Open Post: Shawn The Baptist at Boise State. Respect and Tolerance

I was walking back from my Criminal Law 321 class at Boise State and stumbled upon a shocking event. There were two men in the quad preceaching the gosphel of christiananty. This triggered memories of our weeks of discussion about creation myths and creation. The man was self proclamied as "Shawn the Baptist". Shawn was holding a big white sign with bold black letters which said "Evolution is a Lie". The man was loud, confident, and you could definitly tell he was there. The man was stating things such as students are going to Hell for smoking Pot, having sex outside of marriage and that being reborn was the prevention from an internity of damnation into a Lake of firey Hot Lava.

                 

                                                                   
                                                               Shaun the Baptist
I was shocked to find that my fellow students at BSU were very disrepectful, unmature, and downright rude. They challenged every single word he said as well as excessifly shouted vulgarities, profanity, and shouted for the preacher to "shut the hell up". A few students even walked right up to the preacher and threatned to kick the preachers ass and insulted him at every turn. Having the man preach religios texts at the top of his lungths can obnoxious at times especially to the non believers. It is just plain disrespectful to verbally attack somebody who is brave enough and get up in front of hundreds of people for what they believe in. The link below is from a few monthes ago where the Boise State school newspaper interviewd the preacher. His comments were that the students of BSU were some of the most respectful, commpassoniate , and tolerable students he's had the pleasure to meet. Has his opnions changed after todays visit? Is this how the students of Boise State wish to represent themselvess?

http://arbiteronline.com/2009/11/12/shawn-the-baptist-visits-boise-state/

What makes this nation great is the fact that we can study the various creation myths in our english classes free of judgement, commitment, or mandation. It allows us to be able to speak our minds and protects our freedoms of speech. The students fired back we have just as much right to speak as you do which is true. However, when the minister revealed that this was a F Bomb free zone, the students started shouting the "F"word left and right. The constitution does not protect profanity, fighting words, obsenity, or other morally wrong behavior. This dissapoints me that the students would represent themselves like that and that it was the majority that did.

Homer analyzed Or Interpreted?

It's a very interesting thought that Homer and his readings can be analyzed but not interpreted. The question sounded confusing and absurd at first but once thought about makes perfect sense. After reading the bible and Homer's writings it's clear how Homer leaves few questions unanswered and explains what each person is doing and why they are doing what they do. The bible tells it's stories and leaves it's meanings up to the reader to interpret what they feel that message is. The reader is left with little room to imagine or wonder why things in the play are happening the way they do.

The Bible professes it's stories in a very singular way. Bible stories are told as if they were truth and as if they happened in the past. It's quite interesting how each religious text is written in past tents and the other in present tents as if history was being made as you read. The  concepts of analyzing and interpret Homer and The Bible can be conflicting at times. A reader must both analyze and interpret the bible and translate it's meaning into something that makes sense. The proof of this is everywhere. Readers of the Bible from different parts of the country and even the world derive different meanings from the bible and it's verses.

I feel that the Homer's writings can still be somewhat interpreted but only slightly since so much information is given at every turn. We may not be able to speculate on a given scenario based on the information provided but we are able to wonder why things are that way. We can wonder why they believe multiple god's exist and why the story includes such far out creatures as a cyclops.

Aruback was trying to convince us that Homer's work was more theatrical and for our entertainment. To gain a greater meaning out of his stories would be pointless and the main idea was to enjoy the stories. Scriptures were made to be interpreted to be understood so each person could translate they're different meanings from them. There might be some lesson to learn from Homers readings but if so they were not intended and accidental. Being able to interpret the bible may be a good and bad thing. At the same time it could be dangerous to only derive one meaning from a reading. The readings of Homer seem to be entertainment oriented meaning that the stories didn't exist but they were written to be told and passed down in an entertaining fashion through stories or even acted out in theatre. The bible leaves much room for interpretation. I can relate each writing to our own constitution as it is written very specifically but also written with much room for interpretation.

Open Post What is your vision of God?

I have always wondered what the appearance of god has looked like and Talking about all of these creation myths in class has reinforced that curiosity. Even  the atheists of the world must have some vision of how a god or God may look like. Do you imagine God as a physical thing such as a person or a thing or something else. Do you picture him as giant and human-like or something else?

Picturing God may be easy for some and difficult for others. Since everything in religion is based of faith and imagination, we must use our imaginations to imagine the god that created us. I like to believe that God created us in his own image and that he looks like humans with even more perfection. For some reason I picture him as a father like figure looking like a father or perhaps even a Grandpa. That may be because I do not have a father that is active in my life and perhaps that's the reason for my envision. I see God as all powerful and the mysteries on why he created humans are as much a mystery as it is to anybody.

