Random, Oh, So Random Fragments

In a weird mood, lots of ideas, kinda tired, so, UR N LUCK. This is my most random post ever.

It's almost my birthday.  After 30, birthdays are just reminders you are going to die, but with cake.

Most memorable birthdays:

6 (Saw Return of the Jedi with friends)
10 (Water ballons)
20 (surprise party)
21 (no comment)
27 (birthday in China with massive firework like candles)
30 (big party with friends and family)
35 (had two birthdays in one day, because as we flew, the date changed)

A few weeks back during the NBA Finals my friend mentioned I would probabley be an atheist if I hadn't been brought up in a strong Christian home.  Pretty much, yeah.

Reading about Chinese Muslims lately  - do you know there are 20-30 million Muslims in China?  Crazy, man.

Found out  one of my favorite Chinese people in history, Zhen He was a Muslim as well.  I had NO IDEA. NOT A ONE. World class sailor. Bro delivered African animals back to the Emperor.  NOAH'S ARK STYLE. Also, for the record, other favorite Chinese people in history are: Confucius, Monks/Dudes that wrote Dao De Jing, and my most favorite, the underrated, Mozi Yeah, I know, STEREOTYPICAL list. Sue, me.  I also LOVE THE BEATLES. 

I wish I had the fortitude or attitude or something to become a vegetarian. The truth is I like meat too much. Still cutting back though...

We had a bunch of roaches in the house (I know, gross). So sickening. We called the "bug guy" and it was like 150 bucks, suddenly, the roaches didn't seem as gross - just spraying with the over the counter stuff.

 If I had to pick one kind of food I could eat for the rest of my life (Americana, Italian, Mexican, etc.) I would go with Chinese.  SO MANY OPTIONS. By the way, I am unsure who invented Lazy Susans, but he/she should be honored. I wish I could eat on a table with a Lazy Susan every meal.

Childhood Memory Flash
My Dad would play pool sometimes on Saturday mornings if my Mom went shopping. I would go and hang out in the arcade area while my Dad played pool. I was lucky if my Dad gave me a buck or a few quarters so I stared a lot at screens, pretending to play. I remember loving Mappy because of the cool cartoons and artwork.  That game was so CRAZY hard. If you were under the age of 8, it was like throwing your quarter in the trash. So cruel.

Favorite Piano Songs:

The one played over and over on The Sting
Everything on Charlie Brown Christmas 
Moonlight Sonata 
Any slow song my wife plays on our piano in the house

I hate those restaurants where they charge you for chips and salsa. Especially if it's a Tex-Mex place, that's on OBAMACARE right there.

I like bean dip. Its probably horrible for your health and likely has no real beans in it, but it's sooooo good.

I used to like baseball as a kid, then I thought it was boring, now the very thought of watching it on TV sends soccer-like shivers down my spine.

OK, that's all lovely folks.  So, in hobbit-like fashion (as traditionally hobbits provide gifts for their friends on their birthday) here are some pics I found recently:

The Problem with Truth

What is truth?

Lately the question has been kicking around in my life, so here I find myself typing out my thoughts.  When it comes to truth, I am no relativist.  I have little patience for those folks who believe all opinions, religions or cultures are all “equal” or “the same”.  I mean no one is stopping you from believing that way, but it’s just plain lazy.  

On the other hand, I think the Buddhist/Hindu/Jain story informs my point of view as well.The story goes like this… there were once six blind men that were taken to an elephant and asked to describe what an elephant was like. 

I know this looks and sounds like a mean fraternity prank.

Each of the six men had a different description of what an elephant was based upon where they stood in relation to the elephant. The man at the trunk was convinced an elephant was like a huge python, the man at the tusk believed an elephant was like a spear, the guy at the ear thought it was like a fan, etc., etc. Of course the point of the story is that none of the men were completely right and none of them were completely wrong. They each had a part of the truth but not the full truth. 

For Hindus, the "truth" (and for that matter, God) is too subjective (or in God's case incomprehensible) for anyone person to claim they can see the whole truth. Most people are like those blind guys, believing they know what the elephant is.  

