Man, I'm sticking with this quote still


This is from Aeschylus' Agamemnon
"While through the streets of Argos
Grief yet more grievous grows,
With all our manhood gathered
So far from earth of Hellas;
As in each home unfathered,
Each widowed bed, the whetted
Sword of despair assails
Hearts where all hope has withered
And angry hate prevails.
They sent forth men to battle,
But no such men return;
And home, to claim their welcome,
Come ashes in an urn."

Oh, by the by all the pictures I had posted on this site no longer work. I guess sam was right, but instead of breaking the camera he broke the internet.

Wow. Americans are sick people. Look at this CNN poll.
Is torture ever justified during interrogation?
Yes 47% 92378 votes

No 53% 105016 votes
Total: 197394 votes

47 bloody percent! This is a bit scary.

from bondage to spiritual faith;
from spiritual faith to great courage;
from great courage to liberty;
from liberty to abundance;
from abundance to selfishness;
from selfishness to complacency;
from complacency to apathy;
from apathy to dependence;
from dependency back again to bondage."

- Sir Alex Fraser Tyler
(1742-1813) Scottish jurist and historian

NIGERIA
Zamfara Government Orders Demolition of All Churches
Governor Ahmed Sani of Zamfara State, has ordered the demolition of all churches in the state, as he launched the second phase of his Sharia project yesterday.

Speaking at the launch in Gusau, the state capital, Governor Sani disclosed that time was ripe for full implementation of the programme as enshrined in the Holy Quran.

He added that his government would soon embark on demolition of all places of worship of unbelievers in the state, in line with Islamic injunction to fight them wherever they are found.

Hmmm... Why isn't this news?!?

John Kerry has new ads that are positive! Really good stuff, check them out if you have a chance.

Well, now we know I've seen too much of the Iraq war. Here is a really short story, not for the faint of heart.

Berk Onur
(English) Firm Honor
By Chris Halverson


“We’re badasses aren’t we Onur?”
Onur didn’t even break into a smile, just tapped the paint brush, slobbered and encrusted with white paint, against the bench, “Yeah Berk, we are. We really are.”
“What should we paint next?” Berk asked, touching his backwards green cap lightly, a white print from his hands, layered with chalk-like paint, remained upon the green.
“Hmmm,” Onur sighed and looked around him. The two children had painted rather furiously, white was splashed and slathered everywhere, on the house of Efet, his mother, upon Berk’s neon orange sandals, upon the sidewalk, upon the bench, upon his sandals, upon his pants, all over the place. Still, he thought what he had to show for it was worth it.
“Looks kind of funny, doesn’t it?” Berk was smiling now, swishing his stiff brush in the bucket of paint, his hand limp and his pointing finger and thumb barely grasping the paintbrush.
Onur slouched down further, running his left hand through his conservatively cut black hair. “We could paint it again.”
Berk looked at it. He leaned back and thought a bit. The vat of paint, the can as wide as his torso, sat there, yellow, red, and blue hidden with runlets of white paint. The paint was drying. He leaned down, and put the lid atop the can, popping it back down.
“Let’s let it dry,” Berk said.
“Look at it though,” he said, leaning forward, dropping the white brush, its stiff bristles stubbed themselves upon the ground, jittered to the right, and the whole brush fell.
“Do you think what we did was right, Onur?”
“It is art. Right?”
Berk thought about it for a moment, “Yes, it is art.”
Onur felt sly, and so he asked, “Why is it art?”
“Because,” Berk scurried under the table and picked up Onur’s brush, “Because… I don’t know. What makes art?”
“I asked you.”
“It is pretty. Something for others to look at?” he was unsure.
Onur nodded slowly, “and?”
“And… to think about.”
“Go on,” Onur prodded, tapping his sandals, soles splashed white with paint, excited, the side of his left leg rubbing against the side of Berk’s right.
“Art then. Art is the idea of… No, let me start again,” he was looking intently at it, and Onur’s leg was shaking like a shell shocked soldier, “Art is an object that makes a statement of how people feel, it captures the mood of a country, of a nation, of a spot in… in history.”
“Keep going,” he said, his mouth breaking into a broad grin as he looked at it, “It isn’t just influenced by people, it influences people.”
“Yes,” Berk said, “it takes what people feel out of them, and shows it to them in plain view. It riles them to deeds…” he faltered, looking away from it.
“It is taking out the heart of the people, and showing it to them. They view it, and see what influences them, what makes them move, what makes them breathe. And then, once they have seen that, they act!”
Berk was breathing fast, “They are fed the idea, by us, and in response,” his little boy smile grew big and distant eyes focused on it, “in response they act.”
“Yes, the idea and the deed.”
“Art prompts them to look into their hearts. There they see the message, they see their truth, finally something physical, are confronted by it, and therefore act.”
They put down their brushes, stretched their legs, and stood up.
“Art is action Berk. Art such as ours is a thing to be sung in the streets. White paint, white paint.”
“They will,” he was slow to say it, “They will drag things such as this through the streets. They will hoist it up and show the whole world our hearts.”
“Yes. The whole world. Our art shall be before the whole world.”
“And…”
“And it shall quake.”
The two kids smiled, stepping closer to it.
“Maybe it needs a bit of a touch up,” he trotted over to the can and brought it back.
“No, put it back.”
Berk began to return the can, then Onur turned around and said, “Wait, maybe it does need a little touch up.”
He opened the American’s mouth, and dumped the white paint into it, and touched up the last of the camouflage with white.

