enough information about the situation to know whether that is the case, of course. There could be many factors at work here, none of them political. It would not totally surprise me if someone was fired for his political views, though. Having grown up in Lawrence, I can tell you that it is the most politically-liberal city in Kansas. Conservative ideas are not looked on as being good, but the people who hold conservative political views are still treated with respect on those rare occasions that they dare speak their mind. The seeds are there, then, for a teacher to be fired for his political views, but it seems unlikely at the same time.
The whole story of this situation doubtless will come out in time, but the part that fascinates me about the whole story is the complete lack of coverage from any local news source. (You'll notice that I ran across this on FoxNews...and lest you accuse me of reading biased news, I'll point out that I also read the equally-biased CNN to get a bit of a counterpoint.) The Lawrence Journal-World, the paper that should be covering this story, has nothing about it. The Topeka Capital-Journal, usually quick to pick up on discrimination stories, has nothing on it. Now, noticing the nature of the story and the lack of coverage, I have to wonder would have happened if a political liberal had been non-renewed and made the same claims. Would the LJW and CJ have picked up the story and trumpted it from the front page? Or would they also have left it be, considering it a non-story? I don't know. And I refuse to speculate. But it is something that the journalists at both papers need to ask themselves if they truly want to stay balanced in their approach to the news.
I don't have enough information about the situation to know whether that is the case, of course. There could be many factors at work here, none of them political. It would not totally surprise me if someone was fired for his political views, though. Having grown up in Lawrence, I can tell you that it is the most politically-liberal city in Kansas. Conservative ideas are not looked on as being good, but the people who hold conservative political views are still treated with respect on those rare occasions that they dare speak their mind. The seeds are there, then, for a teacher to be fired for his political views, but it seems unlikely at the same time.
The whole story of this situation doubtless will come out in time, but the part that fascinates me about the whole story is the complete lack of coverage from any local news source. (You'll notice that I ran across this on FoxNews...and lest you accuse me of reading biased news, I'll point out that I also read the equally-biased CNN to get a bit of a counterpoint.) The Lawrence Journal-World, the paper that should be covering this story, has nothing about it. The Topeka Capital-Journal, usually quick to pick up on discrimination stories, has nothing on it. Now, noticing the nature of the story and the lack of coverage, I have to wonder would have happened if a political liberal had been non-renewed and made the same claims. Would the LJW and CJ have picked up the story and trumpted it from the front page? Or would they also have left it be, considering it a non-story? I don't know. And I refuse to speculate. But it is something that the journalists at both papers need to ask themselves if they truly want to stay balanced in their approach to the news.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
No Roundabout
It's time for a minor news note, brought to you by Petty Corp., maker of the Irrelevantator, the greatest useless gadget ever!
The Topeka City Council has reconsidered its decision to put in a roundabout at 17th and MacVicar, mostly in response to protests from those who lived in the area. The majority of those who opposed the change pointed out that there was insufficient space for the roundabout (which is true) and that a roundabout would be potentially more dangerous for pedestrians (also true). The question remains, however, about what to with the intersection. It is somewhat dangerous and definitely narrow. Traffic tends to back up there during the late afternoon "rush" home, and MacVicar jogs slightly to the east as one drives north on it. Perhaps the best solution would to widen 17th Street and re-align MacVicar. That solution, like the traffic circle, would probably result in more protests from the neighborhood. Still, given the amount of traffic that 17th Street carries, it would make sense to add in a right-turn lane on westbound 17th at MacVicar. That would help some, as would a new traffic signal that allowed for both protected and unprotected left turns. The current model is a '70s unit that allows only for unprotected turns. Those ideas, of course, are the thoughts of an amateur observer. The professionals know these things better, and hopefully, they'll find a way to make that intersection safer for all without using a traffic circle.
The Topeka City Council has reconsidered its decision to put in a roundabout at 17th and MacVicar, mostly in response to protests from those who lived in the area. The majority of those who opposed the change pointed out that there was insufficient space for the roundabout (which is true) and that a roundabout would be potentially more dangerous for pedestrians (also true). The question remains, however, about what to with the intersection. It is somewhat dangerous and definitely narrow. Traffic tends to back up there during the late afternoon "rush" home, and MacVicar jogs slightly to the east as one drives north on it. Perhaps the best solution would to widen 17th Street and re-align MacVicar. That solution, like the traffic circle, would probably result in more protests from the neighborhood. Still, given the amount of traffic that 17th Street carries, it would make sense to add in a right-turn lane on westbound 17th at MacVicar. That would help some, as would a new traffic signal that allowed for both protected and unprotected left turns. The current model is a '70s unit that allows only for unprotected turns. Those ideas, of course, are the thoughts of an amateur observer. The professionals know these things better, and hopefully, they'll find a way to make that intersection safer for all without using a traffic circle.
Sunday, June 07, 2009
KC Royals
It is with great disappointment that I bid farewell to any hopes of the Royals amounting to much more than an also-ran this year. The season started out with great hope: the pitching was excellent, and the offense, while not powerful, was providing just enough offense to win games. So, the logical question is, "What happened?"
The stand-up comic answer is "The Kansas City Royals finally realized that they were the Kansas City Royals."
A more serious answer, though, requires discussion of three problems, one of which was evident from the start of the year: lack of offense. As the weather heated up, the Royals' hitting did not. The offense consistently has shown that it will not be able to produce 4+ runs on a frequent basis. While it is true that the Royals are averaging 4.07 runs per game, the offense has produced more than 4 runs in only 10 of the past 34 games. Half of those were at the start of May, during the Royals' 5-game win streak. In the last 10 games, the Royals have scored more than 4 runs only once. (And I don't even have time to talk about the problem of players striking out a lot. There are several Royals' starters who average 100+ strikeouts a year. A team can survive with 1 guy who strikes out a lot. To have more than 1 is nearly impossible to overcome.) So, the offense needs to produce more runs and to produce them early in games in order to put pressure on the other team's offense. Right now, the Royals are constantly having to play from behind, and part of the reason for that is that they are not scoring runs in the early part of the game.
The Royals' problems, however, also lie in pitching. The team started to struggle tremendously when its closer, Soria, went down with an injury. The bullpen turned into the "blowpen," blowing saves left and right. With Soria back, things have improved little because the starting pitching has not been good. Now, starters do have bad games. A couple of the Royals' loses were the result of a bad outing by one of the starters. Several more were the result of bad pitching by the bullpen. The statistics overall show that the pitching needs to be better, but the pitchers can only do so much. The offense has to help the pitchers out when they have bad days.
In addition to offense and pitching problems, though, the biggest problem the Royals face is an economic problem. They simply cannot afford the players necessary to put together a consistently winning team. For example, the Royals had a potential 30 HR/30 SB player on their roster (Carlos Beltran) a few years ago. They couldn't afford to keep him around because his salary demands were too high. The money that the team gets from revenue sharing is not enough to help offset the vast costs required to put together a team of high-quality players. Unless something changes in the overall salary structure of baseball (i.e. a salary cap), then I see little hope of the Royals putting together a team that consistently is competitive in its division. The only chance that the Royals have is for a bunch of young players (all under relatively-inexpensive long-term contracts) all to mature at the same time, resulting in huge output for a couple of seasons. That could happen, but the Royals need about 5-6 position players and 4-5 pitchers to have those sort of years. That probably is not going to happen.
This year, certainly, it is not going to happen, which means many a day of turning off the radio broadcast early.
The stand-up comic answer is "The Kansas City Royals finally realized that they were the Kansas City Royals."
A more serious answer, though, requires discussion of three problems, one of which was evident from the start of the year: lack of offense. As the weather heated up, the Royals' hitting did not. The offense consistently has shown that it will not be able to produce 4+ runs on a frequent basis. While it is true that the Royals are averaging 4.07 runs per game, the offense has produced more than 4 runs in only 10 of the past 34 games. Half of those were at the start of May, during the Royals' 5-game win streak. In the last 10 games, the Royals have scored more than 4 runs only once. (And I don't even have time to talk about the problem of players striking out a lot. There are several Royals' starters who average 100+ strikeouts a year. A team can survive with 1 guy who strikes out a lot. To have more than 1 is nearly impossible to overcome.) So, the offense needs to produce more runs and to produce them early in games in order to put pressure on the other team's offense. Right now, the Royals are constantly having to play from behind, and part of the reason for that is that they are not scoring runs in the early part of the game.
The Royals' problems, however, also lie in pitching. The team started to struggle tremendously when its closer, Soria, went down with an injury. The bullpen turned into the "blowpen," blowing saves left and right. With Soria back, things have improved little because the starting pitching has not been good. Now, starters do have bad games. A couple of the Royals' loses were the result of a bad outing by one of the starters. Several more were the result of bad pitching by the bullpen. The statistics overall show that the pitching needs to be better, but the pitchers can only do so much. The offense has to help the pitchers out when they have bad days.
In addition to offense and pitching problems, though, the biggest problem the Royals face is an economic problem. They simply cannot afford the players necessary to put together a consistently winning team. For example, the Royals had a potential 30 HR/30 SB player on their roster (Carlos Beltran) a few years ago. They couldn't afford to keep him around because his salary demands were too high. The money that the team gets from revenue sharing is not enough to help offset the vast costs required to put together a team of high-quality players. Unless something changes in the overall salary structure of baseball (i.e. a salary cap), then I see little hope of the Royals putting together a team that consistently is competitive in its division. The only chance that the Royals have is for a bunch of young players (all under relatively-inexpensive long-term contracts) all to mature at the same time, resulting in huge output for a couple of seasons. That could happen, but the Royals need about 5-6 position players and 4-5 pitchers to have those sort of years. That probably is not going to happen.
This year, certainly, it is not going to happen, which means many a day of turning off the radio broadcast early.
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Euler's Identity
e^(i*pi) + 1 = 0
Few things in mathematics fascinate me as much as this simple, seemingly-trivial statement. Inside this one equation, we have all of the basic constants of mathematics (e, i, pi, 1, & 0), but we also incorporate trigonometry (admittedly, it's behind the scenes, but it's there). To understand this identity requires knowledge from several different areas of mathematics. Thus, fully understanding it sort of brings about a sense of fully understanding elementary mathematics. (And, for me personally, it doesn't hurt that my favorite mathematician, Leonhard Euler, figured out the mathematics behind the identity.)
So, how does the identity work? (I'm so glad I asked! [grin]) It turns out that e^(ix) can be evaluated as the sum of cos x and i sin x, that is,
e^ix = cos x + i sin x
(The explanation for this is far behind the scope of a simple blog post. If you want to find out why, consult a good mathematics textbook.)
In the case of the identity above, x = pi, so
e^(i*pi) = cos pi + i sin pi
cos pi = -1, and sin pi = 0; therefore, we have
e^(i*pi) = -1 + i*0 = -1
This result means that the first term in the identity is simply -1, making the result of its addition to 1 be 0.
That is how the identity works, in case you were curious.
Few things in mathematics fascinate me as much as this simple, seemingly-trivial statement. Inside this one equation, we have all of the basic constants of mathematics (e, i, pi, 1, & 0), but we also incorporate trigonometry (admittedly, it's behind the scenes, but it's there). To understand this identity requires knowledge from several different areas of mathematics. Thus, fully understanding it sort of brings about a sense of fully understanding elementary mathematics. (And, for me personally, it doesn't hurt that my favorite mathematician, Leonhard Euler, figured out the mathematics behind the identity.)
So, how does the identity work? (I'm so glad I asked! [grin]) It turns out that e^(ix) can be evaluated as the sum of cos x and i sin x, that is,
e^ix = cos x + i sin x
(The explanation for this is far behind the scope of a simple blog post. If you want to find out why, consult a good mathematics textbook.)
In the case of the identity above, x = pi, so
e^(i*pi) = cos pi + i sin pi
cos pi = -1, and sin pi = 0; therefore, we have
e^(i*pi) = -1 + i*0 = -1
This result means that the first term in the identity is simply -1, making the result of its addition to 1 be 0.
That is how the identity works, in case you were curious.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Sad Incident
I saw this news earlier today, and it shocked and saddened me. Abortion provider George Tiller has been murdered by a man whose motive at this time was unknown.
Let me be absolutely clear: I do not agree with abortion, except for extreme emergencies to say the life of the mother. Dr. Tiller's regular practice was disappointing to me.
Let me be absolutely clear, again: I wholeheartedly condemn this murder. I may disagree with Dr. Tiller's actions, but killing someone for that reason is as evil as killing an unborn child. No human being has the right to take the life of another. Even the state, which has the power of capital punishment, has limits in executing that power.
This event is a sad day in our nation, a day that shows how irrational we have become as a society. Instead of using appropriate means to prevent the travesty of abortion, we see some maverick foolishly engage in the travesty of murder. No justifiable reason can be given for such a heinous act.
I am concerned, too, about the backlash that could occur as a result of this tragedy. I can see people who are pro-life being mocked or looked on with distrust after this. And I have to wonder: it is possible that anyone who holds a pro-life position could begin to be consider a "domestic terrorist" and that those who engage in making pro-life statements will be considered guilty of "hate speech?" I don't think that will happen, but given the current political climate, I guess anything is possible.
For now, please be in prayer for the Tiller family as it mourns and for America as a whole as we seem to be careening down the dangerous path to moral anarchy.
Let me be absolutely clear: I do not agree with abortion, except for extreme emergencies to say the life of the mother. Dr. Tiller's regular practice was disappointing to me.
Let me be absolutely clear, again: I wholeheartedly condemn this murder. I may disagree with Dr. Tiller's actions, but killing someone for that reason is as evil as killing an unborn child. No human being has the right to take the life of another. Even the state, which has the power of capital punishment, has limits in executing that power.
This event is a sad day in our nation, a day that shows how irrational we have become as a society. Instead of using appropriate means to prevent the travesty of abortion, we see some maverick foolishly engage in the travesty of murder. No justifiable reason can be given for such a heinous act.
I am concerned, too, about the backlash that could occur as a result of this tragedy. I can see people who are pro-life being mocked or looked on with distrust after this. And I have to wonder: it is possible that anyone who holds a pro-life position could begin to be consider a "domestic terrorist" and that those who engage in making pro-life statements will be considered guilty of "hate speech?" I don't think that will happen, but given the current political climate, I guess anything is possible.
For now, please be in prayer for the Tiller family as it mourns and for America as a whole as we seem to be careening down the dangerous path to moral anarchy.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
No Excuses...I Forgot
I was supposed to post something yesterday. I didn't. I don't have a good reason, and I'm not going to try to make any excuses. I forgot.
I had a good idea about what I wanted to post my blog. Unfortunately, I forgot it.
I keep meaning to plug up the empty carpenter bee nests that in the roof over my back deck. I keep forgetting.
There's a story that is halfway edited, and once it's done I'll start posting. I said to myself yesterday that I needed to edit it. I forgot.
It may be that there was a time in my life that I could remember everything without writing it down. If there was a such a time, I've forgotten it.
There's a theme to this entire post, but, like everything else, I forgot. :-)
I had a good idea about what I wanted to post my blog. Unfortunately, I forgot it.
I keep meaning to plug up the empty carpenter bee nests that in the roof over my back deck. I keep forgetting.
There's a story that is halfway edited, and once it's done I'll start posting. I said to myself yesterday that I needed to edit it. I forgot.
It may be that there was a time in my life that I could remember everything without writing it down. If there was a such a time, I've forgotten it.
There's a theme to this entire post, but, like everything else, I forgot. :-)
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Remembering Those Who Served
As tomorrow is Memorial Day, I thought I would make a brief post mentioning those in my immediate family who served to protect this country and to secure the freedoms that we now enjoy. My ancestors came from Germany (and Scotland) to seek out a better life and greater freedom in this land, and their descendants served honorably in securing those freedoms.
My uncle Wayne served in the military during the Korean War in a support role, ensuring that the soldiers were able to fight with fewer distractions. He retired from the military and lived a quiet life in Colby, KS, until his death a few years ago.
My maternal grandfather, Marion, served as a cargo pilot during World War II, transporting prisoners, troops, and goods to different places throughout the Pacific Theater. After the war, he returned home and eventually became a pilot trainer and pilot for one of the aircraft companies in Wichita. He died many years ago, and is buried in Wichita, along with my maternal grandmother.
These heroes in my family tree may never have had to endure the horrors of combat, but I know that without them, the brave men who fought to provide me with the freedoms I enjoy today would not have been able to do their jobs as well as they did. Thanks be to God for their years of sacrifice and service.
My uncle Wayne served in the military during the Korean War in a support role, ensuring that the soldiers were able to fight with fewer distractions. He retired from the military and lived a quiet life in Colby, KS, until his death a few years ago.
My maternal grandfather, Marion, served as a cargo pilot during World War II, transporting prisoners, troops, and goods to different places throughout the Pacific Theater. After the war, he returned home and eventually became a pilot trainer and pilot for one of the aircraft companies in Wichita. He died many years ago, and is buried in Wichita, along with my maternal grandmother.
These heroes in my family tree may never have had to endure the horrors of combat, but I know that without them, the brave men who fought to provide me with the freedoms I enjoy today would not have been able to do their jobs as well as they did. Thanks be to God for their years of sacrifice and service.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Thoughts on News
A story caught my attention this morning. It appears that a mother has run off with her son to avoid being forced to allow him to undergo chemotherapy. As odd as it sounds, it appears that the courts have ordered that this boy undergo chemotherapy, something that is apparently against the (slightly unusual) religious beliefs of the mother.
This story raises some interesting questions that I can't fully answer. Where is the line between protecting children from abuse/neglect and the government meddling in the family's personal affairs? Is it right (ethical) for the government to be involved in this family's personal business in this way? Is it right (ethical) for the government to be involved in family affairs, ever? (I think the answer to this last one is "Yes," but I'm having trouble figuring out where its limitations should be.)
While I think it is a bit silly for the mother to refuse her son treatment, it seems to me that the actions taken by the authorities are more likely to make the mother want to continue to run. Issuing an arrest warrant for her and holding her in contempt of court are not actions that would give her motivation to return home or turn herself in. Logically, she's going to see running as her only viable option, since not only will she see her son undergo something that she (I think incorrectly) believes is wrong but she will also have to endure legal penalties for running in the first place. It's a double-lose situation for her. I don't agree with her decision, but I do see that the course taken by the government is more likely to cause harm than good.
As I read through the story, it also seems to me that the government took incredibly strong action in rapid succession. The family refuses to continue chemotherapy, so the government steps in and tries to take custody of the child. That seems a bit authoritarian to me. And it seems to be a bit of dangerous precedent. What's to stop authorities from deciding (say, 40 years from now) that teaching children to believe in Jesus is abuse. Based on this set of court actions, it would appear that it would be legal (not ethical, mind you, but legal) for the court to take the children away from their parents.
That scenario is not likely to happen, I know. I'm considering an extreme case to try to help myself get a solid, logical grasp on where the boundaries should be between the social spheres of government and family. And all I'm left with right now is the same unanswered questions that I posed near the start of this post. I'm going to have to think this one through some more.
This story raises some interesting questions that I can't fully answer. Where is the line between protecting children from abuse/neglect and the government meddling in the family's personal affairs? Is it right (ethical) for the government to be involved in this family's personal business in this way? Is it right (ethical) for the government to be involved in family affairs, ever? (I think the answer to this last one is "Yes," but I'm having trouble figuring out where its limitations should be.)
While I think it is a bit silly for the mother to refuse her son treatment, it seems to me that the actions taken by the authorities are more likely to make the mother want to continue to run. Issuing an arrest warrant for her and holding her in contempt of court are not actions that would give her motivation to return home or turn herself in. Logically, she's going to see running as her only viable option, since not only will she see her son undergo something that she (I think incorrectly) believes is wrong but she will also have to endure legal penalties for running in the first place. It's a double-lose situation for her. I don't agree with her decision, but I do see that the course taken by the government is more likely to cause harm than good.
As I read through the story, it also seems to me that the government took incredibly strong action in rapid succession. The family refuses to continue chemotherapy, so the government steps in and tries to take custody of the child. That seems a bit authoritarian to me. And it seems to be a bit of dangerous precedent. What's to stop authorities from deciding (say, 40 years from now) that teaching children to believe in Jesus is abuse. Based on this set of court actions, it would appear that it would be legal (not ethical, mind you, but legal) for the court to take the children away from their parents.
That scenario is not likely to happen, I know. I'm considering an extreme case to try to help myself get a solid, logical grasp on where the boundaries should be between the social spheres of government and family. And all I'm left with right now is the same unanswered questions that I posed near the start of this post. I'm going to have to think this one through some more.
Monday, May 18, 2009
On Week Left
So, I forgot to post yesterday. Yeah. I was just a little tired and distracted thanks to the end-of-the-year rush. Anyway...
There's a week of school left, a little less, actually. I have three days of Finals to give and grade, and then one work day before the real work begins of summer. I've already talked about all that teachers do over the summer, so I can't decide if I'm looking forward to it or not. It will be a welcome break to have a more flexible schedule, but I know that I will be ready (at least psychologically) for school to begin again in August.
There's a week of school left, a little less, actually. I have three days of Finals to give and grade, and then one work day before the real work begins of summer. I've already talked about all that teachers do over the summer, so I can't decide if I'm looking forward to it or not. It will be a welcome break to have a more flexible schedule, but I know that I will be ready (at least psychologically) for school to begin again in August.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
High School Soccer Rules Thoughts
I just read through the rule changes to high school soccer for next year. As a referee and coach of high school soccer, I need to be a little bit careful about what I say about the rules, since it will be my job to comply with these rules once the season begins.
I am fascinated (and a bit annoyed, sometimes) by the different rules for high school.
Here are some examples of the differences between NFHS (high school) and FIFA (everywhere else) rules.
In NFHS, the clock counts down. It is stopped by the referee for goals, yellow & red cards, and penalty kicks. When the clock reaches 0:00, the half is over, and no time is added. In FIFA, the clock counts up and runs continuously. Time is added at the end of each half to allow for time lost due to goals, yellow & red cards, penalty kicks, and any other stoppage of play.
In NFHS, the home team must wear white jerseys and white socks and the away team must wear non-white jerseys and non-white socks. In FIFA, the home team can wear whatever color they wish, provided that it does not match the color of the away team. In the event of two teams in similar colors, the home team changes.
In NFHS, a throw-in that does not enter the field of play is illegal and the ball is given to the other team. In FIFA, a throw-in that does not enter the field of play is still a dead ball, and the ball is re-thrown.
In NFHS, a player receiving two yellow cards is shown a yellow-red card and is unable to play for the remainder of the game. He may be replaced. In FIFA, a player receiving two yellow cards is shown a red card an is unable to play for the remainder of the game. His team plays a man down for the rest of the game.
In NFHS, substitutions are open and unlimited. That is, players may be substituted in and out as often as the coach wishes. In FIFA, substitutions are closed and limited. That is, a player may not re-enter the game once leaving, and each team may make a maximum of 3 substitutions. (I should note, however, that FIFA allows the substitution rules to be modified for youth games.)
In NFHS, the referee is required to give a signal to indicate the type of foul called in addition to indicating the direction of the kick and whether the kick is direct or indirect. The signals, some of them a bit bizarre looking, are shown in this PDF document. In FIFA rules, the only required signals are the direction of the kick and whether the kick is direct or indirect.
In NFHS, at least 2 ball handlers placed out of the field are required in order to keep play moving. In FIFA, no such requirement exists.
In NFHS, if play is stopped for an injured player and one team is in possession of the ball, play is restarted with an indirect free kick for that team. In FIFA, if play is stopped for an injured player, play is restarted with a dropped ball.
Now, these differences might seem minor. Stopping the clock and adding time, for instance, have functionally the same effect. The effect of this difference, however, lies in who controls the game. In FIFA rules, the referee is in control. In high school rules, he is a slave to the clock. In my experience, I have seen this rule difference cause a team to be denied a goal because they took a shot less than a second after the time expired, creating the need for an overtime period when the game could have already ended. In other words, the quality of the game was detrimentally affected.
I would love to see the NFHS revise its rule book to bring the high school game more in line with the rest of the soccer world. Since that is unlikely to happen, however, I will just have to live with the differences, whatever I think of them.
I am fascinated (and a bit annoyed, sometimes) by the different rules for high school.
Here are some examples of the differences between NFHS (high school) and FIFA (everywhere else) rules.
In NFHS, the clock counts down. It is stopped by the referee for goals, yellow & red cards, and penalty kicks. When the clock reaches 0:00, the half is over, and no time is added. In FIFA, the clock counts up and runs continuously. Time is added at the end of each half to allow for time lost due to goals, yellow & red cards, penalty kicks, and any other stoppage of play.
In NFHS, the home team must wear white jerseys and white socks and the away team must wear non-white jerseys and non-white socks. In FIFA, the home team can wear whatever color they wish, provided that it does not match the color of the away team. In the event of two teams in similar colors, the home team changes.
In NFHS, a throw-in that does not enter the field of play is illegal and the ball is given to the other team. In FIFA, a throw-in that does not enter the field of play is still a dead ball, and the ball is re-thrown.
