Okay, because I'm a big dork and know pretty close to nothing about the comic book/graphic novel world...I JUST saw 300 today. I will also confess my desire to see this movie is actually based on the fact that I watched the History Channel special on the historical account of such events, rather than any knowledge of a comic book even existing. I don't recall how 2 and 2 were put together, but they did and I rented the dvd. I must say WAY COOL! oh...and EWWWWW both comments for so many reasons. I would have to say while I understand it's not all factual in the movie...even within costumes and such, I am sad that one scene wasn't given a greater look, and that is indeed of the legend of the arrows that covered the day sky and made it dark. The movie did show that this happened, but most of the scene was then watching them fall to the ground (which, incidentally, they made a point in showing the robes get arrowed down, but no one seemed to have a hard time getting up did they...hhmm). I would have loved for this to be something of a bigger picture just because it was such an ordeal....enough arrows in the sky to darken it, and if memory serves me correct, it was for quite a little bit of time.
I have tons of analysis on the Roman Empire itself, but that is for another post.....for the movie WAY COOL! I am quite impressed with the acting of the lead character, I'm too lazy at this point to check his name. Also, while I think it was a little bit of a push to seek the "human" side of the Romans within a film like this, I did enjoy the character study of the queen. I rarely like movies that are so digitalized the acting is not even noticed, but this film is a WONDERFUL combination of what can be done in both directions. I would say the digital parts of this weren't the usual "no way that's so fake" type, rather used to accent certain points, which made it (to me) more photographic in idea, for me as a viewer anyway.
Obviously, there was dramatic liberties taken, and that's expected, but the film (and I'm assuming the comic) got the essence of the story-which is pretty nifty.
Xerxes....what a freak!
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Saturday, September 1, 2007
My father is not four
I will bring my recent soapbox down to this point.....If Jesus...King by both bloodline and Authority did not rule the eart, what on earth do Christians think they are doing trying to rule it for Him.
I realize I am DEEPLY unpopular in my thinking, and I'm okay with that. I don't claim to have all the secrets of God in my pocket (I did marry outside my faith), and therefore perhaps my credibility is shot in some minds. However, I don't claim to be on the list for the next authors of the Bible, I am merely someone who seeks to understand God through eyes not of my culture.
I enjoy following politics for the most part. Not only within my own country, but I am deeply interested in what happens in other parts of the world as well, specifically Pakistan (go figure), however, even from p.s. point of view-there's a lot to be studied and something major has the opportunity of happening soon. But I digress. I have discovered, though, perhaps it's not in the Christian's calling OR best interest to be so vested in wordly politics. First, it takes many away from attempting soul care and tries to simply legalize morality....and guess what, it won't work. I also find it goes against scripture. I don't believe people intend to try to tell God what won't happen, rather they just don't want it happening in the good ole' U.S.A. Read the Bible, though, and nowhere does it say "It will be as in the times of Noah-except the United States of America, where all will be peacefull and there will be no homosexuals." (seeing they tend to be a Christian's worse nightmare) Forget they have a soul as well.
What is the option? I'm not quite there yet, because I'm not sure where to draw the line, but I will say, I'm going to spend more time praying about those of us on earth (including myself) and less time trying to decide which crackpot I think should be in office. Let's face it....even if Hilary Clinton gets elected (I just had a shiver run up my spine with those nausiating words), then I believe this is God's will in order for things to run as he supposes. I think that's his perogative too actually.
We were told to spread the good news. To concentrate on loving people, the widows, the sick (and I dont' believe this implys only those with the flu), even those in jail....oh yes, even the badies. We were told to love others as God is love. I figure, if Jesus wasn't arguing the law at his trial, we have no right to argue the law with this country, no matter what those who wrote some stuff down on a peice of paper said, believed, or we THINK they believed. I will be a Christian regardless of who is in office, of what stupid rule they pass to drive us from society, and no matter what country I live in frankly.
I realize I am DEEPLY unpopular in my thinking, and I'm okay with that. I don't claim to have all the secrets of God in my pocket (I did marry outside my faith), and therefore perhaps my credibility is shot in some minds. However, I don't claim to be on the list for the next authors of the Bible, I am merely someone who seeks to understand God through eyes not of my culture.
I enjoy following politics for the most part. Not only within my own country, but I am deeply interested in what happens in other parts of the world as well, specifically Pakistan (go figure), however, even from p.s. point of view-there's a lot to be studied and something major has the opportunity of happening soon. But I digress. I have discovered, though, perhaps it's not in the Christian's calling OR best interest to be so vested in wordly politics. First, it takes many away from attempting soul care and tries to simply legalize morality....and guess what, it won't work. I also find it goes against scripture. I don't believe people intend to try to tell God what won't happen, rather they just don't want it happening in the good ole' U.S.A. Read the Bible, though, and nowhere does it say "It will be as in the times of Noah-except the United States of America, where all will be peacefull and there will be no homosexuals." (seeing they tend to be a Christian's worse nightmare) Forget they have a soul as well.
