Cap'n A-Hab's Log

Moving On

2010-06-14T21:14:00.007-06:00

Hey friends, followers, countrymen, and other people that visit this site.

Here's the deal. It has been a great ride. This blog has been something I've really enjoyed. However, I'm starting fresh. My blogging is moving and rebooting over at Tumblr. Check me out at ahable.tumblr.com. There, I'll be sharing about my new job with Great Commission Ministries as a missionary to the campus at Illinois.

See you over there.

The God of Remember

2010-04-14T19:55:00.002-06:00

I was headed off to a meeting tonight. It was like any night, especially in the fact that I had a meeting.

As I pulled out of the driveway, I was concerned that I might be late. But the burden was quickly lifted as I drove a couple blocks and took in the scent of freshly cut grass. Joy flooded into my heart. The summer was upon us. I smelled a firepit only seconds later. The memories of camping trips, late summer nights, and the great times as a child swept over me.

It was that moment that I thanked God for memory...

Then I continued along. Drove with my windows down along campus. Recognizing the streets, intersections, and timing of lights. I wasn't sure if I'd make it on time or not. Fortunately, I pulled to ISR, the location of the meeting, right at 8. Perfectly acceptable and on time. I really enjoyed the walk into ISR. I used to live there and the memories of my time there flooded back. The sight of the doors and the hours spent in the front lobby waiting for people came to the front of my mind. The smell of the building struck me. It has a smell doesn't it? So distinct! Out of my deepest parts rushed more memories of my time in ISR, both living there and leading a Small Group there.

It was this moment that I thanked God for the impact and memories in my life specifically...

The meeting was a bust. Nobody showed up. It was just the leaders and I. This conjures up memories of the struggles of leading a group. How easy the frustration can set in. How easily discouragement did strike me when I was in the same position. We left early, and as I prayed, I was compelled by our God of Memory. He encouraged me so powerfully with memory. Why wouldn't I bless Him in prayer for it?

It was at this moment that I was reminded of Yahweh as the God of Remember...

He asks and compels us to remember:

Exodus 20:8
"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

Leviticus 26:42
I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.

Deuteronomy 7:18
But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt.

Judges 16:28
Then Samson prayed to the LORD, "O Sovereign LORD, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes."

Psalm 25:7
Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD.

Matthew 16:9
Do you still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?

Matthew 26:75
Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Luke 23:42
Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. "

Luke 24:6
He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee

I love that God calls us to remember constantly His promise, His provision, His power, and our relationship with Him.

All this because somebody thought their grass was too tall.

Favre Surging

2010-01-18T08:48:00.001-07:00

This season is fascinating for me from an NFL perspective. The Saints are awesome, the Colts are consistent, the Patriots have fallen, and the Packers are building a solid foundation for the future.

While I am super happy with Aaron Rodgers and what he has done in Green Bay so far, I can't help but wonder a little bit what it would be like if the master of the fountain of youth, Brent Favre was still in Green Bay as Brett Favre, how good we'd be. The hated Viqueens are in the NFC Title Game (against the just as red-hot Saints) with Brent under center. Would the Pack have been there?

Now, take into account that A-Rod had to run a lot this year and his O-Line was pretty weak. That would have gotten Favre beaten up. But the receivers in GB are top notch and it'd be fun to throw the ball their way. As well, Brett is a guy that can seemingly galvanize a team if his passion is there.

If the Vikes do win the Super Bowl, I of course will feel awful cuz the Vikings won and happy for Brent at the same time cuz he still kicked everybody's butts. This one won't shake out for a few more years though when we finally see how many Super Bowls A-Rod can lead the Pack to.

Until then, let's go Saints. You're my boys for at least this week.

Work on the Haus part 2

2010-01-14T16:09:00.001-07:00

Work on the Haus part 2, originally uploaded by | Orthogonal Photography |.

they've ripped the stucco off of the Haus and are in process to put insulation on. they still have to replace windows, put new siding up, and replace the front porch. but it is looking good so far.

Great Packers Game Quote

2010-01-11T07:35:00.001-07:00

?I started very slowly and didn?t make a lot of good plays early on to get us into position to win,? Rodgers finally said. ?We were able to get on a roll there in the second half. Unfortunately, we couldn?t make enough plays to win.?

He might as well have been talking about the Packers? entire 2009 season. They spent the second half of it digging out from the hole they created in the first half. Indeed, said coach Mike McCarthy, ?our greatest strength ? is really to overcome adversity.?

"I think we'll be back and better next year," said Alan.

Read more @ http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_/id/8729/packers-run-out-of-gas

Contributing with Hobbies

2010-01-04T23:45:00.003-07:00

Talking with a friend tonight something occurred to me. OK, maybe it's obvious, but hobbies, interests, and passions are important.

From a Biblical perspective, I think they serve a few purposes, and if they serve all three (there could be more), they can become a hobby for a long and purposeful time. For myself, I will use photography as an example.

1) Refreshing.

A hobby, interest, or passion should probably have a refreshing component. This means that it should recharge you. This could be something that makes you feel good afterwards or brings you back to a state of calmness or sharp thought. Photography is a great hobby that I feel like I really enjoy. It is an energizing experience shooting and editing photos and I love going back and looking at my work. It's really fun.

2) Worshipful.

A hobby, interest, or passion should probably incorporate God. I love creating for just God. I love creating in a way that is capturing. In this, I mean that I love to capture what God has put out there and frame it in a new way. It's also a great way to pray or listen to worship music and sermons while I work.

3) Contributing.

A hobby, interest, or passion should probably be fruiphotographytful. This means that my hobby is better if I contribute to society in some way (through service, creating, or sharing). This is convicting, as it tends to mean that video games aren't the best long term version for my life. However, is art and it helps to solidify memories for people. I am able to serve while I'm refreshed and worshipful.

Now, this is an off the cuff thought, but I really wanted to share it and am curious if there are things I'm missing or if these are disagreeable. I'd love feedback.

My Favorite Christmas Song

2009-12-25T22:31:00.002-07:00

A bad version

A good version

Shawn McDonald - O Holy Night

My Favorite Advent Song

2009-12-24T08:45:00.002-07:00

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

I say favorite Advent song as today is the last day of Advent. This song just screams to me the advent (coming) of Jesus. What a haunting and sad time this song reflects. What a waiting. And yet, a build toward the chorus.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel (God with us) shall come to thee o Israel (Humanity).

I love it. Rejoice ye weary sinners. Rejoice for God is coming. He is coming to dwell amongst you. He cares for you and will restore you.

Tomorrow...my favorite Christmas song.

Passer Rating

2009-12-23T09:09:00.001-07:00

I knew passer ratings were complicated to calculate. This is ridiculous

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passer_rating

It's more science than sport now. The reason this came up is cuz there are some beefy passer ratings this season. Lots of guys in the high 90s and even hundreds. I mean, Aaron Rodgers (of Packers lore) is in his second year as a starter and hovering on a 102.4 rating. Sweet

Ecclesiastes 9:3

2009-12-19T13:49:00.003-07:00

It seems so tragic that one fate comes for all. That is why people are not more careful to be good. Instead, they choose their own mad course, for they have no hope. There is nothing ahead but death anyway.

Proverbs 16:7

2009-12-16T09:05:00.001-07:00

"When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD,
he makes even his enemies live at peace with him."

I love it. My initial interpretation is that rather than retaliate, love cleverly.

How Did That Happen?

2009-11-20T14:26:00.001-07:00

Listening to Tony Campolo's messages on Megachurches has really challenged me.

http://www.tonycampolo.org/podcast/tonycampolo_podcast.xml

He has overall really defended this way to do church. One of the things he has hit on is that mainline denominations say megachurches are entertaining and that's how they get people to come. His response is fascinating and I really enjoy it.

I paraphrase:

Since when is being boring a virtue? As long as Jesus is preached, and preached consistently, people will get to hear about him. If a church is entertaining and doesn't mention Jesus, then that's a different story. But if you can be entertaining and get people to hear the Gospel, then why not?

On top of that, he has wondered a fantastic thought (again, paraphrased).

How did we take the most compelling message in history, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and make it boring. Something that we just sorta talk about. It is exciting!

Challenging thoughts from a man who isn't scared to speak his mind.

A photography nugget

2009-09-09T07:06:00.000-06:00

One of the reasons I would say that my photos have improved over two-three years is because I'm willing to take more risks (you could also argue gear helps, which I totally will not deny). Both in when I shoot (all the time) and in what I shoot (everything).

Then I have been able take what I've learned about perspective, composition, and capturing light from classes and others, and look at my photos and say, "I did this right," or "That was totally off, and here is why."

Finally, I've taken that set of observations, combined with techniques practiced and gleaned from others, and refine my process.

I see is as iterative; slowly honing in on the specific style that is mine. Now that style will evolve, but it is helpful to know it is being refined. I'm able to shoot things now that I wouldn't have known the best way to capture in the past.

Maybe this is not a super profound post, but I'm shooting my first wedding this weekend, and I'm slightly nervous. I will say though, that I have a tiny amount of confidence, as I've seen my process of iteration and practice develop my abilities.

-- Post From My iPhone

Gadgets and presence

2009-08-03T07:20:00.001-06:00

To go along with the article I posted this weekend, here is an article from USA Today about tech and how much we text, use our smartphones, or sit on the computer and aren't present to one another. The safety and social implications are huge. And I admit I am guilty at times. After all, I read the article on my iphone's USA Today app. And then shared it with you on my iPhone.

Seems somewhat paradoxical.

Anyway, here is the article...

http://usat.me/?35825520

-- Post From My iPhone

A couple of links

2009-08-01T17:31:00.004-06:00

Both of these links are to fairly long articles (at least longer than a 140 character tweet). They are definitely worth reading though.

The God of technology, or the god of Technology?
An article discussing how we are to use tech as a tool and not an object of our affection. I can see this as super helpful to me, so that I don't turn to my phone when I'm around people, but use it to connect with people when I'm not around them, etc.

The Case for Early Marriage
An interesting perspective that doesn't solely involve the 'young and horny and protecting chastity' argument for early marriage. Also great thoughts on marriage as a whole and the way we teach abstinence, but not the value of marriage.

Teaching at Summer Church

2009-07-14T21:41:00.003-06:00

This summer, Illini Life has been doing church in a summer'y way. We've cut down on the complexity of our liturgy, we've moved from a lecture hall to a small room above a cookie shop, and we've focused ourselves on about 10 weeks of learning about characteristics of God. We've heard about God's sovereignty, self-existence, wrath, providing nature, and more.

In a week, I will be at the 'pulpit' in church, teaching from God's word and my own experiences. Kinda scary, exciting, interesting, etc. I won't divulge what it is I'm teaching on (as I'm not 100% confirmed), but I'm really excited about the topic. I hope many people are able to show up and make me a little nervous.

Now, the most interesting thing to me is that I'm 23. This means I'm still pretty young, dumb, and ugly (thanks to Weird Al). I'll be speaking to a group of Illini Lifers that are primarily, well, lifers. These are people that have committed themselves to this church and have had more years than I to have God's wisdom imparted upon them. So what can I give them? Not much. And that is pretty exciting.

It is an environment where I can relay on what Scripture, Church History, and General and Special Revelation have given me. Then I can comment with my own thoughts after I convey the clear truths. There is so little pressure, as God has revealed so much truth to us. I am just mining it and putting it into a short, 20-25 minute package.

Now this isn't to say that I have NOTHING to offer. I have a unique perspective, way of speaking, way of thinking, and on top of that, there are younger people around for the summer, and I hope I can reveal more of God's character to them.

Pray for me as I compile my thoughts and seek out God's heart in this message. And come check it out! It'll be next week on Wednesday, July 22 at 6:00 PM at the Illini Life Ministry Center (above Insomnia Cookies on John St. in Champaign). Even if you haven't been to church with me, to church at all, or barely know me, come hear what I have to say and what God has to say through me.

I'm hard on things

2009-07-13T21:22:00.002-06:00

I really can't have nice things, as I tend to break them. This is something I've slowly learned over time.

That is why, when I bought my iPhone, I bought it at Best Buy and sucked it up paying the "no matter what you do, you elephant in a china shop, we'll fix/replace it for you" insurance. I broke my iPhone today.

