Ephesians 4:22

Thursday, November 14th, 2002
4:04 pm - henry's mu'ffuckin birfday

today was henry's birthday and he wanted grand theft auto vice city cause that's what we got for joel for his birthday on sunday. me, joel, and joseph chipped in money to buy henry's present and in algebra class, i had to wrap it in a book cover because joel bought the gift and he also let me borrow the money for my share. on my first try, it wasn't very successful because i had excess paper leftover and it looked all crinkled and ghetto. then i got a hall pass from the teacher and walked to the bookroom to get another book cover. it took me all period cause the rapper guy kept on telling jokes and i kept cracking up. then i wrote "happy mu'ffucking birthday nigga" on the front and wrote "from: joel (with 2 big ears on the sides of the o), vincent (=X =X =X =X =X =X), and joseph (with a -_- on the o). all in all it looked pretty nice but stupid joel erased "mu'ffucking" and on the back he wrote "joel paid for the whole thing." stupid flip. he thinks he's all smart but he's fucking dirty and ashy. i scratched his arm and all this ash fell from it and it felt like i was scratching an old lady or somethin. then at lunch there was a packet of taco sauce on the floor and i stepped on it cause i was wondering if there were anymore left in there. and then i guess i stepped on it too hard, and coincidentally, henry was standing right in front of me, and instead of going on his shoes or his pants, it went on his new sweater! damn i felt so bad and then joseph tried to be funny and kept on trying to stone-cold stun me. Happy birfday you nigga. HA stupid joel try to erase that u dirty filipino.

This is an entry from my friend Vince's livejournal. The date on it was over six years ago, when I was a sophmore in high school. I think I can speak for absolutely everyone when I say that we are very different from how we were six years ago. There's the obvious physical and circumstantial differences. I don't have that stupid haircut anymore, I put on a little (but not much more) weight, and my brother hit a borderline unfair growth spurt.

But things are different in much more significant matters as well. The person who wrote that entry six years ago is no longer alive. The question that I'm left with after reading this entry is, is the subject of the entry still alive as well? Is the same impulsive, hedonistic, duplicitous, arrogant, pugnacious 15-yr old still around?

What makes this question important is that in Ephesians 4:22, Paul emphasizes the importance of laying aside the old self. Prima facie, I think it's easy for me to say that I have set aside the old me. I spend my Sunday mornings and Friday nights in way that my 15-yr old counterpart never would have, I have the "religious views" box filled in on my Facebook profile, and I know who Chris Tomlin is. But that's nothing more than what's on the surface - prima facie.

Unfortunately, I think I fail when it comes to Paul's urging. Just because I hold my tongue doesn't mean that I am rid of the bitterness I harbored before. Just because I haven't choked off a bong rip in years doesn't mean I have stopped letting the worthless objects of the world have such a profound influence on me. And just because I pray before I sleep doesn't mean that I am truly repenting of my sin-ridden self.

But, in Christ, I will always have hope. The single most important event of my life from Nov. 14, 2002 until now was when I came to know Christ, and I'm going to redouble my efforts to truly show that it is. No matter what the world throws at me, it will be an awesome year. Praise God, and bring it on.

P.S. In the entry I quoted above, my French II teacher saw the GTA: Vice City game that was wrapped in the book cover and she was reading what my friends wrote on it. When she got to the "Happy Birthday Niga" part (it was missing a second "g"), she kept reading the "Niga" over and over trying to figure out what it was. She then asked another student what a "nye-gah" was and the student replied "try pronouncing it another way". She then looked at it again, said "oh my" and handed it back to me with a shocked look on her face. Classic Vince.

Yes, I Did

from Postsecret

I'm excited about what the future holds for this country. I desperately hope that the 44th President will be more than an empty suit speaking forceful words. I'm not completely sold on Obama yet, but I am looking forward to being proven wrong.

It was quite an experience voting for the first time today. I woke up early enough so that I could go to my polling place as soon as it opened. The day started by digging through my dirty clothes and picking the ones that smelled acceptable. I was tired but I read about the free coffee ad Starbucks so I was running on some form of pseudo-caffeine when I walked into the polling place. My heart skipped a beat when the poll worker couldn't find my name on the list of registered voters. I had been bugging Angy to register and go out and vote and I threatened to kill Jasmine if she didn't vote the night before so, needless to say, I would have looked incredibly stupid if I didn't cast my own ballot. Fortunately, the absence of my name on the list was just a minor oversight and I stamped a couple bubbles here and there and jammed my ballot into something that looked like the bastard child of a paper shredder and R2D2. 

I felt a little embarrassed asking for the cashier for a free tall of coffee, not because I was embarrassed about asking for free stuff but because of the evil eye and curt nod she gave me. However, the barista who handed me my coffee was friendly enough such that I felt only slightly pathetic. Then I took a step outside, felt the temperature drop a good 20 degrees, glanced at the overcast skies, and felt damn proud to be an American.

Voting is awesome.

