Monthly Archives: June 2004

WA Trip Update 2004

I’m now, after a 2 and a half day car trip from CA, in the Bellingham area, where my grandfather is in the hospital. He’s ninety-something, in case you’re wondering. Not really a vacation, although I’ve been calling it that. I’ll be back July 3, at the latest. (Because I have to leave again July 5.) Hope you’re having more fun than I am.

07/02/04 – EDIT: Originally put June 3 and June 5, hahaha! Thanks for catching that, Wenschel!

Hah, Take that China!

I’m liking this new possible commercial presence in space. It’s very… American. So, China sent a man into space, but this, this is even better. An American sent up, non-fully-government-funded. Maybe NASA won’t win the next space race, but someone else will.

However, the weaponization of space still possibly looms. Could a private company develop weapons in space, effectively holding the world hostage, challenging US supremacy? That would certainly be a scary scenario. It’s a long shot, but it could happen.

Also, earlier, I mentioned the space elevator. The space elevator would send up things into space for less of a price per payload than rockets. Whoever builds it first, will rule space. That could still be China. Even so, that doesn’t rule out a commercial presence in space: Once you get stuff up into space, you still need to transport it elsewhere.

It’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out. I’m predicting space tourism first.

1 in 10 to the 17th power?

On vacation

Will be on vacation from today to the end of June, at least. I will keep you informed if I manage to find internet access.

Newsflash!

The first private vehicle has reached outer space. This is an important day in history, and opens many new doors with space travel. Still, I think a space elevator would be better.

And now, we take you to your regularly scheduled weblog entry:

1 in 10 to the 17th power?

An e-mail from “alias” about my Jesus’ Appeal piece, before I put up the annotations:

well. being a Christian myself, I was at first a bit skeptical about this whole thing. in the end, it proved to be the same as all your other stories, posing no real threat to history; but just kind of retarded. I had a few things to point out to you, even if you think you already know, or don’t believe it in the first place.

A) The Medieval Paintings: I am led to believe that these could very well be inaccurate. This is still a society that is predominately ‘white’. Being believers in Jesus Christ and his teachings, wouldn’t they paint him to look like themselves? No offense intended, but WHY would they (considering their own skewed midsets) paint Jesus to look like an outsider? The Middle Ages, Crusades, and Roman Catholic Church are all real screwed up when it comes to Christianity. If the catholic church is all about money, doesn’t it seem like you would get more believers (more money) if you’ve got a “damn sexy” guy on that painting, instead of the darker, black haired ‘weirdo’? You’ve learned about it. you know what I mean.

B) Is Jesus the One?? There is documented evidence that Jesus is God’s Son through over 300 prophecies written down hundreds of years before he was born. BEAR WITH ME HERE….

1) it was prophesied that He would be of the “seed of a woman” not that of a man. [therefore, virgin Mary] (Genesis 3:15, Galations 4:4)

2)He would be of the lineage of Shem (Genesis 9&10)

3) He would be a descendant of Abraham (Genesis 22:18, Galations 3:16)

4) ” ” of the line of Isaac (Gen. 21:12, Luke 3:23, 24)

5) ” ” of the line of Jacob (Numbers 24:17, Luke 3:23-34)

6) ” ” of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10, Luke 3:23-33)

7) ” ” family of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1, Luke 3:23-32)

8) ” ” of the house of David (Jeremiah 23:5, Luke 3:23-31)

9) He would be crucified (psalm 22:14-18, Luke 23:33)

10)he would be betrayed by a friend (psalms 41:9, Matthew 10:4)

11) he would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1)

* * *

The chances of just eight of these prophecies being fulfilled in one person is 1 in 10 to the 17th power. Thats 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. And there were over 300 prophecies fulfilled in Jesus Christ. He is The One.

Now, if you’ve stayed with me, if the message hasn’t just cut off completely because its too long, or if you’re not asleep, I’m really proud of you and I thank you for listening to me preach. But thats what I believe.

I already dealt with part A in Jesus’ Appeal Annotated.

1) Where did you find “seed of a woman” in Genesis 3.15? This is God talking to the serpent. Galatians, meanwhile, was written after Jesus’ birth. It is in the New Testament.

2) I read Genesis 9 & 10, and I did not find any prophecies about the Messiah. Even if I accept your proposition, I must remind you that supposedly all the peoples of Earth came from the 3 sons of Noah. What’s so special about 1/3?

3) What does Genesis 22:18 have to do with Jesus? Even if you look at the passage in Galatians… The rest of that prophecy is not true. When did Jesus posess the gates of his enemies and become as numerous as the stars?

4) Again, no mention of the Messiah in the Genesis passage.

