iam2extreme's Xanga

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 12:38:23 GMT

TWO MORE WEEKS!

Yes, I can hardly believe it, but I'll be back home in no more than 14 days. Granted those days are going to be long and intense, filled with final exams, massive study sessions, and probably some serious snowfall. But who cares, its only two weeks!

Thanksgiving break embodied the ideal. Great friends, amazing weather, new places, exciting traveling experiences, and still some time to write papers, just lists a few of the highlights, though the most important ones. Oh another one would be my new favorite place to eat ribs - Texas Steakhouse! For all you Californians thats a Midwestern chain restaurant that brings Texas style wherever it goes, including line dancing – performed by the waiters and waitresses. Of course, the best part would have to be conversations with Adam (and Sarah), and enjoying Nathan's endless humor, not to mention the utterly perplexed expressions from Adam, Nathan, and Hannah when they learned the game Mao.

Well, here are some random pictures of a Trip to Lake Michigan Sarah, a couple good friends, and I took a few weeks ago. Of course the pictures complements go to Sarah - BUT actual editing (though certianly pretty insiginficant) are mine.

Syncronized handstanding...

This is the recently created sport of sand-dune-pretending-to-fly

Boyish activities inherently involve Constructive and Deconstructive aspects

The group of us, oh some good times.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Tue, 07 Nov 2006 14:22:25 GMT

Zach had a tolerably good weekend. Debate went well. Though I've discovered that NEDA (college league) is decidedly lopsided in terms of the quality of teams. If you hit a previous NCFCA debate time from such esteemed schools such as Patrick Henry College, or Bob Jones University, you know your in for some awesome rounds remenicent of NCFCA rounds. However, the sad part is that even in the varsity track you run against teams that just fail to understand the idea of CLASH (not in anyway a reference to the CA debate team) that is an intragal part of a successful debate.

In any case, it was awesome having a home tournament because many loyal (and mostly just interested) friends came and watched. Plus the fact that we didn't have to travel! Results: 6th place team and 4th place speaker.

Anyone else read "The Great Divorce"? I just started reading it last night. One of the few times this semester I've been able to pick up a non school related book.

Monday, October 23, 2006

Mon, 23 Oct 2006 21:18:25 GMT

FIRST COLLEGE DEBATE TOURNAMENT!

Yes indeed, this past weekend I was privileged to taste for the first time what college debate is like. We had a road trip to Anderson University in Indiana where we debated teams from, most notably, Patrick Henry College and Bob Jones University (among others). In any case, the National Education Debate Association (NEDA - www.neda.us) is not too much different than NCFCA, which is the homeschool league I debated in while in HS. The format is the same with the major difference that this semester its Value debate as opposed to policy, which was an interesting change to say the least.

Anyway, my partner and I took 5th place overall in the Open (i.e. Varisty) division, which was pretty exciting. Sarah and her partner also did really well in the Novice division taking 2nd place! So, I feel pretty good about the tournament, and had a wonderful time hanging out with my new debater teammates.

Below are some pictures from the tourney:

The whoe team Me speaking The ride back

ps. I'm really loving this new Jars of Clay CD!

Just some quick thoughts…

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 22:40:13 GMT

I’m sure many of you heard the recent uproar over Pope Benedicts’ speech outlining a bold agenda for the modern civilized world. The outcry over the Popes’ choice of an example to illustrate one of his points is, I think, rather insignificant in light of his message. Here is a quick recap given in an article entitled “The Pope was Right” by George Weigel. (btw, the whole article is worth reading - http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-weigel20sep20,0,3015856.story?coll=la-opinion-rightrail

“If the West's high culture keeps playing in the sandbox of postmodern irrationalism — in which there is "your truth" and "my truth" but nothing such as "the truth" — the West will be unable to defend itself. Why? Because the West won't be able to give reasons why its commitments to civility, tolerance, human rights and the rule of law are worth defending. A Western world stripped of convictions about the truths that make Western civilization possible cannot make a useful contribution to a genuine dialogue of civilizations, for any such dialogue must be based on a shared understanding that human beings can, however imperfectly, come to know the truth of things.”

I say amen to that! But also, what are WE going to do about it? How can we alter and guide the direction that western society has taken towards such an instable idea of “truth”? Well, I don’t know exactly – yet I think we can diagnose. I think modern society has for quite some time ignored the foundation it rest upon – a foundation that has developed over centuries of western thought. Our society has simply chosen to disregard the lessons of history. Calvin Coolidge in an address commemorating the 4^th of July said of American accomplishments, “…it is not results and effects so much as sources and causes that I believe it is even more necessary constantly to contemplate.” That was 80 years ago. Do we do that now? I hardly think so.

Anyway, the writers of antiquity had much to say about such concepts as truth, justice, right/wrong, and the rule of law. That is why I have loved my Western Heritage class. There is nothing better then reading the original works the great thinkers (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, Cicero, etc.), and than discussing them in depth.

