The Soundtrack of Your Life

I saw this on somebody's blog, and I just coldn't resist.

okay, rules are....only use a song in one category, sometimes you can use 2 songs

Here's my picks...
1. A favorite political track.
Fight the Power, Public Enemy

2. The song you'd use to tell someone you love them.
The Waters of March, Elis Regina and Antonio Carlos Jobim or Love's Holiday, Earth Wind & Fire

3. A song that has made you sit down and analyze it's lyrics.
Imagine, John Lennon or On and On, Erykah Badu or Potholes in my Lawn, De La Soul

4. A song that you like, that a two year old would like as well.
What If Cartoons Got Saved, Cris Rice

5. A song that gives you an energy boost.
Beats on a String, Jungle Brothers or Can't Hide Love (Masters at Work remix)

6. A song that you and your grandparents (would probably) like.
Doin' it to Death, James Brown or Green Onions, Booker T and the MGs

7. A song that you really liked when you were 14-16, and still really like now.
Johnny the Fox - Mantronix and Woody Woodpecker/Midnight Sun/Moody's Mood by Chuck Brown (gogo)

8. A sad song that would be in the soundtrack of the movie about your life.
Good Morning Heartache, Jill Scott and Chris Botti

9. A peppy song that would start the opening credits of the movie about your life.
Bad Brother, Ronny Jordan or Bless the Lord, TD Jakes

10. A good song from a genre of music that no one would guess that you liked.
Smells Like Teen Spirit Nirvana or theme from Shrek 1

11.A song that you think should have been playing when you were born.
Nature Boy, Natalie Cole

12. A favorite artist duo collaboration.
Rush Over, Marcus Miller and Me'Shell N'degeochello

13. A favorite song that you completely disagree with (politically, morally,commonsenically, religiously etc.)
anything by Nelly, Chingy, Ying Yang, etc...

14. The song that you like despite the fact your IQ level drops several points every time you listen to it.
Mahna, Mahna, the Muppets

15. Your smooth song, for relaxing.
Hatari, Dave Grusin or Mackin', Ronny Jordan

16. A song you would send to someone you hate or are mad at.
Still Have Joy - Tye Tribbett

17. A favorite track from an outfit considered a super-group.
Illumination - Pure Gold, Earth wind and Fire or Never Stop (Heavies Extended Remix) by Brand New Heavies

18. A song that makes you reminsce about good times with a family member.
I Want to Thank you - Alicia Meyers

19. Your favorite song at this moment in time.
Beau Mot Plage (Freeform Remix), Isolee and Night in Tunisa (Jazzy Jeff)

20. The song you want playing during the intermission
Beijo, Earth Wind and Fire or theme from Hawaii Five-O

21. A song you like and have no idea what they are saying.
Melody (Masters At Work remix) - Misia (its in japanese)

22-26. Bonus Tracks
Stop the Violence - Boogie Down Productions
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (Red Baron Remix) - Berlin Symphony Orchestra
Latin Lover (Masters at Work remix) - Stephanie Mills
Meio De Campo - Elis Regina

I thought this was really insightful and fun. I also realized I like ALOT of music. There were a bunch of songs I wanted to include, but didn't fit (and there would be like 50 bonus tracks) I sent it to a few of my friends and it is truly a peek into their lives....seeing that we liked the same songs when we were teens even though we didn't grow up together was fun. So what's your soundtrack?

Creation or Evolution taught in school?

I'm pretty sure you've heard of the debate in schools about teaching (bible-based) creationism versus (science based) evolutionism. Who is right, how can both be valid, etc. etc. The debate rages back and forth. I have read about the debate on both sides and I have been on both sides (science before I became a christian and creation after) Before I became a christian that was one of my peaves I would always snag people that would witness (tell the gospel of Jesus Christ)

"Well what does the bible say about dinosaurs and cavemen? Sure they existed, there are fossils, artifacts, etc., proving evolution and stuff? Whatcha gotta say now, huh, christian?" SO then when I dedicated my life to Christ (for reasons other than evolution, but that's another blog entry), well actually several months later, I stumbled upon this guy on a tv show talking about "Christian Science Evangelism" and he broke it all down in a way I had never heard before. I will preface with the fact that the bible says that God's word is ALWAYS backed up with principles in scripture, so anybody talking nonsense, or even good seeming sense means nothing if they can't relate it back to biblical scripture, and not some contorted semantic way either, plain english...the bible also says God does "simple things to confound the wise." -1 Corinthians 1:27. So if with my master's degree I can't even grasp your concept i'm more inclined to say you are teaching unsound doctrine and/or a false prophet. So, that being the criteria for a valid arguement, Ken Hovind, a retired high school science teacher explained the basics of creation science evangelism, which i didn't realize was different from "intelligent design" and "evolutionary spirituality."


