rantings

2009-06-22T04:51:00.000-07:00

riginal web forum pictures for use on a discussion forum. I'll add to this post as I continue to make more!

2009-05-02T08:52:00.000-07:00

***DRUM ROLL*** GUESS WHAT?!? I'm RESTARTING my RANT blog! Yessssss! This one, here!

Here's what happened - I said I was going to move my blog to Myspace. My friends all got myspace pages and they convinced me that if I ALSO started a myspace page, it would give more people an opportunity to leave comments on my blog, there! Well... it was cool for a while. It worked... for a while... but I honestly don't dig Myspace all that much. And don't get me started on her sister - Facebook. Blegk! (I have accounts on both, but check neither) - Facebook is a little better ONLY because it was started by people who went to my University. :)

Anyway - I'm moving my blog back here. I actually have been keeping a separate blog on blogspot under this account, but my posts there are limited to talking about my life in South Korea. That's where I am, now, teaching English. But - I've been CRAVING to rant - and I just can't bring myself to spoil my South Korea Blog like that! So I'm starting this one up again!

Hope you like it!

Prepare to be entertained...

or not.

~Chris

2006-08-13T22:30:00.000-07:00

Why I Have Such Good Reflexes

I was watching the Sox game the other day with my mom and she brings up a memory from when I was little. I was in 5th grade (I think) on a little league baseball team, playing short stop. There were 2 outs and the batter drives a ball straight towards me. I was never good at catching, and I remember not quite knowing what was happening, but I reacted quickly and stuck my glove out in front of me, a little above my head, and caught the ball. After I caught it, I didn't quite believe that I really caught it, so I had to bring my glove down to have a look. Sure enough, it was still there. Since that retired the inning, my coach brought us all in, congratulated us, and with a big smile said, "and Chris, what was that??"

My mom brought that up and said if I hadn't caught it it would have it me in the face - but I remember it pretty clearly (you know, it was a miraculous moment) and it wasn't going for my face.

Anyway, so my mom brought up that memory and said I have good reflexes. I was going to tell her WHY I have good reflexes but I never was able to. It goes back to my early childhood years.

My mom always packed the pantry, fridge, and freezer SO full of food (she still does) that there were two layers of food on each shelf (there still is). One time, I opened the pantry and a full jar of peanut butter hadn't quite been jammed in as tight as it should have been. When I reached for something, it fell right onto the big toe of my right foot. The toenail turned blue and purple and fell off. I had to grow a new one. After that - I was always more careful opening the pantry, fridge, and freezer. Particularly, the freezer was trouble.

At least one out of every 3 times myself or one of my 3 siblings opened the freezer, something would slide out. Perhaps a steak, or maybe frozen chicken. Maybe a frozen bag of veggies... or a pizza. It was a surprise every time. It became a game of "always be ready for the unexpected frozen food to attack you if you open the freezer" - so this frozen food would jump out and I would reflexively grab it and catch it. Sometimes it would be that late night craving for some icecream - half asleep, walking to the freezer - boom! Catch a frozen bag of pork chops! It kept us on our toes.

This is a true story - no lie - and I'm not exaggerating when I say that this really is why I have such good reflexes. Sometimes if I missed stuff with my hands, I would stick my foot in the way and "catch" the item on my foot, lowering it to cushen the fall.

Yeah - some things never change.

2006-07-09T16:21:00.000-07:00

Dan Brown and The Da Vinci Code Review
Not a Spoiler

I finally read The Da Vinci Code. I'm not entirely sure where to begin my review. Obviously there has been a lot of outrage against this book - it's made a lot of Christians angry and probably challenged the faith of a lot of people.

The Christian Criticism

Well I think the whole outrage was completely overhyped. My opinion is that people will believe what they want to believe, according to the hardness of their hearts and openness of their minds. If you pick up this book because you have a grudge against Christianity or because you've always been skeptical about the Christian faith - sure, you'll eat this book up. If you have hear God call you and have responded to that call, and you pick up this book - it's nothing. You may walk away with some questions... but with 30 minutes of research, this book is nothing but fiction. It's no big deal.

My mom did bring up a good point, though. She said that one of the biggest complaints is that Dan Brown presented this book as historical fiction and not just plain fiction when, in fact, it is way more fiction than anything else. In order for it to be historical fiction, the known historical aspects of the book, the parts that can be accounted for using historical records - those things must be accurate. In this book, many of the historical aspects are not accurate. So when it's presented as historical fiction and the history is incorrect, it just becomes fiction, right? So why isn't it presented that way? I don't know. But the criticism makes a lot more sense when I think about it like that.

The Book Review

The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown, was just another cheap thriller. It was a quick and easy read and, for the most part, it did keep my interest throughout. The writing style was mediocre. The characters were underdeveloped, and Dan Brown was extremely clever in the presentation of the "facts" and plot. Let me now explain each comment I've made so far.

The book was quick and easy to read. Perhaps the font was big, I don't know, but that was the quickest 450 page book I've ever read. By the end of the book, you can generally, with ease, recount all of the previous events that have happened.

It was a cheap thriller with mediocre writing. The chapters were very short, and there were a lot of chapters. MOST of them had what I call cheap hookers at the end. A cheap hooker is a sentence that doesn't tell the reader anything worthwhile and is stuck in there just to keep them reading. Here's an example I made up, "little did he know, this would be the last time he would ever set eyes on her again." And Dan Brown does junk like that almost consistently throughout the whole book. It comes to be expected - and it's a cheap writing technique that, in my opinion, reflects his writing.

The characters were way underdeveloped. Sophie starts out as a strong and promising character and quickly falls into the tool for Langdon and Leigh to explain their little conspiracy. Robert Langdon doesn't have much character, like everyone else. He has a lot of knowledge that he shares with Sophie and the reader - but that's not character, even though some readers may get the two confused. Dan Brown needs to give his characters more feelings... more habits... and more subtleties in the description of their reactions and movements. There's just not enough depth to them.

