Tuesday, January 30, 2007

New World Order?

This scares me...

Monday, January 29, 2007

Infinite Annoyances by strange Mormons

Okay, here we go again...Saturday my 12 y/o attended a merit badge fair for Boy Scouts in Atascocita put on by our Church. When he came home, he said he had some altercation with someone from the Eagle Springs Ward, another boy. He described what happened, and I let it go, telling him to remember who he was and make good decisions and to be friendly. Wellllllll, my friend from Eagle Springs was there, he's in the Stake Youth in some position, and he calls me up Saturday evening telling me about the incident. I'm asking him the whole time what's the point of him telling me this because I already forgot about it. It turns out his story correlates with my son's account almost exactly. He also states the mother of this young kid called him and is going to call me. Well, here is the rub: in my opinion, kids will be kids, boys will be boys, and conflict will always arise, no matter what. I'm not saying that just to excuse behavior on either sides of the issue. My friend said my son used some bad language (the f-word, etc.) and my son swears he said "freaking" and "crap". My son says it alot at home and he gets berated for it at home also, but I don't know.

So, to clarify my complaint: why would someone feel the need to call me and tell on my son, which is how I took the whole incident? When I was in the youth, conflict was handled 'in-house'. For example, at a dance in Klein this guy jumped me in the middle of the dance floor over some girl who liked me but I payed no attention to. My youth leader, who btw is my current stake president, broke up the fight, if you can call it that. But, it never got to my parents. No leader felt the need to 'report Louis's herectical non-Mormon acting ways' or anything. An hour after the incident it was forgotten...this kind of action is always happening over here. Is it an isolated Kingwood-Humble area Mormon type thing or is it Church-wide?

In my quest for strength and patience, I feel I'm being tested to see how I will react...Sometimes I think Mormons make me the angriest, asides from politicians, which don't count because they're cartoon figures anyway. Nevertheless, all is well. I remember in D/C where Joseph Smith states "many are called but few are chosen, because when they get some (self-perceived) authority they try to use it by force instead of charity and patience..." I'm paraphrasing because I haven't memorized it verbatim. It goes on to state "beware, lest ye are left to 'kick against the pricks'. I feel in my anger to be the prick they kick against...

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Hamas, Israel

Hamas' constitution, 1987 (1988?).

Israel's Declaration of Independence.

The Balfour Declaration.

A brief history of the Ottoman Empire.

More Ottoman Empire light.

The Jerusalem Mosaic.

Friday, January 26, 2007

You spin me right round baby...

???

Where along Maslow's heirarchy did human beings stop progressing? This is further proof just because a human achieves fame, money, success, or any combination of the three, that human has not self-actualized. As a matter of fact, Western culture does not promote self-actualization. I don't know about Eastern culture, and Middle-eastern culture promotes self-emoilation (hahaha...). On the surface Lou Dobbs appears like a stereotypical self-righteous leftist, but now I'm not so sure. That's how I wrote him off from sound-bytes, but maybe I need to delve into him more. Have you ever wondered if both U.S. political parties have the same hand up their asses? Does it matter who actually wins in government anymore? Is our political process dead?

Now, even more scarier, what if the government actually is not so out of touch with the populace, but the government is a microcosmic reflection of our society? I was reading in 4th Nephi and the whole Book of Mormon (not the comprehensive B.O.M., but the section Mormon wrote, namely the Book of Mormon within... the Book of Mormon...the book following 4th Nephi, dammit!) The neo-Lamanites are just beginning to eat the neo-Nephites' lunch on a mortal scale and it is all due to the degeneration of society. It is interesting to see how the Book of Mormon progresses, and apply that to our present day world. But, the catch nowadays is the Lord has promised the Priesthood will never again be taken from the Earth. How do you think this very real issue of our time will play out? Has not one of our apostles said our time has paralleled Sodom and Gomorrah presently?

It's funny how people blame all of our ills on the government when our society puts out trash such as American Idle, tabloids, celebrity promotion, ghettos, strip bars, and so on. I'm not looking down my righteously swollen nose at it either because I'm sure some of the music I listen to and purchase promotes the same. But I don't blame the government for it. Now, back to Maslow...

