I have finally finished planning the route for our once-in-a-lifetime, three-week-long, cross-country family excursion. I'm still not sure where we're going, but we are leaving July third.
I have essentially mapped out the places we want to go, the roads that lead from one place to the next, and a tentative timetable for getting it all done, but there is lots of flexibility built into the schedule as far as where exactly we go and where we end up on any particular day.
It is shaping up to be a great trip. There are really only three things that concern me:
1. Sleep. We aren't making any sleeping arrangements. We're taking the camping gear, and will stay in hotels sometimes, but we can't make reservations when we don't know where we're going to be. I expect to spend at least one night sleeping in the van because there's no room at the inn.
2. Distance. Averaging about 320 miles—5.5 hours—every day.
3. Time. Add the driving time to the finding-sleeping-arrangements time and I hope we still have time to see the sights and do some fun things. Another time concern is that the family won't want to leave some places, which we must do if we're ever going to make it home again.
Here's a partial list of planned destinations: Chicago, Badlands/Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone, Hell's Canyon, Crater Lake, Redwood Forest, San Francisco, Yosimite, Area 51, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Crater-of-Diamonds State Park, and Atlanta.
Have any other suggestions for places we should visit? Save them for the next trip—this one's full.
25 June 2007
20 June 2007
5.2 - Like a deer in the headlights
There is so much to do that I don't know what to do, so I do nothing. It is imperative that I do something. There is only so much time before it all has to be done. I don't know what to do next.
The important-but-not-urgent is losing to the urgent-but-not-important. The urgent-and-important is sitting on the sidelines while not-urgent-and-not-important is already celebrating victory.
This is not good.
The important-but-not-urgent is losing to the urgent-but-not-important. The urgent-and-important is sitting on the sidelines while not-urgent-and-not-important is already celebrating victory.
This is not good.
15 June 2007
4.2 - When I drink alone, I prefer to be by myself
For most activities, companionship is appreciated—especially when those activities include any kind of work. Construction projects just go better with help.
Games like Apples-to-Apples or volleyball generally work better with more people than just me. Even tic-tac-toe isn't much fun by myself.
Assuming your friends aren't the talking-through-the-show-and-asking-dumb-questions-because-they-are-talking-instead-of-listenting type, watching a movie or television is generally much better as a shared experience. Sitting down to a meal with family and friends is almost always better than dining alone.
It should be clear that I'm not anti-social. (I'm not necessarily pro-social, either—I'm pretty much neutral on the topic.) Shared experiences are often wonderful, but when I'm involved in an activity that is not one of those shared experiences, I want to be left alone.
The reason for this is that it has become very obvious to me that others do not value the same things that I value. The difference between "He's busy" and "He's not doing anything" is who you ask and what they value more highly than whatever it is you are doing.
The common misconception that "he's not doing anything" is why in order to do things I want to do, I have to do them when there's no one around.
I completely understand that there are situations (e.g. friend in crisis) where just about everything you could possibly be doing is "not doing anything." Likewise there are situations where just trying to come up with something to do would be considered "busy."
Here's a quiz. Imagine a person performing each activity listed below. For each activity decide whether the person is "Busy" or "Not doing anything."
Ok, well, I had this really nifty scoring system worked out, but it got lost in an untimely switch between compose mode and html mode and I'm not going to redo it. Basically, the number of "busy" answers puts you on a scale from "slave driver" (<12) to "highly respectful of the time and values of others" (29). 25 doesn't seem to be an unreasonable score. You could probably get down to about 18 without being a complete tyrant.
Additionally, you can do a comparison of your answers to the answers of someone whose activities you want to thwart. This will facilitate discussion, understanding, and arguments.
I generally have no interest in thwarting anything, so long as it doesn't affect me. I am just not very comfortable making value judgements regarding the activities of others. I always get it wrong. I really think that most of the time it's just none of my business.
Let them do what they want. I'm busy, the World Poker Tour is on.
Games like Apples-to-Apples or volleyball generally work better with more people than just me. Even tic-tac-toe isn't much fun by myself.
