Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Escape for the Ur-Qan
I am very glad that I already have a computer game I enjoy. It appears that Star Control 2 is now available as a free download. Fortunately, in my undergraduate years I already spent some time with this marvelous game. Had I only known about its greatness from watching friends play, I would be facing some severe time-management temptation now.
Metal Puzzles
My wife got me two metal puzzles (1, 2) as Chanukah presents. It took some work, but I was able to solve them both. I'll take them to my office at LCC. Hooray for not cheating and looking up the solutions!
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Politics
Although I do not normally blog about political issues, I recently came across two articles that seemed unusually important. The first is the most impartial evaluation I have seen published about our government's justifications for beginning the current Iraq war. The second shares some of the ways in which Radical Islam is able to be intimidating in America.
Snowmen and Snowmen
Someone collected a supposedly complete collection of Calvin and Hobbes snowmen cartoons.
Happily, there is no snow in my neighborhood this Chanukah. January might have a few days of snow at this rate; December had only a couple very icy days where we could not safely back the car down the steep driveway.
Happily, there is no snow in my neighborhood this Chanukah. January might have a few days of snow at this rate; December had only a couple very icy days where we could not safely back the car down the steep driveway.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
An Article in Progress
P'nei Adonai has been invited to participate in a local newspaper project, in which different religious traditions contribute 100 words or less "about how you pray and think from your spiritual beliefs and teachings when you see someone holding up a cardboard sign asking for money".
That's a short enough composition that I thought I might as well share my work draft by draft here, as an insider's view of the project.
My challenge is threefold. First, I should keep this somewhat personal since I cannot speak for all of Messianic Judaism. Second, I mentioned this project on Shabbat at services and so I need to incorporate the feedback I have received from congregants. Third, I need to reply to not only the explicitly assigned statement but also the underlying issue of how to help the homeless.
Those of you not living in Eugene need some context: Eugene, OR, is a gathering-spot for transient beggars whose friends have told them of success amidst this liberal and caring community. So the easy answer of simply sharing wealth does not work, since the more free assistance is given the more homeless arrive in town. The local resuce mission strikes a balance by asking the people it shelters to help with cleaning, and eventually aims towards job placements for those who have a work ethic and are reliable. This is sensible, but the community needs other answers as well. For example, my essay hints at how the local utility company (EWEB) is gracious about working with charities to help people struggling with electric bills; I have worked with others to "sponsor" a disabled woman who is unable to work despite a strong desire to be more productive.
My blogging about my visit to the Eugene Rescue Mission is here.
[After the first draft, the allowed article length was increased to 150 words.]
[This project vanished until the end of February, when I was again contacted and told the article length was now limited to 100 words.]
Draft One (Morning of 12/21/05)
When time permits, I buy strangers food, chat, and offer to pray. I share that I have stayed at the Rescue Mission, and for meals and shelter my family or small congregation cannot better and safely provide. So our monetary giving is mostly to needy individuals (EWEB allows anonymous payments to a name and address) and programs we know use it well. Most strangers feel valued even if given little.
Rabbinic and Christian traditions use Mark 12:41-44 to debate if charity’s value is from help to the needy or as expressions of humility and gratitude. Messianic Judaism says, "Helpful caring".
Draft Two (Morning of 12/23/05)
When time permits, I buy strangers food, chat, and offer to pray. I share that I have stayed at the Rescue Mission, and for meals and shelter my family or small congregation cannot better and safely provide. So our monetary giving is mostly to needy individuals (EWEB allows anonymous payments to a name and address) and programs we know use it well. Most strangers feel valued even if given little.
Rabbinic and Christian traditions use Mark 12:41-44 to debate if charity’s value is from help to the needy or as expressions of humility and gratitude. Messianic Judaism says, "Caring helps everyone be more human".
When praying, I prefer if they pray aloud and I agree with what they say (more spiritual authority than me praying assumptions about what they need). Sometimes I share my spiritual weaknesses and we pray together as needy people and dependent on God. Sometimes friendships start.
Draft Three (Evening of 2/26/06)
When time permits, I buy strangers food, chat, and offer to pray. I share that I have stayed at the Rescue Mission incognito, and for meals and shelter my family or small congregation cannot better and safely provide. Most strangers feel valued even if given little.
If I pray with them, I prefer that they pray aloud and I agree with what they say. This has more spiritual authority than me praying assumptions about what they need.
Caring should help all people involved be and feel more human, significant, and valued.
Draft Four (Evening of 2/27/06)
When time permits, I buy strangers food, chat, and offer to pray. I share that I have stayed at the Rescue Mission incognito, so I know that for meals and shelter for others, my family or small congregation cannot better and safely provide.
If I pray with them, I prefer they pray aloud while I agree with what they say. This has more spiritual authority than me praying assumptions about what they need.
The sages wrote, "Charity done right involves looking each other in the eyes." Caring should help all people involved be and feel more human, significant, and valued.
That's a short enough composition that I thought I might as well share my work draft by draft here, as an insider's view of the project.
My challenge is threefold. First, I should keep this somewhat personal since I cannot speak for all of Messianic Judaism. Second, I mentioned this project on Shabbat at services and so I need to incorporate the feedback I have received from congregants. Third, I need to reply to not only the explicitly assigned statement but also the underlying issue of how to help the homeless.
