Saturday, April 03, 2004

Here is a good feminist quote
"Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition."
I found it kind of funny.
Here is my obiturary I wrote for my Creative Writing class. It isn't that I'm cocky, it is that I am confident... yeah.

September 22nd 2034
Chris Halverson, writer, pastor, and friend of the poor, died today at the age of 51

Toliara- Madagascar (AP) Pastor Chris Halverson died last night outside of Lion of Judah Lutheran Church where he was pastor. It has been reported Pastor Halverson was walking with a group of street youth and was preaching to them when he all of a sudden looked to one of the youth, said, “God demands mercy, not sacrifice,” and fell down dead, with a smile on his face.
Pastor Halverson is best known by the title the Friend of Africa, for his massive efforts to feed the hungry in that continent. He is also thought of as father of Lutheran Liberation Theology as well as the founder of the LCL, the Lutheran Church of Liberation.
Pastor Halverson was born in Fargo, North Dakota, and survived a very complicated set of heart operations. Then he moved 13 times both inside and outside of the United States until he reached Eugene Oregon. The Pastor’s illustrious career really began while he was a student at the University of Oregon at the age of 20 when he published his first novel Faith and Grace. This novel was followed quickly by its sequel Redemption and Salvation and Chris’ first commercial success Et Tu Mimensis.
He met his wife, the now prominent NPR host and naturalist, his senior year at the University of Oregon and the two of them married shortly after he entered Wartburg Seminary in 2005. By his second year at Wartburg he had already published a slew of theological works, the best-known being, The Cannanite Loyalties of Elohim in 2006 and A Cross once born in 2007. After his internship in Madagascar the subject of his works changed, and he wrote the ground breaking Jacob’s Stairway: A Dream for Africa and The Reformation and The Reconciliation: Ecumenicists in the Third world.
After ordination Pastor Halverson was assigned to a parish in Salt Lake City, Utah, then Houston, Texas, and finally Inner-city Los Angels. Then when he turned 37 years old his writing took a more political slant. In 2020 he wrote The Filth of American Foreign Policy, The Poverty of Nations, and Hereditary Politics. Then, in 2022 he wrote American Coup, which got him exiled to Madagascar.
Once exiled Pastor Halverson threw himself full force into improving the well being of the poor and the oppressed. He headed up the UN committee on World Hunger, taught at Cape Town Seminary, and founded the LCL.
Upon hearing of the late Pastor’s death the Dalai lama said, “Pastor Chris always knew we are all human brothers and sisters, and therefor he truly is my brother.” The Vatican released a statement saying, “While he is Protestant, we are still considering Canonize Pastor Halverson.”
Pastor Christopher Lee Halverson was preceded in death by his parents. His wife Mrs. Halverson and their two daughters and one son survive him.

Thursday, April 01, 2004

Well. Went to another College Dems meeting. Looks like Hate the War, Love the Warrior is going to continue on. We have 160 soldiers over in Iraq to send care packages to. I can get CD's and Books, just need to get money for shipping.
I think I'm going to the Jewish frat tonight, they are having a classic video game night. Might be fun.
Peace,
Chris

Wednesday, March 31, 2004

The Questions
1. Under what circumstances should a Christian be willing to be martyred? Is it not a specific circumstance, but instead a specific calling or feeling?
2. To what extent should faith influence politics? Politics faith? Can there be a great difference between the two? If yes how, if no why not?
3. Is there a grave departure in theology between Jesus and Paul? If so how should the church keep to the teachings of Jesus? For that matter should the church do so?
4. What/where is the Kingdom of God, which Jesus talks about? Is it here and now? Is it in the future? Is it his own actions? Is it him?
5. Is there a non-resurrection heaven?
6. Can God break his promises?
7. If God is the root of both good and evil should one try to protect themselves from evil?