Assuming your friends aren't the talking-through-the-show-and-asking-dumb-questions-because-they-are-talking-instead-of-listenting type, watching a movie or television is generally much better as a shared experience. Sitting down to a meal with family and friends is almost always better than dining alone.
It should be clear that I'm not anti-social. (I'm not necessarily pro-social, either—I'm pretty much neutral on the topic.) Shared experiences are often wonderful, but when I'm involved in an activity that is not one of those shared experiences, I want to be left alone.
The reason for this is that it has become very obvious to me that others do not value the same things that I value. The difference between "He's busy" and "He's not doing anything" is who you ask and what they value more highly than whatever it is you are doing.
The common misconception that "he's not doing anything" is why in order to do things I want to do, I have to do them when there's no one around.
I completely understand that there are situations (e.g. friend in crisis) where just about everything you could possibly be doing is "not doing anything." Likewise there are situations where just trying to come up with something to do would be considered "busy."
Here's a quiz. Imagine a person performing each activity listed below. For each activity decide whether the person is "Busy" or "Not doing anything."
- Adding a room on to the house
- Installing a new bathroom sink
- Mowing the lawn
- Doing dishes
- Organizing a bookshelf
- Reading the Bible
- Reading a novel
- Reading a magazine
- Reading the newspaper
- Reading the mail
- Playing organized sports
- Playing disorganized sports
- Playing board games
- Playing cards
- Playing video games
- Watching a movie on TV
- Watching a sitcom or drama on TV
- Watching a ballgame on TV
- Watching gameshows on TV
- Watching poker on TV
- Updating an organizational website
- Shopping online
- Blogging
- Checking email
- Surfing the 'net
- Sleeping in bed (3AM)
- Sleeping in bed (8AM)
- Sleeping on the couch (3PM)
- Sitting on the couch - deep in thought
- Standing by the couch proclaiming boredom
Ok, well, I had this really nifty scoring system worked out, but it got lost in an untimely switch between compose mode and html mode and I'm not going to redo it. Basically, the number of "busy" answers puts you on a scale from "slave driver" (<12) to "highly respectful of the time and values of others" (29). 25 doesn't seem to be an unreasonable score. You could probably get down to about 18 without being a complete tyrant.
Additionally, you can do a comparison of your answers to the answers of someone whose activities you want to thwart. This will facilitate discussion, understanding, and arguments.
I generally have no interest in thwarting anything, so long as it doesn't affect me. I am just not very comfortable making value judgements regarding the activities of others. I always get it wrong. I really think that most of the time it's just none of my business.
Let them do what they want. I'm busy, the World Poker Tour is on.
11 June 2007
2.2 - The Philosophy of Liberty
From Wikipedia...
"Libertarianism is a philosophy based on the principle that individuals should be allowed complete freedom of action as long as they do not infringe on the same freedom of others. This is usually taken by libertarians to mean that no one may initiate coercion, which they define as the use of physical force, the potential use (threat) of such, or the use of fraud to prevent individuals from having willful use of their person or property. For libertarians, a voluntary action is one not influenced by interpersonal coercion.
Libertarians believe that governments should be held to the same moral standards as other individuals. Thus, they oppose governmental initiation of force, even if it is supported by a democratic majority. Libertarians believe that if individuals are not initiating coercion against others, then government should leave them in peace. As a result, they oppose prohibition of "victimless crimes." This opposition to coercion extends into the economic realm, as they generally oppose taxation and government interference in business activities (other than to forbid coercion). Libertarians wish to reduce the size and scope of government. To the extent that libertarians advocate any government at all, its functions tend to be limited to protecting civil liberties and economic liberties (by protecting private property and a free market) through a police force, a military (with no conscription), and courts."
A short animated primer: The Philosophy of Liberty
"Libertarianism is a philosophy based on the principle that individuals should be allowed complete freedom of action as long as they do not infringe on the same freedom of others. This is usually taken by libertarians to mean that no one may initiate coercion, which they define as the use of physical force, the potential use (threat) of such, or the use of fraud to prevent individuals from having willful use of their person or property. For libertarians, a voluntary action is one not influenced by interpersonal coercion.
