I got this letter from my dad last night. It made me think of the time in Hamlet when Thelonious lets go of his son and gives him that famous speech: "the apparel declares the man", "to thine own self be true", etc. At one point my dad said "how fast these 18 years have gone by", and how much they miss my piano playing and I just lost it and started crying...I'm glad my roomate wasn't around or I would have looked like a total wuss. Anyway, I can't really go into all the stuff he talked about here; but it was touching and I'll remember it for a long time. I'd been talking about how I wanted to be genuine and be myself, but at the same time be friendly--which is sort've a struggle--and he said that as we grow in Christ "being ourselves" will look more and more like "being Christ"; our wants and needs and goals will turn into the wants, needs, and goals of Christ.
I ate lunch with Hannah yesterday, she came out here to Athens to see Sandy Fernandez and me. I think she wants to go to one more Georgia Football game this saturday (I'm in the process of getting tickets) before leaving for East Asia; Philip and someone else will probably come also.

(DONT READ BELOW HERE IF YOU HAVE A WEAK STOMACH)
I was reading about Hernando Cortes last night. When he conquered Tecnochtitlan in 1500ish, some of his men escaped at one point while others were caught. The ones that didn't get caught went back and watched their comrades be bound and dragged up the steps of a temple, made to dance around some heathen idols, then they layed on the ground and had their still-beating hearts cut out of their chests, then decapitated and rolled down the stairs where the villagers would severe their limbs, MAKE CLOTHING OUT OF THEIR SKIN, drain and drink their blood in rituals, eat their flesh with tomatoes and peppers, and throw their entrails to wild snakes and lions.
(END GROSSNESS)

Talk about a dark nation, completely cut off from God and left to their own filthy machinations. Other than that though, the city of Tenochtitlan was quoted as "more beautiful than anything in Spain", with intricate gold artifacts, and a highly complex and developed society. It made me think about, apart from God learning, art and culture can still prosper; but things like these rituals still happen.
posted by Andrew Parker 12:15 PM

He who has many friends also has many enemies;
but he who avoids enemies will have neither.
-Anonymous

I heard something much like this quote one time, and it just made me think. Taking a stand, and being certain and clear with people (even if it means coming off as brash) I'm convinced is always better than avoiding and doubting. Revelations even talks about being either hot or cold, but not lukewarm, for the lukewarm water is spewed out of God's mouth. One of the apostles (Peter or Paul I think) says "he who doubts is like one cast about in the sea".
posted by Andrew Parker 1:33 AM

The Onion, although a little off color at times, has some of the rarest, funniest things I think I've ever read. I had a problem with this story though. And I sent the message below to the author:

Will the reader of this please send it to the author of "Christian Right Lobbies...".

I read The Onion because its authors point out the utter stupidity in public affairs. I usually respect the authors behind The Onion for being well-informed, and using good information to build funny stories. However, "Christian Right Lobbies..." was constructed with neither good information nor a basic understanding of the actual issue.

The Law of Entropy is USED by Christians to combat liberal evolutionists who say that the world is going from disorganization to organization, or from low life forms to higher life forms. How is it that animals progressively become better and use mutations to their own benefit when ALL MATTER goes from organized to disorganized. Maybe Eddie Evolutionist can explain that to me, huh? A biblical view of the earth is fully supported by the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Most Christians SHOULD understand that Entropy is a result of the fall of man in Genesis 3.

It was very cute what the author was trying to do, paralleling this story with the Scopes Monkey Trial and taking evolution out of the textbooks, etc. The kind of evolution required for life to develop from single-celled organisms simply doesn't occur. I'd ask the author to look into an evolutionary fruit fly study this weekend. See, the life cycle of a fruit fly is much shorter than most animals, so we can see many generations of fruit flies in a short time. Red, blue and green fruit flies appear, but they are ALWAYS fruit flies. A fruit fly with a mutated wing dies instantly. For evolution to work, this mutated limb would have to turn into something that helps the fly survive better. However, when a mutation first appears it does more to slow an organism down than help it. Natural selection (only the best and strongest survive) and mutations (mistakes in the genetic code) work against each other, rather than together.