He said that first of all....

1. "in the beginning" NOBODY was there that is here now, or that documented what happened...so whether you believe there was a God/intelligent design or a big bang, that denotes your faith to some degree because there is not any absolutely conclusive proof. You believe what you read in books and see on tv. Now whether your book is the bible or an encyclopedia and your tv show is somebody's ministry or national geographic...neither of them was there. So, since you don't cant KNOW the truth for yourself, your FAITH dictates which story you choose to believe.

2. Evolution and and the age of the earth - He discredits evolution (not absolutely ie within a species, but in the broad sense of man coming from fish in the sea, that came on land and walked, etc.) by the book of Genesis 1:20-23 saying God creating everything at once – in 6 days, not millions of years as believed by evolutionists and "gap" theorists (gap theorists believe God made the earth, but He did it billions of years ago, big difference.) So from that he proposed the earth was indeed not BILLIONS of years old, but only about 6,000-8,000 years old, and that can be traced from the time Christ lived (30 BC-33 AD) if you go through all that stuff in the old testament (Adam begat Cain and he lived for x years, etc.). So then further, he asks why then if there are so many fossils of dinosaurs and birds, and "cavemen" etc., why are there none from this period of transition from "walking fish?" One thing I found particularly interesting was that he referenced the chinese language. China being the oldest living civilization, their alphabet system is also very telling of creationist origin. For instance the symbol for "to talk" is a combination of the symbols for "dust", "breath" and "alive" as in the book of Genesis 2:7. There are several other examples of this, the easiest explanation i saw online was here. It breaks down many of the similarities and the historical context. Interesting relation to the tower of babel and the migration of the original people (the bible says there were one people that spoke the same tongue before the building of the tower) east to "china" over the course of some 500 years. A fact that makes the chinese language seemingly intact from that migration to today, which would make it another direct link to the God of the old testament and creationism.

3. Carbon dating - I was really surprised by his point that carbon dating is scientifically invalid when used for things like fossils because, THERE IS NO CONTROL TO COMPARE A NEW SPECIMEN TO. You remember in science class you had the hypothesis, and then when you do the experiment you have a "control" of which you know the status of, and then your experiment, which you compare it to. Well, in "evolutionist theory" there is nothing that scientists can verify is "millions of years old." That might be what the machine read out, but somebody programmed that machine based on....what? Man's knowledge of the world we live in is very finite, and carbon dating is not an exact science because of just that...at some point even the most astute scientists start guessing and making stuff up. So "billions and billions of years" is the only way they can hide or justify the creation of the earth and the miracle of life. There is no "proof"....its all fabrication and guesswork. I prefer to keep asking "but why did that happen?" Even if you believe the big bang theory, there was a reason that happened...and it wasn't random. The bible is the only credible book that explains it in detail.

4. Dinosaurs (My favorite) - Dr. Ken Hovind aka Dr. Dino (www.drdino.com) explains the dinosaur phenomenon (to my understanding) like this...in the period after creation before the original sin was committed (the forbidden scandal) man lived to be hundreds of years old (look in the old testament) So if man lived that long, animals did too. Reptiles are the only animals that grow throughout their entire life cycle. So imagine that Geico (gecko) lizard, instead of living for 10-12 years as they do now, living for say 100-200 years or say a sea turtle that lives up to 80 years now...living to be 300-400 years old. You can see how they can get to be "dinosaur sized" pretty easily. What happened to them? Not some ice age or meteor shower, much simpler...the great flood. The bible says the great flood "destroyed all flesh." That meant animals too, as the entire earth was covered in water. For proof he cites some articles about seashells found atop Mount Everest and the Grand Canyon. Very Interesting.

