A Minimal Set of Guaranteed Improvements

Apparently there is a challenge in the blogosphere to create a list of things, such that anything can be improved by the addition of something on the list.

This appeals to my Jewish upbringing. After all, each Spring I rediscover the depth of the comsic truth that chocolate-covered matza is so amazing at the end of Pesach because chocolate makes almost anything better and almost anything makes matza better.

Here's my draft of a list:

• prayer
• hot chocolate
• smoothies
• weasels
  
• ninja pirates

Basically, for those things that prayer cannot help because of other people's free will, some hot chocolate or a smoothie (depending upon the weather) might at least offer some consolation. As Dave Barry pointed out, weasels make most jokes funnier. And ninja pirates can fix many situations.

On Friday I sent out an e-mail to all the LCC faculty, participating in a discussion about the college's choice of insurance carriers. The e-mail seemed too serious, so I added smoothies and ninja pirates. We'll see what is in my inbox on Monday.

The Ides of May

May has been busy, and difficult to plan within. Sorry if friends and family have not seen much personal news here.

The weather has been really wierd. Some days surprise us with early summertime, others have rain. I cannot plan ahead about slacks or shorts, yard work or rain, hiding inside (warning: link has sound) from an allergy attack or biking to work.

Our biggest outside project of late was when a friend fixed our sprinkler system (our "help" was little more than watching him), so once the hot weather stays around our yard will be happy. I got some other small home improvement chores done too.

My wife and I have been doing a lot of baking, some of which was experimental. I still need to adjust on the pretzel and berry pancake recipes. We've also been enjoying a lot of smoothies, made from milk, yogurt, and the berries we picked at local farms last year and stored in the freezer in our garage.

The congregation had a camping trip for Lag B'Omer, which was quite nice. We were blessed with reliably sunny weather those days. But the 19-month-old with us made sure everyone was awake earlier than ideal, so we all needed to rest up after the trip.

Regarding my math teaching, the Spring term is winding down so the students have "spring fever" and I am constantly thinking not only about my current teaching plans but also about what to improve for Fall term. This term I changed my routine to include more computer work during class time. Next term I want to work on adding more teaching about how to take notes for math classes.

I've stopped playing Go. I spend so much brainpower trying to imrove my ministry work and teaching that I found I really did not want a hobby that also required thinking about how to improve. So now I'm playing America's Army, because it's a free game and within the game it is easy to find genuine teamwork. Most of the online games are hosted by "clans" that use free voice chat software to coordinate their game play, and almost all of these are friendly people willing to have even unskilled newbies join their games and make use of their voice chat server, whether for a few minutes or as a regular. Unlike other multiplayer online games, players have no characters to roleplay (so it is not as addicting) and missions are about 5 minutes each (so it is as easy to play for a 20 minute break as for a few hours during an allergy attack day).

As the month presents its share of worries, headaches, and joys, still the cycles of work and rest and rodent-transportation continue. I continue to enjoy the daily Bible reading plan from my PDA. I've finished reading Narnia books to my wife as bedtime stories. Our squirrel count is up to 10.

May Adonai bless you and keep you, and protect your gardens from varmints (warning: link has sound).
David

Yeast Bread

This is one of the few recipes we obtained that was originally a gluten-free recipe. We do not know its origin, since my wife got her original version from a family member. When I tried searching the internet I could not find anything very similar, although I did find many recipes that were slightly similar.

We changed it to use our flour mix rather than a listed blend of several flours, and also made other minor changes.

We normally make a double batch.

In an electric mixer's bowl combine:

• 1 3/4 cup lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 Tbsp yeast
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2/3 cup powdered nonfat milk
• 1 tsp rice vinegar (can substitute cider, wine, or apple vinegar, but not malt vinegar since malt has gluten)

Let this combination sit a few minutes, then add:

• 3 cups gluten-free flour mix
• 3 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 1/2 tsp salt

Mix these dry ingredients together on low.

Either next, or after the first rising of the dough, add:

• 3 eggs, beaten
  

Mix these together at a medium speed. (Note that "medium" is not "halfway maximum"; with our DeLonghi mixer, "medium" for mixing is only 2 out of 10.)

Remove the mixing bowl from the electric mixer. Cover it with plastic wrap and a towel. Let the dough rise for 60-90 minutes or until it doubles in size. (You can let it rise longer, since the plastic wrap keeps it from overflowing.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

(If you wish, run the mixer on medium for 3 minutes before baking to compact the dough. This is not necessary.)

Spoon the dough into rolls, loaf pans, or a cookie sheet. We have found that for sandwiches it works nicer to use large cookie sheets to make big "slices" of bread we cut into pieces, rather than making a loaf and slicing it. Loaf pans work well for making a filled bread with this recipe.

(If you ran the mixer after the dough rose, let the dough rise again now.)

Bake loaf pans for 50-60 minutes. Bake rolls or filled cookie sheets for 30-40 minutes. Thump to test if done.

Scones

I don't like normal scones too much. They seem too dense and flavorless for me -- merely something to put jam or lemon curd on.

This recipe has a nicer flavor than most scones, and is not as dense.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl combine:

• 1 egg
  
• 1 1/4 cups gluten-free flour mix
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp sugar
  
• 2 Tbsp nonfat yogurt (we use vanilla)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

After mixing, place the dough in a round lump on a baking tray that is greased or has a silicon mat.

Then cut the dough into quarters, and slightly separate them so they bake evenly.

Bake for about 16 minutes, until slightly browned.

Helping Nature Worship

Last week I heard a small Jewish children's choir sing an interesting version of Yismechu HaShamayim. The traditional, liturgical song was sung, followed by an rough English translation. The lyrics are from 1st Chronicles 16:31-32:

Yees-m'choo ha'sha-ma-yeem, yees-m'choo ha'sha-ma-yeem,
yees-m'choo ha'sha-ma-yeem, v'ta-gayl ha'a-retz...
Yeer-am ha'yam, yeer-am ha'yam, yeer-am ha'yam oo'm-lo-o.

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice...
Let the sea thunder and its fulness.

The children's song used the following as it's "Part B" English translation:

The heavens are very glad, the heavens are very glad,
the heavens are very glad, the earth is so happy...
The ocean is full, the ocean is full, the ocean is full and laughing.

Obviously some words has been changed, but that's what happens with children's songs. Thundering seas become laughing oceans. A lot of these Hebrew verbs for "rejoice/glad/happy" are pretty interchangeable anyway.

What seemed more thought-provoking was the change in tense. The Hebrew uses the imperfect tense, which shows incomplete action. Completion is expected in the future. One way to express this in English is with a permissive phrase, as I did above, following the common English translations:

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice...

Equally valid would be a simple future tense:

The heavens will be glad, the earth will rejoice...

But as I read those verses out of context a few days ago, it seemed to me that in either wording there was an expectation that the singers were somehow participating: that King David was asking the ancient Israelites to help the sky be glad, the earth rejoice, the sea thunder, and the field exult.

And it makes me wonder... what does it mean for our worship and service to God to affect the sky, earth, sea, and field?

True, that's not what those verses are really about in context. Verse 16:23 makes it clear that what King David is really talking about is that nature can demonstrate God's goodness and victories as clearly as the ancient Israelites. The children's version of the song did nothing wrong by leaving out my misunderstanding.

But in this modern time of caring about the environment, I also wonder how we can help nature do what King David asked it to do.

A Worshipful Shavuot Gift for Yourself?

In Deuteronomy 14:22-26, we read that an Israelite household would spend most of its tithes on itself, on food to celebrate the pilgrimage festival. The surplus went to the Temple for its maintenance, charitable work, and priests.

The congregation does this model of tithing very well for two of the three pilgrimage festivals, Pesach and Sukkot, when congregants often invite each other to each other's houses during these many-day-long festivals. This seems more scriptural than planning a huge congregational event that requires a lot of time and energy and work.

But we don't really do this model of tithing with Shavuot. In part this is because Shavuot is the only one-day pilgrimage festival: there just isn't much time to party. It is also only 50 days after the previous pilgrimage festival, and for many of us 10% of our increase during 50 days is not a lot of money.

