tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-169879592024-03-23T13:00:02.584-05:00My ReviewNickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947647596648031553noreply@blogger.comBlogger432125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16987959.post-61246123710268287812009-09-22T01:40:00.002-05:002009-09-22T01:43:04.652-05:00New addressI'm in the process of transitioning this blog over to <a href="nicksteffen.wordpress.com">nicksteffen.wordpress.com</a>. I'm not sure it'll stick, as the idea is still in the experimental stage, but if you are interested in following my continued wonderings, check it out.Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947647596648031553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16987959.post-26905299857230235992009-09-11T15:24:00.003-05:002009-09-11T17:26:05.506-05:00Chesterton on HistoriansAfter blathering on about historiography, stories and such to a very learned fellow (as if I knew anything on the topic), I thought that I would post this essay of Chesterton's to demonstrate how wrong I was.<br /><br /><iframe frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="border:0px" src="http://books.google.com/books?id=oCgAAAAAYAAJ&ots=jA7GG2urTp&dq=Uses%20of%20Diversity%3A%20A%20Book%20of%20Essays&pg=PA160&output=embed" width=500 height=500></iframe>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947647596648031553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16987959.post-66465741746771799862009-09-09T14:59:00.002-05:002009-09-09T14:59:20.812-05:00Marriage and Asceticism by John Behr<iframe src="http://docs.google.com/gview?url=http://www.svots.edu/files/marriage-ascetisicm-sobornost.pdf&embedded=true" style="width:600px; height:500px;" frameborder="0"></iframe>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947647596648031553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16987959.post-3515990060232217692009-09-08T10:16:00.001-05:002009-09-08T10:16:37.248-05:00<iframe frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="border:0px" src="http://books.google.com/books?id=xqYiR3WO7RAC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA85&output=embed" width=500 height=500></iframe>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947647596648031553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16987959.post-54440070708272917622009-08-22T11:13:00.001-05:002009-08-22T11:13:56.779-05:00Paradise, the world of man<blockquote>Now having made the man lord of the earth, and of everything that is in it, He secretly appointed him as lord over those who were servants in it. But they, however, were in their full-development, while the lord, that is, the man, was very little, since he was an infant, and it was necessary for him to reach full-development by growing in this way: and that his nourishment and growth might take place in luxury, a place was prepared for him, better than this earth - excelling in air, beauty, light, food, plants, fruit, waters, and every other thing needful - and its name was Paradise. And so beautiful and good was the Paradise, that the Word of God was always walking in it: He would walk and talk with the man prefiguring the future, which would come to pass, that He would dwell with him and speak with him, and would be with mankind, teaching them righteousness. But the man was a young child, not yet having a perfect deliberation, and because of this he was easily deceived by the seducer.</blockquote>- St Irenaeus of Lyons, "On the Apostolic Preaching". Popular Patristics Series; ed John Behr (p47).Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947647596648031553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16987959.post-14843950152125168752009-08-19T15:58:00.000-05:002009-08-19T15:58:37.683-05:00What do you want out of religion?<object width="500" height="405"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9jW1HpPhnpg&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9jW1HpPhnpg&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="405"></embed></object><br />
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think her complaints aren't against religion, but against business...or maybe just marketing.Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947647596648031553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16987959.post-7299709198105282812009-08-17T21:20:00.001-05:002009-08-17T21:20:56.306-05:00the warriorMany years ago, the greatest swordsman in all the land met a beautiful maiden, and begot a young son. That son grew up with all of the advantages befitting a young man of his stature. When he was young, all coming to visit had to acknowledge that he truly was his father's son. He seemed to carry with him a natural poise and confidence. Adding to the that his father's training, and all said that he would naturally take up the laurels of his father and continue on in his stead. The road ahead seemed to be paved with his victories.<br /><br />Unfortunately, the story didn't care to meander down that road. As time went on, he grew obstinate with his father and arrogant to everyone else. So sure of what he was, he ignored every instruction he had been given. After all, he had it all by nature. And yet, everything that had seemed so sure now faded away, until he left alone, tired and beaten.<br /><br />So what are we to say? His nature was that of the victor. And yet, he did not make that nature his own. He left it aside, buried in the ground, at first convinced its everlasting quality, later convinced that he was preserving it for when it was needed, even later finding himself scared to see what it had turned into, sometimes hoping that it didn't matter one way or another.<br /><br />Some might say that the meaning to such a story is that we shouldn't rely on our family history to take care of us. Others would point out that the problem was his arrogance and a belief that he could do it all himself. What do you think?Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947647596648031553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16987959.post-14740460175602408122009-07-23T08:37:00.000-05:002009-07-23T08:37:47.497-05:00AnticipationWhat does it mean for us to anticipate the Kingdom? We know that we are to be a resurrected people, but of course our bodies still decay. We are already 'saved' but we still suffer and die. What's the deal?<br />
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This is where, I think, anticipation comes in. Envision a great meal that your mother's helping to make. Of course, anticipation is not what happens when you steal some food before it's ready (as good as dough is, it's not cake until it's done). Anticipation is what happens when your mother lets you lick a spoon and taste the frosting that's going to go on that cake. It's what happens when your father lets you taste the sauce that's going on the meat on the grill outside.<br />
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Metaphorically, this is how I envision the Kingdom - a giant cookout. We now know in part what we will one day know in full. Ah, what a day that will be.Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947647596648031553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16987959.post-79654128027291999862009-07-14T21:28:00.026-05:002009-07-15T06:34:49.725-05:00Music RecommendationsAlso, since I know that most won't make it through the music post, I have some recommendations. There's lots of other stuff that I like, that has affected (or afflicted, depending on how you look at it) me, but this stuff seemed special in some way.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/My-Mothers-Hymn-Book/dp/B000WIP690/ref=sr_shvl_album_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1247625041&sr=301-3">Johnny Cash singing</a> hymns from his mother's hymn book. It is simple,straightforward, not his best stuff (so I've been told), and is relatively light. Combined with the fact that many of these songs are part of my past (and present) as well, it makes sense why I like it so much. It's also one of the last things he recorded. I think the only way you can improve on this would be to have a recording of him telling nursery rhymes.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bryars-Jesus-Blood-Never-Failed/dp/B0015RR0K0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1247624841&sr=8-2">Bryars' setting of a homeless man</a> is some of the best contemplative music I've ever heard. It's a a short cut of some old codger off the street repeating a phrase over and over again. I'm not much for minimalism, but the repetition and the integration with Waits works. The easy answer is anything but easy here. For Tom Waits in general, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Orphans/dp/B000YQSYSA/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1247636700&sr=301-1">Orphans</a> is probably the way to go.<br /><br />Also, I was able to find a stray recording of John Cleese narrating the Screwtape Letters. It's phenomenal. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Four-Loves-C-S-Lewis/dp/0849963729">CS Lewis' reading</a> of the Four Loves is also excellent.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Requiem/dp/B000V6Q8CW/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1247636604&sr=301-1">Mozart's Requiem</a> has also haunted my memories for quite some time. From when I carried a random label-less burned CD with me in high school to later on when I had the opportunity to sing this with a 150 person choir while over in Scotland, this death mass was always one that I appreciated greatly.<br /><br />Oh, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beauty-And-The-Beast/dp/B00138H61E/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1247626349&sr=301-1">Beauty and the Beast</a> too (I needed to get some happier music in here). Partly because of childhood memories, partly because Belle was wonderful, but mostly because it just feels like home to me.<br /><br />So...what songs or artists have touched you? Whose music has spoken to you and why does it move you so? Which artists make you want to laugh and cry at the same time?Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947647596648031553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16987959.post-91526503137950937692009-07-14T21:25:00.001-05:002009-07-14T21:25:51.924-05:00Musings on MusicMy boss approached me earlier this week, asking me if I would partake in a ritual hazing program done for our team. Basically, he wanted me to give a few personal facts that he could throw up into a Powerpoint presentation for our team meeting, where it would be displayed for all to see until someone guessed who it was. For your information, it took all of one slide for them to figure out it was me. Perhaps I'm a bit more transparent than I originally thought. But I digress. More to the point was a single question that was asked:<br><div><br></div><div>Name your favorite musical performer/group/band.</div><div><br></div><div>For many of you out there, this would be a fun question to answer. However, my own proclivities deny my that pleasure. To call it agonizing would be too much, but it was rather difficult. Opinions in general are difficult for me, but this is one area I simply don't know much about. My problem when picking out music is not that I don't like any of it, but that I like all of it. It's difficult for me to whittle it down without ending up with mere splinters in my hand. If you want someone with strong opinions, find a good old fashion stake-burning and ask those with the fire and with the rope burns what is right and true. I have difficulty figuring out what to eat for dinner.</div><div><br></div><div>To help remedy the situation, I picked out some stuff that I thought I liked (or that I knew people that I like had liked) and started downloading. Mixed in with songs that were interspersed with my memories helped to round a nice little collection (which is still growing). In the meantime, I have been able to ruminate a bit on music and its place in our lives (or at least, in my life). Specifically, I don't know what role it plays. Like sports/hobbies, music seems like something that I should like, that I should love, that I should defend to my last breath. As one of my buddies told me, other than politics, music is the one topic of conversation that will consistently end up in argument. I'm not sure why that is.</div><div><br></div><div>So what is the purpose of music? Why do we create it? Why do we listen to it. Why do we take time to integrate it into our lives (how many iPod people have you seen today)? Is too important? Not important enough?</div><div><br></div><div>I've said that for many moderns, politics seems to replace all traditional religion as the new place of adoration and worship. It is there that we find truth, that we partake in community, and to extend that truth to the ends of our borders (which are ever growing). And some of my amateurish study of older societies would seem to bear out this tendency, since we can see a number of situations where the power of the religion and the powers of the state overlap. Partially, this is due to common goals (witness phrases like "the betterment of society").</div><div><br></div><div>And yet, I wonder if, for postmoderns, music (art in general, really) has taken over this glorified, reified role. It is the place of a common meeting ground where sticky words like "truth" aren't getting in the way. It's trivial enough to be honestly say "pshaw" to discussions on it, and yet it allows us to exhibit our personality in some way. It is (in this theory, anyway) a place of pure expression. Of course, discussions of meaning still come up in these circles, but that is really a reaction to the "art for art's sake" mentality I'm talking about. We could extend that to all of us post-post-moderns, but I'm not sure such a dialectical approach would be all that helpful.</div><div><br></div><div>In fact, these tenets way oversimplify the answers to the questions above. Perhaps we should just start in.</div><div><br></div><div>As to why we create music, I think that "free expression" must be given its due. We have a need to create, to communicate, to give ourselves, to take what is around us and make it ours. Regardless as to the psychological reason why, we just do it. Today, I went on a walk and heard birds in the trees, people running around yelling (frisbee football is in season), cars passing by. Music surrounds us, and somehow impinges on our feeling. As this feeling bubbles up (sometimes with some help), we can respond, interact, give, and take back from the world. We create it. Something just seems so natural about a song describing a person's early experiences with love carrying a strong beat to it (I know that my heart was beating pretty loud in my ear at that time as well). Something seems so natural about the somber tones of harmonica coming out of a period of despair. I'm not sure that there's a whole lot of moralizing to be had here. Undoubtedly, there are a lot of foolish or silly motives for creating music, but the sheer act of creating itself is inherently good. </div><div><br></div><div>Now whether we should listen to music is another story entirely. And here, free expression must find its limit. The cool air might be inherently good, but that doesn't mean I must leave my windows open all year (I've tried it before...I got sick a lot). The problem isn't with creation, but with consumption. We partake of music unthinkingly, allowing it to do whatever it does upon us. Of course, deciding what we should, shouldn't