So is Pete typical of western culture and therefore not so much a freak as initail reaction would state?

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Happy?

"If you're happy and you know it clap your hands..."

Jaws

Look at this. And this...


I was once going to study marine biology. I think it's interesting Japan is also seeing more frequently giant squid, which were once thought extinct. Nature is wonderful.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Sooooeeeee...part II

Lil' pig, lil' pig, let me in...

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Soooeeee!

I'm gonna make you squeal like a pig, boy!

Friday, January 19, 2007

The bogey-man cometh...

http://www.breitbart.com/news/na/070119065120.35eo16xs.html

The T.V. show is sparking anti-Muslim feelings across the United States?

It's not:

-female circumcision?
-suicide bombings?
-blatant disregard for all women and non-Muslims?
-the Taliban's religious police executing and torturing those 'not exhibiting Muslim--acceptable' features, such as the length of a beard?
-the religion of peace, peacefully decapitating non-Muslims while praying 'God is Great'?
-multiple national leaders (Iran, Syria, etc.) calling for and predicting the imminent conflagration of the West and Israel?
-the democratic (ha!) elections of a terrorist organization (Hamas)to rule whose constitution specifically states for the driving out of Palenstine and the world extermination of the Jews?
-the physical pissing on the flag of the one country who will not prosecute you for doing so (Muslim protesters in N.Y.)?...

...and so on...

It's the television, stupid.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Spreetard...

Have you ever seen the Polyphonic Spree?




I have this picture of the Second Coming where the Lord is heralded by angels on either side as He's descending on a cloud over the desert. It's a pretty famous painting in LDS culture. I have the idea of painting the bottom hems of all the angels different colors because (and this may sound cheesy) there is a majesty about the Spree's music. Sure, they are just a band, but their sounds can be incredible and the structure of their songs are breathtaking. One time after a run during the freak-out I was picturing the music the angels are playing could be as majestic as the Spree's but on a so-much-higher level.

Heather and I saw them in Ft. Worth during the July 4th weekend of 2005 at the botanical gardens. We arrived a few hours before the show and decided to tour the botanical gardens. The stage was a couple acres away in a field surrounded by trees and while we were walking around we started hearing all of these eerie and beautiful sounds. Spree soundcheck! So cool...Second time was in Austin at Emo's last fall, 2006. We drove from Houston to see them and got to catch Pilotdrift, which is a really great band. Emo's stage is kind of small, the inside part was hot, and cigarette smoke was heavy. The show was good, but the atmosphere lacked the magic of Ft. Worth's show. But, I'll settle for anywhere for a Spree show.



"Yeah, everyone wants to know love..."

maybe...

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

You Can't Stop the Springtime From Cumming...



I couldn't watch the season premiere episodes of 24 because I was working. So, last night I watched all of them (my wife taped them). I knew what happened at the last episode (9am-10am?) but still when it happened, I couldn't help crying. It was very powerful, esp. since I see this show almost like a prediction of the very near future. Except for Jack Bauer of course. His character is a little over the top, but hey, it's great t.v. Why watch the news when 24 is on? I also think it's a little telling of American society when American Idle is shown right before.

The nurses I work with buy People magazine, US, Cosmopolitan, etc. and I look through these magazines, I see the Golden Globules awards, the Grammys, etc. and I wonder if this is what people around the world perceive us as. Or, maybe our society IS this. So, this is what it leads me to think: What are we fighting for? Then I remember, free agency. Just because American society is decadent, it doesn't mean I'm fighting for decadence. The Bill of Rights is a perfect concept, just like the Gospel. But people fuck it up. So, if the world is stupid enough to think the U.S. is correctly represented by American Idle, Star, US magazine, Cosmo, etc., the it is no wonder we're getting bombed. I think it is so disgusting to see the diet fads of 'celebrities' then followed by pictures of naturally starved thin people around the world. Let's ask India, most of Africa, and Mexico if they're worried about their weight. Sure, their governments are fucked up but I'm talking of their society.

Anyways...