Dan Brown is very clever and creative in his conspiracy. He provides a lot of detailed information regarding the history and conspiracy to the point where the facts get meshed with the fiction and a lot of it is believeable and pretty cool. Like the Mona Lisa part, being a combination of Amon and Isis. He's feeding you a load, there, but it's very creative. Same with the Sangrael fiction. So - props to Dan on that one. I think that's what sold the book, mostly, along with the huge publicity offered by the book's critics.

My recommendation is: Don't bother reading it. There are a lot of better books out there if you're looking for good fiction. Instead, just have somebody tell you about it, and read the two or three chapters that have to do with the conspiracy. If you do read the whole book - follow that up with one of the many Da Vinci Code myth buster books that explain what Dan Brown got wrong. It's incredibly interesting.

What I don't understand is, when I go on facebook, why do I see so many people with The Da Vinci Code listed as one of their favorite books? Maybe they don't read much and they read this thriller? I don't know. Whatever the case is... I think those people ought to expand the library of books they read. If you want a good thriller... pick up a Dean Koontz book.

Particularly Annoying Parts of the Book

2006-07-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

Absence

Sorry everyone, I know it's been a really long time since I've posted on my blog. I've been out of it... away. I disconnected myself with reality for a short time. During that time, God has been teaching me a lot. I'm getting more involved in my old church, Christ Community, where I was baptized when I first became a Christian. The senior pastor, Jim Nicodem, lives right up the block from me. God has really blessed this church a lot and I'm excited to grow with it now.

In my absence, I learned about the snare I have been falling into. I haven't been spending enough time with God, in prayer, in worship, and in His Word (reading the Bible). I've been putting myself first in my time and have been worrying too much about my poor financial situation and what I'll be doing in the future. How can I even begin to make such big decisions without seeking Him first? And once again, Jesus has shown himself to be faithful in my life by convicting me of these things.

Sorry I haven't been in touch. If you read this and you have a desire to pray for me, please pray that God would transform my attitude of idleness into the attitude of a servant and laborer for His Kingdom. Amidst all of this, I've been wanting to work and serve and do the work God blesses me with. In my search, I've neglected to see the work that God has put right in front of my eyes - around the house for my mom, my family, and my friends.

2006-07-09T13:50:00.000-07:00

What is "Quiet" in our Apartment?

I suppose this post is long overdue. It's just a question. What is "quiet" when I'm living at 304 E. Clark Street in Champaign, Illinois? In that case, quiet can be defined as no noise other than the very loud music coming from the apartment above us. They listen to music probably 8 hours every day at a minimum. I was so happy to leave because of that reason. And when I came back to visit the apartment in June to clear out the rest of my stuff... they were still doing it.

All in all - it's just a trade-off. Each place I live has its downers and its benefits. Overall, the downers at school were more abundant - but life's not 100% peachy living in Batavia, either.

2006-05-18T01:20:00.000-07:00

Graduation: It's Over

That's right. Graduation is over. It's over. I walked across stage wearing a cap and gown (John, Camille, Joshua, Mom, Dad, Bongi - they all witnessed it) and finished my classes. For a while, I was very worried about graduating. I waited way too long to do my final projects and studying... I worked harder the last 3 weeks of school than I have... at least all year if not longer. But my friends prayed for me and I worked my tail off to finish. Now... all I have is the feeling of great release - unburdoned.

What now? I have to go out into the world and get a job. How strange. What a foreign concept to me (pun intended, since I'll be going across seas to get a job). This summer, I'll be working at my usual summer job with the Batavia Park District's Kamp Kaleidoscope. It's the summer camp for elementry school kids in my home town and it's a blast. I get paid to watch the kids, play games with them, and go swimming with them.

Where to, now? I'll let you know when I know.

2006-05-14T14:57:00.000-07:00

The Up and Coming

Well, I really don't have time to blog right now, but I have quite a few things I would like to blog about, so I decided to post this as a reminder to myself and as a preview to you of the posts to come:

Up and Coming Post Headlines:
1. Graduation (It's over)
2. What is "quiet" in our apartment?
3. The American Empire: Freedom and Capitalism
(possible) 4: Taiwan Paper + Feedback + Response + Counter Response

2006-04-26T12:23:00.000-07:00

Blind

I think... one thing I want to experience just for a day -- is being blind. Don't bother me with trivialities. After I graduate, just for one 24 hour period, I want to wear a blindfold that I can't see through. I want to put it on before I go to bed, then wake up and not take it off, then go to bed with it still on. I'd probably have to stay around my apartment unless accompanied by somebody else.

I just wonder what it will be like... to rely on my other senses so intensly. I know, i will still be able to picture things and see all those burned images in my head, I'm still curious though.

I'll let you know how it goes. It won't be for a couple weeks still.

2006-04-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

Jehovah's Witness: Watchtower Alert!

Today for the first time in my life, a Jehovah's Witness tried to talk to me. I was only able to chat for a brief couple of minutes before my bus came. I actually didn't find out she was a Jehovah's Witness until AFTER I left because she gave me a handout. I've never been able to talk with one before - and even though I wasn't aware, I was excited after I found out that I got to.

God just reminded me that I should listen more in my life, be more understanding, less judgemental, and live with less assumptions. And to be prepared to share Jesus with anyone -- even people that are trying to share Him with me. :)

~Chris

2006-04-14T13:06:00.000-07:00

Letter To You

Hey!

I hope you're all having a GREAT day today, on Good Friday, remembering our Lord Jesus Christ as He suffered and died on the cross. It's 2:51pm as I'm writing this... and Jesus suffered on the cross from noon until 3pm. I had a class at 1pm and I debated whether or not I should go. I went. I had to, I've skipped too many... but I am constantly remembering Him and what He has done.