So, I said all that to say that even though I am a Christian, in my unbiased opinion (because neither theory can be undoubtedly proven) Creation science (or Creationism or Creationology) should given proper consideration as a field of study. After all, the bible was actually taught in schools prior to the big political push after Darwin's "Origin of Species" hit it big with scientists. Funny because at that same period (1850's), doctors treated women's menstruation as a disease/disorder that could be treated with (male) doctors massaging the a woman's female parts...but I digress.

My point is that the creationist view is not/does not dispute stuff like photosynthesis, kreb's cycle, the periodic table, cell reproduction, physics, anatomy, etc. It really only focuses on the origin of man and the earth. So I think an ideal way to ease some of the tension in wanting to have this perspective taught in schools is to change the structure of science classes, with classes dedicated to the origin of the earth and man:

1) Creationist Origins or Creationology
2) Evolutionist Origins or Evolutionology

Make it a mandatory elective, meaning students must choose one or the other. The curricula obviously will start out different, but I would imagine somewhere along the midway of the school year, they would align...teaching the same fundamentals of geology, physics, biology and chemistry (i guess thats what they teach in k-12 now) I mean, how much time is spent on the "origins" of the earth and man in K-12 anyway? One chapter...just like civil rights. I think to deny kids the opportunity to learn about creationism in a school setting is short changing them. I think it would also instill a sense of ethics, something that is sorely missing in science today. Just because technology says we can doesn't always mean we should.

why iphone?

Okay, so I got one. All the hype and hoopla aside, I have been using macs since 1991 (system 6 on a Mac LC if you wanna go there). I've done tech support and repairs, in addition to graphic design and layout. I have also supported PCs, although to a lesser degree. So when I call myself a mac fan, I feel I can do objectively and not just be biased like most mac "evangelists" or microsoft "mac bashers."

Having said that, I want to tell you why I bought an iphone. I'll skip the "product review" that you can get on every other website under the sun these days, and just speak on things not really discussed. Aside from the phone itself, my actual situation was...my motorola SLVR had been dropped one time too many, and the volume had started to fade. I still liked it, but I am beginning to text more, and want to do things like check email on the go. I did not have an ipod, so the "double expense" of a separate ipod then investing in a phone with one was not an issue. And with all the hype, I knew it was coming, so I planned for it.

Marketing
I think Apple did a great job in marketing the iphone. Simple, elegant, chic...with a certain mystique. Almost like a superhero in a movie that you only get a glimpse of in the commercial. Macs have that mystique anyway. Most computers you see on television are macs, and that is now and before the ipod. The commercials weren't a blitz of images and words flashing, simple. I thought that was great. I also think it was great for AT & T, since collapsing the Cingular brand back into itself, the iphone hype was great timing. Now everybody knows your iphone works with "The new AT & T." I also think it was a good move to not release a whole bunch of "pre-release" units out to newspapers, journalists and tv reporters. That increased the hype, mystique and all that. I think that was a great move again because, most media sources would have done just like Meredith Vierra did on the "Today" show totally clueless about technology in general, leaving a bad impression for people who really want to learn about the product and its viability. And as with most review products, there is no guarantee that they will actually review your product at all, and then will they put somebody that actually understands technology or some very articulate technophobe that would bash something that 9 out of 10 people would love. Now how the heck Macy Gray got all that face time with the advertising is a mystery, although none of the top 10 artists of late are "universally hip."

Pricing/Value
Upon reading the various reviews around the web, discussing the "cool factor" is undisputed. This is the new hotness. Most reviews I saw were favorable, with the occasional technophobe or Apple basher. The iPhone is not just an expensive, pretty phone. It is an ipod, camera, appointment calendar, stock tracking, google map (with yellow page listings), video ipod, email, internet AND a world phone. I feel for $500 that is a bargain. Of course there are cheaper phones that do the same thing. The difference is that most of those phone companies have subsidies that allow them to have deals when you sign a 2 year contract. If you notice the "no contract" or "buy outright" price, its around $300-$400, so the iphone is actually not that much. In the future I imagine the iphone will be subsidized and the prices will come down, like maybe with the next generation.

