Belal, I challenge you to a duel...
Listening to Jesus Christ Superstar after an evening and night debating religion. Lets see how many lightning bolts I can attract tonight...
Well, day began on a bad foot. Slept through 212, and decided to study it for the next two hours. Lets just say I got a bit scared by previous exams... but it picked up, I understood everything in CISC 121 and even got to show up the whole class on one question. Slept through calc and physics, and unfortunately Zaremba noticed in physics... but it's the end of the year, so no big deal. Of course, Zaremba will likely be my thesis advisor in fourth year, oh well. He'll hopefully have forgotten by then... or maybe we'll have picked up some more theoretical physicists (I can always hope, right?).
After that, went on to the chem midterm. Lets just say I'm a moron and leave it there... although I discovered that I only need a 65 or so weighted average from this midterm and the final to get an 80 in the course, and I'm pretty sure that I did better than a 65 here. So, safe so far.
Came back to my room, and read at askmoses.com... for nearly two hours. Can you say procrastination? Learned a whole bunch from the Chabad people, who are seeming pretty reasonable. Not that I'm going to keep kosher, abstain and then have 300 kids, and settle down with a nice orthodox jewish girl in a nice jewish community... but it was a help. And apparently, for anyone who cares, we're at least as extreme as Roman Catholics when it comes to kids. That was a bit of a surprise.
Then chatted with Aaron, Brandon, and random passerbyes for a little while.
It was one of those fun conversations that ranges from religion and politics to good songs you've heard recently to anything else that comes to mind... the only conclusions reached were that mathematical physics was seceding from the faculty of arts and sciences (Aaron, unfortunately, called president), and we're asking Nielson to be our dean if we remember, and that I will hopefully get some what would moses do bracelets after reading askmoses. Oh, for anyone reading this, I have a bit of an unresolved (unresolvable?) question. From my personal experience, it seems that there are more *religious* Christians around these days of my age then there apparently were when our parents, the baby boom, were at University. Anyone else had conversations with their parents about this?
After that, I tried to do some programming, decided to go look for Ev, and ended up talking to Belal for a few hours about the Israel-Palestine issue, israeli history, etc. I end up arguing almost out of habit, it's strange, but he's a bright guy and really does his research... I should do more of my own. It looks like my days of Hebrew school and Shomria hearsay aren't enough any more. If only I could find a reasonable place to read... sigh. Guess I better just get on with it and visit Israel for a few months myself ;).
After chatting with Belal, we got some other people in... one asked me why I identified as a Jew... as opposed to a Christian, she later clarified.
I answered with my standard response - I don't understand the need for faith, or hell. But I don't know how honest I'm being here. After all, even though I'm certainly not strong in my faith, I certainly do believe in a creator (and yes, that was *A* creator. Not a pantheon or anything like that), and I don't know why it bugs me so much that *standard* Christianity requires you believe in a specific one without ever having doubt. Food for thought when I'm a bit less tired.
I thought I would have more to write here after a fairly long, and interesting, day... but I mostly find myself just tired. I guess I'll have to write again tomorrow... more work will be done (although I was pretty impressed by my morning studying, a feat I rarely accomplish, and I think haven't done yet second term), and my blog won't feature religious ponderings too much. Unless someone decides to convert me - I haven't had a decent conversion attempt in a while (in fact, there was really only the one time I was particularly close to converting), despite welcoming them.
Well, that's about it, and be well. Cloud's theme from FF7 is drawing to a close... and that seems to be as good a sign to sleep as any.
Unless I decide to start FF6 again, of course.
Well, goodnight. I suppose another post will be up around 4 AM if I decide to play.
-Aaron.
Well, day began on a bad foot. Slept through 212, and decided to study it for the next two hours. Lets just say I got a bit scared by previous exams... but it picked up, I understood everything in CISC 121 and even got to show up the whole class on one question. Slept through calc and physics, and unfortunately Zaremba noticed in physics... but it's the end of the year, so no big deal. Of course, Zaremba will likely be my thesis advisor in fourth year, oh well. He'll hopefully have forgotten by then... or maybe we'll have picked up some more theoretical physicists (I can always hope, right?).
After that, went on to the chem midterm. Lets just say I'm a moron and leave it there... although I discovered that I only need a 65 or so weighted average from this midterm and the final to get an 80 in the course, and I'm pretty sure that I did better than a 65 here. So, safe so far.
Came back to my room, and read at askmoses.com... for nearly two hours. Can you say procrastination? Learned a whole bunch from the Chabad people, who are seeming pretty reasonable. Not that I'm going to keep kosher, abstain and then have 300 kids, and settle down with a nice orthodox jewish girl in a nice jewish community... but it was a help. And apparently, for anyone who cares, we're at least as extreme as Roman Catholics when it comes to kids. That was a bit of a surprise.
Then chatted with Aaron, Brandon, and random passerbyes for a little while.
It was one of those fun conversations that ranges from religion and politics to good songs you've heard recently to anything else that comes to mind... the only conclusions reached were that mathematical physics was seceding from the faculty of arts and sciences (Aaron, unfortunately, called president), and we're asking Nielson to be our dean if we remember, and that I will hopefully get some what would moses do bracelets after reading askmoses. Oh, for anyone reading this, I have a bit of an unresolved (unresolvable?) question. From my personal experience, it seems that there are more *religious* Christians around these days of my age then there apparently were when our parents, the baby boom, were at University. Anyone else had conversations with their parents about this?
After that, I tried to do some programming, decided to go look for Ev, and ended up talking to Belal for a few hours about the Israel-Palestine issue, israeli history, etc. I end up arguing almost out of habit, it's strange, but he's a bright guy and really does his research... I should do more of my own. It looks like my days of Hebrew school and Shomria hearsay aren't enough any more. If only I could find a reasonable place to read... sigh. Guess I better just get on with it and visit Israel for a few months myself ;).
After chatting with Belal, we got some other people in... one asked me why I identified as a Jew... as opposed to a Christian, she later clarified.
I answered with my standard response - I don't understand the need for faith, or hell. But I don't know how honest I'm being here. After all, even though I'm certainly not strong in my faith, I certainly do believe in a creator (and yes, that was *A* creator. Not a pantheon or anything like that), and I don't know why it bugs me so much that *standard* Christianity requires you believe in a specific one without ever having doubt. Food for thought when I'm a bit less tired.
I thought I would have more to write here after a fairly long, and interesting, day... but I mostly find myself just tired. I guess I'll have to write again tomorrow... more work will be done (although I was pretty impressed by my morning studying, a feat I rarely accomplish, and I think haven't done yet second term), and my blog won't feature religious ponderings too much. Unless someone decides to convert me - I haven't had a decent conversion attempt in a while (in fact, there was really only the one time I was particularly close to converting), despite welcoming them.
Well, that's about it, and be well. Cloud's theme from FF7 is drawing to a close... and that seems to be as good a sign to sleep as any.
Unless I decide to start FF6 again, of course.
Well, goodnight. I suppose another post will be up around 4 AM if I decide to play.
-Aaron.