In NFHS, a player receiving two yellow cards is shown a yellow-red card and is unable to play for the remainder of the game. He may be replaced. In FIFA, a player receiving two yellow cards is shown a red card an is unable to play for the remainder of the game. His team plays a man down for the rest of the game.
In NFHS, substitutions are open and unlimited. That is, players may be substituted in and out as often as the coach wishes. In FIFA, substitutions are closed and limited. That is, a player may not re-enter the game once leaving, and each team may make a maximum of 3 substitutions. (I should note, however, that FIFA allows the substitution rules to be modified for youth games.)
In NFHS, the referee is required to give a signal to indicate the type of foul called in addition to indicating the direction of the kick and whether the kick is direct or indirect. The signals, some of them a bit bizarre looking, are shown in this PDF document. In FIFA rules, the only required signals are the direction of the kick and whether the kick is direct or indirect.
In NFHS, at least 2 ball handlers placed out of the field are required in order to keep play moving. In FIFA, no such requirement exists.
In NFHS, if play is stopped for an injured player and one team is in possession of the ball, play is restarted with an indirect free kick for that team. In FIFA, if play is stopped for an injured player, play is restarted with a dropped ball.
Now, these differences might seem minor. Stopping the clock and adding time, for instance, have functionally the same effect. The effect of this difference, however, lies in who controls the game. In FIFA rules, the referee is in control. In high school rules, he is a slave to the clock. In my experience, I have seen this rule difference cause a team to be denied a goal because they took a shot less than a second after the time expired, creating the need for an overtime period when the game could have already ended. In other words, the quality of the game was detrimentally affected.
I would love to see the NFHS revise its rule book to bring the high school game more in line with the rest of the soccer world. Since that is unlikely to happen, however, I will just have to live with the differences, whatever I think of them.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Summer Approaches
This school year is on notice: there are two weeks left before the grand chaos of activity that is summer begins! Now, most of you who are reading this know that I am a teacher and perhaps can't quite bring yourself to see how my summer could be a chaos of activity. After all, don't teachers have the summer off?
The myth of teachers having the summer "off," like the myth that single people have more time, is far too common. Somehow, people think that because teachers don't have students, we aren't working. I can easily dispel the myth of summers off by simple observation. I'm going to spend half of my summer at school, preparing for the coming school year. When I'm not planning for next year, I'm going to be work on graduate classes, and in my spare time, I'll be working on personal projects and taking a mission trip to Romania. It all adds up to a summer that will be just as busy as the school year, if not possibly busier.
So, my summer is not going to be a summer "off," a summer of sleeping in and relaxing and not accomplishing anything useful. Far from it. I'll be working just as hard as the next man in the summer, perhaps harder. So, enjoy your summer and the relaxation that will come with it. I'll be busy living out proof that teachers do not have summer off.
The myth of teachers having the summer "off," like the myth that single people have more time, is far too common. Somehow, people think that because teachers don't have students, we aren't working. I can easily dispel the myth of summers off by simple observation. I'm going to spend half of my summer at school, preparing for the coming school year. When I'm not planning for next year, I'm going to be work on graduate classes, and in my spare time, I'll be working on personal projects and taking a mission trip to Romania. It all adds up to a summer that will be just as busy as the school year, if not possibly busier.
So, my summer is not going to be a summer "off," a summer of sleeping in and relaxing and not accomplishing anything useful. Far from it. I'll be working just as hard as the next man in the summer, perhaps harder. So, enjoy your summer and the relaxation that will come with it. I'll be busy living out proof that teachers do not have summer off.
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Last Caspian Quiz
Because I won't be posting on Wednesday, here are today's post and Wednesday post in one massive bundle. This is the last quiz that relates to the differences between Prince Caspian the book and Prince Caspian the movie. I hope you've enjoyed the quizzes. If not, then they're gone after this post.
85. Why do the Pevensies go through the door? (Choose as many as apply)
A. They are fleeing angry Telmarines
B. It’s time for them to return home
C. They see their mom and dad on the other side
D. To show the Telmarines that it’s safe to go through the door
86. What happens as the Pevensies say goodbye to the Narnians?
A. The wave goodbye and wish everyone good luck
B. The sing a farewell song to the different Narnians, recounting the deeds of each
C. They say farewell to the different Narnian animals, then to Trumpkin, and finally Caspian offers Susan her horn back. She tells him to keep it.
D. Peter gives Caspian his sword, Susan points out that she and Peter won’t be returning, Lucy hugs Trumpkin, and then Susan and Caspian *snog!*
87. How do the Pevensies wind up back in their original clothes?
A. They quickly change in the train depot’s washroom after returning
B. The change into them before the go through the doorway
C. They magically are wearing them when they arrive on the train platform again
D. They don’t
88. What do the Pevensies see when they walk through the door? (Choose all that apply)
A. The train platform
B. The Narnians
C. The island of Telmar
D. The director
89. Where is the train platform located?
A. We don’t have any idea
B. In a city
C. In the country
D. Beside a river
90. Where is Edmund when he realizes that he left his new torch (flashlight) in Narnia?
A. On the train
B. In the bathroom
C. At school
D. On the train platform
85. Why do the Pevensies go through the door? (Choose as many as apply)
A. They are fleeing angry Telmarines
B. It’s time for them to return home
C. They see their mom and dad on the other side
D. To show the Telmarines that it’s safe to go through the door
86. What happens as the Pevensies say goodbye to the Narnians?
A. The wave goodbye and wish everyone good luck
B. The sing a farewell song to the different Narnians, recounting the deeds of each
C. They say farewell to the different Narnian animals, then to Trumpkin, and finally Caspian offers Susan her horn back. She tells him to keep it.
D. Peter gives Caspian his sword, Susan points out that she and Peter won’t be returning, Lucy hugs Trumpkin, and then Susan and Caspian *snog!*
87. How do the Pevensies wind up back in their original clothes?
A. They quickly change in the train depot’s washroom after returning
B. The change into them before the go through the doorway
C. They magically are wearing them when they arrive on the train platform again
D. They don’t
88. What do the Pevensies see when they walk through the door? (Choose all that apply)
A. The train platform
B. The Narnians
C. The island of Telmar
D. The director
89. Where is the train platform located?
A. We don’t have any idea
B. In a city
C. In the country
D. Beside a river
90. Where is Edmund when he realizes that he left his new torch (flashlight) in Narnia?
A. On the train
B. In the bathroom
C. At school
D. On the train platform
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Prince Caspian Quiz 34
82. When Trumpkin meets Aslan, what does Aslan do?
A. He says, “Hi, there!”
B. He playfully pounces on Trumpkin
C. He roars at Trumpkin
D. Trumpkin never meets Aslan
83. After the Battle of Beruna, how does Aslan send any willing Telmarines home?
A. He makes a doorway in the air
B. He makes a doorway out of a twisted tree
C. He calls in gryphons to fly the Telmarines there
D. He roars and they magically disappear
84. How many Telmarines initially step forward to take Aslan’s offer?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
E. Come on, baby, say you love me
A. He says, “Hi, there!”
B. He playfully pounces on Trumpkin
C. He roars at Trumpkin
D. Trumpkin never meets Aslan
83. After the Battle of Beruna, how does Aslan send any willing Telmarines home?
A. He makes a doorway in the air
B. He makes a doorway out of a twisted tree
C. He calls in gryphons to fly the Telmarines there
D. He roars and they magically disappear
84. How many Telmarines initially step forward to take Aslan’s offer?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
E. Come on, baby, say you love me
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Severe Weather
The story today is definitely the severe weather already occurring throughout much of the Central Plains. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has put portions of Oklahoma and Texas in a "High Risk" area for severe weather. The "High" label is something the SPC does once or twice a season, so to have it occur today indicates that all the necessary factors are present for a severe weather outbreak.
The main threat area is southwest of Topeka, so I don't expect there to be much happen around here, except for the occasional downpour and maybe some hail and high winds.
Prince Caspian Quiz 33
79. Why do the Telmarines not cross the river?
A. There is no bridge, so they surrender
B. They cross the river and flee Narnia altogether
C. The bridge is destroyed under them as they try to cross
D. They don’t want to get to the other side
80. Who destroys the bridge at Beruna?
A. Peter
B. Aslan
C. Bacchus
D. The river god
81. When do the other Pevensies (except for Lucy) and Trumpkin see Aslan?
A. At the final battle
B. At Beruna
C. As they travel to Aslan’s How
D. At Miraz’s castle after the Telmarines are defeated
The main threat area is southwest of Topeka, so I don't expect there to be much happen around here, except for the occasional downpour and maybe some hail and high winds.
Prince Caspian Quiz 33
79. Why do the Telmarines not cross the river?
A. There is no bridge, so they surrender
B. They cross the river and flee Narnia altogether
C. The bridge is destroyed under them as they try to cross
D. They don’t want to get to the other side
80. Who destroys the bridge at Beruna?
A. Peter
B. Aslan
C. Bacchus
D. The river god
81. When do the other Pevensies (except for Lucy) and Trumpkin see Aslan?
A. At the final battle
B. At Beruna
C. As they travel to Aslan’s How
D. At Miraz’s castle after the Telmarines are defeated
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Prince Caspian Quiz 32
Drawing near the end, for any of you who wish to know.
76. How long does the battle between the Telmarines and Narnia last before the trees show up to save the day?
A. Not very long at all
B. After one assault is beaten back and the second wave is continuing
C. After most of the Telmarines are already dead
D. Trees? What trees?
77. When does Lucy first meet Aslan in real life?
A. While the final battle with the Telmarines is being fought
B. At Beruna after the final battle
C. She only sees him in dreams
D. As the Pevensies are trying to reach Aslan’s How
78. Why do the Telmarines retreat from the final battle?
A. They don’t retreat
B. They think that they can win if they regroup at the river
C. They are scared of the trees
D. They are French
76. How long does the battle between the Telmarines and Narnia last before the trees show up to save the day?
A. Not very long at all
B. After one assault is beaten back and the second wave is continuing
C. After most of the Telmarines are already dead
D. Trees? What trees?
77. When does Lucy first meet Aslan in real life?
A. While the final battle with the Telmarines is being fought
B. At Beruna after the final battle
C. She only sees him in dreams
D. As the Pevensies are trying to reach Aslan’s How
78. Why do the Telmarines retreat from the final battle?
A. They don’t retreat
B. They think that they can win if they regroup at the river
C. They are scared of the trees
D. They are French
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Busy, Busy, Shockingly Busy
The weather is warming up. Life is good. God is good. And I'm really busy and really tired. Thank you; good night.
Prince Caspian Quiz 31
73. Who are Peter’s marshals during single combat?
A. Glenstrom the Cenatur and Reepicheep the Mouse
B. Glenstrom the Centaur, Bulgy Bear, and Wimbleweather the Giant
C. Edmund and Glenstrom the Centaur
D. No one
74. While single combat occurs, what are Susan and Lucy doing?
A. Trying to find Aslan in the forest
B. Watching the combat
C. Knitting
D. Traveling with Aslan as he frees Beruna from Telmarine control
75. After Peter defeats Miraz in single combat, what happens next?
A. Miraz surrenders and leaves
B. Peter gives Caspian the sword to kill Miraz
C. Sopespian and Glozelle shout, “Treachery!” and in the confusion, Glozelle kills Miraz
D. Peter kills Miraz
Prince Caspian Quiz 31
73. Who are Peter’s marshals during single combat?
A. Glenstrom the Cenatur and Reepicheep the Mouse
B. Glenstrom the Centaur, Bulgy Bear, and Wimbleweather the Giant
C. Edmund and Glenstrom the Centaur
D. No one
74. While single combat occurs, what are Susan and Lucy doing?
A. Trying to find Aslan in the forest
B. Watching the combat
C. Knitting
D. Traveling with Aslan as he frees Beruna from Telmarine control
75. After Peter defeats Miraz in single combat, what happens next?
A. Miraz surrenders and leaves
B. Peter gives Caspian the sword to kill Miraz
C. Sopespian and Glozelle shout, “Treachery!” and in the confusion, Glozelle kills Miraz
D. Peter kills Miraz
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Prince Caspian Quiz 30
70. Who manipulates Miraz into accepting the challenge of single combat?
A. No one
B. Edmund
C. Edmund, Lord Gozelle, and Lord Sopespian
D. Lord Gozelle and Lord Sopespian
71. What does Susan say to Caspian as she and Lucy leave to find Aslan?
A. She doesn’t meet Caspian until right at the end of the story, so nothing
B. “Why don’t you hold onto it [the horn]? You may need to call me again.”
C. “You’re an arrogant little prince, aren’t you?”
D. “For some reason, you remind me of Zorro.”
72. What does Caspian do during the single combat?
A. He makes his plans for leading the army in case Peter dies
B. He follows Susan and Lucy and saves them from Telmarine scouts
C. He sneaks around behind Miraz’s army to launch a sneak attack
D. He watches the single combat
A. No one
B. Edmund
C. Edmund, Lord Gozelle, and Lord Sopespian
D. Lord Gozelle and Lord Sopespian
71. What does Susan say to Caspian as she and Lucy leave to find Aslan?
A. She doesn’t meet Caspian until right at the end of the story, so nothing
B. “Why don’t you hold onto it [the horn]? You may need to call me again.”
C. “You’re an arrogant little prince, aren’t you?”
D. “For some reason, you remind me of Zorro.”
72. What does Caspian do during the single combat?
A. He makes his plans for leading the army in case Peter dies
B. He follows Susan and Lucy and saves them from Telmarine scouts
C. He sneaks around behind Miraz’s army to launch a sneak attack
D. He watches the single combat
Sunday, April 12, 2009
This Joyful Eastertide
Easter has to be my favorite holiday of the year. Now, I've explained why in previous year's blog posts, so I'll simply leave my observations to this one statement: Christ is risen!