Libertarians believe that governments should be held to the same moral standards as other individuals. Thus, they oppose governmental initiation of force, even if it is supported by a democratic majority. Libertarians believe that if individuals are not initiating coercion against others, then government should leave them in peace. As a result, they oppose prohibition of "victimless crimes." This opposition to coercion extends into the economic realm, as they generally oppose taxation and government interference in business activities (other than to forbid coercion). Libertarians wish to reduce the size and scope of government. To the extent that libertarians advocate any government at all, its functions tend to be limited to protecting civil liberties and economic liberties (by protecting private property and a free market) through a police force, a military (with no conscription), and courts."
A short animated primer: The Philosophy of Liberty
08 June 2007
6.1 - Living for Little League
There are a bunch of crazy people that live around here. These people have children and grandchildren that play baseball. These kids are on my son's baseball team.
With apologies to the few sane ones, most of this parents-of-little-leaguers crowd is just plain nuts.
Now, I'll clap, cheer, and yell some at a ball game—like any good parent, but when some grandma starts yelling at the pitcher to "throw the pepperoni into the pizza mitt," I start to worry.
I've been to quite a few baseball games at all levels: New York Yankees, Norfolk Tides, Peninsula Pilots, LeTourneau Yellowjackets, church softball games, and many of my cousins little league games when I was a kid. I never before heard anyone tell a pitcher to "throw the pepperoni into the pizza mitt."
I even watched the NCAA women's fastpitch softball championships. Those girls are yelling stuff constantly—they never shut up—and I'm pretty sure I didn't hear any one of them say anything about pepperoni or pizza.
So I'm thinking this is really odd, when I then realize that the other parents appear to be nodding to each other and have that "ooo, that's a good one—I wish I'd thought of it" look on their faces.
Then some of them join in with some random banter about pretzels—and something about salt.
So I look over at my family to see if I'm the only one that thinks this is strange, and find my wife and daughter trying not to fall off the bleachers from laughing at these people. Their attempts to stifle their laughter are so horrendously unsuccessful that they have resorted to burying their faces in their blankets and cannot even look at these people without cracking up.
It seems the only one unaffected by the yelling of absurdities at the pitcher is the pitcher, who has just thrown ball four for the third time this inning.
Grandma seems to think this has happened because he didn't listen about the pepperoni.
With apologies to the few sane ones, most of this parents-of-little-leaguers crowd is just plain nuts.
Now, I'll clap, cheer, and yell some at a ball game—like any good parent, but when some grandma starts yelling at the pitcher to "throw the pepperoni into the pizza mitt," I start to worry.
I've been to quite a few baseball games at all levels: New York Yankees, Norfolk Tides, Peninsula Pilots, LeTourneau Yellowjackets, church softball games, and many of my cousins little league games when I was a kid. I never before heard anyone tell a pitcher to "throw the pepperoni into the pizza mitt."
I even watched the NCAA women's fastpitch softball championships. Those girls are yelling stuff constantly—they never shut up—and I'm pretty sure I didn't hear any one of them say anything about pepperoni or pizza.
So I'm thinking this is really odd, when I then realize that the other parents appear to be nodding to each other and have that "ooo, that's a good one—I wish I'd thought of it" look on their faces.
Then some of them join in with some random banter about pretzels—and something about salt.
So I look over at my family to see if I'm the only one that thinks this is strange, and find my wife and daughter trying not to fall off the bleachers from laughing at these people. Their attempts to stifle their laughter are so horrendously unsuccessful that they have resorted to burying their faces in their blankets and cannot even look at these people without cracking up.
It seems the only one unaffected by the yelling of absurdities at the pitcher is the pitcher, who has just thrown ball four for the third time this inning.
Grandma seems to think this has happened because he didn't listen about the pepperoni.
2.1 - Freedom Quiz
Here are a few lesser-known quotes from one of the greatest speeches in history. It's not long, but I suspect few have read the whole thing...
- "Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy."
- "In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred."
- "We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence."
- "With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood."
07 June 2007
3.2 - The Package
Yesterday, we received the package.