Technology
With all the things you can do with the iphone, its a both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that I don't have to remember to grab the individual items when I dash out. It's likely because of my history with macs and technology in general, it seemed like I knew how it worked as soon as a got it. The icons on the main screen look like widgets, so if you have a mac, the phone is very similar. I was surprised to read that the processor inside is actually made by Samsung, but then i also read they make the processors for several phones. If you're not familiar with Macs, there may be learning curve. The camera is kinda odd, well, super simple. no zoom, contrast or other controls. similar to the camera on mac laptops and imacs. The picture is nice - better than decent. So if you're in a restaurant and see some rock star or actor - or in a car accident, you can get a nice photo you can email or download to your computer. The Google Map feature is very useful. I didn't realize that you can you could type in a keyword (yellowpage topic) like "Seafood" and it will find everything with seafood in its name and seafood restaurants in the area. You can also add a semicolon and zip code to get another area. The curse of the elegant design being all screen is the shortness of battery power. I had a full charge one morning and listening to music for about an hour when i got up around 9am, went out and showed it a handful of friends later in the day, and then texting off and on throughout the day. By around 9pm I got a warning of 20% battery left. Must be te backlight. So now being aware of that, i got a car charger and an extra house charger for travel. Fortunately, the iphone uses the same chargers as the latest generation ipods. One great thing about the design of the phone is that it is all software driven, so it can be upgraded via itunes. I'd be willing to bet that the spaces on the bottom on the main screen are purposely left for customization, new applications that are to come. They can add buttons to the "keyboard" and tweak the existing problems. To all the naysayers about what's missing from "iphone 1.0", what they don't realize is that with software, you can only develop so much in the closed environment of developers and beta testers, then you have to release it to the open market. You'll seldom get it all "right" the first time with something like a phone, with such a diverse audience. You develop a core set of elements, throw in a few aesthetic nuances and let it go. You will get feedback once its out, thats a given.

Quirks
-The keyboard is not for folks with big fingers, and it takes some getting used to, but it is a little intuitive so that helps.
-The screen (which is basically the whole front) is black and shiny, so expect fingerprints al the day long. Apple does include a nice black chamoise, but are you really going to carry that around with you? Maybe if you wear glasses.
-The shortness of battery life. Apple has already put in place a battery replacement plan in case it dies after the 1 year warranty expires, but before the 2 year contract expires. It sucks that it costs $83 bucks, though
-The possibility of a crimewave targeting iphones, like there was in London with the ipod. Just switch out the SIM card
-If you sync with more than one computer, it will jack up your playlists

So there you have it. Is the iphone for you? Thats your call. Oh, and there is actually a user's manual available online from Apple's website. I did make a pro and con list to help you though, okay top ten lists. Check, check check it out.

Top ten ways to tell if the iPhone IS for you

1. You enjoy being the secret envy of onlookers as they whisper "hey look, thats that new iphone."
2. You have $500 of "disposable income" to invest in all items mentioned in #3
3. You're tired of carrying around (separately) ipod, cell phone, pda, camera and flash drive
4. You're already a customer at "The New AT&T" and can afford one
5. If you own 2 or more macs right now
6. If you're a gadget freak, and always get the latest and greatest
7. You're an apple employee (they got 1 for free)
8. You were subconsciously hypnotized by the commercials and you stood in line but didn't know why until the clerk asked you to sign the authorization slip.
9. You know its from Apple, so its gotta be hot
10. You like minimalist design and shiny black and chrome stuff

Top ten ways to tell if the iPhone is NOT for you

Top ten ways to tell if the iPhone is not for you

1. If you can't figure out why the thing has no friggin buttons
2. If you gotta knock over a bank, or dip into rent money or car payment to buy one.
3. If you're an apple employee..Hey save some for the rest of us!
4. If you hate people noticing your phone and asking "hey is that the new..." for about the next 3 months
5. If you can't afford to get out of your current cell phone contract/shackle
6. If you have really big hands/fingers and are easily frustrated
7. If you hate macs and think Bill Gates should be president
8. Ditto for Steve Ballmer
9. If you've broken more than one phone already by dropping it (on the ground, in water, etc)
10. if your VCR or DVD player is flashing "12:00 am" and you've had it longer than a week.