Prince Caspian Quiz 29
67. When does Miraz’s army arrive around Aslan’s How?
A. After the Pevensies arrive
B. At the same time as the Pevensies
C. Before the Pevensies arrive
D. They never get there
68. Why do Susan and Lucy leave Aslan’s How?
A. They have had enough of fighting
B. They never go to Aslan’s How, but instead follow Aslan on another errand
C. To go find Aslan in the forest and get his help
D. They plan to go to Cair Paravel
69. Who suggests the idea of single combat with Miraz?
A. Peter
B. Edmund
C. Reepicheep
D. Caspian
Prince Caspian Quiz 29
67. When does Miraz’s army arrive around Aslan’s How?
A. After the Pevensies arrive
B. At the same time as the Pevensies
C. Before the Pevensies arrive
D. They never get there
68. Why do Susan and Lucy leave Aslan’s How?
A. They have had enough of fighting
B. They never go to Aslan’s How, but instead follow Aslan on another errand
C. To go find Aslan in the forest and get his help
D. They plan to go to Cair Paravel
69. Who suggests the idea of single combat with Miraz?
A. Peter
B. Edmund
C. Reepicheep
D. Caspian
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Election Results
We had a local election here yesterday, and the results were particularly interesting to me as a voter and as an observer.
As a voter, I faced the perplexing dilemma of a no-win situation. The city residents were asked to vote on a 0.5% increase to our sales tax, the purpose of which was to raise money to pay for repairs to streets, guttering, street lights, curbs, etc. The city has been deferring maintenance on streets for the past 10 years, spending money that should have gone to maintenance on other, less important items. So, I found myself trapped in a no-win vote. If I voted "Yes," I voted to give the city more money to waste because it has already shown that it will not spend its funds appropriately. If I voted, "No," then I'm guaranteeing that the infrastructure will decay because the city already has shown the inability to assess budget priorities correctly. So, when I went to vote yesterday, I just stood there, debating between "Yes" and "No" for several minutes. I finally voted "No" because I was not convinced that the city would use the funds properly.
As an observer, this election also was fascinating. First of all, the headline in the local paper about the sales tax vote was a classic case of media bias. "Sales Tax Receives Emphatic Yes" ran the headline. The vote, though, was 57%-43%, which I would hardly call emphatic. If the vote were 67%-33% or 75%-25%, I would call that emphatic. But a measely 4% spread is hardly emphatic. The headline, then, tells us two things: the opinion of the headline's author about the sales tax increase (he supports it) and the general political outlook of the author (politically towards the liberal side). I can't believe that the media try to deny that they have a liberal bias!
The second interesting aspect of this election was the vote over allowing the city council to be able to override a mayoral veto. Because of a mistake in the city charter, the mayor was allowed to veto any decisions by the council, but the council could not override the veto. The ordinance was designed to fix that. It explained its purpose, and anyone who followed the news at all would know that such was the purpose of the ordinance. Unfortunately, there were quite a few uninformed voters on this issue: 35% of voters voted "No" on this ordinance. There is no logical reason to vote "No" on this ordinance, unless, of course, they didn't understand the ordinance, which means that they were not following the issues at all. That lack of awareness saddens me a little. If we are to vote on issues as a society, what good is voting if a significant portion of the electorate is unaware of what they're even voting on?
Thankfully, this election cycle is over. The presidential elections last year soured me on the political process a little, and these results have not improved my attitude towards the efficacy of the process. Unfortunately, our process is the worst form, except for all of the others. I guess I'll just have to live with it.
Prince Caspian Quiz 28
64. How far does the process of summoning the White Witch go?
A. The White Witch appears in crystal and nearly comes back to life, only to be interrupted at the last second
B. It brings her back
C. The beginnings of the ceremony are interrupted
D. It fails. They wind up conjuring up Arwen instead
65. Who is present when the ceremony to start the White Witch begins? (choose as many as apply)
A. Caspian
B. Nikabrik
C. Dr. Cornelius
D. Trufflehunter
E. A werewolf
F. A hag
66. Who interrupts the ceremony to summon the White Witch? (Choose as many as apply)
A. Peter
B. Edmund
C. Trumpkin
D. Lucy
E. Susan
F. Dr. Cornelius
As a voter, I faced the perplexing dilemma of a no-win situation. The city residents were asked to vote on a 0.5% increase to our sales tax, the purpose of which was to raise money to pay for repairs to streets, guttering, street lights, curbs, etc. The city has been deferring maintenance on streets for the past 10 years, spending money that should have gone to maintenance on other, less important items. So, I found myself trapped in a no-win vote. If I voted "Yes," I voted to give the city more money to waste because it has already shown that it will not spend its funds appropriately. If I voted, "No," then I'm guaranteeing that the infrastructure will decay because the city already has shown the inability to assess budget priorities correctly. So, when I went to vote yesterday, I just stood there, debating between "Yes" and "No" for several minutes. I finally voted "No" because I was not convinced that the city would use the funds properly.
As an observer, this election also was fascinating. First of all, the headline in the local paper about the sales tax vote was a classic case of media bias. "Sales Tax Receives Emphatic Yes" ran the headline. The vote, though, was 57%-43%, which I would hardly call emphatic. If the vote were 67%-33% or 75%-25%, I would call that emphatic. But a measely 4% spread is hardly emphatic. The headline, then, tells us two things: the opinion of the headline's author about the sales tax increase (he supports it) and the general political outlook of the author (politically towards the liberal side). I can't believe that the media try to deny that they have a liberal bias!
The second interesting aspect of this election was the vote over allowing the city council to be able to override a mayoral veto. Because of a mistake in the city charter, the mayor was allowed to veto any decisions by the council, but the council could not override the veto. The ordinance was designed to fix that. It explained its purpose, and anyone who followed the news at all would know that such was the purpose of the ordinance. Unfortunately, there were quite a few uninformed voters on this issue: 35% of voters voted "No" on this ordinance. There is no logical reason to vote "No" on this ordinance, unless, of course, they didn't understand the ordinance, which means that they were not following the issues at all. That lack of awareness saddens me a little. If we are to vote on issues as a society, what good is voting if a significant portion of the electorate is unaware of what they're even voting on?
Thankfully, this election cycle is over. The presidential elections last year soured me on the political process a little, and these results have not improved my attitude towards the efficacy of the process. Unfortunately, our process is the worst form, except for all of the others. I guess I'll just have to live with it.
Prince Caspian Quiz 28
64. How far does the process of summoning the White Witch go?
A. The White Witch appears in crystal and nearly comes back to life, only to be interrupted at the last second
B. It brings her back
C. The beginnings of the ceremony are interrupted
D. It fails. They wind up conjuring up Arwen instead
65. Who is present when the ceremony to start the White Witch begins? (choose as many as apply)
A. Caspian
B. Nikabrik
C. Dr. Cornelius
D. Trufflehunter
E. A werewolf
F. A hag
66. Who interrupts the ceremony to summon the White Witch? (Choose as many as apply)
A. Peter
B. Edmund
C. Trumpkin
D. Lucy
E. Susan
F. Dr. Cornelius
Sunday, April 05, 2009
If You Don't Like the Weather...
The old saying, "If you don't like the weather in Kansas, wait 30 minutes, and it'll change" has never been more true than these past couple of weeks. We've had several strong cold fronts push through the region in that time, causing temperatures to fluctuate rapidly. It's April, and yet here I am planning on covering many of my plants up tonight to prevent them from freezing. Lows are supposed to be in the 20s these next two nights.
In reality, we were spoiled during the early part of this decade with warm Springs. These past couple of years, however, we're seeing a return to more typical weather. It's not odd, or unusual, or alarming. But it does take some getting used to.
Prince Caspian Quiz 27
61. What event motivates Nikabrik to suggest summoning the White Witch?
A. He is bored
B. Several days of resounding defeats of the Narnian army
C. Because she told him to call her
D. The failed attack on Miraz’s castle
62. When is the bridge at Beruna completed?
A. Well before the Pevensies even arrive back in Narnia
B. While the Pevensies and Trumpkin try to get to Aslan’s How
C. After the failed castle attack by the Narians
D. It is never built
63. When is Miraz crowned king?
A. Immediately after his son is born
B. Before the story begins
C. Right before attacking Caspian’s army at Aslan’s How
D. He is never crowned king
In reality, we were spoiled during the early part of this decade with warm Springs. These past couple of years, however, we're seeing a return to more typical weather. It's not odd, or unusual, or alarming. But it does take some getting used to.
Prince Caspian Quiz 27
61. What event motivates Nikabrik to suggest summoning the White Witch?
A. He is bored
B. Several days of resounding defeats of the Narnian army
C. Because she told him to call her
D. The failed attack on Miraz’s castle
62. When is the bridge at Beruna completed?
A. Well before the Pevensies even arrive back in Narnia
B. While the Pevensies and Trumpkin try to get to Aslan’s How
C. After the failed castle attack by the Narians
D. It is never built
63. When is Miraz crowned king?
A. Immediately after his son is born
B. Before the story begins
C. Right before attacking Caspian’s army at Aslan’s How
D. He is never crowned king
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Prince Caspian Quiz 26
58. How does Edmund signal the troops during the castle attack?
A. A giant white flag
B. A flashlight
C. The Bat Signal
D. They never attack the castle
59. How many minotaurs do we see die during the castle attack?
A. 2
B. 3
C. 0
D. What castle attack?
60. What is the outcome of the castle attack?
A. The Narnians are forced to retreat and loose a significant part of their army
B. Miraz surrenders
C. Miraz dies
D. For the last time, they don’t attack the $@#! Castle!
A. A giant white flag
B. A flashlight
C. The Bat Signal
D. They never attack the castle
59. How many minotaurs do we see die during the castle attack?
A. 2
B. 3
C. 0
D. What castle attack?
60. What is the outcome of the castle attack?
A. The Narnians are forced to retreat and loose a significant part of their army
B. Miraz surrenders
C. Miraz dies
D. For the last time, they don’t attack the $@#! Castle!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Government and Caspian Quiz 25
We're continuing the Truth Project in Sunday School at church, and today was an interesting day: the State. This examination of the role the Bible lays out for government got me thinking about two different aspects of government: its basic role and the idea of sphere sovereignty.
The basic role of government, of course, is social order, to condone good and punish evil. To do so, of course, the government has to know what good and evil are, something I fear is becoming lost in American society in general. Still, I think our government is still doing a decent job here. It's not perfect, of course. It couldn't be. Overall, though, this country is not lawless.
The other interesting aspect, sphere sovereignty, was popularized by Abraham Kuyper. Basically, the concept says that the different social institutions that God has created (government, family, church, education, community) have specific rights, responsibilities, and structures, and that no one sphere has the right to exercise authority over another. The American concept of Freedom of Religion derives in part from this idea: the government is one sphere and it should not be directly controlling the church. Still, if we examine this idea and then look at the state of governments around the world, we see to varying degrees that sphere sovereignty has been violated. In many places, the government has sovereignty over areas in which it has no business being involved (such as the family size limits of China or the attempts in the US to re-define marriage.
I like the concept of sphere sovereignty, but bringing it to a practical level is tricky. These institutions all involve the same groups of people, and the part that's hard for me to grasp is where the boundaries are. For instance, is it a violation of sphere sovereignty for the government to enact child labor laws? Is it a violation of sphere sovereignty for the government to enact minimum wage laws? I instinctively want to say no to the first and yes to the second, but I feel like I'm contradicting myself.
