Never fails

Like I said before, I may not agree with everything she says but she never seems to fail at making me appreciate her stuff (and I say "stuff" with the utmost respect, btw).

http://opinionistas.com/2008/04/14/settle-this/







4 posts in one morning. whoowee!

A Political Classicalist

I registered to vote, and for the first time, I should add. I've never seen a voting machine so I don't know how it looks like. Do they have "Other" as an option of political affiliation?

While I ask this question to the air, I am trying to educate myself on the matter since it's never really been a concern for me to vote only because I couldn't. I don't even know if I will, with what I do know of the line-up that we have; but Ron Paul seems promising so far, in my opinion.

Can't I just be a "global citizen" and say my allegiance is to the Pope with affliation as Catholic? :P

Cover all my frickin bases.

Book List

Having been wrapped up in full-time studies, I don't seem to feel inclined to read at my leisure good, solid books to curb the intellect's hunger. Now that I have time, I do! It feels liberating- but I feel like some slow butt because I haven't really read much of anything outside textbooks (which are usually disgustingly boring). I now want to collect C.S. Lewis' works. I feel like starting out with The Great Divorce. No, I haven't read it yet. Yes, that sounds sad, hence my feeling like a slow butt.

I miss reading what I want to read for hours on end.

Meet thy Maker

I, one of the many askers of obvious-and-common-questions, reiterate an obviously human and common question: why is it that people turn to the "divine", or seek out that which is beyond temporal reality, only when they begin or fear to face the end of their own temporal reality?

I feel like I'm beating a dead horse everytime I or someone else brings up the subject of war, ultimately, death and the resulting moral implications of it. I was reading a book called Shrapnel in the Heart by Laura Palmer which shares the stories of significant others and friends of the Viet Nam military casualities. I guess I get the impression of beating the horse because so many people already discuss and think about war and its effects. But then they kind of put it in the backburner once all the hubbub has died (until memorial days). I see new recruits join the military for silly reasons (i.e. shoot guns) and for old (i.e. serve country), but the cycle repeats because the young die and people get hurt in various ways. And the world still turns.

But it still makes you think about life's ultimate endings. I think about how people approach those thoughts. Some don't really care. Some think way too much. Some are inbetween. I think some don't care enough, while some think I put too much effort into caring. In any way, the question remains: what happens when it all ends?

And when you get "there": what now?

But that's the question that remains for life in general, not just for war. In my opinion, war just makes that question come up faster, which is why I think that those that join shouldn't join with the thought that they're "just gonna die". I mean, the time that they have before they do should be spent wisely- not frivolously. But not everyone thinks this. I believe that people are stupid when they only start to "care" right before they kick the bucket. I don't doubt in God's saving grace for those who only "get it" once death sits in, but when you have time to help it, it's no excuse. Even if someone doesn't believe in God, what one person does can still affect some total stranger- and while we don't know that, there's still the fair possibility to consider.

Instinctively, the answer to my first question seems to be that it is inherent that man asks such questions about the purpose of his existence. It only seems logical that he'd eventually ask what happens when if he ceases to exist in terms of this world. And being the Catholic and interested individual that I am with the bits of knowledge that I've absorbed, one other answer would be that man's inclination to think of the "divine/supernatural" stems from the design of his Maker. While I myself have accepted this concept, I am a caring individual (careful to not just be some nosey butt picking into other people's business) and I can't help to wonder about how other people approach living life in terms of coming to death. I guess all I really want is for people to know the Truth. I would be considered a staunchly arrogant person to say that they should believe as I believe, but heck, in truth I do. At least I won't push them to do so. Free choice, after all.

Isn't life all about dying?