After my class, I went to the Union, and as I walked past the icecream shop, there was a pretty girl working there. And I thought, "oh, she is pretty" - I continued walking past and I thought "oh, I DID want to try one of their banana split shakes..." - so I turned around and bought one, and the pretty girl made it for me (yay). Then after I paid for it, I realized "oh shoot, I wasn't going to eat anything while Jesus was dying on the cross" - but it was too late. I already bought it.

And I'm in a very good mood today. Should I feel guilty? Should I feel like I need to act a certain way right now? Or do certain things (or NOT do them)? I do not feel guilty for being happy right now, and I don't feel guilty for writing this e-mail at this time, and I don't feel guilty for drinking this delicious shake right now. Because I know that God gave me this joy, and God blessed me with this shake. They were gifts, just like His Son on the cross was also a gift (although these gifts pale in comparison, even though I do think they are all interrelated). So, as I sit here and drink this yummy, excellent shake... it reminds me of the gift that was willingly given by the Son of God.

We have so much to be thankful for on this day - and every day. Let us remember... and let us celebrate - but not just on this day, and not just on Easter day - let us celebrate the Joy of God all the days that He gives us.

Anyway - I know what you're thinking. "What is this e-mail about anyway? Mmmm... I want a shake now, he sure does talk about his shake a lot in this e-mail" - but here's what the point of this e-mail is:

Our Friendship! I love you. Thanks for being my friend. You have been a great blessing in my life. :) And thanks, Liz, for saying it before me.

I hope to see you all again sometime soon.

~Chris

2006-04-06T23:14:00.000-07:00

Integrity

I recently realized the biggest reason that I am sometimes unhappy with my life, and it has to do with integrity. I always seem to fail at keeping my word... I think I say "yes" too much when I should be saying "no" - but I also feel like I say "no" too much when I should be saying "yes".

The truth is that I accept too many responsibilities... and I can't do them all. But there's more than that.

I find that I am very busy and sometimes I say I will do something but I end up not having the time to do it. That seems like a simple problem... but in fact I have a problem with intergrity. Sometimes I say "no, I can't do that" but then instead of making good use of the time I made available - I WASTE it!!! I hate that. I hate it. I don't know how to control myself and not waste my time or other things. Another part of the problem is that I put myself down for this because I value integrity so much! I want to be a person of my word and I want to be trusted... but I let myself down so often, how can I ever be a person who doesn't let other people down?

I've been told quite often that I tend to make things more difficult than they really are. Maybe that's true. These are problems I haven't quite figured out yet.

2006-03-29T18:46:00.001-08:00

Pictures! Snowman Greetings!

I recently decided that maybe my blog is a bit boring. I'm a visual learner, however, I haven't posted a SINGLE picture up to this point! What the heck is that about?!? So I will now post a picture. Drum roll please!

These are pictures of a snowman I made on Monday, March 27th, 2006. There wasn't much snow, but it was a beautiful day and I thought it would be a nice thing to make a snowman to greet everyone that went to the Undergraduate Library that day. There he is. Mr. Snowman.

2006-03-29T18:22:00.000-08:00

Locked Out... And In

Well, I got myself into another ridiculous situation, just last night. I know we all like to read about when Chris makes a fool of himself, well? Read on.

I found a GREAT spot on campus to study! I love it! There are huge windows, it's very bright, fast internet connection (although it's not wireless), lots of table space, chairs are okay, 3 microwaves, a refridgurator, and two coffee makers. This spot is in a very, very nice building on campus on the engineering quad.

So I've been going to this spot for the past few nights, very late, and studying and using the internet. It's been great.

Well, just last night (Tuesday night), I went to my favorite spot, but they locked the door shut so I couldn't use it! As a result, I had to pick a different spot. I ended up going to the 4th floor, which is actually 5 large stories high because of the design of the building, and I picked a mediocre spot to study in. Time flew by, and soon it was 3am. I decided to take a break from my work and get some fresh air... and guess what? This building has a nice patio balcony on each floor level with tables and chairs outside. Since my temporary spot was near the patio door, I went out on the balcony for some air. AS the door was closing, I thought to myself, "Hmmm, I wonder if this door is going to lock when it closes?"

Yes, I actually thought that. So, why did I let it close?

2 reasons:
1. Sheer curiousity. How could I ever know for sure unless it closed?
2. Dismissal of the idea that it would lock. Why on earth would it be locked from the OUTSIDE if it wasn't locked from the INSIDE??? It didn't make sense.

Well... here's some news for you: That building doesn't make sense. It locked. And there I was, 3:00 in the morning, locked on a 5th story balcony. Crap.

I banged on the windows for a good... 15-20 minutes. LUCKILY, I had my cell phone on. I called my roomate Drew - the remembered that there is NO way Drew would wake up to his cell phone ringing, first of all because it was on vibrate, but even if it had been on full volume... I tell you, it takes a fog horn to wake that kid up from sleep.

So I hesitantly called my roomate J.T. (why did I hesitate? Because I know J.T. values his sleep. Plus he had to get up early the next morning) - on the 3rd call, J.T. answered his phone and he had to drive to the building I was in, hike the stairs to the 4th floor, and let me into the building, ironically, so I could get out.

What did I learn from this endeavor? Engineers are spoiled and the University does not like me snooping around in their beautiful buildings with luxurious balconies.

Why am I not telling you what building it was? :)
Because I go there a lot and I want to keep it a nice, quiet, study place. And to save you from getting locked on one of the balconies.

While I was locked out for some 4o minutes, I imagined climbing down the side of the building, which is fully comprised of large glass windows with steel frames jutting out. It made me think of people in movies. Now I know how unrealistic that is. It was a freaky thought. Maybe if I were only 1 or 2 stories off the ground... THEN I might have tried it, but 5 stories??? No way!

...I also had a nice time spitting from the balcony and in an attempt to hit various targets. Those were some great minutes of entertainment. And that's all I have to say.

Ciao!