5) “… and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the borderlands of Moab, and the territory of all the Shethites” Numbers 24.17. Woah! I totally missed that one in the Gospels!

6) Did you read Genesis 49.10?! “The scepter shall not depart from judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and the obediance of the peoples is his.” Am I missing something?

7) Hm… absence of mention of Jesus… I see “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.”

8) Perhaps you can make a metaphorical argument that Jesus fulfills this prophecy, but let’s look ahead one verse: “In his days Judah will be saved… and Israel will live in safety…” Jeremiah 23.6. Euh… nope, not Jesus.

9) All very fine, but no mention of crucifixion in Psalm 22.14-18.

10) No arguments here. I’m not sure if the Psalm is an actual prophecy. However, being betrayed by a friend isn’t so uncommon an act to support your statistics.

11) Yet, Micah 5:2 says, “But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah” [emphasis mine]. Check out: http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/proph/long.html.

Getting back to the lineage of Jesus, you skipped the mention of the descendants between David and Joseph. Maybe because there’s a huge discrepancy between Luke and Matthew? One more thing about that lineage you use so much from Luke: “… He was the son (as was thought) of Joseph son of…” Luke 3.23 [emphasis mine].

So, 1 in 10 to the 17th power? Wow, that number seems a bit… arbitrary. Do you have any evidence to back up your claim, as the numbers relate to the “prophecies”?

Moreover, the Gospel of Matthew was specifically written to try to fulfill the prophecies in order to convince other Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. Not that this was written after Jesus’ death, and based largely on the Gospel of Mark. Don’t you think this would make it just a little bit biased?

Things I Want to Purchase

This is a list of things I want to purchase, but I’m not sure when I’ll get around to doing it. It’s a short list.

  • Kill Bill vol 1 DVD
  • Kill Bill vol 1 soundtrack
  • Kill Bill vol 2 soundtrack
  • Kirara plush toy
  • Poodle Hat – Weird Al CD
  • FLCL

Two Sentences in the History Book

My goal in life is to get two sentences in the history book. Not one, but two. I can then die a happy man. That’s all I care about. I don’t care how I get in there, as long as I am in there.

[Note: Fixing up links within this weblog (as in from one entry to another)… done from March through June 2003]

Although… Summer

Although I’m not exactly thrilled about being away from home so long this summer (the better part of a month) and I still haven’t finished a Majestic comic, I have a good feeling about this summer… perhaps the… best summer ever… hm…

Today, went to Santa Cruz with Logan friends. The video camera wasn’t charged, so I didn’t get to bring it, as I had with the zoo. However, there weren’t any good tourists at Santa Cruz (this has to do with a documentary I’m filming this August), so all worked out well. One more point: Wow, completely different dynamic with the Logan group than with Moreau people.

Can’t Vote Next Election… Kind of Glad

I’m kind of glad I still won’t be old enough to vote in the next elections. I don’t want to choose between two candidates I know too much about, or a random candidate I know nothing about.

Perhaps that was the reason why there was so much coverage about Reagan after his death. People felt he was strong in his convictions and stood up to the “Evil Empire.” Was there some sort of subconscious yearning for a strong candidate?

I’m most definitely wrong in my musings, but I know that I want a strong leader for America. Someone who will lead. I want someone I can vote for because of who he is, not because of who he isn’t.

I fear we are entering a new Gilded Age.

So Surreal a Summer

It still hasn’t quite hit me that it’s summer. It’s a Sunday. I still don’t feel like I don’t have to go to school tomorrow. It’s still odd not having homework. When I went to the zoo last Friday, it hadn’t even hit me then. The day felt like a fluke, even though Kill Bill Fest had preceded it. There’s still some lingering feeling. I’ve been too used to too much work for too long. Will I ever get over it? Will I ever realize that it’s summer?

This summer hit me differently than all others. Before, I had always counted down the days. This time, I had no time to count down the days. I couldn’t afford to get my hopes up before the work was finished. Now, the work is finished. Yet still, that lingering…

Tomorrow is Monday. I hope it hits me then.

SF Zoological Park

I’ve decided that the zoo ain’t that great of a place. I like the aquarium better. For some reason, I don’t like watching certain animals in the confined areas.

Nonetheless, I still had a great time with Richard, Chris, Craig, Liz, and Nisha at the San Francisco zoo (and the rest of the city). And for the record, San Francisco is a great place.

Falling Awake

This happened around the time of the musical, and this weblog was down at that time.

I was really tired because of the musical, etcetera. There was no chance to rest. You know how tired I was? I was so tired that I fell awake. That’s right, I fell awake.

I was already sleeping, and I was in the middle of a dream. In the dream, I could hardly keep my eyes open. Finally, I close them, and then I fall awake. I was wide awake at that point, and quite disconcerted.

Definitely the weirdest thing that has ever happened to me in a dream… even more disconcerting than when I told a dream person that I was dreaming. (Another story for another time.)

Church of Scientology: An Intro and Movie

I have to preface this by saying that the Church of Scientology is crap.

I forgot to write about this little adventure because it occured during my field trip, which took place while my site was done.

The field trip wasn’t to the Church of Scientology specifically, but to San Francisco, in general. We toured the city. At one point, we passed by the Church of Scientology. My friend was interested in going in since he was doing his history research project on it. How fortunate for us that someone from the Church of Scientology came over to recruit us to visit her church. Apparently, the teacher let us go because she was going to teach us about the architecture. It used to be some old building, don’t remember, you’ll see why soon.

She started off with a little bit about the architecture after she herded us inside. Then, she elegantly segued, mentioning how they changed the building. She pointed to some quotes they had placed on the wall, by their founder, L. Ron Hubbard. Deftly, she directs us to some panels which tell about Scientology, itself.

Everything she says is completely empty. She’s talking, alright. And she’s saying words, and these words make sense to me. Yet, something about these words… “You can be any religion and still belong to the Church of Scientology. Scientology provides the tools to meet spiritual goals…”

“What tools?” I asked, my politic response. I could have said that I thought all she was saying was bullshit, but I didn’t.

“Oh, seminars and classes, to help with marriage, blah blah blah…” Before the “blah’s” I figured it out: It was all for money. Classes? For free? As one says in the famous card game, “BS!”

The next step, some of us were interested in taking their “Free personality test.” However, she offered to show a movie. So, about five of us went in to see the movie, whilst the rest took the test.

Very, very comfortable, the chairs were almost too comfortable, especially after a long day’s journey. Seriously, it was a small movie room, the chairs were comfortable, it was dark, and you never know, she could’ve locked us in. I still wonder if everything we said during the film was recorded.

The film was about Dianetics. What’s Dianetics you ask? I could explain it now, or you can see the film yourself. Okay, okay, I’ll tell you about the film.

The film, supposedly, is based off a true story from the 1950s, and representative of many similar cases. It begins with ultra-cheesy jazz-type music, a dad and a son with a football in the front yard. The kid is then playing football for his high school team. BAM! He’s in the air and hit. Next thing you know, he’s in the hospital. Doesn’t look good. The doctor taps his knee. No reflexes. Tickles his foot. Nothing. He can’t feel the lower half of his body, he says to the other doctor at the foot of the bed, as if the kid on the bed can’t hear.

His girlfriend stops by later. Attack of the bad actors! “Go find someone else who’ll be better for you.” Blah, blah. Yeah, kid, you’re just saying that because you can’t feel your penis. Was that really what the Scientology people were implying? In any case, not good.

From there, the movie gets weird. You can’t really tell when he’s dreaming, and when he’s not. Excuse me if I mess up some things chronologically.

For example, one doctor leaves a book for him. He mentions “psychosurgery” or something like that and how the mind can heal. He goes on about how the kid is crazy, delusional. Later on, a nurse comes along and injects him with a hypodermic needle, Kill Bill vol. 1 style, only the nurse didn’t have an eye patch.

Later on, he’s getting some type of scan, and then you see two doctors talking about him. He’s an interesting case. The only damage is in his cerebral cortex. He’ll be a good one to cut up.

At various points after weird scenes, the kid wakes up, panting. “No surgery,” he demands.

The funniest part is when two doctors are talking about how they’re going to do surgery and how bad his case is, etc, then the camera moves a bit, and you see that they’ve been standing at the foot of the bed the whole time! Well, we got a good laugh out of it.

Eventually, his girlfriend says that one of his friends wanted him to read this… Surprise, surprise: It’s the Dianetics book.

So, the kid reads it. It’s all about how the subconscious represses you. All memories are stored, even when unconscious.

Via a few replayed flashbacks, we figure out that while the kid was flat on the ground, one of his teammates said, “Oh man, he’s never going to walk again.” The point we’re supposed to get from this is that he heard this subconsciously, and that’s why he can’t walk. (Yeah, right, like that’ll help people with severed spines.)

He opens his eyes. “Wiggle your big toe.” Okay, he doesn’t say that, but he does lift the covers, and look at his toes. I wonder if Mr. Tarantino watched the Dianetics movie.

He’s up. He’s walking. He’s jumping on the bed. The music’s back to it’s old cheesy self. He’s changing his clothes.

The doctors walk into the room. They wonder where he went, and then they see him. “What, this isn’t possible,” (the evil) one declares. Two other doctors instantly begin examining him, on with stethoscope ready.