The long-awaited Package was billed as the detailing of the incentives that my company is going to provide to those willing to move across the country due to the aforementioned merger.
The package was broken up into three presentations. Presentation 1 was the company move incentive plan. Presentation 2 was information about the company that is going to help make the transition. Part 3 was a marketing package created by a realtor.
Nobody cared about 2 and 3.
Presentation 1 was made up of 10 slides. 1-3: overview and background; 4: options; 5-10: process, execution, and summary.
Only slide 4 matters.
To be fair, there was some potentially nice stuff on slide 4 about moving expenses, storage, temporary housing, and things of that nature. Slide 4 was also quite a bit of a disappointment.
Slide 4 uses the phrases "select incumbents," "key skills," "minimize member cost," "options," and "negotiate." In other words, if I want to move, they have to want me to move, and it would still cost me, and any of the things offered on the list are only possibilities that are open for negotiation.
One of the "options" is a house hunting trip for one. One? As my wife so aptly put it: "are they going to provide marriage counseling as well?"
To me, nailing all these "options" down was the entire point of the package. Is my skill a "key skill?" Am I one of the "select incumbents?" Without knowing which options are my options and knowing what the "one-time move incentive bonus" is, I can't make a decision to move.
Additionally they want a guarantee that we will stay with the company for 12 months following the move. They won't guarantee us that we will have any job at all.
They won't talk to any individuals about their bonus or options until everyone says whether they are in or out.
As one of my co-workers put it, "if anyone was on the fence before, they aren't on it anymore."
They want my answer tomorrow.
They can have it now.
The long-awaited Package was billed as the detailing of the incentives that my company is going to provide to those willing to move across the country due to the aforementioned merger.
The package was broken up into three presentations. Presentation 1 was the company move incentive plan. Presentation 2 was information about the company that is going to help make the transition. Part 3 was a marketing package created by a realtor.
Nobody cared about 2 and 3.
Presentation 1 was made up of 10 slides. 1-3: overview and background; 4: options; 5-10: process, execution, and summary.
Only slide 4 matters.
To be fair, there was some potentially nice stuff on slide 4 about moving expenses, storage, temporary housing, and things of that nature. Slide 4 was also quite a bit of a disappointment.
Slide 4 uses the phrases "select incumbents," "key skills," "minimize member cost," "options," and "negotiate." In other words, if I want to move, they have to want me to move, and it would still cost me, and any of the things offered on the list are only possibilities that are open for negotiation.
One of the "options" is a house hunting trip for one. One? As my wife so aptly put it: "are they going to provide marriage counseling as well?"
To me, nailing all these "options" down was the entire point of the package. Is my skill a "key skill?" Am I one of the "select incumbents?" Without knowing which options are my options and knowing what the "one-time move incentive bonus" is, I can't make a decision to move.
Additionally they want a guarantee that we will stay with the company for 12 months following the move. They won't guarantee us that we will have any job at all.
They won't talk to any individuals about their bonus or options until everyone says whether they are in or out.
As one of my co-workers put it, "if anyone was on the fence before, they aren't on it anymore."
They want my answer tomorrow.
They can have it now.
05 June 2007
4.1 - Darn Yankees
Somehow I feel certain that the New York Yankees wouldn't be 7 games under .500 if they had picked up Bernie Williams like they should have.
The pitching rotation is sketchy at best; the bullpen is full of questions. They really need consistent, solid pitching. Bernie isn't a pitcher.
Routine infield plays just aren't routine this year. The infielders have made a huge number of errors. Bernie isn't an infielder.
They strand more baserunners than any other team I've seen. They need to string some hits together. Bernie could probably help there.
What Bernie has that's really missing is an ability to just get the job done—a quiet consistency. He brought his own and inspired it in others. He is missed.
The pitching rotation is sketchy at best; the bullpen is full of questions. They really need consistent, solid pitching. Bernie isn't a pitcher.
Routine infield plays just aren't routine this year. The infielders have made a huge number of errors. Bernie isn't an infielder.
They strand more baserunners than any other team I've seen. They need to string some hits together. Bernie could probably help there.
