An Update

So what has happened to me in the past 13 months? While I wish I had some grand story full of action, heartbreak, a climax, and then resolution, I do not. I finished college a year early with a BA in Biology, a certificate in Evolutionary Studies, and a minor in Latin American and Caribbean Area Studies. I started a trip at my University to Nicaragua, and though this is probably my biggest accomplishment in life so far, I cannot take full credit since I did it with the help of others. I also spent five weeks in Latin America, four weeks doing a home stay/language classes in Nicoya, Costa Rica, and 10 days in Nicaragua. Ahora yo hablo espanol, mas o menos.

As for now, I am living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, working at Healthcare for the Homeless (a health clinic) doing community outreach and harm reduction. I bombed my MCATS and have to retake them, and hopefully will be attending med school in 2011. That’s a very quick update and I have to pee, but I want to start writing again. I know I said that on August 3rd, 2008, but this time I am serious. I am also very bored here in Santa Fe since I have no friends yet, so I have nothing else to do anyway.

God’s Will

We are constantly aided and abetted by God.

I was reading an article today that Arizona Cardinal’s quarterback Kurt Warner eschewed playing for the San Francisco 49ers because of a conversation he had from God while he was visitng the team. God wanted Kurt in Arizona. Why is it that some nominal individuals get to speak with God and others don’t?

Today I was reading a book while having the television tuned to the World Baseball Classic on ESPN. I looked up momentarily and heard the broadcasters speaking about an Australian player, I glanced back to my book and the first word I read was “Austrailian”. It immediately grapsed me as a moment that cemented the reassurance of the existance of coincidence. But then I thought how differently it could be construed by those who deny coincidence and accept intangiable happenings like signs and fate.

To place a life decision solely in the hands of something that you’ve never seen requires such a suspension of reality that continues to confound me. I was at a mall once with a friend of mine and his sister. We were eating at the food court when a woman approached us and implored me to speak with God. Let this be stated: I always was and will continue to be completely game for a chat with God. I would relish it, it would make my day. She told me that she could tell God had something for me–a gift of some sort–and that when I was alone I should begin communicating with God. I was to say “God, if you have something for me, I’m ready to accept it.” I told her I would and, later, I did.

God never said anything back, there was no immediate lightning strike or deep echoing voice. He didn’t call out my name or ask me to complete some unenviable task. But, then again, who the fuck knows? Maybe he zapped some cancerous growth that was spreading throughout my body. Maybe he broke up a clot that was forming in the blood vessels of my hip. Maybe he set the path along which I met somebody important. The truth is, I don’t know if that resulted in anything aside from me feeling awkward for a few minutes in my bedroom. I have just as much evidence of the existence of God as I do that tiny gnomes are doing back flips and singing Buddy Holly covers on the surface of Mars. That is, obviously, none. There probably are no gnomes on the surface of Mars and that even if there were they probably had never heard a Buddy Holly song or had any knowledge about the existence of terrestrial music. Who knows if they would have the physical dexterity to perform back flips.

What kind of decisions am I allowed to make because of God’s input? What happens if Kurt Warner signs with San Francisco? Years of futility? An Old Testament-style beat down? How do I speak with Him? Are we pre-selected or pre-screened like candidates for reality television? Is Kurt Warner one of the lucky few who gets to share His thoughts with the world (Kurt’s doing us a big favor in that regard–“Don’t worry guys, I’ve spoken to God and he said that I should play for Arizona. That’s all hes got for now.”) ?

Believing in God is a terrifying notion, sort of like living in a large ant colony. We’re free to roam but our lives are constantly altered at the behest of something we cannot comprehend. Do we think of evolution as analogous to software upgrades? God realized that the beta version of women was flawed, so He moved their genitals to the front and upgraded the species. He was still content with the placement of genitals on other animals though, that physiological process was still working well.

-Ad

Uninspiring

That’s how life has felt lately. In light of this, I’m going to start writing again.

It has recently come to my attention that I do not like most of the people that I meet in life. I feel like there is a weak connection between what happens in the world outside of the United States and what we concern ourselves with in our daily lives. Things like gas price and the world credit/food crisis are smaller problems arising from bigger ones, and we’re trying to tackle them in the wrong ways. Most people don’t see this, and if they do they act ignorant of it. That’s why I do not like most of the people that I meet, and that’s why life around these parts is pretty uninspiring for me.

-Tip

“Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind.” -Einstein

:(

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7269452.stm

Just another example of Bush trying to destroy the constitution.

Another Uninspiring Group of Candidates

This was originally written for the Penn State Daily Collegian and can be found here.Back in 2004 I was electrified by Illinois Sen. Barack Obama’s keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention. Armed with exciting rhetoric like “common dreams” and novel concepts like “civil rights,” Obama seemed like the great hope for the future of American politics.