While talking to Lauren, Bemi came rushing in being loud and cheerful, and I got into a playful, "let's wrestle" mood. So I started to grab Bemi, and he played back. In the process, I dropped my phone, but I still whipped his butt. Once I got up from beating him down, I went to get my phone, which has an obviously placed black line of dead pixels down the middle and some floating black lines on a flickering white background. That's not good, is it?

(I wish it were this dramatic. Think less broken glass, more busted LCD.)

So, I went to Best Buy because I had the "you are an irresponsible person with your electronics" insurance. I thought I'd get it in, replaced, and still make it to the softball game in an hour. It took forever in line. Not only were two groups of people being helped already, but it took them the entire time I was there (and longer) to get helped. So I stood in line to no avail. Whoops. To rub salt in the wounds, an older couple was buying two iPhones. Goodbye, luster of having a hip young dude phone.

So I'll try to go back tomorrow. They will have to send it 'in' somewhere. So I'll probably be sans phone for a while. Hit me up on facebook or email and I can get back to you in the evenings. I can get back to you during the day if you email me at work (email my home email if you want that address). Perhaps the greatest solace I can find in all of this is that I will MAYBE be getting a 3G S as a replacement? I can only hope...

2009-07-04T10:57:00.001-06:00

[Jesus] called the people to him and said to them "Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person." Matthew 15:11 (ESV)

This verse came to me today while sitting and praying about my own character. I honestly tend to consider myself a person of high character most of the time. But my speech at many junctures would indicate otherwise. Whether it be sarcasm, cursing, complaining, mean spirited thoughts, or even thoughts that I was unaware would be hurtful, my words tend not to be fragrant in a good way.

What this really spoke to me was that God wants my speech to match my innards. My desire to pursue God should be greater than the desire to get a cheap laugh at somebody's expense, or to just speak ill of a situation to make myself feel better about me.

I am loving being here in Colorado. It truly is a time and place where I find God totally refining me in a very real way. This is only my second day here with only s few more to go, but I love the directions God is taking me.

-- Post From YMCA of the Rockies

It's fun to stay at the YMCA

2009-07-01T09:11:00.000-06:00

I'll be at this fantastic location in about 36 hours. Yes!

Wow I'm excited.

-- Post From My iPhone

What might you call a well behaved dog breed

2009-06-17T21:28:00.001-06:00

One time, we said Golden Retrievers were really well behaved. Bemi said "that's why they're called golden retrievers."

We said, "that doesn't make sense"

I said, "You know what the name for a well behaved dog is?"

A doesn't give me any shih tzu.

Its that time of the summer again

2009-06-15T22:10:00.003-06:00

I just skimmed this article, because honestly, I don't care as much as last year. I'm sure I'll be heated about it sooner than later, but seriously, I can't give it all the energy I gave it last summer.

Brett Favre

Also, I've spent a lot of time dreaming about cars. I suppose it is summer and the road is open and I spend 3+ hours a day in a car. But nothing now. I can't afford it, and my aquamarine-ish Ford Escort Wagon with a ton of power, sex appeal, and versatility (as well as really great gas mileage) is treating me super well. It isn't ideal, but man she is beautiful.

New Taking Back Sunday

2009-06-03T13:42:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure how I completely feel about the newest TBS album, but I hope to figure it out soon, as it has been playing on my iphone like crazy. I believe it to be really promising though. Faster paced. Only thing so far is that it is over too soon.

One great thing though is the album art (seen below). I'm a huge fan. As a photographer, I like an image like this taking the whole cover. It even looks like good usage of HDR. Simply put, visually, I can't think of an album cover I've liked this much in a while.

-- Post From My iPhone

The New Divide

2009-05-19T19:00:00.002-06:00

OK, now I can't say my musical tastes are super refined or anything of that sort. I mean, I listen to what people would call screamo, emo, pop-punk, hip-hop, etc. I don't listen to a ton of the 'classy' singer/songwriter stuff or beautiful classical music. Not that I wouldn't listen to it, but rather it just isn't what I gravitate to initially. But even with my questionable tastes....

c'mon Linkin Park! Stop trying to be a metal version of Nickelback. Your sound is so trite now. Ever since Minutes to Midnight, you have sacrificed a major part of your band. Heck, after the Fort Minor song "Get Me Gone" where Mike Shinoda lauds Linkin Park's usage of his rap stylings, it was quite absent (although not completely gone) from the latest album offering.

They have since had a chance to redeem themselves to me. I open my iTunes to see a new song from Linkin Park today for the Transformers 2 movie. I pay my elevated $1.29 for the track (seriously Apple...) and pop it onto the iPhone for the day. The first listen through was ok, but I couldn't help keep in my head that it sounded a heck of a lot like the first single off of Minutes to Midnight, What I've Done.

Now, I thought I was maybe just a hyper-critical fan, but then my girlfriend tells me it reminds her of the same thing, unprompted by me. And hey, we may both be hyper-critical. After all, the song was written specifically for the movie and not for anything else. But seriously, you could've gotten a lot of bands to put together that song in my opinion. Linkin Park has something special that is being wasted.
_____

On another musical note (pun not intended until after I saw it, then I thought it was cheesy enough to stay), I just recently bought the first album from Carly Comando. This pianist has impressed me greatly with her ability to put together music I find moving and that calls me to desire to worship God. It is on the way in the mail. But in the meantime, I, much like I suggest to you, will be listening on the MySpace page and through the two YouTube videos she has composed music for.

Gluttony

2009-05-15T13:44:00.000-06:00

As I have 15+ hours of driving a week plus time at a desk drawing regulator stations, I have a lot of time to listen. I have started to listen to podcasts and teachings to get thoughts on my mind. While I may admit that I listen to almost too much stuff to absorb all the facts, it is causing my mind to focus well on certain things. One of these has been the Seven Deadly Sins. I've been listening to a sermon series from Kairos - Los Angeles, a sister church of Illini Life, as well as a lecture series from Tony Campolo both on the topics. Today I listened to anger from Kairos and Gluttony from Campolo.

Campolo is a brash man who said, "Go out and love a fat person today." So awkward, funny, and true. I think he was trying to hit upon the idea that weight doesn't define worth, and people should be loved and respected regardless. However, he also encouraged healthy eating and lifestyle.

Being heavier than I desire, any God given principles on the topic are helpful. The two that continually hit home are exercise and eating less. However, one that sits on the sideline is eating slower. This is a good principle that I know. The body doesn't usually register "fullness" until about 15 minutes after starting to eat. I know this, but often ignore it.

However, it isn't ignored because I don't beleve it. I very much so do believe it. Instead, I am always eating on the run. Now this is definitely connected to another story about me that says I am too busy. When I have 15 minutes to eat, I use every one of them and slam down hard.

Here comes the Biblical principle:

Eat slowly and use a meal as a time of accountability, sociability, teaching, learning, exploring, engaging. Draw it out so you eat slower and enjoy company more. Jesus taught when people sat down to eat. The 5000 who ate didn't run off to the next meeting they had with another friend. On the contrary, they seem to have enjoyed the company they had. This is why I love living in a house. When we share meals, time slows and company is enjoyed.

I would even say one more step to take would be to eat and talk. Too many times we shovel for 15, feel awful, and then talk. What if we instead just took our time? Now, like I said, I am not there yet, and I have to fight with busyness. However, I love this idea and plan to spend more time eating slower, enjoying company that I have, and not super seeking different company around every meal time.

-- Post From My iPhone

Socialism?!?!

2009-05-11T07:46:00.001-06:00

Ok, so shock value aside...

As I drive to work every day, I travel mostly on interstate 74. Along I-74, there have been signs cropping up announcing a coming construction project. On a couple of these signs are the insignia seen below.

These are the logos to indicate a project I'd part of the National Recovery and Reinvestmet Act. (inconsequential to anything about the project, I think the logo on the left is pretty slick) Kinda cool to see stimulus money affecting me. At least sorta. If anything, politics can feel far away on the federal level, so it is cool to see it hit "home."

Anyway, I think it'll be neat to see the project develop. I have never traveled a route this consistently to see change occur. But this time should be different. I am pretty excited to see it through from start to finish. I just hope the work delays aren't too long...

-- Post From My iPhone

When to post photos?

2009-05-06T10:21:00.001-06:00

So, as an unofficial photographer for a fair amount of people, I end up postig photos a lot. Not only do I run into the predicament of wanting to post to Flickr and not waste my time with tagging crappy res. facebook photos, but also when to post. Some of it comes down to when I have time, and if I am busy, it ain't getting posted right away. But, I think I see some advantage in waiting and letting the memories of the images and event float back rather than posting the same night, absorbing, and then moving on. I love photos so much because they carry such weight in the memory department.

So, the question is, when do you post photos? Do you think there is a good lead time to wait before posting? Do pictures lose their staying power when posted quickly and forgotten about? Does it do a disservice to people if you don't post pictures quickly because they can't build on the momentum of the event?

Thoughts?

-- Post From My iPhone

The artist

2009-04-25T10:47:00.001-06:00

I believe my appreciation of art has grown since my relationship with Christ has grown. I think I always knew beauty existed and was real, but until given a Jesus-centric world view, for me, art was stale. I could easily dismiss something as not art, rather than embracing the creative nature of it. Now I see it in everything.

-- Post From My iPhone

Jesus and his short time: a thought

2009-04-21T23:02:00.003-06:00

In my readings of scripture, I don't get the impression Jesus spent a lot of time discussing what the Hebrew means here vs. the Greek there in the scriptures. I don't get the impression he spent a lot of time discussing the science of salvation. I don't get the impression he spent a ton of time discussing the nature of existence or transubstantiation or how to run a contemporary worship service.

God didn't come into the world to say "Hey, this part of scripture means that!" Instead, God came into the world to redeem it and explain the simplicity of that message. It is a fulfillment of the law, not a re-clarification of the law, but a fulfillment.

I'm sure there is something wrong or confusing about my thought here, but I wanted to get it down before I forgot it while falling asleep.

Jesus didn't come to be a scholar, but a savior.

Worship and Our Fellow Man

2009-04-15T22:01:00.003-06:00

Track with me on this (it is a developing string of thoughts) and let me know what you think.

A)
1)We are made to worship
2) We worship things we see *perversion of true worship*
3) We assign to them divine status
4) These things fall short and break under the pressure of the worship
B)
1) We are made to have worth
2) When we find worth, we can become worshiped *perversion of true validation*
3) When we are worshiped, we can denounce it, or acknowledge it
4) We will crack under the pressure of being worshiped and help to perfection
C)
1) We are made in God's image
2) We are made to worship God
3) Perversion of worship leads to us worshiping things that could replace God
4) Therefore, we worship each other

Tomorrow

2009-04-14T08:14:00.000-06:00

"So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring it's own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today"

- Jesus

Just listening to a co-worker talk about how she is so close to retirement but how much she hates her job breaks my heart. But she can't quit yet because she'd lose out on a pension and be short on collecting Social Security. This, to me, highlights how America's system can potentially lead us to disregard the advice/commands of our creator. Not that planning is bad. I am not trying to suggest that. I am saying that we put ourselves through undue hardship worrying about tomorrow. Perhaps less focus on retirement and more on today's impact is the focus we must have. For me, this means realizing I am at Ameren today and this is the work the Lord has put before me today.

Note: I just got the BlogPress app for my iPhone so I can blog a bit more off the cuff because I just have not been writing since I started work. So my posts will be more often, but also more 'thought' than 'statement.' I still hope to put out logical ideas and truths that are challenging to me and others. Good Tuesday to you all!

Easter as a Feast

2009-04-12T16:58:00.000-06:00

This time of food, family, and celebration has been glorious. Here lie the remains of our dessert. I hope you were able to celebrate the Glory of the Son today with someone you love.

Escapist

2009-04-11T08:43:00.003-06:00

Maybe this is obvious, but we are escapists. America is running.

We run from debt by creating credit.
We run from families by staying late at work.
We run from real manly relationships with sports.
We run from real feminine relationships with gossip.
We run from pain with substances.
We run from deep thoughts with shallow ones.
We run from poverty with the suburbs.
We run from our own home life with sitcoms.
We run from the sting of death by respawning in video games.
We run from the reality of pain by making it distant in CSI, and news about the Third World.
We run from personal interactions with emails and texts.
We run from eye contact with others with smartphones.
We run from our own death with anything that will allow us.
We run from the inconvenience of a child with abortion and birth control.
We run from a personality to a social status with a nice car.
We run from our consequences.

