So Alone... And I Enjoy It!

So I moved back to Emory this past Sunday, a little less than a week before I needed to be back for Head RA training. I have seen a few people, even hung out with my Smalls, Stephen Rainey, but the vast majority of the time I've spent back has been spent alone. 

I've got to say, I normally enjoy periods of time alone. Whether it's just to sit and watch TV or to read, I've always cherished the time I have had to myself. But this has been different. Yesterday, for instance, if you don't count the times I went to the store (I don't because the only interaction I had was with the cashier) I was by myself for about 23 hours. 

These large chunks of time are a lot different than the occasional hour or two I used to get. There is only so much TV, so many hours of video games you can play (try not to pass out at that statement Dad) before you want to do something else. I have been able to practice my guitar more, finalize my graduate paper, and do a lot of work on this fall's Pledge Week. 

While I really am enjoying this time that me, myself, and I have spent together, I still can't wait until my friends, brothers, and sisters start arriving over the next two weeks. 

Sorry for taking so long to post... Shame on me...

Let's Shake Things Up

So as I was "Stumbling" across the Internet, something that I do very regularly, I saw this website that offers free guitar lessons for absolute beginners. Well that's me, an absolute beginner.

So I think when I return to Knoxville this week for what's left of the summer, I think I'm going to try this guitar thing again. I once tried my Freshmen year of high school, with total failure. But now I think it's time to try this again.

So whether I go to Guitar Center or Wal-Mart to get me very cheap instrument I don't know yet.

So I want to try something new and I like this idea...

A Little More Satisfaction...

So I talk mostly about what I think are serious issues in this blog, but today I have to talk about my new little obsession. "Las Vegas." No not just the town, although I did enjoy my trip there very much, the too shot-lived TV show on NBC.

Las Vegas ran from Fall of 2003 through the winter of 2008. Now I know what you are thinking, that's not a short-lived stint! Well if you watch it now like I do you would think so.

The show follows around various characters working in the fictional Montecito Resort and Casino on the strip in Las Vegas. The characters range from Ed DeLine, an ex-CIA man who is now running Casino security, to Sam Marquez the self described "Best Casino host in Las Vegas".

But why/how am I all over this show now? One word, syndication. TNT runs Las Vegas everyday at noon and 1. I can't get enough of this show! My roommate for the summer and I got into the show about halfway through season 3, and since TNT runs the shows in order, we are now halfway through season 4 and wondered what went on previously. That is why my NetFlix is full up on Las Vegas DVDs.

This exciting show is great to watch and easily addicting. I don't know what I'm going to do when TNT gets to the end of the series in a few weeks. Especially since I read online that the series was expectantly in February of 2008 and left many cliffhangers that will never be answered.

Does the Internet Damage Social Connections?

In my Technology and Ethics class that I just finished, this was a major topic of discussion. Some argued that the Internet is weakening social connections between people because of the impersonal way the Internet causes us to be most of the time.

However, I disagree. The Internet can greatly strengthen social connections between people. Before social networking sites like Facebook came into existence did anyone keep in touch with high school friends, college fraternity brothers, or former co-workers like they do now? No.

One of the arguments about the Internet weakening social connections is that these people are afraid that the face-to-face meeting or phone conversation is going by the wayside. But I say that this argument is hugely flawed. I'm sure, when the telephone started being used on a wide scale, people were afraid that no one would ever speak face-to-face anymore, and as we can see, this did not happen.

The Internet allows being to be social and communicate in a new medium just like the telephone did for teenagers in the 1950s and 60s. While the Internet is less personal and allows for people to stay indoors for days at a time and successfully avoid human contact indefinitely, this happened even before the Internet. Its just these people were called hermits.

Overall, the good that the Internet has done for the world has greatly outweighed the bad. The instant sharing of knowledge around the world has most definitely helped this student out. The instant access I have to the Internet allows my research to be more in depth and complete since I do not have to spend hours looking and copying books from the library (Something I still do however).

A Decade and a Half Worth of Reading

I like to read. Reading for pleasure is one of my favorite pastimes. I recently realized that I have been reading for a little over 15 out of the 21 years of my life. But I don't remember enjoying reading until I was immersed into the fantastic world of Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

That's right. I am one of those people. The people who love Harry Potter. I did attend Mid-night releases of books, and even was the 5th person to receive the 7th book at the Borders at Turkey Creek. However, I am not one of those people who freak out about it being real, or even really incorporate the books into my daily life, minus a few bits of trivia I throw out every now and then.

But I do love the Harry Potter Books. Mostly, I believe, because of what I learned from them.

When I was at Sacred Heart Cathedral School, my friend Nick introduced me to the first two books in the Harry Potter series. After finishing, I was eager for more stories. However, the third book in the series had yet to be released. So I dove head first into other worlds filled with action, adventure, love, tribulations, and anything else I could imagine. Literally the world was just a page turn away.

I believe that it was at this moment that changed my life for the better. Since being introduced to the Harry Potter books I have read hundreds (I only wish I was able to count) of books in a vast array of subjects. From the fantasy world of Harry Potter, to the Romantic Period of the Edmond Dantes in The Counte of Monte Cristo, to the political thrillers of Dan Brown and Tom Clancy.

People do not read for pleasure enough anymore. Sure, those who always have continue to turn the pages and search for new authors. But the younger generation, my generation, doesn't. They are too focused on instant gratification that they would be unable to wait 150 pages for the plot to make its first twist. They don't have the time to re-read chapters in order to understand one line better.