2006-03-24T01:00:00.000-08:00

Narnia: Stick With The Book

Oh yeah, speaking of movie reviews. Narnia gets 1/5 stars. It was... terrible. Maybe I'll edit this post and write more later - but basically, here's what I thought (caution, reading further may spoil things for you):

Actors did a terrible job acting. They fit the part VISUALLY... but they delivered their lines very poorly.

Characters - this was my biggest complaint. The characters HAD no character. Who were they? I wanted to know them... to feel for them... but they had no depth!

It took 2 seconds for that little brat to walk to the queen's ice castle when it looked like a couple days journey at first glance.

I was confused when Old Man Winter came along. I thought he was the professor from in the house.

The Queen was a stupid character. The movie did NOT capture the intensity of the book... the evil of the book. The movie did NOT capture the majesty of the lion, either.

The action was... LAME. What's with that part on the frozen river? That was so stupid - the way they overdramatized him sticking the sword in the ice.

There were other stupid things, but it's not fresh in my mind.
What's good? The music was OKAY. The battle scene was done well, and the special effects were good.

Don't Go See Narnia! Read the book and be happy with that!!! Or... dont' say I didn't warn you.

2006-03-24T00:56:00.000-08:00

Spirited Away - MUST SEE!!!

Spirited Away is a Japanese Anime movie. I saw it recently.
In case you don't know... I'm a big movie critic. So it may surprise you that...

I give this movie 5/5 stars! It was EXCELLENT. I highly recommend it, and it's totally a movie I would purchase. If I could describe it in any meaningful way, I would say that it's an Eastern version of Alice in Wonderland... only it's MUCH MUCH better.

I like ALL the characters (the 3 green heads were my favorite). They were all very interesting. The story was very interesting. The animation was very good. The plot was incredibly unpredictable. This was definately one of THE most creative movies I've ever seen. Wow. That's what I have to say: "wow"

Go. Go see it. Go watch it!

2006-03-24T00:23:00.000-08:00

Political Rhetoric, National Gain

I'm a news hound... I just don't like to blog about it too much. Recently, though, I was thinking about political rhetoric. I was reading an article on some of the things that Hugo Chavez (president of Venezuala) was saying in a speech to his nation. He was saying that the "North American empire" is an oil hungry beast that consumes resources and that the accusations against Iran, just like the invasion of Iraq, have nothing to do with anything but our desire to control more fuel.

Whether that's true or not... (reminds me of Gretchen. :) I was noting how clever his rhetoric was, labeling the US as the "North American empire." That's exactly what the United States government does, too. Uses catchy rhetoric like that - not neutral - but the words themselves say things. We use language like "regime" and "terrorist" to discribe Middle Eastern governments, groups, and people. It's a picture that the government is painting, and in that picture, the Middle East are "bad guys" - just like during World War II Germans were painted as "bad guys" - just like during the Cold War how Russians were painted as "bad guys." There will always be bad guys. Who'll be the next set?

Back on track. This recongition of the use of words and rhetoric on this scale really gave me the feeling -- like a sense of connection with my "enemies." I feel like I understand them a lot better than I did... and I feel less like they really ARE "enemies." Think of it this way...

Chavez wants to increase his power and the power of his nation. He wants the support of the people and a better economy. He uses a lot of political rhetoric to gain that support and power. And that rhetoric is drilled into the minds of the people just like the U.S. goverment's rhetoric is drilled into OUR mind (and it IS... trust me. I bet 90% of the language you use when you TALK about the war in Iraq or about Muslims is the same as what is used on the news and in speeches by politicians).

So I would say - congrats, Hugo, you're a smart guy and you're playing "the game."

Congrats Tehran, you're smart and you're playing the game.

(No congrats to North Korea. Yes, they're playing the game... but the majority of the power comes from the outright oppression of the people).

Congrats, President Bush and White House staff, you're playing the game and you're playing it well.

This whole political rhetoric thinking spawned into National Gain thinking. The United States polices the world. There's no question. But what do we do for the world that we do simply because it's RIGHT? I've come to realize... everything we do - we do for national gain. I'm just not sure we actually GIVE without intending to RECIEVE. It's all a "you rub my back, I'll rub yours" situation - and that is being PROVEN by the genocide in Sudan and, in the past, Rawanda. It's being proven by all of the "little guys" that can't support themselves and that nothing to offer "us."

So I listen to Hugo Chavez talk - and I think "this guy hates Americans." And yet, when Hurricane Katrina hit... he offered IMMEDIATE aid from Venezuala - faster than the Federal government did! What's that all about? For political gain. Now he has the appearance of being just - and helpful. But what did he REALLY want? To help Americans? (yeah, right). It was for political gain. The people of Venezuala see this type of action. They see the president "helping" America and also criticizing America. It gives him the appearance of being honest and wanting to do what's right. Good for you, Hugo. You're smart. You're playing the game. You're playing it well.

Sadly... our government has these things in common. Not just Bush. I'm not picking on him, although he is included. It's not just Bush - it's every president. That's their job and that's how they gain support from the people. We offer relief aid to Pakistan and other nations... and they hate us over there - in some places. Yet we offer them aid... and now I understand it. I understand why they don't want our "help" sometimes. Just like we might not want "help" from a man like Hugo Chavez who clearly does not want to aid the "North American empire."

(funny side note. "The North American Empire" reminds me of No Face, from Spirited Away. Eating and eating and eating... and eating... and popping gold out of nowhere and giving it away, national debt!)

So I understand why other nations hate us. Their governments feed them rhetoric, and they eat it up, just like we do. And then we send them "help" - only, we're not REALLY trying to help them. We're trying to gain something. And they know it.

This post is now long enough. I'm glad I feel close to God, and not our government. I'm glad He is my primary concern... and I'm glad I can have an outside perspective.

2006-03-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

"Death to Christians?"

Well, I read another interesting article online the other day. I sent it to some people in an e-mail. Apparently, a man in Afghanistan is on trial for converting from Islam to Christianity. If convicted, he could recieve the death penalty. Interesting. What's the death penalty in Afghanistan? Hanging? Beheading?

