Random Facts

When nobody else is around, 47% of people drink straight from the carton.

If you toss a penny 10,000 times, it will not be heads 5,000 times, but more like 4,950. The heads picture weighs more, so it ends up on the bottom.

A toothbrush within 6 feet of a toilet can get airborne bacteria from flushing.

I don't believe in using humor to distract from problems that surround us (see below). I do believe that for all the heaviness in the world, we can use a little lightness from time to time.

What's the answer?

I have a question. This is a pretty serious topic so if you're in the mood for light reading move on and come back later. We talked about this issue in my Current Events class and I need to air it out a bit.

There is an AIDS pandemic in Africa. One contributing factor to the pandemic is a myth that sex with a virgin cures a man with AIDS. Girls as young as nine months have been raped. There is little in this world more disgusting than this.

What would you say as an answer though? Would you say justice? Find the perpetrators and make them pay. But the question must be raised, how widespread is the myth? What if the justice system is infected by it? Some have answered by setting up support systems for vicitims. Agencies provide anti-viral agents that can stop AIDS if used shortly after the assault. Counseling for the victims is provided. This is a response, not a solution. I have a few outrageous solutions. One is to take all the women and children and move them somewhere else. Probably not going to happen. A typical answer I would give is education. But many who believe the myth also believe that AIDS is a foreigner's disease. That it is a ploy by outsiders to infect the citizens. And so the education is ignored. And people are hurt.

Here's my question. I tend to believe that Christians are called to be an answer to the pain in the world. I believe quite strongly in heaven and eternal life. I also believe that God calls us to advance his kingdom now. Life can be better right now because of God and his love. I think advancing his kingdom includes providing food for the starving, health care for the sick, and education for all. But is there any answer to this pandemic caused by myth other than God? I believe strongly that it is more effective to feed people physically first and then when they seek to know more, to share my beliefs with them. But education and justice cannot solve this problem. Is there anything but the gospel of grace that can answer this pandemic? What do you think?

Brought to you by the digital age

I never thought it would come to this. I have three older brothers. I answer to a range of names. Matthew. Kevin. Greg. Sometimes Gerry (my dad). These days I spend enough time with Jesse that our names get confused (they kind of sound a like). So I'm used to answering to many names. One of my favorites growing up was Jason--used by the senior ladies from my church. (we go to church right next to a seniors' complex where my mom works.)


BUT. I never thought it would come to this:

From: Virginia Simmons
To: juokimi@ucollege.edu
Date: Oct 21, 2005 4:39 AM
Subject: RE: Genogram

Jason,
Your grandparents, their siblings' spouses, their children and if any oftheir children have children. List them and their spouses. It's everyone from the grandparent generation to the present; (all aunts, uncles, and spouses, cousins spouses)
Have fun and thank the Lord you don't have 12 siblings!!
Dr. Simmons

How does this happen in email!?

Cold pizza

Reason not to have kids #463

Ben Yancer

Apparently my memory has holes in it. Because it hasn't been even an hour and I've forgotten what Ben and I talked about. Well, I remember the gist, but the exact words slip away like the piece of potato in the garbage disposal that you try to lift out with a fork over and over to no avail.


Something to the effect of Top Ten Reasons Why Ben's Life is Sad*:

10. Hot water eventually runs out
9. He cannot drink a full glass (Of anything. It has to be just partly filled.)
8. The upstairs bathroom is out of toilet paper
7. Teddy has gone home and Shelby lives in Kentucky
6. Once, Teddy peed on his bed
5. Full time work happens every weekday
4. Full time work does not allow for naps
3. He has to put up with me (as a roommate AND friend)
2. This will be the third year he's put up with me as his roommate

And the Number 1 Reason Why Ben's Life is Sad:
1. Coffee-flavored Silk is not yet sold in Lincoln

Ben, I'm glad we're friends and that we'll still be friends after you read this.

*Ben said something like "Why is my life so sad?" And I asked how he wanted the answer. He said I should put it on my blog. I said I'd make a top ten list. If you know me and Ben, you know I've probably fictionalized this conversation in some way. You also know that Ben will probably share his version with you eventually.

How to Give the Last-Minute Gift of Blog

I was looking through the blogger help section when I found this.

How to Give the Last-Minute Gift of Blog

I'm not sure what amuses me most. It could be that someone actually took the time to write it. But that's no surprise anymore these days.

It could be just the fact that it might almost make sense. I mean, people have given people journals as gifts. What's the difference? Also, people often give picture frames or albums. Same idea.

Hmmm. Well there you go. Running out of time for a gift? Christmas sneaking up on you? Give the gift that keeps on giving. A Blog.