If you lived in Europe in the late '80's/early 90's and see no other film this school term see Goodbye Lenin. It was great! Eric, my roommate from last year, and I saw it today. Er ist ser gut!

Lynne Cheney (VP's wife) is a pornographer, or there abouts. Check out Sisters.
This said, as a Wyomingite who is trying to get published, I should applaud Lynne. So, three cheers for Lynne.

Here is the doors lattest issue. Bush vs. Kerry, the spiritual battle. Or something like that.

A Dog named goose
In the definitive Luther biography by Martin Brecht, (Martin Luther: The Preserver of the Church, vol. 3, p. 22, first paragraph, we are told the name of Luther's dog: Tölpel. The name may mean something like "fool" or "goose" (as in "stupid like a goose"), but Luther was fond of his pet.

In one Table Talk entry we read: When Luther’s puppy happened to be at the table, looked for a morsel from his master, and watched with open mouth and motionless eyes, he [Martin Luther] said, “Oh, if I could only pray the way this dog watches the meat! All his thoughts are concentrated on the piece of meat. Otherwise he has no thought, wish, or hope.” (AE 54:37)

This is really sentimental and cheesy, but check it out anyways.

You say: "It's impossible"
God says: All things are possible
(Luke 18:27)

You say: "I'm too tired"
God says: I will give you rest
(Matthew 11:28-30)

You say: "Nobody really loves me"
God says: I love you
(John 3:16 & John 3:34)

You say: "I can't go on"
God says: My grace is sufficient
(II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

You say: "I can't figure things out"
God says: I will direct your steps
(Proverbs 3:5-6)

You say: "I can't do it"
God says: You can do all things
(Philippians 4:13)

You say: "I'm not able"
God says: I am able
(II Corinthians 9:8)

You say: "It's not worth it"
God says: It will be worth it
(Roman 8:28)

You say: "I can't forgive myself"
God says: I Forgive you
(I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

You say: "I can't manage"
God says: I will supply all your needs
(Philippians 4:19)

You say: "I'm afraid"
God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear
(II Timothy 1:7)

You say: "I'm always worried and frustrated"
God says: Cast all your cares on ME
(I Peter 5:7)

You say: "I don't have enough faith"
God says: I've given everyone a measure of faith
(Romans 12:3)

You say: "I'm not smart enough"
God says: I give you wisdom
(I Corinthians 1:30)

You say: "I feel all alone"
God says: I will never leave you or forsake you
(Hebrews 13:5)

You didn't see anything. Just swamp gas reflecting venus.

This is problematic, my picture of Sam won't load, but stuff like this will...

Hey Hey. This is my good friend Sam right here in Eugene. He wants me to tell you he is a wacko right-winger. He is THE regular at D+D. Really good fellow.