Blogging again…

OK, so I am blogging again. But this time it's different. How, you ask? I am doing it from inside MS Word 2010 Beta. So this post is a bit of a test post to see how and if it works.

How long has this feature been available in Word? Who knows. Does it work? Well, if you are reading this, then yes.

Jesus, Mary, and Doofus

Here is one last piece of Christmas joy for you, before we let the season go.

My daughter, who is a year and a half, learned about many things this year. She learned about the Christmas tree (or 'tee'), lights, snowmen ('sow-mea'), Santa, and of course the Holy Family. She can now identify Jesus, Mary (who is sometimes called 'mommy') and, of course, Joseph (pronounced just like 'doofus'). So all Christmas season we heard about Jesus, Mary, and Doofus.

I have tried to convince myself that she doesn't identify her daddy with Doofus, but when I saw pictures of myself from Christmas I realize that her use of 'doofus' was probably intentional. If you have seen the pictures of my 'monk hair,' you know what I mean.

Here's hoping you had a merry Christmas, and I wish you a happy New Year!

Put the 'X' back in Christmas!

For years, it has been the crusade of certain Christians to revolt against the shortened form of holiday from 'Christ'mas to 'X'mas. Opponents of abbreviations, these few faithful have devoted much energy to restore the “reason for the season” from its commercialization. Indeed, Christmas in American culture has become more about Santa than Savior, and this truncation only testifies to the way in which Jesus' birth has been disconnected from the biggest holiday on our calendar.

Well, today I turn the tables on these crusaders. I think it is time to fight to get the 'X' back on signs and storefronts, and even in greeting cards, salutations, well wishes, and t-shirts. (I will disregard the fact that people don't use the word “Christmas” publicly anymore. That little fact messes up my story.)

What, you say? I thought you were a Christian, you might respond. Well, before you cast me into the pits (or worse, stop reading my blog), let me explain.

You see, the ancient Greek abbreviation for 'Christ' was the letter X. This letter in the Greek alphabet is known as Chi (pronounced Kī) symbolizing the hard CH sound, as in 'charisma.' It also served as the first letter of the word Christ in its Greek form. Now in ancient manuscripts, proper nouns were often abbreviated to their first letter when the context made it obvious. So in the earliest New Testament manuscripts, the word Christ often appears simply as the letter X (with appropriate noun endings, but that is another story). Often in my classes, I abbreviate Christ as X when writing on the board, to save my students from my poor handwriting as well as to provoke them. Yes, I know, I am that kind of person...

You probably see where I am going with this. When people abbreviate Christmas as X-mas, they are unknowingly reverting to an ancient form of Christian expression. This makes me laugh (the way an academic theologian laughs, which is to say not at all – but would if 10 years of grad school hadn't hardened me). So I say, let them abbreviate, if they so wish. It just gives us all a reason to smile, and be reminded of what Christmas is really about.

My Christmas presents to you!

These are hard economic times indeed. Those of you in steady and secure jobs (if there is such a thing anymore) should be especially thankful this holiday season. So in the spirit of the times, I bring to you free cool stuff off the internet to help make this holiday season just a little brighter.

1. Pandora

Those itunes fees running up your credit card bill, but you just can't stop? Well, I can't really help you if want free songs for your ipod (well, I can but its illegal). However, if you are near a computer log on to http://www.pandora.com/, make a profile, and customize all of your stations. Trust me, this site is great for listening to all those old classics as well as finding new artists and songs. Sign up and we can share radio stations!

(FYI, you can see my profile at http://www.pandora.com/people/ajacobs1213 and steal my stations too!)

2. OpenOffice.org

Have a computer but need MS Word and don't have the $150 to shell out for Office? Head to http://www.openoffice.org/ and download their latest office suite. It is an entire office suite, completely compatible with Micro$oft's office - and its completely free.

I know, it sounds wierd, but its true. To tell you how much I trust this, I typed my entire final chapter (sitting at just under 50 pages as of now) in OpenOffice Writer (the Word alternative), and I even did some diagrams in Draw. Please, for the love of all that is good and free, check this out before you buy MS Office. Trust me.

Following that vein of thought...

3. Open-source alternatives

You would probably be surprised to find that there are open-source (i.e. free to use) versions of almost all commercial software out there. Head to http://www.osalt.com/, where you will find a database of all of these programs. Some are limited, but most are pretty awesome.