listen to requires us to consider what purpose music should play in our lives. I don't have a clear answer, but my encounter with some eastern stuff leaves me wondering. In my readings of early Christian thought (NT Wright, John Behr, et al), we see that by and large the apostles didn't recognize Jesus for who he truly was. If you think in purely human terms, consider the failed Messiah, the crucified man, on its own. It is a tragic (and so oft repeated) story. However, Christianity only arises in its contemplation of the physical event when seen through the lens of the Resurrection. Suddenly, the crucifixion, far from failure, is the very place of success. Or to take a different tack, the ethics of this worldview would arise from seeing the grit, the blood, the mess of this reality as that which is fulfilled truly in the next. We try to consider the resurrection in the crucifixion of this life, and at times the Spirit works in us and shows us that this can be so, but of course we only see now in part, anticipating the fullness of that later vision. I don't want to roam too far into theology here, but those are some general outlines. Suffice it to say that the emphasis is placed on contemplation. In the film of Tarkovsky, we see a similar emphasis placed on contemplation of the world around us. For him, art allowed us to consider the world in different terms. It allowed the created order of the director (or painter, as we see in Andrei Rublev), to prod watchers to consider more deeply the world of the art form.</div><div><br></div><div>It seems to be right that the one should lead into the other. Perhaps the contemplation that art brings, allows us to consider (or more likely, to reconsider) the world around us in different terms, in different pictures, in different motifs. Awhile ago, while discussing the books people tend to keep around them like trophies or mountains they have conquered, I remember pointing out the need for us to hang on to those things that inspire us, the open up the world to us in different ways (at least I think that was the context of that thought). Perhaps music should be the same sort of a thing. The music that we listen to can nestle into us, so that it can help us appreciate the sounds of the birds, the sounds of the wind, and the thud of our heartbeat.</div><div><br></div><div>If this is the case, music fulfills its purpose (and is thus right for us to listen to) when it touches us, when it moves us, when it allows us to contemplate the world and the truth of it.</div><div><br></div><div>For those of you who aren't religious or don't have a clear sense of truth with a capital, that must be the end of it. I can run through examples of different worldviews and how they might consider art to inform them, but that isn't necessary. We all know that music has meant different stuff to us at different times.</div><div><br></div><div>So how does this combine with the theological stuff I mentioned above? Music would be appropriate insofar as it moves us to consider Christ's fleshly existence in terms of the Spiritual life. Or to look at it a bit differently, it allows us to see the [body of] Christ's fleshly existence in terms of the [body off Christ's] Spiritual life. And of course, see we recognize that the Logos lies in all creation, music can help to open up this world to us. Listening to music can help us to hear the music of the world and to catch those stray glimpses of God's glory breaking through. Not because the world is so dense that we can't see it, but because we haven't trained ourselves to open up our eyes. Let us pray that just as the prophet's servant, our eyes might be opened as well.</div><div><br></div><div>Note that most of these thoughts would equally apply the other arts as well. It just happens to be that most of the others are not as immanent as music seems to me right now. I don't hear random conversations about painting the way that I do about sports and music. My guess is that others have the same experience.</div><div><br></div><div>I have to admit, as always, that at the end of this essay the whole should/shouldn't stuff seems just as far off, just as mysterious as it does before. In the same way that some "Christian" songs jump straight to the resurrection and miss the grit and dirt of the crucifixion, other "non-Christian" music can wallow in fleshly existence (whether that is the hoplessness of death, or the exuberance of sex). I am convinced that in discovering a Christian way of seeing Christ, we can begin our journey of seeing the rest of the world in what it is. The art must have the fleshly grime and exuberance, it must acknowledge the death of it, and for a Christian, it see those with wonder as we consider the rebirth of that grime and exuberance.</div><div><br></div><div>What do you think?</div><div><br></div><div>PS Just for the record, the two artists I put down as my favorites were Johnny Cash and Tom Waits. I think Waits' music requires reflection, just as Cash's voice stimulates it. Johnny Cash can turn the simplest non-Christian song into Gospel, his voice and tone makes everything seem so grand, so large in scope. Tom Waits does near the opposite, bringing our lofty conceptions back to the ground, back to the grit. I appreciate them both. Also, I should point out that I know very little about music in general. I've been listening to these guys for mere months, so I would appreciate any suggestions you might have for me.