Cootsona

Cootsona: Reflections on Culture, Life, and Faith: Wait No Longer! The Complete Links to My Lectures on "The Da Vinci Code"

A series of lectures on "The Da Vinci Code" that I intend to check out at a later time. The speaker is a pastor at Bidwell Pres. here in Chico. What is most interesting about the article is not its content but the response posted by a John.

Why are people so unwilling to condemn this obvious attempt to mislead people and fabricate a distrust of the church; especially so from within the church?

"I think you did a good job discussing canonization, but I think there could be questions about the validity of the current canon. In a later post on your blog, you point out that the validity of prayer is not based on the quantity of the pray-ers, but on the authority of the One. Could it not be the same for scripture? I think there are some people who question the "majority rule" and even ecumeninism of the canonization process. What if the majority got it wrong? What if the scriptures they selected were simply most compatible with their own goals and desires of the church?"

If he is serious then this could be borderline blasphemy. The Word, as we know it as Christians, is the inspired word of God. To worry about the "majority rule" of it, the very text with which we base our faith, seems false to the point of absurdity.

I could go on at length but suffice it to say that he incorrectly uses the Dada movement to describe Mark Twain and engages in other such ridiculousness.

I have decided to make it an effort to challenge these positions as I find them and educate myself in manner suiting that endeavor.

This is also coming on the heels of this review posted by a leader in the college group of this church.
Brokeback Mountain Review

The Ship Online

The Ship Online

The Ship

The Ship

Taking a serious look at this amazing new game concept. If it's anything like I expect it seems to be something in the lines of a mix between "Ten Little Indians" and "Clue."

The pre-order deal is also a bit hard to pass up, 25% off, making it a cool $15.

In other belated news, meaning again that I haven't been keeping up on my blog, I have officially defended my thesis. I did so a little over a week ago and the feeling, as tremedous as it is, is still settling in. It feels as though the reigns are slowing letting off and I can breath more and more.

Also, I even more belated news, I have DS Lite now as does my lovely wife. Currently playing:

Animal Crossing
Metroid Prime: Hunters
Ford Racing 3
Sonic Rush
(and some others) although I am not even sure you can have a list in a "currently" list. Would be like saying, "I am currently reading..." and listing quite a few, or what about "currently listening," perhaps more freedom there. Who knows.

Best Man - Best Friend  

Ruby Skye - San Francisco's Finest Nightclub and Special Event Venue - Nightclub, Club, Bar, Lounge, DJ, House Music, Hip Hop.

Ruby Skye

I was just thinking, since I was sick today from work, which this morning was actually a serious matter, that perhaps some of the time when I feel ill or down in general that it may in fact be a tremendous lack of electronica music.

I was just getting the post together for my SacLand google group together and was listening to the amazing music they have on Skye's web site and I just felt a thousand times better. If you were wondering, track 2 is my fav.

This is going to happen, will all the posititivity that I can give to an event like this right now. Have been meaning to get back to Ruby Skye and this sure seems like a good way to make another foray into the plush surroundings this SF based club has to offer.  

I love Role-Playing

Via: VideoSift

Unfortunate Item Not Included

I didn't post this when I received the news. I can honestly say that it was not from the shock of the blow, which was sizable, but nothing to knock me off my feet. I am holding firm in my belief that God will place me where it is best to be and that if I am not to go on to a PhD program right now then that is the right path to accept.

Well, I suppose then that it might go without saying except that I went without posting it for too long. I did not make it into any of the schools I applied for and so I will not begin pursuits of a PhD this Fall. But I am still hard at work in getting the thesis completed in the best form that it can. Which incidently is what I am doing right now and need to get back to. Not sure how the Gizmo picture ended up being posted before this bit of news, but there it is.

Me as a kid with Gizmo, a particularly cute hero of mine. This, I believe, was taked during a Halloween event of some sort. Gotta love the furry little Gremlin. Or, are they not considered Gremlins until they morph. Hmmm, this obviously needs some more thought.  

Had to post these up: this is the entrance to the dinning hall on the ship we took for our Honeymoon. The dinning room was called Aquarius, so this one is for all the A-Boys. It was terrific, too, because everything in it was themed after the sign, the walls had the design, the carpet, statues. Magnificent.  

Peasant's Quest

Peasant's Quest

Best Game Ever. I highly recommend it. Right now I am 64/150. Here I come Trogdor!

Photo Art: By Budiak
A Terrific work of art by a best friend and a member of the bridal party. This moment was captured as I went over the ceremony with my Dad before the wedding. The photo was taken in the History room of the church and the method of the photography I think suits the situation well.

Greetings from the Beautiful Mazatlan! I and my recently married wife, Lindsey, say hello in front of a grown up version of the first palm plant I bought her when we were dating. Lots more pics to come:) The honeymoon was wonderful, full of adventure, and I have some good stories that would make excellent blog entries. Gotta put some pictures on to illustrate them. So I will get to work on that.

I regret to inform you...

