I have recently discovered two things:
1. Pandora.com
It creates radio stations for you out of preferences that you consciously and unconsciously choose through the Music Genome project. Through this program, I can hear all of the songs I want to hear whenever I want to. For now, I listen to my Waterdeep Radio, which includes most worship-type music I enjoy.
2. I don't know what I like.
I have realized throughout the last 10 years or so that I don't really know what I like. I convince myself that I like what I am familiar with, that I like what others around me who I respect like, that I like what is opposite of what I used to think that I liked, etc. However, it is very hard for me to pinpoint what I actually like.
For instance, when listening to Pandora.com or even the radio on my way home from work, I struggle to distinguish whether or not I choose to listen to a song because I like it or simply because I find it familiar. Like many oldies, or the worship songs we sing at church.
Tim has made many Cd's for me over the last 10 years. I struggle to decide, in retrospect, what songs I actually like, what songs I am simply used to, what songs I think I like because Tim likes them and he knows more "good" music than I do, what songs I like because they are not the songs I am used to, etc.
So, how do I know what I like? I could come up with a list of things I know that I know that I like (Katy, homemade mashed potatoes with gravy, Rocketman, etc.) and a list of things that I know that I know that I don't like (gratuitous horror movies, too much of the same-textured food in a meal, having diarrhea, etc.) and try to determine factors that have led me to those conclusions. Then, using those factors, I could determine whether or not I like the things that I think that I like (Oldies, Numbers, reading, etc.). Maybe, I could study what connoisseurs think I should like and I'll like that. Maybe, I'll like things negatively - I'll think of all the things I used to like that I don't want to like anymore as well as the people I think I don't like and the things that they like and I'll choose to like opposite things.
P.S. When did I stop listening to all of my Rap Cd's and start listening to music that other people group into "Country" sub genres?
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Friday, August 15, 2008
Sporting Thoughts
- Brett Favre should have stayed retired. Nothing good will come of this, besides increased media exposure.
- The Packers need to commit to Rodgers for 2 full seasons. First, that's the only way to definitively say to the NFL that Favre should have stayed retired and that the Packers were wise to trade him. Second, that's the only way to see what he can do. If Favre only had one season to prove himself, he would have faded into free agency never to return again.
- Michael Phelps is surprisingly gracious. One hundredth of a second! I still don't believe it.
- China gymnasts are definitely underage.
- Shawn Johnson was underscored multiple times, China was over-scored multiple times, but things generally worked out.
- Everyone looks modest except women's beach volleyball, which seems skankier than usual. However, the camera operators at the Olympics have done a great job this time of avoiding awkward shots in awkward sports (gymnastics, swimming, volleyball, fencing?)
- I feel bad for every Olympian who is not Michael Phelps. They apparently don't exist until they're standing on a podium, and even then...
- Liberos are cool.
- I love eating food and drinking soda while watching the Olympics. Average athletes inspire me; extreme athletes discourage me. I don't see an Olympian and think, "Man, I could do that if I pushed myself." I think, "Is that all they can do?"
- The Packers need to commit to Rodgers for 2 full seasons. First, that's the only way to definitively say to the NFL that Favre should have stayed retired and that the Packers were wise to trade him. Second, that's the only way to see what he can do. If Favre only had one season to prove himself, he would have faded into free agency never to return again.
- Michael Phelps is surprisingly gracious. One hundredth of a second! I still don't believe it.
- China gymnasts are definitely underage.
- Shawn Johnson was underscored multiple times, China was over-scored multiple times, but things generally worked out.
- Everyone looks modest except women's beach volleyball, which seems skankier than usual. However, the camera operators at the Olympics have done a great job this time of avoiding awkward shots in awkward sports (gymnastics, swimming, volleyball, fencing?)
- I feel bad for every Olympian who is not Michael Phelps. They apparently don't exist until they're standing on a podium, and even then...
- Liberos are cool.
- I love eating food and drinking soda while watching the Olympics. Average athletes inspire me; extreme athletes discourage me. I don't see an Olympian and think, "Man, I could do that if I pushed myself." I think, "Is that all they can do?"