OK, well that's all I have right now. Hopefully, this will provide you some free enjoyment, or at least save you some money. Please feel free to share in the comments any other internet surprises!

Reason #154 why Satch rules

Yes, Coldplay is considered to be the foremost band of the current musical milieu. But apparently they are not 100% original (and I don't mean ripping off the whole U2 aura).



So who needs words to be cool? Not Satch, that's for sure!

(a shout out to Marty Burch, who tipped me off to this.)

Why Seinfeld reruns make me happy – and sad.

Has there ever been a better sitcom than Seinfeld? So precisely did it amplify the hilarity of postmodern lives, and with classic plot lines that have become cultural cliché. My favorite episode has to be the one where Kramer digs the old Merv Griffin set out of the trash, and with Newman proceeds to host a number of talk shows – in Kramer's apartment, without a camera or an audience. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mxhs-O_9BLc) Can you name your favorite? Elaine eating 80 year old wedding cake? Kramer retiring to Florida and running for community president? George and the Frogger machine? Jerry and one of his many failed relationships? Do you think there is an episode that people of my generation haven't seen? Despite being off the air for 10 years, it continues to run on syndication. I have probably watched more Seinfeld after it went off the air!

Why was it so popular, and why has its appeal continued? I think the answer is simple, but it kind of ruins the fun times: it is because the comedic writing had a way of pinpointing the truly absurd way in which people live and spend their days, obsessing over the details of ATM codes, the neck hole in sweaters, and every personality quirk possible. And in our postmodern culture, this resonated with people who found it to reveal something about themselves and the way they lived – the way we spend our lives and the things that we focus on in life.

If this was such a good show, why is it that when I get to the end of each episode, and Jerry is doing his stand-up routine, I feel an overwhelming sense of sadness? It is because, simply, what made Seinfeld great also makes it truly sad. The show about nothing is actually a show about nothingness. That is, you get to the end of the show, and there they sit – lives full of funny details yet devoid of meaning.

In terms of philosophy, we might say that Seinfeld is a statement of nihilism. While most sitcoms have some relation to a more ultimate sense of meaning – usually in terms of love – Seinfeld is a show that points to the absurdity of existence and the fact that people spend their lives focusing on things that are ultimately meaningless. And this is why it makes me sad, because as I reflect on it, I realize that modern life is itself a 'show about nothing.'

So the next time you watch a Seinfeld re-run, think about why it is so funny. Think of your life, and the lives of your family and friends, and think about what we do with our lives. Do we live meaning-filled lives, or lives that are ultimately absurd? And how do we find meaning in our postmodern world, filled with meaningless information that is ultimately unrelated to our quest for meaning? Be sure, there are no simple Sunday School answers to these questions – but there is meaning out there in the world. It is, in fact, the purpose of our lives to find such meaning. But that doesn't make it easy.

Well, I have sufficiently taken the most frivolous of shows and connected it to the most serious topic that faces people. I know, I should be ashamed of myself.

The arche

Ok, this is the first post, representing the beginning of my life as a blogger. Whether or not there is a second post will let you know if I survived for long!

Who am I, that I should presume to blog?

Well, its not that I have enormous amounts of free time, or that I am bursting forth with wisdom that I feel I need to share, or even that I idolize bloggers. The reason, in fact, is quite selfish.

You see, I have spent the last 4 years of my life writing my life project, a doctoral dissertation on the interface between science, theology, and philosophy. The problem is, now that I am done (or almost done...) I feel anything but complete. In fact, I feel like I have just started on a fascinating intellectual journey that promises to be compelling and filled with purpose, yet the content of this journey is still hazy to me. Its as if I see what is out there but I cannot grasp it. The vision is clouded by uncertainty (but not doubt), conceptual difficulties, and inexperience.

And here is where the blog - and anyone brave enough to follow my thoughts - comes in. The journey of one's life is not to be taken alone. When one's journey is an intellectual one, then it is important to share that journey with others who are themselves on a pilgrimage. It is my hope that this blog will provide an outlet for my thoughts, which are intensely personal, with the hope that in sharing them I will gain from your insight.

Well, that's pretty much it. My first few posts will most likely be related to my dissertation, but I will try to refrain from technical jargon and overly pompous syntax. While issues in theology, philosophy, and science are quite complex in their specificity, the ideas are simple enough that they can be part of public discourse. So hopefully you will stick with me as I explore some ideas, some deep and some not so, with the goal that we can all grow from sharing our experience of being in the world.