When Buddha was asked by people what truth was, he was said to have been silent. Jesus was also silent when Pilate asked him what the truth was.  Maybe the question is just a big trap question. Maybe the truth about truth is that it's like the Tao, once you name it, you’ve lost it. 

..................

I am a Christian, so in theory, I am supposed to have a clue about the truth. On Sunday my pastor had a whole sermon on truth and Christianity. One of his points was that good, sincere people can be wrong about their beliefs.  One example was about  the woman who believed she could survive like a plant, off of only sunshine and water.  Yes, the story was true. 

In this particular case the woman was proved wrong by the simple fact that she almost died (she had to end her little experiment).  As silly and disturbing as her truth claim was, it could be verified in the here and now. She could be proved right or wrong.  

The "truth" is, religion kinda sucks as a truth claim.

Not too long ago, we had a visit from some Mormons in our house. They came by while I was doing yard work, so I set up an appointment with them the following week. After about 40 minutes about talking about the cross, Joseph Smith and the Book of Abraham, I finally asked them how they knew they were "right". One of them replied that they had prayed about it and they felt God had given them confirmation of the truth of The Book of Mormon. This is a standard Mormon line. They feel it's true, so therefore, it's true.

I asked him if he thought the Islamic terrorists "felt" they were "right".  He replied that yes, he thought that they believed they were following "God's will". If religion's truth is based on how you as an individual feel about it - isn't this a problem?  Even if I move beyond my "gut feelings" and I put my trust in the Bible, a church, a pastor, etc., you are still no better (although you might be better informed). Any given church may have misrepresented, mistranslated or even misunderstood "God's will" thus muddying the water even more.

This brings me to the idea of unfalsifiable beliefs. This is best explained by John Wisdom's Parable of the Invisible Gardner:

 "Two people return to their long neglected garden and find, among the weeds, that a few of the old plants are surprisingly vigorous. One says to the other, 'It must be that a gardener has been coming and doing something about these weeds.' The other disagrees and an argument ensues. They pitch their tents and set a watch. No gardener is ever seen. The believer wonders if there is an invisible gardener, so they patrol with bloodhounds but the bloodhounds never give a cry. Yet the believer remains unconvinced, and insists that the gardener is invisible, has no scent and gives no sound. The skeptic doesn't agree, and asks how a so-called invisible, intangible, elusive gardener differs from an imaginary gardener, or even no gardener at all."

This parable brings up some problems for all religious believers, as faith can’t be verified. It cannot be proved true (or false) in our lifetime.  One could say that some Christian claims might be able to be "proved" wrong by a discovery of an ancient artifact. However, many believers might question the authenticity or realiablity of any discovery thus undermining this claim of falsifiability. 

While falsifiability does prove to be a problem for the veracity of any truth claim, I don't think it sinks all religions. If the religion's truth claims can be proved likely to be not true at all (i.e. Mormonism) then, you have a clear case for disbelief.  However, I would posit that if God exists, a level of mystery would be needed in order to retain the moral free agency of people. Either way, I do find problems with discovering what the “truth” is from any religion’s point of view.

All this week I kept thinking about why my pastor’s sermon rubbed me the wrong way. What’s the problem with stating that Christians have “the truth”? I mean, I am a Christian after all, don’t I believe my own faith?

I guess that’s what it comes down to – faith.  For me, faith is ultimately a call for the believer to stop trying to answer what the “truth” is. Because once our faith is something you know as a fact then it’s not really faith anymore.  You cease to have free will and are only responding to something you have to respond to.   I am suspicious of people who seem to know it all.   

"You should never never doubt what no one is sure about"

Some people take comfort in answering life's riddles - they put their faith into a church or God or something else entirely. That way their doubts are silenced, their "truth" preserved.  My profession has honed my skills as a thinker - every question can be questioned, every query can be reversed to show another side. When I come up with an answer, a new question is then created. Maybe I am insane. Lately I've been consumed with doubt.

Authentic faith, like the pursuit of truth, requires authentic doubt. Questioning your beliefs or your faith isn’t just a burden, it’s a gift. That’s how Kierkegaard saw faith, as a miracle from God.  When Jacob wrestles and struggles with God he isn’t struck down by a lightening bolt, he is blessed. It is because of his struggle he gets the blessing.  