What Bernie has that's really missing is an ability to just get the job done—a quiet consistency. He brought his own and inspired it in others. He is missed.
3.1 - Creating the Plan
I've been working on a plan to hasten my own demise. While that's not the goal of the plan, that very well may be it's unintended consequence.
I am a victim of an ill-conceived merger in progress.
I work for a large company contracted to a military organization that is merging with another one 1200 miles away. Instead of waiting for guidance from the military, my boss insists that we proactively develop a transition plan to help the merger run smoothly. Since no one wants to move, he is asking us to develop a plan to hire new people, train them to do our jobs, and then get laid off.
No one seems very motivated to work on it.
Many corporate and military leaders are involved at both locations. (The word leaders here is not to be interpreted too literally.) They constantly contradict each other, and come away from every merger-related conversation believing that they are waiting on one of the other leaders to do something before they can act. Even though the expectation is that it should all be done by the end of next summer, at the current level of understanding and cooperation, my job is safe here for several more years.
Anyway, the company started developing this plan. The draft plan was developed by a few folks who conveniently claim that they couldn't get in touch with anyone from our branch. Interestingly, their ill-conceived plan says they move dead last and those who missed the meeting are first to go.
Perhaps in hindsight it seems obvious that any plan developed by a contractor is going to have the same goal: maximizing personal job search time.
With that goal in mind, the best plan is no plan.
Sounds like a plan.
I am a victim of an ill-conceived merger in progress.
I work for a large company contracted to a military organization that is merging with another one 1200 miles away. Instead of waiting for guidance from the military, my boss insists that we proactively develop a transition plan to help the merger run smoothly. Since no one wants to move, he is asking us to develop a plan to hire new people, train them to do our jobs, and then get laid off.
No one seems very motivated to work on it.
Many corporate and military leaders are involved at both locations. (The word leaders here is not to be interpreted too literally.) They constantly contradict each other, and come away from every merger-related conversation believing that they are waiting on one of the other leaders to do something before they can act. Even though the expectation is that it should all be done by the end of next summer, at the current level of understanding and cooperation, my job is safe here for several more years.
Anyway, the company started developing this plan. The draft plan was developed by a few folks who conveniently claim that they couldn't get in touch with anyone from our branch. Interestingly, their ill-conceived plan says they move dead last and those who missed the meeting are first to go.
Perhaps in hindsight it seems obvious that any plan developed by a contractor is going to have the same goal: maximizing personal job search time.
With that goal in mind, the best plan is no plan.
Sounds like a plan.
04 June 2007
7.1 - Sixteen Today
Today my daughter is 16.
As I look 5-years into the future, I consider that at the end of that time she will be 21—done with college and into "real life." My son will be 17 and completing high-school
The shock value is off the charts.
I fondly remember a time when I thought that 21 was old. I have always considered myself to be young ... 17 ... but now with 21 years of experience. My father—who is also young—turns 65 this month. I no longer have any living grandparents. The future approaches faster...
At 16, the future is wide open—the possibilities endless. Sixteen is full of beauty, grace, power, freedom ... awkwardness, fear, insecurity, confusion. At 16, all the emotions of life are running full speed—simultaneously. Guidance is desparately needed and hastily shunned.
It is a great time to be alive. Oh, to be 16 again...
As I look 5-years into the future, I consider that at the end of that time she will be 21—done with college and into "real life." My son will be 17 and completing high-school
The shock value is off the charts.
I fondly remember a time when I thought that 21 was old. I have always considered myself to be young ... 17 ... but now with 21 years of experience. My father—who is also young—turns 65 this month. I no longer have any living grandparents. The future approaches faster...
At 16, the future is wide open—the possibilities endless. Sixteen is full of beauty, grace, power, freedom ... awkwardness, fear, insecurity, confusion. At 16, all the emotions of life are running full speed—simultaneously. Guidance is desparately needed and hastily shunned.
It is a great time to be alive. Oh, to be 16 again...
03 June 2007
5.1 - Not a Drop to Drink
If I could sum up all the problems of home maintenance with one word, that word would be water. Dirt and lack of space run a distant second and third, but water easily takes the prize. I don't even drink water—yuck.