What is the option? I'm not quite there yet, because I'm not sure where to draw the line, but I will say, I'm going to spend more time praying about those of us on earth (including myself) and less time trying to decide which crackpot I think should be in office. Let's face it....even if Hilary Clinton gets elected (I just had a shiver run up my spine with those nausiating words), then I believe this is God's will in order for things to run as he supposes. I think that's his perogative too actually.
We were told to spread the good news. To concentrate on loving people, the widows, the sick (and I dont' believe this implys only those with the flu), even those in jail....oh yes, even the badies. We were told to love others as God is love. I figure, if Jesus wasn't arguing the law at his trial, we have no right to argue the law with this country, no matter what those who wrote some stuff down on a peice of paper said, believed, or we THINK they believed. I will be a Christian regardless of who is in office, of what stupid rule they pass to drive us from society, and no matter what country I live in frankly.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Caution, adult content below......
I'm serious, I will be adressing conception in this note, so for the shy, you may wish to wait the next entry. Nothing explicit really, just philosophy.
I was reading "The Abolition of Man" by C.S.Lewis the other day, still working through it as I don't spend a lot of time reading these days, and he was discussing the effect (affect?) of the institution of contraceptives. He spends several sentances throughout the book thus far touching on this, and since they were being used more often and more publicly for the first time during this time frame it's understandable. One thing he mentions though, is that by the use of such items, we are basically controlling the population of the earth. This suprises me of him. Not to say I'm a scholor of all things C.S. Lewis, however, someone of other thoughts I've read of his suprise me to think he would lend something like population of the earth in the hands of us humans.
Perhaps I'm on the side of the ever so famous Monty Python song that talks of the catholic familiy who will not use any sort of contraceptive. (which I will not quote, but many are familiar with, if not......rent "The Meaning of Life") Now, I can talk big, right, because my husband is on another continent and I'm a faithful wife. HOWEVER, I also had a kid when I SOOOOO was not wanting one (so, I'm not quite a hypocrit). My point, is that if throughout the Bible, and many times in some of the most elequently written Psalms, God is the maker of our days. He knew us before we were formed in the unknown. All our steps are ordained by him. I'm not going to go intoa pre-destination rant, because that makes my head hurt....but in the realm of life.....birth....doesn't it lend to the idea that it is God rather than man that is in charge of population growth? I've struggled with my own decisions on birth control, obviously should have gotten my theory down BEFORE getting married, but oh well...she's fun. And, yeah, I'm kind of scared of the possibility of having more children....okay REALLY scared......but I'm not sure it's up to me, anymore than Ezzah was. Perhaps if I stayed married, and stayed 3,000miles apart from my husband I wouldn't have anything to fear, but that's a little extreme.
I have really no actual point here, I guess, except to say that it suprises me C.S.Lewis of all people would think we have some sort of hold over the next generation because we can choose to create LESS of a population. I could be missing something he has said at a later time, of course....but for now, that's where I am. And, I have to say, I don't agree with him, which says absolutely nothing really, because I can't even pretend to be able to stand on the same level as him philosophically.
*spell check isn't working on here for me, so now you know what a complete moron I am and can't spell worth anything!
I was reading "The Abolition of Man" by C.S.Lewis the other day, still working through it as I don't spend a lot of time reading these days, and he was discussing the effect (affect?) of the institution of contraceptives. He spends several sentances throughout the book thus far touching on this, and since they were being used more often and more publicly for the first time during this time frame it's understandable. One thing he mentions though, is that by the use of such items, we are basically controlling the population of the earth. This suprises me of him. Not to say I'm a scholor of all things C.S. Lewis, however, someone of other thoughts I've read of his suprise me to think he would lend something like population of the earth in the hands of us humans.
