The Blog I Never Use

As my former room mates or anyone who has watched the office with me knows, I am just too empathetic when it comes to television. I can't bear to see people make fools of themselves. That aversion is so great that I actually become more embarrising than the actual scene; I cover my eyes and try to stifle the empathetic/ pathetic sounds that keep escaping from my throat. The problem is that I think that such things are terribly funny, I just can't stand seeing them happen.

I once thought that I was better about it if I was alone while I watched, but I was wrong. The reason that I don't have as much trouble when I'm alone is that I will give in to my urge to change the channel or leave the room, but if other people are around, I feel like I have to stay. In fact, I actually couldn't watch the entire clip which I am posting, I had to start writing my blog while it finished playing so that I would be distracted from the terrible humanity. I hope that you enjoyed the clip, I enjoy it in retrospect, but not during the actual viewing.

BOOKS! BOOKS! BOOKS!
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A book that changed my life besides the Bible: The Psalms and the Life of Faith by Walter Brueggemann and Patrick D. Miller by Brueggemann. I began reading it immediately before I fell off the cliff. I suppose that I might also consider

The Sayings of the Desert Fathers (Cistercian studies 59) by Benedicta Ward (Translator), Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh.

A book I’ve read more than once: Translation and Power by Maria Tymoczko and Edwin Gentzler. A Great book with many perspectives represented and many questions aked, but not many answered in finite terms.

A book I would take with me if I were stuck on a desert island: The Philokalia: The Complete Text (not the one by Origen, the one that is a collection of various ancient Monastics' writings, compiled by Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain and Makarios of Corinth). I would have to look over all the volumes and select the one most apt for helping one deal with solitude, a discipline that I have only been able to practice for a few hours at a time without fearing the onset of insanity.

A book that made me laugh: The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde. Oscar Wilde is one of the most humerous, skeptical, skilled, arrogant, talented, sarcastic, and entertaining authors the writings of whom I have had the pleasure of encountering. He was not a good person, mind you; it seems that he was never really able to understand good and evil, a failing of many great geniuses.

A book that I wish had been written: In the Image of Jesus: How to Reject Power While Still Being Influential. I'd read it, and I'm sure that I can use the reminder and advice, but I'm afraid that Christians who practice worldly domination in more obvious and destructive ways would either fail to read it, or ignore the parts they need to hear. I guess the category should be: A book that I wish that someone had written and that everyone had read, and applied to their lives (self included).

A book that I wish had never been written: The Purpose-Driven Church, by whatever that guy's name is. First off, the author did not use a single biblical passage the way it was used in context, NOT ONE, most aren't even debatable. Second, it was a very manipulative approach to ministry/ Christianity. Third, much of the theology was poorly formed at best. Fourth, too many people read it, if it hadn't been so popular, I wouldn't care. Don't get me wrong, the author has his heart in the right place and knows the core of the gospel, justice, mercy, walking humbly with your God, but I couldn't tell that from the book, I only found that out when I saw an interview after that Purpose Driven Life incident that was in the News a year-or-so ago.

A book I’ve been meaning to read:

The Content of the Form: Narrative Discourse and Historical Representation by Hayden White. White is truly one of the most fascinating histroical philosophers that I have had the pleasure to encounter in print. He writes skilled prose, argues his points logically and yet conceeds the weaknesses of his ideas. Though I have not yet read this book, I have read other selections from him that were impressive. I discovered Hayden White through Herzberger's,
Narrating the Past: Fiction and Historiography in Postwar Spain, which I also reccomend, and then again in Ricoeur'sInterpretation Theory: Discourse and the Surplus of Meaning, a must-read for all Hermeneutics students.

Now a few Categories of my own:

I’m currently reading:

The Oxford Illustrated History of Ancient Egypt

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Ancient Greek Edition) by J. K. Rowling,

Readings from the Ancient Near East: Primary Sources for Old Testament Study,

The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran

Books I finised reading last week (not that I started them all then):
The Middle East, by Bernard Lewis (I took a break from this book for several monthes, while I read Orientalism, by Edward W. Said, which I finished in September, I think)

Wraith Squadron, by Aaron Allston and

Rogue Squadron), by Michael A. Stackpole (two books I missed on my way through the series).

Invitation to the Septuagint by Karen H. Jobes and Moises Silva, an excellent introduction with information for anyone interested in the subject.

Books I have next on my list:
A Hundred and One Days: A Baghdad Journal by Asne Seierstad and Ingrid Christophersen. The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad was a great book. Exciting, well written, well constructed (except for "My Mother Osama," which didn't fit at all) and informative.

Ancient Iraq: Third Edition (Penguin History) by Georges Roux, and I hope to resume my reading of Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell.

TAGS: Rush & Sharkdog (you can work on it together) Dody too, which is fitting, considering the nature of her blog.

I really hope that I get to be around Gina and Steve's soon-to-be tyke so I
can teach him/her to yell, "KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHN!" whenever something
goes wrong.

Is there anything funnier than someone falling off a treadmill? I don't think so. I wouldn't go see the new Jackass movie, but I'd go see two hours of people falling off treadmills.

I hate colder weather. If it were up to me the weather would always be above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. I hate feeling cold, I hate how my joints hurt, I hate sweaters (come on people, if I walk into a warm building and want to shed some insulation, I don't want to have to pull something off over my head . . . it doesn't exactly look normal and my hair is bad enough already). There are two things (and only two things) that I can think of that make colder weather bearable: 1. the extra pockets provided by coats and jackets 2. I get to wear my blue and red hooded sweatshirts. I love them. Adam Sandler turned out to be right for once.

And, NO, I am NOT calling it a hoodie, I am not cool enough to pull off slang from that particular subculture; which evidently consists of college kids, Old Navy models, and those pretty guys from One Tree Hill, a show which I have never seen, but which, if the commercials are any indication, boasts characters who, though rich enough to wear Armani, might hire a hit-man to kill the thief of a beloved "hoodie," (sorry about the quotes, Gina) which they would never wear in public but which they make promises to. "Hoodie baby, we'll run away together, just you and me, and then they'll never talk bad about you again. I'll get tickets to London . . . I just can't do it this week, what with Aunt Vanessa's shark- attack- induced coma and my hostile business takeover that I am conducting from school. You know it will just make life worse for us both if I take you out in public right now. The world just isn't ready for us yet. Just don't tell my friends yet, if you do, my parents will find out, and then one day I'll come home and you'll be gone: no note, no evidence, I just won't be able to find you."

Hi, Sorry I haven't been a very productive member of the blogmunity lately. As many of you know, I have some pain problems, and right now my shoulder pain is making it really difficult to do every day tasks such as typing, or sitting in front of my computer. I hope it clears up soon, or I might just go crazy.

Lingamish, I still intend to write that entry on Blogum Nemo Legit; Anon, I'll answer you too; friends who think I'm ignoring you, I might be, but it could be that I am in too much pain to write. Arwen, I think I miss your blog most of all.