We strive to keep it out of our homes, then purposely bring it in, only to make lame attempts to guide it back out again. There is always a breakdown somewhere. I, for one, am somedays just not happy about the whole "indoor plumbing" thing.
As I write, I have a leak in the roof, a cracked tub that needs replacing, a drain and a toilet that are slowing down, a sink to install, a leaky faucet, two pipe fittings to replace, caulking to finish, a hose nozzle to replace, and a hot water heater that I've been expecting to explode since 1996.
Dirt and lack of space make the short list because take the joy out of other home maintenance tasks. When you are laying on your back in a dusty crawl space doing a half-situp while trying to ... well ... trying to do anything (especially anything involving pipes!), you quickly understand why dirt and lack of space are two and three.
It's been raining all day.
We strive to keep it out of our homes, then purposely bring it in, only to make lame attempts to guide it back out again. There is always a breakdown somewhere. I, for one, am somedays just not happy about the whole "indoor plumbing" thing.
As I write, I have a leak in the roof, a cracked tub that needs replacing, a drain and a toilet that are slowing down, a sink to install, a leaky faucet, two pipe fittings to replace, caulking to finish, a hose nozzle to replace, and a hot water heater that I've been expecting to explode since 1996.
Dirt and lack of space make the short list because take the joy out of other home maintenance tasks. When you are laying on your back in a dusty crawl space doing a half-situp while trying to ... well ... trying to do anything (especially anything involving pipes!), you quickly understand why dirt and lack of space are two and three.
It's been raining all day.
1.2 - Sketchy Answers
While I am mildly concerned that the only responses to post 1.1 concern my newly-added list "Blogs of Concern," I will continue the thoughts concerning the posed concerns with some sketchy possible answers. You should be concerned.
1. Why does God experience regret?
2. Why does God appear to lack foresight?
Perhaps we are to God as toys are to a child. He loves them, but does different things with them at different times without much forethought. He's just going to put the playset away when He's done anyway, so what does it really matter? Plan A: Eden—that didn't work. Plan B: Sacrifice—that didn't work either. Plan C: Grace—that kind of works. Ok, I'm done. All that trusted me, back in the box; all who didn't, off to the incinerator.
3. Why would anyone who believes in God as creator of all see a miracle as impressive?
A miracle is only impressive to the one who experiences it, because while the miracle itself is trivial to God, it shows a personal concern for the recipient by the Almighty. I suppose others could be impressed by that, too ("wow, God cares about him?").
4. Why would a short time on earth determine an eternal fate?
Perhaps this is impossible to understand as our human experience is completely dependent on the concept of time. If eternity is a place that doesn't know time, it is impossible to understand. We often look at eternity as infinite time. Perhaps that is completely inaccurate.
Bonus: Do I still have freewill in heaven? What happens if I screw up once I get there?
Well, when I posed this question to my wife, her answer was that we will have the mind of Christ, so it won't be a problem. So, I said, that means we have no freewill in heaven? Her response was to hit me on the head. Sketchy, sketchy answer.
Actually, the Mormons seem to have a good answer for this one (from my conversations with a Mormon friend many years ago, and no, I don't think it's the right answer, but it is an answer.) Their belief (forgive me if I'm off a bit) is that when we get to heaven, God gives to us of all that He has, including his power, knowledge, etc. and we become gods. So, since we would be making the rules at that point, it would be impossible to sin, because sin is what separates us from God, and we would be Him.
So of all the answers to my questions so far, the only one I can easily accept is getting hit on the head. Sketchy answers indeed.
1. Why does God experience regret?
2. Why does God appear to lack foresight?
Perhaps we are to God as toys are to a child. He loves them, but does different things with them at different times without much forethought. He's just going to put the playset away when He's done anyway, so what does it really matter? Plan A: Eden—that didn't work. Plan B: Sacrifice—that didn't work either. Plan C: Grace—that kind of works. Ok, I'm done. All that trusted me, back in the box; all who didn't, off to the incinerator.