Can something be done? So far I only have one idea which seems sensible even after I pray about it. :-)

I notice that a theme of Shavuot is how God gives us gifts, specifically the Torah and his Holy Spirit. And I notice that in America we don't really need a day to eat more, nor do we necessarily feel more celebratory when we eat more, but we do tend to have trouble accepting generosity and feel more celebratory when we get presents.

So I'm wondering if it would be appropriate, for Shavuot, to spend from what we have set aside to tithe about a meal's cost on a "splurge" that would help us spend time with God but we have been putting off as not within our budgets. Examples might include a certain worship music CD, or a prayerbook, or a book about Jewish theology or philosopy or poetry.

This would not work well if it became simply an excuse to go shopping. It would become a corrupted idea if it happened annually and people began to think, "I won't get this now, because I can get it as my Shavuot splurge."

But if the focus could be kept on unearned generosity -- on the certain type of gratitude we feel when we receive a nice gift that we never imaged we would receive -- then it would be a worthwhile custom.

Ideally there would be some element of surprise. Neither the Torah nor the Holy Spirit we gift of the type the Jewish people at that time were expecting. Maybe I should send the bookstore from which I order worship music CDs a list of the ones I own, and ask them to use my check to buy me a staff favorite that I don't already have... It would not work to have people get each other something (except for maybe parents for children) since that could get awkward.

What do others think?

UPDATE: Some people have replied wondering whether it might work after all to give such gifts to each other.

At our congregational Shavuot celebration we will have a "Favorite Scripture Verse Gift Exchange". Each person will bring a favorite scripture verse written out. (This might be done in a fancy manner, but that is not required.) The verses will be put on a table and then we'll take turns claiming each other's verses according to the rules of a "White Elephant Gift Exchange", with people explaining when they take a verse why it is meaningful to them.

Thus we are already planning an activity in which we give gifts to each other, in a manner that directly celebrates God giving us the Torah while eliminating any monetary cost of gifts. So it seems to me a needless risk of social awkwardness to have people get other gifts for each other.

Soft Pretzel

This recipe is still experimental. Currently it makes something that tastes okay but is too dense. (In part this is due to the lack of gluten, and in part it is due to my aversion to include a step of dipping the pretzel into boiling water.)

Either the ingredient amounts still need adjusting or I should add some baking soda. I'll edit changes as they prove worthy.

In a bowl, mix together:

• 1/4 cup very warm but not hot water
  
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp yeast

In a second bowl, combine:

• 3/4 cup gluten-free flour mix
• 3/4 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 tsp (more of) brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp coarse sea salt (use more salt if you are not going to add salt as a topping later on)
  

After the yeast "proofs", add to it:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp rice vinegar

Mix everything together until the dough is smooth. It should not be sticky (add more flour mix) or powdery (add more warm water).

Now make the pretzel shape:

1. Roll the dough into a "rope" about tumb width and 3 feet long. I usually rolling 3 segments and then join them together.
2. Form into an upside-down U. Bring the ends towards each other, across, and finally twisted back past each other so each makes a right angle.
3. Bring the ends to the top of the shape, also flipping over the crossed part. Press together the joined places (the twist and where the ends meet the U).

You can just make pretzely bread sticks if you do not care about shape.

Place on a cookie sheet that is either greased or has a silicon mat. Let the pretzel rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Beat an egg, and brush the pretzel with it. Sprinkle the pretzel with a topping (coarse salt, cheese, garlic, cinnamon, sugar, sesame seeds, etc.).

Bake the pretzel for 12-15 minutes, until well browned.

Zucchini Bread

This recipe contains more chocolate chips than most zucchini bread, which is one reason we like it! The following is a "double batch" which fills a 9" by 13" pan. If you want to use loaf pans, feel free to halve the recipe and increase the temperature to 350 degrees.

It also works well as a way to use beets, if your garden produces those and you don't know what to do with them.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine:

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp lemon juice

In a second, smaller mixing bowl, combine:

• 3 cups gluten-free flour mix
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 tsp baking soda
  
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
  

Add the dry ingredients to the batter, and mix again.

Then stir in:

• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 6 cups shredded zucchini (about 4 medium zucchini)
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Using a rubber scraper, pour the batter into a well-oiled loaf pan.

Bake for 65 to 70 minutes, until the loaf tests done (not wet in the center when poked).

Christian Events Supporting Israel

I wrote earlier about how Romans 11 asks Gentile followers of Yeshua to present Yeshua as a Jewish messiah, in a manner that encourages Jewish unbelievers to appreciate how much God has done for them. This does not mean Gentile believers need to act like Messianic Jews, but it does mean they need to realize and openly discuss how they are replacing Yeshua's "face" with a Hellenistic or Pagan one.

On May 18th, an event supporting Israel is happening in Eugene, hosted by a Christian organization. I am planning on attending, and wonder what it will be like.

At the last one of these I attended, the featured speaker even discussed Romans 11 but completely failed to see the application I just mentioned. Instead, the event had features that would strongly discourage an unbelieving Jew from attending:

• economic activity on a Shabbat
• church sanctuary as the lecture hall
  
• no recognition of the presenters seeing any remaining Jewish identity besides lineage and land
• discussion of donations of money, but not goods, to help poor Israelis
• lack of Jewish worship on a Shabbat
• teaching that claims Gentile believers are as much "Israel" as Jewish people
  

If a Jewish unbeliever did attend, they would leave with the impression that Christians worship a different "God" than the Jews worship. The work of Romans 11 cannot be fulfilled by merely supportting Israel.

Religious Cultures and their Specialties

Last night I attended a nice interfaith discussion. One reason I enjoy these is that they help me see what my faith's culture does well, and does not do well.

For example, Judaism, including Messianic Judaism, has a culture that does a good job of nurturing our gratefulness towards God. In the Jewish mindset, the commandments are not a burden but an opportunity to express gratefulness to God for the many things he saved us from. The commandments -- collectively called mitzvot -- are a pleasure and joy to do. And the scriptural ones are hardly an inconvenience, let alone a burden.

(Many of the later Rabbinical additions are more burdensome, and it is these that gospels record Yeshua protesting. It is interesting how many Christians do not understand that commandments are about gratitude, and under their own personal dislike of rules mis-interpret Paul's writings to mean "following commandments is a burden". And how ironic it is that so often a Christian group that claims to be against legalism has a very legalistic attitude of "I do not care what God values or enjoys, just let me know the minimum number of rules to follow.")

However, Judaism, including Messianic Judaism, does an okay job (but not so especially notable) of culturally promoting habits of quiet calmness. To pause and focus on God is perhaps the fundamental Jewish action, and is the purpose of the many short Jewish blessings said throughout the day. A constant mindfulness of God is very important to Chasidic and Messianic Judiasm. But is not a trait typical to most American Jews, nor a common goal among most American Jews.

There are some things that the culture of Judaism, including Messianic Judaism, does poorly. One example is considering the oneness of humanity. This is a very scriptural idea, and is seen in how the Hebrew words for son, descendant, and seed apply to a link of one generation or many, just as the word for father is better translated ancestor since it applies to one generation or more. (As examples, the "sons of Israel" are not only Jacob's kids, and the "seed of David" can refer to his son Solomon or to a promised messiah many generations distant.) According to scripture, God sees us not only as individuals but also as part of lineages, and God blesses and judges both individuals and lineages. The concept "sons of Adam" is present in the Tenach, and discussed more in the Apostle's writings. Yet there is a strong "Jew vs. Gentile" mindset in Judaism (and "saved vs. unsaved" mindset in Messianic Judaism) that de-emphasizes considering all of humanity as a unified "sons of Adam" -- even though God clearly sees people, in part, in this way.

So that is an example of how I've found interfaith discussions can be helpful. The benefit comes not from comparing theology, but from comparing religious cultures. Being more aware of the strengths and weaknesses of my own religious culture means the culture can be better enjoyed and developed.

Berry Pancakes

This is an under-progress recipe to make nice berry-filled pancakes. Our variable pancake recipe works better for thin pancakes than thick ones, so we are trying to take advantage of the lemon juice in "sour milk" pancakes to make a more fruity pancake.

