Honestly, I know married life is no picnic. But that doesn't make it any less awesome. I love the fact that we have a future together. That by facing it together as a team so many more things are available to us.
It would be VERY nice if making the condo a more livable space with everything in it's proper place and NOT stacked on the bed & in the closet of the spare room.
All in good time!
Oh! And if you're interested in some wedding pictures be sure to check out our webpage: The.Duffyz
2008-11-21
2008-11-18
All I Want For Christmas Is...
I know. Christmas isn't about 'GETTING STUFF'. I know more than most how true it is that it's better to give than to recieve. But let's face it. We no longer live in a Christian nation but rather a consumer nation. People are more interested in things than the truth.
Also, even if it's better to give to someone else than to recieve a present yourself doesn't mean you don't want to recieve some awesome presents.
Finally, if I write them all down I can't forget them myself! So here we go... my top ten list:
#1 - Russell Peter's new 'Red, White, and Brown' CD/DVD combo - Russell Peters is a super funny comedian. There is a ton of his stuff on Youtube so you can check him out yourself.
#2 - Red vs Blue: The Bloodgulch Chronicles Complete Box Set - This is a kewl show made using the Halo video & voiceovers to create a hilarious show. Also worth a peek on Youtube. The site lets you download low res versions a few episodes at a time. But the full set in HD is WAY better!
#3 - Slam Nation - A DVD chronicalling the 2005 National Poetry Slam competition. It pits Saul Williams against Taylor Mali. Bucketloads of hot sauced word awesomeness!
#4 - Brisingr by Christopher Paolini - It's the 3rd book of the Inheritance Cycle, an adventure series about dragons, elves, dwarves, & magic. The books are well written and really draw you in.
#5 - His Story My Shoes by Precise - A christian hop hop artist from the Shaolin Projects of Staten Island (same area as the Wu-Tang Clan). His flow and rhymes skills are outstanding and outmatched only by his passion to follow Jesus.
#6 - Season 1 of Lost on DVD - For those who don't know it's a dramatic serial about a bunch of people who plane crashed on this island in the south Pacific where they find abandoned scientific facilities, strange people who live there, voices whispering in the jungle, and a monster made of smoke.
#7 - Season 3 of Lost on DVD - Since I already have Season 2 and Season 4 hasn't come out yet!
#8 - Listener & Dust - Just In Time For Christmas - Another awesome Christian hip hop CD
#9 - Beat Rabbi & Deepspace5 - DeepSpace5oul - A hip hop worship CD by a crew of amazingly talented Chritian hip hop artists.
#10 - Realistikk - The Real - This female MC holds it down with tight rhymes & flow, deep topics, but with an edge to it. Be sure to cop be 1st disc 'Secular Stress' if you can.
Also, even if it's better to give to someone else than to recieve a present yourself doesn't mean you don't want to recieve some awesome presents.
Finally, if I write them all down I can't forget them myself! So here we go... my top ten list:
#1 - Russell Peter's new 'Red, White, and Brown' CD/DVD combo - Russell Peters is a super funny comedian. There is a ton of his stuff on Youtube so you can check him out yourself.
#2 - Red vs Blue: The Bloodgulch Chronicles Complete Box Set - This is a kewl show made using the Halo video & voiceovers to create a hilarious show. Also worth a peek on Youtube. The site lets you download low res versions a few episodes at a time. But the full set in HD is WAY better!
#3 - Slam Nation - A DVD chronicalling the 2005 National Poetry Slam competition. It pits Saul Williams against Taylor Mali. Bucketloads of hot sauced word awesomeness!
#4 - Brisingr by Christopher Paolini - It's the 3rd book of the Inheritance Cycle, an adventure series about dragons, elves, dwarves, & magic. The books are well written and really draw you in.
#5 - His Story My Shoes by Precise - A christian hop hop artist from the Shaolin Projects of Staten Island (same area as the Wu-Tang Clan). His flow and rhymes skills are outstanding and outmatched only by his passion to follow Jesus.
#6 - Season 1 of Lost on DVD - For those who don't know it's a dramatic serial about a bunch of people who plane crashed on this island in the south Pacific where they find abandoned scientific facilities, strange people who live there, voices whispering in the jungle, and a monster made of smoke.
#7 - Season 3 of Lost on DVD - Since I already have Season 2 and Season 4 hasn't come out yet!
#8 - Listener & Dust - Just In Time For Christmas - Another awesome Christian hip hop CD
#9 - Beat Rabbi & Deepspace5 - DeepSpace5oul - A hip hop worship CD by a crew of amazingly talented Chritian hip hop artists.