While we are blessed here in America to have a decent government and to be able to be involved in government, I am becoming increasingly concerned that as a country, we are looking to government to be for us what it cannot be: God, our source and our provider. But that is a discussion for another post.
Prince Caspian Quiz 25
(This one should be easy)
55. How does the Narnian army sneak into Miraz’s castle to attack?
A. They don’t sneak in; they launch a frontal assault
B. They ride in on gryphons
C. They scale the walls
D. They don’t attack Miraz’s castle. They know better.
56. When Caspian reaches Miraz’s bed chamber, what does he do?
A. He offers Miraz a chance to join him
B. He doesn’t ever reach Miraz’s chamber because they never attack the castle.
C. He puts a sword to Miraz’s throat and almost kills him.
D. He says, “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father; prepare to die.”
57. How does Dr. Cornelius escape from the Miraz’s castle?
A. He is rescued by Caspian during the attack on the castle
B. He sneaks away before Miraz can do anything
C. He pretends to be going to gather herbs and never comes back
D. He rappels out using a bed sheet
The basic role of government, of course, is social order, to condone good and punish evil. To do so, of course, the government has to know what good and evil are, something I fear is becoming lost in American society in general. Still, I think our government is still doing a decent job here. It's not perfect, of course. It couldn't be. Overall, though, this country is not lawless.
The other interesting aspect, sphere sovereignty, was popularized by Abraham Kuyper. Basically, the concept says that the different social institutions that God has created (government, family, church, education, community) have specific rights, responsibilities, and structures, and that no one sphere has the right to exercise authority over another. The American concept of Freedom of Religion derives in part from this idea: the government is one sphere and it should not be directly controlling the church. Still, if we examine this idea and then look at the state of governments around the world, we see to varying degrees that sphere sovereignty has been violated. In many places, the government has sovereignty over areas in which it has no business being involved (such as the family size limits of China or the attempts in the US to re-define marriage.
I like the concept of sphere sovereignty, but bringing it to a practical level is tricky. These institutions all involve the same groups of people, and the part that's hard for me to grasp is where the boundaries are. For instance, is it a violation of sphere sovereignty for the government to enact child labor laws? Is it a violation of sphere sovereignty for the government to enact minimum wage laws? I instinctively want to say no to the first and yes to the second, but I feel like I'm contradicting myself.
While we are blessed here in America to have a decent government and to be able to be involved in government, I am becoming increasingly concerned that as a country, we are looking to government to be for us what it cannot be: God, our source and our provider. But that is a discussion for another post.
Prince Caspian Quiz 25
(This one should be easy)
55. How does the Narnian army sneak into Miraz’s castle to attack?
A. They don’t sneak in; they launch a frontal assault
B. They ride in on gryphons
C. They scale the walls
D. They don’t attack Miraz’s castle. They know better.
56. When Caspian reaches Miraz’s bed chamber, what does he do?
A. He offers Miraz a chance to join him
B. He doesn’t ever reach Miraz’s chamber because they never attack the castle.
C. He puts a sword to Miraz’s throat and almost kills him.
D. He says, “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father; prepare to die.”
57. How does Dr. Cornelius escape from the Miraz’s castle?
A. He is rescued by Caspian during the attack on the castle
B. He sneaks away before Miraz can do anything
C. He pretends to be going to gather herbs and never comes back
D. He rappels out using a bed sheet
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
500th Post! And Caspian Quiz 24
According to the official blog statistics, this is post 500, quite a milestone, I guess, for a blog that only publishes twice a week (usually). So, yay for 500. Now, on to the quiz...
52. Once Peter arrives at Aslan’s How, what course of action does he first suggest?
A. Challenge Miraz to single combat
B. Attack Miraz’s army by night
C. Attack Miraz’s castle
D. Attack Miraz’s army by day
53. What is Peter’s attitude toward Aslan once he arrives at Aslan’s How?
A. We don’t know
B. He thinks that Aslan won’t help them this time and that they will have to fight on their own
C. He trusts Aslan, but knows that Aslan has given him the task of dealing with Miraz
D. He wishes Aslan were there
54. Whose idea is it to attack Miraz’s Castle?
A. Peter’s
B. Reepicheep’s
C. Trufflehunter’s
D. Dr. Cornelius’s
52. Once Peter arrives at Aslan’s How, what course of action does he first suggest?
A. Challenge Miraz to single combat
B. Attack Miraz’s army by night
C. Attack Miraz’s castle
D. Attack Miraz’s army by day
53. What is Peter’s attitude toward Aslan once he arrives at Aslan’s How?
A. We don’t know
B. He thinks that Aslan won’t help them this time and that they will have to fight on their own
C. He trusts Aslan, but knows that Aslan has given him the task of dealing with Miraz
D. He wishes Aslan were there
54. Whose idea is it to attack Miraz’s Castle?
A. Peter’s
B. Reepicheep’s
C. Trufflehunter’s
D. Dr. Cornelius’s
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Springs Begins, As Does the Weather & Caspian Quiz 23
Astronomically-speaking, Spring began on Friday. As far as the weather goes, I would say that Spring begins tomorrow, with our first real chance of significant severe weather in the region. Unfortunately, the factors all are forecast to be in place tomorrow for some sort of severe weather to occur throughout the Central Plains. From what the Storm Prediction Center has said over the past couple of days, it appears that they think the main threat for significant weather lies just to the south of Topeka (and by just, I mean about 10-15 miles) and then roughly along I-35 down to Oklahoma City. Still, that risk could shift slightly north or south as we draw nearer to Monday and as we see how the weather system evolves. The models have been wrong plenty of times before. Still, it appears that the late afternoon and early evening hours tomorrow could contain some active weather for many living nearby. Hopefully, nothing serious occurs. Severe weather would be a terrible way to start off Spring.
Prince Caspian Quiz 23
49. Which of the following enters Aslan’s How first?
A. Caspian
B. Peter, Edmund, and Trumpkin
C. Peter, Edmund, Susan, and Lucy
D. Peter and Edmund
50. How do the Pevensies find out what Aslan’s How is?
A. They discover the Stone Table on their own
B. Caspian shows them the Stone Table
C. Peter figures it out based on Trumpkin’s description of it
D. The tourist guide to Narnia that they picked up at Beruna tells them
51. How many of the Pevensies visit Aslan’s How?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
Prince Caspian Quiz 23
49. Which of the following enters Aslan’s How first?
A. Caspian
B. Peter, Edmund, and Trumpkin
C. Peter, Edmund, Susan, and Lucy
D. Peter and Edmund
50. How do the Pevensies find out what Aslan’s How is?
A. They discover the Stone Table on their own
B. Caspian shows them the Stone Table
C. Peter figures it out based on Trumpkin’s description of it
D. The tourist guide to Narnia that they picked up at Beruna tells them
51. How many of the Pevensies visit Aslan’s How?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Flu, Spring Break, and Prince Caspian Quiz 22
It's been a beautiful week in terms of weather, so far. I had great plans to get some yard work done, to do some little errands around the house, maybe take a day trip out of town, etc. Unfortunately, those plans were thwarted by a nasty case of the flu. If you haven't had the flu virus that's floating around, let me tell you that it's one nasty bug. I get colds aplenty, about 1-2 times a year, but it's a rare thing for me to get the flu. This time, though, I got it in its fullest: high temperature, body ache, stuffiness, and nausea. By the grace of God, the high fever has vanished, but I'm still not 100% back, yet. It could be another day or two before I'm 100%, and I sure hope so. There's a lot coming down the pike over the next couple of weeks.
The only good thing about getting the flu is that I got it over Spring Break. Now, don't get me wrong. I would have loved to have had a week of rest and relaxation instead of a week of sickness. But if I have to be out for a week, it's far easier on me psychologically to be out on a week when I don't have to do anything than to be shut down on a normal week when I would have 6 classes for which I have responsibility. Still, I'm ready to be up and about, again. I'm sick of being trapped inside the house, and I'd like to get a little bit of real rest prior to the last leg of the marathon sprint that is 4th quarter.
Prince Caspian Quiz 22
46. How does Caspian’s army get weapons? (Choose all that apply)
A. Reepicheep leads a party to raid the Telmarine army at Beruna
B. They make them
C. They find them hidden in Aslan’s How
D. We don’t know
47. How does Caspian feel about Peter?
A. He never meets Peter
B. He both likes and dislikes Peter
C. He sees him as a challenge to his authority
D. He likes him and defers to his authority
48. Who decides that Aslan’s How will be where the Narnian army sets up camp?
A. Peter
B. Caspian
C. Dr. Cornelius
D. We don’t know
The only good thing about getting the flu is that I got it over Spring Break. Now, don't get me wrong. I would have loved to have had a week of rest and relaxation instead of a week of sickness. But if I have to be out for a week, it's far easier on me psychologically to be out on a week when I don't have to do anything than to be shut down on a normal week when I would have 6 classes for which I have responsibility. Still, I'm ready to be up and about, again. I'm sick of being trapped inside the house, and I'd like to get a little bit of real rest prior to the last leg of the marathon sprint that is 4th quarter.
Prince Caspian Quiz 22
46. How does Caspian’s army get weapons? (Choose all that apply)
A. Reepicheep leads a party to raid the Telmarine army at Beruna
B. They make them
C. They find them hidden in Aslan’s How
D. We don’t know
47. How does Caspian feel about Peter?
A. He never meets Peter
B. He both likes and dislikes Peter
C. He sees him as a challenge to his authority
D. He likes him and defers to his authority
48. Who decides that Aslan’s How will be where the Narnian army sets up camp?
A. Peter
B. Caspian
C. Dr. Cornelius
D. We don’t know
Sunday, March 15, 2009
How I Read When in a Hurry and Prince Caspian Quiz 21
I find it quite interesting how I read when I'm in a hurry. I only read the first couple of sentences and then the last sentence or two in each paragraph, skipping that's all in between. As a result, I can say without disagreement that the proliferation of biscotti has led to an increase in tea consumption throughout the macro-economically under-performing sectors of the global economy. This fact in no way diminishes the fact that gerbils taste great when cooked on a grill after being marinated in a light orange sauce. Using an orange sauce, however, barely beats out the drilling of ice cores in the South Pacific as a way of determining historical temperature records. And we must never forget that baking soda and baking powder are two different substances. Have you ever read only the first and last couple of sentences in something? If so, then what's in the middle will be as meaningful to you as what I just wrote in the middle of this paragraph.
Too often, it seems, authors waste time on meaningless details in the middle of their paragraphs instead of just making their point. Admittedly, however, the meat of many arguments can be found in the middle. So, whether I skim or not depends on the era the author is from and how interested I am in the subject matter.
Prince Caspian Quiz 21
43. How do the Pevensies and Trumpkin meet Caspian and his army?
A. They encounter the army as it moves through the woods
B. Aslan leads the Pevensies and Trumpkin to Aslan’s How
C. Caspian meets them at Beruna
D. They never meet
44. What is the nature of the first encounter between Peter and Caspian?
A. Peter helps Caspian in a fight that breaks out in the war council under Aslan’s How
B. Aslan introduces them
C. They fight
D. They bump into each other at the grocery store
45. How many of the Pevensies meet Caspian?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
Too often, it seems, authors waste time on meaningless details in the middle of their paragraphs instead of just making their point. Admittedly, however, the meat of many arguments can be found in the middle. So, whether I skim or not depends on the era the author is from and how interested I am in the subject matter.
Prince Caspian Quiz 21
43. How do the Pevensies and Trumpkin meet Caspian and his army?
A. They encounter the army as it moves through the woods
B. Aslan leads the Pevensies and Trumpkin to Aslan’s How
C. Caspian meets them at Beruna
D. They never meet
44. What is the nature of the first encounter between Peter and Caspian?
A. Peter helps Caspian in a fight that breaks out in the war council under Aslan’s How
B. Aslan introduces them
C. They fight
D. They bump into each other at the grocery store
45. How many of the Pevensies meet Caspian?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Prince Caspian Quiz 20
41. When does Lucy see the trees dancing/alive, and is she awake or dreaming?
A. Before they cross the river, awake
B. Before they cross the river, dreaming
C. After they cross the river, awake
D. After they cross the river, dreaming
42. How many of the Pevensies and Trumpkin see Aslan by the time they reach Aslan’s How?
A. 3
B. 2
C. 1
D. 5
A. Before they cross the river, awake
B. Before they cross the river, dreaming
C. After they cross the river, awake
D. After they cross the river, dreaming
42. How many of the Pevensies and Trumpkin see Aslan by the time they reach Aslan’s How?
A. 3
B. 2
C. 1
D. 5
Sunday, March 08, 2009
On Ideas that Disappear and Prince Caspian Quiz 19
It seems like during the week, I have all sorts of good ideas about what to write about on this blog, but when the time comes for me to write something, all of them have vanished into the same hole that a portion of our country's economy has gone. I guess it's time for me to write down these ideas as they come to me. That way, I'll have something meaningful to post here. For now, I'll have to settle for posting this lament.
