Chicken Soup For The Scholl

I LOVE GEORGE BUSH

2006-01-31T22:55:00.000-05:00

I thought the State of the Union was wonderful. Bush is such a wise and capable leader. If I had been there I would have never taken my seat. I would have just stood there applauding for 51 minutes, non-stop. I can't believe there are people who would dare question his greatness. These pessimists just give comfort and aid to terrorists. They should be locked away in a camp somewhere so they can concentrate on all of their misconceptions. We can educate them so they realize how awesome President Bush truly is. I sat here on my couch, watching the address on Fox News and thought how lucky I am to be living in a country led by an administration that has time and again proven its tremendous competence. I loved how Bush slammed critics of the war. Basically he said, let's all just collectively forget about the past and move ahead with my plans to bring freedom to the Middle East. Now who couldn't get on board with that? He has earned our trust. Also, how can anyone question giving the president the ability to spy on Americans? I say let him spy on everyone. If you're not doing anything wrong you have nothing to worry about. Our government would run so much more efficiently if we gave the president more power. We need him to protect us. Anyone who disagrees will be spotlighted and branded a "terrorlover" or "loverofevildoers." I can't wait to buy a car that runs on grass and solar power. I'm sure Bush will have those rolling out in no time. He really wants us to have a clean environment. That's why he wanted more of our oil to come from Alaska. I mean nobody lives there, so polluting it wouldn't be a big deal. Anyone who thinks Bush did a bad job in handling Katrina should realize that Bush clearly cares about the people of New Orleans. He exhibits concern for African-Americans. I mean he mentioned Coretta Scott King, didn't he? What more do you want? I hope they find a way to let Bush stay on as president. I mean who else could do a better job? Unless Dick Cheney is running, I say let Bush keep us moving forward. America Uberalles!!! All hail Bush!!! Suppress dissent. Throw liberals in jail or put them in exile. If they don't love America they should leave it!!! Attack Iran! Attack North Korea!!! Attack UC - Berkeley!!! Attack Hollywood!!! Deport Sean Penn, George Clooney and Michael Moore!!! The opposition must be crushed. Hang Noam Chomsky. God bless Bush. Jesus is clearly speaking through him. Oh how I love you, George!

The Faculty

2006-01-25T20:13:00.000-05:00

So I'm now in a band called "The Faculty." We are attempting hip-hop. We've only had a handful of practices, but I am very hopeful as the music we play has a lot of potential. Right now I do lead vocals, Kevin Pierce plays bass/guitar, Brendan Majeski plays drums, and Chris Freeze plays guitar/bass. We have about 5 original songs with 2-3 more in the works and we will have a couple of covers. I'm hoping we will be able to cover Matisyahu's King Without A Crown. I am obsessed with that song right now. GREAT LYRICS! Our originals include: Impeach The President (I think the title says it all.), Zen & The Art of Gunfighting (Kevin came up with this song that combines a Western theme with an exploration of impermanence), The Same Soul (A song about my brother(s) and son, The Gathering (About Magic: The Gathering card game), Born in the 70's (A Barton Funk classic), and A Brief History of Rhyme/The Big Bang Theory (Not quite done yet, but will be one of our better songs abot theoretical physics.) I have lots of other stuff that I am working on. I am very excited because we already sound pretty good and we are just beginning to work things out. Our first show is scheduled for Saturday, March 25th at Monkey Business in Myrtle Beach. We are opening for Oldspeak and Right Hand Red. We'd love a big crowd. If you'd like a sample of how we sound check www.myspace.com/dukesofhaddock. It is not an accurate reflection of our "live" sound, but you can get an idea of what we're trying to do.

Frogs Are Beginning To Boil

2006-01-17T21:33:00.000-05:00

Everyone should be alarmed! The executive branch of our government has shown that the ends do indeed justify the means. It is a Machiavellian nightmare come true. Apparently any behavor can be justified as long as it is part of an effort to fight terror. And Americans are so scared of terrorism that they are willing to give up their own civil rights and excuse The Bush Administration's immoral and illegal activities. The latest crime to surface is Bush's illegal tapping of Americans' telephone lines. If this does not force you to pause and consider how dangerous the situation has become, I'm not sure what will. Of course anyone who criticizes Bush's wiretapping will be demonized by the Republican Ministry of Disinformation. (See Al Gore.) After all you have nothing to worry about unless you're a terrorist, right? WRONG! Our founding fathers understood what it was like to be oppressed by a man named George. They purposefully crafted our constitution to prevent abuse of power by our elected officials. They wanted to prevent America from falling into the hand of tyrants. Unfortunately we have forgotten the lessons they have taught us. Some will say, "In a time of war, the president must be given "special powers." Well, at what point in time will this ambiguous war on terror be over? Just last year Bush said it could never be won, so does that mean the executive branch will have these seemmingly unlimited powers indefinitely? As long as our freedoms are stripped away from us slowly, few will protest, especially when the leaders they trust tell them that it is only for their own protection. You can boil a frog if you turn the heat up slowly enough. We cannot allow our civil liberties to erode in the name of security. If we do, we will have killed everything so many virtuous men and women have fought and died for....America.

College Footbal Playoffs

2006-01-05T17:00:00.000-05:00

So here's a post on sports. I love sports, but you would not know it from most of my comments. My greatest love is football, and college football would be the clear winner if 1A schools would simply add a playoff. There is simply no good reason to deny a playoff to the fans of college football. 1 AA schools hold a highly successful playoff each year. There was no question that Appalachian State won the national championship this year. There never will be a question who their champion is every year. So Texas won last night and wound up the only undefeated team in the country. This is an uncommon occurrence as proven by the controversies of the past couple of years. Last year USC, Auburn and Utah ended the season undefeated. How is it possible that a team can avoid losing and also avoid winning a championship? Until you are beat, you have every right to claim you are the best, particularly when you are at the end of your season. Every bowl game, other than the national championship is meaningless unless you are fan of the schools involved. Penn State's victory over Florida State has no meaning unless you are a fan of one of those schools. Imagine, however, that Penn State had played Texas, and Ohio State had played USC? Both of those games would have been the equivalent of the NFL's Conference Championships. The subsequent national championship game would be even closer to the popularity of The Super Bowl. If the playoff were expanded to 8 teams this would make for even more excitement. It would also give fans of teams with 1 or 2 losses hope that their teams still had a chance at the national title. Personally I'd like a 16 team playoff, but at this point I would be thrilled with 4. The bottom line is that college football has the opportunity to secure itself as the most popular sport in America. Until it has a playoff, like every other sport does, they will struggle to get fans like myself to watch meaningless bowl games.