Perhaps I'm on the side of the ever so famous Monty Python song that talks of the catholic familiy who will not use any sort of contraceptive. (which I will not quote, but many are familiar with, if not......rent "The Meaning of Life") Now, I can talk big, right, because my husband is on another continent and I'm a faithful wife. HOWEVER, I also had a kid when I SOOOOO was not wanting one (so, I'm not quite a hypocrit). My point, is that if throughout the Bible, and many times in some of the most elequently written Psalms, God is the maker of our days. He knew us before we were formed in the unknown. All our steps are ordained by him. I'm not going to go intoa pre-destination rant, because that makes my head hurt....but in the realm of life.....birth....doesn't it lend to the idea that it is God rather than man that is in charge of population growth? I've struggled with my own decisions on birth control, obviously should have gotten my theory down BEFORE getting married, but oh well...she's fun. And, yeah, I'm kind of scared of the possibility of having more children....okay REALLY scared......but I'm not sure it's up to me, anymore than Ezzah was. Perhaps if I stayed married, and stayed 3,000miles apart from my husband I wouldn't have anything to fear, but that's a little extreme.
I have really no actual point here, I guess, except to say that it suprises me C.S.Lewis of all people would think we have some sort of hold over the next generation because we can choose to create LESS of a population. I could be missing something he has said at a later time, of course....but for now, that's where I am. And, I have to say, I don't agree with him, which says absolutely nothing really, because I can't even pretend to be able to stand on the same level as him philosophically.
*spell check isn't working on here for me, so now you know what a complete moron I am and can't spell worth anything!
Friday, August 24, 2007
Frappe'
While thinking of a particular idea in the Bible, it brought me to wish to be better understanding of the idea behind the idea. I have heard a sermon on "being hot or cold....or lukewarm" many many times. To my knowledge (or to my memory), I don't recall what hot...cold....and lukewarm actually imply. And, is hot and cold both versions of Christianity, and you can get into heaven being one or the other....it is just the lukewarm that aren't allowed? Perhaps I have my understanding of this verse wrong (or I should say my misunderstanding). I have a lot of thoughts and wonders about judgement, because I know it's final....and in all honesty it scares the stuffing out of me.....but I lack understanding of what is exactly to be heaven bound. Perhaps because what Jesus says, and then what is in Revelation varies in my mind...I mean, it doesn't seem so cut and dry. I have been told, simply believing is simply enough.....and yet what does that mean really.
Is lukewarm believing, but still adhereing to the "world", and when I say that I mean in the small things-what I watch on TV, read, listen to in music, etc. etc. Can I say I believe and be entertained by non-God praising means. If things that are of God good, adn things that are not bad, then that reasoning leads me to believe that many things I think are surely okay...perhaps aren't, it's my culture that has taught me that they are. I have had similar thoughts to this before and I'm told that God would not have us live so "rigid", but is it really rigid to God....or is it Godly......and perhaps there's a hot and a cold in all that, and they are both good enough......so what is lukewarm.
I am not for most things our society lives by, but I see there is no real way to escape what we as humans have done. From health to lifestyles, it's difficult to live according to what seems to be the right way, unless one converts to be Amish (which.....I don't see on some level to be so bad quite frankly)
Is lukewarm believing, but still adhereing to the "world", and when I say that I mean in the small things-what I watch on TV, read, listen to in music, etc. etc. Can I say I believe and be entertained by non-God praising means. If things that are of God good, adn things that are not bad, then that reasoning leads me to believe that many things I think are surely okay...perhaps aren't, it's my culture that has taught me that they are. I have had similar thoughts to this before and I'm told that God would not have us live so "rigid", but is it really rigid to God....or is it Godly......and perhaps there's a hot and a cold in all that, and they are both good enough......so what is lukewarm.
I am not for most things our society lives by, but I see there is no real way to escape what we as humans have done. From health to lifestyles, it's difficult to live according to what seems to be the right way, unless one converts to be Amish (which.....I don't see on some level to be so bad quite frankly)
Thursday, August 16, 2007
&**&^$%#$
How do you accurately swear without writting it out plainly? I would surely have no issues writting just how I am feeling at the moment, however, I would severly offend those I am closest to. Therefore, please take my status that I am INCREDIBLY PISSED at the moment.
I get this letter today from the National Visa Processing Center, in said letter is the good news...time to send Usama's application to New Hampshire. I was able (miraculously) to get through to a customer service agent about a month ago, and they told me we could follow the online instructions to be prepared. Usama could send me the required documents and that way we could send them straight in I got the above mentioned letter. So we did. Being the control freak that I am, I read, re-read, and re-read again everything on the website to make sure what we needed to get. And, he sent it. I've had everything ready, anxiously awaiting todays letter.
And then I open it. There is a supplement form-DATED AUG 1992- that says that if the applicant is married he/she must have a passport that reflects marital status. I should mention, the website does state he needs to send a copy of a specific page from his passport....but nothing about what needs to be on it. Naturally, I AM PISSED!!! Why, because this has now pushed us back AT LEAST a month, and that is if he can rush over to the office where one gets a passport and get one (as if he has a money tree growing on the terrace). WHAT THE *&%#! Had this piece of information been relayed, we could have at least gotten his passport by now and he could have sent in the right form.