Put into a blender, in order:

• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup berry juice (or other fruit juice, or just more milk)
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 egg
• 1 cup gluten-free flour mix
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
  
• 1/2 tsp salt

Mix well with the blender.

Now either add 1/2 cup berries and stir with a spoon or rubber scraper, or make pancakes and top them with berries.

Belgian Waffles

When done properly Belgian waffles are not merely the tall waffles with bigger holes that populate breakfast menus of American restaurants. In Belgium they are served from small store-front shops and eaten plain -- a role similar to the one played by pretzels in American shopping malls.

If eating a plain waffle while shopping sounds odd to you then you have never had a real Belgian waffle. Time to fix that!

Unfortunately, a gluten-free Belgian waffle cannot truly compare to the real thing. But these are certainly good enough to eat plain, which is better than most waffles on this continent.

In a medium bowl combine the dry ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour mix
• 2 Tbsp sugar
  
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Separate 3 eggs. In a second bowl, beat the egg whites on high until they have peaks. Keep them set aside for now.

Turn on the waffle iron. If desired for keeping waffles warm, preheat oven to 275º and put a baking sheet or cookie rack inside.

Now add the wet ingredients and mix:

• the 3 egg yolks
  
• 1 cup milk
  
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla
  
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
  

With a rubber scraper, gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Do not mix too much. The desired result is white streaks or lumps evenly dispersed through the dough.

Cook waffles for 3-5 minutes each.

Important: ignore the lights on the waffle iron! Find the time that works for your waffle iron and stick with it. When cooked enough, the waffle will be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside (because of the egg whites).

Excellent when served with berries.

Spice Cookies

Our peanut butter cookies are nice, but what about a gluten-free dough that does not rely on peanut butter for its consistency?

This recipe has a lot of extras. If you wish, you can remove the chocolate chips, dried fruit, or nuts.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Add to a large bowl:

• 2 eggs
  
• 1/2 cup nonfat yogurt (we use vanilla)
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups brown sugar (not packed)
  
• 4 cups gluten-free flour mix
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup dried cranberries (or other dried fruit)
  
• 1 cup chopped pecans (or other chopped nuts)
  
• 1/2 cup almond meal
  
• 1/4 cup flax seed meal
  
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 Tbsp xanthan gum
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon, scant
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  

When adding the dry ingredients, make sure then xanthan gum does not get wet until you really start mixing.

Mix well.

Tablespoon-sized cookies will bake for 13-15 minutes, until edges begin to darken. The cookies do not spread much when baking, so this recipe is good for making fun shapes.

The recipe also works for bar cookies, for which baking time will very based upon thickness.

Behind the Times

I don't have a TV, and I don't follow most news issues carefully unless an election is coming up soon and I need to be informed to vote intelligently. So I sometimes feel a bit left out when people discuss politics, or completely clueless when people talk about TV shows.

(For some things I am glad others keep track.)

But at least I know that a mugger trying to rob David Copperfield should doubt that the magician's pockets are really empty.

Or that a mafia boss using codes should pick one that would take a computer more than a few seconds to decipher.

Oregonian Cartoon Wars

Apparently I have less excitement in my life because I'm not teaching math at LCC instead of U. of O. The university is apparently having it's own cartoon controversy because of some anti-Catholic cartoons of nature.

Most striking to me is that the university's official newspaper responds by writing an such a confused editorial.

Nothing is mentioned about how the Danish cartoons were published to clarify that mainstream media coverage mostly ignored that the cartoon's crisis was initiated months after the fact by Muslim leaders who inserted three extra super-offensive cartoons as part of a planned excitement to global rioting.

Nothing is mentioned of the more offensive anti-Catholic cartoons.

Nothing is mentioned of how the rioting against the Danish cartoons ironically supported their slanderous accusations.

The fact that the anti-Catholic cartoons do not refer to "relevant religious and social issues" and were "intended to provoke" apparently means they can be true to the "admirable goal" of "arousing dialogue" even though they "seem intended to simply incite controversy for controversy’s sake rather than making specific social commentaries".

Finally, the closing remark that "poking fun at the religious beliefs of the majority is inherently different from attacking an already oppressed minority" seems to be something the editors might soon regret publishing, since the university's official policies on diversity and tolerance make no such distinction.

As someone living in Eugene, Oregon, it is no surprise that in this city a conservative student paper would publish the Danish cartoons or that a liberal student paper would respond in this manner. But I guess I expect more from the official university newspaper.

Big Food

One last post for today, and then I'll have cleaned out my current list of funny or interesting links.

My wife found this website yesterday: Pimp My Snack.

...and that was how many calories per 1,300 gram serving of the Behemoth Bourbon Cookie?

History of Video Games

Well, there went 46 minutes...

(Quite relaxing, to watch this last night after a very long day. And the ending was remarkable! I would never have imagined that the decision of which country would dominate the video game industry in the 1980s was made in Moscow by the KGB, while representatives of American, British, and Japanese companies were simultaneously meeting in the same building without knowledge of this fact...)

Fake Science

Here's a funny thing...

A web page describes a science experiment that claims to be evidence that microwaved water is bad for plants. It gets picked up here, and debunked here by people who notice the pictures have been photoshopped so much there is doubt any experiment happened at all!

The person who created the original webpage is not deterred, however. He updates the page to include his original pictures. But this only supports the debunking: this picture which is now provided is clearly the same as the supposed Day 1, Day 3, and Day 5 pictures but with different photoshopping of the left plant. You can switch back and forth between them in your browser to check this.

Sigh. I guess all the experiment really proves is that on the internet, everything can have its own web page.

Making Windows XP Efficient

This article was interesting, especially it's link to this page that lists which "background services" are safe to set so they no longer are always running in the background.

There are things more cool (warning: link has noise) than optimizing Windows XP, but the Windows XP tricks are less likely to cause injuries.

Peanut Butter Cookies

This recipe still needs a little tweaking. The cookies are yummy, but taste not quite "finished" in some way that my wife and I are still trying to figure out.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl (or electric mixer's bowl) combine:

• 4 whole eggs
• 1 cup brown sugar (not packed)
  
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup yogurt, nonfat vanilla
• 2 cups peanut butter (equals 16 oz. or 1 jar)
• 1 Tbsp vanilla

Mix well, then add:

• 5 cups gluten-free flour mix
• 1/2 cup flax seed (or flax seed meal)
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
• 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (or 2 Tbsp baking powder)

Mix again. Bake on a greased cookie sheet (or cookie sheet with a silicon mat) for 14-15 minutes, until the bottoms begin to brown.

Makes about 90 cookies.

Not a Force Field

Um, well, a tank that automatically blasts out of the air anything that comes near it is pretty nifty. But that's not a force field.

I feel nervous correcting a tank.

The Sixty Second Seder

I forgot to blog about this during Pesach: the 60 Second Seder! Click on the yellowish box to start it.

Duck Hunt

I never played Duck Hunt much as a kid, since my Nintendo did not have the gun "controller". I could only play it at a friend's house. It was not a favorite game of my friend or I. And I still have no interest in playing it, except to spend 30 seconds finding out it's much easier with a mouse (warning: link has sound).

Rainbow

Ooo! Pretty!

Messianic Jewish Mysticism?

Messianic Jews do a lot of things that resemble mysticism. We have times of silent prayer where we simply listen for what God wants to tell us. We have times of worship with dancing to music, getting our whole body involved. We sometimes pray by "speaking in tongues". We believe that God imparts his nature into us, especially when a small group of people share a meal with him (as was done literally with the Tabernacle's sh'lamim offering, and as is now done metaphorically).

Is there such a thing as Messianic Jewish mysticism?

This is a tricky question, because "mysticism" is such a loaded word.

Technically, mysticism refers to something concealed. Two kinds of concealment can count.

Some mystics believe they have secrets not know to most people. The Roman, first-century "mystery cults" are examples of these. (The early followers of Yeshua were sometimes classified by outside Romans as one of these mystery cults).

Other mystics believe that something not secret is ignored by most people, but has power of recognized and used in a certain way. Thus something is concealed by misunderstanding or apathy even while being out in plain sight. An example of the latter is seen in some of the modern "sacred name" movement, where people believe that they know how to pronounce God's name and that doing so does something special.

