Not really. I'm going to be making them some little felt dolls dressed to match their wedding outfits. But those won't be started or finshed for sometime.
Did you read between the ( )??? :-D It was running at a snail's pace. Pleo was running alright since it doesn't have a lot going on. It was fast enough for it to connect to my work network via sonic box.
I would be surprised if it hit $2/gal on a national average because of the increase in costs over the last few years due to regulations. I would like to be wrong though.
Ugh, I'm making all kinds of mistakes because I shouldn't be awake. Public schooler is not in italics. But you did spell it as one word ; ) And I still don't get the difference between audiophile and music geek. I have nearly 34 hours worth of music on my computer...that's kind of a lot.
My registration window doesn't open for another twenty minutes (remember? history majors apparently have to wait for all you science people), but it'll be the first class I register for!
It is pretty. I prefer the one I embedded in my blog, though. Though Rainbow seems a much more attainable goal for me if I do decide to take up the uke. hehe
Your observation represents the difference between having life experience and not. Even smart college kids can get caught up in an emotional response instead of considering the political situation intellectually. Maybe *especially* college kids, trying to impress the world, but without enough world experience to be wise. Not talking about you, of course!
^ And once his blog started loading, I literally thought something along the lines of: "Hmmm... This has been up here a while." And that was before I read your comment. :P Tomorrow will be a month...
This is based off of another post I made. Writing myriads of lab reports has taught me that a simple graph can often convey a message much more effectively than words
EDIT: There have been NO windows-rolled-down-in-the-rain incidents since the last time I talked about it. The idea for making the graph just struck me today.
ha. I *almost* called you this morning to remind rolling your windows up, as I came close to forgetting to do it to mine and I can't always count on running into Random Friends on campus who will help me dry it out. ;-)
So between your comment and Elise's, I thought it would be fun to throw a "yo!" into conversation once school starts up again. The problem? You guys are right... I really don't think I can bring myself to do it.
^ You also say yo backwards quite a bit. Maybe you could start talking backwards all the time, that could be fun. Then I don't have to be the only one not understood by Sabrina...
So I was going to protest your comment, but then I realized that the post that sparked the discussion was all about....me. So maybe I have no leg to stand on after all. ;-)
You know...Ryan...when you've been tagged, that means that you are then supposed to stop running away and officially become "it." I just thought you might need a refresher on the rules, since you may not have played in a few years. ;-P
hey so you didnt happen to be in tennessee on saturday did you? b/c a bunch of christians around here got together (which i didnt end up going to) but i was looking at pics and a guy looked like you haha. just curious
Last Saturday I went white water rafting with a few friends. It was amazing! I have a hard time describinng the immense power of the river we were on, but here's a compilation of quotes (mostly) from our guides throughout the duration of the trip that may give you an idea...
How many of you have never white water rafted before?
*75% of the hands go up*
And you chose the river that they train olympians on? You're never goona make it (to himself, with a deceiving everything's-goona-be-ok smile)
What's the most important part about whitewater rafting?
*several answers*
The most important part about whitewater rafting is...the raft. It's 50% of the equation. Without it you would be whitewater swimming. That's not what you paid to do, nor is it what you came here to do
High oxygen environment: goooood. Low oxygen environment: baaaaad
...and you look behind you and everyone is bleeding and unconscious
Do not hit me with your paddle. I can do things to you and make them look like "an accident"
If Tommy falls out of the boat, offer him the grip of your paddle. Do not beat him senseless with it. Or if you have a personal issue with Tommy, offer him the paddle end, because it's much slippier and harder to hold on to
If we throw you a rope when you go into the water, grab onto it. Do NOT wrap it around your throat
(On the bus)
Does everyone have their paddle, life vest, helmet, and a general will to live?