These are some fairly fresh thoughts, but I strongly believe we will do almost anything to escape reality. We have numbed ourselves to a reality that is right in front of us. And I do not consider myself somehow innocent.

Now, I feel that anyone that knows I am a believer of Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah could easily say that my faith is an escape as well. That my belief in Jesus is just a comfort for death and a way to impose my thoughts on others. And heck, I'm sure you have awesome philosophical, psychological, economic, and sociological arguments for why I am wrong. I'd actually love to hear them, as I am truly trying to understand what we are running from and what it is ok to dwell in.

I disagree though, that faith in Christ is a form of escape. It can be. We can get caught up in dogma, theology, and color of the pews. However, I believe the Jesus of the Bible and an authentic faith in him works towards not ignoring death and pain, but rather staring it in the face.

Not that all of these things I mention are inherently evil, but...We must not serve two masters (God and money; God and television; God and whatever may be your idol). Jesus is the master and we must live in the weight of a reality that is largely beyond our control. Let's not escape it, but run directly to it to learn what it is. This includes studying things that I just said we run to with theology and science and philosophy. I think these are good things to delve into, as they will reveal the nature of humanity as much as we can see, and I believe will open us to the nature of God all the more. The problem always come when we make them our God and ignore God by studying them.

God and the Cubs, physics, philosophy, family, and television can coexist. Just make sure you recall the most important.

2009-04-07T22:49:00.000-06:00

Tolerance is passive

Love is active

I return...to talk about...3.0

2009-03-18T21:40:00.004-06:00

So, I haven't written in many moons. I believe the primary reason for this is that it turns out full time work, 3 hours commuting, dating, and being an active member in God's mission make you pretty busy.

However, I have a couple minutes...so, iPhone 3.0. The biggest thought I have:

This new software will allow third party devices to be connected to the phone and communicate with applications. CANON! Listen to me! Create a remote app. Use a simple cable. Make the phone a remote for extended and distance exposures. Make it a device to change settings away from the body. Give the capability to go straight from camera to places like flickr through the phone. Allow the user to use the phone as the extention to the camera. Heck, throw some editing software on there, let a person give it some quick fixes, and share photos immediately (in many resolution formats, including iPhone all the way up to full 15 MP images). The phone's screen is already a 9:6 ratio, so it is perfect for viewing (maybe another option for live view as well).

I don't know how possible all of this is, but man if some of it comes to fruition, I will be very pleased.

Smell The Roses: 1 year after

2009-01-01T15:04:00.002-07:00

The Rose Bowl Game is today. Starting in just a matter of minutes, the game between Penn State and the University of ~~Suck~~ Southern California. A year ago, at this time, I was in Pasadena for this game with the Illini position to defend the Big Ten. This didn't really work out...

Here's to hoping that the Nittany Lions will defend the Big Ten's honor and destroy the arrogant Californians (No bias in my mind, is there?)

Oh, and Happy 2009!

08 in Photos (part 2)

2008-12-29T22:58:00.006-07:00

This be the continuation of Alan's photo journal of '08. This batch of 19 images is from the summer. My summer was spent in Alabama with a short vacation stint after that with the family. There were events in there that were definitely interesting (weddings and good times with friends at home), but I didn't catch much in the way of pictures there. So here are the pictures from the second portion of Alan's year.

On one of the first weekends in Alabama, I went exploring and ended up in Huntsville. There I saw the Saturn V rocket you see in the picture above. I would make a return visit later in the summer to actually explore the facility.

While living in Decatur, AL for the summer, I took a couple photo walks. This and the next couple images are my favorites from the times there walking around. This is from an old worn down train depot in town.

These are my shoes (Sanuks) that I loved so much up against the rocks on the edge of the Tennessee River.

My second light painting attempt was I believe a bigger success. I was in a slightly more controlled environment and this was my favorite picture from the batch.

This is a Fred's shopping cart in the parking lot for the Fred's and the Aldi that I visited frequently for my grocery needs.

The Ave Maria Grotto in Cullman, AL was another neat excursion on my visits around the area. This place had many miniatures of buildings and scenes built in the grotto. This particular one is the representation created for the Tower of Babel.

This is from my first Arena football game. The Arena 2 league has a team in Huntsville called the Tennessee Valley Vipers. Here they are huddled up before the next play is called.

On my return visit to the Space and Rocket Center I was able to obtain some neat pictures of the facilities inside the fence. This includes this shuttle here. I also coincidentally learned a neat editing effect that created a painted/drawn image while messing with this image. It has become a fun part of my repertoire since.

One of the few shots from inside the steel mill that I worked in. This is a hot slab of steel with a part of the project that I worked on for the summer. I definitely could have gotten further on the project looking back on it, but it was a good summer regardless, and I will hold that mill in a special spot in my heart.

Our family vacation took us to many places. This major one was New York City. This is waiting for the Washington Bridge to get onto Manhattan Island.

This is on Manhattan as well, in the Harlem region while driving to visit with my cousin Mark.

The look down a canyon of buildings to see the Empire State Building. I really enjoyed the edit job I did on this particular picture.

Buildings on the beautiful day we experienced on our second day in NYC. These are on the south side of the island and I love how they truly popped against the sky.

You know, the Statue of Liberty and such. Not my favorite picture with it, but since I'm limiting this to pictures that I snapped and edited, this ends up being the best one.

One of the towers in NYC that bears the name of Trump. I truly enjoyed seeing the sky and the building meld into each other.

Our journey of the summer also took us to Maine. There, along the coast, we got a chance to experience a culture you just do not get to see in the Midwest. This is a foggy morning along one of the many peninsulas of Maine.

This shot really pops to me and I enjoy the stories that go along with it in my head. This was taken right before we left on a very pleasant boat trip along the coast to see lighthouses.

In downtown Bar Harbor, this building takes a prominent point along the coast. It was a tough shot to get with the low lighting, but what can I say, I just can hope for a better low light performing camera (*cough* Canon 5D Mk II *cough*)

Taken just to the left of the building this four masted boat caught our attention as well and the night really made for a beautiful and pleasant scene.

Outside of Bar Harbor (on the ocean side) we took a trip to watch whales on a massive boat. This was a fun task for me, if anything, to be able to capture these majestic animals in a sports photography type atmosphere. I just wish I had a higher zoom lens for this moment.

While traveling back from Maine, we stopped in a beautiful state park in New Hampshire near what used to be the Man in the Mountain. This park had a beautiful gorge we were able to follow the trail right up into. This shot also fit into my new high contrast painterly style of edit.

I thought this would be a good typical car commercial shot and with the high contrast, it gives it that fake car commercial feel. This is taken while on Mount Washington, which is the highest peak on the east coast. It was cold, windy, and foggy up there. Fantastic.

A church in Vermont that I found to be particularly beautiful.

We closed up our vacation hitting up Niagara Falls. The best part about this part of the journey is that I accidentally drove us into Canada. The Canuks didn't have a problem with this though, as we had dollars to bring, and we sure as heck didn't look threatening. This wasn't initially my favorite shot of the falls, but as I look back at it, I love the incorporation of people into the shot and the motion blur they bring to the shot.

Up next: The Fall Semester!

08 in Photos (part 1)

2008-12-27T10:25:00.007-07:00

Well, it seems to be the trend to review the year when it ends, or so it appears to me. I think this really is something fantastic to me, as you could spend a lot of time looking forward and easily forget where you've been. For me, a huge part of reviewing the year is looking at my photography. This includes looking at it documenting events, as well as developing my abilities to shoot. So, starting from the first second of the new year, all the way to the end of an era for Alan, here are the shots that defined 2008 (part 1).

On the strip in Las Vegas watching 2008 being rung in. Then we were off for a night of driving to Los Angeles.

The kickoff for the Rose Bowl Game 2008. Illinois vs. USC. That's all I'm going to say. The kickoff was exciting.

The Presbyterian Church in Clinton, IL taken in my first days with my Rebel XT.

Sunset over the football practice fields in Clinton, IL.

The Alma Mater and Altgeld Hall at the University of Illinois. Taken during a cold night walk on campus.

Calvin on the slopes at Orchard Downs during our epic sledding journey.

Rockets shot off on the Engineering Quad during Engineering Open House.

The cups full of water on the stairs prank at the Danger Zone.

Evan setting his Osama effigy on fire for Bin Laden's birthday.

Fixing a home during the Illini Life Memphis Mission Trip over the University of Illinois' Spring Break.

Bernie Mac (RIP) and Sam Jackson filming a scene for Soul Men on Beale Street in Memphis while on our Spring Break trip.

Russ playing drums for the Rock for Honduras event during the Spring semester with Illini Life.

A dew covered leaf out in nature following the Mandate event with Illini Life. One of my early attempts at Macro photography.

Wrigley Field, back when the Cubs had hope. They laid into the Pirates on this day early in the season.

Alan experimenting with light painting. This is definitely early in the process. Hopefully there will be future attempts with the knowledge had that will help these shots improve.

Depauw University and their beautiful campus while visiting an old friend.

My first people photo shoot for the sake of photo shooting. This is my now roommate Matt looking for some promo art for his music.

This is another shot from the shoot with Matt, but definitely different and wanted to give it a show too as it is really something I've liked a lot since I shot it.

The Treehouse Sessions, Spring 08. Later this year, I took some newer versions with a subset of Treehouse ladies. This shot, however, is special to me, as these girls have been dear to my heart for a long time.

From my second Cubs game of the year. This was a loss to the Padres, but it was still neat to see a team that was tearing up the Majors. Unfortunately, that wouldn't last. This is the last shot of the 'spring semester.' Part 2 will bring you the summer and beyond. Feel free to let me know what you think, you see, etc. I love critique.

Currents

2008-12-21T21:03:00.003-07:00

From my photo collection of the coast of Maine (summer 08)

Lately, I've been reading the book "Life of the Beloved" by Henry Nouwen, which has been a great read. He is a very plain writer who tackles heavy issues with simple and profound language.

One image he really created wonderfully for me was the way he described the soul as an ocean. The major players in the movement of an ocean are the undercurrents and the winds around the surface. Both can be strong, and both can create waves. Nouwen suggests that our convictions, the undercurrents, must be so strong, that they are what creates the waves in our lives. This is in opposition to having currents that vacillate and don't build momentum to change things. In this case, the winds can be strong enough to create waves. These waves are created from an external source. Nouwen insists that our waves must be created from inside.

This imagery was really powerful to me, especially as I hit the real world running. My convictions become even more my own and I must really allow them to control me and have them only be transformed by the most powerful of forces. I pray that the winds of the world may not whip me into a frenzy, but that instead I may be steadfast.

Graduation Joy

2008-12-20T01:49:00.001-07:00

High School Graduation Joy, originally uploaded by danette5.

Well,

Nothing really deep or profound. In about 10 hours, I will graduate from the U of I. Four and a half years of my life, built up to this moment. It is pretty exciting, and yet, pretty surreal. It doesn't have the same feel of high school graduation when the big kids get their free days and goof off time to 'practice' the ceremony. Nor is the weather warming to a glorious summer. Instead, we finish exams, and head off to our smaller ceremony in the dead of winter.

Thank you to all who have been instrumental in me getting to this point. Whether it be emotional, financial, or spiritual support, I truly appreciate what you have given to me. It has been a true blessing to be a classmate, friend, and family member of yours.

I look forward to the coming years, finally realizing that the calendar does in fact go past 2008. I wish you all the best in your endeavors and I truly hope that God moves in your lives as you move on to the adult stage of life. Those of you who are already there, welcome us with open arms; we're still pretty much kids. :)

Rod on SNL

2008-12-14T23:18:00.000-07:00

We made it onto SNL for our fantastic politics. Yippee!!

5-9, 9-5

2008-12-14T14:31:00.003-07:00

Green Bay is officially eliminated from the NFL playoffs this season, and the Jets are still in contention. Not that one man makes a huge difference on just the field, but lets just say, once again, I feel vindicated.

5-9 Packers and 9-5 Jets

These Hands

2008-12-12T09:15:00.003-07:00

Companion (pt. 1)

This semester, as you might know, I was in a photo class. The course, ARTS 260, at the University of Illinois, is the introductory photography class. The first half of the semester involved learning basic techniques, styles, and how to shoot. We turned in a midterm project based upon four major themes (light and shadow, perspective, depth of field, and motion). Then the second half of the semester started, in which we were to create our own project with a theme. This project was to be 10 shots that fit into this theme.