Two down, one to go!

So it's done. I have received my master's degree in Educational Technology. Now what the heck am I going to do with it? Well, its no surprise the nowadays having a degree doesnt necessarily guarantee a job, nor does not having one deny you a good job. It's sort of ironic that in my academic studies, one of the things we discussed was how public education fails in that when you try to measure success or "smarts" with things like End of Grade tests or Regions (or whatever you may call them in your area), educators limit the possibilities of a teacher in that, rather than attempting to expose students to things new and different, and spend time when needed to make sure students "get it," you are forced to cover only the objectives that will be assessed at the end of the period. If you don't, your school may lose funding, cutback staff - namely you for not meeting the objective and possibly closing a school altogther. That sucks. The primary thing I have found out in my studies is that education is an ART, requiring an understanding of both the subject being taught, your students or audience and the materials that will be used to teach. Everybody can't do it. On a finer note, people that can DO something well still may not be able to TEACH that subject well. I had a drawing teacher in undergrad. Great artist, but in class we would draw still lifes and when he would come by to critique, he would say something like "work on your shadows, they're not even, the light source looks all out of position." SO then you I'd ask him what he meant, and he would ask for my chalk or with his own, lean over and make a small drawing on my 18x24 tablet not saying and word until he finished, then he'd say "like that." Not explaining anything.

So anyway, what good is this degree in the real world? Well, the degree itself just says "i finished" but I realize that it seemingly automatically adds a few thousand on job offers. I had a job once at Nortel doing tech support fo their macs. All I knew was macs, and I had maybe 4 or 5 years experience at the time. I was paid $14/hour. There was another guy that I worked with, he had more experience in computers than me AND he was a Microsoft Certified System Engineer, which is a test you take prove you know MS systems (Windows NT was in its heyday back then) and a couple of other credible computer certifications. So he knew his stuff. He knew way more than me, but he didn't have a bachelor's degree. They only paid him $11/hour. I had a degree, but mine was in ART. I have seen some people but the letters on their name "Bob Jargon, MA." I think that's kinda corny except on your resume. I'll reserve the suffix for when I get my PhD.

Remember when...

One night when I got home from work, I took a "power nap" for a couple of hours. Bored and restless when I woke up at 2am, I decided to watch some tv. It was just like it was prime time. Not just infomercials, but real programming...albeit repeats of what came on during prime time.

Remember when tv went off? I mean "this concludes another broadcast day for _____ TV...." then they would play the Star Spangeld Banner, showing jets flying and or historical/patriotic stuff. Then they would show the color bars for a few minutes, then static. Yeah, static. Until like 5 or 6am when tv came back on again. I was never up that early so I don't remember if there was a similar introduction.

So now kids, well teens that have pretty much always had cable, they have never seen that. And pre-teens now by the time they are in high school, VCRs will probably only be used in public schools...like those old school reel to reels I used to watch. Remember those filmstrips that had the actual countdown in the beginning, and when it was over if you didn't turn it off, the film would fling on the roll. Okay, maybe my memory is too vivid, but you old heads know what i'm talkin about.

Other stuff I remember from when I was growing up. Did anybody else have a "Creature Feature?" You know that monster lookin dude that was like a host for the scary flick of the week, a la Elvira-esque. I spent my preteen years in Maryland, so the cartoon channel was Channel 20, WDCA. The host was actually the same guy that was the clown or whatever for the cartoons that ran in the afternoon, I think his name was Captain 20. So by day he was kinda like Mr. Greenjeans from Captain Kangaroo (again telling my age), but at night he was a vampire. In writing this blog I actually found a tribute website (www.captain20.com/index.htm) That was before the "cryptkeeper" from HBO was in his heyday.

Funny how things change. I wonder if things will change so radically in my lifetime as they have in the time of say, may grandparents. In their lifetime, they have been from no tv, to black and white to color, and cable to webcasting. So I guess my kids will laugh at me when the 2037 equivalent of an ATM machine is commonplace and I can' figure it out...darn kids.