King Kong: Random Thoughts

2005-12-26T20:07:00.000-05:00

I went to see King Kong today. It was spectacular. Really spectacular. For some reason I have been thinking a lot about my reaction to the movie. Here are some of my thoughts. 1.) The effects and action were truly amazing. It was like riding a long amusement park ride. 2.) I was annoyed by Ann Darrow's passion for the ape. What woman in her right mind would fall in love with King Kong? I mean he almost killed her several times. Yes, he saved her life, but it was only so he could keep her captive against her will. Were we to assume she had Stockholm Syndrome? I could possibly see her feel sympathetic to the captured and exploited Kong in New York, but she was IN LOVE with him on the island. It's just not believable. Someone said, "She had been let down her whole life by men. Kong was the first one to be there for her." That is a bunch of garbage. Kong wanted her as a possession. He wasn't altruistic. If he got hungy enough he would eat her. He carried her like a rag doll through the jungle, roared at her, and would not let her go. Is that "being there for her." I know a bunch of rednecks that do the same thing to their wives. You know what they're called? Spousal abusers. They're arrested and detested for that kind of behavior. Yet I'm supposed to cry for Kong when he dies at the end? He was a menace. Granted...Kong didn't ask to be taken to New York, but I looked at him like I looked at the shark in Jaws, the dinosaurs in Jurrasic Park, and the alligator in Lake Placid (I didn't actually see that movie, but I needed three examples so that the sentence would flow well.) Just think, if Ann Darrow had been your wife, your daughter, or your mom wouldn't you have wanted Kong to die? 3.) I just finished watching the original King Kong (1933) on AMC. Considering the time it was made and the way they portrayed the natives, Kong clearly has racist overtones. This is a sensitive subject, but one that has to come to mind for any person thinking critically about this movie. Like Kong, Africans were brought to this continent in chains, exploited for financial gain and then feared and attacked once they had freedom. There were stereotypes about black males that were only bolstered by early racist films like Birth of a Nation, one of the first feature length films ever made. It seems obvious to me that the original makers of King Kong were not exactly sensitive about race either. While the new version attempts to be more politically correct by making the natives some Lord of the Ring Zombie/Orc type creatures, it cannot escape the stereotypes Kong represents. Quite honestly I keep thinking about the old Public Enemy song, "Burn Hollywood Burn." This movie is representative of everything Hollywood is guilty for in terms of stereotyping African-Americans, partcularly males. The movie even starts off with an Al Jolson tune. (For those who don't know, Al Jolson was a minstrel singer. If you don't know about minstrel singing and its role in racial stereotypes click here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minstrel_show. Some will say, "Todd, you're reading too much into this." Perhaps, but I am not the only one who sees it this way. Considering the time when the original Kong was made, and the attitudes that were prevalent at the time, it is not a stretch to think that Kong was a manifestation of white men's fears and misconceptions. 4.) Finally, it is sad to think that America has become so adept at copying. Undoubtedly King Kong is a wonderful remake. LOTR, also by Peter Jackson, was a wonderful adaptation of Tolkien's work. Where are the original stories? Charlie Kauffman and a handful of American directors are doing some wonderful original work, but it seems that the biggest Hollywood blockbusters fall under one of four three categories: old tv shows, screen adaptations of successful novels, remakes or sequels. I guess it must be hard to find good writers. Even television seems unwilling to hire writers given their love of reality programming. Well that's it. And no mention of Christ. How about that Johnny Damon trade?

Happy Holidays & Merry Christmas

2005-12-24T11:23:00.000-05:00

Stephen Colbert recently said, "If there's one thing Christ really cared about, it's semantics." This gave me a chuckle because it totally captured everything I have been feeling about this debate between Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Don't get me wrong. I am not a PC policeman. I do care about others' feelings, so if it offends you for me to say Merry Christmas I'll try not to say that around you. I'm not sure why so many "Christians" are upset about this. I guess many just can't handle living in a pluralistic society. I find it odd that the people who are so intent on destroying Islamic theocracies abroad are so intent on creating a Christian theocracy here in America. I also find it interesting how fair and balanced Fox News has made this such a huge issue all the while financially benefitting from the gross commercialization of a sacred holiday. Happy Holidays is a perfectly fine way to express yourself. It is NOT and attack on Christianity. It is merely a recognition that not everyone in our country celebrates Christmas. It is an attempt to be kind-hearted and decent to those who celebrate holidays different than the mainstream Christmas. The spirit of Christianity should lead one to show this type of kindness. Unfortunately, this battle has exposed the mean-spiritedness and intolerance of many Christians. So Christ is likely shaking His head thinking, "They just don't get it. I mean they're squabbling over words while children in Northern Uganda are ritually raped, kidnapped, and forced to fight wars (many times against their families). AHHHHHHHH!" This debate does not draw people to Christianity. I would guess it becomes another reason for people to avoid it. One thing I have come to realize is that "organized religion" is not what people should seek. We should all seek to connect with God. Our senses are wonderful, but they are not the only way to intepret reality. There seems to be another way, a spiritual way, to connect with reality. Our consciousness is not fully understood. Looking at our existence from an almost exclusively third person point-of-view leave our inner selves hungry and desperate for something more. I am NOT slamming science. Science is fundamental in bringning us closer to ultimate truth, but our perception of what is real can not be limited to science if we are to truly experience life. Without the spiritual component we are left feeling lonely, purposeless, and depressed. As silly as spirituality may seem to the person who solely utilizes reason as his guide through life, it is possible for one to utilize both without sacrificing reason. I have struggled immensely with this battle between faith and reason, but I am learning that it no longer has to be a battle. Instead of looking at them as opposites, we should look at them as two tools by which we can seek greater truth. I hope those of you who have eschewed faith will reconsider as we enter this new year. Those who have ignored reason should wake up and realize that science is and ally, not an enemy. Finally, I suggest reading "The Universe in a Single Atom" By His Holiness The Dalai Lama. It is a remarkable book. I love you all and wish you happy lives. We should be merry and cheerful throughout the year, not just during this time of year.

