Valkyrie

"I swear by God this sacred oath
that I shall render unconditional obedience to Adolf Hitler,
the Führer of the German Reich and people, supreme commander of the armed forces,
and that I shall at all times be ready, as a brave soldier, to give my life for this oath."


If you haven't seen the 2008 movie Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise, this author humbly suggest you do so immediately.

Valkyrie is the story of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, a young officer in the Nazi army. Von Stauffenberg was a key player in the July 20th, 1944 plot on Adolf Hitler's life. German officers plotted to kill Hitler, and then use Hitler's own national contingency plan to assume control of the government.

Ultimately, the plan fails, but the film does a superb job drawing the viewer into the tension and drama of the story. Even in the end, when the conspirators are arrested and facing execution, the ending is dramatic and artfully done.

From the opening oath, to the final "Long live sacred Germany!," this film delivers a powerful look at the German Resistance movement. It is definitely food for thought, and is in my opinion, a very good movie.

B

Bertrand Russell's First Cause Argument

In his essay “Why I am Not a Christian,” Bertrand Russell addresses several arguments frequently made by Christians to “prove” the existence of God. One of the arguments he addressed was the cosmological or first cause, argument. However, in refuting the argument, he first redefines the argument to make it sound ridiculous. Let’s look at what the cosmological argument really is, before looking at what Professor Russell says it is.
In its most basic form, the cosmological argument reads like this: Whatever begins to exist has a cause. The Universe began to exist. Therefore, the Universe has a cause. Christians then go on to say that this Cause is God, and He reveals Himself through the Bible. This argument is backed by scientific evidence, as most scientists would agree that the Universe did begin to exist at some point in the past.
Bertrand Russell, however, says that the cosmological argument reads thus: Everything has a cause. He goes on to say that since everything has a cause, God must have a cause as well, and thus He must not be what Christians claim He is. His second response is that the premise “everything has a cause” is made because humans’ imaginations are so lacking that we cannot imagine anything without a cause. He then posits that the Earth could very well be eternal, and thus the cosmological argument is ‘refuted.’ However, not only does science tells us that the Universe began to exist at some point, it also tells us that the Earth began to be as well. This refutation overly-simplifies the cosmological argument to disprove the argument, but in the end, it misses the point of the argument.

Keep thinking!
B

If Spring's spring were wound, Spring would have sprung

What do April Showers bring? Pilgrims, of course!

It isn't acting as if it's spring. April decided to annex May, so we've been having rain, and rain, and more rain, with only very small hints that there are May flowers out there, somewhere. It's no different, really, than winter. Imagine my surprise, then, when I learned that there are only two more weeks of school for me. The year has past so quickly. When the co-op ends, I shall post a year in review, for my myriad of adoring fans out there. :)

I should probably get to the real point of this post: the ten things I love about spring.

10. School's almost done
9. The Sun starts looking through clouds
8. Summer movies start coming out
7. Snow Geese
6. Picking up new school books
5. Violin Concerts (John Williams and Vivaldi for the win)
4. Log rolling down really wet hills
3. The smell of rain
2. Yearbooks!
1. It is now almost legal to wear shorts

I'll Fly Away Part II

I am sorry to say that Molly, poodle friend of 3 years, joined Thor in the Great Beyond on Wednesday, April 29th, 2009, at 6:30 pm. She was going to turn 7 years old this June.

Molly was to turn 7 this June.

Her death has really shook me. Three weeks ago, she was fine, a little bundle of energy and high spirits. Then, when I came back from Regionals in Colorado, she was on permanent bed rest; Her left legs were no longer supporting any weight. Over that last two weeks since then, she has steadily worsened. As her condition deteriorated, a look of pure, blind terror starting coming into her eyes. A week ago today, we took her into the emergency pet hospital because she lost feeling in her right foreleg as well. We started her on a liquid diet last Monday, but on Tuesday night, she was having seizures and we didn't think she'd be alive on Wednesday morning.

Wednesday morning finally rolled around after yet another sleepless night, and Molly started smelling like she was decaying on the inside. All four paws were limp and Molly was effectively paralyzed from the neck down. Her legs and paws were cold, and did not respond to any stimuli. I tried to go to co-op that morning, but as it turned out, I couldn't even last five minutes there without starting to cry. So I skipped classes and spent most of the rest of the day laying in bed with Molly, trying to comfort her. Around noon, her eyes stopped responding to my voice, and she lay with her eyes rolling around in their sockets, or just staring off into space. It hurt to see how terrified she was. I went to my logic class that afternoon, and when I came back, Molly was even worse, much as I thought it impossible. Her eyes would only focus briefly before turning inwards again.