Prince Caspian Quiz 19
38. When the Pevensies and Trumpkin arrive at Beruna, why can they not cross the river?
A. They are attacked by sentries from Miraz’s outpost at Beruna
B. Miraz’s army is busy building a bridge
C. The river is flooded
D. They cross the river
39. How do the Pevensies and Trumpkin cross the River Rushing?
A. They swim
B. Lucy falls through a weak place on the edge of the upper bank, which leads them to safe path across
C. Aslan leads them up the gorge of the river and across far upstream
D. They ride gryphons
40. At what time of day do the Pevensies and Trumpkin cross the river?
A. At sunrise
B. Day
C. At sunset
D. Night
Prince Caspian Quiz 19
38. When the Pevensies and Trumpkin arrive at Beruna, why can they not cross the river?
A. They are attacked by sentries from Miraz’s outpost at Beruna
B. Miraz’s army is busy building a bridge
C. The river is flooded
D. They cross the river
39. How do the Pevensies and Trumpkin cross the River Rushing?
A. They swim
B. Lucy falls through a weak place on the edge of the upper bank, which leads them to safe path across
C. Aslan leads them up the gorge of the river and across far upstream
D. They ride gryphons
40. At what time of day do the Pevensies and Trumpkin cross the river?
A. At sunrise
B. Day
C. At sunset
D. Night
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Prince Caspian Quiz 18
36. To where are the Pevensies and Trumpkin headed in order to meet Caspian?
A. The Shuddering Woods
B. Aslan’s How
C. The Fords of Beruna
D. The Pit of Despair
37. What is the response of Old Narnians to the thought of Caspian helping them?
A. They flatly reject him
B. They all recognize him as king and accept him with relative ease
C. They decide to let Roonwit the Centaur lead instead
D. They do not accept him until a centaur convinces them otherwise
A. The Shuddering Woods
B. Aslan’s How
C. The Fords of Beruna
D. The Pit of Despair
37. What is the response of Old Narnians to the thought of Caspian helping them?
A. They flatly reject him
B. They all recognize him as king and accept him with relative ease
C. They decide to let Roonwit the Centaur lead instead
D. They do not accept him until a centaur convinces them otherwise
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Prince Caspian Quiz 17
33. When is Trumpkin first called “dear little friend” or “DLF?”
A. When the Pevensies bring him ashore at Cair Paravel
B. After Edmund beats him in a sword fight at Cair Paravel
C. While the Pevensies and Trumpkin are walking towards Aslan’s How
D. At the very end of the story
34. Who first refers to Trumpkin as “dear little friend” or “DLF?”
A. Peter
B. Susan
C. Edmund
D. Lucy
35. What is Trumpkin’s response to being called “DLF?”
A. “Oh, that’s not at all patronizing, is it?”
B. “Quite the nickname, eh? Why don’t I start called you PESL?”
C. “No more of that, your majesty, if you love me.”
D. “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”
A. When the Pevensies bring him ashore at Cair Paravel
B. After Edmund beats him in a sword fight at Cair Paravel
C. While the Pevensies and Trumpkin are walking towards Aslan’s How
D. At the very end of the story
34. Who first refers to Trumpkin as “dear little friend” or “DLF?”
A. Peter
B. Susan
C. Edmund
D. Lucy
35. What is Trumpkin’s response to being called “DLF?”
A. “Oh, that’s not at all patronizing, is it?”
B. “Quite the nickname, eh? Why don’t I start called you PESL?”
C. “No more of that, your majesty, if you love me.”
D. “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”
Interesting Statement about Climate Change
I ran across an interesting statement given before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee by Dr. William Happer on February 25, 2009. In it, Dr. Happer lays out some solid, scientific reasons why global warming is not the major cause for alarm. You can read the original statement, in PDF form, from the U.S. Senate Archives, or in HTML form from Captialist Magazine. The two are identical, so choose whichever will work in your browser. I'm partial to original sources, myself.
The debate about global warming is far from over, despite attempts by many to stifle it. Read Dr. Happer's statement for some fascinating scientific arguments.
The debate about global warming is far from over, despite attempts by many to stifle it. Read Dr. Happer's statement for some fascinating scientific arguments.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Prince Caspian Quiz 16
31. How many times are Caspian and company attacked by Telmarine soliders as the seek out Old Narnia?
A. 0
B. 1
C. 2
D. 3
32. Who gets wounded when the Telmarine soldiers attack Caspian and Company?
A. Caspian
B. Trufflehunter
C. Nikabrik
D. No one. They are never attacked
A. 0
B. 1
C. 2
D. 3
32. Who gets wounded when the Telmarine soldiers attack Caspian and Company?
A. Caspian
B. Trufflehunter
C. Nikabrik
D. No one. They are never attacked
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Prince Caspian Quiz 15
29. What member(s) of Old Narnia does Caspian meet first after he leaves Trufflehunter’s cave?
A. The Bulgy Bears
B. Pattertwig
C. Reepicheep
D. The Centaurs
30. How does Caspian meet Reepicheep?
A. Reepicheep shows up at the Council of Old Narnians
B. Reepicheep tries to attack Caspian, mistaking him for a Telmarine solider
C. Trufflehunter introduces them as he takes Caspian around to meet all of the Old Narnians
D. He shows up at Aslan’s How
A. The Bulgy Bears
B. Pattertwig
C. Reepicheep
D. The Centaurs
30. How does Caspian meet Reepicheep?
A. Reepicheep shows up at the Council of Old Narnians
B. Reepicheep tries to attack Caspian, mistaking him for a Telmarine solider
C. Trufflehunter introduces them as he takes Caspian around to meet all of the Old Narnians
D. He shows up at Aslan’s How
The Heavens Declare the Glory of God
"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands" (Psalm 19:1, NIV).
The past two weeks in Sunday School, we've been focusing on the purpose of science, on how the universe declares God's glory if we'll stop long enough to look, and on the materialistic view of science that has produced modern Cosmology and Evolutionary Theory. Part of what fascinates me is that many of the theories advanced in the last 150 years are starting to fall apart. The Standard Model, for instance, cannot explain why there was a singularity from which it says everything came. And Darwinian Evolution is on the ropes. Between a lack of gradual transition forms, the irreducible complexity argument, and the intricate workings of even the smallest cell, scientists are discovering that life is so vastly complex that it cannot have evolved as Darwin proposed. The vast complexity of life and the wonderful intricacies that make up this world in which we live point strongly to the possibility that everything in this world, including us, has been designed by Someone greater than ourselves. As Christians, we know that this Someone is the Triune God of Scripture. The skies do indeed proclaim that they are the work of God's hands.
Interestingly, despite the evidence from all aspects of Creation, most scientists are not willing to say that there had to be an intelligent designer. This reluctance is partially understandable. We've taught our children for the last 150 years that science deals only with what can be measured, analyzed, and probed. A Creator outside of the system cannot be scientifically investigated in this manner. Another aspect to this reluctance, however, is a moral/philosophical one. If there is a Creator, then we are all accountable to Him. And we humans do not like to be accountable to anyone but ourselves. We want to live how we want to live without anyone telling us how to live. The Bible calls that "sin," and unless they repent and trust in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, they have set before them an eternity without the blessings of our loving Creator. Given that every good and perfect gift is from God, this separation from Him is not something to be desired, cynical comments from atheists notwithstanding.
And I digress. My point is that many scientists who continue to cling to Evolutionary Theory are doing so not because of the scientific evidence but because of a philosophical predisposition. As a result, whenever the Theory of Evolution (for example) comes into question, they have very little evidence to support the Theory, instead resorting to ad hominem attacks. It is disappointing that a true scientific debate cannot occur on these issues, but I've already shared some of my thoughts on this part of the issue in my post about the movie "Expelled."
The debate, obviously, will rage on, ad hominem attacks or not. The "particles-to-people" theory of evolution is on the ropes, but it's not down, yet. And even if it is shown to be false, I would be shocked if Intelligent Design took its place as the dominant theory. Too many scientists are too committed to materialistic science to allow I.D. to become the main theory. After all, if I.D. is right, and God exists and has a legitimate claim on them, then they have a lot to lose.
The past two weeks in Sunday School, we've been focusing on the purpose of science, on how the universe declares God's glory if we'll stop long enough to look, and on the materialistic view of science that has produced modern Cosmology and Evolutionary Theory. Part of what fascinates me is that many of the theories advanced in the last 150 years are starting to fall apart. The Standard Model, for instance, cannot explain why there was a singularity from which it says everything came. And Darwinian Evolution is on the ropes. Between a lack of gradual transition forms, the irreducible complexity argument, and the intricate workings of even the smallest cell, scientists are discovering that life is so vastly complex that it cannot have evolved as Darwin proposed. The vast complexity of life and the wonderful intricacies that make up this world in which we live point strongly to the possibility that everything in this world, including us, has been designed by Someone greater than ourselves. As Christians, we know that this Someone is the Triune God of Scripture. The skies do indeed proclaim that they are the work of God's hands.
Interestingly, despite the evidence from all aspects of Creation, most scientists are not willing to say that there had to be an intelligent designer. This reluctance is partially understandable. We've taught our children for the last 150 years that science deals only with what can be measured, analyzed, and probed. A Creator outside of the system cannot be scientifically investigated in this manner. Another aspect to this reluctance, however, is a moral/philosophical one. If there is a Creator, then we are all accountable to Him. And we humans do not like to be accountable to anyone but ourselves. We want to live how we want to live without anyone telling us how to live. The Bible calls that "sin," and unless they repent and trust in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, they have set before them an eternity without the blessings of our loving Creator. Given that every good and perfect gift is from God, this separation from Him is not something to be desired, cynical comments from atheists notwithstanding.
And I digress. My point is that many scientists who continue to cling to Evolutionary Theory are doing so not because of the scientific evidence but because of a philosophical predisposition. As a result, whenever the Theory of Evolution (for example) comes into question, they have very little evidence to support the Theory, instead resorting to ad hominem attacks. It is disappointing that a true scientific debate cannot occur on these issues, but I've already shared some of my thoughts on this part of the issue in my post about the movie "Expelled."
The debate, obviously, will rage on, ad hominem attacks or not. The "particles-to-people" theory of evolution is on the ropes, but it's not down, yet. And even if it is shown to be false, I would be shocked if Intelligent Design took its place as the dominant theory. Too many scientists are too committed to materialistic science to allow I.D. to become the main theory. After all, if I.D. is right, and God exists and has a legitimate claim on them, then they have a lot to lose.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Prince Caspian Quiz 14
27. When Caspian leaves Trufflehunter’s cave, where is going?
A. To find his horse
B. To meet the other Old Narnians with Trufflehunter and company
C. Out on his own to try to find the other Narnians
D. To his agent to check on whether he’s won the Oscar for Best Actor, yet
28. Who goes with (or follows) Caspian? (Choose all that apply)
A. Trufflehunter
B. Nikabrik
C. Trumpkin
D. Saruman
A. To find his horse
B. To meet the other Old Narnians with Trufflehunter and company
C. Out on his own to try to find the other Narnians
D. To his agent to check on whether he’s won the Oscar for Best Actor, yet
28. Who goes with (or follows) Caspian? (Choose all that apply)
A. Trufflehunter
B. Nikabrik
C. Trumpkin
D. Saruman
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Tempus Fugit and Prince Caspian Quiz 13
Every so often, I have a sort of existential moment, where I find myself wondering, "What happened to the last 4 or 5 years of my life? In some ways, I don't feel that far removed from 24, yet here I am, more than a couple of years older." I noticed it today, when I was looking over the people in the sanctuary at church and noticed that a lot of them seemed like kids. Then, I realized that these "kids" had toddlers with them. And then I started feeling sick.
I realize that a part of life is getting older, but why does age have to creep up on us so subtly? I'm not that old, yet, and yet I'm obviously older than I think I am. In my mind, I'm still at about 27, maybe even 25. Yet, when I look in the mirror and see the first hints of gray hair, or when I look around church like I did today, I can't help but feel that, somehow, time is getting away from and I'm not doing with my life everything that God would have me do. I feel like I'm missing something, but I can't quite put my finger, yet, on what it is I'm supposed to do.
