Complaint-Free World

I’ve added a link to the Complaint-Free World bracelets to the left. I first heard about these on Fox News about a year ago, after starting my new job with MOARNG. These bracelets–which through convergent or divergent evolution, are related to esoteric practices of the Golden Dawn–are yet another connection to the Unity Christian Church that I had before joining the church.

Friday, 11 July 2008

1930: 10 minute Relaxation Response meditation followed by Matthew 8-10.

Matthew 8 largely deals with Yeshua healing people according to their faith. Greatest of these was the Roman centurion, who knew that Yeshua could heal his son without even visiting the centurion’s house. Interestingly, in Lamsa’s translation, he describes “two lunatics” rather than “two men possessed by demons”–and the lunatics attack a herd of swine before Yeshua can heal them. This is why he is not allowed into the next city.

Matthew 8:26- Jesus said to them, Why are you fearful, O you of little faith? Then he got up and rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm.

It should be noted that this was a miracle commonly ascribed to students of the Mysteries in the ancient world. Pythagoras (yes, the triangle guy), who brought the Egyptian mysteries to Greece, was also said to be able to do this.

In Matthew 9, we have:

3 Some of the scribes said among themselves, This man blasphemes.
4 But Jesus knew their thoughts; so he said to them, Why do you think evil in your hearts?

If more church-goers thought about this verse, I might have found myself in a more main-stream congregation!

Matthew 10 is fairly straight-forward admonitions by Yeshua to his followers on how to live while spreading his teachings. I noted that where before, when addressing crowds, he admonished not to resist evil. Here he tells his disciples that he brings not peace, but the sword–and to knock the dust from their sandals when leaving any place that did not accept them, so that that place would meet harsh penalties on the Day of Judgement.

Marine Corps is Falling In Love With My Favorite Workout

I discovered CrossFit almost a year ago. Unfortunately, there are no facilities suitable for their WoD’s here in Jefferson City, and I can’t yet afford the equipment on my own. I’m incorporating their principles as much as possible into my own workouts, however, and hopefully someday I’ll be able to partipate for real. For now, the endorsement of U. S. Marines using the program.

Senate Testing Alternative Weapons

As much as the Army likes to gripe about M-16A2–designed by a U.S. Marine–and its derivative M-4, it seems unhappy that the Senate is re-competing the M-4 against other weapons. Although the M-4 has no particular deficiencies–other than the preference of many operators for a larger round–there have been many technological advances in weaponry since its design.
The M-4 is a carbine version of the M-16A2 service rifle, which was designed by a U. S. Marine and introduced for service in the 1980’s as the world’s longest-range standard issue service rifle. It has since been matched by at least two other service rifles, and the M-4 was later introduced as a specialized close-combat version. The M-4 has become immensely popular in military units because most combat takes place closer than M-16’s 800-plus-yard range.

Hancock

I waited to see this movie, because I’m getting more pessimistic about Hollywood products as time goes on. I finally broke down and watched it Wednesday night on a friend’s recommendation. I must admit, despite a few plot holes (if they turn into regular people when they’re together, and they’ve been getting together since forever, why aren’t they older? Why didn’t Mary ever tell Hancock his real name?) I enjoyed the movie immensely. As my friend says, it was worth the admission just to see Will Smith flying drunk.

I’d like to say up front that I completely agree with my friend’s assessment that the reason this movie isn’t sitting well with the critics is because it isn’t “hippie-liberal” enough. I put “hippie-liberal” in quotes because it’s the term my friend used; when reading it, please keep in mind that my friend is a moderate (“blue-dog Democrat”) and that I was, until the age of 26, as “hippie-liberal” as one can get without doing drugs. At any rate, Hancock teaches a lesson of self-reliance and self-improvement, which is completely at odds with state-dependant message of liberal America.

My friend also thought that the character Hancock was an analogy for the world opinion of America. Trying to do the right thing, but without regard for people’s opinion or damage caused; nonetheless, with the potential to be better. I admit, I did not walk away with that interpretation–but I don’t think it’s an invalid analysis, and I thought it was interesting enough to be worth mentioning here.

As an exit thought: each of the super-characters in the movie had their own trigger-word. Hancock’s was ‘asshole’ (“Call me ‘asshole’ one more time!”); Mary’s was ‘crazy.’ Hancock also threatened–and in one case, managed–to stick his opponent’s heads up each other’s asses. Was the Hancock character intended to be anal-fixated, or was this a peek into the director’s subconscious? If deliberate–why? will it be part of a sequel?

Hellboy II opened today… it looks like I’ll be at the cinema again soon!