Here is an update from my parents. Mom had a bit of a crash it sounds like.
Well, we now have phone service, so are once again in touch with the outside world! Phone # is XXXXX.
Work is going fine, nice co-workers and patients, nearly new facilities, etc. I have a 20 minute commute to work, & see deer & a variety of birds, including eagles & a pair of swans on a little thawing lake. Quite a difference from a city commute!
Our apartment/cabin is on a lake. The ice should be going out soon, but for now we can walk on the water!

Sunday night it rained/froze/snowed. I left extra early on Monday to allow for slippery driving conditions--should have left late, to allow for thawing! I came to a corner, turned the wheel, & quickly realized that this had no impact on the direction the Honda chose to go. I suppose my whole crash took a matter of seconds, but it seemed to stretch out forever. Anyway, lots went through my mind as I headed for the ditch on the left hand side of the road. Here's a summary:
1. I hope there's nobody coming around the curve--shouldn't be, as I rarely meet a car on my commute. Whew, nobody coming!
2. That's a big ditch, high berms around the snowmobile trail--hope I don't roll over. Whew, I'm still upright!
3. Whoa--that's a telephone pole looming in my windshield--oh, no!
4. Am I really stopped? How'd I end up facing the road again? My coffee hardly even spilled!
Anyway, I got out of the car & saw that I was truly fortunate--I came within 2 or 3 feet of hitting the telephone pole, but did hit the guy wire supporting it. I guess that is what spun me around facing forward again. The airbag didn't go off--I guess it was a slow enough crash--and I am not even bruised. However, the poor Element/elephant is in sad shape. The hood is crunched big time, the bumper & grill are ruined, the radiator is leaking, & who knows what else. The towtruck is coming tomorrow AM to take it to the Honda garage in Fargo. Insurance covers a rental car, so I guess it'll all work out, but what a bummer! I haven't yet decided whether I'm really lucky to be unharmed, or really unlucky to have crashed to begin with!

I get to go to Violence in the Workplace training at the Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen tomorrow AM--should be a good break from work.
Life here is quite unique--remote, to say the least! Feels like a totally different world in many ways.
We visited family in Int'l Falls this past weekend--not sure what we'll do this weekend coming up--I guess it depends on the rental car situation.
I'll download & e-mail a picture of the wounded car and of the frozen lake soon.
Val

Tuesday, March 30, 2004

Well. I've been to all my classes. I think this is going to be a good term. My creative writing teacher is quite the card, he throws out quips a mile a minute. Our first assignment was to write our own obiturary, which was a bit morbid. Maybe I'll post mine soon. Pope, the professor for History of American Radicalism seems like a nice guy. He is a short leftist with a big brain, or at least that is my initial impression of him. Hebrew... is going to be interesting. My Hebrutta (that is Hebrew studying partner) is quiting, so I'm on my own this term. My Martyrdom class is taugt by Professor Green, who also taught Hebrew first term. I didn't think she was bad as a Hebrew professor, but I could tell she wanted to get off on the backstories of the text instead of keeping to the dry art of learning language. She proved me right, she had an excellent run down of 2000 years of biblical history for the first class.
Oh, someone told me the draft is coming back. Since I gave up news for Lent I don't know if this is true. If someone could confirm or deny this that would be nice.
Peace,
Chris

Sunday, March 28, 2004

A Drake and a Duck Per this site
Oh, question. Does anyone know what male and female ducks are (I used geese for poem, Goose and Gander) Are they malards and...? Drakes?
Thanks in advance,
Chris
Here is a poem I wrote yesterday.

My Pond
Little ducklings, branded as such with U of O nametags waddle through my pond
They are squished in teenage defiance between goose and gander, mother and father
They preen in preparation for and in prefiguration of, the Freshman hookup
They squawk and quack and billow at their rivals
Sensing danger a mother looks up her wings outspread, her feathers ruffled
There I am watching their little gaggle ooing and aaahing at Mac Court
I am in the graveyard, with the squirrels and the gravestones and the pen
Looking back, at my pond

Hmmm... The post thingies seem to have disappeared. Anyone know how to fix this problem? Hmmm...
Hey! It works again!