#10 - Realistikk - The Real - This female MC holds it down with tight rhymes & flow, deep topics, but with an edge to it. Be sure to cop be 1st disc 'Secular Stress' if you can.
2008-10-20
The Joys of Planning A Wedding
Well it's down to the final count. Only five more days until the wedding! Thankfully everything is pretty much done. We had all the big stuff like picking a date & location done early on. Most of the other major details fell into place as well. Most of the effort has been on the details. Things like the invitations and programs being printed and made just the way you want them. Right now the few details remaining are just juggling the timing of the wedding day, writing our thank you speech, being prepared to go away on our honeymoon for 2 weeks, and how to be organized when we get back.
This last week and past week or so have very much been a blur. Things are going so fast and we've been so busy. It feels like life is on fast forward right now with most of our time (aside from work & sleep) is being taken up by the wedding plans. As distracting as it is being this busy I really think it's better this way. I think if there wasn't stuff going on and being in constant thought & motion about the wedding that I would be a ball of nerves.
As Christine & I have been talking about our wedding day & how fast it seems to be approaching I'm rather glad that I'm not the only one who is all done with details. We both are anxious and can hardly wait. But we're not sure what we are more excited about: The ceremony & reception or the 2 week honeymoon/vacation afterwards? Like if we could somehow hit fast forward and be getting married life would be infinitley easier.
BTW, don't expect a TON of posts while on our honeymoon or when we first get back. But I plan to put up a thing or 2 and maybe make a small update to our google webpage http://the.duffyz.googlepages.com
This last week and past week or so have very much been a blur. Things are going so fast and we've been so busy. It feels like life is on fast forward right now with most of our time (aside from work & sleep) is being taken up by the wedding plans. As distracting as it is being this busy I really think it's better this way. I think if there wasn't stuff going on and being in constant thought & motion about the wedding that I would be a ball of nerves.
As Christine & I have been talking about our wedding day & how fast it seems to be approaching I'm rather glad that I'm not the only one who is all done with details. We both are anxious and can hardly wait. But we're not sure what we are more excited about: The ceremony & reception or the 2 week honeymoon/vacation afterwards? Like if we could somehow hit fast forward and be getting married life would be infinitley easier.
BTW, don't expect a TON of posts while on our honeymoon or when we first get back. But I plan to put up a thing or 2 and maybe make a small update to our google webpage http://the.duffyz.googlepages.com
2008-09-26
Creation vs Evolution - The Debate Rages On
Surprisingly, it seems that the teams have switched sides: A prominent scientist calls for creation to be welcomed into the science classroom while the Church of England claims creationism & Darwinism are compatible and offered an apology to Darwin for judging him too quickly.
Last week I was surprised to read an article that Michael Reiss, professor of science education at the Institute of Education, University of London, and director of education at the Royal Society (an old and respected scientific institution), had said that Creationism DOES have a place in the science classroom. Now, He is far from proponent of creationism, intelligent design, or anything other that evolution. Rather he feels that open discussion with students who do believe in origins other than evolution is an approach that a science teacher can hope to at least ensure the students understand the evolutionary position. A rather open minded approach for a proponent of evolution.
However, just a week later a Rev. Dr. Malcolm Brown posts articles on the birthday of Charles Darwin celebrating his life and contribution to science and the theory of evolution. All of this on the official Church of England website. Now I know the Anglican church is FAR from evangelical in it's beliefs and practices. But when did the Christian & scientific communities trade places on this issue? While I found Professor Reiss comments to be open minded, honest, and encouraging I find Dr Brown's writing be ignorant fluff more interested in public relations than the pursuit of truth.
He claims:
Whilst it is not difficult to see why evolutionary thinking was offensive at the time, on reflection it is not such an earth-shattering idea. Yes, Christians believe that God became incarnate as a human being in the person of Jesus and thereby demonstrated God’s especial love for humanity. But how can that special relationship be undermined just because we develop a different understanding of the processes by which humanity came to be?
I guess on the surface the concepts seem very compatible. However the biblical & evolutionary worldviews are polar opposites. The bible tells us that God created a perfect world, as a result of mankind sin death entered the world, and now we need to be saved by Jesus. Evolution says that the universe and everything in it created itself through countless generations of things living & dieing they improved through random chance, natural selection, and survival of the fittest. So if you accept evolution as true then death existed long before mankind and isn't a result of our sinful nature, and if you don't have a sinful nature then you don't need Jesus as yopur personal saviour.