Since so many people worldwide have accepted Yeshua and his teachings, it is difficult to claim that Messianic Judaism has anything concealed, by either kind of concealment.

Furthermore, although Messianic Judaism tries to be appreciative of Rabbinic teachings and use them as appropriate, almost all of Kabbalah (Rabbinic mysticism) is blatantly against Yeshua's teaching and cannot be incorporated into Messianic Judaism. So any attempt to call certain parts of Messianic Jewish culture "Messianic Jewish mysticism" would cause more harm than good, as it would cause many people to falsely imagine the existence of a sensible blend of the teachings of Yeshua and the Kabbalists.

(Kabbalah does not take scripture literally, but redefines and reinterprets it; see the Zohar's commentary on the crossing of the Red Sea for an accessible example. Kabbalah interprets scripture differently, emphasizing Gematria and other sod mysteries and codes. Kabbalah has very non-Messianic understandings of what it means to make something holy, of what it means to be redeemed, of what the evil inclination is and what it means to conquer it, of what is broken about This World and how to be united with God, and of what the Messianic Era is all about.)

To further complicate the language, besides the Kabbalah Iyunit (the philosphy of Rabbinic mysticism) there is "practical Kabbalah", which is often an embarassment to followers of the Kabbalah Iyunit as well as others who value Torah. Because the Talmud, in Tractate Shabbat, has the line "Whatsoever effects healing is not considered witchcraft", in the five centuries since Rabbi Isaac Luria popularized Kabbalah the name "Kabbalah" has become associated with all sorts of spoken formulas, use of amulets of healing and protection, staring meditatively at modern Hebrew letters, and so on.

In Deuteronomy 18:10-11 there are seven different types of magic which are prohibited:

• kosaym (divination): predicting the future or answering yes-no questions about the future
• onayn (conjuring): bringing clouds or judging optimal times for activities
• nachaysh/chashayf (fortune telling): interpreting signs and omens
• chovayr (charming): making charms or amulets connected with people, or putting demons into snakes
• sho'ayl ov (inquiring as a medium): speaking with the dead or spirits
• yeedonee (knowing one): gaining knowledge by using bones
• doraysh el ha'mayteem (seeker of the dead): laying down on graves to become posessed by the dead

The cited Talmudic verse was probably considering healing by laying hands on people while praying, anointing the sick with oil, or using ritual immersions: all of which were common practices in the first century Jewish world and are not contrary to Deuteronomy 18:10-11. But that Talmudic verse has been misused to supercede scripture, regrettably in a way that is also called "Kabbalah". Thus there is even more reason to avoid trying to give meaning to the phrase "Messianic Jewish mysticism".

So, is there a better phrase for the things Messianic Judaism does that are about calming the soul, knowing God more deeply, and becoming more filled with God?

I cannot think of one.

The only other word I can think of with even remotely similar meaning is the modern Christian term "charismatic", but that is an equally loaded term which means different things to different people and is about certain behaviors rather than generally calming the soul, knowing God more deeply, and becoming more filled with God.

Any ideas?

Yeshua the Judge

I was recently asked what the gospel of John teaches about Yeshua judging.

In verse 5:22-30, Yeshua introduces one theme about life and death which is later elaborated in scripture: on the day when the Book of Life is opened and read, the Father will do no judgment about life and death. By that time judgment will already have been done through people's works, and apparently it is the Son who is given the honor, in Revelation 20:12-13, to read who is written in the Book of Life.

Verses 5:22-30 also teach that accepting Yeshua and his words will result in positive judgment on the Day of Judgment. More about this later...

In verses 8:10-11, Yeshua does not judge a woman caught as an adultress. The context is about hypocrisy, including that the woman was apparently framed, for the man she was with was not also taken even though the Torah perscribes both equally to death. So this lesson seems to be that Yeshua reserves the right to judge, but will only do so fairly. He would rather let free a (repentant) criminal than judge unfairly.

Most scholars agree that verses 8:1-11 are a latter addition to the original text, apparently inserted in the middle of a discourse given on Hoshannah Rabbah (7:37) or Chanukah. These would be the natural time to start a discussion by making a metaphor about light (8:12). The reason for the inserted text appears to be a clarification of the awkward use of "judging" in verses 8:15, 16, 26, and 50. Yeshua is not currently judging, but he will, and will do so fairly because his judgment will be based on what the omniscient Father has seen.

Verse 9:39 adds to what verses 5:22-30 taught about criteria for judging. One criteria the Father will observe is how people react to Yeshua. After all, anyone not willing to now kneel before the King of the Kingdom of God has no assurance the he or she will be able to do so and enter the Kingdom of God after death. This reaction might be quite inconsistent with their previously established track record of understanding spiritual truths. And verses 12:46-47 later explain that Yeshua's teaching serve the same purpose for those who never meet Yeshua personally. (Verse 5:24 claims there is a way to accept Yeshua and his words properly and be assured of a positive judgment, while Romans 2:14-16 and Hebrews 11 contain examples showing there can be other criteria for judgment besides whether people accept Yeshua.)

In verse 12:31, Yeshua says that "the world" is judged, and then clarifies that he means that Satan is about to loose influence. Later scriptures clarify that all who have the evil inclination are, knowingly or not, serving Satan and prevented from participating in the Kingdom of God. Death is one cure. But those who accept Yeshua's new covenant are made innocent of the evil inclination, and can participate in the Kingdom of God before they die.

Verses 16:8-11 hint at a theme elaborated on elsewhere, that participating in the Kingdom of God will be clear to see because of how the Holy Spirit affects those who do participate in the Kingdom of God.

In summary, Yeshua is not the kind of judge who must decide on a verdict. All verdicts on that day will be from what the Father has seen and written in his Books. Yet Yeshua is part of judgment in three ways: (1) how people react to his life and his words will be one criteria of judgment, (2) he will have the honor of reading the names in the Book of Life, and (3) his covenant allows us to effectively experience the Day of Judgment early and enter the Kingdom of God now.

Meditation and Brain Activity

On Tuesday I had lunch with someone who had called the congregation, wanting to talk about theology. It turned out he actually wanted to talk about meditation of a specific sort.

This person has a brain dysfunction that makes it easy for him to stop thinking logical thoughts and let his brain "idle". This not only allows him to stop actively wanting things (a common element of many types of meditation) but also to have mental peace and a feeling of joy.

Now, it is true for most people that the brain works less (by 10% to 20%) during rest than during active thinking. When we start thinking, our brain "focuses" and uses more energy, but some regions of the brain that are active during rest quiet down a bit. (This does not happen as much for people with alzheimer's or certain types of ADD, which hampers their problem-solving.)

But this fellow believed the opposite. He claimed that our brains are quite inactive when we do logical thinking, but when they are idle every neuron is firing 100%. Furthermore, he believed that this state of keeping the brain from logical thought, whether we were observing what was around us or really resting, was heaven on earth. Why? Because it was as heavenly as anything he had imagined, and it seemed to fit Yeshua's saying about "entering heaven like a child."

Furthermore, he was fond of select passages from the Gospel of Thomas and Shochet's first volume on Kabbalah, and claimed these were the "true teachings of Yeshua", which were also taught by Abraham. Anything in scripture or these two books which was evidence of the contrary was refused as being either misunderstood or some false teaching later added by editors.

Now, it does seem true that meditation can help improve our ability to "focus" our brain. And I am happy for this man, that he can rest his brain and have peace and joy.

Moreover, the conversation we shared has prompted me to think some worthwhile thoughts about Messianic Judaism and mysticism. The sermon I am composing for this coming Shabbat will be along these lines.

But I also am pondering what to say when I meet with him again (for lunch and to return his two books), at which time I should probably try to explain to him that his understanding of brain physiology and Yeshua's teachings are so incorrect.

UPDATE: The second meeting went quite well.