Anyway, I copied and pasted most of the article below - all the really interesting parts. Check it out. Honestly... despite these tragic circumstances in this unjust situation - I couldn't stop laughing at the irony. Most of it, I had to read twice... Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think.

If you want the full story: Click Here

Afghan Faces Death Penalty for Converting to Christianity

KABUL, Afghanistan, March 20, 2006 — Despite the overthrow of the fundamentalist Taliban government and the presence of 22,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, a man who converted to Christianity is being prosecuted in Kabul, and a judge said Sunday that if convicted, he faces the death penalty.

Abdul Rahman, who is in his 40s, says he converted to Christianity 16 years ago while working as an aid worker helping Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

Relatives denounced him as a convert during a custody battle over his children, and he was arrested last month. The prosecutor says Rahman was found with a Bible. (oh my gosh! noooo!)

Presiding judge Ansarullah Mawlazezadah tells ABC News a medical team was checking the defendant, since the team suspects insanity caused Rahman to reject Islam.

"We want to know that the doctors have given him a green light on his mental state, because he is not normal when he talks," says the judge.

The judge, however, holds hopes for a solution.

"We will ask him if he has changed his mind about being a Christian," Mawlazezadah says. "If he has, we will forgive him, because Islam is a religion of tolerance." (I get along with everyone! ...as long as they agree with what I think.)

The post-Taliban constitution recognizes Islam as Afghanistan's religion, and decrees that Islam's Sharia law applies when a case is not covered by specific legislation. The prosecutor says under Sharia law, Abdul Rahman must die.

"Afghan law protects freedom of religion," says Naader Naderey of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission. "We want to see the reform of the judiciary. We want to see judges with wider legal experience."

Rahman's case contradicts Article 7 of Afghanistan's constitution, which assures that "the state shall abide by … the Universal Declaration of Human Rights." That declaration states that "everyone has the right to freedom of thought … to change his religion or belief."

However, the constitution also states that Islamic law takes precedence over secular law and international treaties. Furthermore, the supreme court of that country has the right to veto certain provisions and interpret compliance with such treaties.
(Well that's just great. So, essentially, ALL international humanitarian laws that contradict Islamic law are just overruled?!? Does it scare anyone else that a good, honest, and tolerant religion like Islam even HAS a law that contradicts a basic humanitarian law?!? There are SO many things wrong with this article... or this government... or -- wow)

One expert in Islamic law explains that Afghanistan's penal code divides into two parts: the religious "huduud" dictated by the Koran and secular "ta'zir," which is regulated by the state. Conversion to another religion is a crime under religious law, which takes precedence over the secular and more tolerant policy.

The legal scholar, who asks to remain anonymous given the sensitivity of the topic, says, "It's a fundamental tenet under Islam that conversion to another religion is a heinous act. It has a touch of treason … there's an aspect to it of betrayal against the communal identity."

2006-03-11T14:07:00.000-08:00

Getting Married in South Africa

Holy crap... this post is interesting. You should definately read it.

Okay, so I have a friend that use to go to UIUC, but transfered out (booo!). Right now she's spending the semester in South Africa studying abroad. I just got an update e-mail from her where she explains the traditional marriage ceremony in the Zulu culture. MAN I wish it were the same in the U.S.!!!!

Karen writes:

"So two Saturdays ago, I went with another girl on the program and her host family to a post-lobola celebration. In traditional Zulu culture when a man wants to marry a woman, he has to pay the woman's family lobola, or brideprice, which is usually 11 cows. After lobola is paid, the bride's family has a celebration to thank the groom's family. The most interesting part was the rituals involving a slaughtered goat that are done in order to gain favor with the ancestors which is really important in the culture. There were maybe 10 or 15 people standing in a small round house with the slaughtered goat lying on the groun! d and the groom, the bride, and many elders gathered round. First the groom has to drink some of the bile from the goat. Then one of the elders takes another body part and squeezes it so that liquid pours out onto the groom's two index fingers. Finally someone takes the gallbladder of the goat, blows it up like a balloon and ties the end and pins that onto the groom's shirt. Seeing all this happen in person is just as weird as reading about it in an email and it makes one really think about how culture is so vastly different around the world."

I could NOT stop cracking up when I read this. hahaha

2006-03-04T12:56:00.000-08:00

Jessica Fong

Me: "Jessica, if every asian woman thought exactly like you, would a bearded white man have a shot at dating an asian woman?"

Jessica: "Ooohh... umm... I think -- if the hair is on the arms it would be -- better -- because he would be -- furry -- like an animal."

hahahahahahahahahha
hmmmm

hahaaha

2006-02-28T17:03:00.000-08:00

Stinkyness

So, in order for you to understand this story, I must first tell you this: If you're going to my apartment in Champaign, once you get to the building you have to walk up some stairs and then open a security door to get into our hallway (with 4 apartment doors in the hallway), then open our door.

So, often times when I open the security door, something smells REALLY good because one of the other apartments is cooking something delicious and I smell it and get really hungry. Well... today, I opened the security door and something smelled REALLY stinky, like... poopy. And I was like, "YESSSSS! FINALLY! Something smells STINKY in the hallway! HAH! Now I'm not hungry for what I can't have! Suckers... making stink."

So I opened our door and the stink got WORSE! And I realized... it was OUR apartment that was making the hall stinky - only... this time, it wasn't Drew or J.T.'s cooking -- nobody was there! So I was sad. And I realized that J.T. was cleaning out the fridge last night and he threw away some rotten beef and a big rotten chicken breast... and they smelled quite foul. Soooo - I quickly took out the garbage and opened our balcony sliding door and left. Yay! All better!!!