The doctor also claims that the theory of evolution has been missaplied to creat the concept moral progress. The basic premise being that, if humans are continuing to evolve physically then the same must be true socially & morally. He then says this misconception of moral progress was the basis for racism or Nazism. He said that Darwins theory on physical evolution was hijacked to create a "social Darwinism". In reality, the concept of physical evolution has social implications. It doesn't have to be hijacked or misapplied (whichever term you prefer) in order to have logical implications on social thought & structure.
The basic concept of evolution is that through natural selection and survival of the fittest a species changes over time (for the good). In other words, animals with weaker traits for survival and reproduction are weeded out of the gene pool while animals with stronger or new more benficial traits garner prominence simply by the fact that they are the ones that live & live longer. Logic therefore dictates that if the species homo sapien sapien (humans) are evolving too then the same must be true about them. By that logic, humans with weaker physical traits are inferior to those with stronger traits. So if someone kills a person with triats deemed to be inferior then that person is simply giving mother nature a helping hand and is actually helping the human race to be better & stronger. This was of course the justification for the slaughter of native americans, slaves and segregation in America, and of course the holocaust.
I wholeheartedly disagree with the biology professor at the univeristy in Kansas, whom he quoted as saying "The kids (who believe evolution to be heresy) know that if they want a good job they need a degree, and if they want a degree they have to work with evolution theory. Creationism is for church, as far as they’re concerned. Here, they’re Darwinists". Honestly, I don't have to believe the world is flat in order to learn that people thought that way, so I don't have to believe in Darwin's conclusions just because it's part of the curriculum. Thankfully the doctor disagrees with the professor as well.
However he does want a rapproachment between Christianity and Darwinism as a matter of integrity. Yes, as Christians we are called to live with integrity. Yes, as Christians we are called to, in love, give people the benefit of the doubt. But first and foremost we called to put our faith in God and His word. When something disagrees with God & His word then we have the freedom, nay, the obligation to rebuke it and disenfranchise ourselves from it. Sadly most Christian churches, groups, and organizations are doing the exact opposite. It's the doctor unknowingly already has his wish.
Since God is the author & creator of all things and truth, good science being the pursuit of truth, then there is one statement he made that I can embrace without question: "Good religion needs to work constructively with good science – and I dare to suggest that the opposite may be true as well."
Last week I was surprised to read an article that Michael Reiss, professor of science education at the Institute of Education, University of London, and director of education at the Royal Society (an old and respected scientific institution), had said that Creationism DOES have a place in the science classroom. Now, He is far from proponent of creationism, intelligent design, or anything other that evolution. Rather he feels that open discussion with students who do believe in origins other than evolution is an approach that a science teacher can hope to at least ensure the students understand the evolutionary position. A rather open minded approach for a proponent of evolution.
However, just a week later a Rev. Dr. Malcolm Brown posts articles on the birthday of Charles Darwin celebrating his life and contribution to science and the theory of evolution. All of this on the official Church of England website. Now I know the Anglican church is FAR from evangelical in it's beliefs and practices. But when did the Christian & scientific communities trade places on this issue? While I found Professor Reiss comments to be open minded, honest, and encouraging I find Dr Brown's writing be ignorant fluff more interested in public relations than the pursuit of truth.
He claims:
Whilst it is not difficult to see why evolutionary thinking was offensive at the time, on reflection it is not such an earth-shattering idea. Yes, Christians believe that God became incarnate as a human being in the person of Jesus and thereby demonstrated God’s especial love for humanity. But how can that special relationship be undermined just because we develop a different understanding of the processes by which humanity came to be?
I guess on the surface the concepts seem very compatible. However the biblical & evolutionary worldviews are polar opposites. The bible tells us that God created a perfect world, as a result of mankind sin death entered the world, and now we need to be saved by Jesus. Evolution says that the universe and everything in it created itself through countless generations of things living & dieing they improved through random chance, natural selection, and survival of the fittest. So if you accept evolution as true then death existed long before mankind and isn't a result of our sinful nature, and if you don't have a sinful nature then you don't need Jesus as yopur personal saviour.
The doctor also claims that the theory of evolution has been missaplied to creat the concept moral progress. The basic premise being that, if humans are continuing to evolve physically then the same must be true socially & morally. He then says this misconception of moral progress was the basis for racism or Nazism. He said that Darwins theory on physical evolution was hijacked to create a "social Darwinism". In reality, the concept of physical evolution has social implications. It doesn't have to be hijacked or misapplied (whichever term you prefer) in order to have logical implications on social thought & structure.