-Andrew Parker

parker62@arches.uga.edu

posted by Andrew Parker 4:07 PM

Have you ever tried to remember the details of a painful event and you can't? I think our brains naturally justify the things we do, or organize the things we have done in a way that we can get on with our lives....so we can sleep at night. Like I was trying to remember something painful that happened to me, and I couldn't remeber the details of it; so I think my brain subconsciously changed the memory around so I could still live with myself. This same thing happens in my dreams a lot....at night my brain will play through something I did that day, but change the outcome in my dream so I can finally fall asleep.

This is a really weird concept, but I'm talking a psychology course right now so I was thinking about it.
posted by Andrew Parker 1:53 PM

I was looking at some pictures of radiohead band members, check the link; and they are all so ugly. Something I've been thinking about is that every human body has a certain amount of resources, and these resources can be divided lots of different ways, but the amount of resources each has is the same for everyone. So let's say a guy is huge and strong...well he's dumb too. Let's say a guy loses his temper a lot...well he doesn't let people take advantage of him. Let's say a person is ugly....well maybe they have something else that can get people's attention besides looks. Do you see what I mean? What I'm curious about is whether a person is born this way or we adapt into our traits. Like I've met some people that have been disfigured or are incredibly fat, but they are just the most interesting people and they have the best attitude and personality. Did these people develop their own social skills subconsciously because they couldn't get peoples interest by their looks anymore? Maybe that guy with the big muscles is happy enough with himself that he doesn't feel he needs to study, so people think he's dumb.

This was just an idea I had. It seems that everyone has weak and strong traits, but that each person is balanced somehow.

Anyway, Radiohead is awesome, but some of the songs on their new CD Amnesiac stink. I think people have come to know Radiohead for so long as an innovative, incredibly creative band, that they can put out crap and people will call it art. Some of the songs are good, like "knives out". A heard a girl on the radiohead explaining why she likes radiohead so much and she couldn't describe it she just does. I think radiohead's songs hit on something....deeper. I know they're totally atheist, and anti-God; it's almost like their tunes hit on something deep in the fallen estate of man. Thom's lyrics are dark and disturbing. "When I am king you will be first against the wall, with your opinions which are of no consequence at all", and "If you'd been a dog they would have drowned you at birth". If for no other reason, I listen to Radiohead because they're a fresh alrternative to most mainstream, thoughtless, mindless bands.
posted by Andrew Parker 11:23 PM

My second day of life at college has ended. I've learned something already; big mixers aren't the places to meet people. I'mm gonna look for some campus crusade and RUF stuff to go to with small groups. It's awesome to be on my own....but I'm sure in a month I'll be saying "wheres my mommy?". We did a convocation thing tongith--Gosh, I hate liberal teacher speakers that use words like "peers", and "cooperation", and worst of all: "life skills". I hate the insincerity most of all.

So anyway, if anyone is reading this, I added a music section to my site and put four of my cheesy songs on there. I was sort've proud of the first one until I listened to it and realized it has no chorus, no verse, and I made it on a MIDI keyboard.

I had an awesome devotion this morning. Why is it that when we get in places that are uncomfortable and the Lord actually has a chance to use us he gives us strength, hope, and an interest in Him? So far out here at UGA the Lord has given me a peace. I don't have to be the "big man on campus", or anything else, I can just go with the flow, find people I'm interested in, and share Christ.
posted by Andrew Parker 8:58 PM

I was little rash in my "ever album after the first is bad statement" about Ben Folds. If you look at the chart below here is how I rate the albums

Self-Titled: 9.5
Whatever and Ever: 7.5
Renauld Messier: 9
New One: 8

They're all awesome albums, some of them just aren't as perfect as others. I was listening to Renauld Messier today, and some of the melodys and tunes on "dont change your plans", "mess", and especially "magic" are so awesome they just make you cry. Good music is the kind that motivates you I think. I read a quote somewhere that says "good music takes you to a place you've never been and you'll never go" or something like that.
posted by Andrew Parker 12:27 AM