As it turns out, that may have been a mistake. More often than not, it seems American voters are not paying attention to important aspects of the campaign and find themselves wooed by “straight talk” or sob stories like John Edwards’ constant references to Natalie Sarkisian’s death because of leukemia.

Moving as it may be, what Edwards has failed to mention is that Sarkisian’s survival rate, even with the new liver, would have been very slim. And instead, another patient with a better rate of survival somewhere else lived.

I’m not in love with our health care system either, but it’s even worse when a tragic death like Sarkisian’s is abused by these candidates for political gain.

Obama is no exception. His campaign is rife with convenient ad hominem arguments. Unfortunately for Obama, his voting record doesn’t support these claims. Early in his term as senator, Obama vetoed a bill that would cap credit card interest rates at 30 percent, claiming the amendment was poorly written. Be that as it may, the amendment also would have spared thousands of Americans from debilitating debt that has us staring an economic recession in the face.

Other Obama policies, such as “health care for hybrids” have me questioning whether Obama is truly the progressive choice we need in office or just another liberal lining his pockets with lobbyist money.

-AW

Sodomizing a dead horse…

I think I have that phrase right.

Everyone’s favorite evangelical republican candidate illustrates perfectly that the religious right really are incapable of rational thought. Our suspicions are confirmed. Carry on.

-AW

We never update…

UNTIL NOW!

Man, a lot has happened in the world and we’ve had lots to say about it, but never stopped to write any of it down.

As you can see I put a new banner up. Those beautiful sillouttes are Adam and yours truly, I’ll leave you guessing as to which is whom.

Let’s recap the last six months of foreign politics. “Iran has nuclear programs!” —> “Iran hasn’t had nuclear programs since 2003!” —> “Iran bothers our navy ships in little blow up boats! They might still be a nuclear threat!” Of course, this is excluding Sri Lanka, Burma, Gaza Strip conflicts, Afghanistan (although that’s been getting a lot of coverage lately), and half of Africa (from flooding in South Africa, to political unrest in Kenya on the West Coast, to Central Africa and Chad), just to name a few. Still, I do not understand how people see Iran as something new, it is the same thing that happened with Iraq. Hopefully we won’t invade a country under false pretenses and make the same mistake twice.

There has also been the constant Democratic and Republican debates going on, as well as primaries, for the ’08 election. There is just no candidate that I like 100%. I like Kucinich, I like most of Ron Paul, and I could do with Edwards, but I can’t stand the big names. I suppose McCain wouldn’t be too bad, but he doesn’t feel like enough of a change for me. Obama would be okay too, but he doesn’t seem like the kind of guy you would elect to get out of the huge deficit we are in right now. I’m also just tired of race politics in general. Slandering opponents, billions on advertisements, it’s not a pleasant thing to follow, and I can’t imagine what it’s like to be involved in.

On to life in general. I’m rereading the Harry Potter series for the I don’t know what time. Ad and I were talking about it, and no matter how many times you read the books, you can always read them again. I’ve been living it up for my break. Eating, drinking, smoking, playing video games, it’s pretty relaxed. Before I head back to school on January 25th, maybe I’ll write a techie post about Intel vs. AMD or something since I have been following computers a lot lately. That’s about it though, nothing fun or exciting is happening with me

Alright, I’m out of here. Time for a little CS:S and then sleep. Peace out!

-Tip

Ron Paul ’08

Ron Paul is the shit. There is no other way of putting it. He is exactly what this country needs to get out of the gutter.

What does Ron Paul stand for and support? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. He wants to abolish the Federal Reserve, get rid of social security, repeal the income tax, and pull our troops out of not only Iraq, but Afghanistan, Germany, and a number of other stations as well.

Now, yes, I understand that is very unlikely and probably not even all that smart, but it’s okay. I don’t even actually want anyone to abolish Social Security, but he can’t do it anyway. With a democratic congress he can’t do probably 85-90% of what he wants to do. So why do I like him so much? The 15% of what he can do for this country is exactly what we need.

Ron Paul will get us out of Iraq and reduce our presence in the Middle East greatly. He will encourage diplomatic solutions instead of violent ones. He will work with the global community and regain a positive world-view of the United States. Ron Paul will veto more than S. Grover Cleveland did and stop the government from spending at a time when we need to save. He will get the country back on track, and then afterwards the public can elect a more progressive president, like Obama.

Now go out there and research this man yourself. Youtube him, visit his website (http://www.ronpaul2008.com/), or just take my word for it. Ron Paul ’08!

-Tip

Edit:

On a side-note, go to http://www.2decide.com/table.htm to check out all the candidates and their stance on the major issues.

God Bless America

Our next President? We should hope so.