"You may be right"

We all know that I may not agree with all of Mr Blake's teaching strategies, but I do enjoy talking to him almost all of the time. Even when I'm slacking in his class. Today he shared with us a short anecdote about some famous guy in the not-so-present time (I wish I kept better track of who this person was) who made lots of people in his audience angry. He had a form letter that he would use to answer every single comment. It said, "You may be right." Mr Blake went on to describe how he and his friend now use the phrase blah blah blah.

I think (pretty darn sure) that I could stand to use this phrase more often. Even when I know I'm right (which is less often than I attempt to pretend), you may be right too. And wouldn't we all get along so much better if we just stopped and said, "You may be right." Then if we want to, we can keep discussing different perspectives or options or views. But to stop and realize and admit first that you're probably at least as right as me. That would help I think.

You may be right. And right or wrong, I'd rather be friends.

Ever wonder

At the end of the last post I said something about random information. Since I'm constantly harassed for my habit of looking stuff up online, I thought I'd share the latest random bit.

"Fifth Column" refers to a clandestine group of subversive agents who work to undermine a nation's solidarity. That's all well and good but the real question is, "What are the other four columns!?" Well, when Emilio Mola Vidal coined the term during the Spanish Civil War he had four army columns marching on Madrid. But he had a fifth column already working in the city.

There you have it. Consider yourself more educated than you were two minutes ago. If you have questions that you want answered please feel free to contact me by calling 1-800....

I'm tired

But it's a good tired. The kind of tired that you feel after being in a car for 13.5 hours. Almost exactly that kind of tired. Some might say we're crazy for driving that far for two and a half days in Manchester, Kentucky. I would say to them: You're right. We're crazy. Crazy about life. About friends. About friends who feel like family. So trust me, there is nothing I would have preferred to do this break than see Michael and Ang again.

So now I'm tired. But that just means I'll sleep well tonight. But first I think I should prepare for my presentations tomorrow. I have no trouble being unprepared for classes but I don't much like looking stupid.

By the way, if you can't read the comic down below, I think clicking on it enlarges it. Just some random information for you.

It doesn't matter

I can't remember what I was going to say about this comic. In any case I'm probably breaking copyright laws or something. Oh, it all came back to me. It's not entirely related but it was the comic of the day and it kind of works. I feel like this sometimes. I always blame it on being the youngest of four brothers. But I'm really just an attention-seeker.

Today was one of those days. I won't dwell on the details mostly because I just don't want to. But I've been tired and I've got a long way to go before any rest is in sight. But I'm reminded often in life that it doesn't matter. What doesn't matter you ask? Anything. Maybe I failed my test today, I certainly didn't hand in my book report, my engineering homework is several weeks late and much of it not done, maybe there's a few projects that I'm behind on at work and I probably snapped at more than one person today and if I didn't I've at least been internally grumpy.

But it doesn't matter. Because at the end of the day, in spite of and in light of all those things, I'm still a child of God. And nothing separates me from his love. Maybe that's old news to you. But I need to remind myself every so often.

It's all fun and games

So apparently I've found another way to avoid doing homework. If not for the fact that they've been working for four years now, I'd think that my habits would lead to my academic death. But this weekend's activities have led me to decide to give this blogging a try. Will I keep up with it? Who knows. Will anyone read it? Who cares. Why am I doing it then? I thought I made that clear--it's more fun than studying Civil War & Reconstruction.

Why "It's all fun and games?" Three reasons. First, blogger.com makes you pick a name and so I had to. Second, fun and games are two things that I care about greatly. You know, some like sports, some like music, others nature... blah blah blah. There is very little that I care about (past God and people) that I could call a hobby or anything like that. So fun and games it is. (It makes me wonder if anyone who is reading this doesn't already know that. Oh well.)

Third, I really think life should be fun and games. Or at least our attitude toward life. (Of course before we get started on this whole blogging thing it should be clear that I say things out loud (or type them) as a means of thinking them through and by the time I finish I may disagree with myself.) Don't get me wrong. Life is full of crap. For instance the earthquake in Pakistan today. Only the most recent of disasters that I've heard about. But we can't change that. We can accept the crap, keep a good positive attitude, and then get to work cleaning up. So if life is getting too serious, remember that you can't change most of what occurs around here. But you can choose how to react. I choose life. (I just like saying that, I'm not sure it makes sense.)

On a tangent, if you (the reader) are a blogger, who do you write to when you blog? Do you have an intended audience in mind? I'm not sure if I do or not.

Disclaimer*

This blog should in new way be construed as a replacement of email communication. I'm giving it a try--we'll see what happens. And it should be a means to promote conversation. Not a reason to stop. You've been warned.