2005-12-18T16:59:00.000-05:00

Debate & Advanced Broadcasting

2005-12-16T22:41:00.000-05:00

Today we had a debate at school. I sponsor the Carolina Forest Young Democrats who debated the CF Young Republicans. I was pleased with the turn out. I was also pleased by how well the students debated. Both teams were well prepared. I felt as though we were much better in the 2nd debate. There were so many times I wish I could have responded, but I often found the students saying what I would have said anyway. After the debate I thought about all the things that could have been said. I just don't know how people can be so blind about Bush. I guess some people just see what they want to see. I often feel like Alice in Wonderland. Nothing makes sense and so many people seem illogical. How can people defend Bush's appointment of Michael Brown as director of FEMA? How can people ignore or not be bothered by the fact that the primary reason for going to was with Iraq were false? How can people who are supposed to be Christian conservatives support Bush's tax policy that favors the rich? I just want to shake people somtimes and wake them up from the spell they're under. I'm not sure exactly who has cast this spell. Perhaps they have insulated themselves from truth by only listening to conservatives commentate on current events. I wonder if some of these people actually read. I can honestly tell you that every intelligent person I know sees that Bush is a clown. I think true conservatives can be smart, but true conservatives know Bush is a clown. On another topic, I was thinking a lot about my Panther News class tonight. There are so many cool students in there. I teach so many creative young people. I really love them. Every year I become attached to a group of advanced broadcasting students. Every year I have to let some of them go. It never fails that at the end of each year I get a little depressed and am left wondering who will replace the awesome students who are graduating. I'm sure I'll feel that way again this year, but there are a lot of juniors who I'm close with too. I sometimes wonder if my students realize how important they are to me. Madison and Colin will always have priority over everyone else on the planet. My wife and family are a part of me and always will be. But I hope my students know that they are a huge part of my life too. And even though they will only be a part of my life for a maximum of 4 years, they have a lasting impact on the person I have become. I learn so much from them. They amaze me and this year's group is particularly amazing. There are 30 kids in Advanced Broadcasting. I can't honestly say I'm close to all of them. Sometimes I foget to communicate to them how much they mean to me because I get all caught up in our productions. Sometimes I lose my temper and am afraid that I may have damaged my ability to connect with them. I wonder if they lose faith in me. I hope not. I wish I could be close to all of them, but some are just not into broadcasting so they don't really get involved in our productions. It is sharing the work involved in the production that forms a bond. When a student doesn't really work, that bond never gets formed. Today I was pleasantly surprised by The Flympics and The Santa story. Kim Sammons and Chantel Lucas were at school an hour early to make sure their piece was finished. They were at school until about 6:00 the last night. I love to see that. They did such a good job and I was proud. I appreciate all the students who stayed after school with me to work on our SIPA show. They were so enthused. I can honestly say that I've never had a better team of students than this year. And that's really saying something because I've had awesome students in the past: Teddy Carfolite (Creative genius and all-time PSA master aka Angry Boy), Ted Hayden (What's your deal? Call me.), Foster Cozart (Dude, stop by and see me), Joe Tracy, Tiffany Tucker (mean, but a hard worker + she was the one who was instrumental in getting me an XBOX. (That was the single greatest day I've ever had as a teacher. I almost cried and I don't cry much.), Blake Arambula (Future WUSC Station Manager), Gordy Dana (Newspaper Hat Boy), Kristen Boykin (Deep thinker and very original), Justin Purdy (Hilarious and a genious), Michael Drutar (The one and only Drutusk), Matt Collin (Serious genius...no I mean serious), Mark Schroder (I still talk to him all the time), Nick DiDolci (Living Legend), Taryn Murphy (Ubercool), etc. I know I'm forgetting someone and I apologize. It's late. This year's group just really shares my vision to make the show something special. Many of them are self-motivated and they know what to do without me guiding them every step of the way. In fairness to past classes, these new guys have more and better equipment than ever. I will miss them next semester and hope that the new group will be challenged by their excellence. I hope we have a bunch of students attend the SIPA Convention. I think it will be a special time. As I think of individual students many come to mind...Andy Collins is like a relative. He is from an area very close to where my father grew up. He loves haddock and salt potatoes and has a unique and refreshing approach to life. I know he wants to be a pharmacist, but I'm trying to convince him to be a teacher because the world doesn't need better pharmacists. We need better teachers and he would be a great one. Stephanie Bouzounis stands out. She is one of a kind. She has a critical mind and can see through b.s. I like how she gets angry when people are being irresponsible. Chris Freeze is talented, has a great sense of humor, and really works hard on EVERY F Show. Ren Jack has been a pleasant surprise this year. She has really stepped up in the 2nd nine weeks and has a lot of heart. Smartin, Tom and Dan are so critical to the daily production of Panther News. They work hard every day and put up with my temper when things don't go right. Some may not know that they hang out at lunch a lot. Sometimes we play Nintendo or just talk. They are very cool. Heather Cameron can't graduate next year. She will always be a leader. She lets her action speak louder than words. There is never a hidden agenda with Heather. There is nothing phony or pretentious about her. Isaac is an enigma. He'll do a sports report for SIPA or a funny thing for The F Show and then the next day he just chills. He's real. I wish I could have inspired him more and wonder if I did somthing to squash his potential. Jeff Decker is new school. He is the heir to the reins of F. Lot 'o energy. Does he know how to edit video yet? If not, someone must teach him. Rana, Melanie, Shana, and Sam have been solid on the air. They are all very nice. I could go on, but it's late and I've said enough for now. I just hope ALL of my students have a great break and come back refreshed and ready to end the semester on a strong note. SIPA is March 3-5 so mark your calendars.

