Christmas at My House: A Photo Essay

The view from within, looking out on the first real snow of the year.

Now that's an all-terrain pet.

In case you're not a Star Wars nerd like me, (and don't know that the proper term is actually Star Wars geek, or SWeek for short), Disney bought Lucasfilm. Actually, you might have heard that even if you aren't a fan of Star Wars, seeing how it is a pretty big deal. Furthermore, Disney has announced that a new Star Wars movie will be coming out in the next few years.What does it all mean?

Upon further review: a simple photo.

I think I will let this one speak for itself. If you didn't read it, please do. It is a little small, so you might want to right click and "open in new tab." It's not a simple and funny meme that takes no brain power to understand. It is a slightly scary, if not interesting, quote.

It's pretty accurate.

Cultural Concepts: Nihilism

What is the universe really about? Why does anything exist? What is our purpose? What is real? What is true? At some point, all humans must come to terms with questions like these. When it all comes down to it, the way in which you answer them will be the biggest defining factor about who you are.

There are many ways of answering the “big questions,” and American culture is certainly an exercise in diversity when it comes to that. There is the natural approach, the supernatural approach, the relativist approach, and the nihilistic approach, to name a few. I want to focus on nihilism for now. According to Dictionary.com, “Nihilism” is:

Worldview in pop culture: update

Just the other day, I saw a man wearing a light blue shirt emblazoned with “Legalize Love.” The “o” in “love” had been replaced by Obama’s personal insignia. I was only this close to asking him, “Isn’t love already legal?” I was probably wise to hold my tongue.

In my post concerning “The New Normal,” I posed a few questions about homosexuality. Is it right? How should we approach it? My personal stance is the Biblical stance. As Christians, we are called to love people as Christ loved them. Loving people, however, does not mean sanctioning sin. Loving people means calling them out of sin and towards the glorious light of the gospel. Loving people means praying for the salvation of their souls.

And yet, somehow, there are folks out there who don’t think that love is legal. Somehow in the confusion of the homosexuality debate, people have gotten in their minds that love needs to be legalized. But the issue is not the legalization of love. The issue is the same as it is in “The New Normal.” Gays and gay supporters do not really care about legalization, because there are no laws against being gay. They care about Normalization. And this is just the latest attempt to normalize something that is not normal.

In defense of Capitalism:

Capitalism at work. Sort of.

I promised it, and here it is. If you haven't read my most recent post, Batman part 2, then I suggest it. I discuss the problems with Communism, and I promised to explain why Capitalism is superior. Here I will seek to justify not only the Capitalistic economic idea but the American representative republic system of government. As this is a lengthy topic, I will endeavor to keep my comments brief.

To begin, it is important to remember what Churchill said about democracy: “Democracy is the worst form of government. Except for all the others.” This statement reveals the underlying truth behind all governmental systems made by humans. Because humans are fallen creatures, we are imperfect, corrupt, and evil at our core. It naturally follows that everything we come up with will be flawed some how. That being said, humans are capable of creating very good things, in spite of their "fallen-ness." The American system is one of those things. Why? I explain:

Worldview in pop culture #4: Batman part 2

A city in ruin. An angry hoard of the oppressed routing out and destroying the rich upper class, making them wonder how they could live so high and leave so little for the rest One man standing above them, rallying them to himself. The end of Batman? You'll have to watch the movie.

In Christopher Nolan's epic conclusion to his Batman trilogy, Batman is pitted against Bane in a motion picture that has received praise for being nothing short of amazing. I must make a disclaimer here, because I actually haven't seen the movie yet. You may ask how I can comment on a movie I haven't seen. Well, I comment not so much on the movie, but the worldview there within. From the reviews I have read and the trailers I have seen, this movie contains some strong themes that have sparked equally strong debates. Namely that of Capitalism and Communism.

Worldview in pop culture #3: Batman, Part 1:

In the midst of a dark Gotham night, a shot rings out. And then another. Events have begun to unfold that will change the fate of this fictional city forever. On that night, the fate of one man would become tied to a sense of justice. The death of his parents would haunt him for years. His name: Bruce Wayne. But you probably know him better as Batman.