Mom and I had to make the decision to take her into the emergency hospital again, because Molly was truly suffering. We called her previous owner, Mrs. Russell, and she was to meet us at the hospital to say her last goodbyes. As we drove over to the clinic, Molly gradually became more and more calm, licking my hand a little as we turned into the parking lot. I carried her into the hospital, where Mrs. Russell was waiting for us, along with her son-in-law who owned Molly's recently deceased sister. I put Molly into Mrs. Russell's hand, and Molly perked up slightly when she saw Mrs. Russell and heard her voice.

The nurse came back into the waiting room, and started to lead us back to the grief room, where the euthanasia would occur. As I carried Molly back to the room, she started. It looked like she had been shocked or something. We got into the room, and Molly quite literally started having death throes. Her heart and breathing would stop, and then she'd jolt back into life for a few seconds, just to repeat the sequence. Mrs. Russell, Mom, Dad, and I were all around her as this was going on, and she died in our arms a few minutes later, as we prayed over her. We never had to euthanize her. It was as if she was waiting to see Mrs. Russell one more time before she died.

Mea amica, in pace requiescas. Spero vidi te postmodo.

When I die, Hallelujah, Bye and Bye, I'll Fly Away

I posted about my lovebird, Thor, a couple weeks ago, and how he had such a huge ego for such a small body. This morning, April 23rd, 2009, Thor flew on to a better world.

It was such a huge shock, because he had not shown signs of illness. Perhaps the draft killed him, perhaps not, we'll never know. The last time I held him was Tuesday night.

Let's think about this for a moment: If there were no God, humans would be the most irrational creatures ever. To form such strong emotional bonds with animals that provide nothing strictly material (ie nothing besides friendship and companionship or other such emotions) simply does not fit in in the naturalistic worldview, where only the testable and touchable is real, and the supernatural does not exist.

But God does exist, and He gave us stewardship over animals, so this grief I feel makes sense in that way.

"Yea though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." I guess that even losing a beloved friend like Thor will ultimately bring God glory. But if it doesn't sound to sentimental, I hope to see Thor, and Tansi (that's a story for another time) when I die.

B

Leave of Absence

Well, Regionals is approaching in 3 days, and I'm busy preparing for it. A side effect of all this preparation is that I don't have time to get on and post as much as I'd like. Therefore, I'll be taking a short leave of you, starting today, and ending sometime in 2 weeks.

B

This is a record

I'm amazed. In the past, I've stayed up late to get something urgent done - usually debate, or school work. But last night was the cram session to end all cram sessions. I stayed up until 1 AM ( highly unusual in and of itself) and I wasn't working on debate cases. Nope, I was up until early to paste pictures onto pieces of paper. That's right, I jeopardized today's mental sanity for the sake of expos boards.

What is the world coming to? I mean I had a good reason, since it's Time minus 7 days (Time being leaving for Regionals), and my props were completely non existent, but I'd never guess that they were that motivating. Speaking of time, look at it! It's time to save the world!
Got to go,

B

Nascentes Morimur

That Latin phrase is translated: From the moment we are born, we die. Yes, I do know I'm morbid. But with all the interesting things happening with my relatives (one died last week, and I've an uncle with cancer), I've been thinking about it a lot. So I asked myself the question: What will my tombstone look like?

Well, for starters, it must have an angel on it, preferably crying. These would do.



And then, I don't want my name on it. Just something philosophical and melancholy, to fit my disposition. Something like these ones:

Beneath this simple stone
That marks his resting place
Our precious darling sleeps alone
In the Lord's long embrace

Earth has no sorrow that heaven can not heal

Non omnis moriar (not all of me shall die)

Q.E.D (Quod Erat Demonstrandum, or That which has been demonstrated)

Adsum (I am here)

Memento mori (Remember your mortality)

Stipendium Peccati Mors Est (The wages of sin is death)

And then finally, my grave itself needs to be somewhere quiet, not by a freeway, or in a huge cemetery. Preferably, I'd have enough money when I die to purchase a huge estate and put a death park in it on the grounds. It would look like this:








Hidden somewhere within the park would be my grave, and a little waterfall and bench to sit on. Overall, my desired effect would be calm, and peaceful. Not noisy, or fast, but relaxing. Maybe I'd even put in a Zen garden nearby for any visitors to look at.