The theories of creation can get controversial but the many different stories and theories can get very interesting. It has always puzzled me that most people have such a problem with religion because there is no solid proof. Of course I have never had religion shoved down my throat or dictated to me so that may be an aspect of my opinion. I feel that people should believe in their hearts in God because they've got nothing to lose. If they believe and it turns out to not exit then fine but if they choose to not believe and it turns out to be true than threes the fear and consequence of what happens.

Don't ever let religion "rule" or "run" your life and let the church dictate how you live but just simply believe. Going to church may be over rated as well. Some of the worst people act wrongfully and feel that going to church each week justifies their behavior. At the same time some of the kindest, most caring, and compassionate people may not go to church every Sunday and they may be the best of people.

Flood Story Vs Flood Story: A floods a flood right?

There were many major differences that I saw between The Hebrew Flood story and that of Gilgamesh. I saw many similarities that the two stories have. The story seems as if it could almost be the same story based on a different culture and belief system from a different part of the world. I have always wondered that because despite the differences among religions and there biblical stories I find a common theme. It makes me wonder if it is the same story told from different points of view throughout the world.

There are however many differences that make each story so different. In the flood of Gilgamesh there are many gods instead of just one. Something that really caught my eye was that it was mentioned that the flood was so terrible that even the gods were terrified of it and retreated to the highest reaches of heaven. I am not sure if there were different ranks of gods which were decided by power or if the storm and flood really was that horrible. In the Hebrew version of the flood there was only one all powerful god. I found it very interesting that the gods would be terrified of something that they not only started but created as well.

God(s)

vs One God

The version of the Hebrew flood doesn't seem to go into as much detail such as who Noah exactly is but rather what he does. The flood in Gilgamesh seems to be more of a story. It was also interesting how the flood only lasted 6 days and 6 nights in the flood of Gilgamesh and lasted a 40 days and 40 nights in the other flood. This seemed to reinforce just how much worse then Hebrew flood really was, however when a horrendous storm that floods the entire world six days and six nights would be more than enough to kill off the entire planet. 

I also saw that in the herbrew bible stated to take a certain amount of each animal. The request in Gilgamesh was to take the seed of each animal? This may just be the differences in word meaning or phrases or it could perhaps mean something else. I thought that it might of meant take with you the offspring of each animal. Since the world would be starting over I thought  it was appropriate to take animals in their youth rather than in their prime to repopulate the world.

It was interesting that the main reason for the flood in Gilgamesh was based on the "clamor" of humanity. Humans began to get so out of control that they produced so much noise that the gods could not sleep. Upon a vote the gods agreed to wipe out mankind. Because humanity god out of control which was most likely the cause of sin, hate, evil war, and chaos the god's decided to "start over". This was very much like the flood story in the Hebrew bible however, the story of the Hebrews seems to get right down to business rather than sugar coat it as the Gilgamesh flood did.

Open Post

I wasn't sure if the open post was something that had to be open on anything from class or just anything in general. I want;t to share something that takes a lot of faith to master. much like the faith it takes to believe in the creation myths we have been studying.

Extreme Yo-yo

What is yo-yoing?  It’s the crack of the string, the smell of 3-in-1 oil, and the feeling of raw, cold metal in your hand.  Yo-yoing is being in the spotlight and hearing the roar of the crowd.  It’s being terrified and excited at the same time. Yo-yoing is learning and teaching and being frustrated one minute and thrilled the next. Most important of all, yo-yoing is a sport.  It’s the one thing that many have heard of yet know so little about.  Yo-yoing is patience, time, practice, and dedication. At the same time yo-yoing can seem aggravating, confusing, and hopeless.  Yo-yoing truly is a love/hate relationship. It may take a lot of patience and repetition, but the hard work pays off in the end and the feeling is purely magical. The yo-yos of today have changed greatly since the yo-yos of yesterday. Today, yo-yo’s come in many different brands from all over the world. They range from cheap plastic yo-yo’s all the way up to high end metal yo-yo’s that cost up to $100. Many people are surprised at the outrageous price of some yo-yo’s but they definitely make a difference.  They spin longer and make tricks a snap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x-XoJWEYog

Along with all the different yo-yo’s come the tools of trade. There are many different oil’s, strings, and bearings that work behind the scenes. Liquids such as thick oil, thin oil, and 3-in-1 oil all have different benefits to the player. Thick oil makes the yo-yo more responsive and thin oil makes the yo-yo totally unresponsive. Many blends of string have been created to suit the different styles of yo-yoing. String blends consist of 100% polyester, cotton, and 50% cotton 50% polyester. Cotton is generally beginner string and wears out the fastest. When things get serious, polyester string is needed as it lasts the longest. The 50/50 blend which is half cotton half polyester makes for a slick less responsive string. The 50/50 blend is the best for two handed yo-yoing where a mixture of more response and less responsiveness is needed.