Editors Note: Yes, I edited this post recently. It originally said in the last paragraph: "And I realized that J.T. was cleaning out the garbage last night and he threw away some rotten beef and a big rotten chicken breast..." only J.T. wasn't cleaning out the garbage, he was cleaning out the fridge. That would be pretty ridiculous if he was cleaning out the garbage... hmmmm

2006-02-24T12:06:00.000-08:00

A Smile is a Smile from a Cute Girl

Today, I scraped myself off my bed for my 9am class. I stayed up way too late and I was sooo tired. My eyes were drooped, my mouth was hanging open, and my shoulders hung. As I droned my way across the quad, heading to class, I passed this cute girl. All I remember is that she looked at me, made eye contact, and smiled. I was thinking, "wow, this girl just smiled at me. Why on earth did she smile at me?" I had no idea who she was. Of course - we all hope for the best in these situations - maybe she thought I was cute? But you know what - that just didn't sit right with me, so I continued to think about it.

When I opened the door to my classroom, there were 3 students and the professor, and they looked at me and said, "ARE YOU OKAY?" And I was like, "yeah. I'm just really tired." And they said, "You look like you're drugged."

And *click*

This girl that smiled at me must've been thinking, "hah - THIS kid just got up." She was laughing at me because of my zombie-esk state.

Oh well... a smile is a smile.

2006-02-18T15:49:00.000-08:00

Dictator Drew

I posted a reponse to my roomate Drew's blog entry about MuteMath and the Chicago trip, only when I submitted it, I got a little message that said it would only be posted AFTER he's had a chance to review it (Boooo!!!! Dictator!!!!! Free Speech! Free Speech!).

3 Reasons Why NOT to Filter Blog Comments in this way:

1. Drew doesn't post all that often, so the comments will ONLY be approved the next time he decides to post - which could be a long time.

2. Why supress what others have to say? You can delete the spammy comments (if there are any, which is not common) at a later time. Why bother with approval?

3. Reviewing comments for approval limits the already rare blend of comments that blogs ACTUALLY get and is a very dictatorish thing to do.

Sooo - my roomate is a blog dictator. That would be cool if I could throw a virtual tomatoe at him. :)

2006-02-15T15:26:00.000-08:00

DTIDLTD WEEK!!!

Okay! 3 posts in 1 day! But the first one was short and I just have a lot to say.

SOOO - guess what NEXT week is?!? It's my radom anual: "Do Things I Don't Like To Do" Week!

What? I commit to doing at LEAST one thing per day that I don't normally like to do.

What the heck?!? It's fun.

WHY?!?!?! Well, the point is that a lot of us are too accustomed to sticking with the norm and we tend not to try new things as often as (I think) we should. SO - DTIDLTD week is an opportunity for me to try things I know I don't like again to see if I might perhaps start to like them! Also... it builds character.

Here is a list I came up with of possible things to do for "Do Things I Don't Like To Do" Week. I am NOT committing to doing ALL of these things - I am just keeping a list of possibilities so I can plan it out better. I WILL try to do many of these things, as time permits.

1. Drink Soy Milk instead of 2%
2. Eat Almond Joys
3. Drink Bubble Tea WITH the Boba
4. Wake up early
5. Go to bed early
6. Do my homework... ?
7. Learn more about doctors and hospital procedures
8. Golf (not mini golf. I like mini golf)
9. Watch one of the following movies: My Neighbor Totoro, the third Matrix Movie, the Final Fantasy movie that is a continuation from FFVII, The Prince of Egypt
10. Read Kipling's book: KIM
11. Listen to MuteMath (sorry roomates.)
12. Eat Tomatoes
13. Eat Fish
14. Go jogging for "fun"
15. Read about cars - and the mechanics of cars
16. Learn some Japanese
17. Go Fishing

I'm sure there is a LOT more that I could add to this list that I just camp remember... Maybe I'll add more at a later date - as people feed me suggestions.

Please Make Note: DTIDLTD Week does NOT mean that you CANNOT do things you DO like - it's only an obligation to do SOME things that you know you DON'T like. Get it? I'll let you know what I do and how it goes! If you know me at all and you want to leave suggestions for me as a comment... I'm open to suggestions, but no promises to do them. :)

2006-02-15T15:15:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day

Yesturday was Valentine's Day - and it was the greatest Valentine's Day I've had in years! :) You see... V-Day is my favorite holiday. Oh, yes, it's true. I find it exciting. There are 3 ways to make Valentine's Day great:

1) Spend it with a wife or girlfriend
2) Spend it with a POTENTIAL girlfriend
3) Spend it with a great friend or friends that you absolutely love

Well... after numbers 1 and 2 fell through - I happily settled on number 3. :)

I had lunch with my pal Christine Chen. She was my first victim. hahaha. We had lunch and a nice chat and I presented her with a white rose.

Me: "I didn't get it from the quad. They didn't have the color I wanted. White means friendship."

Christine: "I thought yellow was friendship."

Me: "Nope. It's white."

(I'll return to this a little later)

Anyway - I had no plans for dinner most of the day, but later, around 4:30pm, I was able to get a hold of my pal Jamie Spader! She goes to ISU, which is a little less than an hour drive away, but we have not seen each other in quite a while. So, when I found out that her romantic life is on pause right now, I offered to drive out and have dinner with her. And I did. We went to Chili's and caught up and it was a lot of fun. Thanks Jamie! I treated her to dinner and a drink and we chatted about the happenings in our lives - then I drove home. Jamie was my second victim. I told her I had lunch with Christine.

Me: "And I gave her a white rose because that's the friendship rose."

Jamie: "Yellow is the friendship rose."

Me: "Really???!!"

Jamie: "White is the Purity Rose."

Me: *shrug* "Oh well... that's good too."

:) :) :)

And that's my V-Day '06
WOOOOHHH!!!

2006-02-15T15:11:00.000-08:00

Ben Dukes

Ben Dukes and I had breakfast on Saturday at IHOP on Green Street. Afterwards, he walked with me to the Union.

Me: "I'm not sure why... but I have this sudden urge to buy Abercrombie and Fitch clothes... it's strange"

Ben: "Me too. For THAT guy."