Maybe I'm just over-thinking everything. I could be doing exactly what God wants me to do. And there certainly have been some wonderful blessings in the past 7 years of living here in Topeka. But at the same time, I don't ever want to become complacent. I need to be as responsive to His leading as I was 7 years ago, when I moved here. He may not have me be here the rest of my life, or He might. The important thing is that I stay aware of His voice and His leading, so that if it becomes time for the Lord to lead me elsewhere, my response is, "I'll start packing."
Prince Caspian Quiz 13
25. Under what circumstances does the bear attack Lucy?
A. It bursts at her from out of the trees
B. It sneaks up on her from behind
C. It charges at her from in front of her
D. Lucy tries to talk to it and it charges her
26. Who kills the bear?
A. Peter
B. Susan
C. Edmund
D. Trumpkin
I realize that a part of life is getting older, but why does age have to creep up on us so subtly? I'm not that old, yet, and yet I'm obviously older than I think I am. In my mind, I'm still at about 27, maybe even 25. Yet, when I look in the mirror and see the first hints of gray hair, or when I look around church like I did today, I can't help but feel that, somehow, time is getting away from and I'm not doing with my life everything that God would have me do. I feel like I'm missing something, but I can't quite put my finger, yet, on what it is I'm supposed to do.
Maybe I'm just over-thinking everything. I could be doing exactly what God wants me to do. And there certainly have been some wonderful blessings in the past 7 years of living here in Topeka. But at the same time, I don't ever want to become complacent. I need to be as responsive to His leading as I was 7 years ago, when I moved here. He may not have me be here the rest of my life, or He might. The important thing is that I stay aware of His voice and His leading, so that if it becomes time for the Lord to lead me elsewhere, my response is, "I'll start packing."
Prince Caspian Quiz 13
25. Under what circumstances does the bear attack Lucy?
A. It bursts at her from out of the trees
B. It sneaks up on her from behind
C. It charges at her from in front of her
D. Lucy tries to talk to it and it charges her
26. Who kills the bear?
A. Peter
B. Susan
C. Edmund
D. Trumpkin
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Prince Caspian Quiz 12
23. What happens to Dr. Cornelius after Caspian escapes?
A. He switches sides and helps Miraz locate Caspian
B. He is arrested by Miraz and thrown into the dungeon
C. He sneaks away from the castle before Miraz can detain him
D. Nothing of any consequence
24. Where are the Pevensies and Trumpkin when Lucy gets attacked by a bear?
A. At Aslan’s How
B. On the shore of a river
C. In the forest
D. At Cair Paravel
A. He switches sides and helps Miraz locate Caspian
B. He is arrested by Miraz and thrown into the dungeon
C. He sneaks away from the castle before Miraz can detain him
D. Nothing of any consequence
24. Where are the Pevensies and Trumpkin when Lucy gets attacked by a bear?
A. At Aslan’s How
B. On the shore of a river
C. In the forest
D. At Cair Paravel
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Stimulus Plan and Prince Caspian Quiz 11
I'm not an economic expert, and I don't know exactly what it will take to bring our struggling economy back into shape, except maybe time. I'm not convinced that a massive amount of government spending, which is still over 50% of the current stimulus plan, is the answer. Any spending that the government does will have short-term effects at best. Once the public works projects and other infrastructure improvements are done, the workers that were employed will be unemployed again, unless the private sector begins to hire more workers, again. The private sector will only start to hire workers, though, when it can afford to. Right now, the current situation is one where companies are not hiring. Clearly, something needs to be done to try to find a way to encourage businesses to hire. I don't know what that something is. Lowering tax rates on businesses would, in theory, give businesses the extra capital to make infrastructure improvements and hiring more workers. In practice, though, we've seen some of the stupid things that businesses have done with their excess capital: insane executive pay and benefits, luxury items like private jets, etc. In the end, the best thing to do, to my mind, is to let the economy correct itself. I realize that such a laissez faire approach to the situation will look like apathy on the part of politicians, so there is little hope that they will take a hands-off approach. They want to be able to say, "Look what I did!" to their constituents. The danger, of course, in trying to do something to fix the economy is that 2 years from now, the economy might still be struggling because of the interventions of government. Then, the constituents of these politicians might well be the ones saying, in frustration, to their representatives, "Look what you did!"
Prince Caspian Quiz 11
21. What are Caspian’s first words to the Narnian creatures?
A. “If we’re taking a vote, I’m with him.”
B. “Could I have some of that soup, please?”
C. “Gentlemen, whatever you do to me, I hope you will be kind to my poor horse.”
D. “Hey, Trufflehunter, Wisconsin called. They want their mascot costume back.”
22. What does Caspian do first when he regains consciousness?
A. He lays in bed, dazed, and Trufflehunter gives him something to drink
B. He gets out of bed and tries to fight his way out of the wave with a fireplace poker
C. He breaks into a song and dance number
D. He counts his fingers to make sure that he doesn’t have a concussion
Prince Caspian Quiz 11
21. What are Caspian’s first words to the Narnian creatures?
A. “If we’re taking a vote, I’m with him.”
B. “Could I have some of that soup, please?”
C. “Gentlemen, whatever you do to me, I hope you will be kind to my poor horse.”
D. “Hey, Trufflehunter, Wisconsin called. They want their mascot costume back.”
22. What does Caspian do first when he regains consciousness?
A. He lays in bed, dazed, and Trufflehunter gives him something to drink
B. He gets out of bed and tries to fight his way out of the wave with a fireplace poker
C. He breaks into a song and dance number
D. He counts his fingers to make sure that he doesn’t have a concussion
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Prince Caspian Quiz 10
19. What are the first words that Caspian hears upon regaining consciousness?
A. “Pass the bacon, please.” “
B. “And now, before it wakes up, we must decide what to do with it.”
C. “This bread is so stale.”
D. "What are we going to do tonight, Brain?”
20. How many Narnian creatures are there in Trufflehunter’s cave?
A. 0 – Caspian is alone in the cave
B. 1 -- Trufflehunter
C. 2 – Trufflehunter and Nikabrik
D. 3 – Trufflehunter, Nikabrik, and Trumpkin
A. “Pass the bacon, please.” “
B. “And now, before it wakes up, we must decide what to do with it.”
C. “This bread is so stale.”
D. "What are we going to do tonight, Brain?”
20. How many Narnian creatures are there in Trufflehunter’s cave?
A. 0 – Caspian is alone in the cave
B. 1 -- Trufflehunter
C. 2 – Trufflehunter and Nikabrik
D. 3 – Trufflehunter, Nikabrik, and Trumpkin
Sunday, February 01, 2009
February & Prince Caspian Quiz 9
February. Bah. Humbug.
Okay, so I'm exaggerating, but of all of the months of the year, February always seems to be the one I least look forward to. It's not that good things don't happen in February, and it's not that I don't enjoy myself during this month. I just have to work a little harder at it in order to survive this shortest of months, which Gilbert and Sullivan referred to as a "beastly month." There are several factors that work together to create this challenge.
First, this month features the celebration of things that are not really worth celebrating. I think February ought to be designated "National Month Month" because it seems like (although it's not true) that the majority of the "National __________ Months" are all in February. Some are worthy of celebration, like National Black History Month, but most, such as National Boost-Your-Self-Esteem Month and National Canned Food Month, are hardly laudatory.
Second, this month features a holiday that I, as a meteorologist, dislike: Groundhog Day. If you've ever seen the movie of the same name and remember the scorn poured on the "holiday" by Phil Connors, then you'll know about how I feel, although with less disdain and cynicism. (Besides, there's always this nagging fear in the back of my mind that I'm going to get stuck in an endless cycle of living the same day over and over again. [grin])
Third, this month is often the coldest month of the year, and, since I know that Spring is right around the corner, it seems like one of the longer months of the year. With warmer weather looming, the anticipation makes time seem to come to a crawl.
Finally, this month contains February 14th, enough said.
Like I said, those are all reasons that February is a hard month for me to enjoy. That doesn't mean that I won't enjoy it, however. I'm determined to persevere through these annoyances and live my life enjoying the blessings that God has given me, now that I've vented a little about some of the minor annoyances.
Prince Caspian Quiz 9
17. What are Trumpkin’s first words to the Pevensies?
A. “Drop him?! That’s the best you could come up with?”
B. “Next time, try shooting them before they drop me in the water, ok, missy?”
C. “Well, whatever they say, you don’t feel like ghosts?”
D. “Where’s Legolas?”
18. How do the Pevensies convince Trumpkin that they are indeed the old Kings and Queens of Narnia? (Choose as many as apply)
A. Edmund beats Trumpkin in a sword fight
B. Susan beats Trumpkin at an archery contest
C. Lucy heals Trumpkin’s wounds with her cordial
D. Peter gives Trumpkin a tour of Cair Paravel
Okay, so I'm exaggerating, but of all of the months of the year, February always seems to be the one I least look forward to. It's not that good things don't happen in February, and it's not that I don't enjoy myself during this month. I just have to work a little harder at it in order to survive this shortest of months, which Gilbert and Sullivan referred to as a "beastly month." There are several factors that work together to create this challenge.
First, this month features the celebration of things that are not really worth celebrating. I think February ought to be designated "National Month Month" because it seems like (although it's not true) that the majority of the "National __________ Months" are all in February. Some are worthy of celebration, like National Black History Month, but most, such as National Boost-Your-Self-Esteem Month and National Canned Food Month, are hardly laudatory.
Second, this month features a holiday that I, as a meteorologist, dislike: Groundhog Day. If you've ever seen the movie of the same name and remember the scorn poured on the "holiday" by Phil Connors, then you'll know about how I feel, although with less disdain and cynicism. (Besides, there's always this nagging fear in the back of my mind that I'm going to get stuck in an endless cycle of living the same day over and over again. [grin])
Third, this month is often the coldest month of the year, and, since I know that Spring is right around the corner, it seems like one of the longer months of the year. With warmer weather looming, the anticipation makes time seem to come to a crawl.
Finally, this month contains February 14th, enough said.
Like I said, those are all reasons that February is a hard month for me to enjoy. That doesn't mean that I won't enjoy it, however. I'm determined to persevere through these annoyances and live my life enjoying the blessings that God has given me, now that I've vented a little about some of the minor annoyances.
Prince Caspian Quiz 9
17. What are Trumpkin’s first words to the Pevensies?
A. “Drop him?! That’s the best you could come up with?”
B. “Next time, try shooting them before they drop me in the water, ok, missy?”
C. “Well, whatever they say, you don’t feel like ghosts?”
D. “Where’s Legolas?”
18. How do the Pevensies convince Trumpkin that they are indeed the old Kings and Queens of Narnia? (Choose as many as apply)
A. Edmund beats Trumpkin in a sword fight
B. Susan beats Trumpkin at an archery contest
C. Lucy heals Trumpkin’s wounds with her cordial
D. Peter gives Trumpkin a tour of Cair Paravel
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Prince Caspian Quiz 8
15. What do the Telmarines do after Susan fires her warning shot into their boat?
A. Start rowing frantically away from Cair Paravel
B. Drop Trumpkin in the river and attempt to shoot back
C. Panic. Susan fires a second arrow and they both abandon ship
D. Break out into a song and dance number
16. What instrument is used to cut Trumpkin’s bonds?
A. Peter’s sword
B. Edmund’s pocket knife
C. One of Susan’s arrowheads
D. Lucy’s dagger
A. Start rowing frantically away from Cair Paravel
B. Drop Trumpkin in the river and attempt to shoot back
C. Panic. Susan fires a second arrow and they both abandon ship
D. Break out into a song and dance number
16. What instrument is used to cut Trumpkin’s bonds?
A. Peter’s sword
B. Edmund’s pocket knife
C. One of Susan’s arrowheads
D. Lucy’s dagger
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Prince Caspian Quiz 7
13. What time of day is it when the Pevensies go down into their old treasure vault at Cair Paravel?
A. Day
B. Night
C. Sunrise
D. Sunset
14. How many Telmarines does Susan kill when the Pevensies rescue Trumpkin?
A. 0
B. 1
C. 2
D. 3
A. Day
B. Night
C. Sunrise
D. Sunset
14. How many Telmarines does Susan kill when the Pevensies rescue Trumpkin?
A. 0
B. 1
C. 2
D. 3
Rant: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Last night, I went along with a couple of friends to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I normally don't see many movies in the theater, nor do I usually review them, but I need to get my feelings about this one out of my system. One caveat: I am not a huge movie person, nor a movie expert like some of my friends. So, don't expect me to provide an expert-style review.