Batman became a part of popular culture in 1939 with the release of the first Batman comic book. He has since existed as one of the most popular DC comic figures, having several full-length movies to his name, numerous graphic novels, and one campy 60's show. The Caped Crusader, The World's best detective, or the Dark Knight, as dark as he may be, has always stood as a beacon of justice in a city of crime, Gotham. His sense of justice and his refusal to take life are perhaps his two most defining characteristics. His most recent surge of popularity came from the trilogy of movies directed by Christopher Nolan. Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises have redefined the legend by adding an incredible amount of realism and dark themes. The new movies are far removed from the earlier incarnations of Batman in that 60's show (pun highly intended). But these movies come with much more than awesome, stellar, and excellent plot lines, explosions, graphics, cinematography, and acting. They come with a worldview.

Worldview in pop culture, #2: The Redemption of Cain

Will Smith, directing and starring in a new movie with a Biblical plot, the story of Cain and Abel, vampires...wait, what? Did you just say vampires? I mean, the rest of that stuff was pretty ordinary, but vampires? Well, I'm afraid so. It turns out that (according to the internet, source of all knowledge) Will Smith is set to release a new movie, The Redemption of Cain, sometime in the next few years. Perhaps 2010, perhaps 2015. Either way, sources are unanimously certain that this retelling of the Cain and Abel story will have a vampiric element. How will vampires fit into this Biblical narrative? No one is really sure. Why on earth would anyone want to fit vampires into this Biblical narrative? No one seems to care.

Okay, I'll admit that this post is not really about Will Smith's new movie, it's more about vampires in general, and their place in pop culture. Every time I hear about a new vampire book, movie, or TV show, I cast my gaze upon heaven with a questioning look on my face and say, “Why?” Why are vampires so popular? Why do people actually read these books and watch these movies, spreading this idea like an infection? Are we being punished? The answers do not come easily. However, it seems that the vampire mythos has a strong grip in pop culture, especially over young people.

Pretty Things & Clever Words: Soundtrack to my Summer: Somethin' 'Bout a Truck

Jenny Redfern has a great blog going, and a great music review here:

Pretty Things & Clever Words: Soundtrack to my Summer: Somethin' 'Bout a Truck: I couldn’t close my summer soundtrack series with anything but a country song. The problem is just choosing one. With the sun shining...

Ramblings of a Ginger: Intro

If you want to know about the ramblings of a ginger, Jefferey's blog is the place to do it!

Ramblings of a Ginger: Intro: Hi, my name is Jeffrey Essary I'm a senior, and a broadcasting(radio, tv, web, as its called now) major at JBU and this is my intro post for...

Worldview in pop culture, #1: The New Normal

Two gay guys who want a baby, a single mom with not much left who will become the surrogate mother for them, her daughter, who typifies today's youth culture , and her grandmother, who is incredibly snarky, ego-centric, and spiteful. They all come together in their own ways to create a family. They come from different places, backgrounds and beliefs, but if we are to believe what NBC wants us to believe, this is now a normal family. It may not be traditional, but hey, if they love each other, why not, right? 

If you don't know, NBC is slated to release its brand new comedy, The New Normal, on September 11. Ignoring, for the moment, the implications of releasing a new comedy on 9-11, I turn to the implications of the title and the characters, and I ask the double-rainbow question: “What does it mean?” What does it mean that the title of this show is, “The New Normal?” What is the underlying worldview? Is there a worldview? Before I examine these questions, let's pause for a moment and look at the show itself.

The Crew Headlines: Welcome.

 This is Jordan's blog. Be sure to check it out!

The Crew Headlines: Welcome.: If you are reading this, then you are apart of high class, hard hitting, powerful new force in the blogosphere. You and I are going to gain ...

Hello world!

My name is Steve. I am a freshman at JBU this year, and excited to be so! As to my education, I managed to nab a high school diploma and am currently pursuing a major in Communications and a minor in music.
 I have lived all my life in Nebraska. My parents are both teachers who moved back to the states after meeting in Peru where they were teaching at a local Christian School. I have two older brothers, one of which is involved in missions, the other of which is a music teacher.

I personally enjoy music, through the playing of the violin, ukulele, trombone, dulcimer, or singing, running, writing, reading, speaking, skydiving, surfing, mountain climbing, taming wild stallions, playing professional badminton on the weekends, and in general sarcastically overstating my favorite activities.

Okay, so maybe everything after "speaking" was exaggerated. But everything before it was not. I really do love music, and I really do love communicating, especially public speaking. I am a big-picture thinker who is horrible with details. I am excited to be alive, and I can't wait to see what God will show me in the next four years.