Merry Christmas, Tookie

2005-12-12T21:37:00.000-05:00

In about two hours, Stanley “Tookie” Williams is scheduled to be executed in the state of California for killing four people in 1979. As I write this I simply feel sad…not so much for Tookie, but for America. Why? Because every time the state puts someone to death, America loses a piece of her soul. Our country should be founded on the highest ideals. Our laws and policies should be based upon the highest standards of morality and ethics. Unfortunately, our lust for revenge pulls more weight than our ability to forgive and seek a higher path. As a result of this we find ourselves in the company of China, Iran and Vietnam as the four countries who carried out 97% of all the executions in the world in 2004. Interestingly, we find ourselves sharing similar values with some of the most notorious human rights violators in the world. Well, at least the death penalty deters crime, right? Actually, no. Numerous scientific studies have shown that the death penalty does no better job at deterring crime than other forms of punishment. So why do we continue to put people to death? So that the families of the slain can feel that justice has been served. In other words, we allow the state to carry out acts of revenge on behalf of the victims and their families. I usually bring in Christ to my political discussions and this blog will be no different. It is quite odd to me that conservative Christians support the death penalty. Jesus clearly taught us not to repay evil for evil. We must turn the other cheek. We must forgive. As impossible as those commands must seem to the victims’ families, they are not impossible ideals by which to base our country’s laws and policies. It was Christ who said, while receiving the death penalty himself, “Forgive them Father for they know not what they do.” He was brutalized and murdered most unjustly, but did He seek revenge? Did He ask His Father to smite the people who committed these terrible acts? No. He was setting the ultimate example for us. He was showing us that the cycle of violence could only end if someone was brave enough, strong enough to forgive. He was setting an example in an effort to get us to let go of that lesser part of our human instict that seeks retribution rather than reconciliation. Gandhi profoundly understood this when he said, “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” If only we could get Christians to understand Christ so well. Many call America a “Christian Nation,” but few understand what that would truly imply both socially and economically. Well, Todd, what if someone killed one of your loved ones? Wouldn’t you want them to die? Of course I would, but justice is supposed to be blind. Our system of law is supposed to rise above our natural emotional reactions. We simply should not base our legal standards on negative human emotions. Let’s imagine that Tookie raped a woman. Should he be raped? If he had beaten someone senseless, should the state beat him? If not, why should the state be allowed to kill Tookie for the murders he committed? Why is it that murder is the only crime where the state is allowed to mirror the crime committed by the offender? So tonight I feel as though Christ must be feeling His message was lost or grossly misunderstood. In a nation comprised of 85% self-described Christians, we seem unwilling to show Tookie Williams the love, compassion and forgiveness that Christ exemplified. In fact, many are probably happy to see him killed. How does his death profit us? No victims will return. We are no safer. What do we lose by his death? The work he was doing to end gang violence will end, and America will have lost one more piece of her soul. That is perhaps the most tragic loss of all. Merry Christmas, Tookie.

2005-12-07T19:12:00.000-05:00

Iraq & Accountability

2005-11-18T21:03:00.000-05:00

Iraq & Accountability I want you to try and imagine any situation where you could legally go out and kill someone because you think they may do harm to you or your family. Perhaps I’m not creative enough, but I simply can’t think of any way this could be done. Now try to imagine a situation where you and your neighbors could legally go out and kill someone because you all agree that this person might cause harm to someone in your neighborhood. In either of these cases the people doing the killing would be accused of murder and called vigilantes. Let’s look at another example. Imagine a student who has been threatened by a bully and has every reason to believe that the bully will hurt him. Now imagine that student approaching the bully by himself or with a group of students and beating him up. Can you imagine any way that the child would avoid expulsion and arrest? After all, students are expelled even if they merely retaliate in a fight to defend themselves. In all of these cases pre-emptive attacks would result in serious ridicule and punishment for those who initiated them. Yet when a country, say the United States for example, collectively launches a pre-emptive attack it is fine. Why? It seems that we have become capable of grossly immoral behavior as long as it is done by an entity rather than humans. Governments and corporations can get away with murder, and I mean that literally, because atrocities are easier to justify when they are done in the name of entities, like a country, religion, or company. Companies have polluted our environment and cheated workers out of their pensions. Religions have fostered genocide, torture, and war. Governments have lied, murdered and stolen. Hell, the U.S. did all three to Native Americans. What they all have in common is that people are able to hide from their culpability by assigning all of the blame to these institutions. I talk of Christ often in my blogs because I find him fascinating and illuminating. I was reading an article that claimed that Christ wasn’t truly a pacifist. His call to turn the other cheek was apparently only aimed at individuals, not governments, but we have to ask ourselves, “What are governments? What are religions? What are corporations?” I suggest that all of these are groups of PEOPLE. They are a collection of individuals who make decisions and have to be held accountable for them. Our government chose to attack Iraq because of what they might do in the future. No longer were we going to simply defend freedom. We became offenders of freedom. In fact, I would suggest that The Department of Defense should change its name to the Department of Offense if this is going to be our military strategy for the 21st century. It is clear to me that we are in a no-win situation in Iraq. If we stay, we will encourage more terrorism. If we leave, we may also encourage terrorism. In the end what people have to ask themselves is, “Would you be willing to sacrifice your son or daughter in this cause?” If you can sincerely answer in the affirmative, I suppose you can go on supporting this war without being a hypocrite. If you cannot, then why is it ok for other folks to send their children there to die? And what exactly are they dying for? We claim that we are bringing democracy to Iraq. Exactly what kind of democracy will Iraq become? Will the government that eventually seizes power there be anything better than a West Iran? Will this new country truly be a catalyst for the blossoming of democracy in the Middle East? The pragmatist in me does not see what the U.S. is gaining, especially at the price we’re paying. Thousands of lives and billions of dollars spent and how has the United States benefited? (I’m talking about average U.S. citizens, not the Dick Cheneys and Halliburton exec types.) Are we safer? Is gas cheaper? Has our image in the world improved? Someone please tell me how America is better off than it was prior to the invasion of Iraq because I don’t see it. I think a strong case could be made that we are worse off in many ways. The United States is people, not just some entity that cannot be held accountable for its wrong-doings. When the people of America chose to attack Iraq, we were not defending anything. We chose to be vigilantes. We chose to ignore Christ’s most important commands. We completely disregarded the rule of law that we are so quick to uphold in almost every other situation. It is this law that prevents our society from breaking down into chaos and disorder. The person who should be held most responsible is Bush. That is why I firmly believe he should be impeached. He and his administration must be held accountable for leading us to war under false pretenses, mishandling the war, and refusing to take any responsibility for the mistakes that were made. But all Americans, including myself, must look in the mirror. How am I responsible for America being in Iraq? What more could I have done or said to prevent this from happening. All of the Democrats who voted to give Bush the authority to wage war must seriously reflect deeply upon their faults and failures. Just like Germans who allowed the Nazis to rule them, we must ask ourselves how we let our country wind up in the hands of someone so incompetent and immoral. If we fail to do this, we run the risk of making this mistake over and over again. And I’m not sure how many more “Bushes” this world can take.