I am full of contentment. I know this is where I should be and I couldn’t ask for more. So, yes that was a mixed type of post I guess. Kind of a stream of consciousness.

ps. Hopefully I will post some pictures of my dorm room and life on campus...soon.

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 20:09:52 GMT

LACKING TIME....

Yes, the monster has begun to take its toll......

Actually, life is pretty amazing right now. I wish I just had more time to share my current thoughts, experiences, and insights. I will make a promise to do so on the weekend, though. For now let me just say, school is difficult, track practice is challenging, friends are incredible, God is real = life is good.

Monday, August 21, 2006

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 09:16:05 GMT

THE ROCKET HAS BEEN LAUNCHED!

So, starts my career as a Hillsdale student. I spent the past weekend at the Honors Retreat which was absolutely an incredible time. We discussed a book call "The Victory of Reason: How Christianity led to Freedom, Capitalism and Western Success." I must say I enjoyed the book and the argument presented (which I won't attempt to delineate here) but I enjoyed the discussions this weekend even more. The honors students are bright to say the least, but also very sociable.

The best part about coming early for the retreat is the fact that I knew about 40 people by name before most of the other freshmen even arrived. The other amazing part about this unique group of people I've plugged into is there sincere (at least the vast majority) commitment to Christ -- not just Christianity or religious belief in God. It was completely natural moment when on Saturday night, as apart of our schedule for the retreat, some of the upperclassmen briefed all the freshmen about the churchs they attend and how to get a ride and so on. I mean how often does that happen at a "non-christian" school? Now, this is only the honors program not the college as a whole, but nonetheless it still is an incredible blessing to know that a committed body of believers exist en mass.

Anyway, I can't wait for school to start! However, I must go buy my books for classes right now. So, keep in touch everyone!

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 02:25:59 GMT

Home... *takes deeeeeep breath* oh its good. I just had an incredibly long week down in San Luis Obispo for a CAP encampment.

but now i'm back, but tired.

COUNTDOWN: 7 Days until I step on a plane bound for Michigan.

going to sleep now....

Friday, July 14, 2006

Fri, 14 Jul 2006 04:40:43 GMT

Salmon Anyone???

Who needs an Alaskan cruise when you can float down a smooth river in a rubber raft enjoying the wildlife and mountain scenery? And who needs to stop in a sea port when you can just ram up along a rocky shore and toss your fishing lines in the water? And who needs plush cuiseliner food when you've got a gourmet chef for an Uncle? So, why go to Alaska on a cruise when you can go there for some SAMLON FISHING!?!?!

I don’t know….

As you can observe from the pictures below, we’ve been enjoying a highly successful fishing expedition thus far. The days have been really long, starting early carrying rafts and gear to the river, and ending with late dinners (like 11pm) at the rental condos. Its worth it all though when you feel that tug on the line and see the fish take a big leap out of the water trying to shake the hook from its mouth. Don’t worry I’m not addicted to fishing…but I sure am hooked (pun intended! J).

Heading back to CA soon – enjoy the pictures.

Here I am with a few big brusers.

Group shot (this is only a few people)

One of our excellent floating vehicles.

My dad and I with our captured treasures. (by the way, those ridiculous looking trousers that we are wearing are necessary...)

Thats only a few of 'em.

Sunday, July 09, 2006

Sun, 09 Jul 2006 13:55:59 GMT

On the Road AGAIN ...(part 2)

Thought I was home to stay for awhile? Well, guess again......

I'm currently in Ankorage Alaska -- the land of the eternal sun. (at least in the summer) We arrived at like 1am last night and it was bright as day outside. I think what causes this is that during the summer the nothern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, which results in the nothern places (like alaska, duh) to be continously exposed to sunshine. Pretty cool, eh? Yes, my geography/astronomy speel for the summer.

Anyway, in case you were wondering we (my dad, grandpa, uncle, step-cousin, and a few friends) are fishing up here for King Salmon for about a week. Its become a tradition for my grandpa to take us fishing every summer somewhere. It all started here in Alaska about 7 years ago. Hopefully, we'll return with a bountiful supply of fish filays.

Also, I have a message for everyone reading this. ITS A GREAT DAY TO BE ALIVE! Seriously, I thank God to be alive and well another day. For those of you who claim Christ, follow hard in his footsteps.

Monday, June 19, 2006

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 19:42:37 GMT

On the road AGAIN.....

So, right now I am in Montgomery Alabama. No seriously I am. I am attending a CAP activity called Cadet Officer School -- a national leadership school. I'll be enjoying the wonderfully humid weather and the foriegn language of The South for about 10 days. I'm currently trying to understand the grammatical genious of "all y'all" -- its a very .....encompasing phrase. The interesing part is that y'all is supposidly singular, meaning I can address a single person as y'all. And the plural form is all y'all. Oh yes, and then there is the futuristic phrase "i be fixin'". For example, "i'm be fixing to get myself some dinner tonight." Comprendo? These southerners are amazing grammatasizers. ....Oh did i mention accent...?

Well....I am about to start the next seminar....so I must be going.

Oh yes, official news: I'M GRADUATED!!!