The more I struggle, the more I risk, the more I feel like this is the way it’s supposed to be. 

I guess my problem with claiming I have the truth is that in doing so, I am ignoring the fact that I have doubts about my truth claim. It doesn’t mean I don’t believe in my truth claim, it’s just it can’t be proved.  The idea that my truth claim is somehow better than the other blind guy trying to feel the elephant is a little silly.  So, we’ll just keep feeling together, hoping the elephant is really there.

Postscript: Just read an interview with the new pope and I thought he pretty much summed up this whole post a lot better than me:

"In this quest to seek and find God in all things there is still an area of uncertainty. There must be. If a person says that he met God with total certainty and is not touched by a margin of uncertainty, then this is not good. For me, this is an important key. If one has the answers to all the questions—that is the proof that God is not with him. It means that he is a false prophet using religion for himself. The great leaders of the people of God, like Moses, have always left room for doubt. You must leave room for the Lord, not for our certainties; we must be humble. Uncertainty is in every true discernment that is open to finding confirmation in spiritual consolation. Our life is not given to us like an opera libretto, in which all is written down; but it means going, walking, doing, searching, seeing … We must enter into the adventure of the quest for meeting God; we must let God search and encounter us."

Pic Dump (From Work!!)

Hello.

Part of my job involves lots and lots of reading. This means I am on the internet a large portion of my day. So, when I get something really good, I save it. Here are pics from my massive collection from my work PC.  Some do not need a comment. Some are not funny, they are just cool. ENJOY PARTY PEOPLE!

On a level of 1-10 of laziness. Peeled bananas must be a 10.5.  

  

The Black Costume was so cool. Every time I am in the used bookstore and I see a black-era Spider-Man comic, I buy it.

Yes, it's a bear. Yes, they helped him off the bridge and he survived.

Calvin & Hobbes. How you feel about Calvin & Hobbes directly correlates with how I will feel about you.

This guy, whoever he is, is my hero.

Before the sadness there was great happiness and head-flicking.

 

Frothy Fragments

So, it's two steps forward, three steps back with this blog.

Here are you updates because the BLOG GODS demanded it.

You could say I was lazy and that would be half right but the real reason I haven't been writing that much is because of the Spurs playoff run. I was supposed to write about it (making this great connection about the death of my youth and the Spurs probable last title run) but it was all so exhausting emotionally and physically (because the games were so late). It didn't help the little guy has seemed to be teething for the past 75 nights either. On nights without games I was drained.

It also doesn't help I have been busier than I have ever been in a summer. 5 classes crammed in 3 months.  3 classes going on right now, kinda crazy. One is a history class so I have to prep. That sucks too.

Did I mention it sucked that the Spurs lost? Yeah, that sucked.

Finished my summer abroad application in May then I forgot I had to do a spring assessment for my discipline so then I had to rush to work on that. My head has been here, there and everywhere and I know I am rushing headlong into the fall with a new course to teach (World Cultures) and it's likely I will be close to total burnout in August. OHS WELLS. Lots of  ALL CAPS this blog post, so sorry genteel readers.

In good news my daughter penned a letter to the president asking him to stop the the use of drone bombings. So proud of her. She had seen the cover of my Sojourners magazine for this month and asked some questions about it.

So, she asked if she could write a letter to President Obama and I said yes. It wasn't my idea at all but I did help her craft the letter a little.  I am sure we will soon be on the TERROR WATCH LIST. Especially combined with the fact one of our children has an Arabic name and I am one of those infamous LIBRUL professors. Cheers, Uncle Sam! 

Here's the letter she wrote. So proud of my little C! 

Other good news: My wife and I celebrated our 10th anniversary this month. So crazy. We had a good little time -- she is the best. She proves the cliche, she is my "better half".

Did I mention the Spurs losing sucked? Oh, game six was like a punch in the face, not punch to the gut, .04 in 2004 was a punch in the gut (injustice), this was more like a punch to the face. Well, actually maybe it was more like an involuntary punch to the face from your own fist as we handed them the game and thus, the series and thus the championship.  I still have flashbacks in the middle of the night when I am holding the baby late at night or randomly in the car on my way to work. After the game I have been in total sports media blackout (not that hard as we don't have cable and there is nothing going on the sports world I care about anyhoo). 