Months ago, while in the shower, thinking about my day, the idea came to me that I needed to tell The Gospel with these pictures. In some way, th

is story, however I could do it, needed to be told, again and again. As I thought and prayed, it felt more and more compelling to tell the Gospel story from this perspective of photography and art. As well, it felt more and more necessary to tell them in a contemporary style. I couldn't just reshoot in photo form the paintings of the Renaissance.

As the project came about and started to develop, the idea was presented to me to use part of the body to tell these stories. This started with a great night of drawing the Parable of the Four Seeds on the skin of my friends. It slowly evolved from this into me telling stories from the four Gospel books with the hands. Gone was the seeds parable and in was the Good Samaritan. Gone was using marker for drawing and in was using it to write Hebrew on the body.

I told five stories with these images and I'm still working on how exactly I would present them, but what I do know is that I now have told five tales with these images. Each pair of images with the same name tells a story. There is writing on Hebrew on the skin, and in the title of the photos is the meaning of the word. I hope that this project may stimulate you, regardless of your lifestyle, beliefs, gender, color, or love/hate of art. This project is dear and close to me, and I hope that you are able to see the effort I put into it, trying to create these situations and communicate as effectively as I can with just two images per story.

Companion (pt. 2)

Here is the flickr link to the art project "These Hands"

So Listen...

2008-12-09T08:20:00.002-07:00

Remember how I told you to like, write Governor Blagojevich about the State Parks and Historical Sites? I told you that he really needed to change his mind on closing these fine facilities...

I'm thinking he might have be preoccupied for a while...

I wonder if after all of this dust settles, we can get our facilities back? Cuz there is corruption laden throughout that budget. I'm sure of it...

Finally, this situation totally reminds me of this...

The Greatest Empirical Evidence of All TIme

2008-12-06T12:36:00.002-07:00

I was walking early this afternoon with my friend Scott from a restaurant on Green Street to the Illini Union. While we were walking, we were talking and the remark that girls are loud when put together came up. Basically, I was saying that when you get girls together, they are always loud. No sooner was this said than a car with Lauren, Erin, and Suzie in it rolled by with them screaming out the window at us. Fantastic. I do not lie...

Sunset at the Springs

2008-12-05T09:47:00.001-07:00

Sunset at the Springs, originally uploaded by | Orthogonal Photography |.

Weldon Springs State Recreation Area outside of Clinton, Illinois closed at 2 PM on November 30 as part of a larger plan of Governor Rod Blagojevich's plan to balance the budget. Here is a list of the closed facilities...

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/08/28/news/doc48b6ead84f1b8189593039.txt

This is basically the last photo I took of the park, and the sunset to me is somehow appropriate.

Finally, if you feel like there is a problem with this closing, and the others, (perhaps you feel like Rod's flights to and from Springfield and Chicago could be reduced to fund a park instead) write him a letter here...

www.illinois.gov/gov/contactthegovernor.cfm

Bowl Boycott

2008-12-04T15:20:00.002-07:00

So, this year, we have the potential for 4 undefeated teams in college football.

As of right now, they are

Alabama

Utah

Boise State

Ball State

Two of these programs will probably go to BCS games. Alabama at the very least, and maybe Utah as well. Boise State and Ball State will probably be denied the right to play in these games. Granted, you can make arguments about strength of schedule, blah de blah. But they are in the same division. If you want them to not have a right to play with the big dogs, create a new division that these schools CAN WIN. It is garbage.

Therefore, I propose Boise State and Ball State (as per seeing a snippet of Around the Horn on ESPN today) boycott any bowl game invite and instead host their own bowl of undefeateds. This would be a game that I'm sure somebody would want to pick up tv rights to and it would spit in the face of the bowl system. And heck, if Utah doesn't make it, invite them, and a one loss team and hold your own mini-playoff. Let's start a movement to change things. Boise State has helped to keep the ball rolling by beating Oklahoma in epic fashion. I hope this continues to be the case...

You know if you mention it, it'll probably happen

2008-12-01T18:07:00.004-07:00

You know the moment. You are talking about something, and then it goes down.

This happens a lot in sports. Last night, they were remarking that Kyle Orton hadn't thrown an interception in over 200 passing attempts...Then he threw 3 picks. Like seriously, why'd you bring it up? Did you want him to fail?

As for me, I had a fantastic version of this today. Whilst reading an entry in the flickr blog, I came across this expanded story. Apparently this flickr user got an email asking if somebody could use his photo in a production. Later on, after a few more calls, he found out it was a full length motion picture called Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr.

Pretty cool that his pictures on flickr got attention like that. I've had a few blogs ask to use my stuff, which is kinda cool, but today, I was remarking that it would be so cool if something like that happened. So what happens? I get an email not even half an hour later asking me to get a photo published in an entertainment supplement to The Onion in Milwaukee, Wisconsin called Decider. Pretty sweet. They asked to use a photo of mine from a concert I did earlier this year from a band called Decibully. It was pretty neat. Totally fun to see photos I take being used. I'm getting a copy of the issue sent to me. Pretty sick!

Also, in other photo news. Check out the217.com and the article on Hardy's Reindeer Ranch. There are like 9 pictures I took on the page. Pretty sweet. Thanks Isaac and Matt for the opportunity and the posting of my pics.

Color Discrepancy Crossing Over Browsers

2008-11-22T08:31:00.003-07:00

While messing around on the computer this morning, I was starting to check out Safari, as I've been told it deserves a worthwhile look. Typically, I'm an exclusive Firefox user. However, that may change. I'm pretty sure I'm not crazy, but I see a color discrepancy on my flickr page when using safari vs. firefox. The safari colors are a bit richer and less flat. Not that firefox is awful or anything, but I'd never noticed this.

So, questions for you computer guys

1) Do you see it in the image below? (or am I just crazy)

2) Is this even possible?

3) What could be causing it? (same webpage, same computer, must be different browers, right?

Any thoughts would be helpful...

Relating the Eucharist to the Passover

2008-11-19T10:47:00.003-07:00

While listening to a John Piper sermon from his podcast, he mentioned that lambs in Jesus' time had two purposes. They were meant for slaughter or to be eaten. He then went on to say, when the writers of Scripture called Jesus the "Lamb of God", they meant he was to be slaughtered. This was a sacrifice offered to God, much in the same way actual lambs were sacrificed to God for atonement. This sacrifice was the ultimate one for the atonement of all peoples. He didn't take it any further though. For me, this was interesting.

If we are to relate the sacrifice of Jesus to a new passover, meaning he is a new sacrificial lamb, we must look at this situation as a whole. During the Passover of the Old Covenant, the lamb was sacrificed and then eaten by the believers. This was a time to share in the sacrifice together and eat of the lamb. What does this mean for the new Paschal Lamb? Let's look at it in the context of this passage

53Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever." 59He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
- John 6:53-59

After Jesus says this, some followers leave him because of the difficult teaching. He doesn't ask them to come back, saying "Hey! Hold up. That was just a metaphor." It seems that we must not just let the Lamb be slaughtered, but eat of him as well. This is an interesting point as we look at what the sacrament/practice of communion is.

From all of this, I would argue that communion is not just a symbol. It is far more and must be held with a level of reference. In fact, I would go as far as to say that Jesus is present in the Eucharist. This is not to go as far as to say that the doctrine of Transubstantiation is believable to me, but it does mean that Jesus is in communion and we must eat of it and know what it is. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:29

For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.

However, when St. Thomas Aquinas developed Transubstantiation, I believe he tried to explain something that cannot be explained. Instead, the mystery of communion will be preserved by God. Perhaps this is confusing to some of you and to others it is very clear, but I'd love to hear thoughts if you have any.

A Call for Help

2008-11-14T08:00:00.004-07:00

All you U of I peeps out there, this one is for you.

I have a request of you. I am in a class called Psych 358: Human Factors. In this class, we are working on a group project where we are to redesign something with humans and our personal preferences in mind. The thing my group chose to change is the CITES EXPRESS email server. We are right now in the data collection phase and we need your help. We have 3 survey pages to have people complete on surveymonkey.com (the reason we have 3 is because they wouldn't fit on one). They will take less than 10 minutes TOTAL and will help us create suggestions to change the way the University does email. The three links are below. Your help is greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, shoot me an email, or comment on here.

Please take the time to fill these out, as they will really help my group get the best sample pool

Page 1
Page 2
Page 3

Best of CU

2008-11-13T08:53:00.004-07:00

Hey all,

Be sure to pick up Buzz Magazine today. It is the Best of CU edition and I've got about ten pictures in there. Pretty cool!

Alternatively, you can stop on over at the217.com to look at the Best of CU, although not as many of my pics are on there.

On a more intense note: While trolling 'the book,' I came across the anti-FOCA (Freedom of Choice Act) group. In one of the message boards, the question was posed

If Life Doesn't Begin at Conception, Then When?

The thought here was, if you're not pro-life, when do you actually think life begins. The most interesting thought (and to me, saddening) came from a person who will remain un-named to defend their privacy.

Either way, it does not matter at all. Human beings are not allowed to use another human being's body without that person's direct and ongoing consent. A fetus could be human and abortion would still be legal.

Interesting. This person has basically described a fetus as a freeloader, and if we don't want it, it is ok get get rid of it. Aren't these pro-choice policies typically held by a group of people that believe it is good to help the less fortunate? And since when would it be ok to kill a free loader?

Feeling Catholic

2008-11-12T11:07:00.002-07:00

This past weekend, I went on a retreat with Newman Hall here on campus at the U of I. I really haven't done much with Newman in the last couple years, as after I moved out, I would go to Mass and that is about it. My involvement with Illini Life has really been my spiritual community. Throughout my spiritual walk I have felt more Roman Catholic or Non-Denominational. This week, after the retreat, I feel quite Catholic. It is a neat place to be. In all honesty, this retreat was the first time I felt like I'd seen a devotion to Christ and a devotion to Community in the same place in the Catholic church and I've felt part of it. There are times when I've seen one, the other, or both and not been a part of it, but this was a good experience for me.

The theme of the weekend was God's Divine Mercy. The painting above was inspired by Jesus in a vision to one Saint Faustina. It represents God's mercy. The red is the blood of Christ spilt out for our sins and the white is the water that washes us clean. I'm really glad that I went on this retreat. It was truly a blessing and God helped me work through a lot of things. Now, this isn't to say that I'm going to jump into anything specific, but it was a great way for me to balance my life.

OTHER THOUGHTS:

Alan got a job offer this week. He has to decide by Friday. Stressful much? This offer is with an engineering company. I'll let those that care know in a while when a decision is made. I did have this thought presented to me today though...

Our very word "decide" comes from the Latin decidere which means "to cut off."

Something must be cut off in my life this week. Some dream of a future, some possibility. It must be pruned away so other dreams can flourish more readily.

A New Era

2008-11-05T07:25:00.004-07:00

(I love that this second pic is the 3rd one on Google image search 'obama')

President Elect Obama: Congratulations! You ran a nearly flawless campaign, and you have earned the right to become our president. I do not remember a time when a Bush or Clinton was not in the white house (I wasn't even 3 when Bush Sr. was sworn in). And, yes, it is most exciting that we are this much closer to the passing hurdles of racism and bigotry in our nation. This shall be an interesting time for our nation.

Everyone: Now, I will say I did not vote for Obama, nor his opponent (I did vote though), and this is for reasons that are legitimate. I believe his ideas of hope and the direction he wants to take us are brilliant.

I hope the church can keep pace with the government aide.

I hope that Americans still will have the freedom and encouragement to succeed.

I hope that higher taxes for businesses won't force them overseas leading to less American jobs.

I hope Obama learns more on the issues while in office and really plays a role of bringing parties together and not being as liberal as his voting records show.

I hope that we will realize the weight and difficulty of instantly pulling out of wars.

I hope that we will realize the delicate economic balanace that exists and changing it without careful consideration could lead to failure or success.

I hope we really look into what is happening with the environment, and try to limit our own impact on it in good ways.

I hope that energy policies will be enacted to both reduce consumption but to also increase production (cough *nuclear* cough)

I hope we realize Barack Obama is not our hero, and we should not worship him.