Help Me Read
What should I read next? I've narrowed it down to these:
Abba's Child - Manning
Africans in America - Johnson & Smith
Dynamics of Faith - Tillich
Epistemology - Audi
The Giver - Lowry
Hope and Suffering - Tutu
Jesus the Jew - Vermes
My World and Welcome to It - Thurber
A Primer on Postmodernism - Grenz
Religion and Culture - Foucault
The Rise of Christianity - Stark
Rumble Fish - Hinton
Shiloh - Naylor
The Story of Christian Theology - Olson
Truth and Existence - Sartre
What Saint Paul Really Said - Wright
A Wrinkle in Time - L'Engle
I could put more, but that's a pretty good list to start with.
Abba's Child - Manning
Africans in America - Johnson & Smith
Dynamics of Faith - Tillich
Epistemology - Audi
The Giver - Lowry
Hope and Suffering - Tutu
Jesus the Jew - Vermes
My World and Welcome to It - Thurber
A Primer on Postmodernism - Grenz
Religion and Culture - Foucault
The Rise of Christianity - Stark
Rumble Fish - Hinton
Shiloh - Naylor
The Story of Christian Theology - Olson
Truth and Existence - Sartre
What Saint Paul Really Said - Wright
A Wrinkle in Time - L'Engle
I could put more, but that's a pretty good list to start with.
Am I a Real Adult Yet?
I started my new job on Wednesday. I am now a Student Academic Adviser for Distance Education. Another list -
Top 5 Things in My First 3 Days:
5. I have a cubicle. Really, it's more of a rectangular-prismicle, but I'm planning a Risk!-esque annex of my neighbors rectangular-prismicle. Or not.
4. Within 2 days, I noticed that a class that has been required for at least 3 years has not existed for at least 3 years! That's been fun!
3. Free Olive Garden on Wednesday and free breakfast on Thursday. Now I know how real adults get office-chair-butt (you know what I'm talking about!).
2. I made a chart. I love charts. I'm the Parmenides of charts. Everything can be broken down into a chart - everything!
1. I only had to work a 1/2 day today (but I stuck around an extra hour to finish my chart).
Honorable Mention:
- My phone doesn't work! That's a blessing.
- My cubicle is right under the studio for the radio station I listen to on the way into work.
- I'm working at a college. How sweet is that! New e-mail, new car sticker, and, best of all, getting to watch the deer-in-the-headlights on the freshmen faces.
- I actually have to figure out what a 401k is.
- I got a free briefcase, book bag, frisbee, water bottle, and key chain with my department on them.
Ah, the honeymoon stage.
Top 5 Things in My First 3 Days:
5. I have a cubicle. Really, it's more of a rectangular-prismicle, but I'm planning a Risk!-esque annex of my neighbors rectangular-prismicle. Or not.
4. Within 2 days, I noticed that a class that has been required for at least 3 years has not existed for at least 3 years! That's been fun!
3. Free Olive Garden on Wednesday and free breakfast on Thursday. Now I know how real adults get office-chair-butt (you know what I'm talking about!).
2. I made a chart. I love charts. I'm the Parmenides of charts. Everything can be broken down into a chart - everything!
1. I only had to work a 1/2 day today (but I stuck around an extra hour to finish my chart).
Honorable Mention:
- My phone doesn't work! That's a blessing.
- My cubicle is right under the studio for the radio station I listen to on the way into work.
- I'm working at a college. How sweet is that! New e-mail, new car sticker, and, best of all, getting to watch the deer-in-the-headlights on the freshmen faces.
- I actually have to figure out what a 401k is.
- I got a free briefcase, book bag, frisbee, water bottle, and key chain with my department on them.
Ah, the honeymoon stage.
Picking Up Momentum
I can read! and I've been trying to pick up momentum in my reading so that I can start AND finish the non-fiction books I want to read. Here are the books.
Top 5 Books I Started and Finished This Summer*:
5. Brian's Winter - Gary Paulsen
What if Brian wasn't rescued before winter in Hatchet? This book answers that decently. Major Problem: Like Gibson's Passion, this book was so over researched that it creates unrealistic scenarios by including all extreme possibilities. (When buying this book, we also bought Paulsen's Nightjohn for $.50 only to find out later it has a research note and signature by Paulsen!) Major Strength: I like survival books (oops, spoiler)!