The Burger Court and Why You Can't Always Have it Your Way (or Why I am Flip Flopping on the 11th Hour)

What to do with Prop 8...

A "yes" vote entails - ultra-conservative, narrow-minded fascist who endorses discriminatory practices to preserve a status quo

A "no" vote entails - godless homosexual with no respect for traditional family values which potentially opens the floodgates for all sorts of abhorrent sins

Not voting at all entails - coward who should move to Saudi Arabia where all legislative agendas will comfortably be picked for you by the royal powers that be

Obviously, these are all gross exaggerations (except for "not voting at all". if you don't want to do your basic duty as a citizen, then you are a motherf****** p*****). 

Anyone who has talked to me about the issue, overheard me talking  about the issue, talked to another person about my opinions on the issue, or inferred from my facial expressions my opinion on the issue knows that I am a "no" voter on Prop. 8.  

Why?  Simply, it is unconstitutional. 

Our government's job is to protect, preserve, and enforce the rights we enjoy for all citizens, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, hair color, favorite sports team, geographic location, and SEXUAL ORIENTATION. I enjoyed attending schools with Chinese, White, Black, Mexican, Indian, Persian, etc. students and I have Brown v. Board of Education to thank for it. I like not looking for the "Koreans only" bathroom when my bladder is about to burst. Equal rights is an awesome thing and it's one of the things that makes me so proud to be an American. I think it is absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to not see a ban on same-sex marriage as anything other than discrimination.  You are creating a second-class of citizens that don't enjoy the same rights as the majority on the basis of one feature - their sexual orientation. 

But of course, there is the kicker - the "volta" if you will. Homosexuality is SIN. Not just because it is an uncomfortable notion or just because it deviates from the norm but because biblically, it is what you would classify as a sin. And therein, lies the bottom line. 

Is same-sex marriage rights a price I have to pay for enjoying the freedoms that I do now? I think it should be.

Does "yes" on Prop. 8 go against the Christian mantra of unequivocal love for all, including sinners? It might. 

Does it make me a hypocrite to enjoy these freedoms and tolerate discrimination against others based on sexual orientation? ABSOLUTELY

But what else can I do? It seems there's no middle ground in this case. "Civil unions" is Plessy v. Ferguson for the 21st century. My pastor said that whenever you are caught in a dilemma, side with grace. Am I really showing grace by voting "yes" on Prop. 8? 

There are a lot of questions about the issue that I have no idea how to answer. But I do know what the Bible says about homosexuality, and the day I came to know Christ was the day I vowed to serve Him. So it seems I have no other choice.

So I am going to vote "yes" on Prop. 8. I am going to say "yes" to discriminate and establish a status quo that seems incredibly undemocratic and fundamentally unamerican. Just like Warren Burger, I am going to take a stand against equality.  Not because of the ludicrously IDIOTIC arguments about gay marriage being taught in schools and the floodgates opening for all sorts of social deviants and the concept of family being destroyed (see Slippery Slope Fallacy), but because I am going by the only thing I know for sure. I think it is the only way to justify voting "yes" on Prop.8, because it is a sin and there is nothing more to be said on the matter.

Whether I vote "yes" or "no", I will be disgusted with myself so it is better that I side with God, right?

P.S. I am not advocating you to vote any certain way. The only way a democracy will truly represent the will of the people is if the people vote according to what they think is important, not what some blogger tells them. So do your part, think about the issues, and cast your ballot with your OWN views in mind.

Let me put you on the Game

Here are the rules for the game:

1. Link to the person who tagged you  janjanntravels.blogspot.com
2. Post the rules on the blog. check
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post. tag yourself
5. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog. shut up
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up. why is this even a rule

Six Random Things About Myself:

1. I am an absolute sucker for bands with male/female vocal duos (Belle and Sebastian, Stars, Los Campesinos, etc.), even if they suck really bad (e.g. Shiny Toy Guns)

2. Although my quant analysis leaves something to be desired, I live and die by numbers. Numbers never lie (but the people who use them certainly do). 

3. I love the Christmas season. (Mid November to the end of the year). The ambience, the weather, the lights, the old faces, and Love Actually.

4. I get a real kick out of telling people they are wrong or telling people I disagree with them (which makes me a vindictive prick) , but I have toned it down a lot in recent years

5. I am not picky, but man, there are a lot of things I don't like.

6. I live my life for He who has saved me, but I fall on my face a lot of times while trying.

"Here I Am"

Out of everything in Genesis 22, I found the reply "Here I Am" to be the most striking. We all know about how God repaid Abraham's faithfulness and trust when he offered up Isaac. It's not a small nor insignificant lesson by any means but the main sticking point for me is how Abraham responds to God's call.

"Here I Am"

I find "living for God" and "walking with Christ" to be just as cliché as Obama's call for "change". I find that too many times, rather than responding to God with "here I am", I respond with "hold on a minute, I'm busy" or "..., I'm tired" or "..., I'm hungry" or "...., I have to go to the bathroom", and you get the point. Maybe that's why it's so hard for me to hear what He is telling me.

