Summer

It is February and time when a young professor's fancy turns to thoughts of summer. So, how do I best spend my summer? Options include writing curriculum, writing other stuff (still tBD) and teaching.

Only a week ago I thought I would have a more relaxing summer with fewer projects and time to spare for the first time in a long time. Now today I may have plenty to do - plus some. It looks like there won't be much vacation for me.

Things Bethany wrote: salvific technology

I read this thing Bethany wrote and made a comment but I thought it might make an interesting blog entry on it's own so here it is, almost word for word from my comment on Bethany's blog. I am preparing for a presnetation now and her comments about Salvific technology fit in.

Tech can bring a church closer together but it can also create a divide between those who have (or use) and those who don't (or don't). I'm thinking a lot today about older members as I prepare for another intergenerational presentation and many (but not all) of them are less technologically adept than the younger ones. In fact, I know few older people who have blogs - I may be the oldest person I know with one. Does this technology serve as another way in which the generations are being driven apart rather than brought together? Should we eschew things like this that tend to break us into generational groups?

Jenna Elfman wants to clear the planet of non-Scientologists

Jenna Elfman (Dharma of Dharma and Greg fame) says she is “absolutely relentless and unreasonable about grasping [Scientology technology] and owning it. That way, I can have complete KSW (Keeping Scientology Working)…[and] forge ahead with a very high speed of particle flow.”

“If we want to clear this planet, we've got to know and apply this tech. It's just a rule. It just is…I can't even emphasize it enough. It's just truth. You can't go beyond truth, it just is…if you want to Keep Scientology Working, you need to do the PTS/SP Course. Either that or you could be dead. You pick.”

MSNBC just keeps posting these wonderful stories.

MSNBC - Study finds it unlikely lobsters feel pain

Some days the news is just too good to pass up. MSNBC - Study finds it unlikely lobsters feel pain

Save Toby

A charity we can all get behind: Save Toby

The CCM thing

I have been listening to CCM (in addition to mainstream music) for almost as long as the genre has been around as have many of you. I have been disaffected recently by the state of the industry and this morning things got worse for me. There is a new show called Christian Music Makeover and it has got me thinking of many things. Some of my thoughts were echoed in the following articles. The first is about CCM Makeover, the second about the state of the industry and the third is the official site of CCM Makeover that actually almost made me feel worse than the critical pieces.

James Stewart's blog that started this thinking for me

Kate Bomwan's article about the state of CCM

Christian music makeover

stress

How does one deal with stress? Here's my top five ways:
1. yell at my kids - not recommended. Usually doesn't help.
2. excercise - ok, the important thing to note here is that on Friday I tried to convince one of my students that a walk from my office down one flight of stairs to the coffee shop for a donut counted as my exercise for the day so this is one I'm in favor of only theoretically.
3. blogging - self evident
4. work - I sometimes try to dive in to work and keep my mind off the things that are causing me stress.
5. yell at my kids - go with your strengths I always say.

By the way, this is not a random topic today....