Note: I was making this comment sattirically as we passed the gigantic bilboard of an Abercrombie advertisement. The advertisement shows the top half of a muscular, shirtless guy holding a football. No clothes can be seen in the picture.

2006-02-09T15:18:00.000-08:00

YWAM

I mentioned my plan to do a YWAM DTS in January '07 (See the post "After I Graduate"). If you've never heard of YWAM, I just wanted to share how much God blesses that ministry... all the time. I have a friend, Lyssa, that is with the program long term. I always get encouraging e-mails from her. It seems so amazing, the work God is doing around the world. That's what I want my life to be like... someday. I wonder if I'll be ready for it on time.

Anyway, I just wanted to share a random (the latest) encouraging e-mail that Lyssa sent me, just so you can taste the flavor of what it's like. She's in Indonesia at the time she wrote this e-mail:

"Hi Everyone,

I know I just wrote you earlier today but I have more time now so I wanted to expand a bit on Indonesia...

Oh wow, Indonesia was great! So many amazing things are happening there and I love that I can actually write freely about it. We met a former muslim government worker now turned Christian while we were in Surabaya who told us how the govt. in Indonesia is planning by the year 2020 to have done away with all Christians and Chinese, or at least force them to leave...how churches are being closed down, etc...but God knows the plans of the enemy and is working miracles in the church and outside. This man is now going around networking churches and bringing believers together so they will stand strong. On Feb. 16th there is going to be a national call to prayer for peace between the Christians and the Muslims with 15000 present, and the rest of the nation seeing it on TV or hear! ing it on the radio. All over the island of Java both Christians and Muslims are asking for peace, asking for reconcilliation. Isn't that amazing?

We in Surabaya had the priviledge of going to a Koranic boarding school to teach the children english...well actually just to do crafts with them. Afterwards we sat with some of the leaders of the school, talked and ate...I don't think we realize how huge that is. For us to be able to sit there showed how much God was doing in that area with building bridges between the two groups of people. That opportunity took years of reconcilliation work but it paid off and we were able to be a part of that.

In PR, a friend turned to BJ and asked what it meant to be a Christian, what exactly he believed, and he was able to spend the next 3hrs talking with her, sharing about salvation, and grace and encouraging her towards God. She didn't accept th! en, but she heard and that is important. And she was just one of the many people they met and shared with while on their trip. Every day they met and hung out with numerous people muslims and non, Indonesians and foreigners and were able to share their lives and their love with them.

In Bali, Sandra was able to sit on the beach and openly share about her faith and her life with some of the people there. She was just sitting there and they approached her and walked away hearing about Jesus. The girls were also able to go into the poorer areas, encouraging and loving on the people there. They also held youth services in the local parks where they were able to openly worship and share the gospel with the youth that attended.

All over Java we were able to love on people, play with children, and share Jesus whether in word or deed and lives were touched and changed, and we were able to encourage ! the believers, challenge them in their walk with God and let them know that they aren't alone. At the orphanage in Jakarta two children came to know the Lord! Isn't that fantastic?!

We sat and met this afternoon as a team, sharing what God did while we were apart and it was such a great time, encouraging too. Our God is a God who pursues, who watches over His children, and who fights for the ones He loves. Praise Him for that! And please pray for the people of Indonesia...I know that sounds so general but really, they need it. The believers need strength, need protection, and discipleship. The rest need Jesus.

Thank you for keeping us in your prayers...miracles happened because of it and are continuing too. You were part of it all and we are so greatful for that.

God bless,

Lyssa"

That's all. God Bless,

~Chris

2006-02-06T23:21:00.000-08:00

I am a man today

Today, I became a man. For the very first time, I changed a car tire. You see, last Wedneday, I realized I had a flat, and today, I put on the spare. I think... you can only really be a man once you've changed a car tire at least once in your life.

Manhood is good.

2006-02-06T10:13:00.000-08:00

CNN Reports:

(CNN) -- From Afghanistan to Indonesia, tens of thousands of Muslims around the world have launched a series of new protests -- some violent -- over cartoons depicting Prophet Mohammed. see story here

Where are these 10,000 protesters when Muslim-Extremist terrorists slowly saw the head off of innocent civilians from any nation they please, on camera? Where are the protesters when Muslim-Extremists fly two commercial airline planes into the World Trade Center Buildings? Where is the protesting then?

2006-02-05T18:09:00.000-08:00

Mohammad's Caricatures VS the "Piss Christ"

Many people seem to like to post about the news and chat about that. A lot of posts have been in response to the reaction Islam is having to the Caricature's of their prophet Mohammad. Now... I'm not in favor of offending people - even though I do value freedom of speech and expression. If person is offended... or many people... there are MANY ways to go about handling the situation that does NOT involve burning buildings and threatening to murder civilians that have nothing to do with the offense other than a common nationality.

Double standard.

Read about the "Piss Christ" - which offended so many Christians... and compare the reactions. Then let me know what your opinion is.

~C

2006-02-05T17:51:00.000-08:00

NJL

I did a random search on this Blog website with the hopes of reading something interesting at random. So I searched for the word "chains" - without any intention of finding something excellent... and I ended up finding something excellent. I feel it's appropriate to post a quote from the post I read right here on my blog.

Here's the quote:
"Now that all sounds very secular and very humanist, but before the Hauerwasians tell me to 'go back to the Enlightenment' let me say that I'm not saying we are hoping in governmental powers. My point is that as Christians we are not on a crusade against evil (however one wants to define it), because we know that evil has already lost. We are proclaiming the victory of God, testifying to the reign of Christ by caring for the weak and seeking justice for the oppressed, and calling people to turn away from the destructions of sin (including, but not limited to: violence, materialism, nationalism, selfishness) and put their trust in God.

When we get too tied up in political hopes we quickly forget that Jesus is already Lord. When our false hopes fail us, we forget that we have good news to proclaim, news that will change the world."