B

I have found my dream profession

People always ask me what my favorite subject is in school, but I always have a hard time answering that, since my favorite subject changes from day to day. Some days, I like history, while on others I enjoy science, english, languages, math, or others.
This has some huge ramifications for I will be when I grow up. Based off of all the subject I like, I have decided to be a creatively writing and researching scientist who studies how a cultures' mathematic development and oral history influences the changes of it's grammar structures over the years as its diet changes. And who also plays violin well and composes for movies.

Latin Quotes A-E

Latin is a language incredibly suited for amazing phrases and inspiring quotes, translations that fill me with a sense of giddy excitement. So, without further ado, I give you my list of my favorite Latin phrases :) Enjoy.

abundans cautela non nocet - Abundant caution does no harm
abusus non tollit usum - Misuse does not remove use: Abuse does not, in itself, justify denial of use. i.e. Just because pragmatism has been abused does not mean that all pragmatism is therefore inherently bad.
abyssus abyssum invocat - The deep calls to the deep. Psalms 42:7
alenda lux ubi orta libertas - Let learning be cherised where liberty has arisen.
audemus jura nostra defendere - We dare to defend our rights.
beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam - Blessed is the man who finds wisdom.
Carthago delenda est - Carthage must be destroyed.
cessante ratione legis cessat ipsa lex - When the reason for the law ceases, the law itself ceases.
cogito ergo sum - I think, therefore I am. Rene Descartes
condemnant quod non intellegunt - They condemn because they don't understand.
cor meum tibi offero domine prompte et sincere - I offer my heart to you Lord, sincerely and promptly.
cruci dum spiro fido - When I trust in the cross, I live.
de omnibus dubitandum - Be suspicious of everything
disce aut discede - Learn or Depart!
disce quasi semper victurus vive quasi cras moriturus - Learn as if you are going to live forever, live as if you are going to die tomorrow.
Dominus Illuminatio Mea - The Lord is my illumination
dulce et decorum est pro patria mori - It is a sweet and honorable thing to die for the fatherland.
Dulce Periculum - Danger is sweet.
dum spiro spero - While I breathe, I hope.
Dum vita est, spes est. - While there is life, there is hope.
errare humanum est. - To err is human.
esse quam videri - To be, rather than to seem.
ex abundantia enim cordis os loquitur - For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
ex nihilo nihil fit - Nothing may come from nothing.
ex scientia vera - From knowledge, truth.
extra territorium jus dicenti impune non paretur - he who administers justice outside of his territory is disobeyed with impunity


That's the list through 'E's. More coming soon.

B

2009 Internet April Fools Day

There are two great April Fools Day jokes online today: One played by an English newspaper called The Guardian, and one by Google.

The Guardian announced this morning that they would be switching publications entirely to Twitter, and will be adding the archives as far back as the 1821 shortly thereafter. Read about it here.

Google email introduced CADIE: Cognitive Autoheuristic Distributed-Intelligence Entity. This program apparently can configure replies that best suit the tone, language, punctuation and emoticon use, etc. "It's just like you, but automated."

What do I want? o.o

What would I want if I could have two unconditional wants fulfilled? Good question. I think these:

Attention
I don't want the attention people give to little children. I want people to listen to me, and take what I have to say seriously. I don't want to be the annoying little fly that provides background noise, I want to be the person people listen to.

• 
  

  Fair Chances
  I want a fair chance, and even playing field where I can do my best and shine. Not somewhere where the popular are automatically favored over the rest.

  
  

SuperHero Name...

If I was a superhero, I'd operate under an amazing name. You could call me ....

Miss Adventure!

Dancing in the Rain

It was raining. Again. Outside the building, the street lights traced half-hyberbolae through the falling rain, while the trees lining the street swayed in the gusts blowing down from the north. Clouds slid across the sky, alternatively revealing and hiding Orion's Belt. Through it all, the freeway's hum could be heard, rising and falling as the occasional truck sped down it.

Inside the house, Sylvia heard nothing, because she was asleep. At least, that's what her parents thought. In fact, she was reading, sheets slipped over her head, curled around the precious book she'd taken from her father's library that morning. It wasn't that the book was particularly interesting to 11-year-old Sylvia. And it certainly wasn't on her school's reading list. But she was reading it, all the same.