(Setting off for the first time)
So guys we're putting out into some strong current. we have about 11 feet to get out of the way of this boulder. if we don't get around it...I'll tell ya now, it won't be pretty
OK guys, when we hit this second hydraulic, i'm going to do something really stupid. So when i say get down...GET DOWN
(It took us 20 seconds to find Evan after that little stunt. He popped up from underwater about 10 feet downstream of us. Our guide got in trouble for that one :P)
<insert obstacle we must avoid at all costs>...otherwise very bad things will happen
(I heard this one a lot)
Guide: If you get knocked out of the boat during Double Suck*, be sure to swim toward the right-center part of the river
Rafter: What happens if you swim toward the left-center part of the river?
Guide: You'll probably be drug along a shallow bed of rocks and lose some skin
Rafter: And what happens if you swim toward the far left part of the river?
Guide: You'll meet a 5-foot drop off followed by a bed of sharp rocks and will probably break your legs
(One of the other guides, speaking to her crew right before the aptly-named olympic rapid "Godzilla")
Just a heads up guys, there's a very slim chance that we'll make it through this one right-side-up
(she was right)
Hey let's see how fast we can ram head-first into this concrete pillar!
*This rapid is named Double Suck because that's what it does. It sucks things, such as people and their shoes, underwater :)
It was a pretty awesome trip. I got knocked out of the boat. Of all places, right before the olympic section! Man, that was a bit close for comfort. The front of the raft kinda drove straight down into a rapid and I ended up completely underwater. While I was still in the raft, mind you. But I came out of the raft shortly after that.
PS: A clarification of my previous post...that post was written by me...the "rantings of another person" I was referring to was the crazy pirate guy. Reading over that, it seemed kinda ambiguous to me :)
Oh my goodness. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to go white water rafting. I love being a daredevil. Unofrtunately, my friends don't like the idea of almost drowning. Can't figure that one out....
Very nice. Sounds like a fun trip, in that death-defying kind of way. Remind me to tell you about my hiking trip, unless I end up writing a blog about it. =)
I saw the pictures of the pirate/octopus people in the paper. I could kinda read that poster about creation. Then Scott and I were walking to the Union from Matthews and saw a guy yelling about how perverse this generation is because of selfishness and independence from the Almighty God. He was yelling and stomping up and down and waving his arms...I said, "Well, can't say that's not true..." Scott replied, "But Jesus came in love." We tried to see the website, but I have no idea what it was. Another sign said, derail hatred, and I thought, That's ironic, coming from a lot of yelling people.
Wow. Glad you had fun! Although, ripples are being sent down my spine just reading that. I like extreme sports, but something as uncontrollable as water... that really spooks me. :-/ Btw, how deep was it?
It is pretty cool to be close to my grandparents, especially as we lived faaaaar away from them my entire childhood - sometimes even in different countries. This next-door-thing is weird, but nice. :)
Hey Ryan - home is really PA; Indy has the #2 slot. And do you think NC doesn't really count or has it made it to #3? No offense - just the mom talking :) Have a good time seeing M and say hi to folks at Avon for us.
"...and you look behind you and everyone is bleeding and unconscious "
I guess this quote was for the bleeding ones because the unconscious can't look back!
oye! Do you mind telling me again which seminario instructors you found the most interesting? I was blonde and didn't write down their names the day I asked you at the Union...
This is Pleoless_one_who_always_gets_hurt: I'm offended. I'd never strangle you. I'd merely use you as a test subject for my cancer "cures" (by cures, I mean random chemical conglomerations). :)
I love that joke. I think Sabrina told that several weeks ago at the C's, and I about died laughing. It was almost as funny when I read it on my blog. (I think what really amused me was that the punch line(s) were completely unexpected. :)
Hah! Sounds like an interesting experience. I'm not sure that I would want to do it though. I think I have an unusually sense of risk, especially for someone my age. :P
Haha, oh man, that was so much fun. And I think all of the raft guides were extremely quotable (once edited...:o). Of all things, we got the owner of HCrivers son (the co-owner). Very smart, very polite, and we talked about the economy and other serious topics. Weird, huh? Glad you got to come!!