If you would like to read more, here's a link to the blog:
NJL's Blog

To NJL: Thanks for an interesting read.
~CMP

2006-02-05T12:33:00.000-08:00

After I Graduate

Well, for those of you that are wondering, "What is Chris going to do after he graduates?" - I have a few thoughts on that.

I'm coming out of school with some debt because I took out a big loan to cover living expenses this year. It's a big loan to me, but in comparison to how much debt SOME people leave college with... it's not bad at all.

I will be graduating in mid May of 2006 (Cheers!)

After that, I will work my normal summer job at "Kamp Kaleidoscope" in Batavia, IL, which is basically a kids camp where I am paid to play fun games and go fun places with kids. It's a great job.

When summer is over, I will have a six month period of time where I won't know what to do. It will be from September until late December. I will either get a temporary job... or - some new thoughts JUST came up yesturday.

You see, ultimately, somewhere down the line in my life, I would like to end up teaching English in China. This semester at UIUC, I'm in the Wushu Kung Fu Club. I love Kung Fu, it's very demanding, disciplined, athletic, and a whole lot of fun. So I found a link online - unexpectedly - regarding a program where you can go to China and train in Wushu for as short a time as 4 weeks and as long a time as 1 year - and you can also do their language program to learn Mandarin. So i was thinking... maybe during my questionable six months... maybe I could spend a semester in China training in Wushu and learning Mandarin. I was checking out the prices - and it will cost the same or less to go to China for a semester as it will cost for one semester at UIUC. Same price! That's a sweet deal! So... I'm sincerely considering this. I don't know where I would get the money to do this -- but wow, if I could, I would really really love it.

Here's the website I found, it has prices and everything if you want to take a look:
http://www.ebt-edu.com/martialarts.htm

So we'll see about that.

When that time ends - I will be going to a YWAM DTS. YWAM is an international missions program. DTS stands for Discipleship Training School. It's a six month program that involves training at one of their schools for 3 months and going on a missionary trip for 3 months afterward. They have school locations all over the world - and I want to pick one that will not be in East Asia, since I'm sure I want to end up there. I want to taste a different part of the world to see if I like it. I'm thinking perhaps Madagascar or something, that sounds interesting. Or else, somewhere in South America, maybe. I'm still thinking about it.

That's the plan for my first year. Here's the YWAM website, if you want to learn more about the organization and about the DTS program: http://www.ywam.org/

After my first year, I will either go back to school (my mom gave me a convincing reason to consider this option *sigh*) or I will work for a year (as I originally planned) at a Private Christian School Instructor until I pay off some debt.

That's the rough lay-out of my future. Please comment, let me know what you think! I need some wisdom... and support... and criticism... whatever you've got.

Thanks!
~Christopher

2006-02-04T13:54:00.000-08:00

The Bible: Jeremiah

On Thursday night, I saw a movie called "Jeremiah, The Bible". I didn't know what to expect, before watching it. In fact, I wasn't even sure if it was a movie or if it was a documentary program, but I soon found out that it was a movie.

So I sat and watched it, and in the end, I was absolutely mezmorized. It was an excellent movie, and an excellent depiction of Old Testament times. There were very few obvious embellishments that I could see.

Everything about the life of Jeremiah was put in order in this movie. Of course, there wasn't really any action, but there wasn't supposed to be. This movie was a message about Jeremiah's testement of God, and it spoke loudly. I was strongly convicted by it and I really learned a lot. I learned so much - that it was almost too much to soak in all at once. I will have to watch it again, sometime.

There were a lot of accurate and subtle details that really added to this film. I definately recommend it to those that are interested in this sort of thing. I know I, personally, took a lot from this movie... even things I am still trying to implement in my life.

2006-02-02T15:48:00.000-08:00

I'm an Idiot: Emberrassing Moment

It's amazing how blogable events can happen WHILE you're writing a blog post. So, I'm sitting here in the Undergraduate Library on the lowest floor and I'm listening to music (it's rare for me to be in this library. I like the Union and Grainger so much more).

So... I'm sitting, I have my headphones in plugged in, I'm blasting some music (Superstar, by S.H.E., of all songs) - and suddenly, nearing the end of the song, something occurs to me.

"Wait a second, something is strange about the sound coming from my computer."

So I took out my headphones and realized the music I was playing was coming from my computer speakers and NOT from my headphones. Why? Because I had accidentally plugged my headphones into the MICROPHONE slot instead of the HEADPHONES slot, which are carelessly designed to be RIGHT next to eachother. *sigh*

So I stopped the music and took of my headphones and said out loud to the people around me, "you mean I was playing this music out loud this whole time and nobody told me?" - and people laughed at me. But I'm quite used to that.

Wow. Go Chris. Rockin' out to S.H.E. on the quiet floor of the Undergrad.
Thank goodness I NEVER come here. Nobody will recognize me. Mwahaha!

2006-02-02T15:13:00.000-08:00

Chocolate-Milky Morning

This morning I woke up to my alarm at about 10:00am, and proceeded to pour chocolate milk on myself while lying in my bed. Why? ... I have no idea.

I woke up and was utterly confused with the usual morning confusion. So I sat up and picked up the glass of chocalte milk sitting next to my bed. I brought the glass NEARLY all the way to my lips and tilted it forward when suddenly I felt cold and wet. This added to my confusion so I just sat there for a minute or so with chocolate milk on my shoulder, pillow case, and bed, until I decided to grab my nearest shirt and wipe up the spill with it.

Needless to say, I will be doing laundry soon.

2006-02-02T12:54:00.000-08:00

Rantings

Everyone seems to have fun writing random junk on blogs, so I decided to make one, since I am so opinionated. Thus, I have appropriately titled this blog: Rantings. And here I will Rant.

Reasons You Should Read My Ranting:
1. It is all so SOOOOOO very interesting.
2. It might just change your life.
3. Reading is good.
4. You want to know what I think about anything and everything.
5. You need more reasons why I (perhaps) suck.

Let me know what you think. :)
I'm open to a good discussion - Always!

~Christopher