Existential Punk

Munch No Longer Screaming!

Stolen Munch paintings recovered after being stolen from a museum in Oslo, Norway 2 years ago according to this BBC News report. I am really glad they have been found and the thieves apprehended. Now Munch can RIP!!!!!!! :)

Free Speech, Hahhhh!

Jet Blue breaks free speech right when it forced a US citizen of Iraqi descent from removing a T-shirt in Arabic and English that said "We will not be silent" . This current administration has allowed the works of a few terrorists to rule our lives and our government and subsidiaries to break laws. It is sickening and must stop. The article reports that, "We Will Not Be Silent" is a slogan adopted by opponents of the war in Iraq and other conflicts in the Middle East. It is said to derive from the White Rose dissident group which opposed Nazi rule in Germany."                    

 

Good Faith vs. Bad Faith

"We do not in some deep way know who we are or what the world is. That is not nihilism but a quasi-religious confession, the beginning of wisdom, the onset of faith and compassion. Derrida exposes the doubt that does not merely insinuate itself into faith but that in fact constitutes faith, for faith is precisely in the face of doubt and uncertainty, the passion of non-knowing. Violence on the other hand arises from having a low tolerance for uncertainty so that Derrida shows us why religious violence is bad faith. . ." - John D. Caputo

I see fundamentalism of any kind, but especially in Christianity, falling into a "low tolerance for uncertainty" that is violently held onto with white knuckles. As followers of Christ, we must remember to hold onto doctrine, beliefs, practices, etc. loosely as we are finite beings incapable of nailing everything down in this life we live on earth. With faith comes the freedom to believe, yet still question, doubt, and be ok with not having all of the answers. Faith is a mystery and is an avenue to "allow" us to "be" and continually 'become" a follower of Christ.

God, help us to revel in your mystery, hold lightly our human constructs of you, and be at peace not knowing everything. Thank you! Amen.

Be careful, men could be next in line!

i found this sad but random and funny story here. Global warming may yet be the demise of male genitals. Although Al Gore's film, "An Inconvenient Truth", does not bring either of these issues up, i am going out on a limb and making a prediction/hypothesis. I hope all of you will see this very informative and well-done film. It's the most relaxed and un-cardboard-like i have ever seen Al Gore. If he was like this in the 2,000 Presidential Race, i just might have voted for him. He came across confident and like a regular "Joe". Go Al Gore! i am so glad he has found his niche and passion.

Lyme Disease Update

It's been a really long time since i have written about my treatment for Lyme Disease and my progress. My doctor says progress is happening but i won't notice any changes for a long time. Last fall and spring i was being treated for Babesiosis, a co-infection  with Lyme Disease. We thought we had gotten all of the Babesia, which must be cleared out before treatment for Lyme begins. About a month ago i had a neurological dysfunction incident where i had trouble walking. It was like gravity pulling me down and i was walking like Steve Martin as the wild and crazy guy fron Saturday Night Live. I had to be taken to the ER, have tests run, and then was admitted. After a CT Scan, bloodwork, urine test, and an MRI of my brain, everything was normal. Hard to believe, eh??!! LOL!!!! So, my doctor determined i had a major Lyme flair and cut back on my meds for a week, a "drug holiday" as she calls it! Then a specific blood test for Babesia showed it is still in my system, so i have begun a new round of another antibiotic to treat it. When it is gone, my doctor is most likely going to start me on IV antibiotics to target the Lyme quicker. This will entail me having home health care, where a nurse comes in daily to administer the IV antibiotics. I will have to have a PIC line surgically inserted so i don't have to be stuck over sand over. It is sort of like what a cancer patient going through chemo therapy gets inserted. If you are praying people, PLEASE pray for me. I am discouraged the Babesia is not gone and have been dealing with depression as well. i am going to have to take this year off of school as my memory, word finding, comprehension and concentration have majorly worsened. i FEEL crummy! Ok, that's about it!

Stalker?

Well, i am finally back. i had to take a long break from blogging because of an incident i had with a fellow blogger. I was accused of being a stalker and this person is an Emergent blogger in the UK. I would offer prayers and dialogue with the topics at hand. So, when i received an email from this person i was crushed, prayed, searched my heart, and became disillusioned with Christians. Imagine, a progressive thinking blogger thinking and acting this way towards me. i never said anything controversial on the blog comments. In the blog world i have made many friends whom i have never met in person and appreciate them all. Technology has opened this door for cyber friendships. How is praying for someone being too familiar when they post about things that are personal. If someone does not want prayer or comments, then don't post those kinds of things. i am still a bit raw but i choose to forgive this person. Ok, enough about this!