My evidence of all this rambling about young people my age: Emory & Henry College's sophomore English requirement, Great Books. Required for all students, this course includes works such as Hamlet, The Odyssey, Dante's Inferno, and several other classics of literature. I guarantee that for half of my class, these books were the first books they had read since grade school (actually these people didn't even read the books, Sparknotes.com did).

What will happen if people stop reading great novels? Or even crappy novels that we can lose ourselves in? I don't even want to know.

So stop reading this garbage from a rambling idiot, and go read a book.

A Tale of Two Kingdoms

This past semester I took a class that was very, let's say, awful. Unfortunately, this was a religion class called, "Church and World."

This class was boring and not informative at all for me. That is, until we started reading the book, "The Myth of a Christian Nation," by Gregory A. Boyd. When we began this book, being a staunch supporter of the separation of Church and State, I was ready to go. I wasn't disappointed.

The main argument given by Boyd was that Christians are part of two Kingdoms: The Kingdom of the World, and the Kingdom of God. This dual-citizenship is difficult because of what Jesus told Pilate in John 18:36, "My kingdom is not of this world..."

How do we, as citizens of both kingdoms act? We are not fully citizens of the world if we have a citizenship in the kingdom of God. And we cannot have that full citizenship of God if we are so bogged down by the goings on of the kingdom of the world. How do we balance this out?

I truly believe that the United States of America, where my citizenship of the world belongs, is in no way a Christian nation. Yes, the majority of the people in America may be Christian, but that number is drastically dwindling every day. The fact that America is not a Christian nation makes it so much more difficult when caught in between these two kingdoms.

It is not like Christians need to ignore secular society completely, that would irresponsible citizens of the world. And it would be wrong also to impose kingdom of God aspects on the entirety of America, for that would be irresponsible as a citizen of God (I cite here the Vatican II document Dignitatis Humanae, The Declaration on Religious Freedom). This declaration states (paraphrasing of course) that there are many ways to the one Truth, but imposing religious belief on a subjugated people is not one of those ways. If oppressed with religion, man is not truly enlightened.

This brings me back to my original point: Life is tough, being a Christian in a secular society such as ours. To make it through we must live as Jesus taught, we must vote our conscience, and we must not impose religion on anyone, especially in the free nation such as our own.

GM Changes Its Name to 'Governmental Motors'

This morning, General Motors filed for bankruptcy protection.

The arrangement that has been set up basically gives the ownership of GM to the government. When this is all over the government will own 72.5%, The United Auto Workers (Don't even get me started!) will own 17.5%, and bondholders the final 10%.

GM stock will mostly likely be taken off the trading floor for at least 6 to 18 months and the taxpayers will make back the $40 Billion that they loaned GM only if the stock makes a drastic increase in value.

THIS ISN'T CHANGE I CAN BELIEVE IN!

I am so glad that this administration has decided for itself that America is no longer a free market economy. The consumer no longer holds the key to whether or not a company is successful, the Almighty Government has grasped a hold of this key and will protect those companies that are just far too large to fail.

Adam Smith is fighting to get out of his grave to strangle the life out of Barack Obama. This is not the invisible hand that America's economy is based on. Not only are we a free society, our markets are free as well. Or at least they were, before January 20, 2009.

In an article in from the Russian publication Pravada (who might know a thing or two about Marxism) entitled, "American Capitalism Gone With a Whimper," the author tells the Russian people something that is just so obvious to the rest of the world. That Americans know more about the finalists in American Idol than the people who represent them in D.C.

I am, for the first time ever, embarrassed to be an American. This is no longer the free nation of my dreams. I'm sorry T.J., George, and John, I am truly sorry...

Summer at Emory...

After my thrid year at Emory & Henry College I decided to spend the summer on campus for the first time. I had always wanted to stay here over summer break, whether it was for football after my Freshman year, or to take classes after my Sophmore year to get a little ahead. This summer, since I did not have a job for me in Knoxville, I decided to seek a job on campus and take summer school classes.

Summer in Emory is a different world. The trees are in full bloom, the leaves are at the fullest of green, and campus is void of the normal everyday hustle and bustle of students.

All summer workers and summer school students are living in the Village for the summer. This is new to me, only having lived in a place like Hillman Hall the other three years I've been here. Living in a house is fun and new, I have to make all my meals in the little kitchen I share with 15 other men.

So far this summer has allowed me to do several things that I would absolutely not have been able to do at home. I have been able to grow even closer to one of my best friends, make a couple new friends from people I used to want to have nothing to do with, and even rekindle some friendships I thought gone forever.

So far, these few weeks of being at Emory & Henry over the summer have been some fun times. I know that the rest of this summer is not going to disappoint, and that's something that I am excited about.

Intelligent Moments can come in the middle of some of the hardest decisions...

So all the time I try to get inspired and do one of these things, so here is hoping that I won't have to start a Fourth one anytime soon.

Intelligent Moments...

That is how I see my life, full of intelligent moments. Fleeting and never quite long enough, these moments seem to have defined me as a person to some, and defined me annoying to others.

I once told my dad that, "It's hard being the most intelligent in the room, because if you are, your are going to be wrong." This is how I am feeling during my class this summer. It is an Ethical Inquiry class entitled, "Technology & Values." We discuss different advancements in technology, their impacts on ethical issues, etc.

It seems that I am the only one in the class that believes in personal liberty (or more accurately the only that cares about it). I simply believe that the government shouldn't be involved in the moral or private lives of it's citizens unless their actions are halting the liberty of others.

I feel that this little speech that I always have prepared is one of those "Intelligent Moments" I mentioned before.