I hope that people who voted Obama didn't vote for government handouts.

I hope that people who legitimately need government aide will receive is in this presidency.

I hope that America realizes the 'we' in 'yes we can' is you and I. Anyone can rise above. That is what makes this country so great.

And most of all, I, as a Christian and person who believe in life from conception to natural death, hope that this...
"The first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. That's the first thing that I'd do." -- Senator Barack Obama, speaking to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, July 17, 2007
...and this don't lead to this.

President Bush: Thank you for your service to our country. This article really inspires me to thank you for all you've done and tried to do. You have held the highest office, and despite criticisms, have led well.

Everyone: YAY, election season is over! Let us move toward unity. This doesn't mean getting behind every policy because that is what our leaders say, but let us really look to the good of each other and the good of the country. Let us look at the whole picture and not tow our party lines. I mean, after all, Barack told us 'yes we can.' Let's start to do it.

Voting Today

2008-11-04T09:46:00.004-07:00

It isn't like everybody else is doing the politics thing..........

"If you're not a liberal when you're 25, you have no heart. If you're not a conservative by the time you're 35, you have no brain" - Winston Churchill

This quote has been attributed to the former Prime Minister of England. However, I can't confirm if he actually said it. The one thing I can confirm is that this tends to be true, especially on facebook, where the population is young, and strongly leaning Obama. We shall see how the end product turns out by tonight perhaps when all the votes are counted.

There is something inherently neat to being on a team. The idea of having an evil to fight against; the opponent breathing down your neck, and the opportunity for glory. Just remember, after all is said and done, we are on one team in this nation. We may have different beliefs about how to fix things, and one of the things that worries me about this election is its strong polarizing nature. I hope we can come together as a nation and support our future leader. Fight for what you believe, but respect where we're going. and remember you individually are called to affect change and to bring about good.

(see what I did there...I combined two logos...I'm funny. and clever)

Everybody is getting in on the fun

2008-10-29T23:35:00.002-06:00

I just watched Family Guy on Hulu (maybe not super proud of it) but here they have Stewie in Nazi Germany with the uniform and all.

Whoops, there's something on his lapel

...

The Treehouse Sessions

2008-10-24T21:26:00.005-06:00

Today I had the privilege to hang with three wonderful sisters of mine and go take pictures of them. They really were a bunch of pals and wanted to try some neat stuff and let me try some neat stuff. It was really exciting to just try stuff and see how it would turn out. I did a similar activity with these girls last year, and I'd say this year's product is about 2 times better. The autumn weather was perfect for this and the colors were superb in my opinion. So, these are some early teaser-ish images. I'll roll out the rest sometime soon I hope, but I wanted to get these out now. Let me know what you think!

The Girls

I call this one Peek-a-Boo

Bekah in the leavesAnd this is Sarah Blue Eyes. It has already gotten some serious love on flickr.

Flickr Stats

2008-10-23T23:23:00.003-06:00

Wow, I love watching my flickr images and seeing how many views they get, etc.

Today, my image of the new bell tower on campus had 274 views yesterday, which was ridiculous compared to any amount of views I had in the past on any image. In one day, it got more looks than any 5 of my other pictures combined. The content sure helps pass this one along. Keep pressing me on towards lots of views on this classic U of I prank.

The Dark Night of the Soul

2008-10-22T01:01:00.004-06:00

In my circles, this phrase, the "dark night of the soul," refers to a time when we are stuck, feeling lonely in the middle of the night, or in a time when our soul feels covered in darkness. It had been used to describe loneliness. How limited the English language is though, that we would only see this interpretation.

The phrase actually emerges from St. John of the Cross, and it is a poem that he wrote in the 16th century. While listening to a podcast today, it was brought to my attention that this writing is more about John's time at night with God and how powerful and good an experience it was. Perhaps this thought process needs to be looked at more. Jesus often withdrew to lonely places while it was still dark, and I think there is a seriously amazing connection that can be made with God through the quite and still of the night. It also can be the time when the best conversations are had, and in many ways, I think it ends up being a double edged sword time. Yes, night is a time in which scary and evil things happen, but it is also a time for potentially fantastically forming times with Our Father and each other.

So, in this light, I really do look forward to more dark nights of my soul.

Ironic much?

2008-10-17T09:56:00.003-06:00

Presumtuous President Obama needs to get his messages clear. You can't go and tell kids to stop playing video games and then advertise for your campaign in them. I mean, I suppose it is a brilliant advertising strategy and he's taking advantage of every opportunity through his campaign. I mean, what better way to get kids to vote than to tell them to in a game, and then to tell them to stop playing the games to go do so. Maybe he could get a kill-switch implemented to make sure those kids who saw his advertisements while pwning n00bs go out and vote on election day.

Impressed by MacBook

2008-10-16T09:23:00.003-06:00

OK,

I suppose I should weigh in on the new MacBook (because ~~I'm a tool~~ I own the previous version). I'm impressed by this video, as they take the time to talk about manufacturing processes. As a Mechanical Engineering student, and a guy who does enjoy manufacturing, I'd say that this is a really neat process to look at. The first half of the video or so talks about that. This also is one of the reasons you pay more for a Mac. That sort of process requires a lot of capital to create. Regardless, I would applaud this company for taking the two eye perspective to design. They have always cared about aesthetics as of late, but I'd say they have finally expressed their love for engineering, which is a big deal in my book. They've shown they are a company more out to meet many people's desires and needs.

I guess this comes a long way from my posts joking about Apple, and I still will joke about them, because they are a company, and I can do that, but...this is impressive.

And to you Mr. Jobs...show us more 'how it's made.' I'd love to see it.

Gradumication

2008-10-16T00:14:00.002-06:00

So, I got a letter today from the University informing me of my ability to graduate in December and that if I wanted to walk in the ceremony, I needed to sign up soon. Anyway, that is just one more thing making this whole graduating thing quite the reality. OH, and why does it cost an arm and a leg to rent a gown? I could buy a blue sheet for a lot cheaper...

Other News

Watched the presidential debate. I feel pretty confident that with either man in the White House, that I will still wake up the next day and hope that God is working in my life. I can't speak completely as to who was better in the debate though...I guess I'm more of a political outsider (LOL), because I thought it was close, but polls suggest Obama easily won. How do you win a debate? It shouldn't be based upon eloquence, but issues...right?....right??

In the Summers Home Fellowship (my church small group) we are reading a Psalm a day for the next 14 days. The first Psalm was read today. I'll try to at least comment on them so I have some practice thinking about them and writing about them over the course of these two weeks.

An open letter to the Illini

2008-10-14T12:07:00.001-06:00

Benn on the Return, originally uploaded by | Orthogonal Photography |.

Dear Illini,

I'll make this brief. You make me hurt with confusion. I'd prefer if you guys picked a style of program you'd like to be. Do you want to be bad or do you want to be good? You have the potential to be either, and I'd love to see you go the good way, but if you want to go the bad way, could you please let me know, so I don't have to think about plans for bowl games in December or January, watch you play and embarrass me, or brag about how good you'll be to my friends. I don't care how many records you set as a team, I'd just like to see a lot of wins or losses. Congrats Juice on throwing for a bajillion yards the last two weeks, but you only won one game. I know how hard it is to win, trust me, I come from Clinton High School, but please play up to your potential. And coaches, don't call stupid plays on the goal line. Finish what you started as a team.

Anyway, I love you guys, but it is a tough love today. Please make up your mind. I'd love to continue to support you into the Bowl Season, but you have to uphold your end of the agreement. That means don't win big at a tough place to play and then lose to conference doormats at home. Please win both of these games. You have a chance to stay in this thing. Just beat those dang Hoosiers.

OK, are we good now? I look forward to your response on Saturday night.

-Alan

Growing a Pear

2008-10-09T09:08:00.004-06:00

The other day, while in Home Fellowship, someone said that a character in the Bible needed to "grow a pear." I was very intrigued by this idea. It seemed like the imagery was very interesting and was perhaps even a modern usage of terminology to describe Scripture.

The way I understand "Growing a Pear" is that a person must be patient and faithful to a task, no matter how little or big. This means from the time that one plants a tree all the way to nourishing it to picking that pear. All that work for the satisfaction of growing one pear, or maybe even a pair of pears. You do all that work and achieve a fantastic goal, but you get even more than you expected, as a tree will bear many pears. This seems to be a fantastic phrasing and I was encouraged by it. I will continue to work towards the day when I "grow a pear."
Other News

Today, if you pick up Buzz Magazine, you will find the cover story to be about painters. The article is accompanied by my photos, despite the fact that is says they are by Isaac Bloom. They are definitely mine, and you can find the article with the pictures online as well.

Totally Off the Cuff

2008-10-08T07:37:00.003-06:00

In the midst of this 'financial crisis,' does anybody see the potential analogy between Barack Obama and FDR...

On a more thought out mindsent, I am somewhat excited about this crisis. It means that we must start to question our faith in our government and economy. These two things will never be able to fully satiate our thirsts. They sure help us, but they are within this world, and will ultimately let us down. I hope the imagery and truth from this situation with our economy opens a lot of eyes to the truth about our condition as humanity...

LHC Rap

2008-10-04T09:37:00.002-06:00

So, you might have heard about the LHC, but regardless, this video will help to educate you about

a) how non-hip scientists are (they realize it and play off of it)
b) why they built the monstrosity.

You might also get a chance to see how speculative physics is. I myself love science and all the theories developed are pretty neat. But when you go ahead and call Christianity ridiculous because it is so speculative, listen to yourself talk about rolled up dimensions. Then tell me that one man dying for all of humanity is ridiculous...

Fall Retreat Pictures

2008-10-01T21:42:00.002-06:00

Hey all. Fall Retreat pictures are up on Flickr now. All 200 of them. Feel free to peruse at your leisure. (Just click the pic)

The Fall Retreat

2008-09-29T19:57:00.002-06:00

The Summers HF - Goofy, originally uploaded by | Orthogonal Photography |.

This past weekend was the Illini Life Christian Fellowship Fall Retreat. Tammi Smith, the speaker for the retreat, was a fantastic educator and was really able to bear her heart for us all in a way that affected many people. We had a really cool group of new people come with us on the retreat as well. This picture is of the all of us posing at the end for a goofy group pic. This group has really become quite the family for me (outside of my real family) and I can't wait to see how God blesses this group.

The retreat topic was "Now and Forever" and it focused on the wounds in our past and the lies they make us believe now as well as the habits we have now and how they will affect our future actions. Now, there was a lot more depth to the weekend, and hopefully I can get some more thoughts after I look at the notes some more.

Kinda wish Brett was in Green Bay still?

2008-09-28T14:01:00.001-06:00

Just saying...

Broke

2008-09-26T14:52:00.001-06:00

Broke, originally uploaded by | Orthogonal Photography |.

I don't typically do people photography, although in the last month or so, it has been a much larger focus. This image was sort of a quick potshot initially for a video I made with my buddy Ryan for our church

Alan and Ryan's Day from Alan Hable on Vimeo.

You remember Alan and Ryan's Day don't you (this is just me trying it out on Vimeo this time.

I looked at it a bit more and decided to polish it because I really liked the feel of the image.

Anyway, Fall Retreat is this weekend. I'm bouncing out of here in about an hour's time. Enjoy your weekends and I'll be back.

A Troll's Perspective

2008-09-24T22:52:00.003-06:00

A Troll's Perspective, originally uploaded by Orthogonal Photography.

This shot is from my framing and vantage point assignment in my photography class here at the U. I really like it. That's about it. Taken underneath the bridge at Crystal Lake Park with a film camera and printed on black and white. Man, I really do like the magic of film.

Brandon Heath

2008-09-24T09:52:00.003-06:00

I, as of late, have had a love-hate relationship with Christian music. The musical styling has tended to be, in my opinion, stale and a bit too much like late 90's pop. So I find it interesting to be writing about Brandon Heath.

For whatever reason, in my mind, this artist seems like a guy who has a unique enough styling to stand apart. Now, this is going off of just 2 songs of his that I have, and 1 more that I've heard on the radio. They have a certain moving nature to them that really builds throughout a song, and for me, it is good enough to listen to.