It's all too easy to think of dying for Christ when there are the angels spilling their bowls filled with blood and what not upon the earth. If you saw all this happening, then of course you would respond the same way Abraham did. But what makes today any different? What makes it so hard to respond, right now, with a firm, resonant, "here I am?"

Money?
The new Macbooks?
The World Series?
The election?
The new episode of Heroes?

"Most men forget God all day and ask Him to remember them at night"

Let's all fix our eyes upon what really matters.

Posers Can't Stop It

True geek rap fashion with thick frames, big digital watches, and supras/nike SB high tops. 

That handshake is sick nasty, anyone want to partake in it with me?  

It's OK my will is good.

I was definitely the "second-row sleeper".  

I remember in one of my classes, I was talking to some random guy about classes we took the previous quarter and we found out that we were in the same class as each other before.  However, he couldn't remember my face until I told him that I always sat in the front row.  His response was "Dude you were that guy that fell asleep right in front of the professor every lecture!"

Guilty as charged.

There is a Light and it Never Goes Out

"And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hears through the Holy Spirit who was given to us"

-Romans 5:3-5

Well the time just flew, and test date is now officially two weeks away.  LSATs are grueling to say the least.  There is a huge sense of uneasiness that is setting in but at the same time, I am looking forward to the prospect of being done (with this phase of the process at least).  Though I don't feel quite ready, I will be.

I feel that through this whole process, my prayer life has gotten a lot stronger than before.  Part of it has to do with those moments when I'm just completely sick of doing logic games, or assumption questions and I want to take my eyes off 12pt. Times New Roman for a bit.  But, the bigger part of it is that I feel I am becoming more cognizant of my role in God's "big picture".  To clarify, I am beginning to understand what is required of me as a part of the bigger picture, and one important realization is that there is absolutely nothing I can do without God.  There is no characteristic I possess that allows me to be less reliant on God than any other person, and in light of this fact, I have been seeking God much more fervently.  The joy of realizing how little I can do on my own comes from knowing that I can always seek an audience with God to ask for help.  It is not on the basis of this alone that I glorify Him, but it does strengthen the case.

So as I descend into the last two weeks of LSAT fun, I ask for your prayers.  Don't pray that I get a 180 on test day, but pray that whatever I do is God's will.  If I do get a 180, awesome.  If I get really sick and throw up on my test and get banned from all administrations of the LSAT for life, great.  I will praise God either way.

P.S. The title of this post is a song by The Smiths.  It's not related to anything in this post, but it is an awesome song (very much worth an illegal download).

And the Survey Says...

I was taking a practice LSAT today and I came across a LR question that made me LOL while taking the test.

"Polling data reveal that an overwhelming majority of nine-year-olds can correctly identify the logos of major cigarette brands.  However, of those nine-year-olds who recognize such logos, less than 1 percent smoke.  Therefore, there is little or no connection between recognition of cigarette brands and smoking."

If you are really bored, here is the prompt and answer choices.

Which one of the following uses flawed reasoning most similar to the flawed reasoning above?

(A) The concern about the long-term effects on dolphins of small quantities of mercury in the ocean is unfounded.  During a three-month observation period, 1,000 dolphins were exposed to small quantities of mercury in seawater, with no effect on the animals.

(B) Many ten-year olds dream of becoming actors. Yet it is not likely they will seriously consider becoming actors, because most parents discourage their children from pursuing a highly competitive career.

(C) Most dentists recommend using fluoride to reduce the incidence of cavities, but few recommend giving up candy entirely; so, using fluoride is probably more effective in preventing cavities than is avoiding sweets.

(D) A large percentage of men exercise moderately throughout their lives, but the average life span of those do so is not significantly greater than of those who get little or no exercise.  So there is little or no correlation between moderate exercise and good health.

(E) Most people cannot name their legislative representatives. Nonetheless, this is insignificant for when queried, most of them displayed an adequate command of current political issues.

edit (highlight for answer):

The correct answer is (A).  The flaw in the original statement is that the experiment is set up in a way that will yield an incorrect conclusion.  You can't determine the correlation between cigarette ad recognition and smoking if your sample group is a bunch of 9yr olds.  The same goes for (A).  You can't determine the long-term effects of mercury on dolphins if you only study them for 3 mos. 

The Weather is Better in Southern California

College football season has truly started with another overrated Cal team plunging from the rankings and UCLA bending over to take it from BYU (just getting ready to set up another big upset...who will it be this year???)... which means USC fags fans are back in bloom!

Just in time, because I found a lovely article by an OSU fan about his impression of these dodgy characters that can be read here.

(root for your OWN school.  if your school doesn't have D1 football, WNBA season is going on right now)

On an unrelated side note... 4-0 vs. Toon, 3-0 vs. Twente, 4-0 vs. Rovers, 11-nil to the ARSENAL