All the talk of immigration reform.....I'm not really sure what these politicians are actually talking about....aside from a bunch of bull, because they sure aren't going to reform the system where it makes any sense (I have a list of obsurdatices), and they sure aren't going to reform it for those that are actually trying to do it right. How friggin hard is it to simply update a damn website??? How hard is it for the c.s agent to give that little bit of information? What the hell are they doing if they can't accurately answer a question....WHEN YOU CAN GET THROUGH!! I'm moving to Dubai.....or Canada....or Montana.
I get this letter today from the National Visa Processing Center, in said letter is the good news...time to send Usama's application to New Hampshire. I was able (miraculously) to get through to a customer service agent about a month ago, and they told me we could follow the online instructions to be prepared. Usama could send me the required documents and that way we could send them straight in I got the above mentioned letter. So we did. Being the control freak that I am, I read, re-read, and re-read again everything on the website to make sure what we needed to get. And, he sent it. I've had everything ready, anxiously awaiting todays letter.
And then I open it. There is a supplement form-DATED AUG 1992- that says that if the applicant is married he/she must have a passport that reflects marital status. I should mention, the website does state he needs to send a copy of a specific page from his passport....but nothing about what needs to be on it. Naturally, I AM PISSED!!! Why, because this has now pushed us back AT LEAST a month, and that is if he can rush over to the office where one gets a passport and get one (as if he has a money tree growing on the terrace). WHAT THE *&%#! Had this piece of information been relayed, we could have at least gotten his passport by now and he could have sent in the right form.
All the talk of immigration reform.....I'm not really sure what these politicians are actually talking about....aside from a bunch of bull, because they sure aren't going to reform the system where it makes any sense (I have a list of obsurdatices), and they sure aren't going to reform it for those that are actually trying to do it right. How friggin hard is it to simply update a damn website??? How hard is it for the c.s agent to give that little bit of information? What the hell are they doing if they can't accurately answer a question....WHEN YOU CAN GET THROUGH!! I'm moving to Dubai.....or Canada....or Montana.
In the real world
Okay, so my last post was all about how I am realizing just how much of a jerk I am, right? And how I'm prayerfully trying to work out of that. Wouldn't you know it, I go to work yesterday and meet perhaps the STUPIDEST people on the face of the planet. I have some tips for society;
1)Don't go into a coffee shop, stare at the price board for 4/5 min, order three drinks and then complain when the price is over 10$. Yeah, you're an idiot for spending so much on beverages! Either you can't add and you were generally shocked, or you just want what you want and then want to complain when you have to pay for it........that's capitalism baby!
2)Dont' order a frappacino and then say "oh, I'd better not" to the whipped cream...ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? That whipped cream is NOTHING compared to the crap you're digesting in that damn drink.....as if we're talking about a slim fast shake here....idiot
3)Don't complain to me about the prices. Have you never ordered a latte' anywhere else, do you not know that espresso drinks are liquid gold you are drinking? Also, do you really think I'd be making your damn drink if I was in a position to control pricing NO, my fat ass would be sitting in some leather chair behind some huge desk playing online golf if I had that sort of control. Leave a note, I'll be sure to pass it on to the master.
And finally-here's what just made me realize I am no where near where I was hoping I was (I guess realizing your faults does not mean you've managed to improve on them). This guy came in and wanted to use one of the computers (I should add, we are a college cafe', and there is a "bar" of 4 computers for people to come in and get online). He stands in front of one of them and asks if anyone was sitting there, I said no.....he says okay. I am afraid the last guy left some porn page up on the screen so I glance over to the screen and it's email. So I tell the guy he can just close it up. The next thing I notice, he's going through the emails!!!!!! Okay, so he's just some jerk, right.....well, he comes to the counter about an hour later (I am pretty sure he went to other sites through this hour, leaving the person's email elsewhere) and notices my book by C.S. Lewis. I dont' have it out for anyone to notice, I was just reading it when he came up and I put it down. He starts discussing with me these other Christian books of Lewis' he's read. I want to tell him he's a big fat jerk for reading other people's email and then talking to me about Christian philosophy, till it dawns on me, telling someone off and then talking Christian philosophy is probably along the same lines of integrity.
Point-I am a jerk..........and I measure up to a jerk who would sit and read someone else's emails....
1)Don't go into a coffee shop, stare at the price board for 4/5 min, order three drinks and then complain when the price is over 10$. Yeah, you're an idiot for spending so much on beverages! Either you can't add and you were generally shocked, or you just want what you want and then want to complain when you have to pay for it........that's capitalism baby!