The song "Give Me Your Eyes" has had the epic feel as I've work it out on my iPod. I recently (read: today) saw the music video for this song and found it equally powerful (am I cheesy...maybe). This screams James 2 to me. And not just for the monetarily poor, but those of us who are needy, those of us who are "poor in spirit"

5 Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? 6 But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? 7 Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear?
8 Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 9 But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.

So consider checking out more of Mr. Heath, as I know I will. And let us really learn to slow down and love. Because we are accelerating past not only our lives, but the lives of those in need.

Brandon Heath - Give Me Your Eyes from Brandon Heath on Vimeo.

Government subsidized health insurance

2008-09-23T12:33:00.003-06:00

If we do end up with gov't subsidized health insurance, or universal health care, does that mean, when I see a person smoking or eating too much, that I should be able to tell them to stop, because they are affecting my taxes? While I do believe everyone deserves fair treatment and health care, this method seems to reduce personal accountability and will force people to try to get others to stop.

The goverment helping health care and having others keep individuals accountable have the potential for better national health, but again, at the expense of individual freedom, much like a smoking ban causes.

Thoughts?

What Punctuation are you?

2008-09-21T22:56:00.001-06:00

You Are An Exclamation Point

You are a bundle of... well, something.

You're often a bundle of joy, passion, or drama.

You're loud, brash, and outgoing. If you think it, you say it.

Definitely not the quiet type, you really don't keep a lot to yourself.

You're lively and inspiring. People love to be around your energy.

(But they do secretly worry that you'll spill their secrets without even realizing it.)

You excel in: Public speaking

You get along best with: the Dash

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

Alan and Ryan's Day

2008-09-20T23:36:00.002-06:00

The video that everybody is talking about. At least I have been. Ryan and I went out on the U of I campus to search for an adventure. Boy did we find it!

I'm a professional photographer

2008-09-18T22:33:00.006-06:00

So, as of today, I am now getting paid to shoot pictures. Very little pay, but exciting nonetheless. Last night, I went to the first night of the Pygmalion Music Festival in Champaign. There, at the Canopy Club, I took the rented Canon 5D (which I severely coveted) and the rented 50mm f/1.4 lens to the show and started to click away. There was some great music and times from the likes of Common Loon, Coco Coca, Elsinore, Decibully, and Times New Viking. I truly enjoyed Elsinore (who I have seen before) and their sound. Decibully had a really neat epic sound, and Times New Viking had enough energy to fill the whole club. In any case, I digress...

Beth of Times New Viking plays the keys and sings at the Canopy Club on Wednesday night.

I shot a whole bunch of pictures, had to sort through them, choose about 25 photos to give to Buzz Magazine, who is my employer for the semester. I had to wait a few hours, but low and behold, my first images are on the217.com! Check them out here. The four images in the slideshow aren't my favorites, but is still really exciting to see them online. Let me know what you think. Soon I'll also have some other ones on flickr to be seen by any of y'alls.

And be sure to check out the new bands!

Camera on Film

2008-09-17T07:39:00.001-06:00

Camera on Film, originally uploaded by | Orthogonal Photography |.

So, what you are looking at is one of my first prints I have ever made. This was all me from loading the film, to setting the shutter and f-stop to playing the light in the right direction to clicking the shutter to processing the film, to printing the negative onto the final sheet, to scanning it onto my computer, to uploading it unedited to flickr.

This is my digital camera having a picture taken of it by my film camera. I like how it turned out, other than the amount of dust all over the picture. I still have a ways to go and a bunch to learn, but this is an exciting prospect to see my handiwork having some fruit come out of it.

If you feel saucy, let me know what you think, and click the picture to see more pictures from the first printing project.

Watching Sports

2008-09-15T10:00:00.004-06:00

Saturday, I feel like I entered a new era in my Illinois sports watching.

1) I went to the Illinois vs. Louisiana-Lafayette football game (which we looked awful in). This was the first time I'd been in the fully renovated Memorial Stadium. It seems as if the old Illini watching is long gone. The students are now completely content

to be placed in the end zone, the boosters have their seats in the boxes, and the Chief no longer graces the field. It is a definitely different climate than 5 years ago when I sat in the second row on the forty yard line chanting "Fire Turner!" Overall, I think the new look and feel is a plus. I just hope that we don't forget the things of old, like where students used to sit, the fact that die-hard fans deserve a seat too, and the Chief. Now, I'd say, regardless of your opinion of him, you should not want to forget, just as you don't want to forget any other tradition or monumental change.

2) As I ramble on, I also will say I went to the Illinois Legends Alumni basketball game. That was truly a treat. It was a lot of fun to see so much talent gathered on one floor at the same time. There are many fine memories in that group of people. The thing that has truly changed though, is once again, my Freshman year, I saw those 'legends' playing their way to a 37-2 season and a 2nd place finish in the nation. Now they were back for the new freshman who might not even know their name, yet sit in the Orange Krush ready to cheer them on.

I guess the point of this whole exercise is to say that I feel older, and I hadn't written in a while

Other Notes...

Green Bay looked pretty good/bad in a victory over Detroit, and Aaron Rodgers looked quite solid.
Brett Favre looked good against New England, considering the lack of pass protection he had.
Carlos Zambrano pitched a No-Hitter against the Houston Astros. Seems like a good momentum builder as we hope to look towards October baseball.

Today, we are free

2008-09-11T10:47:00.001-06:00

Today, we are free, originally uploaded by | Orthogonal Photography |.

I think I am quite the un-patriot, but it is important to remember those who died in the tragedies of 7 years ago. And to realize that today we are free. Now, I don't mean our country, although that is important. I do indeed mean our status with our savior. Recall that freedom today as you remember the tragedies of September 11, 2001

New York City

2008-09-05T17:21:00.004-06:00

This summer, after my time in Alabama, and before my glorious return to Champaign, my family took a vacation. It was one of our epic vacations too. We have this nomad tendency, where we can't just stay in one place. We like to go around and hit up many locales. This trip was definitely as epic as any other. We went east, and quite a bit north. It was my first big trip with my Rebel, so you know I was going nuts shooting everything in sight. I'm sure you're hear more about it and see more pics in the future. Today, however, I finished editing pictures from our time in NYC with my new copy of Adobe Lightroom 2.0, and I wanted to get some up to be seen. So, without further waiting, here are a few of my faves from NYC...

This first one is on our way into Manhattan waiting to cross the George Washington Bridge. Strong color treatment that I've been trying that I think creates almost a drawing/painting effect.

If I had to show you the BEST 5 pictures, this one would be in it, but I love the juxtaposition of the boat. This was on the ferry on the way to the Statue of Liberty with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background.

This was on a bus tour around the city. It is one of Donald Trump's buildings, although it is not THE Trump Tower. I love the reflections in the building, and slight color treatment to pull more contrast out of it.

This one is from walking around the city the first evening. The Empire State Building can be seen and I love the setting. Neat city.

For some reason, this picture really pops to me when I see it. I think it is the reflection of the buildings and the genuinely neat skyline. This is in the business district of NYC on Manhattan.

So, those are 5 pictures from the New York portion of our trip. More to come, I promise. There will also be a more extensive NYC collection on facebook or flickr in the coming days, so I'll try to let you know about that. Let me know what you think of these though. I definitely need and want feedback on the pictures I take (both good and bad).

The Parks

2008-09-04T13:16:00.003-06:00

Another news story for you today. Buzz Magazine today had an article in it addressing an issue that I had just heard about this past weekend. The Governor of our fine state of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, has passed down a ruling closing 11 state parks and 13 state historical sites. These sites are primarily in the heart of our great state. Some are in our very capital, and are old stomping grounds of the inspiration for the state motto, Abraham Lincoln.

Now, I am all for small government, but one of the things I really do enjoy about taxes is the resources they give us and help protect. There are plenty of other ways to cut our bloated government without taking away valuable resources to the heartland as well as historical sites to help us remember how we got here. Obviously, I am definitely affected by this myself by the closing of Weldon Springs State Park, a favorite place to go for day camp and in evenings with my family.

Now, I definitely believe a couple of courses of action are required. While I definitely am disappointed at the ruling of Rod, I believe that we need to pursue all avenues. The first is to petition to him. To show to him that the heart of this state matters. The fact is, as Governor of Illinois, he doesn't even spend his time in the capital of Springfield, but rather in his Chicago home. This is intensely disagreeable and disregards a standard asked of a public servant. A public servant who is to serve the ENTIRE state. If he will not budge, and allow for a funding solution, then I believe it is the call of those that want a park, to push for a park in their own means. Perhaps this means charging user fees, but it will allow us to preserve the nature we so dearly love, and the outdoor recreation we need. As Barack Obama is encouraging parents to tell kids to turn off the tv and go outside, we are, in Illinois, taking away the outside...

Please consider writing to the Governor with me as this person has. Take the initiative to help preserve the entire state of Illinois, from the Northeast, which gets most attention, all the way to the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.

Email Governor Blagojevich here.

A news article for you guys

2008-09-03T09:22:00.000-06:00

This article I read in the Daily Illini today definitely has me thinking differently about the world today. It is full of adventure.

Cloaking a possibility!

U of I MechE Professor references Harry Potter!

Sound bends around pillars!

Silicon is now used in breast implants!

Read on for the exciting conclusion!!!!1!

UI researchers to develop an invisibility cloak

The Cultural Christian

2008-09-01T09:59:00.006-06:00

I started to re-read Romans today, as the last time I read it through was quite a while ago. It really is a fantastic book, laden with different facts, ideas, etc. As I read today, this passage really stuck out to me...

For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the Jewish ceremony of circumcision. No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not a cutting of the body but a change of heart produced by God's Spirit. Whoever has this kind of change seeks praise from God, not from people.

-Romans 2:28-29, NLT

Now, I'd be willing to guess, if Paul were alive today, and writing his Epistle to the Americans, it might go something like this

For you are not a true Christian just because you were born of Christian parents or because you have gone through the Christian ceremony of baptism. No, a true Christian is one whose heart is right with God. And true baptism is not an immersion in water, but a change of heart produced by immersion in God's Spirit. Whoever has this kind of change seeks praise from God, not from people.

-American 2:28-29, speculative

I know I can be guilty of just assuming that if I call myself a Christian, that it works as a cover all for me and my life sometimes. Perhaps I need to check and make sure that my life, as well as my heart, are in line with God. I think this is good advice for a nation that calls itself Christian and goes to church because it is 'what we do.' Let us change our hearts...

The Equipment

2008-08-31T13:22:00.002-06:00

Today, in my first Mass at the St. John's Catholic Newman Center on campus, the sermon from father Greg Ketcham really caught my ear.

The scripture that he had to speak on is some of the most powerful scripture I know.

Romans 12:1-2
Matthew 16:21-27

He then spoke on how important it is to have our focus on the Resurrection. I think that is so easy to forget as I get caught up in performance for the church.

He also quoted C.S. Lewis, which is almost always a good idea, and in this case, especially so. He quoted this in reference to the idea that it can be difficult to see God or experience God.

Unfortunately I did not get the quote exactly, and I didn't look too hard for it, but at its root, Lewis is saying that the sun shows no favorites, it just shines better in a clean mirror than in a dusty one. We are the instruments through which we see God and there is some work to be done for us to best experience and see God.

I love this idea, especially when combined with the idea of spiritual discipline and putting ourselves in the best situations to experience God. Now, some days may be cloudy and the sun will be hard to see regardless, but we must be prepared when the sun does shine, to reflect it as well as we can.

Human Factors

2008-08-29T09:32:00.003-06:00

I decided since I wrote about my photo class a bit, I'd try to write about the rest of my classes in kind.

I'm also enrolled in a human factors course. "What is human factors," you may ask. It is a broad field that in many ways encompasses design for usability, safety, and efficiency. For example, today in class we looked over a broad realm of things human factors affects.

One is web design (for all you computer geeks out there). Why is facebook more friendly than myspace? Is it the design factor, the networking factor, or just perception?

Another example you could run for days with is Apple hardware/software.

We discussed flight issues with all the gauges a pilot must recognize, as well as industry applications like a Nuclear Power Plant control room.

All of these places and things must be designed for their ease of use, enjoyment of use, failsafes, etc, etc.

I know some people are taking this class as an easy A, but let me tell you, it has the potential to be one of the most fascinating courses I've ever taken here at Illinois. The material is engaging and the professor really encourages interaction with the class. So, check out Psych 358/IE 340, as that...is the class.