The basic concept of evolution is that through natural selection and survival of the fittest a species changes over time (for the good). In other words, animals with weaker traits for survival and reproduction are weeded out of the gene pool while animals with stronger or new more benficial traits garner prominence simply by the fact that they are the ones that live & live longer. Logic therefore dictates that if the species homo sapien sapien (humans) are evolving too then the same must be true about them. By that logic, humans with weaker physical traits are inferior to those with stronger traits. So if someone kills a person with triats deemed to be inferior then that person is simply giving mother nature a helping hand and is actually helping the human race to be better & stronger. This was of course the justification for the slaughter of native americans, slaves and segregation in America, and of course the holocaust.
I wholeheartedly disagree with the biology professor at the univeristy in Kansas, whom he quoted as saying "The kids (who believe evolution to be heresy) know that if they want a good job they need a degree, and if they want a degree they have to work with evolution theory. Creationism is for church, as far as they’re concerned. Here, they’re Darwinists". Honestly, I don't have to believe the world is flat in order to learn that people thought that way, so I don't have to believe in Darwin's conclusions just because it's part of the curriculum. Thankfully the doctor disagrees with the professor as well.
However he does want a rapproachment between Christianity and Darwinism as a matter of integrity. Yes, as Christians we are called to live with integrity. Yes, as Christians we are called to, in love, give people the benefit of the doubt. But first and foremost we called to put our faith in God and His word. When something disagrees with God & His word then we have the freedom, nay, the obligation to rebuke it and disenfranchise ourselves from it. Sadly most Christian churches, groups, and organizations are doing the exact opposite. It's the doctor unknowingly already has his wish.
Since God is the author & creator of all things and truth, good science being the pursuit of truth, then there is one statement he made that I can embrace without question: "Good religion needs to work constructively with good science – and I dare to suggest that the opposite may be true as well."
2008-08-25
Olympic Politics
I felt it was important to wait until the Olympics had come to a close before commenting on this issue. So here it is:
In response to criticism of why China got the Olympics, despite its horrible record on human rights, I heard one response say that made me think for a day or 2 before dismissing it. The argument was that the Olympics isn't a forum for politics or politcal agendas. Rather, it has always been, and continues to be, a place where people can set aside cultural and political differences (like wars) and compete against each other in the arena of sports.
When the Olympics was first played and perhaps even when the modern version first began it met or came close to achieving this altruistic goal. But now the Olympics is ENTIRELY about politics.
The people who decide which city/nation will get to host the Olympics have been revealed as nothing but opprotunistic pilferers. They accept numerous gifts and benefits in exchange for their endorsement.
Those who actually base their opinion on proper reasons it usually boils down to infrastructure. The Olympics is SO huge that the city needs to be able to accommodate the influx of hundreds of thousands of athletes and visitors from many different countries, speaking many different languages. It requires action on behalf of the city, provincial, & federal governments (politics) to make sure the infrastructure is there and can handle it.
Then there is the most obvious element of the athletes themselves. Training at the level of an Olympic athelete is an extremely expensive endeavour. Corporate sponsorship can help. But it can only go so far. And seriously, isn't the Olympics supposed to be an amateur competition? Without sustained political pressure for athletic funding & support then a country can't put together a competitively relevant program.
So with all the politics that are invloved in the Olympics, I think it's perfectly fair and relevant to discuss a countries record on human rights issues when determining a city/countries suitability (or lack thereof) as a host city.
In response to criticism of why China got the Olympics, despite its horrible record on human rights, I heard one response say that made me think for a day or 2 before dismissing it. The argument was that the Olympics isn't a forum for politics or politcal agendas. Rather, it has always been, and continues to be, a place where people can set aside cultural and political differences (like wars) and compete against each other in the arena of sports.
When the Olympics was first played and perhaps even when the modern version first began it met or came close to achieving this altruistic goal. But now the Olympics is ENTIRELY about politics.
The people who decide which city/nation will get to host the Olympics have been revealed as nothing but opprotunistic pilferers. They accept numerous gifts and benefits in exchange for their endorsement.
Those who actually base their opinion on proper reasons it usually boils down to infrastructure. The Olympics is SO huge that the city needs to be able to accommodate the influx of hundreds of thousands of athletes and visitors from many different countries, speaking many different languages. It requires action on behalf of the city, provincial, & federal governments (politics) to make sure the infrastructure is there and can handle it.