2)Dont' order a frappacino and then say "oh, I'd better not" to the whipped cream...ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? That whipped cream is NOTHING compared to the crap you're digesting in that damn drink.....as if we're talking about a slim fast shake here....idiot
3)Don't complain to me about the prices. Have you never ordered a latte' anywhere else, do you not know that espresso drinks are liquid gold you are drinking? Also, do you really think I'd be making your damn drink if I was in a position to control pricing NO, my fat ass would be sitting in some leather chair behind some huge desk playing online golf if I had that sort of control. Leave a note, I'll be sure to pass it on to the master.
And finally-here's what just made me realize I am no where near where I was hoping I was (I guess realizing your faults does not mean you've managed to improve on them). This guy came in and wanted to use one of the computers (I should add, we are a college cafe', and there is a "bar" of 4 computers for people to come in and get online). He stands in front of one of them and asks if anyone was sitting there, I said no.....he says okay. I am afraid the last guy left some porn page up on the screen so I glance over to the screen and it's email. So I tell the guy he can just close it up. The next thing I notice, he's going through the emails!!!!!! Okay, so he's just some jerk, right.....well, he comes to the counter about an hour later (I am pretty sure he went to other sites through this hour, leaving the person's email elsewhere) and notices my book by C.S. Lewis. I dont' have it out for anyone to notice, I was just reading it when he came up and I put it down. He starts discussing with me these other Christian books of Lewis' he's read. I want to tell him he's a big fat jerk for reading other people's email and then talking to me about Christian philosophy, till it dawns on me, telling someone off and then talking Christian philosophy is probably along the same lines of integrity.
Point-I am a jerk..........and I measure up to a jerk who would sit and read someone else's emails....
Monday, August 13, 2007
I need a chain saw
I was washing my car yesterday, when a question was posed to me......"What is a Christian, really?" The answer.....at that time "One who believes in the Messiahship in Jesus.....He died for the redemption of our sins.....and rose again". Now, if this is as simple as it is, the question that followed was "Then why are you so damn judgmental" (I even curse when I'm thinking of these things, I'm an idiot).
I have begun to read C.S. Lewis' "Abolition of Man", and I appreciated the first few pages of him totally destroying some education materials put out by these authors for students of middle school age. I was tickled and joined in on the fun because there are so many little things that drive me crazy in this world, and they pretty much almost always come down to what I feel is HORRIBLE communication. Yet, as much as I loved him pointing out the ignorance of people, I am moved to wonder if my doing this in my own life is being concerened with things I ought not be. In my quest to be less wordly and more godly (okay...less wordly first, let's be honest), I find that perhaps a huge step is to not concern myself with what is going on in the world (to an extent of course). This being said-my judgmental attitude needs to seriously be examined from a new angle. Rather than looking at people as "just not there yet", I realize it's not up to me to look at people at all. If someone tells me they are a Christian-is my job to line them up with some sort of expectation of what a Chrisitan is. This does not count those that are professed leaders of course, because natrually we are to be watchful of who we follow. I guess, this whole idea follows with what I believe is wrong with "the church"....we are too concerned with which sins people are committing, when it doesn't necc. matter-in the long run.
My point-I'm a jerk. Second-it is my prayer that God will transform my heart into where I believe He is taking my mind. It is not for anyone else as such, but rather my own growth and life within Him.
I have begun to read C.S. Lewis' "Abolition of Man", and I appreciated the first few pages of him totally destroying some education materials put out by these authors for students of middle school age. I was tickled and joined in on the fun because there are so many little things that drive me crazy in this world, and they pretty much almost always come down to what I feel is HORRIBLE communication. Yet, as much as I loved him pointing out the ignorance of people, I am moved to wonder if my doing this in my own life is being concerened with things I ought not be. In my quest to be less wordly and more godly (okay...less wordly first, let's be honest), I find that perhaps a huge step is to not concern myself with what is going on in the world (to an extent of course). This being said-my judgmental attitude needs to seriously be examined from a new angle. Rather than looking at people as "just not there yet", I realize it's not up to me to look at people at all. If someone tells me they are a Christian-is my job to line them up with some sort of expectation of what a Chrisitan is. This does not count those that are professed leaders of course, because natrually we are to be watchful of who we follow. I guess, this whole idea follows with what I believe is wrong with "the church"....we are too concerned with which sins people are committing, when it doesn't necc. matter-in the long run.
My point-I'm a jerk. Second-it is my prayer that God will transform my heart into where I believe He is taking my mind. It is not for anyone else as such, but rather my own growth and life within Him.
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