It turns out I had misunderstood his claim about brain activity. His actual belief is both simpler and involving more steps. He claims his "quieting the mind" increases his endorphin levels (quite possible, even taking placebo drugs can increase endorphin levels). This in turn maximizes how many neurons are firing in his brain (online I find articles discussing how endorphins can both aid or suppress neuron activity; I can't evaluate this part of his claim but its also not a necessary step). This produces a joyful state which reinforces his not actively thinking (quite reasonable, if he is having an endorphin high). So basically, he believes he has learned to create an endorphin high at will by stopping his rational thoughts. Assuming he can really do so, it would explain why he finds this practice pleasurable, addictive, and of an intensity easily confused with a genuine religious experience.

He's looking for people to train in this habit. Maybe five years from now Eugene, Oregon will be known for people who don't need television to "vege out". I suppose there must be many people willing to exchange their productivity for hedonistic meditation.

Or perhaps a student in the University of Oregon's neuroscience department wants somebody to use as the subject of an interesting senior thesis?

Crackers

After a Pesach week of experimenting with baking crackers as our main "bread", here is our favorite cracker recipe, which makes a large cracker suitable for 1 serving.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl or measuring cup combine:

• 1 Tbsp milk
• 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal (or almond meal)
• 1/4 cup gluten-free flour mix
• 1 tsp sugar (either white or brown sugar work)
  
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 pinch of salt

(For thinner and crispier crackers, double the amount of milk. The runnier dough will roll much thinner.)

Knead with a fork or by hand. The dough should be barely moist: not dry enough to shed powder when kneaded, but not wet enough to be sticky. Add a slight amount of water or flour mix as needed.

Roll flat on a silicon baking sheet. (To make rolling the dough easiest, cover the dough with plastic wrap.)

Bake until it starts to brown. (It takes about 9 minutes, or 6 minutes if you doubled the milk and have a very thin cracker).

Note that this recipe contains neither gluten nor leavening, and thus fits Sephardic customs for Passover food.

Commentary: The simplest cracker recipe would have only flour mix and water. Everything else is "extras" to help either texture or taste. We use milk, salt, almond meal, and brown sugar for taste, and olive oil for texture. Be brave, since it is easy and safe to experiment. We've made nice crackers with different nut meals (and/or flax seed meal) and with juice instead of milk. If you leave out the olive oil your cracker will be healthier but will be more difficult to roll thin and will not be as crispy -- in other words, you'll probably get a thicker cracker that tastes much better fresh from the oven than it will later on.

Gluten-Free Flour Mix

For a long time my wife and I would use different proportions of our various gluten-free flour types for our various recipes. Then my wife invented this blend, which works for almost anything and makes baking much simpler!

1 part

• Tapioca Flour
• Potato Starch
• Rice Flour
• Quinoa Flour

2 parts

• Amaranth Flour

3 parts

• Millet Flour

We buy our quinoa, amaranth, and millet as grain and use a grain mill for our DeLonghi mixer. Tapioca flour, potato starch, and rice flour seem cheaper to purchase as already-ground flour, especially at certain Asain grocery stores.

Normally we do enough baking for a "part" to be 1 cup, so this mix prepares 9 cups of flour mix at a time. In the heat of summer we make less at a time.

Different grains have different protiens and different amounts of important vitamins. Even if we did not have anyone gluten-intolerant in the family, we would probably still use a flour mix similar to this one but with some whole wheat flour added, so our baking would be healthier than if it used only wheat flour.

This recipe will not work for certain breads (such as challah) that require the texture of glutenous flours. But it works for a surprising variety of recipes!

The flours that have gluten are the same flours that are not allowed during Pesach according to Sephardic customs (because when wet they naturally self-leaven). Among this flour mix's benefits is that it is usable during Pesach for recipes without yeast, baking soda, or baking powder.

UPDATE: During 2007 we changed our flour mix twice. The newer version are here.

Variable Pancakes

This thin batter can be poured thinly to make a Swedish-style pancake, or thicker to make a typical pancake. Either way the pancake itself will taste like a normal pancake, due to the gluten-free flour mix.

(Based on the Swedish pancake recipe of a college friend, Don Lawrence, that uses regular flour, of which up to half can be whole wheat.)

Turn on the stove to medium heat, and get a frying pan that heats evenly.

In a 2-cup measuring cup combine:

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 cup gluten-free flour mix
• some salt, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon

Stir well. The batter will be thin, and will require a fresh stir before pouring each pancake.

If you will be using a filling, prepare that. Put a small amount of butter on the frying pan and use your spatula to spread it evenly.

Then make and enjoy your pancakes! Remember that if you are making thin pancakes the second side will cook much faster than the first.

Note that this recipe contains neither gluten nor leavening, and thus fits Sephardic customs for Passover food.

Raccoons and Aluminum Foil (Squirrel Count: 6)

Happy Passover!

This morning I'm going on a bicycle ride with my wife. Hooray for a holiday-Shabbat!

We have at least one raccoon living under our deck. It ambles around our back yard in a very nonchelant manner. If we yell at it, it does not bolt like one of the squirrels, but simply backs away a few steps while watching us with what seems like an amused expression.

Unlike the squirrel live trap, our raccoon live trap has not yet been successful this year.

I realized one problem is that while the squirrel trap has a solid roof, the raccoon trap does not, and the the open can of cat food we are using as bait got flooded with rain water. Yesterday I put in fresh cat food as well as some peanut butter, and then wrapped that end of the raccoon trap in aluminum foil to keep out rain. Now it looks like we are trying to trap a Buckrogersian Space Raccoon.

This morning we had our sixth captive squirrel. I just found out it does not work to attach the live trap to my bicycle pannier rack with bungee cords. (So I'll drive the squirrel a suitable distance from home later.) If empty, the trap could be strapped to my bicycle without problem. But a large, upset squirrel makes it lurch about enough that I'd worry it might fall off just as we are crossing a street.

More Recipes Forthcoming

My wife and I have been doing a lot of recipe experimentation. She has found a gluten-free flour mix that seems to work in just about everything. We've done not only the oldies (bread, power bars, pizza, scones, cookies) but also biscotti, blitzes, skillet pancakes, and Belgian waffles.

Before posting our new recipes, I'm considering starting a secondary blog. Then people intolerant to gluten could have a useful reference rather than being required to search through this blog for "Category: Recpies".

First we need to do some more experimenting today, because Pesach is approaching. We need to find some way to make gluten-free matza or a similar large cracker.

UPDATE: I decided to just add a sidebar of recipe links, rather than try to start a whole new blog. That will be much easier. And our experiments of making matza and other crackers went quite well! Perhaps I'll have time this week to share the results here.

A Better "Rub Your Tummy, Pat Your Head"

Happy Shabbat!

Here is a silly challenge, for when you a break from resting and studying Torah, from a popularly circulating e-mail:

While sitting at your desk, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles. Now, while doing this, draw the number six in the air with your right hand. Your foot will change direction and there's nothing you can do about it.

With a little practice I could over-ride the effect. Very entertaining for a few minutes!

Squirrel Count: 4

My wife is fed up with squirrels attacking her garden. So we got a live trap to catch them and release them by her workplace. For bait we use peanut butter we put into half a walnut shell.

Spring has just started: we've only had squirrels routinely awake in the back yard for a week and a half or so. And we've already relocated four.

We have no idea if this effort will actually help, or if the back yard just becomes a "squirrel vaccuum" once emptied of resident squirrels, which will simply attract the nearest squirrel looking for a roomy unclaimed place.

Park a Bike Here

This might be profitable, if I bicycle, since bicycle fines are usually smaller than automobile fines.

Escher Starbucks

Hee hee. I can imagine the press release: "Starbucks, having now proven that identical business can prosper in close proximity, had decided to extend this marketing plan in all theoretical dimensions."

Songs Backwards

Heh. So at the time when playing Rock songs backwards was talked about, Weird Al used this in one of his songs to encode the message "Satan eats Cheese Whiz"...

In high school I listened to Weird Al a lot. His band was quite talented (with many styles of music) and many of his songs were not merely humorously cute but truly funny. I don't think any other musician has made me laugh aloud on so many occasions.

Nice to know he was classy, too.

A Bug in Excel!

For my Math 20 classes, I have developed a huge spreadsheet with many pages of activities, which also generates random tests.