Then there is the most obvious element of the athletes themselves. Training at the level of an Olympic athelete is an extremely expensive endeavour. Corporate sponsorship can help. But it can only go so far. And seriously, isn't the Olympics supposed to be an amateur competition? Without sustained political pressure for athletic funding & support then a country can't put together a competitively relevant program.
So with all the politics that are invloved in the Olympics, I think it's perfectly fair and relevant to discuss a countries record on human rights issues when determining a city/countries suitability (or lack thereof) as a host city.
2008-08-22
Points Are Not The Point
Well, last night I competed at the 2nd Burlington Slam Project. I started off with my new piece "What's The Point?". I only got 25 points I think. An average score of about 8.3, which is okay. But I'd like get some more 9's.
Again I was in last place the second round so I was the last slammer to take the mic. Which normally just means you're nervous all the way until the end. But the band downstiars always seems to start before we are done. This made it a little tough to do a soft touching reading of what I called "The Christmas Love Poem" (the poem I wrote for my then girlfriend and now fiance for a Christmas present). That being said everyone went "AWWW" when I was done. LOL Especially when I kissed my fiance before taking my seat. The judges gave me a 26 point something, which is an average of 8.8 points.
I know they say that "the points are not the point, the poetry is the point". And it's true. But that doesn't mean it wouldn't be nice to place a LIIIIIIITTLE higher than last place each time or maybe even when it!
Come on though, I've only done this three times! I've just started doing this as a hobby. I'm going up against people who have been doing this a LOT longer and have their peieces much more practised and honed. Most of them have their own book, or cd, or have featured at an event! So it's not that I'm epecting to be there already. But like I said, it'd nice to get just a little bit closer.
I know that the biggest thing that's holding me back is MEMORIZATION! Everyone loves my pieces. And NO! not just my fiance, friends, & family saying so (though they do and seem genuinely surprised when I get low scores). All the poets and performers I look up to and admire have approached me and said so. I've even had a few say that I have "presence" on stage and that it would come across so much more if I was able to get off the page.
So when it comes down to me getting higher scores and possibly winning or getting accolades and compliments from other poets, I prefer the latter! However, I'd also like to be complimented on my stage presence too. So it's a good that the wedding planning, day & honeymoon are going to keep me too busy for another slam in the next couple months. That way, the next time I hit the mic for a poetry slam, I'll have the pieces down pat.
Again I was in last place the second round so I was the last slammer to take the mic. Which normally just means you're nervous all the way until the end. But the band downstiars always seems to start before we are done. This made it a little tough to do a soft touching reading of what I called "The Christmas Love Poem" (the poem I wrote for my then girlfriend and now fiance for a Christmas present). That being said everyone went "AWWW" when I was done. LOL Especially when I kissed my fiance before taking my seat. The judges gave me a 26 point something, which is an average of 8.8 points.
I know they say that "the points are not the point, the poetry is the point". And it's true. But that doesn't mean it wouldn't be nice to place a LIIIIIIITTLE higher than last place each time or maybe even when it!
Come on though, I've only done this three times! I've just started doing this as a hobby. I'm going up against people who have been doing this a LOT longer and have their peieces much more practised and honed. Most of them have their own book, or cd, or have featured at an event! So it's not that I'm epecting to be there already. But like I said, it'd nice to get just a little bit closer.
I know that the biggest thing that's holding me back is MEMORIZATION! Everyone loves my pieces. And NO! not just my fiance, friends, & family saying so (though they do and seem genuinely surprised when I get low scores). All the poets and performers I look up to and admire have approached me and said so. I've even had a few say that I have "presence" on stage and that it would come across so much more if I was able to get off the page.
So when it comes down to me getting higher scores and possibly winning or getting accolades and compliments from other poets, I prefer the latter! However, I'd also like to be complimented on my stage presence too. So it's a good that the wedding planning, day & honeymoon are going to keep me too busy for another slam in the next couple months. That way, the next time I hit the mic for a poetry slam, I'll have the pieces down pat.
2008-08-08
I'm A REAL Writer
They say that a true writer/poet is never finished editing their work. We are our own worst critics and won't statisfied until it's absolutely perfect. I guess this means I've arrived.
I sat down to write a new poem today. And I did! However, I borrowed part of it from an old poem and reworked it to fit. Then I went to another poem I had been hoping was mostly finished wound up adding a little tongue-in-cheek introduction to explain it a bit more.
I sat down to write a new poem today. And I did! However, I borrowed part of it from an old poem and reworked it to fit. Then I went to another poem I had been hoping was mostly finished wound up adding a little tongue-in-cheek introduction to explain it a bit more.
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