Category: Life
You know what tomorrow is?
Penn State
The NCAA handed down its sanctions today. Only time will tell if the intent of changing PSU’s culture is fully realized. I’ve been listening with interest to all the talking heads, but even more to the comments from the general public. They seem to fall into two categories: the sanctions weren’t severe enough, or, it’s unfair to punish the student athletes, most of whom were in grade school when the abuse was happening. Certainly, no one will be happy. No one should be.
As a football fan, and a particularly avid fan of college football, this whole sad story shines a harsh light on how we can become so enthralled by things which are of absolutely no consequence, that we become blind to what is eternally important. This is called idolatry. At Penn State, people in the positions of power, power to save innocents from harm, chose to look the other way in order to protect their idol. There is no other way to look at it.
Idolatry is all around us; it suffuses our lives. The idol of personal freedom sentences millions of unborn children to death every year. The idol of affluence sacrifices the legitimate needs of the poor in our communities, and immolates our own real sense of self-worth as children of God. The idol of self, the most powerful and avaricious of all, demands daily offerings of pride, bigotry, callousness, impatience, disregard, fear and hate. When we look in the mirror, what do we see? A human being in need of healing and restoration, or an idol?
Silly Love Songs
My apologies Sir Paul.
I have been accused of maudlin romanticism. Yep, sorry, that’s me. Not sure why. Could be genetic, could be immaturity, could be my naturally melancholic nature, could be I’m just a sap. These traits are generally considered a handicap in our society, but as a writer, they’re a positive boon! Anyway, when I feel blue, I like listening to music, the sappier the better.
On my iPod—no I don’t have an iPhone! Live free or die!—I have a playlist called “Suicide Mix.” The name is an attempt to poke fun of those who accuse me of being a maudlin romantic. There really aren’t too many sad songs on the list, just music that reminds me of days gone by, when life seemed simpler.
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Fortune Cookie Monday
That Thing You Do
It seems that my conversations with others provoke most of my blog posts, and this one will be no exception. This time, the conversation was one of those you generally have over a beer. It begins by posing a theoretical question that invites pontificating. I frequently resort to this ploy in social settings in order to engage the other person in something other than small talk. And since pontificating is one of the things I do best, I really enjoy these discussions.
The question for debate on this occasion was, “What are the three most important factors in [blank]?” Where [blank] is your particular profession/art form. It’s always fascinating to hear what people say in response to this question because very often, nobody ever asks them. Most people just go about doing [blank], and the consumer(s) of their work product are either satisfied, or dissatisfied. The consumer rarely gives a happy rat’s ass about the process involved, which is a shame because a basic understanding of the process always adds value to the final product. Or at the very least, provides a context for the result.
Let me give you an example…
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Child, Please!
I’ve received some comments that the blog has been too heavy with videos of 
late. Sorry. I thought they were apropos of the events of the day. Besides, they make a nice break from my droning, witless observations day in, day out. Nevertheless, I aim to please, so in a craven attempt to placate those critics, I offer this instead:
The subject of one’s space as a conduit for creativity came up recently. There are many theories on how one can best optimize their work environment, so as to enhance the creative flow. Paint the walls blue, have plants in strategic locations (supposedly to increase oxygen levels and thereby increase brain function), orient the space with the pole star, play soothing music in the background, have interesting things on your desk to play with when you can’t think, work in a pyramid, a circle, a hyperbaric chamber, or a tree house.
Yeah, OK.
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