Totally on a Sirrachha Sauce kick. So good on just everything, soups, chili, pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches, nachos, spaghetti, and mac and cheese.  Anything we have ketchup with I mix it in that STUFF. 

Having watched so much of the NBA playoffs I noticed so many summer movie commercials. All of them looked dreadfully awful and stupid. Who is going to these movies?  How many 14 year-olds are there that can make a blockbuster so easily? Am I becoming old and so removed from my culture that I can't relate to the masses?  Also, we're obsessed with Zombies and the end of the world. So weird. 

Gotta go. My Evening Plans: 

Make me some nachos with Sirrachha sauce, watch an Adventure Time episode and start grading my online class. I don't want to grade. 

Did I mention the Spurs losing in the NBA Finals really sucked?

obligatory fragments

Here is my obligatory fragment post as I haven't posted in a month.


Working on a post about the end of my youth, aging and LOS SPURS ('bout halfway done). It's tentatively titled The Last Title Run of My Youth.

Working my tail off this summer at school including Maymester. That means NO break for me (sadness).

I might be going to a movie with a friend this weekend. This is notable as I rarely watch movies and even less than that, I don't actually go to the movies except 1-2 times a year. Although I saw Kumare in the spring and that was interesting. I suggest you check it out if you interested in the idea of starting your own fake religion as it's a documentary on just that!

Since the Spurs playoff run I have been disconnected from being a news junkie and I am just a NBA/Spurs junkie....I can see how this kind of thing could eat your life if you were into it year round. No clue about what's going on in the world for the first time in a long time....



The Spurs' cheerleader Patty Mills giving Timmy some awesome new form of congratulations

 

 

I hate facebook. The complainers, the braggers, the posting pictures of how perfect they are, the posting of Bible verses (it bothers me and I'm a CHRISTIAN), especially the tying of religion and politics, the hatred of people different from  themselves, the passive aggressive posts, and on and on and on. and yet, I'm still on there at least once a day.  Figures.....

Summer is cool no matter the fact that I am working. Working really hard on our study abroad program. Gonna be cool!!! Also, all the sunshine I think makes everyone a little nicer. Or maybe I'm just in a good mood because I am only teaching one class right now.

Gotta run, I am hiding from the fam and my wifey needs me!

Catching up with the Fragments

Haven't posted in over a month - life happens - you know.

A few weeks ago my grandmother died - she was my last grandparent alive. Strangely enough, it was around this time last year when my other grandmother passed. Even though the time of year was similar - the situation was almost exactly its inverse.  You see I had a relationship with my other grandma, but this grandma was a different story altogether.  I didn't cry. I didn't even feel all that sad. I felt bad for my mentally disabled aunt who has never been without her. Other than that, that was it.

My main memories of of grandma growing up was her watching TV - soap operas, country music videos - you know, the CLASSICS. I don't remember really engaging with her all that much at all.  She lived about two hours away but I can count the times she came to visit us (twice, I think). The last few years when we would visit, there she was in her apartment, watching TV, ALL DAY LONG. It felt like she wasn't even living.

Sometime last year I asked her about how she met my grandfather (who died when I was 5) and asked her about how she liked living in D.C. at the time. She quickly told me she didn't like it at all.  As she was born and bred in the country I asked her if it was because the city was too big and busy, etc.  No, she told me, she didn't like it because there were too many black people. At that point, I reminded her that she was about to have a black grandchild. She said she did. She also did not like the home healthcare worker who came by they said she talked too much but when pressed, both my aunt and grandmother said it was because she was black. They also thought she was stealing their toilet paper (this coming from the tandem that clogged their toilet numerous times).

We would suggest taking a walk on a beautiful day - but she only let us take her once. She stayed in-doors like some kind of troll. I should clarify, she didn't look like a troll (at least not anymore than old people generally do) it was as if she didn't want to see the sunlight or be removed from her 'cave'.  Maybe it hurt too much to see what she was missing. It's hard to understand how some people chose to see the world and others. I hope if I am lucky enough to be "old" one day, I want to embrace the journey with openness, love and with a healthy dash of carpe deim.