While finishing up the page that generates versions of the first midterm, I found a bug in Excel! (I use Excel 2002, Service Pack 3.)

I've been using Excel since my elementary school days. It has always been a great program. As much as various Windows operating systems have bothered me, part of me could never really villify the company that so nicely refined the spreadsheet. And, in all those years, I've never once seen it have a bug, or act up for a reason that was not actually my fault as the user -- until today. I feel stangely disappointed and triumphant, as if I caught my boss searching the web for naugty videos or something.

To see the bug, open an Excel spreadsheet, make sure the add-in "Analysis ToolPak" is enabled so the GCD function is enabled, and in the cells A1 and A2 enter the following:

• =6*0.018*1000
• =GCD(A2,1000)

The first cell calculates to 108. The second cell find the greatest common divisor of that value and 1,000. It shows 1, even though the GCD should be 4 (and Excel knows this if you replace the formula in cell A1 with the number 108).

The bug happens again if you edit cell A1 and replace the six with a nine. The GCD of 162 and 1,000 is not 1 either!

Very strange...

Robot Wrestling

More people with so much time to build things! (But this is not nearly as cool as the remote controlled shark.)

A Clever Way to Say "Duh"

I mentioned earlier that in January I began using the "read through the Bible in a year" feature on my Palm's Bible software.

This scheduled reading can be interesting for a variety of reasons. Recently I read Proverbs 17:25-26 and it made me laugh.

A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him. Also to punish the righteous is not good, nor to beat nobles for their upright behavior.

Um... duh!

I do not normally memorize verse references, or cite them in everyday speech. But I think I might make an exception here. For example, "Well, that was a Proverbs 17:25-26 moment."

John 11:4

So, building of two earlier posts, you may ask what is an example of how God currently treats us more as a disciple (to whom teaching is focal) than a spouse (to whom intimacy is primary)?

Consider John 11:4, a verse seldom discussed but deeply troubling.

But when Yeshua heard it, he said, "This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, that God's Son may be glorified by it."

First, a point of terminology: the verb "glorify" was adapted vocabulary which the apostles used differently, and different from its usual Greek meaning. When John uses the word it's always about public exaltation. (By Paul's use of the term you can glorify God while alone in a room, but not by John's.)

Second, realize the context: that El'azar (Lazarus ) had just died. In order for the death (and thus the resurrection) to be irrefutable, Yeshua purposefully delayed in traveling to that town. El'azar's relatives are in deep and grievous mourning, and his daughters are now unmarried and fatherless and thus also in financial trouble.

Yeshua says that all that family's pain and anguish is acceptable to God for the chance at publicly exalting the Father and Yeshua.

Note that Yeshua does not add, at that time, that he will raise El'azar and the family's pain and anguish will be replaced by joy and celebration. He could have said that, but he didn't. That was a secondary issue. Apparently the family's suffering would be worthwhile to God even if they were not about to have their suffering reversed, just because it created an opportunity to publicly exalt the Father and Yeshua.

More personally, if we are also followers of Yeshua in This World then our suffering is also not something Adonai minds if he can use it to be glorified.

More simply: suffering we learn from is valued by God.

That's how you treat a disciple, not how you treat your spouse.

Timeline

"1996 - Instant messaging created as a way for people all over the world to interrupt each other."

Beautiful!

(Spring term begins tomorrow. I'm trying something new: providing my instant messaging addresses to my math students. Hopefully I will not be put in the awkward situation of having to "ban" one of my own students for being rudely and unreasonably verbose.)

Personal Relationship

In February I wrote about being a disciple of Yeshua. A recent post at "Out of Ur", the blog associated with the Christian magazine Discipleship, asks whether having a personal relationship with Yeshua is scriptural.

Of course it is! But the personal relationship is currently that of master and disciple, more than that of groom and bride. The problems the other article mentions come from focusing on intimacy with Yeshua, which is currently quite possible but should not yet be the focus of the relationship.

Carcassonne

Yesterday my wife and and I went downtown to visit a certain store, only to find that a lack of staff made it closed! Since we had already put some quarters in the parking meter, we decided to visit some other stores we had not ever been inside.

At one of them we bought a new board game, Carcassonne. We also got an expansion set. (Prices were much less expensive that at these links!)

We've now played the game four times, twice with friends and twice just the two of us. It's very fun and certainly recommendable.

We have not tried the expansion yet. It will change the game a lot.

The basic game is a "building" game where you are putting together a map and claiming which "features" on the map you are investing in making big. There is very little direct competition among players, since placed map pieces cannot be removed (or moved) and bids cannot be withdrawn. Also, it takes notable luck and skill to have a bidding war over a particular map "feature".

The expansion allows a player (again with some luck and skill) to remove their own or opponent's bids. Thus you can perhaps withdraw your bid on a "feature" that turned out to have low potential, or remove an opponent's bid on a high-potential "feature". Until we have tried it, we're not sure if this will make the game more fun or ruin it.

UPDATE: We've now tested the expansion in a four-player game, and it was helpful. The main effect relates to how the game starts with a the map divided into two halves by a road, and the first players to start farming on either half typically have an advantage. The expansion removes the likelihood that early farming will be worthwhile, thus making the game more fair to the players who do not move first or second.

UPDATE: The rules (or perhaps their translation into English) have a couple vague points. While searching for clarification online, I found out the game has a blog!

Habakuk and Amona

This one is for a friend. She does not have a computer, or know about blogging or searching online for images. But if she did, she would have created this after she noted how Habakuk 1:2-11 reminded her of recent events at Amona. So I will make it for her.

Adonai, how long will I cry, and you will not hear? I cry out to you "Violence!" and will you not save?

Why do you show me iniquity, and look at perversity? For destruction and violence are before me. There is strife, and contention rises up.

Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth; for the wicked surround the righteous; therefore justice goes forth perverted.

"Look among the nations, watch, and wonder marvelously; for I am working a work in your days, which you will not believe though it is told you.

For, behold, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, that march through the breadth of the earth, to possess dwelling places that are not theirs.

They are feared and dreaded. Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves.

Their horses also are swifter than leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves. Their horsemen press proudly on. Yes, their horsemen come from afar. They fly as an eagle that hurries to devour.

All of them come for violence. Their hordes face the desert. He gathers prisoners like sand.

Yes, he scoffs at kings, and princes are a derision to him. He laughs at every stronghold, for he builds up an earthen ramp, and takes it.

Then he sweeps by like the wind, and goes on. He is indeed guilty, whose strength is his god."

My commentary:

What happened at Amona was about politics and age. Those Israelis who were forced from their homes in Gaza last August were promised much governmental help from the government which was not provided. The people of Amona knew they would not be receiving assistance in restarting their lives. The current (older) political leadership has been pursuing "unilateral disengagement" and the younger side of Israeli has been protesting that this policy is fruitless and hurting Israel. The polically active youth of Israel came to Amona to protest more than this one forced evacuation.

This generational divide was already heated and intense. It became so physically violent at Amona because here were protestors and police who were full of anger before the conflict began.

Last year, Israelis (and Jews worldwide) wondered if the Gaza pullout would provoke a civil war. The abundance of promises to those who lived in Gaza kept the nation from that, but at Amona the divide was again made visible.

Spring is Here

It's odd how different life is with Springtime.

Two weeks ago, seeing the thermostat read a current temperature of 62 would seem cold: time to put on a sweater or light the fire. Now that seems an okay temperature for just a long sleeve shirt.

I'm doing yard work and enjoying it.

I'm wanting to exercise more. My fondness for corny martial arts movies (which inspire me to get in shape) has returned.

I'm playing Go before bedtime on my Palm, after not playing for months. Yesterday night I even visited the Go Teaching Ladder to download two commented games to use as bedtime stories.

I'm less interested in political absurities, and even really annoying political things (see updates here) or societal issues that in colder times would instill quite an urge to discuss them with someone.

Computer Anonymity

Some of my friends think I'm a bit paranoid in my internet use because I avoid putting my e-mail address as a link that spambots would find. I don't spend time worrying or testing. I don't think I do any of these things except check for "https" on webpages with financial transactions and using free software to periodically check for adware.