What's funny is that at one point on my way home, I saw a car that sort of looked like yours. So maybe I should have waved. ;-) Your car is way more conspicuous than mine, though... (unless mine gets any dirtier. Then there will be NO missing it :-P)
It is really quite possible that I (and maybe Becca) will be going to Singing School this summer! You don't know her but she lives only 3 hours away from it, so we are going to try and work something out!
This, believe it or not, isn't about my ranting but rather someone else's. That being said, you're probably more willing to read this novel written below :)
On Friday there was a demonstration of sorts on one of the main thoroughfares on campus. Several people were dressed up as pirates, holding signs and one was standing more off in the middle, shouting. I just thought this was another example of crazy college students on a Friday (that one guy that rode past me on a bike with toy sunglasses, a cape, a top hat, and one hand in a giant hulk-green fist-shaped glove yelling "Happy Friday everyone!!!" comes to mind) but the closer I got, the more it seemed to me that they were actually trying to communicate something meaningful. I saw that one of their signs said the cause of global warming was due to a shortage of pirates in the world. Yeah, that got a smirk out of me, but then I saw a few of the other signs. They weren't so funny. I think the whole point of the demonstration was making light of or trying to discredit the Bible...and most likely God Himself. My guess would be that their point was the madness of saying "There should be more pirates in the world!" was comparable to spreading belief in God. (That's just my guess) I didn't really have the time or patience to listen to what he was actually saying, so I went along my way
Thinking about that, I was reminded of Romans 1. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools... But what really kept me thinking about it was that I was so bothered by it! I'm pretty hard to get riled up, so why couldn't I shake this? If this was just the ranting of a fool's speculations, why would I care so much? I mean, I knew he was wrong; it's not like anything he could say could make me question what I believe. And I do think it's appropriate to be grieved over someone dishonoring God, because that really is a grevious thing (2 Kings 19:1,15-19) even if no one is paying attention to them. It's also deeply bothering to think about people listening to him and giving up any belief they have in God.
But I think there was more to it than that. A part of me wanted to go back there and see what he was saying...and argue back! Even if it would have been impractical or wouldn't have done much good, it really bothered me that I felt like I...couldn't. That I was inadequate. I mean, I knew he was wrong, and had no qualms that I could show it both in reasoning and in the scriptures, but I didn't have the confidence. Not to say that I would have raised my voice if I had the confidence, but I was bothered because he was saying that and I felt like I couldn't do anything about it.
Why?
It's not like these people were beyond me in years or experience. This guy was my age; I actually knew him by name. Of all the people there, why didn't I feel equipped to defend myself about this? Actually, not to defend myself (I wasn't being attacked), but to defend the awesome God I serve, Whom they were maligning. These people know nothing! And hasn't He granted to [me] everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called [me] by His own glory and excellence? Shouldn't I be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing by now? I know the Bible...I'm familiar with it, I know the stories, and if you show me an issue needing resolved, I think I'd be able to tell you the scriptures that give the wisdom about it. Not because I'm a genious but because I've just spent the time on it. But why am I uncomfortable with the idea of using the knowledge I have from that Book, trusting that God can do great things through me? I think this has shown me that my "understanding" of the Bible is far too academic. It's like I've spent hoursyears studying the minute details and features of this Sword under a microscope, but have little knowledge of how to use it in the heat of battle!
I can't help but think about our minister (evenagelist, preacher, whatever you wish to call it. I say minister because he does much more than evangelize) from up here at school when I think of that. If you were to meet him personally, you'd probably see that he's a very friendly, outgoing, humble and non-confrontational man. But when he preaches...he's different. Not to say that he's two-faced at all, but he has this air of authority and power when he preaches. He has sometimes said things from the pulpit that just floor me. And change me. Why is that? It's because it's not his authority or power! That message that hit me like a freight train isn't his; it's God's. No man can devise a message that has that impact on a person. He knows God's will intuitively, but he also knows it intimately. Or perhaps you could say he not only knows God's will, he also knows (a small, small piece of) God's mind. That's why it's second nature for him to "speak where God has spoken." You know how two close friends or a husband and wife become so tied together mentally and emotionally, they can finish each others' sentences? Why not aim for that in our relationship with God?