Button, very loosely based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, follows the titular character's adventures as he ages backwards. The idea holds quite a bit of potential. This movie could have successfully and intelligently dealt with issues such as death, the meaning of life, the value of relationships, and the dignity of human beings.
[rant]Instead, however, it deals with none of them, at least, not well. It mentions death as "a frequent visitor" and implies that it's normal and okay, but that's far as it goes in dealing with the issue. It never makes any deep statements about the issue.
Likewise, the meaning of life gets short shrift. The meaning of life, according to the movie, is to live hedonistically, drinking a lot and sleeping around.
Relationships also take a hit. Hardly any relationship is seen as having any value, especially marriage, as none of the main characters in the movie ever even bother to marry. Living together is fine and seen as completely acceptable, even though the movie starts out in the 1920s, an era where such things were not looked on kindly.
On top of being shallow, the movie also is insanely long, nearly 3 hours. It seems to me that the editors fell in love with every aspect of the movie and couldn't figure out how to cut the material that wasn't essential to the plot. Speaking of plot, there really wasn't much of one. There really isn't a central conflict. Instead, it's more of a "Forrest Gump" style following of one man's life.[/rant]
The only positive I found in this movie was the acting. Brad Pitt, the make-up team, and the special effects guys did an excellent job of portraying this man who ages backwards. That is not an easy task to pull off.
[rant]Obviously, I did not enjoy this movie. After it was over, I thought about going to the box office and asking if I could get a partial refund. After all, if I'm going to spend nearly 3 hours of my time and over $9, I'd like to enjoy, at least partially, what I purchased.[/rant]
Button, very loosely based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, follows the titular character's adventures as he ages backwards. The idea holds quite a bit of potential. This movie could have successfully and intelligently dealt with issues such as death, the meaning of life, the value of relationships, and the dignity of human beings.
[rant]Instead, however, it deals with none of them, at least, not well. It mentions death as "a frequent visitor" and implies that it's normal and okay, but that's far as it goes in dealing with the issue. It never makes any deep statements about the issue.
Likewise, the meaning of life gets short shrift. The meaning of life, according to the movie, is to live hedonistically, drinking a lot and sleeping around.
Relationships also take a hit. Hardly any relationship is seen as having any value, especially marriage, as none of the main characters in the movie ever even bother to marry. Living together is fine and seen as completely acceptable, even though the movie starts out in the 1920s, an era where such things were not looked on kindly.
On top of being shallow, the movie also is insanely long, nearly 3 hours. It seems to me that the editors fell in love with every aspect of the movie and couldn't figure out how to cut the material that wasn't essential to the plot. Speaking of plot, there really wasn't much of one. There really isn't a central conflict. Instead, it's more of a "Forrest Gump" style following of one man's life.[/rant]
The only positive I found in this movie was the acting. Brad Pitt, the make-up team, and the special effects guys did an excellent job of portraying this man who ages backwards. That is not an easy task to pull off.
[rant]Obviously, I did not enjoy this movie. After it was over, I thought about going to the box office and asking if I could get a partial refund. After all, if I'm going to spend nearly 3 hours of my time and over $9, I'd like to enjoy, at least partially, what I purchased.[/rant]
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Prince Caspian Quiz 6
11. What is Miraz’s title when the story begins?
A. Duke
B. Earl
C. King
D. Lord Protector
12. How do the Telmarine lords react to seeing Trumpkin?
A. Fear
B. Shock
C. Amusement
D. They don’t ever see Trumpkin
A. Duke
B. Earl
C. King
D. Lord Protector
12. How do the Telmarine lords react to seeing Trumpkin?
A. Fear
B. Shock
C. Amusement
D. They don’t ever see Trumpkin
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Phrase Origin and Prince Caspian Quiz 5
I was pondering the phrase "confirmed bachelor" the other day. No, it's not because I'm afraid that I'm going to become one (at least, not most of the time). Rather, it's just an unusual phrase. Confirmed by whom? Is there a "bachelor confirmation entity?" Does one receive a certificate in the mail? Is there a "marriage confirmation agency?" Who has ever heard of a "confirmed married man?" And a serious question: at what age does one cease to be a single man and become a "confirmed bachelor?" My answer to that last question: at least 55. Maybe older.
Prince Caspian Quiz
9. Which of the four Pevensies first realizes that they have arrived at Cair Paravel?
A. Peter
B. Susan
C. Edmund
D. Lucy
10. When does Trumpkin get captured by Miraz’s men?
A. While defending Caspian in the old forest as Caspian is initially fleeing for his life
B. While fighting against the Telmarines to steal arms from them while the Telmarines are encamped next to the River Beruna
C. He doesn’t
D. When he sneaks through enemy lines to see if the Pevensies have arrived at Cair Paravel in response to Caspian blowing the horn
Prince Caspian Quiz
9. Which of the four Pevensies first realizes that they have arrived at Cair Paravel?
A. Peter
B. Susan
C. Edmund
D. Lucy
10. When does Trumpkin get captured by Miraz’s men?
A. While defending Caspian in the old forest as Caspian is initially fleeing for his life
B. While fighting against the Telmarines to steal arms from them while the Telmarines are encamped next to the River Beruna
C. He doesn’t
D. When he sneaks through enemy lines to see if the Pevensies have arrived at Cair Paravel in response to Caspian blowing the horn
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Prince Capsian Quiz 4
7. How well are the Pevensie children adapting to life back in England?
A. Everyone is fine, except Lucy who just cries and cries
B. Fine. They have sold their story to a tabloid for millions of pounds.
C. Very well, thank you
D. Not well. Lucy nearly gets run over by a car, Susan lies to a boy about her name, and Peter and Edmund get into fights.
8. The Pevensies find themselves magically transported to Narnia. What is the nature of the terrain immediately around them?
A. Blank plains
B. A cave by the beach
C. A forest
D. A tall mound known as Aslan’s How
A. Everyone is fine, except Lucy who just cries and cries
B. Fine. They have sold their story to a tabloid for millions of pounds.
C. Very well, thank you
D. Not well. Lucy nearly gets run over by a car, Susan lies to a boy about her name, and Peter and Edmund get into fights.
8. The Pevensies find themselves magically transported to Narnia. What is the nature of the terrain immediately around them?
A. Blank plains
B. A cave by the beach
C. A forest
D. A tall mound known as Aslan’s How
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Sound and Fury Signifying Nothing & Caspian Quiz 3
In just a few days, this country will experience a changeover from a Congress controlled by one party and the Presidency by another to a government fully in the hands of one party. This one party has promised large amounts of change to the way that the country works, in everything from energy policy to economic policy to health care. How much of this change is merely rhetoric? I suspect quite a bit. First of all, it's important to note that the President-elect has changed his position at least once on just about every significant issue, as have many other politicians on both sides of the aisle (although isle might be a better word to describe a government that seems increasingly disconnected from reality). Second, many of the ideas being proposed simply are impractical or quite obviously have negative consequences. Surely the politicians in our nation's capital have not yet reached the point of being so disconnected from reality that they will fail to realize that "green energy" and "universal health care" are ideas that sound great in theory but fail in practice. Third, there's the tendency of the party not in power to exercise every parliamentary tactic to obstruct the agenda of the majority. It happened in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It could well happen again. For the sake of America, I do indeed hope that this new government in Washington, D.C., accomplishes far less than they have promised. Many of the promises have the potential to backfire on America and hurt this country more than it helps. On that, of course, only time will tell.
Prince Caspian Quiz 3
How does Caspian wind up getting knocked unconscious during his flight?
A. His horse gets spooked by a thunderstorm, and in its panicked run, Capsian hits his forehead on a tree
B. He doesn’t
C. He gets hit on the head by one of the dwarfs
D. Little Bunny Foo Foo mistakes him for a field mouse and bops him on the head
6. When does Caspian blow the horn of Narnia?
A. As soon as he enters the forest
B. Right before the Dwarfs knock him unconscious
C. He doesn’t
D. At dawn a few days before a major battle with Miraz at Aslan’s How
Prince Caspian Quiz 3
How does Caspian wind up getting knocked unconscious during his flight?
A. His horse gets spooked by a thunderstorm, and in its panicked run, Capsian hits his forehead on a tree
B. He doesn’t
C. He gets hit on the head by one of the dwarfs
D. Little Bunny Foo Foo mistakes him for a field mouse and bops him on the head
6. When does Caspian blow the horn of Narnia?
A. As soon as he enters the forest
B. Right before the Dwarfs knock him unconscious
C. He doesn’t
D. At dawn a few days before a major battle with Miraz at Aslan’s How
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Prince Caspian Quiz 2
3. How does Capsian escape his bedroom?
A. He draws his sword and kills the guards sent to kill him
B. He sneaks out through a secret passage in the wardrobe
C. He and Dr. Cornelius leave through the antechamber because Cornelius has put the guards to sleep using a magic potion
D. He climbs out the window using a sheet for a rope
4. How many guards try to stop Caspian as he escapes?
A. 0
B. 1
C. 2
D. 3
A. He draws his sword and kills the guards sent to kill him
B. He sneaks out through a secret passage in the wardrobe
C. He and Dr. Cornelius leave through the antechamber because Cornelius has put the guards to sleep using a magic potion
D. He climbs out the window using a sheet for a rope
4. How many guards try to stop Caspian as he escapes?
A. 0
B. 1
C. 2
D. 3
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Narnia Movies & Prince Caspian Quiz 1
I just found out a couple of days ago that Walt Disney Co. has pulled its support of making the movie adaptation of the next book in the Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. More details, although they are scant, can be found at IMDB. I'm disappointed to see Disney pulling the plug on what hopefully was going to be one of the most movie-friendly books in the series, one that could generate quite a bit of income. Of course, one of the possibilities is that Disney execs saw that the script was as unfaithful to the book as Prince Caspian's and backed out because they knew that they wouldn't make enough money with another poor adaptation. On the other hand, no one knows exactly what happened. All we know is that Walden Media is shopping the Dawn Treader around. Hopefully, they find someone to help with production while also having a script that stays closer to the book than Prince Caspian.
Speaking of Caspian, I've had the chance to go back and watch the movie, again. I've already written my opinions about Prince Caspian in a previous post, so I won't rehash that review. Instead, I've made a series of quiz questions that highlight the differences between the movie and the book. The point of this quiz is simply to have a little fun with the changes that occurred between the book and the movie. At times, I will still post blog entries on other topics and tag the quiz questions on the end.
The rules for the quiz are as follows: you will be given two or three multiple choice questions that deal with some aspect of the story. Answer either according to the movie, the book, or both. I’ll post the answers as a comment. Because of the vast differences between the book and the movie, give yourself 5 points for answering correctly according to the movie and 10 points for answering correctly according to the book. Give yourself 20 points if you get both right. Read on to try the first two questions. (Note: I am following the movie’s chronology.)
1. How does the story begin?
A. At a train station somewhere in the English countryside, where the Pevensie children are headed back to school
B. At Aslan’s How, with a counsel called by the red dwarf Nikabrik
C. In Trufflehunter’s cave
D. With a son being born to Miraz and Caspian fleeing for his life
2. Upon being wakened by Dr. Cornelius in order to flee for his life, what are Prince Caspian’s first words?
A. “Five more minutes…”
B. “Are we going to do a little Astronomy, Doctor?”
C. “What time is it?”
D. “My, but you look a lot like Dumbledore!”
Speaking of Caspian, I've had the chance to go back and watch the movie, again. I've already written my opinions about Prince Caspian in a previous post, so I won't rehash that review. Instead, I've made a series of quiz questions that highlight the differences between the movie and the book. The point of this quiz is simply to have a little fun with the changes that occurred between the book and the movie. At times, I will still post blog entries on other topics and tag the quiz questions on the end.
The rules for the quiz are as follows: you will be given two or three multiple choice questions that deal with some aspect of the story. Answer either according to the movie, the book, or both. I’ll post the answers as a comment. Because of the vast differences between the book and the movie, give yourself 5 points for answering correctly according to the movie and 10 points for answering correctly according to the book. Give yourself 20 points if you get both right. Read on to try the first two questions. (Note: I am following the movie’s chronology.)
1. How does the story begin?
A. At a train station somewhere in the English countryside, where the Pevensie children are headed back to school
B. At Aslan’s How, with a counsel called by the red dwarf Nikabrik
C. In Trufflehunter’s cave
D. With a son being born to Miraz and Caspian fleeing for his life
2. Upon being wakened by Dr. Cornelius in order to flee for his life, what are Prince Caspian’s first words?
A. “Five more minutes…”
B. “Are we going to do a little Astronomy, Doctor?”
C. “What time is it?”
D. “My, but you look a lot like Dumbledore!”
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