“Get back in bed,” (the evil) one angrily yells. Evidently, they’re mad because they can’t cut him up, as they were planning to do when the camera was on them in the hallway before entering his room.

The kid leaves the book for one of the doctors and walks out. “This could put us out of business,” the man protests as he looks out the window.

Flash forward to the future. Flashback to beginning of movie, cheesy music-wise. His girlfriend is now his wife. He’s playing football with his kid… fade to the best part of the movie.

Titles on the screen first declare something similar to, “Your subconscious is keeping you from reaching your full potential.” And then, more ominously, “Get rid of it.”

The end.

The experience was pretty creepy. I split, with someone else, after watching the movie. The others didn’t have their test results yet, but I didn’t want to stick around.

More on the test tomorrow.

Odd Good-bye

One of the seniors passed by me during lunch, “I’ll see you during Major Religions today… oh wait, no, I won’t!”

“Nice one, cripple,” I replied, in reference to his crutches.

His rebuttal involved sticking up his two middle fingers. Touché.

And that’s probably the last time I’ll ever see him. Okay, so, I’ll be at graduation, but in the pit, and only able to hear the names.

It’s just an odd way to say good-bye — somewhere in there, there’s an acknowledgement that it’s good-bye, and yet, it still gives a sense that there is no good-bye.

Just someone I sat next to during Major Religions. I remember interviewing him (and a lot of other people I don’t remember) last year for my Christology assignment. He was “hamburger man” or “hamburger guy” because he was eating one during the interview.

People pop in and out of life. I’m used to it. Not that anyone’s died on me, but if I never see them again, there’s no real difference.

I don’t know. There should be some point I’m trying to make here about the one random memory or good-bye, maybe something about how in a year, most of the people I know I’ll never see again. But I can’t think of a point. I can’t really explain any feeling. It’s just a moment I had.

All I can think of is that that moment will stick in my head. The hamburger interview will stick in my head. Oh yeah, and that time he said he liked the way the lights reflected off Mr. Steeb’s forehead.

Just moments.

Full House Rule

I don’t like the Olsen Twins. I don’t think they’re hot. You know why? Because they were on Full House. It’s a rule: You can’t think anyone from Full House is hot.

The Olsen Twins? No.

Bob Sagat? No. The hair! The unfunniness.

That one guy who’s doing the 10-10-flavor of the month commercials? Wannabe hot. Definitely not.

The one guy who did all the cartoon voices? No. Look at those outfits.

None of the girls on the show.

It’s just a rule. That, and they really aren’t all that pretty.

Out of Context Awards: May 2004

About half and half, from Josh and me. At first, I was worried that there wouldn’t be any, but there was a flurry of filler quotes towards the end of the month, spurred by an initial contribution by Josh. Here they are, in no particular order (I’ll reveal the winner at the end)…

“There are people in New York, but not in Massachusets- Maybe they’re all puppets!” – Stevie

WeirdJosh: the first one’s context is that me and Stevie were talking, and I was loudly exclaiming my incredible unconcious tendency to mime my conversation with any stuffed animals I happen to be holding

WeirdJosh: which led into me possibly working with the Muppets, and then wondering how one went about getting the qualifications for that, and then mentioning a Puppet Institute of Massachusets

WeirdJosh: to which we both laughed and Stevie said that no body lived there, and that she couldn’t even imagine “Massachusets people”

WeirdJosh: and then I said that the puppeter institute was probably in New York, and then the quote

“SHE’S A GIRL! YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO TOUCH HER!” – Shane

WeirdJosh: and for Shane’s, his little brother was at prom, but wasn’t dancing. eventually he did, however, he did it at a three foot distance

WeirdJosh: hence Shane’s outburst

“It’s all about putting people down to make yourself feel better.” – Jason

We were trash talking Awards Night. Here’s the line before the quote: BuRniNgCiGar: talking trash is awesome.

“When [your dad and I] got married, we went to Hawaii for Halloween…” – my mom

She meant honeymoon, but she said Halloween.

“well next time u’ll just have to spring it on her” – Lindsay

WeirdJosh: context: I was talking to Lindsay who was talking to her crush, and then we switched rails slightly over to mine, and I mentioned that I hadn’t given her a classic greeting in a while, and then the quote

“I always called them sausage plants.” – Heidi

Euh, $10 says I got the name wrong of the person. I’d never really talked to her before in math class, and I’m already bad with the names of people I do know. She was working on a game board for Ms. Weltchek’s, and it was a park scene. Next to the lake were cattails. I commented on them, and she didn’t know what I was referring to. Evidently, yeah, she called them sausage plants, or hot dog plants. The point is, the gameboard looked swell. Actually, the point is the quote.

And the further point… the winner is…

Shane.