I went to the mall today (Deerbrook in Humble) with my wife to get a back brace because the femme fetus is causing a little back-ache. When I went in, I started freaking out. All of a sudden I HAD to leave NOW. But I endured for my wife's sake. So I started analyzing this because lately I've been feeling ok in reference to depression, etc. Hmmm...I still have no answers but I'm not worried. ElizW, I was wondering, are you also a pharmaceutical representative? Hahahahhaha...

When I was in the Army, my wife was in the Primary Presidency. One time she said she needed a spiritual scripture on the fly; it was Sunday after Sacrament and an emergency, so I gave her Moroni 9:8.

Monday, January 15, 2007

Wild...yet tantalizing...cerebral candy...Perfect music...



What a cool video. This is the type of music I would like to make.

Saturday, January 13, 2007

psychic disturbances feeding on my neuronal magnetic resonances emitting funkified grits and eggs

Ha! I decided to ramble the title of this episode.

I had a dream...I was in the woods, it was very green all around, and I just so happened to die. I don't know what from...but, Heather was away and I needed to let her know I died. So, the issue was, how do I communicate with her since I'm now on a different plane? So, I found this clearing in the middle of the woods and it so happened to be where Heather and I lived. There was no house or structure, just a clearing. Somehow, I came up with the idea of finding some piano strings and vibrating them to 'communicate' with Heather since I'm...spirit-form...? Where did this come from? So, that is how I let her know I was dead.

I saw a cool show on CNN called Combat Hospital about a military hospital in Iraq. It made me wonder if I might be there within a year or so. I think I would actually volunteer for service. It is kind of cool because the military medical staff takes care of all the injured or sick, regardless of which 'side' of the conflict they're on.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

The Legendary Pink Dots are great because...

they're legendary. Here is the lyrics to Disturbance from the Maria Dimension album:

"We ride on the avalanche we climb the melting red lungs of the ladder that
Leads high to a darkening moon. we're the watchers of disaster, we're the
Dancers on your tomb. we're the invisible invaders of your privacy... your
Dreams. we're the spectres on your screen. we murmur sweet transparent
Lunacy on hot oppressive nights - you shine a light and you will see just
A shadow"

I actually saw them at Fitzgeralds in Houston a long time ago...I don't really pay attention to lyrics and singers that much but some songs are enhanced by them. This song floats and builds and the music actually puncuates the lyrics (or lyrics punctuate the music...?!?). I've listened to this song a kabillion times and just now this morning noticed the words. "We murmur sweet transparent Lunacy..." Brilliant...

Monday, January 08, 2007

Many years ago there was something growing inside your mother...

And it was you...!

I'm trying something different with Scripture study. I'm looking up topics in the index and studying the references instead of reading the Scriptures chronologically. I've done it before years ago and I don't know why I don't do that more often...

Home Teaching is going well. One of my families just had a baby boy, Jonah. My other families are doing well. I get more from them than they do from me, I'm sure.

Female fetus is growing. We have a live-action ultrasound and in it she yawns for ten or so seconds, and when she shuts her mouth, her cheeks look so fat! I love fat babies! Today, while I was working out, I wondered how much my life will change having a daughter. I thought if I would feel for her more, less, or differently than I do my sons. I wondered what kind of man she would marry, if I didn't dismember him first. I also wondered how to love her so she wouldn't fall prey to worrying about her body image and bulemia-izing herself. I wonder if any of my mood-chromosomes were passed on.

I want so much to get back to the Temple. I think February will be the time. Elder's Quorum talked about weakness being a thorn in the side, but also I feel very strongly it's a medium for growth. I so desparately need to learn patience and humility. I think once I learn faith, hope, and charity, I'll be on my way.

Monday, January 01, 2007

New Years

What did you do New Years Eve? I greeted 2007 on the helipad of Memorial Hermann's Lifeflight. The weather was chilly and windy, and only a few fireworks were going off on the horizon. Nothing New Yorkish...

It's been a relatively easy shift or otherwise I wouldn't be writing. I'm so tired I feel like my orbital sockets are melting down my face and my eyes are crossing. We have an empty room on the floor and I'm watching adult swim on the cartoon channel, and it introduced me to my new favorite band:

Dethklok.