In the room next to hers, Alexander, her brother was studying, yellow light shining from under his door. From time to time, Sylvia could hear him yawn, stretch, and move quietly about the room. He did this so softly that his motions soon faded into the white noise of the storm. But when a bump and quiet cursing came from the next room, Sylvia quickly hid the book under her pillow, and sat up. She heard his door open, and she stepped out of her warm cocoon to see where he was going. Opening her door, she saw Alexander disappear down the stairs, carrying some package under his arm. This did not particularly surprise Sylvia, because for years Alexander and her father had carried out similar nocturnal trips.

Alexander had always been their father's favorite: When he had returned from the wars, Alexander was 8, and Sylvia was already walking. After the initial joy of homecoming, Father had withdrawn from his wife, taking only his son into his sanctuary, the library. From that time, Alexander and Father had been inseparable. He had carefully instructed Alexander in politics, mathematics and science, fine arts, and the use of weapons. When he came home from his club, he always had time for a brief romp with Sylvia, but he'd never stay for long, and would retire to the library very soon after.

Her mother was a good wife, a good homemaker, and a good business woman, but unfortunately, never a good mother. She had high hopes for Alexander, and hoped that he would become a fine man of distinction. When he was young, he always knew there would be a sweet of some sort waiting for him with his mother. But when little Sylvia would toddle behind him, there was never anything for her. Mother compensated for her lack of discipline in one with over-discipline in the other. If Alexander pointed out a tiny bluebird in a tree, he was a very clever boy, but if Sylvia presented a flower, she was noisy, inconsiderate little girl. She quickly learned to stay out of Mother's way, and keep her mouth shut.

There was never any lack of encouragement in Alexander's life: He had an adoring mother who would bend over backwards to help him, and an affectionate father to instruct in all of life's mysteries.

So Sylvia stayed put after Alexander left, only closing the door quietly when he left the house. She crept back into the pages of the forbidden book.

Of Birds and Speech Tournaments

When I first got Thor, I thought he would sit in his cage all day and sing beautiful little songs while I worked on homework. Such is not the case. While I'm typing, he is busy grooming himself on my shoulder, shrieking loudly every so often and nibbling on my ear. As it turns out, birds do have personalities. This one was born into a too-small body. With the ego of a bald eagle, if not a vulture, he raises a stink every time you treat him as the 0.5 lb bird he is. Fortunately for my ear, he is not an eagle or a vulture, but that's beside the point: it's actually a pleasant to write with a little friend behind one's ear.

But enough of that.

This year, I competed in four events in the NCFCA: An Open Interpretation, Impromptu, Expository, and Lincoln-Douglas Debate. You may be wondering what they're about (not really, but it's a good transition and excuse to tell you) My interpretation was from G.K. Chesterton's The Club of Queer Trades. The Expository was on the Large Hadron Collider, built be CERN (European Centre for Nuclear Research in French) and physics in general, while I debated on this resolution - Resolved: When in conflict, Idealism ought to be valued above Pragmatism.

Of these events, I qualified to Regionals in all but the Interpretation. I can't say I'm sorry about that, though, because the OI was so much work, and I have more than enough to worry about at Regionals as it is. So I'm quite busy refining cases, practicing speeches, and worrying in the two weeks before the big tournament.

This means I need another list of things I don't have control over:
1. My Reputation
2. Regionals
3. My friends' opinions of me


B

It's been awhile

Well, it's been some time since I last posted. Definitely had some changes since that last post about stress. Here's the news:
1. I started attending another church sporadically
2. My debate club got a newcoach
3. My family adopted a lovebird, called Thor
4. I've started getting better in speech and debate
5. My brother's off to college
6. For some odd reason, I've started attracting other people's attention

But there's some things that are still the same:
1. I'm still a Christian,
2. My life still threatens to collapse around my ears. :)

B

A random thought . . .

"Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese." ~G.K. Chesterton

Have you ever thought about it? Poets write about "romantic" ideals: Beauty, grace, plums on iceboxes, true love, and lots of unrealistic nonsense. Chesterton really got it right when he said this.

Why don't we appreciate the lowely, the cheesy, the wet-doggy in our lives? Because they simply aren't romantic. They are mundane, of this world, something that we actually see. We value these somehow noble virtues and idyllic settings because they don't always appear in nature. My debate coach says that a value is something to strive for, but why can't we strive to smell the proverbial roses?

Bethia