2005-11-16T16:31:00.000-05:00

Misguided Christians

2005-11-15T21:19:00.000-05:00

Too many Christians are ignoring the central message of Christ. I'm not sure whether they are doing this because they are simply ignorant or just choosing to skip over Christ's Sermon on the Mount. Christ clearly said that we are to turn the other cheek and not repay evil for evil. Yet when you ask the average Christian how we should deal with terrorism, many will say, "We ought to nuke 'em," or some other pleasant derivation of that notion. Christians seem eager to support President Bush's war on terror even though it flies in the face of Christ's message to love our enemies. When you examine what Bush's foreign policy has created it is hard to conclude that it is what Jesus would have done. Who would Jesus torture? Who would Jesus bomb? Would Jesus approve of pre-emptive wars? Pre-emptive wars are the equivalent of slapping your enemies face before they even raise their hand to slap your's. If Christ were to appear on CNN or FOX with His message I can only imagine how quickly that person would be shot down by the smear campaign the White House staff would come up with to discredit Him. I implore Christians to read Luke, Chapter 6 carefully. You simply cannot reconcile your Bushophile outlook with the words of Christ. Christ was a revolutionary pacifist. Deal with it or stop calling yourself a Christian. On another note I can't imagine him supporting capitalism either.

Panther Idol / Christian Anarchy

2005-11-08T17:56:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of Madison and me hosting the 2005 Panther Idol competition at CFHS. I haven't written much because I have been busy and HTC has been down for the count at my house. Tonight I feel as though my life is headed in a direction where I will lead. I'm not sure exactly in what capacity it will be in. I'm not even sure exactly whom it is I will lead and in what direction I will lead them. I am being drawn by the message of Christ. I am also drawn to Gandhi. Interestingly, Gandhi was heavily influenced by Leo Tolstoy who was a Christian Anarchist. To read more about christian anarchism check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_anarchism. Tolstoy GOT Christ. I don't think most self-proclaimed Christians truly understand the implication of Christ's messages, but Tolstoy did. Gandhi read The Kingdom of Heaven is Within You, by Leo Tolstoy. This book had a profound impact on Gandhi, who had a great impact on Martin Luther King. Mix in a little Thoreau and Kierkegaard and I still led back to Christ. Even if you do not blieve he is the son of God, his message in undeniably the best. I'm still trying to figure out how I fit into all of this. How much do I sacrifice? What can I commit to? What is realistic? I just know that I have to do more, be more, affect more with the central message of Christ.

2005-11-03T16:04:00.000-05:00

2005-11-02T15:56:00.000-05:00

In My Day

2005-10-26T14:31:00.000-05:00

I'm tired of hearing about how bad our students are. I'm tired of hearing how in "our" day things were different. “Kids were respectful in my day, blah, blah, blah.” Every generation believes they are superior to the one coming after them. Your grandparents probably thought your generation was horrible. The truth is that the older we get the more we resist change. Young people, in an effort to establish control over their lives, seek to create a culture of their own to distinguish themselves from those in authority (parents, teachers, etc.). This is natural. We all crave autonomy in varying degrees. Older folks perceive their disdain for our culture as disrespect. Elvis Presley was considered disrespectful. Rock N' Roll was considered the devil's music to the elders of that generation. Older people today make the same prejudgments about hip-hop, hard rock, emo, etc. It's hard for us to believe that life is going to go on after we die. It's quite egotistical to think that if we could just freeze the culture in the our preferred state we could somehow obtain immortality. The more things change the more we are confronted with our mortality, and that is uncomfortable. I hear people say, "Well if I had received bad grades I would have been beaten," as though beatings are a panacea we have lost that would cure the disrespect we see in our young people today. That's garbage. I don't think a good case could be made that our current generation of young people are any more disrespectful than previous generations. Let's look at the generations of kids who grew up before us. For hundreds of years, our society enslaved Africans and denied them ANY civil rights. Young people were taught that Native Americans were savages, women were 2nd class citizens unworthy to vote, and homosexuals were criminals. When we integrated schools in the middle of the 20th century, kids spit on, threatened, and insulted their brothers and sisters. Wow! That sounds like a culture of respect, doesn't it? I would argue that any perceived superiority our ancestors had with regard to respect was due to their fear of authority. Children were controlled by fear, and I don't view that as healthy. Do we really want disingenuous relationships with our youth? Do we want the appearance of respect or REAL respect? Are we surprised to find that our next generation has new ways of perceiving the world? I'm not suggesting that we ignore respect and tolerate disrespect. I'm not saying that we don't have anything of value to pass along to the next generation. What I am saying is that too many of us in authority are quick to create an adversarial relationship with young people. Instead of being open to new ideas and changes to our culture, we hold on to the past like a child with a security blanket. Our struggle to prevent change creates unnecessary friction between generations and does not allow us to create a deep and lasting impact on our students. We devalue the things they bring to the overall culture and alienate them in the process. Stop looking at the past through rose-colored glasses and try to find value in our young people. I look at our students very optimistically. I see all that they are achieving and marvel at what they are capable of. I feel I learn more about respect from them than they do from me. The next time any of you start to wax nostalgic make sure you don’t embellish. Our students need to know where they came from, but they need the whole story, not just the part of it that makes you feel superior.