4. The Lost Kingdom - Chester Bryant
This 1960's paperback follows the adventures of Rodmika, an adolescent Indian boy confidently exploring the uncharted jungle and his royal heritage. Major Problem: Combine The Jungle Book, Swiss Family Robinson, and the King James Bible and you've got this book. Major Strength: His tutor raises fun Socratic ponderings for Rodmika.
3. The Way of the Heart: Desert Spirituality and Contemporary Ministry - Henri J.M. Nouwen
Nouwen draws on the Desert Fathers/Mothers to exhort the modern Christian towards solitude, silence, and unceasing prayer. Major Problem: The explanation of stories about the Fathers is pretty cryptic, even for those who enjoy the Fathers. Major Strength: Unlike some later Nouwen writings, this one is basic enough in application that it actually inspires change instead of standoffish awe of those who can. (Also, there is a possible reference to one of my professors in the acknowledgments.)
2. Holes - Louis Sachar
Stanley Yelnats redeems his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing great-great-grandfather in a selfless turn of events. Major Problem: The character development of some side characters is lacking, especially considering the sudden action changes of some. Major Strength: Even while dealing with some serious issues, Sachar is witty and amusingly complicated. I read this right after finishing ...
1. There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom - Louis Sachar
Everyone loves to hate Bradley Chaulkers, including himself, but this hilarious book choked me up in its heart-wrenching perspective on the Sisyphusian coming-of-age of a loser. Major Problem: The transition of the good-guy into the bad-guy is well-written while the transition back towards a good-guy is lacking (much like the clarity of my sentence). Major Strength: The childlike humor with the intelligent wit of Sachar combined with the biting reality of childhood awkwardness kept me reading chapter after chapter (It also helps that most chapters are 3-5 pages long).
*Prison to Praise - Merlin Carothers
Started before summer break but finished during summer.
*The Genessee Diary - Henri Nouwen
Started but did not finish.
Can I keep the momentum even with more non-fiction? Even with more business?
Top 5 Books I Started and Finished This Summer*:
5. Brian's Winter - Gary Paulsen
What if Brian wasn't rescued before winter in Hatchet? This book answers that decently. Major Problem: Like Gibson's Passion, this book was so over researched that it creates unrealistic scenarios by including all extreme possibilities. (When buying this book, we also bought Paulsen's Nightjohn for $.50 only to find out later it has a research note and signature by Paulsen!) Major Strength: I like survival books (oops, spoiler)!
4. The Lost Kingdom - Chester Bryant
This 1960's paperback follows the adventures of Rodmika, an adolescent Indian boy confidently exploring the uncharted jungle and his royal heritage. Major Problem: Combine The Jungle Book, Swiss Family Robinson, and the King James Bible and you've got this book. Major Strength: His tutor raises fun Socratic ponderings for Rodmika.
3. The Way of the Heart: Desert Spirituality and Contemporary Ministry - Henri J.M. Nouwen
Nouwen draws on the Desert Fathers/Mothers to exhort the modern Christian towards solitude, silence, and unceasing prayer. Major Problem: The explanation of stories about the Fathers is pretty cryptic, even for those who enjoy the Fathers. Major Strength: Unlike some later Nouwen writings, this one is basic enough in application that it actually inspires change instead of standoffish awe of those who can. (Also, there is a possible reference to one of my professors in the acknowledgments.)
2. Holes - Louis Sachar
Stanley Yelnats redeems his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing great-great-grandfather in a selfless turn of events. Major Problem: The character development of some side characters is lacking, especially considering the sudden action changes of some. Major Strength: Even while dealing with some serious issues, Sachar is witty and amusingly complicated. I read this right after finishing ...
1. There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom - Louis Sachar
Everyone loves to hate Bradley Chaulkers, including himself, but this hilarious book choked me up in its heart-wrenching perspective on the Sisyphusian coming-of-age of a loser. Major Problem: The transition of the good-guy into the bad-guy is well-written while the transition back towards a good-guy is lacking (much like the clarity of my sentence). Major Strength: The childlike humor with the intelligent wit of Sachar combined with the biting reality of childhood awkwardness kept me reading chapter after chapter (It also helps that most chapters are 3-5 pages long).