That afternoon has made me want to acheive that. From now on, I'm going to be studying the Person behind the precepts. Knowing what He has said is essential, but stopping there won't get anything done. I'll never be "adequate" for that task. But I know I can become an adequate tool if I'm willing to be forged into one...and God can and will do the rest
Fabulous post, Ryan! There are things in this world that just boil my blood, and the more I allow myself to dwell on some of those things, the more smoke seems to come out of my ears. I imagine myself in certain situations, stating my case to those people, and rendering them speechless. But then I think about how I’d really be in a situation where I must stand for what’s right, and I do feel inadequate. It’s a frustrating way to feel. What if I say something stupid? What if I say something that totally contradicts the point that I’m trying to make? What if I have nothing to say at all? And then it hits me (for about the zillionth time) -- it’s not about ME! Just like you said, I am not the one being attacked. The assault is against God. I fight not for my own cause, but for the cause of my Lord. It’s not about what I can do, but what He can accomplish through me (a concept that even Moses clearly had difficulty understanding). I am just a vessel. I am not that greatest at explaining things (personally, I think I’m often quite bad at it). I have to stop and think a lot, sometimes I get tongue-tied, or I might go in circles. As I’ve often been reminded, it’s not the messenger, it’s the message. I might stumble through my point, but I can still be saying something if God is the focus. It's such a comfort to know that, while I may be inadequate, God is surely not.
Good thoughts. It's amazing how when your mind is focused on spiritual matters, you can pull all kinds of illustrations and thoughts and applications from daily experiences.
I think this is something good for all of us to think about. So often we do focus on exactly what it says, not on Who is actually saying it. Great post.
Great thoughts! It's sad that you didn't have time, because I think you missed an opportunity to spread the Word. They desperately needed a rebuking. :-/ But those are some really provoking thoughts you shared. :)
Wow. Good post. We had a group out on the mall that day, and one of my acquaintences went over to interview them on camera. It would be interesting to watch the video to know where they're coming from. It's never too late to talk to them about it.
As to what you said on my post, very true. But it's nice to know that at least He knows what He's doing. Lol I'm completely clueless much of the time...
Good thoughts to whoever wrote this. Thanks for sharing, Ryan. I struggle with "knowing" the Being behind the Book too. It is so easy to learn what is said and stop growing there. But we are called to know God personally, not just to memorize lessons. :)
Singing...we're thinking we're not going to be able to have one until October. The last Friday of this month is a college Bible study, and we don't want to mess that up (and Nicole might go).
wasn't friday, talk like a pirate day? I don't know the signs they were carrying and some may have been disrespectful because of individual freedom of the press but I bet some people were having fun not meaning any harm.
Thanks for the thoughts-I jsut linked randomly to your blog from Russ's and read. I think I have seen seomthing like the people you saw on Friday. Something called "teach the controversy"-if you google it you can see t-shirts. at first i thought it was funny, just someone making a silly t-shirt (the one I saw was promoting teach the controversy of aliens building the pyramids) but then I realized what they were doing was poking fun at Christians for teaching intelligent design as an option. it made me pretty mad. but i gotta reember that God is in control of all. Anyway, thanks for the post!
Hey, if you all get to come down to Greencastle Friday, Saturday, and/or Sunday, you'll get lessons of singing then, and then we have the campout with singing every night Monday through Saturday afternoon.... ... ... Still not enough singing.... ;)
It did "come and go like and arrow from the bow." (Perhaps you know what book that's from ;) ) Kristin is quite interested in the game; I thought that she might object to the bunny-killing but apparently she can over look that in favor of all the other twisted stuff that the game has. Yes, we went to the Mall, and yes, it is a rather a once-in-a-decade experiance for us :) (But I kinda like it! Perhaps because every time we go it's an almost new experiance.)
