Ciao amico! My Mo is going great guns… it is now visible from 3 metres away!! Impressive, I know. But not much cash has rolled in for my efforts… you can help! (Pictures coming tomoz). Godetevi il vostro Sabato.
Latest delicious.com bookmarks. You can subscribe to them via RSS or just keep an eye out on the left sidebar. Here are the latest 10:
Current study music of choice: The Harrowing Account of John William Tate by Mike McCarthy. THAOJWT is his latest album. It’s more bluesy than rootsy. Film clip:
Postcard is from PostSecret.com. If we haven’t yet done Ethics, is it still wrong to cheat?
In Mark 4 there are 4 parables about the kingdom of God: “[Jesus] has sharply contrasted his ministry now (with all its oddness, rejection and insignificance) and its fulfilment in the kingdom of God (with all its glory, majesty and greatness). What you now see – and accept or reject – bears little resemblance to what you will one day see.” (PTC)
I can see a parallel between these parables and followers of Jesus today. I’ve met lots of really weird people who are Christian. Seriously. People that don’t look impressive. People that don’t say impressive things. People who are very unimpressive. I think that it’s a testimony to the power of the gospel and the love that Christians have for all people that these unimpressive people can be genuinely accepted and included. For all their (our?) weirdness one day, they (we?) will be more glorious than you can imagine!
Check out how stoked Dave and his homies were after the Ark of God was brought back into Jerusalem: “David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals.” (2 Sam 6:5)
2 Questions:
It’s time. I have next to no hair on my arms, no hair on my legs, no hair on my face, but nonetheless, I’m growing a Mo as part of Movember! Stay tuned for some photos.
In the meantime, check out the info below to find out how to support men’s health issues. Don’t want to read the info below? Donate now!
Past week = StuVac. I really enjoyed the ‘Vac’ bit… but likewise enjoyed the ‘Stu’ bit!
Latest delicious.com bookmarks. You can subscribe to them via RSS or just keep an eye out on the left sidebar. Here are the latest 10:
This is the winning vid from Tropfest NY 2008. There were some Central Coast fellas part of making it. It was shot entirely on a mobile phone in New York and Sydney.
(h/t reuben)
Here is a picture of Paris Hilton launching my recent album. Thanks Paris for taking the time out of your busy schedule. I’ve really valued your friendship during this production.
[click for full body]
After hanging out with David Beckham last week in Milan, he decided to get a new tat to remember our time together. Good times Dave, good times:
…when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6). A big thing going on in this verse is the death of Jesus for us when we were sinners. We often miss the “at just the right time” bit. Jesus died in accordance with God’s purposes and plans AND at a time historically that was ripe for the rapid spreading of the gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
The Roman Empire was enjoying widespread peace (pax romana) meaning that there was safe road travel. The Greek language was in widespread usage and the Old Testament had already been translated into Greek (LXX). And the Jewish synagogues throughout the Mediterranean provided a platform for proclaiming Jesus.
“Over against Greek philosophy, Augustine staunchly defended the biblical concept of creation. God’s work of creation, said Augustine, is voluntary and purposive. Creation is not of necessity (as in Greek thought), nor is the material world eternal. The universe had a beginning. There was a “time” when the universe was not. [...]
According to Augustine, God created all things ex nihilo, “out of nothing.” Augustine was not violating the maxim Ex nihilo nihil fit, “Out of nothing, nothing comes.” He did not argue that once there was nothing and suddenly there was something. This notion of self-creation is irrational, and only the credulous affirm it. For something to create itself, it must exist before it existed, a manifest violation of the law of noncontradiction, as the thing must be and not be at the same time and in the same relationship. Before creating the world, the eternal God existed, so creation ex nihilo does not mean creation by nothing. [...] Since God is good, all that he originally created was good.”
R.C. Sproul – The Consequence of Ideas. p61-62
The Übermensch (or Superman) was a creation of Friedrich Nietzsche. The Übermensch is “the person who has conquered himself. The more-human-than-human person who will freely define himself by inventing his own values and so is beyond good and evil” (Flew & Priest). “What does not kill me, makes me stronger” is a famous quote from Nietzsche’s Twilight of the Idols. The opening lyric from Kanye West’s song Stronger is “that that that that that don’t kill me can only make me stronger”.
Some might say he can’t be an Übermensch because of his race, but the more I think about the way that Kanye portrays himself, I think he is deliberately trying to claim some type of Übermenschiness. Nietzsche had delusions such that he identitfied himself with Jesus Christ (ironic considering he’d claimed ‘God is Dead‘), and the January 2006 Rolling Stone reminds us that Kanye likewise identifies himself with Jesus. What do you think… Übermensch? Or just Über-annoying?
What makes for the Good life for Kanye West? Check this video:
I’ve spent most of the day doing Philosophy 1 study: Plato, Augustine and Nietzsche. For each subject, I’m listening to just 1 album while I study and wearing one t-shirt. The plan is to listen to that album on the way to the exam and wear that t-shirt. Is that weird? Let’s call it multi-sensory-engagement. My Philosophy album is Free Running from the Richard Maegraith Band. The following song, Whisper, is from the opening sequence at his album launch at The Basement back in June.
Welcome to November. It’s Aus Music month over at the J’s. It’s Movember – don’t be part of it unless you are raising money! It’s get ready like crazy for exams. Thanks for the tips on how to spend an iTunes voucher – I’m thinking I’ll go for some Cake… Have fully sick weekend.
Latest delicious.com bookmarks. You can subscribe to them via RSS or just keep an eye out on the left sidebar. Here are the latest 10:
