Toss-up Tuesday: Trivia!
Random post here. Mental Floss is doing another How Did You Know? 5-Day Trivia Hunt, starting today! It's really quite fun trying to puzzle everything out.
Oh, and there are prizes. But I'm totally playing just for the fun of it...
MM: Canker Sores, Mental Floss, Recipes, Freezer Jam, Swim Meet
I get canker sores. A lot. Most of the time I have at least one, and many times I end up with a mouth full of them. And they're really no fun at all. I've got one right now that's almost healed, but it's right at the back of my throat and the size of a small aircraft. Okay, the size of a pencil eraser. And it has not been fun to live with. When drinking water hurts, that's a problem. When it makes it hard to read aloud to my son, that's a problem.
The trouble is, I can't point to any really reliable triggers. True, nuts seem to aid in their formation, but it's not a 100% correlation. I've read that stress is a factor, but I'm a relatively low-stress person.
What I'd really like is a reliable cure for them. Even cutting a day off their ferocity would be more than welcome. The one I have now caused all the glands in the right side of my face to swell up. My face actually hurt!
Anyone have a suggestion? I'd really welcome it.
(edit) Actually, I just found a product called Canker Cover that claims to heal a sore within 24 hours. I am so all over that. I'm going to pick some up today and give them a whirl. I'll post my review of them after an adequate study can be completed.
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Mental Floss has the tagline "Where knowledge junkies go to get their fix." And that's pretty much true. It's basically a panorama of trivia, and they've almost always got something interesting posted in their blog area. The Quiz area can eat up a lot of time if you let it, and I hereby challenge anyone reading this to take their "50 States in 5 minutes" quiz. Fun stuff, even if it sometimes makes a guy feel dumb.
One other thing Mental Floss does well is a 5-day Trivia Hunt they call How Did You Know?. Exercise your brain and maybe win a prize!
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I'm not a particularly gifted cook, but I can follow recipes pretty well. But for some things, I just shoot from the hip. For instance, my hummus recipe goes something like this:
Into the food processor go:
- 2 cans of chickpeas (or other beans), drained (but saving a bit of the liquid)
- several large soup spoons full of tahini (roasted or raw)
- a couple of cloves of garlic, minced (or a whole head of roasted garlic)
- some salt
- some cumin
- some other spices (Pepperman, perhaps?)
- the juice of one lemon
- some sesame oil
Add chickpea liquid if necessary. Woo!
As you might guess, sometimes I get the World's Greatest Hummus (that time I made it with Great Northern Beans, oh yeah), and sometimes it's just not quite there.
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Another hip-shooting recipe I used not long ago was for freezer jam. We're committed to making enough jam to last us the winter with summery fruits, and we've been successful so far. We've got plenty of Hood Strawberry jam and some Albion Strawberry and Raspberry, too. But the unexpected star thus far has been my Blueberry-Raspberry jam. It went like this:
- All the blueberries and raspberries I had
- 1.5 cups sugar
- juice and zest of one lemon
- one package freezer pectin
Berries and juice into food processor. Sugar and pectin mixed together in a bowl. Berry mix added to bowl, stirred for three minutes. Into jars and lids screwed on. Thirty minutes later, into the freezer.
(It was about two pints of blueberries and half a pint of raspberries. And it's AWESOME! It seriously will not last the winter unless I make more.)
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Elaine put up a post about Ethan's first swim meet, so rather than blather, I'll just send you to her.
Theology Thursday Lite: Synoptic Parallel Goodness
I've called this a Lite post, and it really is. But it's a touch wordy. Nothing too deep, though, I promise.
As I've mentioned before, I'm planning to write a book on a few specific topics in theology, hoping to give average pew-dwellers a few things to think about. One of the things I'd bring to such a work is the fact that I'm not a scholar. But I'm also not really an average pew-dweller. I have had some small amount of Bible training, and I'm a good self-teacher and self-feeder. So I've got a few tips and tidbits I've learned that I like to pass along.
So this week is a tidbit I picked up in college and have been reminded of over and over: the Synoptic Gospels. For those not in the know, Matthew, Mark and Luke are sometimes referred to by this nickname because 1.) they all cover about a year in Jesus' ministry, and 2.) they all share quite a bit of material. John isn't included under this umbrella because much of his material is unique to his gospel.
One of the cool things about the Synoptics is that if you find a passage confusing in one, you can often turn to a parallel passage in another one and get some clarity. This is particularly true of looking up Matthew/Mark passages in Luke. Why is this? Well, to be blunt, Luke wasn't Jewish. Matthew and Mark were, and so some of the language they used was sculpted to that audience. Luke did a bit of translation here and there for his Gentile audience.
I thought I'd give a couple of examples of using Synoptic Parallels to gain insight into a passage of scripture. First, clarifying Matthew by looking at Mark or Luke.
This is an easy way to illustrate that Matthew's use of "Kingdom of Heaven" exactly parallels Mark and Luke's use of "Kingdom of God." (Just to be clear, "Kingdom of Heaven" shouldn't be confused with "Heaven.") So either Matthew was changing his terminology to avoid offending his audience (who didn't use the word "God"), or Mark and Luke were translating. The former seems more likely.
One more, making a very confusing passage much more readable:
What? Abomination of Desolation? Let the reader understand? What's Matthew getting at? Let's let Luke translate it for us poor Gentiles:
So, whereas Matthew is requiring his reader to be familiar with Daniel's writings, Luke just fills in the gaps. Watch for Jerusalem to be threatened by a military force. Incidentally, this happened in A.D. 70 when the Romans sacked Jerusalem. Christians in Jerusalem fled the city beforehand, perhaps warned by this prediction.
This does bring up an interesting quibble with the Gospels. Jesus almost certainly didn't say both "abomination of desolation" and "Jerusalem surrounded by armies." So in one Gospel, we've apparently got Jesus' actual words, and in the other we have his meaning. And I think we like to think we always have his exact words. Just thought I'd throw that monkey wrench in.
One more thing. Many Bibles have extensive cross-references listed for most passages in the Gospels. But if you don't want to trouble with them, there's a cool tool online. It's called Harmony of the Gospels, and it's sortable, so you can find the exact cross-refs for any passage in any of the Gospels. You can also get print copies of Harmonies, but they're not sortable.
Theology Thursday Book Review: Endless Torment
I should point out that "Endless Torment" is not the feeling I got as I read this particular book. Rather, it's just an abbreviation of the full (and prolix) title: The Origin and History of the Doctrine of Endless Punishment, by Thomas B. Thayer.
This work was published back in the 1800s and deserves greater attention today. I found it online thanks to a recommendation by Steve Gregg. You can read the full text on Tentmaker.org (a Christian Universalist site).
Thayer sets out to destroy the doctrine of Hell as Eternal Conscious Torment by exposing its history and development. He succeeds on virtually every level as far as I can see. Rather than actually tracing the history of the doctrine from ancient times, he points out the fact that it is entirely missing from the earliest Biblical sources. He then goes through all the supposed references in the Hebrew Bible, showing that they can't be used to support the doctrine.
For me, the most important point in the discussion of the Old Testament is that Moses had an Egyptian education. The Egyptians had an extremely detailed theology of the afterlife, including both rewards and punishments. There is just no way that Moses wouldn't have been familiar with those doctrines. Seen in this context, it seems extremely strange that Moses wouldn't ever make reference to Hell. Especially in light of all the discussion of temporal punishments for failure to meet the demands of the Covenant.
Of course, for Christians, the New Testament is much more important, and didn't Jesus talk more about Hell than Heaven? Nope. Thayer takes all the New Testament angles used to defend the doctrine of an Endless Hell and shows that they are widely misunderstood. If nothing else, I recommend this book just for the chapter titled Endless Punishment Not Taught in the New Testament.
Where the book starts to stray a bit is in the later chapters, dealing with the moral influence of the Doctrine of Endless Hell. The title chapters include The Doctrine Creates a Cruel and Revengeful Spirit, The Comparative Moral Influence of Belief and Disbelief of Endless Punishment, and The Influence of The Doctrine on The Happiness of Its Believers. I'm not disputing his analysis; I'm just unsure that these factors should weigh in how we interpret Scripture. For me, the important arguments are the Scriptural ones.
However, it should be pointed out that one of the points commonly offered in favor of Hell as Eternal Conscious Torment is its use in evangelism and its importance toward promoting the fear of God (am I wrong in thinking this is not the kind of "fear" Solomon referenced as the beginning of wisdom?). It's only fair that the other side should get to levy similar arguments for the Con position.
To be completely honest, I don't want to believe in Eternal Hell. It's a stumbling block to many, and it really doesn't fit with the idea of an All-Loving God very well. So I'm extremely receptive to anything that undermines such a difficult doctrine.
Now, Thayer is a Universalist. Hence, he believes in Universal Reconciliation, whereby all people will eventually bow the knee and be saved. I'm not there with him yet. I'm very much anticipating Steve Gregg's forthcoming book on the Three Views of Hell, where he will lay out the Scriptural cases for Endless Punishment, Conditional Immortality (Annihilationism), and Universal Reconciliation. Right now I'm leaning toward Conditional Immortality, but I would absolutely love to believe that all will eventually be saved. (Which is why I was so disappointed in If Grace is True: Why God Will Save Every Person. It was a well-intentioned book that completely failed to present the authors' point of view with anything even approaching authority).
I'm still investigating this stuff. We'll see where I eventually land. You might guess that I'll be including a chapter on Hell in my book on Theological Wiggle-room.
MMM: Global Handwashing Day, Shoes, Football, Lentil Soup
Perhaps you'd expect to see this announcement over at the Handwasher Blog, but Mr. Handwasher and I agreed that if less is more, imagine how much more more could be! So, you may see this in two places. The announcement? October 15th. Save the date. It's Global Handwashing Day!!!
Now, I realize that the "holiday" is meant to bring awareness and improved cleansing of hands around the world, particularly in developing nations and places where infectious disease is more of a threat than here in the good-old-U.S. But I think it's a great time to encourage all the fake-hand-washers you know to make some sort of attempt at actual hygiene.
Don't think you know any fakers? You do. Just pick ten random men that you know. Eight or nine of them are fakers. I'm totally going to make a sign to post on the mirror in my work restroom. I'll post (er, I mean, Mr. Handwasher will post) a picture of it on the Handwasher Blog.
Oh...linkage. Check out the Global Handwashing Day website.
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Just a random thing about me...I don't like shoes. I feel they have extremely limited utility. I like my Birkenstocks, but mostly even then because I can easily kick them off while at my desk. I nearly always buy shoes with no laces so I can slip them off whenever I feel like it...which is most of the time.
However, I have a pair of Steve Maddens from Famous Footwear that I rarely take off even when I could. I actually like a pair of shoes!!!
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As much as I harp on football, I actually do enjoy football highlights. I just don't like that Sportscenter can always find a way to lead with football even when it's not football season. Yesterday, Ethan and I turned on Fox to watch the NLCS and caught the last few minutes of the Cowboys-Cardinals game. Ending it in overtime on a blocked punt touchdown was awesome. And the Cowboys lost, which always brings a smile to my face.
There were actually two blocked punts on Sunday. Cool. There was a cool double reverse pass thingy...nice. I'm a sucker for trick plays. Baseball's still better, but I can appreciate the good parts of football, even if the over-the-top celebrations for well-timed tackles bother me.
And I've realized that Ethan's sports education is a bit one-sided. He knows that you can take first base if the catcher drops strike three and first base is open, but he had no idea what a touchdown was. He thinks football is a game we play out in the greenspace, where I kick the ball, then let him get to it, pick him up, and shake him upside down until he drops it. At some point maybe I'll fill in some of the blanks for him. I don't want him to be one of those guys who's nervous to go to a Super Bowl party because he's afraid the other guys will find out he doesn't know anything about the game.
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While The Fair Elaine was out of town, I decided to cook. I made awesome Lentil Soup. Here's the recipe if you're interested. It's vegan and delicious. Oh, and it was an alteration of a recipe from the Veganomicon.
2 cups lentils (Any of the brown/green/black variety should work. Pink or yellow not so much)
8 cups vegetable broth (I used Imagine Foods' "No Chicken Broth")
4 carrots
4 stalks celery
1 small/medium onion
4 Yukon gold potatoes
4 cloves garlic (feel free to adjust to taste)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp tarragon
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste
Finely dice the onion. Mince the garlic. Chop the carrots and celery into 1/4" slices. Cut potatoes into chunks of whatever size you wish.
In a large pot (I used cast iron), saute the veggies in the olive oil until the onions start to color. Maybe 5-10 minutes.
Add the spices, vegetable broth, and lentils. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer 45 minutes or until lentils are tender.
Serve with whole grain bread. Yum!
BTW, I also added some leeks because I had them. But I don't think they'd make or break the recipe. Oh, and Ethan loved the soup. He even ate leftovers the next day.
MMM: Ender, Bathroom Blog, Politics, Morrow
There's a new Ender book coming out in November!!! Yes, Orson Scott Card posted on his blog that Ender in Exile will be coming out in November!!!! Did I mention it's coming out in November!!!???
You might guess I'm a huge fan of the Ender series. You'd be right. If you're even remotely interested in Science Fiction, you need to read Ender's Game. It's a classic, and it's an easy read. The sequel, Speaker for the Dead, is currently my favorite book. I don't see that changing.
Thus far, there are eight major fiction works in the Ender series (although half the series is really a spinoff, albeit a really good one). I'm excited to read number nine. Did I convey that adequately?
Oh, and my birthday's in November. Just sayin'.
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The Bathroom Blog is now well underway. Mr. Handwasher is doing his level best to inform and appall the world about what's wrong with our restrooms. Go over there and check it out. He's lonely. I promise there's some funny stuff over there. And he takes submissions from readers.
And yes, I called it a Restroom Blog last week. So maybe I'm (I mean, Mr. Handwasher is) confused about what it should be called. There's even a poll there for helping choose the title. Seriously...go!
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It's the season of Politics. I'm tempted to do political posts (the JibJab one doesn't count). But like many bumper stickers that, regardless of what they say, boil down to "let's not hang out," political posts generally do more harm than good. So, let this be my lone political post. And the content? "I'm not going to do political posts."
I hope this lapse into political discussion hasn't alienated anyone.
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I love baseball, and I'm saddened that football has now begun. I follow the stories of football, because I'm also just a general sports fan, but I don't spend much time thinking about it or watching it. Baseball, on the other hand, I consume in typical American portions.
As a Northwest Baseball Fan, there really hasn't been much to celebrate this year. The Mariners have stunk it up through a mixture of Front Office and Managerial Ineptitude and On-The-Field Suckiness. One of the only bright spots this year has been Brandon Morrow. Early in the season, J.J. Putz went on the DL (Disabled List), and the M's needed a closer. Morrow stepped in and blew hitters away with almost exclusively cheddar (meaning really, really, really hard fastballs).
Then, much to the delight of the Mariner bloggers, the organization realized they'd be better served by having Morrow as a starting pitcher. They sent him down to Tacoma to stretch out his arm and finally put him against big league hitters as a starter on Friday.
All he did was come within four outs of throwing a no-hitter. That was awesome. I'll be completely glued to his next start (which will come against the Angels, and it won't be easy). Finally, a reason to watch the Mariners. Not that I've needed one thus far other than "they're there." Still, it's nice to have a reason.
MMM: Seven, One Hundred Pushups, Japan, Movie Snacks
My son is seven. Which is absurd, becuz I am not nearly old enough to have a seven-year-old. Alright...maybe my knees and feet are, but the rest of me is still very young. Except maybe my hairline. Maybe my waistline. Definitely not my sense of humor (where immaturity holds on for dear life). Shoulders are on the bubble.
Nah, I don't feel old. Just because my son is only nine years from driving, eleven years from voting...no need to panic.
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Okay, so we've established I'm most definitely not old. And I'm certainly not a 98-pound-weakling (NPW). I could snap an NPW's neck like a chicken's. I'm (nearly...or almost...or slightly more than) twice the man of a NPW.
On the other hand, I haven't exactly been burning up the workout facilities -anywhere- in some time.
Solution? One Hundred Pushups. Yep, I'm training myself to be able to drop and gimme (Really? Give myself?) 100. How? Well, observe:
If you don't want to visit the link right now, I'll break down the system for you. First, you do a pre-assessment. Basically, you drop and do as many reps as you can. The number you grunt out puts you into different training intensities. I made the mistake of being able to do too many, and I've found the program difficult. I'm not saying you should slack on the pre-assessment, but I'd encourage trying to do the pushups in a very controlled manner. That way, you can ease into the training a bit more. Plus, it's probably a better isometric exercise when done on the slow side.
You'll do your exercise three days a week, and it's broken into four levels. For instance, you might do 20, then 15, then 13, then 13 again. Then you do as many as you can for the fifth level. I know, I said four levels. You rest between sets, of course, so it takes some precious time away from reading coffee and drinking books. Sorry...a bit punchy from my workout. And still pumped.
I like the feeling of my flabby muscles starting to harden. I just hope my shoulders are up to the task.
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My little sister is in Japan. Awesome. She's there for a seven-month stint as an Engrish Teacher. Okay, English Teacher. I set her up a blog on heasley.net so she could blog about her experiences there. That way, when she gets back and starts telling us her cool stories, we can say, "Oh, you blogged about that." You can't underestimate the value of that.
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You might not think of Stephen King as a funny man, but he is. I'm not a big fan of his work, never having actually cracked the cover of one of his books (I listened to The Gunslinger, but that's it). But his take on Movie Snacks is altogether hilarious. Hat tip: Colin.
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Funny...I thought I had nothing about which to muse.
Too Funny Tuesdays #16: Ranguage Ressons
One of the hilarious thing about traveling to Asia (and Japan in particular) is the enjoyment of the many poor English translations on display. And it's not just in places you'd expect, like maps and menus. It's also on shirts and mugs and various other products.
For examples of the hilarity, I give you Engrish.com
Nice, eh? Wouldn't want the other person's feelings to be bad. How about a menu?
I have no idea what "Piling match of cheese" is, but I'm quite sure I don't want the French flies. When we were in Japan, we encountered "Scent of garlic extinction" on a menu. Decided not to order it.
And then there's just the confusing...
Men's Retreat?
Not to harp on the Japanese (actually not all these are from Japan) too much, because I've always wondered if about half the kanji tattoos you see on shoulders actually say, "I'm a smelly barbarian."
Anyhow, hopefully I've caused you to lose some time browsing the hilarity. It's my gift to you.
Too Funny Tuesdays #15: JibJab
This week, I'm putting in a recommendation - guarded tho it be - for JibJab.com. Particularly during election years, they produce some really funny stuff. Back in '04, they had the hilarious if off-color "This Land." This time around, it's "Time for Some Campaignin'." There are a few words I wouldn't use, but nothing you wouldn't find in Primetime. Take that advisory for what it is.
Too Funny Tuesdays #14: Very Fonty
If you've done basically any word-processing, you'll probably get a kick out of this. It's "The Font Conference," from College Humor.