Today’s one handed yo-yo’s are made not to come back to one’s hand when called. Unresponsive yo-yos allow players to perform tricks without having the yo-yo jerk up and hit them in the face. New tricks that would otherwise come back up to your hands are now possible with these kinds of yo-yos. In order to make the yo-yo’s unresponsive, players use lighter fluid to clean the bearing and then lubricate it with thin oil. With this set up the yo-yo is almost impossible to get back to the player’s hand. Players have to perform what’s called a “Bind” in which they flip the yo-yo onto the front of the string and drop the string into the gap of the yo-yo. This allows the yo-yo to tightly roll back up the string and into your hand. However, not all of today’s yo-yo’s like this. With the style of two handed yo-yoing you want the yo-yos to be as responsive as you can without sacrificing sleep time. There are actually five styles of yo-yoing that are practiced today. These styles include 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, and 5A. 1A is purely one handed yo-yoing where the object is to do as many tricks as possible before the yo-yo stops spinning. The trick is to do this but get it back to your hand at the end. 2A, which is considered the hardest style, is two handed looping and around the world tricks. 3A is where two 1A yo-yo’s used simultaneously to perform string tricks. 4A is offstring yo-yoing where the string isn’t even attached to the axle. 5A, which is the newest style, is where a dice is connected to the end where the string usually attaches to your finger. This style is also known as counterweight. Instead of having the string on your finger you place it between your fingers. This allows you to swing around both the yo-yo and the dice at the same time. Each player usually has two styles that they mainly practice. Some do every style. My main styles are 1A and 2A, or one handed and two handed yo-yoing. Each style has hundreds of tricks and takes time, repetition, and patience to master. I got into yo-yoing back in 1997 when I was in 3^rd grade. A yo-yo company came to my school and sold yo-yo’s and put on an assembly. They sold yo-yo’s before school, after school, and at lunch. It was a huge craze and everybody had to buy one. Within a few weeks the hype died down and the yo-yo’s were just another thing in their closet. I stuck with it and practiced it and learned tricks over the years. I entered two school talent shows and placed 2^nd both years. After that my passion for yo-yoing diminished and I entered the popular realm of video games. The spark was rekindled in 2006 when I was ironically grounded from my video games. With nothing else to to do I reached for my yo-yo and was sucked in. My focus was always one handed yo-yoing until 2007. During the summer I practiced looping separately with each hand. I never thought in a million years that I could do two handed looping. As soon as I was decent with both hands I was eager to put them together. The feeling was scary at first; trying to control two at a time but with time and practice there was no going back to just one. I bought my first $100 yo-yo in 2008 unsure whether the price was really worth it. Metal yo-yo’s were the best yo-yos I’d ever used and there was no way of going back to plastic yo-yos. Not only was the play phenomenal but the yo-yo’s were beautifully crafted. I soon learned of the different bearings such as the ceramic concave bearing which centers the string. This bearing is the best you can get and keeps the yo-yo from tilting. Yo-yo’s will spin forever as long as they’re kept straight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J5_EYQihdg

One handed yo-yoing is extremely popular, in fact the most popular among the five styles. The reason for this is its easy maintenance and upkeep of the yo-yo. One handed yo-yo’s come ready out of the box with the exception of bearing upgrades. Throw a string on and some thin oil and you’re set to go for some time. Two handed yo-yoing is the rarest among the styles. Some people have even called it a dying style.  The main reason for this may be because the requirement of two hands. One of the biggest reasons is people simply didn’t have the knowledge to set up their yo-yo’s. Back in the day, players had to modify their yo-yo’s to get them up to standards. They took out the metal spacers and inserted plastic ones that had been sanded down just below the response system. They then “cranked’ or “over tightened” the yo-yo to crush the gap and make it narrower. This increased the response of the yo-yo but was very difficult to achieve. If they weren’t carful the gap could become too small and decrease sleep time. With two handed yo-yoing a balance of responsiveness and sleep time is a must. The reason we want a balance like this is because two handed yo-yo play is a combination of “looping” and “around the world tricks”.  By having a yo-yo that both loops and sleeps well tricks are made easier. Another consequence was breaking the yo-yo when overtighting it. Thankfully, many companies have come out with adjustable yo-yos. The latest and greatest is called the Loop900. This yo-yo is identical to the popular yo-yo’s modded in the past except they have an adjustable gap. A hole has been drilled in the middle of the yo-yo and a key is used. By turning the key clockwise or counter clock wise a player is allowed to adjust the gap and find their preference. I’m thrilled with the introduction of this yo-yo because without it I may never have gotten into 2A play.    