2005-10-25T09:49:00.000-05:00

2005-10-19T15:04:00.000-05:00

2005-10-05T15:22:00.000-05:00

2005-10-05T15:20:00.000-05:00

2005-09-06T13:24:00.000-05:00

Here Laura Reid, a CFHS Teacher Cadet, shares some of her life's successes with her classmates. We learned how wonderful and interesting each cadet is.

2005-08-29T14:08:00.000-05:00

Einstein vs. Jesus! No Holds Barred! The Main Event at Summerslam! Available on Pay-Per-View

2005-08-25T11:12:00.000-05:00

Why can't these two guys just get along? In my mind they do, but for some reason there are many who think that science and religion must forever be in opposition to one another. As with any conflict, there is a history that has shaped and created this division. Organized religion is guilty of thwarting scientific progress many times throughout history. Organized science is guilty of displaying hubris to such a high degree that they are eager to dismiss religious experience as a man-made illusion to satisfy our deepest fears and needs. Apparently, only anti-intellectuals can be spiritual. Our media are quick to turn every controversy into a one on one match up. It seems that having a third, fourth or fifth viewpoint makes for bad ratings. So what happens is the issue of science and religion becomes science vs. religion. The typical debate is, in this particular match up, a Christian fundamentalist against an atheist fundamentalist. We take the bait and choose sides. What about those of us who have deep admiration and respect for both science and religion? I would bet that most of us do, but the issue is framed in such a way that we feel compelled to fight for science or religion. It is time that we reshaped the American political landscape in such a way that being religious does not automatically make one a right-wing zealot. This could happen more quickly if progressive believers reclaimed their faiths from the hands of fundamentalists. It also will require atheist fundamentalists to stop being so condescending and close-minded to their allies in faith. The new battle over Intelligent Design is interesting because the same camps have formed, and the same battle that took place 80 years ago in the Scopes Trial is taking place now like a decades old hiccup. There are those on both sides who seem to enjoy the polarization that takes place. Each of these groups is so dogmatic and certain of their own version of the truth that they fail to see the differences in the Scopes Trial and Intelligent Design. Since there are more religious zealots than their scientific counterparts, those voices are being heard more clearly which further blurs the lines between creationism and intelligent design. Let's be clear about the concept of intelligent design. Intelligent design is the notion that life on Earth originated from an intelligent designer. There are those who read this as an implication that "God" created life, but that is not an assertion of intelligent design at all. The concept does not include any description of whom or what the designer is. It is true that the aim of many within the I.D. movement is to attempt to bring creationism back to public schools. There are those who feel a sense of religious duty to bring Christianity to others by any means necessary. Who the I.D. movement is entangled with does not change the essence of Intelligent Design. It just gives it a bad name. It reminds me of when people attack religion by mentioning The Inquisition or The Crusades. These were not acts of God. They were acts of men with free will who claimed to be acting in the name of God, thereby giving God a bad name. We need to be clear to make distinctions. Attacking the people who support intelligent design does not reveal anything about the plausibility of the idea itself. Darwin's THEORY of evolution has been a valuable tool in understanding life, but there are gaps in the theory...BIG ONES. How did life spring forth from non-life? This is a mystery. Science has not been able to answer this. The question is similar to another one...Is there life somewhere else in the universe? This too is a mystery. Interestingly, science has embraced the second question speculating that there must be life somewhere else in the universe. The Drake equation attempts to determine how many intelligent civilizations there are in our galaxy. The SETI Institute was founded in 1984 to search for extra-terrestrial life. Has anyone ever seen an alien? Is there any credible, empirical evidence that aliens exist? Are SETI's hypotheses truly falsifiable in the Popperian sense? It seems to me that if intelligent design is a "pseudoscience," the work being done by The SETI Institute is as well. My point is that, like SETI scientists, intelligent design scientists are attempting to find answers to one of life's greatest mysteries. They aren't doing so by quoting scripture. They are using scientific data to support their claims, just as those who search for extra-terrestrial life are. Does this mean that intelligent design should be taught as an equal and opposite theory to Darwin's? No. What it means is that if the potential for extra-terrestrial life can be discussed in a science classroom, so can the potential for an intelligent designer. Does this open the door for abuse by Christian fundamentalists? Probably. But all public school classrooms should be monitored in an attempt to prevent teachers' political and religious bias from becoming enmeshed with the curriculum being delivered. Intelligent design can be discussed as a concept to explain the origin of life without getting into a religious discussion just as a classroom discussion on extra-terrestrial life does not have to turn into a series of anecdotes about how, "I saw a UFO one time." I think the first amendment does apply here. (It is interesting to note that the same people who wrote the first amendment also wrote that we were endowed with inalienable rights by God.) Suppressing information because we don't like what it could imply is at the very least silly. It is also potentially damaging to our quest for greater understanding. Some argue that when designing a curriculum we must discriminate between ideas and theories that are valid and supported by evidence and those that are speculations by a small minority. I agree. For example, there are a few historians who would assert that The Holocaust did not happen. While this assertion could be discussed in a history class, it should not be taught as "probably true" by a history teacher. Likewise, intelligent design should not be taught as “probably true” by a science teacher. The difference between the crazy Holocaust theory and Intelligent Design is that there is significant evidence of an opposing view that shows us how and why the Holocaust DID happen. Science has not offered us any solid ideas on how life originated. Intelligent design presents the following, "The DNA that specifies all life is like an information-rich language. Inside every human cell sits a tiny encoded DNA coil five-thousandths of a millimeter in diameter, which, if unfolded, would be one meter long. Even Bill Gates has observed: "DNA is like a computer program but far, far more advanced than any software we've ever created." This new evidence requires a new explanation not shackled by materialistic dogma. Biochemist Michael Behe argues that many biological systems are 'irreducibly complex,' which means that their individual parts hang essentially together. If even a single part is removed, the system becomes inoperative. These are just the sorts of things produced by intelligent agents and that Darwin's theory cannot explain. Not surprisingly, Behe and other "intelligent design theorists" defend the concept of intelligent design as the best explanation for these phenomena. After all, only collective amnesia prevents us from recalling that a program requires a programmer. Einstein said that God does not play dice with the universe." He was right. God plays Scrabble. But does this not lead us back to the realm of religion? While it certainly evokes religious questions, design theory is not religion encroaching on the jurisdiction of science. We now have a reliable scientific method, formalized by mathematician and philosopher William Dembski (in The Design Inference, Cambridge University Press, 1998), for detecting designed objects and distinguishing them from the products of chance and impersonal laws. Scientists already use the design inference intuitively in fields such as cryptography, archaeology and forensics. When applied to nature's fine-tuned laws, DNA sequences and Behe's irreducibly complex biochemical systems, the clear conclusion is that they are intelligently designed. Not surprisingly, these matters are provoking fierce debate. Many guardians of current scientific orthodoxy are casting aspersions to prevent these new insights from gaining a hearing, and even threatening the freedom of scientists to follow the evidence wherever it leads. Their furor is understandable, for they realize that intelligent design in the natural sciences, like scientific materialism, would have profound social consequences. No longer would science seem to underwrite a materialistic world view, in which human beings are neither accountable nor responsible. What Darwinism and scientific materialism have dismantled, intelligent design theory could help restore." Do these statements PROVE intelligent design? Clearly not. Do they remind me of the rantings of a crazy "I Don't Believe in the Holocaust" historian? Not really. Should this information be presented in the same way testable, falsifiable scientific theories are? No. Intelligent design does, however, raise interesting scientific questions to be examined. The study of intelligent design and the scientists who refute the concept generate an interest in science and a greater understanding of what evolution can and cannot explain. I've never suggested that intelligent design be given the same weight as evolution. I'm just suggesting that it is a viable topic for discussion within the context of a science class, as long as the teacher is able to present it without the religious implications. I personally do not believe that religion will ever be testable or falsifiable. Like love, spirituality is something one experiences. Explaining it scientifically or mathematically is not possible. Whether it is merely neurotransmitters in my brain or something else as well, we may never know. All I can tell you is that I have experienced both love and spirituality. Without these two experiences our lives are meaningless and depressing. For years I allowed reason to rule out faith as an option for experiencing life. I did so because I thought that faith was for those not intelligent or knowledgeable enough to accept the truths of science. On the day my daughter Madison was born the intense love I felt for her opened my mind to the possibility that reason was not the only way to perceive reality. Since then I have been attempting to develop my own spirituality. I have been trying to establish a genuine relationship with a God who at times seems so transcendent and at other times seems so personal. My truth changes from day to day, and I never claim to have a hold of it. That is why I try not to be condescending when engaging others on this subject. I try not to be too critical of what others hold to be true. I think fundamentalism of any sort is the result of deep-rooted insecurity in your own version of the truth. It is why fundamentalists are so defensive and quick to attack those with versions of the truth that differ from their own. A Bible verse from James 3:13 states, “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” It is possible that my journey in faith is quixotic, but the journey has reminded me of whom I should be. It has provided me a better path than I could create for myself. It offers hope and possibilities in areas that science cannot. It provides me and my family with a framework to live our lives. In particularly, Christianity inspires us to love, give, forgive, be patient, stop judging, and humble ourselves. The question of Christ’s divinity is important, but even IF He is not divine, the messages he gave to us are still extremely valuable and worth listening to, even if only for a couple of hours each Sunday. So you can call me weak, delusional, feeble-minded, or ignorant, but the fruit being produced tells me otherwise. I see lives being changed. I see people being helped. I see humans loving one another. Seeking spirituality doesn’t have to be an anti-intellectual enterprise. Science and religion do not have to be at odds. Reason and faith do not have to be exclusive. Seeking to do God’s will does not make one a brain-washed fool. Being arrogant and close-minded probably does.