</div><br>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947647596648031553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16987959.post-15348457234697610182009-06-29T07:58:00.001-05:002009-06-29T07:58:21.522-05:00http://www.chestertoons.org/Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947647596648031553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16987959.post-19108516660293420482009-06-15T21:28:00.006-05:002009-06-15T21:34:12.893-05:00The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)<a href="http://draft.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=16987959"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/4154H8KT15L._SL500_AA240_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/4154H8KT15L._SL500_AA240_.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/4154H8KT15L._SL500_AA240_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/4154H8KT15L._SL500_AA240_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A haunted film.</div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947647596648031553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16987959.post-84388493804627111512009-03-13T01:07:00.002-05:002009-03-13T01:08:21.099-05:00<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-M-vnmejwXo&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-M-vnmejwXo&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947647596648031553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16987959.post-56494663005283558042008-09-26T10:40:00.000-05:002008-09-26T10:42:40.953-05:00One of these days, I'll get back to posting regularly and about something substantial. In the meantime, be impressed by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/experiencewii">this Youtube video</a>. Whoever set up that bit of marketing magic earned their paycheck.<br />
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(HT: <a href="http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/09/24/wario-land-shake-it-advertisement-breaks-youtube/">Techcrunch</a>)Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947647596648031553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16987959.post-37579074299014510342008-08-29T23:17:00.000-05:002008-08-29T23:18:03.208-05:00Evangelical Politics<a href="http://touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=21-07-013-v">Yes.</a>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947647596648031553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16987959.post-49135076291299262972008-08-25T19:59:00.001-05:002009-03-03T10:35:34.439-06:00<!--<br /><object width="512" height="296"><param name="movie" value="http://www.hulu.com/embed/YlwV7yL2nLne-zGIGJMVnw"></param><embed src="http://www.hulu.com/embed/YlwV7yL2nLne-zGIGJMVnw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="512" height="296"></embed></object><br />-->Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947647596648031553noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16987959.post-13673730798283341872008-08-05T16:49:00.000-05:002008-08-05T16:50:24.016-05:00<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fTzXJMU1sLc&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fTzXJMU1sLc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947647596648031553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16987959.post-17994288426683171722008-07-14T15:06:00.001-05:002008-07-14T15:07:51.537-05:00Mark Driscoll, the Church, and Family Idolatry<a href="http://inhabitatiodei.wordpress.com/2008/07/14/mark-driscoll-church-and-family-idolatry/">Inhabitatio Dei</a>: <blockquote>"The scandal of the ethic of Jesus and the early church is precisely that all the commonly accepted priorities, allegiances, and social formations of this age are radically disrupted by the apocalyptic erruption of the advent of Christ in death and resurrection."</blockquote>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947647596648031553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16987959.post-19426764088469990552008-07-10T11:09:00.002-05:002008-07-10T11:12:08.842-05:00Africa in Perspective<div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/voice.of.iyov/SHQgC_z9wVI/AAAAAAAABaY/Mx3MVBtdP2o/s1600/AfricaSize%5B4%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="border: 0pt none ; background-color: transparent; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="420" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/voice.of.iyov/SHQgC_z9wVI/AAAAAAAABaY/Mx3MVBtdP2o/s1600/AfricaSize%5B4%5D.jpg" style="border: 0pt none ;" width="321" /></a></div>
HT: <a href="http://voiceofiyov.blogspot.com/2008/07/why-global-south-is-important.html">Iyov</a>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947647596648031553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16987959.post-81156725529928895162008-07-04T20:39:00.001-05:002008-07-14T20:40:17.255-05:00Since I'm told things have been a bit too serious on this blog, here's a video that will, hopefully, lighten your day.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kDA9NbPAK8o&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kDA9NbPAK8o&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947647596648031553noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16987959.post-33622803335509457222008-07-02T09:50:00.000-05:002008-07-02T09:50:53.268-05:00Third Way Magazine - 21 per cent of US Atheists believe in GodNickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947647596648031553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16987959.post-9049036903359262522008-06-28T11:58:00.000-05:002008-06-28T11:58:37.521-05:00Third Way Magazine - The road to rehabHere's a quick quotation from a powerful article on addiction, written by an addict.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thirdwaymagazine.com/331">Third Way Magazine - The road to rehab</a>: <blockquote>"Christ's death and resurrection is meant to bring about reconciliation, between God and humans and between the different parts of an individual's personality. Is it possible that the Christian journey might be about accepting all aspects of myself, rather than burying the bits I felt were unlovable?"</blockquote>Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner.Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947647596648031553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16987959.post-80341588243357368602008-06-23T09:51:00.002-05:002008-06-23T09:52:37.994-05:00<a href="http://fatherstephen.wordpress.com/2008/06/22/why-the-intercession-of-the-saints-is-a-dogma/">Glory to God for All Things</a>: "In the classical Christian understanding of what it means to be human - we do not exist alone - but as participants in a common nature - and though our fall from grace has left us damaged - so that we generally experience ourselves as autonomous individuals - this is not our proper end - salvation restores us to a place of proper communion with God and with other persons. There is an extension, an enlargement of the self, such that our life can no longer be defined simply by reference to the self, but must be seen as it exists in communion with God and others. Thus love becomes the defining act of our existence."Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947647596648031553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16987959.post-13275764364763071602008-06-13T14:05:00.006-05:002008-06-14T10:57:42.464-05:00<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://gallery.morpheussoftware.net/anim/3y4AAA.swf" width="180" height="240" wmode="transparent"></embed><br /><br /><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><br /><h2>Does Ben look like Seinfeld?</h2><br /><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget252441647405188742' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/252441647405188742/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23000000&lnkclr=%230000ff&chrtclr=%230000ff&font=normal+normal+100%25+%27Trebuchet+MS%27%2C+verdana%2C+sans-serif&hideq=true&purl=http%3A%2F%2Famdg-ska.blogspot.com%2F' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe><br /><div class='clear'></div><br /></div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947647596648031553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16987959.post-59783238844310345172008-06-11T20:12:00.008-05:002008-06-11T20:22:48.349-05:00First CSA WeekFor those of you who sit around wondering "Hmmm, I wonder what Nick is eating up in Wisconsin. After all, he's all alone (awww, how sad) and there's no one to cook for him. How does he survive?", I figured that I'd give a quick post on food.<br /><br />Today is the first week that my CSA is running. What? You mean you've never heard of a CSA? Ok. Let me explain it to all you barbaric city-dwellers (please note the heavy irony as I live in suburbia).<br /><br />CSA is an acronym that stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Essentially, it offers community members an opportunity to invest in a local farm and receive a "share" of the resultant crops. See <a href="http://www.primrosecommunityfarm.net/">here</a> for more information.<br /><br />Here's my first box of food and a list of what's included:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OHNoKJotg53MTFE4kBGXWdq2JInXIZ36s1oFT3PXL6DhoqaCj0dg5bAHazSEA04gxLBivSLjvHA1jcm1bv8s_hllldfhRtYrR1CI_Dv3jt-pwcfLJRw_KQLIWMMS7goIm-Ju_Q/s1600-h/0611081952.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OHNoKJotg53MTFE4kBGXWdq2JInXIZ36s1oFT3PXL6DhoqaCj0dg5bAHazSEA04gxLBivSLjvHA1jcm1bv8s_hllldfhRtYrR1CI_Dv3jt-pwcfLJRw_KQLIWMMS7goIm-Ju_Q/s400/0611081952.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210798137222725186" /></a><br /><br />Broccoli<br />Bok choi<br />Cilantro<br />Green garlic<br />Green Leaf Lettuce<br />Mint<br />Radish<br />Red Russian Kale<br />Salad Mix<br />Spinach<br /><br /><br /><br />Since this spring has been unusually cold and wet, the strawberries and peas will be forthcoming. But in the meantime, I have plenty to eat.<br /><br />If anybody out there has any suggested recipes, just let me know. Thanks.Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947647596648031553noreply@blogger.com1