Black Men Revealed

TV One has this show called "Black Men Revealed" and I must admit, I was inclined to watch just because of it's title. There was an episode "Why he won't go to church." They were discussing several things, but most notable to me was on sin and homosexuality. One guy, Reynard Williams, a poet (on the show "Zo - Independent Thinker" said he doesn't "blame" homosexuals, he blamed God saying "Why would God create homosexuals to be persecuted?" I thought this guy, even though he had some good questions, has not received sound teaching of the bible. So he asked another guy (Tre) if the bible said gay people go to hell. Tre didn't know scripture, so he stumbled and Zo called him a "neophyte" and talked over him. I like watching a good debate, and this was very interesting to say the least.

My understanding is that God did not create homosexuality, but it is of the enemy (Satan), just like any other sin of the flesh (Galatians 5:19)"…Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like…" Alot of people seem to construe "God is the creator of all things" means that God does everything, including September 11th attacks, the situation in Darfur, Hurricane Katrina, and so on. My thoughts on this are that by "creation" God created the POSSIBLITY, or maybe a better term - the LAW making it possible for these things and under this law is how God and all other things work or exist. So bad things happen, but usually it's because of bad things people do/did. I view homosexuality as a cause, not an effect.

I also beleive things are related, but in much greater sense than most people realize. So something bad could happen to you because of something somebody else did. That's why you should pray, asking God to cover you and keep you from hurt, harm and danger....cause you have no idea where trouble may come from. My understanding is that yes God created all things, but MOST, not ALL bad things that happen to man have to do with God's grace being taken away. By this I mean God doesn't do them, but rather God and His grace PREVENTS bad things from happening to us. I beleive God is the author and finisher, the alpha and the omega. I beleive God has a plan for each and every one of us, and it is up to us to find out what it is and live that life. But I digress.

I beleive that bad things happen to either point us in the right direction (according to his plan) or as punishment for sin. Now before you say I'm double-talking, I'll break it down like this. The enemy (Satan) is the "accuser of the brethren" (Revelation 12:10). Think of it like court, where God is the judge and Satan is the lawyer representing the prosecution, and Jesus is representing you the defendant. The enemy is accusing you of not living up to God's Word (the bible), tattling all the questionable things you do in life....fornication, cutting somebody off in traffic, lying on your job application, etc. "See God, they did this and they did that, so let me get them." Jesus (if you're trying to live right) will speak on your behalf "Father, true they did do those things, but later they prayed and asked for forgiveness."

On the other hand, if you're not living right, and not trying to get better, Jesus has nothing to say and after a while, God will allow the enemy to have his way. To put this in context, Prophetess Juanita Bynum said that the September 11th attacks in New York (from a spiritual context) was allowed because of the legitimized corruption, gay pride marches and general lack of morality that was taking place in the city (and the country) prior to then. I agree with her. Did God "do it" no, did God ALLOW it to happen, yes. Those planes could have easily missed the WTC buildings and landed in the water. I'm not talking in a tactical perspective, I talking about spirit or soul. Remember that court scenario? Well the reason its a courtroom is because the final judgement will be for your soul, and whether you go to heaven or hell. But unlike man's court, God knows your heart, and no amount of money can buy you points in the eyes of God. Do you ever wonder why sometimes things "almost" happen like car accidents or falling down or miracle surgery, etc? God's grace covers us, in ways we cannot know or understand - if we obey His laws (the bible) God is infinite.

So, back to the original comment about God creating homosexuals. I don't beleive God "created" homosexuals, no more than God "created" AIDS. God created (hu)man, and man chose to do (bad) things on his own. It is a choice. It might not "feel" right, but neither does getting a job paying $6/hr if you're selling drugs making $500/week. Nobody's perfect. It's not like you're "damned forever" if you do bad things, but the important thing is that you develop a desire to change your heart. Thats why prayer is important. Your individual relationship with God. I beleive "church" should be for teaching (about God's word) and service (to the community), it should not be your primary or sole relationship with God because sometimes PEOPLE in church are corrupt, and if they act up people blame God. God didn't steal your money or sleep with this member or drive that Mercedes. Thats all man. Man will always "sin and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) But if you don't know God for yourself, you'll believe anybody that looks like/sounds like a "preacher." holding God in contempt for man's actions, and holding up the blessings in store for you.