Bowl Boycott

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

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

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

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

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

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Best of CU

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

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.