A new era

2008-08-28T13:32:00.003-06:00

Alan is going back in time. 9 months after getting my first SLR camera as a gift, I have bought a second. This one, however, is a lot different. The first was a digital, this is a film camera. The first one was a gift and new, this one is a self purchase and is slightly used. But, both use the Canon EF mount, which means that I can interchange lenses between them, which is super exciting. The reason I bought this camera was for a class that I'm taking here at Illinois. Photo 1 is the name, and there is a good section of the course discussing black and white film photography. I'm just excited to give it a whirl.

Not only did I buy this used, but it was my first successful ebay victory (granted, I was the only bidder. People really don't want film cameras.) and it was on the cheap. It will be a good experiment, along with the darkroom work in class to really see how far into photography I can delve.

Check out my new toy/tool for yourself...

The American Flag

2008-08-26T10:47:00.002-06:00

I was watching the DNC a bit last night with some friends, and at some point, a prayer was being said and the American flag was being pictured, and I blurted something (probably louder in my head) about how the Christian Flag was showing. Isn't that just awful? The American Flag, and the phrase "God Bless America" have become so tied together that our nation is truly seen as Christian (despite our war hawk status), and these symbols as Christian probably by the world. I truly imagine a foreigner seeing the American flag and having them more and more associate it with Christianity, rather than the cross or many other long lasting symbols. What a bad circumstance that puts us as believers in, especially with a "Christian" president. All he can be seen as is a hypocrite who doesn't live to Christian standards, despite what may be in his heart. I also found it fascinating as of late that the phrase "God Bless America" has crept up everywhere, onto license plates in Alabama, bumper stickers, and other medium, and yet, there is not one spiritual reference on it. It has become our meaningless mantra. Please consider this as you live your day today as a Christian Patriot, and recall which Kingdom your first allegiance belongs to.

Bow Fishing

2008-08-25T09:11:00.002-06:00

Bow Fishing

I went bow fishing in one of my last nights in Alabama. This is a sport in which you go out on a boat, typically with a regular boat motor and a fan on top for really shallow water. You float around really shallow water and look for the fish that the game fishermen don’t want to catch, cuz they aren’t tasty and they are a nuisance. Then you shoot them with a bow and arrow. The arrow is attached to a string and a reel which you use to reel in your fish once you have pierced it. The people I know who do it will catch upwards of 30 fish a night, and then give them away to somebody that actually likes the way they taste.

I had never heard of this sport before I came to Alabama, but let me tell you something, it fascinated me to no end. I wanted to go, and when I finally got invited and it worked out, I jumped at the opportunity. So here we were, in a simple fishing boat flying across the Tennessee River to the murky swampland that is stereotypical Alabama. After being given a crash course in the equipment, another intern and I tried our hands at hitting the fish, while our host guided his boat through lily pads and brush. It took a while to finally see the fish, even with the aid of intense spotlights. Once I saw one, I lined it up though, and fired away. Stuck in the mud…

I thought to myself, this is no big deal. It was my first shot. I reeled my arrow back in after struggling with it in the mud. Resetting the arrow in the bow, I scanned for more targets to hone my skills on. This lasted for 2 hours. And I don’t mean the fishing, I mean the process of shoot, miss, stuck in mud, pull out, reset. It was a frustrating experience. Even after accounting for the refraction of the light and placing the fish a bit lower than I saw it, I still whiffed about 15 times. The other intern was no luckier, and we rode back to the south side of the Tennessee River a bit bruised in the ego department.

What made it even more striking is how good people actually are at this sport. Our guide told us he has about a 95% accuracy and when he sees a fish, he almost always is able to shoot at it too. Just amazing to me. Perhaps I will get a chance to try again, but what I know now is that I have a LOT of respect for somebody that does that

The Environment

Having been in Alabama all this summer, I’ve wanted to experience the place, and not just settle for living in a bubble. This experience definitely added to it, as the terrain we were in was absolutely surreal. With our floodlights shining on, you could see the murky water, lily pads that let water pool on them, but not drown them, trees sticking right out of the water, and shallow enough regions that our guide had to jump out and get his feet we to push us out. This was all accented by it being night time the frog sounds, the turtles bobbing their heads, and the herons flying around. It definitely felt like a true southern experience, at least what I imagined it to be.

The Analogy

How could I go fishing without having the stories of scripture regarding fishing go through my head? I guess pretty easily, but for whatever reason, my mind was struck with all sorts of analogy from the night of fishing. The first point I want to make is that I would have struggled as a fisherman in Biblical times. I probably would have been the tax collector who was converted. That job seems easier. I love that agrarian stories and parables come so much more alive when you experience them for yourself. When Jesus talks about Fishers of Men, I see how difficult it is and how patient we must be. I even think it is interesting how there is a difference between the fish we want and the fish we expect to get. As we rode back across the Tennessee River to our dock, there were fish just jumping out of the water right in our boat's wake. They were not the ones we wanted, but they were the most available. I think in the spiritual world, these are the people we must minister to. The people that want to hear the message. I also appreciated the nighttime calm that was around us as we fished. It really helps me to appreciate the retreating to quiet lonely places that Jesus loved so much.

ROLL SEC

2008-08-07T17:16:00.004-06:00

The SEC (Southeastern Conference) is the greatest conference in football, and if you disagree with me, I won't be your friend. I love Alabama. I grew up on Alabama football and I remember the last championship like it was yesterday, so I guess I 'll just act like it was that recent. ROLL TIDE!!!

Wow, I sound really sarcastic writing that. Living down here in Alabama, and loving football, has led to quite a few conversations. The people down here love their football, especially the collegiate variety. I'm pretty sure the Iron Bowl (Auburn-Alabama) is bigger than the Super Bowl in this state. And in many ways it is a lot of fun. The games are neat to watch. That is, until I run into the fanhood. I can be quite the obnoxious fan, and I need to watch out, especially after watching Alabama fans especially. Their ability to talk trash is second to none. But their ability to win is second to Auburn. A fun joke I learned down here goes something like this...

How do you get an Alabama fan to stop being an alcoholic?
Paint his beers all orange and blue. He won't be able to touch them for 6 years.

I think I've been really worn down by the presumptuously cocky nature of a program that has been as successful as Illinois recently.

Then I try to tell them that Big 10 football is football too (Ohio State is not helping me), and I get an earful. Check out this little comment from ESPN.com

Since 2003, the SEC is 30-31 in out of conference games against BCS conference schools. Out of the 30 wins, only 14 came on the road. I believe a win is a win, but Georgia beating Ga Tech at Ga Tech and Fla beating Fla St in Tallahassee are not extremely impressive lately - that accounts 5 of the road wins. Georgia and LSU are the two schools that stand out in out of conference wins against BCS conference schools - though no big win has been away from Athens or Baton Rouge. By contrast since 2003, the Big Ten is 43-31 in non-conference games against BCS schools. 19 of the wins have been on the road. Similarly, the big wins are usually at home with the exception being my Buckeyes win at Texas in 2006. The SEC's win/loss OOC record against BCS schools suggests the SEC is like every other conference - great on the top, avg in the middle and pretty awful on the bottom. The one difference is defensive line play - not skill players, not DB's, not speed, it is the D-line. Very impressive. I presume this is why Tressel recruited and got the best OL this year.

Oh, and in defense of Ohio State, let's play the national championship in the midwest, so a Big 10 team can have a home game.

I'm not sure what the whole point of me writing this was, other than to get it off my chest. I'm really frustrated by that aspect of the south, and I can't wait until Illinois rises to the occasion. You know Zook has a chip on his shoulder, and he's ready to beat on a conference that he wasn't 'good enough' for.

ZOOK 'EM

The Green Hat

2008-08-01T18:09:00.003-06:00

In American socio-economics, for the last few decades at the very least, there has existed the working and business class, the white collar and the blue collar, and any other way you could split it. Generally, you would get to know those who were along side you and didn't spend a lot of time with the others. If you worked at a GM plant, chances are you didn't associate with the bankers in the community. And vice versa is often true as well. Now, this isn't to say that the division is in stone, but it definitely seems to exist.

Now, I am over-simplifying all of that, but let me finish...

Nucor Steel (the company I am working for this summer), has in many ways, spit in the face of socio-economics. This is in a lot of ways due to the vision of Ken Iverson, and those who joined with him and those who followed in his footsteps. His book, Plain Talk, is a good, quick, and fascinating read. In the steel industry, this split of cultures has existed for a long time. In Bethlehem steel, the issue was so intense that the corporate folks had their own golf course, and operations had their own separate one. They didn't interact with each other, and blue and white collar were divided. Based upon your rank, people in steel wear different colored hats based upon rank, execs get special treatment, etc.

Not so much at Nucor. No special treatment for those who wear polo shirts. They park in the same spot as guys who wear dirty greens (the common wear in a steel mill). These once separate two classes are not just asked to interact, but they enjoy it. It is realized that this is best for business, and it really is the most human thing to do. This culture is fascinating to me, and since everybody gets paid and treated well, there has been no need for workers to organize a union.

Anyway, I'm not here to dode on a company. After all, it definitely is not the most important thing in my life, the business world that is. In any case...

I got a green hat today. It was a big honor. New hires and interns are given a yellow hat for safety reasons, so people can watch out for them and make sure they're in a safe place. But today, when I returned to my desk from the mill, I had a shiny green hat on my desk with my name on it. It was a huge honor to receive it. I tried it on, and felt kind of like I didn't deserve it. I am just an intern. After being assured I had earned it though, I will wear it for my last week proudly. I am now 'one of the guys,' and I love that feeling. The camaraderie of people coming together for a common cause is a beautiful thing. We must carry these ideals into the business world, and I would argue that many of them are Christ-like values even (I know, be careful Alan. I mean the part about treating people fairly and equally and with respect, even love.) to live in life.

I will wear my green hat proudly as a Nucor ~~employee~~ intern.

Sports and such

2008-07-31T19:22:00.003-06:00

Well, MLB has passed a big event in the season. The trade deadline. This season has been one of the more active in my memory, with many big named players changing cities, leagues, and looking to either help a contender or rot in obscurity.

This intense trade pattern started with the Milwaukee Brewers picking up C.C. Sabathia from the Indians, who promptly changed his name to CC Sabathia. The Cubs counter punched with the pick up of high risk, high reward pitcher, Rich Harden, from Oakland. Both pitchers have performed very well for their respective new teams. Harden has an ERA for the Cubs hovering around 1, and has had around 9 strikeouts per start. Sabathia pitched 3 complete game wins. More on this little gem of a story later.

The trade deadline then came upon us today, and big names were flying across the map. Mark Teixeira went from Atlanta to the best team in the majors, the Angels. Pudge Rodriguez traveled from Detriot to New York and the Yankees, Ken Griffey Jr. left longtime home Cincinatti to go to Chicago and the Sox, and Manny Ramirez went coast to coast to the Dodgers from the Red Sox. These are all big name trades that definitely help to redraw some lines in baseball. I'd watch for all these teams to push for their division leads even stronger and to hold them as well.

Back to the Cubs and Brewers. CC came to Milwaukee to help get a struggling Brew Crew over the hump to the playoffs. And it looked that way, until the Cubs came into Miller Park, and forced a no decision out of CC and beat the Brewers in the first game of a four game series. This led to more beating by Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, and Rich Harden, who finally got the run support to help his low ERA actually win a game. The Cubs swept the second place Brewers today and depending on how Saint Louis does in Atlanta today, they could drop to third in the division. Pretty great time to be a Cubs fan. Let's hope this momentum flows for a while.

On to more awful matters. Brett Favre. I know, if you watch sports, you're tired of it, and if you don't, you just don't care. But, being a Pack fan, I have an opinion. Here is what I told a buddy of mine today.