3. Why would anyone who believes in God as creator of all see a miracle as impressive?
A miracle is only impressive to the one who experiences it, because while the miracle itself is trivial to God, it shows a personal concern for the recipient by the Almighty. I suppose others could be impressed by that, too ("wow, God cares about him?").
4. Why would a short time on earth determine an eternal fate?
Perhaps this is impossible to understand as our human experience is completely dependent on the concept of time. If eternity is a place that doesn't know time, it is impossible to understand. We often look at eternity as infinite time. Perhaps that is completely inaccurate.
Bonus: Do I still have freewill in heaven? What happens if I screw up once I get there?
Well, when I posed this question to my wife, her answer was that we will have the mind of Christ, so it won't be a problem. So, I said, that means we have no freewill in heaven? Her response was to hit me on the head. Sketchy, sketchy answer.
Actually, the Mormons seem to have a good answer for this one (from my conversations with a Mormon friend many years ago, and no, I don't think it's the right answer, but it is an answer.) Their belief (forgive me if I'm off a bit) is that when we get to heaven, God gives to us of all that He has, including his power, knowledge, etc. and we become gods. So, since we would be making the rules at that point, it would be impossible to sin, because sin is what separates us from God, and we would be Him.
So of all the answers to my questions so far, the only one I can easily accept is getting hit on the head. Sketchy answers indeed.
02 June 2007
1.1 - Big Questions
Although I dread launching straight into them, the weight of letting them loom as future entries is overwhelming, so I must pose the questions. I'll save the in-depth discussions for later, but let's get them out in the open so we can see what we're dealing with.
(In the interest of not being labeled an unbelieving paganistic heretic, let me briefly reiterate that thoughts are not beliefs, questions are ok, and I believe.)
The actual questions posed here are representative. They initiate the dialogue and point to deeper issues. The answers to them create more questions.
Basic assumptions: God made everything. God knows everything. God makes the rules.
1. God made man (Genesis 1:27). God institutes death as punishment for sin (Genesis 3:3). God regrets (actually the KJV says "it repented the Lord") that He made man and destroys the earth with a flood (Genesis 6:6-7). Does not regret indicate that if He had it to do over again, He would do it differently?
2. Since God makes the rules and God knows everything, why would He make a rule that He knew Adam couldn't handle, followed by many more rules that man couldn't handle, followed eventually by Him sending his Son to die? For an omniscient being, this seems to show a lack of foresight.
3. Since God is all-powerful, why should I be impressed by miracles of any kind? If God created the universe, then any miracle is trivial at best.
4. How can a loving and perfect God put in place a system where a decision made by tremendously fallible man—in a period that is infintesimal in comparison to eternity—determines his eternal fate?
Bonus: Do I still have freewill in heaven? What happens if I screw up once I get there?
Comments welcome. Stakes and fire not so much. Steaks and fire on the other hand...
(In the interest of not being labeled an unbelieving paganistic heretic, let me briefly reiterate that thoughts are not beliefs, questions are ok, and I believe.)
The actual questions posed here are representative. They initiate the dialogue and point to deeper issues. The answers to them create more questions.
Basic assumptions: God made everything. God knows everything. God makes the rules.
1. God made man (Genesis 1:27). God institutes death as punishment for sin (Genesis 3:3). God regrets (actually the KJV says "it repented the Lord") that He made man and destroys the earth with a flood (Genesis 6:6-7). Does not regret indicate that if He had it to do over again, He would do it differently?
2. Since God makes the rules and God knows everything, why would He make a rule that He knew Adam couldn't handle, followed by many more rules that man couldn't handle, followed eventually by Him sending his Son to die? For an omniscient being, this seems to show a lack of foresight.
3. Since God is all-powerful, why should I be impressed by miracles of any kind? If God created the universe, then any miracle is trivial at best.
4. How can a loving and perfect God put in place a system where a decision made by tremendously fallible man—in a period that is infintesimal in comparison to eternity—determines his eternal fate?
Bonus: Do I still have freewill in heaven? What happens if I screw up once I get there?
Comments welcome. Stakes and fire not so much. Steaks and fire on the other hand...