The biggest part of yo-yoing is enjoyment, you do it because it’s fun but another big aspect of yo-yoing is contests. There are tons of yo-yo contests all over the country some big and some small. The biggest yo-yo contests include the National Yo-yo Contest, The World Yo-yo contest and the Bay Area classic yo-yo contest. Nationals are held in Chico, California and Worlds is held in Orlando, Florida. The Bay Area Classic is held in San Francisco. In order to qualify for a contest such as the world or national contest players must place in the top five of a regional contest. The regions are broken up across the country much like the circuit courts are divided up. Along with these almost every state has a state contest. The Idaho State Contest is usually held in Emmett, Idaho during the cherry festival. This year however, it will be held at the Boys and Girls club in garden City on September 25^th. All in all about 15 players come to compete in the contest. When it comes to yo-yo contests there are divisions for each yo-yo style as well as a sports ladder. During the sports ladder tricks are read off of a 25 trick ladder and the player performs each trick in a row. Each player is allowed to mess up once but the second time you’re out. The 2^nd division is called the freestyling division where players set up a routine to music and perform. Usually, players in a division compete against players of the same style although there is an exception. Contests sometimes hold an X division where any yo-yo style can go head to head with one another. Prizes at contests often include cash, yo-yo products, and bragging rights.   Yo-yoing is fun, relaxing, and fun awesome watch.  Yo-yoing teaches dedication and improves patience as well as reinforces hard work.  

The Great Flood

The Great Flood

Nature or Something else?

The Story of Noah's Ark and the catastrophic flood is perhaps one best know stories of the bible. The flood story is known to both non believers as well as believers of religion. The story is not exclusive to one culture or religion but has been found all around the world. The stories may be different but the theme is just as apparent. Did this great flood happen and more importantly could it happen again? The answers to these questions are just as mysterious as to what caused the great flood. The great forces of nature or the wrath of a scorned God.  

The God of the Flood story seems to be very wrathful but at the same time compassionate, loving, and caring. God understood that there were those still naturally good and loyal to him so he convinced Noah to build his ark which would house the purely loyal creations of God. The God in this story is angry because the people of the world have become violent, deceitful, and worst of all have turned there backs on their God and refuted him. It would seem that all of this would be enough to make any mere man or great God destroy everything and be done with the hell hole the Earth had become. The wrathful side of God comes from the obvious theme of the story that he is going to destroy the world and everything on it. However, the caring, loving, and compassionate side of God is shown when god understands that not every creature on Earth is evil and that there are still some that worship, serve, and adore the creator.

What has Man done that was so bad!!!?

The God in this story seems to be a kind and caring God and is entitled to flood the world for many reasons. It is commonsense that a creation should appreciate the one that created them and show some respect. Not only did the people pre-Flood world distance themselves and eventually disown themselves away from God but they become corrupt, violent, deceitful, and as the text worded Evil or verging on evil.

God seems to be vengeful and wrathful at the beginning of the story for understandable reasons. To avenge this wrong God states "I will destroy man, whom I have created , from the face of the earth: both man and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air: for it repenteth me that I have made them".  The understanding, mercy and wisdom of God comes out when the text states, "These are the generations of Noah:  Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God". God was understanding and wise and realized that there was still good to be found among man and beast and instead of damning mankind he gave them a second chance. God telling Noah of the flood and urging him to build the ark was the proof of mercy of God.

It's confusing because it is clearly apparent that this god is all powerful as well as wise but the lines become blurred on whether he is all knowing or not. It seems as if God has learned something when he states, "I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth: neither will I again smite any more every living thing, as I have done. An idea that I had was that God is all powerful, all wise, and maybe even all knowing. Since God gave man free will maybe he chooses not to be all knowing for the fact to see what humans might do.

Enuma Elish vs Metamorphoses: The Epic of Creation

These two creation myths are very different and yet share many similarities. Each myth starts out with a higher power emerging such as a god and creating the earth. Each myth goes into extreme detail and explains how each aspect such as the earth, water, trees, and even life were created. Each myth has the connection of not one but many gods that come into play and some gods that are even created.

I found it very fascinating how in "Metamorphoses" each god was created and made greater then its predecessor. This signifies how the earth and each God became better over time. Each myth portrays a supreme creator of all things such as when The Epic of Creation states "And maker, who bore them all, Had mixed their waters together, but had not formed pastures, nor destinies decreed, then Gods were and born within them. This shows the belief that all things were derived from one god in this myth. A correlation between the two was drawn when the "Metamorphoses" also stated "Till God, or kindlier Nature settled all argument, and separated Heaven from earth, water from land, our air".

When I think about both of these myths I see the same explanations for the creations of the world and all the things in it. Each myth just has a different story and interpretations of how things came about. I also see this theme reoccurring in world religion as well. Each religion may have a different creation myth but there are so many similarities that connects them. It makes me wonder if all the myths and religions believe in the same thing but the locations and creation stories have developed differently over the years. Regardless of why humans are here or where we came from we are the same inside and out. Whether we are different religions or races we are all in this together.