In other news....

I am in the beginning stages of planning a study abroad next summer to Peru. We already have 5 students who are really excited about it (we have to have 10 signed up for the class). So, it's pretty amazing.  Do I feel guilty that I will be away from the fam for weeks? Yes, almost crushingly so....BUT when I think of it like this it makes me feel better:

It's a childhood dream to visit Machu Picchu.
I am getting paid to go to Peru for FREE (that's like + $6,000 when it's all said and done)
It will be an amazing learning experience for myself and the students

Well, there it is. One of the few places in the world that inspired me as a child (the other magical place was the pyramids at Giza). I remember opening my sixth-grade social studies book and seeing this classic picture. I sat staring that the picture, looking at the ruins, imagining myself walking through the rooms, among the clouds. I thought it was one of the coolest things I had ever seen. Funny how your memories work because when I remember this picture I remember exactly where I sat in the class and where the girl I had a crush on sat in relation to me.

Anyway, it will be instant guilt after the first two days (first 2 days I think I will be too overwhelmed to feel bad about what's happening back home).

Thinking about writing a post about Weezer's red album. It's such a strange album. It's equally amazing and frustrating. Some songs are downright stupid and some moments are actually quite beautiful. It's the most ambitious recording session since the 90's and yet it's completely lacking in thoughtfulness in it's track selection.  In summary, it's the perfect "post-pinkerton" Weezer album.

Obligatory comment about how the semester is almost over. Hooray.

Because my wife works one day a week, that means I pretty much need to be full-time in the summer. Sometimes I wonder what amazing things I could do with a whole summer off (thinking about writing that children's series again) but we just can't have me NOT work for a vanity project that will likely end in failure.  Besides, summer school is great. Better students, it's quiet around the campus and office, less committee work and meetings, etc. and we have Fridays off. Just like most things in life a little bit of sweet with sour. Which also remind me of a post that's been kicking around in my head about Buddhism, Suffering, Vicktor Frankel, Jesus and Vanilla Sky (with a cameo appearance by William Shakespeare himself ladies and gents).

Lastly, almost two months ago I was raking the leaves in the back yard as the sun was setting. The sun's rays hit me, coming through the branches of our old Oak trees and it hit me. A moment of mindfulness and clarity. I was alive. I cursed in my wonderment of my very existence, the size and wonder of the sun and the smallness of my own life, concerns and existence. And then it passed. It's moments like those that make me sure I am actually alive and not dreaming.

See ya next time, kids!

Fragnaught

It’s Spring Break. Yay.

Spending time with the fam, working in the yard like crazy and we’re having two birthday parties for the kiddies (one on the first Saturday and another this Saturday). Yeah, we’re crazy.

Our oldest turned 7 and the little one turned 1. Couldn’t be more proud of the people they are becoming.  Being a parent is such hard work but so rewarding. 

Getting old isn’t all that bad but the local oldies station sucks now. In high school and college (90’s brothers and sisters) they played 60’s with a few early 70’s classics. It was my go-to station for some nice background music. Now, it’s basically crappy 70s’ pop with even (shudder) disco.  I think a few 80’s have been snuck in there. The "classic rock" station now routinely plays 80's rock and I think 90's stuff like Guns N' Roses or crappy white people rock. I wonder if the older people are handling this as badly as I am.  Can't wait for another 20 years to get here so I can hear Nirvana on the oldies station.

READER ALERT. I found out I have one! Yes, one.  A friend of mine texted me that he liked a post on the blog. I had no idea he knew I had a blog. It was really funny. I guess I should start to be careful what I write about.

The middle child was rocking out to disc 2 of Weezer’s Blue Album deluxe for the last week during quiet time.  LOVE IT.

Youtube is so awesome. Full albums to jam to at work and full movies at night.  Also, I have been rocking to Slacker radio at home on the TV and have discovered some cool stuff. 

Wifey is watching a movie with Ed Burns in it on Netflix for background noise as I write this. Has that guy been in any good movie ever? 

Discovered this song off Slacker, it’s pretty awesome.  Got stuff to do, so I gotta go.