2005-08-02T19:09:00.000-05:00

In the running for my favorite all time pic of the kids. Aug. 2, 2005

2005-08-02T19:08:00.000-05:00

Colin Deckwalker. The Force was strong with him. Then we changed his diaper.

2005-07-30T13:30:00.000-05:00

2005-07-27T20:26:00.000-05:00

This is The Scholl Family at a recent outing in Murrells Inlet, SC. This is a year of many transitions for our us. Bridgette will be trying a different career path. I am looking forward to some new responsibilities as a teacher. Please take the time to write a comment on one of my posts. "Be the change you wish to see."

2005-07-16T16:38:00.000-05:00

2005-07-12T20:37:00.000-05:00

Just watched American Splendor yesterday. My art skills are like Harvey Pekar's. This movie was fun to watch and there are some interesting choices by the director. Paul Giamatti is superb in the lead role, but Harvey Pekar actually plays himself at times. This movie is fun, sad, interesting, and honest. Aspiring artists and writers should check it out for inspiration. Pekar is keepin it real.

2005-07-12T20:34:00.000-05:00

I saw Hotel Rwanda recently. If you want to see exactly what is meant by the phrase, "Apathy is deadly," check out this film. I had always wondered exactly what happened in Rwanda, and this film gives us a good synopsis of the events and issues that lead to the slaughter of 800,000 people in 100 days. This is not an easy movie to watch, but it is inspirational. It forces the viewer to become active or guilty. The man in the picture above is a hero. If we would all act locally in saving those in need, so much suffering would be alleviated. This is the type of movie that everyone should watch. Go rent it today!

2005-07-08T09:25:00.000-05:00

This is Madison about to crank a homa in one of her first t-ball games. She played for the Clemson Tigers, which created quite a bit of cognitive dissonance for me.