But it's interesting what can be done, if I was actually paranoid.

UPDATE: Hm. Perhaps I should change some of my passwords. Eight letters takes a single modern computer only a short time to figure out!

Rhododendrons

Earlier this week, a friend taught me how to trim our rhododendrons. This turned out to be a lot of fun.

I'm not much of a gardener. I don't find most gardening enjoyable or relaxing, and the plants often don't find my efforts helpful.

But trimming rhododendrons is quite foolproof. The plants have potential branches all over, and many bifurcations. Thus I do not need to worry about finding a node to cut just beyond, nor the angle of the cut. I just cut off dead branches past the fork they originate at. And the dead branches are usually dried and come off readily, like a berry ripe for picking.

Also, in the back yard my nemeiss is sticks. We have a push mower, which can be clogged by even small twigs. I spend a lot of time picking up sticks from the lawn. Normally the last thing I want to do is produce more sticks for our yard waste bin. But rhododendrons like having their toes in a thick layer of leaves and pieces of twigs, so all I have to do while trimming them is use the pruners to cut the pruned branches into small pieces. That's quick and easy.

It's also true that the yard's spiders have not woken up from winter yet. We get lots of spiders in the summer. They are small and harmless, but their webs can be annoying. So it was nice to not have to swat webs out of the way before climbing into the rhododendrons. (The squirrels are back, but they're not a big deal. We have live traps.)

Finally and best, a rhododendron with its dead branches removed is more hollow inside. Since the rhododendrons are taller than I am, the result is large enough to stand in comfortably -- or for some of the rhododendrons, even climb around inside. As a child I used to love bushes that were "forts". Now I get to make lots of them! However, eating lunch inside one wasn't as innately entertaining as I remembered.

Spring Break

Last week was Spring Break. Apparently I did not do any blogging...

Actually, I noticed this on Wednesday, and it was part of a larger trend/mood. I am not sure why, but my psyche reacted to being on Spring Break by really not wanting to create anything.

I did gardening, cleaned up the house, and was productive but only in non-creative ways. I mostly read books, watched movies, went biking, went swing dancing, and spent time with friends. I did taxes without going into hiding.

I had expected to do many creative things: blogging, catch up on e-mails, work on the P'nei Adonai website, work more on preparing for my upcoming Math 20 classes, baking, finish making the new role-playing game to play with my wife. But those were the last things I was in the mood for.

Interesting... Well, apologies for being out of touch.

OpenSource for Everything

Odd how many of these I am currently using...

(I differ for IM, using Trillian for Windows and Fire for Mac. The alternatives recommented by the above link may indeed by superior, but I can't imagine how. Trillian even has ultra-cool variable semi-transparency for its windows.)

UPDATE: I realized these websites do not list free Bible software. If you use Windows, e-sword is not Open Source, but it's free and as good as anything that costs money.

Countering Islamic Propaganda

As long as I'm discussing propaganda, there's this article that does de-bunking. Someone made a list of "Top 20 Musim Inventions", but only 10 really are...

UPDATE: The above link has gone bad; now its content is here. However, an even more thorough debunking of all 20 claims has been written by Jay.Mac here.

Countering Palestinian Propaganda

For a long time I've been looking for a thorough and well-written rebuttal of the Palestinian Authority's rewriting of history that has somehow become accepted as truth by so much of the media.

I finally found one! Big Lies, a 36-page PDF file written by David Meir-Levi and distributed by Front Page Magazine.

UPDATE: Today the Jerusalem Post had a related article about the URWA, which references this older article for context.

UPDATE: In yet another timely application, folks from the American Thinker and Martin Kramer debunk an essay from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government (full version here).

Festivals of Fire and Ice

A quick comparison of Iran in March 2006, Harbin in January 2005, London in February 2006, and a cartoon about dalmations (to no overall point, they just fit the poem).

(With apologies to Robert Frost)

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To know that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Whole Foods

In Eugene, a big local issue is the impending arrival of a Whole Foods store.

And the people who argue (quite reasonably) that we already have plenty of local and small "health food" grocery options are quite upset, even without having read the recent report on the Whole Foods chain by Slate!

Imperial March with DJ Effects

This is for Mr. Clark, to finish up a conversation at the swing dance last night...

Behold, the mildly entertaining Star Wars Imperial March with DJ effects.

Pedometer Update

I wore the pedometer yesterday, as a test for a day when my wife and I go swing dancing in the evening and I bicycled to and from work. Well over 20,000 steps, by enough to excuse a large numer of false counts. Yay!

(Note that swing dancing, with its many quick triple-steps to fast music, is a somewhat unfair way of accumulating steps. Walking or bicycling up a steep hill is far more work per step than a small shift of weight on the dance floor. But it's still fun to find out that I might do 20,000 of anything during a day.)

UPDATE: Thursday was a stay-at-home day. I don't get nearly 10,000 steps when I am at the computer and doing a few household chores. Friday and Saturday were non-bicycling days but with (very different kinds of) real work happening, and those both coincidentally turned out to have near 10,000 steps.

What Money is Useful For

I've never heard a sermon on Luke 16:9, in which Yeshua advises his followers to use their money to "buy friends".

And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.

It seems a bit uncouth. Not devious, but base.

I realize that my paraphrase of "buying friends" puts a biased slant on the issue.  Yeshua is partly discussing a practical strategy for a society without insurance policies: when you have money be generous to your friends who do not have much, so that when your circumstances switch they might reciprocate.

One evening last week, my wife and I had a long conversation about people's spending habits. Towards the end of this conversation we wondered if people could be categorized as those who valued money for the security it can provide (the people who save unbudgeted money) and those who valued money for the comforts it can provide (the people who spend unbudgeted money).

This was a somewhat amusing dichotomy, for money really does not do either of those well. It can provide some security, but savings can quickly vanish and many kinds of troubles cannot be fixed with money. It can provide some comforts, but real lasting contentment cannot be purchased -- those who try always desire buying yet more things.

The two things that Yeshua suggests people do with money (give to charity and buy friends) are at least things that money does do well. Those who need food or clothing can be fed and clothed. And people to whom you have been generous often help you in your times of need.

UPDATE: Proverbs 17:8, 13, 23 add more practical advice. A gift (not a "bribe", as is sometimes translated) can be precious in the eyes of the giver if used to help him prosper. But do not use gifts to reward evil, or the evil will worsen. And do not give gifts in secret, for then it perverts justice (i.e., it becomes a bribe).

A Temporary King

In First Corinthians 10:24-25 we read that Yeshua is only temporarily the King of the Kingdom of God. In the World to Come, after Yeshua's enemies have been humbled, he will deliver that role of Kingship to God the Father.

Is there a name for someone who is temporarily a king in this manner?

I know of some similar ideas, such as regent: an heir of the king who is given the reign "early" before the old king dies, or a person who rules until a young king reaches adulthood. But the duration of a regent's reign is dependent upon the status of the otherwise proper king. Yeshua has a reign whose duration is dependent upon a mission's completion.

Confused about Boasting (2nd Corinthians)

My sermon for last Shabbat focused on the difference between three types of sub-cultures. I put an overview chart online here. (I'm not quite sure how to make a good congregational web page out of this material.)

The sermon was about how we all participate in all of these types of subcultures, and the Good News applies to all of them but in different ways (although it always proclaims, "You need not work for what the culture primarily values, for God is freely giving this to you!").

For example, I grew up in a family that was very much an "individual responsibility" culture of innocence and guilt, am now living in a liberal city with the politics of a "greater good" culture of virtue, and work in an academic department that values my work based on an "esteem culture" of honor and shame.

(The last point might need some clarifying. In all academic departments I have known, including the math department at LCC, instructors receive very little peer review or oversight. I am valued by the department because of positive student feedback each term and because I participate intelligently in faculty discussion of pedagogy. In other words, people have heard I am good at what I do and yet I am still trying to improve. But how well I actually teach is not measured, either by virtue (do my students go on to be successful in more math?) or by guilt (do I actually cover 100% of the material I am responsible for teaching?). I trust I would measure well if I was measured in these ways, but it doesn't happen.)