01 June 2007
7.0 - The Future - Baseline
"Good luck in the future." My middle school yearbooks have that phrase scrawled in them dozens of times (ok, well, actually quite a few said "Good luck in the fucher," but I'm pretty sure I know what they meant).
Why not good luck now? Now is when I need it. What good is good luck later?
Looking at now from now, I don't see my good luck. When I look at now from then, I can see that indeed my future was lucky. I'm glad now that back then I was wished good luck in the future. I didn't really need it in sixth grade.
Anyway, the future has always been a topic of interest. Looking at now as the past's future provides an interesting perspective on the future that still is.
We as humans have a tendency to set artificial limits on the possible.
Alexander Graham Bell predicted that one day every manufacturing firm in the United States would have a telephone. Bold prediction? I suppose that depends where you stand in time.
The chief engineer of the British Post Office said in 1876 that the telephone might be all well and good for the United States but that it would never catch on in Great Britain because the country has an adequate supply of messenger boys. Then in 1886 he said that if the growth of telephone subscribership continued, by the year 2000 every woman in Great Britain would have to be a telephone operator.
He was right. Actually all of us are telephone operators by his standards. We connect our own calls.
To see into the future we must remove the artifical limits from seemingly bold predictions, and embrace the mocking predictions of the naysayers.
Science fiction has a long and glorious history of becoming science fact. John Brunner first envisioned a computer worm in his 1975 novel The Shockwave Rider. William Gibson's Neuromancer defined cyberspace in 1984, about six years before the WWW came to be, and long before 'net use became common. I have read about personal computers, cell phones, and even email in books written many years before these things became a reality.
To see into the future we must indulge our fantasies. If we can envision the future, we can make it happen. We probably should plan for it, too.
This is my baseline. The future is coming. Predictions to follow...
Why not good luck now? Now is when I need it. What good is good luck later?
Looking at now from now, I don't see my good luck. When I look at now from then, I can see that indeed my future was lucky. I'm glad now that back then I was wished good luck in the future. I didn't really need it in sixth grade.
Anyway, the future has always been a topic of interest. Looking at now as the past's future provides an interesting perspective on the future that still is.
We as humans have a tendency to set artificial limits on the possible.
Alexander Graham Bell predicted that one day every manufacturing firm in the United States would have a telephone. Bold prediction? I suppose that depends where you stand in time.
The chief engineer of the British Post Office said in 1876 that the telephone might be all well and good for the United States but that it would never catch on in Great Britain because the country has an adequate supply of messenger boys. Then in 1886 he said that if the growth of telephone subscribership continued, by the year 2000 every woman in Great Britain would have to be a telephone operator.
He was right. Actually all of us are telephone operators by his standards. We connect our own calls.
To see into the future we must remove the artifical limits from seemingly bold predictions, and embrace the mocking predictions of the naysayers.
Science fiction has a long and glorious history of becoming science fact. John Brunner first envisioned a computer worm in his 1975 novel The Shockwave Rider. William Gibson's Neuromancer defined cyberspace in 1984, about six years before the WWW came to be, and long before 'net use became common. I have read about personal computers, cell phones, and even email in books written many years before these things became a reality.
To see into the future we must indulge our fantasies. If we can envision the future, we can make it happen. We probably should plan for it, too.
This is my baseline. The future is coming. Predictions to follow...
6.0 - Away - Baseline
Away is any place where when I'm done with whatever I'm doing I expect to leave.
Away is full of weird people doing strange things. Home is, too—but I love those people. Work is, too—but I've learned to cope. The 'net is, too—but I'm one of them (so are you).
Away is where I just have to deal with the absurdity until I'm done with whatever I'm doing and can go home.
Away is uncomfortable. Away is where I should spend more time.
This is my baseline. Away is often a strange place. Observations to follow...
Away is full of weird people doing strange things. Home is, too—but I love those people. Work is, too—but I've learned to cope. The 'net is, too—but I'm one of them (so are you).
Away is where I just have to deal with the absurdity until I'm done with whatever I'm doing and can go home.
Away is uncomfortable. Away is where I should spend more time.
This is my baseline. Away is often a strange place. Observations to follow...
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