I finally just had time to read through your book of a post up there...and while I agree with your other friend that these people *may* have just been celebrating the goofy "speak like a pirate" day, I understand where you're coming from with feeling like you couldn't argue with them. Sometimes it's for the reasons you listed, but sometimes it's more that I know what the Bible says and could probably paraphrase, if not quote, applicable verses about various subjects. My problem is that I know that they're there, but not necessarily where to find them, so I feel like my arguments would lack the necessary "punch" if I can't point directly at the scripture I'm quoting. It's frustrating. So I understand where you're coming from and sympathize, even though my angle is slightly different. :-)
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is a particle accelerator newly constructed at CERN in Switzerland. Particle accellerators in concept aren't as sophisticated as they sound...what they actually do is take subatomic particles (the LHC uses protons I believe) and speeds them up to near the speed of light, smashing them together and seeing what happens. Basically the same thing that 4-year-old boys do with their tonka trucks (some things never change, do they?). When they see what bits and pieces of subatomic particles are produced, they're able to learn about even smaller particles and test the newest theories in physics.
The LHC is the biggest particle accelerator to date. Its basic structure is a large ring around which the protons accelerate. Electromagnets guide the protons in a circle. The ring itself is about 17 miles in circumference. Yesterday was the first time they "turned it on." They successfully sent protons around the ring in the clockwise direction, and in the counterclockwise direction. However, the first collision is scheduled for the 21st of October.
The interesting thing about particle accellerators to me is what happens when you speed something up to the speed of light. You may have learned in physics that the kinetic energy of an object is equal to one half of its mass times the square of its velocity (1/2mv2). However, when something approaches the speed of light (it's impossible to equal or surpass it as far as we know today...only possible to get really close) its energy increases much more quickly. In fact, as its speed approaches the speed of light, its energy approaches infinity. In other words, if something's going near the speed of light and gets just a tad closer, its kinetic energy increases immensely! Basically its energy has no finite limit.
Now, protons are incredibly small, so even if they're going very close to the speed of light, their total energy is still tiny. However, one of the fears of using a particle accellerator like this one is colliding two particles of such high energy may produce a black hole and...swallow up the earth. After a bit more research, they've found that that fear is pretty unfounded since the black holes are going to be tiny, smaller than an atom, and last 10-26 seconds (10 millionths of a billionth of a billionth of a second...yeah, pretty short). However, to be really honest, to some extent scientists don't exactly know what they're doing. I mean they have theories which are probably right, but they aren't always. (Ask Marie Curie, the woman who discovered radiation and, conincidentially, died of cancer) This is new territory here. So, however unlikely it may be, there's still that chance...
Man I love science :)
EDIT: I take back that part about the protons having a small amount of energy...it's really somewhat big. Each "bunch" of protons has the same amount of energy as a naval aircraft carrier traveling at 60 mph :) But that's still not a whole lot to worry about in the grand scheme of things, save for that black hole problem
That is beautiful...I love it. Thanks. I tried to get some good pictures of our bonfire on the black sand beach in Jamaica but it didn't quite work out....
I've been following the LHC story lately for two reasons: 1) it's based in Switzerland, and anything connected to that country is usually very cool. 2) Despite my normal low-threshold-of-scientific-ignorance, I *do* like reading about black holes. Mom checked out a book on them from the library when we were kids, and it's probably the only science book I remember reading more than once.
Who wouldn't want to take bits of God's creation, smash them together at insanely high speeds, and see what happens? =D And black holes are rather cool too, though, I don't think I'd like to see what happens if someone got sucked into one. :P
Lol! I didn't even think of how it could be taken that way :) Oh, and your post was interesting; I will admit though that it was little bit above my head, but still cool :)
Man, I know! (oh look another one) I was actually thinking about that...but I know a Coldplay song I want and I'll have to examine everything else.... : - )