As an example of a theological idea from the sermon that was new to most people, grace is actually technical term in the honor-shame suculture of the Roman Empire that included first-century Judaism. A ruler had "grace", which meant he was part of the family of the gods, and was thus above all normal human striving for honor; he should instead only focus on giving honor to others, and on helping the gods govern and care for people. There are clear parallels to all of these points in the Good News.

A point I did not make in the sermon was that boasting is also a technical thing in an honor-shame culture. It is the most gentle form of an honor challenge. People do not challenge someone who is socially inferior (that would be a shameful and bragging waste of time) or who is socially superior (that would be presumptuous and also shameful). So the smallest type of honor challenge -- the simplest way to try to gain honor -- is to boast to a peer.

As a contemporary example, if I said to another LCC math teacher, "All of my students who are failing are coming to my office hours," that could be an attempt to gain honor. (As an aside, it's not true, sadly. I have some math students who are failing but not seeking help!) My boast would be implying that I am so approachable and helpful that everyone who needs my help is seeking it out. The other teacher would then respond by either giving me honor ("That's great!") or by trying to match or exceed my boast ("Same here! And Bob's students come to my office hours too!").

Anyway, I just re-read Second Corinthians and that letter is full of stuff about boasting. Paul does not seem to be entirely self-consistent in his talk about how to boast properly and what he is boasting about. I'd like to understand it better in terms of the honor-shame dynamic, but need some help.

UPDATE: More here, including the idea that the Greek term is "glory", not "grace".

Anti-Semitic Cartoons

The furor over the Danish Cartoons has led to a new and Israeli contest to create anti-Semitic cartoons.

It is a healthy thing to be able to laugh at yourself. And it is a timely moment to affirm that other peoples' lies do not, in and of themselves, hurt you.

I found none of the Israeli cartoons as purely spiteful as some of the real thing, but many were funnier.

Dance-and-Juggle

Someone shared this video (from Google Video) of a very skilled juggler who times his routine with a piece music that has varied tempo and "hits". As someone who swing dances and also tries to do something interesting on the "hits" of the music I found it a remarkable show.

A Test of Habits

Some people are experimenting with using a mouse for web surfing but without using the mouse button. It's a fun site to play around with for a few minutes: Don't Click It!

Subdivision of GPA

Many math department faculty at LCC are into discussing pedagogy and other aspects of being effective as instructors and as a department. (This is part of what makes the job a nice one.) Yesterday there was a "colloquium on grading" whch involved spending an hour discussing grading philosphies and strategies while snacking.

This morning I had a related idea -- something big and odd enough to be worth posting here, rather than only on the online discussion forums used by the math department faculty to process ideas.

At the "colloquium on grading" it was of course mentioned that there are two basic ways to rank a student by assigning a grade. A normative rank compares the student to others in the class. An objective rank compares the student to an impersonal set of standards.

Instructors at LCC may pick which they do. I could create a syllabus that said, "Each test is designed to spread out student scores to compare you. This class will be graded on a curve," and that would work if I wrote appropriate tests. Or I could create a syllabus that said, "Each test is designed to measure what percentage of the topics you have mastered. Your score on the test will not be curved," and that would also work if I wrote appropriate tests.

Currently the college bookkeeping system blurs together how a student has received nromative and objective rankings. All grades are averaged into a GPA.

It would make more sense if a student is assigned two GPAs, with the grades from their normatively ranked classes and objectively ranked classes kept distinct throughout their community college career. (A weighted average could still be on the student's transcript for applications that ask for a single GPA.)

This would make an LCC student's transcript more valuable to local employers. Certain jobs require people who are unusually competent at a range of things: the people that consistently perform at the top of their class. Those employers would value having a student's normative GPA distinct. Other jobs require people who can be trained on-the-job: people that retain a high percentage of what is presented to them. Those employers would value having a student's objective GPA distinct.

The cost of such a change would primarily be a financial issue determined by the flexibility of the college's database software. (The small cost in time for professors, before entering grades, to check one box to select between "normative" and "objective" is trivial compared to any increased value of having an LCC degree.)

The timing of such a change would be a delayed effect. If grades were thus categorized starting in the 2006-2007 school year, this would be practically ignored until the Class of 2010 became the first class with dual-GPA transcripts.

UPDATE: My wife says the issue is math-centric, and ponders if any other departments do any objectively ranked grading. I respond by conjecturing that the popularity of objectively ranked grading will increase as government funding continues to increasingly favor having schools (of all kinds) demonstrate that they teach skill proficiency.

Something a blog linked to...

An interesting essay: "When Equality Matters".

As an aside, I noticed the themes of this article fit the Good News. God is not an "equalizer" in how he treats people. Individuals are often treated as being very different: personality which is acknowledged, strengths which are recognized, actions which are rewarded, and gifts which are received. Yet God does desire -- and provide -- that everyone have equal opportunity to have real liberty and equal opportunity to have eternal prosperity.

Ten Thousand Steps

I have no idea who first created the goal of taking 10,000 steps per day, and Google won't tell me. But that goal has become very popular.

Curious, I purchased an inexpensive pedometer after reading that these can be attached to your shoe while cycling.

Today I wore it all day for the first time. Bicycling to work logged 2,300 steps. Bicycling home logged 2,500. In both cases I rounded down since bumps in the road must have generated some false counts. I know there were not too many false counts since I checked a few times along the way while counting my pedaling, and because I average more than one pedal per second (and 60 sec/min * 30 min = 1,800 sec). So even being on the conservative side I can can use 2,100 steps for each direction of the commute.

While at work I took 5,300 steps. Here the pedometer was on my waist, and accurate.

So that's 9,500 steps and it's not even dinner time. Hooray!

Shark Spies

Who says that science is boring? Now scientists have remote controlled sharks, putting all other remote controlled toys to shame.

Now the Navy Sharks just need lasers. Or poisonous dart guns, like the missing military dolphins. Or even robot arms.

UPDATE: If you have remote controlled shark envy, there is an answer.

UPDATE: Toys with lasers! (Warning: link has sound)

Massively Multiplayer Online Pong

Well, perhaps I should not put this under the category of "enjoyments". But it's certainly amusing. I did enjoying seeing it once, and laughing at its existence.

The never-ending massively multiplayer pong game!

(Not to be confused with NET-Pong, for those who personally like to control the paddle and really must play with a friend far away.)

A Distinct Israel

Stuart Dauermann wrote yesterday in his blog an essay that included a list of scriptural verses about how Israel is a people God has made distinct from other peoples, and which God still wants to be a distinct people.

His essay's point is that some cultures can be presented with a "vanilla gospel" that as much as possible lacks cultural context and only speaks about issues such as love, being children of God, and being helped by God's Spirit being allowed to dwell within us -- but the Jewish people cannot be effectively addressed by any gospel that ignores their special scriptural status and role, and their special history of thousands of years of relationship with God.

Harold Kushner makes a related comment in his book To Life! While discussing the Sinai/Moav covenant, he links the concept of being distinct with the concept of being observant:

And what is in it for us, the Jewish people? Our reward will be the sense of God's presence...When the prophets want to threaten the Israelite people with the worst punishment they can imagine, they warn them that God will remove His presence from their midst and turn them back into an ordinary people again...

Not only the second half of Exodus, but the rest of the Bible and virtually everything that has been written about Judaism since biblical times [is] an attempt to answer the question: How do you hold on to the feeling of standing before God at Sinai?...Exodus's answer, Judaism's answer, is that you do it with special deeds and with sacred times and places. Three thousand years of scholarship and history are commentary on that notion.

This is the core of why being a distinct people in God's eyes is a cultural issue. Not only are the Jewish people set apart by God, but they are set apart by God in certain ways that have become a culture of "sacred times and places".

This is why a Messianic Jewish congregation is not -- and cannot be -- simply a church that does Shabbat instead of Sunday, and the Jewish holidays instead of Christmas and Easter. You cannot take a Christian culture and plug into it the Jewish "sacred times and places" and create the cultural dynamic of being "the descendants of Jacob whom God has set apart and been interacting with for thousands of years". (There are some groups that try this! But they tend to have no Jewish members, because the attempt fails so miserably at being anything like an actual Jewish culture.)