*Prison to Praise - Merlin Carothers
Started before summer break but finished during summer.
*The Genessee Diary - Henri Nouwen
Started but did not finish.
Can I keep the momentum even with more non-fiction? Even with more business?
Monday, May 19, 2008
Prince Caspian
I feel like the screenwriters for the new Prince Caspian movie haven't read the book since they were kids. Major scenes taken out, major scenes and plot twists added in. The movie starts about half way through the book. The horn is used at the wrong time. Entire fight sequences in the movie never take place in the book.Major parts of the allegory are taken out while new parts are added in.
Not a bad movie, just not really based on the book. Way too violent, and tried being LotR too much.
Not a bad movie, just not really based on the book. Way too violent, and tried being LotR too much.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
8:37
At school we are doing the Presidential Fitness Testing for gym class. In the Fall, the students hated it. So, we decided to do it again. This time, they seemed to be looking forward to it a little more, maybe just to get it done with. So, I gave them the extra motivation of the Beat Mr. Yenter Challenge. Now, they are not only competing against national averages; they are competing against me. This will be interesting.
On Tuesday, we started with the shuttle run (run 30 feet, pick up a block, run back, set down the block, run back, pick up a block, run back). I ran it in 9.78 seconds. Only one student beat me. The 8th grade girl ran it in exactly 9.78 seconds, so we gave it to her.
On Thursday, with much prayer and stretching, I ran the mile with the students. I ran it in 8:37. My goal was to run the entire time and to get 8:30 or less. I ran the whole time and came close on the second. So far (the two oldest students haven't run it yet), three students beat me in the mile - two 9 year old boys and a 10 year old girl. One boy ran a 7:45 mile, but he still had a lot of energy at the end, so he should have ran a 7:00 mile. the younger students only had to run a 1/4 mile or 1/2 mile based on age, so we gave it to all the students who had a better split time than me (even though I was "pacing" myself so I wouldn't die).
We still have three more events: push-ups, sit-ups, and sit-and-reach. I might win the push-ups. There will probably be a couple of students that will beat me in the sit-ups. I'm going to feel bad for the one or two students that won't beat me in the sit-and-reach. I'll be lucky to get a -1.0 in the sit-and-reach, while most of the girls are between +3.0 and +9.5!
Side note: Only three more weeks of school left. At 4 days per week, that's 12 days. Of those 12 days, we have a half day field trip, a full day field trip, a cleaning day, and the last day of school is a half day with the closing ceremonies. We've been counting it down more than the students.
On Tuesday, we started with the shuttle run (run 30 feet, pick up a block, run back, set down the block, run back, pick up a block, run back). I ran it in 9.78 seconds. Only one student beat me. The 8th grade girl ran it in exactly 9.78 seconds, so we gave it to her.
On Thursday, with much prayer and stretching, I ran the mile with the students. I ran it in 8:37. My goal was to run the entire time and to get 8:30 or less. I ran the whole time and came close on the second. So far (the two oldest students haven't run it yet), three students beat me in the mile - two 9 year old boys and a 10 year old girl. One boy ran a 7:45 mile, but he still had a lot of energy at the end, so he should have ran a 7:00 mile. the younger students only had to run a 1/4 mile or 1/2 mile based on age, so we gave it to all the students who had a better split time than me (even though I was "pacing" myself so I wouldn't die).
We still have three more events: push-ups, sit-ups, and sit-and-reach. I might win the push-ups. There will probably be a couple of students that will beat me in the sit-ups. I'm going to feel bad for the one or two students that won't beat me in the sit-and-reach. I'll be lucky to get a -1.0 in the sit-and-reach, while most of the girls are between +3.0 and +9.5!
Side note: Only three more weeks of school left. At 4 days per week, that's 12 days. Of those 12 days, we have a half day field trip, a full day field trip, a cleaning day, and the last day of school is a half day with the closing ceremonies. We've been counting it down more than the students.
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