2005-07-08T08:48:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of us parasailing in Key West. Lots O' Fun.

Soulmates

2005-07-06T14:01:00.000-05:00

The whole concept of soulmates is really starting to annoy me. From TomKat ranting to silly, sappy movies we are being told that our soulmate is out there. The problem with this is that finding a soulmate, if one should truly exist, would be next to impossible considering there are 6.4 billion people on the planet. What are the odds you will ever even see your soulmate? And what if your soulmate is dead? Every time I watched Shirley Hemphill play Roz on What's Happening I felt this special connection. What if she was my soulmate? I'm screwed! Why? Because she's dead. I think the concept of soulmates is one of the worst things to happen to relationships...ever. We are made to believe that finding our soulmate is relatively easy. This soulmate paradigm also misleads us into thinking that a relationship should be effortless. Well, we'll see where Cruise and Holmes are in 10 years. Relationships require sacrifice and a tremendous amount of patience and forgiveness. So stop looking for a soulmate and just accept the fact that any relationship is going to get messy and difficult at times. Unless Shirley Hemphill is resurrected, that is the philosophy I will have to live by. RIP Roz...RIP.

Chicken Soup At The Movies

2005-07-06T13:33:00.000-05:00

I know I'm about a year behind in watching movies, but that's what happens when you have 2 young kids. When I go to the movies it is usually something like Shrek 2. I don't know exactly when it happened, but I do not like any modern children's movies. Every time I think I am going to like the next animated filmI am ALWAYS disappointed. Shark Tale = Sucked, Madagascar = Sucked. I am hoping The Chronicles of Narnia will prove to break this trend. When I get the chance to watch dvds I try to watch stuff that comes highly recommended. This summer I have seen a bunch of great movies including: The Motorcycle Diaries, The Corporation, Kinsey, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. "Eternal" is simply one ofthe best movies I have ever seen. Charlie Kaufmann is clearly working on a whole other level from the rest of us. I found Being John Malkovich to be a bit too weird for my taste, but this film was probably the greatest love story I've ever seen. It's brilliant. If you actually enjoy "movies" such as Maid in Manhattan or The Wedding Planner, then this movie may be a bit too cerebral for you. I literally spent two hours after the movie just pondering how incredibly intelligent someone has to be to concoct a story like that. I will be checking out Adaptation asap. Movie opinions are strange. For instance, David thinks it is a character flaw that I did not enjoy Pulp Fiction. I would rather watch Hook 10 times than have to sit through Pulp Fiction. I realize I'm in the minority here, but I have developed an aversion to violence in movies. Many people have told me how they enjoyed Saw. I just can't relate to that. Seeing people hurt, even fictitiously, is unsettling to me. I was even disturbed by SW III. I guess I'm a wimp. One thing I think we can all agree on is that Romy and Michele's High School Reunion is a classic. It is in everyone's Top 10 list. Right? MMM? I think we might want to consider involuntary sterilization to be packaged with every ticket sold to Rebound. (Sorry for bitin', David.) Well, I've got some news on Shirley Hemphill in my next post so come back.

Pride of America

2005-07-04T12:59:00.000-05:00

Happy Independence Day everybody! Aren't you glad you live in a country where people of all races are free to gorge themselves on pig lips and anuses as a part of a meaningless contest to promote a corporation's food product?

2005-07-03T21:31:00.000-05:00

Madison diving at swimming lessons.

2005-07-03T21:30:00.000-05:00

Madison and Colin on July 2nd 2005. Little Bro and his Sista.

2005-06-29T20:06:00.000-05:00

2005-06-29T18:49:00.000-05:00

2005-06-29T06:28:00.000-05:00

Hi! I'm George W. Bush. Tonight I promise to lie to you only 5 times. That's 5! Since you won't take the time to check the facts it doesn't really matter. Boy, I'm glad there are so many lazy Americans. Have I mentioned 9-11 yet?

Great Documentary!

2005-06-17T21:23:00.000-05:00

I just finished wathing this wonderful documentary. I strongly encourage you to check it out.

2005-06-04T20:49:00.000-05:00

@ Disney

2005-06-04T20:37:00.000-05:00

Drew as Al Jolson...oh no wait....that's at a USC game.

2005-06-04T20:36:00.001-05:00

C is for Clemson.

2005-06-04T20:36:00.000-05:00

This is one of my best friends, Sonny Williams, with Madison.

2005-06-04T20:34:00.000-05:00

These are the three coolest nephews on the planet: Wrien Inman, Hunter and Tanner Scholl.

My House In The Middle of a Street

2005-06-02T22:12:00.000-05:00

This is the house I grew up in. Liverpool, NY. 4 BR 2 1/2 baths. 7528 MoonValley Dr. I dream about this house often. I lived there from the age of 6-14. I moved to Quail Creek in Conway, SC from here. This house is on a cul-de-sac where I played many stickball games. I spent hours of my youth in the middle room on the top floor playing Atari. Rich Gettino and I overheard my next door neighbor's personal phone conversation on his shortwave radio in the same room. I broke those garage door windows a couple of times playing b-ball.

Boone, NC

2005-06-02T22:06:00.000-05:00

My family and I are travel to Boone, NC every fall. Here I am dressed as Montgomery Burns. The little button on my lapel says, "Billionaires For Bush." You can see Madison dressed as Snow White in the background. Colin was 2 months old in this pic. I love the fall. Boone is a special place for me in the fall. Beautiful foliage, apples, cool mountain air, small town atmosphere, etc. My boy and me. Halloween '04

Me and My Chicken Soup

2005-06-02T22:03:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure how old Madison is in this picture. Alls I know is she has the prettiest brown eyes ever. In case you didn't know I am a blood, not a crip. That's a joke gangstas.

2005-06-02T22:03:00.000-05:00

Me and The Misses.

2005-06-02T22:01:00.000-05:00

I like taking pictures of myself. People who know me well may NOT know that I am actually not so bashful around cameras and microphones. You Know The Deal.