Brown University

Yes, a high prize in many eyes, Brown University must be added to the list of schools I will not be attending.

For those doing your brackets at home that leaves:
Oregon University & SUNY Stony Brook

It has come down to the polar opposited of this great nation. On one side the lovely town of Eugene, on the other the incredible locale of Long Island, NY.

Fuel for the Fire

::POWERade OPTION::

Right now I am in the midst of crunch time and heavy writing. My current fuel status charged and ready to keep on.
Fuel types for this evening are as follows:
Maxwell House Coffee (Original Smooth)
This litte Treat linked to above - POWERade OPTION
&
Last but not least - Mountain Dew

And, of course, some traditional H2O will make it into the mix.

A few more additions to the List

University of California, Santa Barbara

Well, it is my sad duty to now add to the list
University of California, Santa Barbara and
The University of Virginia

to the list of schools I will not be attending. What makes these decisions even more saddening is that they were schools that were near my top choices and on top of being excellent schools they were in terrific locations as well.

Beautiful Santa Barbara and the wonderful state of Virginia, I bid thee adieu.

I mean, just look at that campus...

Elgin Marbles

Just a quick little update while I am in the midst of thesis writing. Schools I have heard no from their doctoral committees:

Duke
University of Michigan
Indiana University
University of Southern California
Cornell

Underway - Undertoe

There are times, much like tonight, where I get so excited about where my ideas are headed that I derail. Tonight it was even worse. I was able to get so much of what was a very abstract idea from my head down into writing. This felt tremendous and I was thrilled at the progress. But, like I said, it drew me away from the writing momentum that I was in and into a kind of bleh. So here I am, filling a little time before bed. Now I have alotted some time before bed for some addition academic reading, so that will make a nice cap to the day and I can start fresh tomorrow; right after work.

Work has been somewhat tough lately. I am working it out with God to make it through and retain enough energy to finish the day out writing. After tomorow I will have a nice block of days strung together to get things accomplished.

Goal: to have a first rough draft of the thesis before Tuesday, March 14th. Wednesday I can then pack and recoil from the strenuous weekend of thesis work and prepare myself mentally for life changing weekend to come.

Wedding bells, to me they sound a music my soul have sought since inception. I love my God - I love my Family and that Family I am to enter into - and I love my fiancee - I love her with all my heart and everything that I am wants to be hers and to please her and be there for her in all things and forever.

I really need to find a more poetic voice when describing that. It is hard because just the thought sends me dizzy in rapture and verse form is harder for me to produce when I am like that. hehe, guess I am just twitterpated.

Current TV // Google Current - Venetian: Conor // Sharkey

Current TV // Google Current - Venetian: Conor // Sharkey

This was genius. Google is genius. Just a matter of time now before they take over the world. And I would also like to take this time to thank google for Blogger and Picasa, and of course, Hello.

I love politics.

Sponsorship

Maxwell House

I have always thought that being sponsored in something was a definitive sign of recognition in whatever field that may be. I have never seriously hoped to be sponsored by anyone like Burton, Quicksilver, or Airwalk; but what about the academic person like myself?

Now before I layout my idea, keep in mind that what I am picturing is a more popularized form of sponsorship; one with commercial implications. This may provide some insight into why we haven't seen any of this. There are, of course, numerous methods by which students are sponsored. You have your fellowships, recognition awards, Professorial letters of endorsement, etc. But I do think that there is an untapped market here that might just get the mouths watering in some corporate minds.

Think of it: when I browse for products, the ones I see are hawked by athletes, cartoon icons, attractive or influential spokesperson, and stars, none of whom I aspire to me. Most of us truly don't, but bear with me.

I think a new wave of advertising might take form in more realistic, albeit still unlikely to achieve, outlooks. Or, for my purposes here, in fellow-worship.

I take part of this cue from my own musings and hopes with the added fuel of the blog-o-sphere. Nothing to my mind recently appeals as much to the 'someone else out there gets it' mentality. Blogs also can have a sponsorship element to them allowing for the potential of profitability.

So - here it is. My pitch.

If I were to be elevated to such a status, allow me to give who I would choose, or perhaps because of my enthusiasm for their products, be chosen by were I to be looked to to endorse products that might fit my demographic:

Maxwell House - would want my testimonial of their great cup to cup taste and how numerous late nights doing literary research and composition are owed to their coffee. They might also want a picture of Mt. Coffulous. In fact, that will be a 'to add' for the blog at least.

HP - for the extensive printing of and composing of essays, term papers, and presentation. I am writing this on a HP Pavilion and currently am employing an HP Deskjet 3740. The benefits here might also yield good freebies from the company.
FedEx/Kinkos - For some mass printing work and especially for shipping. Shipped some writing samples to the Universities that I am applying to.

Microsoft - as a testimonial spokesman on their OneNote program of which ample use has been made in the preparation for seminars, symposiums, class lectures, and thesis research.

Many others have come to mind but duty calls and I must return to making good use of these products in my academic pursuits.