I think Ted Thompson is a dirt bag who wants to help Ted win and Green Bay be Ted's team. If all the things I see are true, he has tried to bribe a legend to sit on the couch, rather than trying to win right now. The NFL doesn't work on risks of winning now vs. maybe winning later. You try to win now, even if that means your handpicked QB (Rodgers) leaves after the season. You drafted Brohm for a reason, didn't you? I think Favre was forced into retirement, just like I think he was being forced out for the last 3 season. I haven't liked Ted Thompson, even though we were 13-3. That says more for McCarthy and Favre and the D than Thompson. We have signed like 3 free agents in 3 seasons. The biggest was Charles Woodson (which was good), but Moss was available twice. It is frustrating. I wish they would take Brett back and let their be a QB competition. If they think Aaron is so good, let him win his position. And if you don't want him back, send him away in a trade, and I hope that team does very well..VERY WELL, even if Chicago. I have a loyalty to a franchise, not Ted Thompson

That should be enough to get my thoughts out there. AND SERIOUSLY...a 20 million dollar bribe to not play. You really must be desperate to not be embarassed Ted Thompson. But by trying to cover your own butt, you are becoming a very shady character. Oh, and yes Brett did retire. But would Microsoft turn down Bill Gates for his replacement since he has retired. NO! They'd find a way to fit him in. Obviously this is a bit different, as you can only have one starting QB, but think about it. Brett gives you the best chance to win, and he wants to come back.

Anyway, I hadn't written about sports in a while, but this is what I have been seeing.

Good Stuff

2008-07-28T20:43:00.004-06:00

I've been hard at work computing the last couple days. I just bought a new laptop (the bad kind) and I can now edit photos at about warp 12 compared to my old computer. I've gotten a chance to take some photos of some of the neater events this summer, so come check out this preview with me. There will be more posted in facebook albums and more importantly on flickr as time goes along. So enjoy these and keep looking.

This is a slab of steel coming out of our caster. It is very hot at this point in time, hence the orange glow.
This is the space shuttle simulator Pathfinder. This never made it into space, but it is still really neat. The photo effects I used were a bunch of messing around steps that created this painted effect that I think is just awesome.

I decided to try some more light painting. This one was one of my favorites because it is just so blunt.
This is taken from the Ave Maria Grotto in Cullman, AL. There, a monk built nearly 150 miniatures of buildings around the world.

This was taken during a Tennessee Valley Vipers Arena 2 game. It was fun, and I'd never been to an arena game. The score was a blowout though...

Arkansas and mind blown

2008-07-22T05:53:00.004-06:00

This week, for part of it, I am in Blytheville, Arkansas. This bustling metropolis is where Nucor is having a little intern get together. Should be a good time. Anyway, I am taking advantage of the free wi-fi at the hotel and my mind has been blown. New Facebook at www.new.facebook.com. I couldn't get it to work through the hyperlink. It is up and running. Check it out and don't waste too much time. I'm not sure what I think of it yet, but it seems like a general improvement so far. Lemme know what you think.

Much time has passed

2008-07-17T19:45:00.004-06:00

Well, it is over halfway through July, and this is my first post of my summer. Some of the things you may have wondered:

"Maybe Alan died of a horrific crocodile bite."
"Maybe Alan got too cool for the internets."
"Maybe nothing has happened in Alan's life and he doesn't need to write about it."
"Maybe Alan is too busy reading LOLcats."

Well, you would be wrong. On most accounts. Work has me busy (and firewalled tightly), and I don't typically have internet around me when I'm not at work. So as a result, my blogging, facebooking, and flickring have taken hits across the board.

As a result, any meaningful update about my summer, disappointed rant about Brett Favre, excited praise for the Cubs, or semi-deep thought that I want to write has been either spoken, kept internal, written in a journal, or died without ever gracing this page. Perhaps that is a good thing.

I've taken photos. I've experienced activities. I've met people. I've worked with steel. I've traveled. I've seen the joy of weddings. I've learned southern slag. I've grown closer to God in unique ways.

I could write page after page about this summer, and to some of you I have. I could tell you about every little thing, but that would be boring. So, it'll be quick instead. A bullet list of some things I've done.

interned at Nucor Steel Decatur, AL
hung with 4 other interns and a couple young employees
seafood festival
seen 5-6 movies in theaters
space and rocket center in huntsville
in two friends' weddings
read many books
played rock band
photographed things
arena league 2 football game
swam
found some excellent new musicians
visited a sweet grotto with miniature buildings
random roadtrips
AND MORE!!!

I've got a lot of thoughts and ideas too that have come from this summer. The biggest ones focus on my second trimester of the rest of my life. Where will I be in 6 months? I do not know, but I do know that I want it to be an adventure. I really do want to come alive.

Other important thoughts center around the idea of Love. Love for others through many things. Service, care, listening, assisting, being there, giving, engaging, reassuring, encouraging. These are all ways to love. That is my challenge that I think I've received. At all costs, love; be different; shock the world. And through this, not only will others come alive, but you too will be amazed.

OK, I've written far too much for one post. I leave you with a G.K. Chesterton quote I noticed on a friend's facebook wall and fell in love with.

"An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered; an adventure is an inconvenience rightly considered." - G. K. Chesterton

Confusion about control

2008-05-07T23:19:00.005-06:00

Here I go into sports. I haven't written about them in a while, so let's go...

Deron Williams. #8 on the court and #1 in my heart. Deron was a superstar basketballer at the University of Illinois and my freshman year he went nuts along with his teammates to go 37-2. That was a fascinating season that I will remember for the rest of my life. One of Deron's signature moments came in the NCAA Midwest Regional Final against Arizona where he nailed a shot to tie the game after being down 15 with 4 minutes left.

Deron left the college ranks for the NBA after that season, and ended up as the 3rd overall pick in the NBA draft for the Utah Jazz. Singlehandedly, (with a bit of help from my roommate Jonathan) he has helped bring me into the watching the NBA. It has been a joy to watch him excel to the level of one of the two best point guards in the NBA.

Tonight I watched game 2 of the Lakers-Jazz series and the Jazz lost to go down 2-0 in the series. The series returns to Salt Lake City on Friday for the 3rd game. The Jazz lost 120-110 and Deron had 25 points and 10 assists. So the box score looks like he played fantastic, and yet I am left disappointed. Having watched Deron play for a few years now, I am convinced that he can totally CONTROL a game if he chooses to, but instead he wants to be unselfish and play soft. Then something clicks and he goes GaGa in the game. This happened today multiple times. You can see the determination in his eyes at times and I know it can be there more. I really hope the man can get his head on straight for the next 2 home games, because they need him to take control.

Flickr, you slay me...

2008-05-07T00:22:00.004-06:00

So, I love the goofiness of flickr. It's kind of like a bunch of friends just hanging out on the internet. When you go to your homepage, on each refresh, there is a new way to greet you. I stumbled upon this one today, and it made me happy.

And while you're looking at this, check out my photostream for the newest pics of mine. There are some neat ones from my DePauw hangout time (don't worry, not going to school there, just saw a friend), as well as some from my experiment with a macro lens. While you're there, go ahead and sign up for a FREE flickr account and leave comments on my photos. I love to hear feedback and get constructive critiques on my pics. This is a hobby that I'm truly growing to love very much.

What do we care about?

2008-05-06T08:34:00.002-06:00

This past weekend saw two fascinating events:

The Kentucky Derby (good, pomp, etc)
Myanmar Cyclone (bad, scary, etc)

While surfing around the internet for my morning news, I noticed stories about both. The death toll from the cyclone has reached over 22,000. The death toll from the derby reached one euthanized horse.

Now I'm as guilty as anyone else when it comes to caring about the wrong things, but it's just fascinating what physical distance does to mental distance. What should we be caring about?

Excerpts from both articles:

"What we really want to know, did he feel anything along the way [while running the race if the horse was hurt]?" PETA spokeswoman Kathy Guillermo said. "If he didn't then we can probably blame the fact that they're allowed to whip the horses mercilessly." - ESPN.com

A news broadcast on government-run radio said Tuesday that 22,464 people have now been confirmed dead and thousands more are missing. - AP

Now I understand that PETA has a mission statement concerned with care for animals, and this is indeed an important issue, it's just funny how distant we are from some of the most important things in this planet and how easily we are caught up in little things.

Climate Change or Scare Mongering?

2008-05-01T09:09:00.002-06:00

If you live in America, and you pay attention to the news, you've probably heard of a little thing called global warming. And if you're a decade or two older than me, you've probably heard about global cooling. Scientific speculation about the human influence on the world has been far spread. We've had plenty of incorrect guesswork about how things will turn out in the coming years, and yet we continue to be so sure of ourselves in how science will go. One of the biggest problems in my mind with the global warming scare is the assumed correlations between CO2 and temperature of the earth. In science, we're always making simplifying assumptions or bold predictions and hoping that they line up as correct. Then, when our theories don't pan out, we are all of a sudden dealing with ways to justify our original theory with newer ones.

This Bloomberg article speaks of a new theory that the oceans will cool us for a while until global warming strikes up again. And of course we KNOW global warming is occurring because we have the highest temperatures on record. I mean, let's not forget that we don't have temperature records for thousands of years back, and shoot, if you believe in the 5 billion year old earth, we're missing out on a LOT of history. Who are we to say that we know the cycles of our planet? What makes us and our short 120 year max time here able to know it all? I believe God made a far more complex and robust planet than we could totally screw up.

Now, is this to say I think we can do whatever and it will be fine? No. What I am saying is that I believe science makes a lot of bold predictions about things we shouldn't worry about. I mean, remember when Deep Impact and Armageddon (speaking of, the Christian Armageddon, rather than the movie, is referred to on wikipedia as "in Christian mythology" (my emphasis). Oh what perspective brings to the table) came out? I'm pretty sure everybody was sure we'd be hit by a meteor as a planet by now. And it hasn't happened yet. Sure it COULD, but we can't prevent it from possibly happening. Now Al Gore has used similar action movie footage to create a stir. I mean SURE, the planet could be getting warmer, but is it our doing? What if what we're doing actually will eventually lead to global cooling or suffocation or nuclear war?

I believe that we need not worry about global warming itself, but I do believe that we need to be good stewards of the world we have been given. This means that we should be watching how we pollute, and in a holistic way. I mean seriously, have you considered that electric cars are just taking electricity made by coal power plants (just as nasty pollution in the air)? The 'green' movement is a good thing, but the way we go about it is paramount. And let's not worry so much about the temperature, but instead about things like the amount of visibility in our cities and beyond, the quality of our drinking water, and the health of our planet as a whole.

I love when Apple's hipness is shot down

2008-04-30T09:36:00.001-06:00

Pretty funny video for a laptop that you'd prefer to a Macbook, surely?

Your Head Asplode

2008-04-29T14:46:00.004-06:00

I saw this pointed out by my roommate today, and it made super happy listening to it. It is

A Scientific Attempt To Create Most Annoying Song Ever

and it is successful on many accounts. It is so over the top that I can't stop laughing. The juxtaposition of the children's choir and the opera rapper along with the different holidays and the 'shopping at Wal-Mart' is actually pretty entertaining, even if it is as bad as the Nazi Party. Give it a listen at the bottom of the link. It's long, but ever entertaining.

Orthogonal Photography

2008-04-27T23:00:00.003-06:00

So on flickr, my name is | Orthogonal Photography |. It's pretty hip right? With the lines on the sides and stuff, it's totally neat? Maybe it's just my pathetic attempt at trying to be cool. It's ok if it's a pathetic failure. Shoot, I've even worked on developing some sort of image to show it (seen above) in neat graphic form. None are really awesome, but the one up there is kinda neat in my opinion.

So why Orthogonal? I mean, what does that have to do with anything? Ok, so my reasons are a few fold. First, I wanted a word that described me and my goals in multiple ways. The word orthogonal describes two vectors that when multiplied, they create a zero vector. It also is another way to say perpendicular. So that's my first reason. It reflects on my nerdy side. by being a big nerdy word for lines that cross at 90 degrees (or a line that crosses a point...they're orthogonal to each other too). The second reason is that 90 degree thing. It means they're not going in the same direction. This is how I want my life to be seen. I want to be orthogonal to the world and instead following the way of Christ. This isn't to say that the way of Christ isn't anything like the world. They cross paths, but they're different enough, that his way of sacrifice is pretty different than the way of the world. Finally, I want the world to describe the photos that I take. I want to learn to take truly unique photos that show the world from a completely different perspective than we see it daily. This ends of being a form of worship for me, using God's world that is there as my subject. I think there's a lot of work to be done there, but it is a strong goal of mine. I'm sure there are other ways I could use the orthogonal term to mean something else. Perhaps it means I want to reflect the glory of God not right back up at God, but rather into the plane of this world. I'm still thinking about it, but I love the idea of where it can go without being super cheesy (perhaps it is too late for that).