Those of you not living in Eugene need some context: Eugene, OR, is a gathering-spot for transient beggars whose friends have told them of success amidst this liberal and caring community. So the easy answer of simply sharing wealth does not work, since the more free assistance is given the more homeless arrive in town. The local resuce mission strikes a balance by asking the people it shelters to help with cleaning, and eventually aims towards job placements for those who have a work ethic and are reliable. This is sensible, but the community needs other answers as well. For example, my essay hints at how the local utility company (EWEB) is gracious about working with charities to help people struggling with electric bills; I have worked with others to "sponsor" a disabled woman who is unable to work despite a strong desire to be more productive.
My blogging about my visit to the Eugene Rescue Mission is here.
[After the first draft, the allowed article length was increased to 150 words.]
[This project vanished until the end of February, when I was again contacted and told the article length was now limited to 100 words.]
Draft One (Morning of 12/21/05)
When time permits, I buy strangers food, chat, and offer to pray. I share that I have stayed at the Rescue Mission, and for meals and shelter my family or small congregation cannot better and safely provide. So our monetary giving is mostly to needy individuals (EWEB allows anonymous payments to a name and address) and programs we know use it well. Most strangers feel valued even if given little.
Rabbinic and Christian traditions use Mark 12:41-44 to debate if charity’s value is from help to the needy or as expressions of humility and gratitude. Messianic Judaism says, "Helpful caring".
Draft Two (Morning of 12/23/05)
When time permits, I buy strangers food, chat, and offer to pray. I share that I have stayed at the Rescue Mission, and for meals and shelter my family or small congregation cannot better and safely provide. So our monetary giving is mostly to needy individuals (EWEB allows anonymous payments to a name and address) and programs we know use it well. Most strangers feel valued even if given little.
Rabbinic and Christian traditions use Mark 12:41-44 to debate if charity’s value is from help to the needy or as expressions of humility and gratitude. Messianic Judaism says, "Caring helps everyone be more human".
When praying, I prefer if they pray aloud and I agree with what they say (more spiritual authority than me praying assumptions about what they need). Sometimes I share my spiritual weaknesses and we pray together as needy people and dependent on God. Sometimes friendships start.
Draft Three (Evening of 2/26/06)
When time permits, I buy strangers food, chat, and offer to pray. I share that I have stayed at the Rescue Mission incognito, and for meals and shelter my family or small congregation cannot better and safely provide. Most strangers feel valued even if given little.
If I pray with them, I prefer that they pray aloud and I agree with what they say. This has more spiritual authority than me praying assumptions about what they need.
Caring should help all people involved be and feel more human, significant, and valued.
Draft Four (Evening of 2/27/06)
When time permits, I buy strangers food, chat, and offer to pray. I share that I have stayed at the Rescue Mission incognito, so I know that for meals and shelter for others, my family or small congregation cannot better and safely provide.
If I pray with them, I prefer they pray aloud while I agree with what they say. This has more spiritual authority than me praying assumptions about what they need.
The sages wrote, "Charity done right involves looking each other in the eyes." Caring should help all people involved be and feel more human, significant, and valued.
Why Wookies Do Not Record Holiday Song Albums
My wife said this is "a little weird but fun". I'll simply let it speak (sing? growl?) for itself.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
December
Final Exam week at LCC is done, and with a break from my math teaching I will try and be better about blogging.
It's cold in Eugene this week. Not really cold, but quite cold. However, being Eugene, it is only getting below freezing at night because there is no cloud cover -- which means there is no snow, since if we had clouds it would be above freezing. So the roads safe, but gloves are suddenly popular.
Lately I've been reading H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu stories, which I find delightfully corny through a combination of the out-of-date science in which anything can be attributed to "vibrations", the notably frequent use of the adjective "Cyclopean", and his writing style of hinting at some amazing and surprising horror which is finally revealed to be no more than what you expected all along. As short stories they work well on my PDA.
Currently the P'nei Adonai website does not say anything about Chanukah on its holiday page. My job today is to fix that, and also use the essay to give a talk this evening, as a guest speaker at the local Masonic lodge. They had called last week asking about how to do a Chanukah display in their decorating, since they have a Jewish member. I tried to be helpful, and was invited to talk. They seem to prefer guest speakers who talk about world travel with a religious theme, but are willing to settle for me tonight. The essay's outline is ready, and now it's time to write.
My other chore today is to wrap Chanukah presents for family, and mail them. Except for the baked goods, which we'll keep in the freezer until Chanukah is nearer.
Happy December!
It's cold in Eugene this week. Not really cold, but quite cold. However, being Eugene, it is only getting below freezing at night because there is no cloud cover -- which means there is no snow, since if we had clouds it would be above freezing. So the roads safe, but gloves are suddenly popular.
Lately I've been reading H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu stories, which I find delightfully corny through a combination of the out-of-date science in which anything can be attributed to "vibrations", the notably frequent use of the adjective "Cyclopean", and his writing style of hinting at some amazing and surprising horror which is finally revealed to be no more than what you expected all along. As short stories they work well on my PDA.
Currently the P'nei Adonai website does not say anything about Chanukah on its holiday page. My job today is to fix that, and also use the essay to give a talk this evening, as a guest speaker at the local Masonic lodge. They had called last week asking about how to do a Chanukah display in their decorating, since they have a Jewish member. I tried to be helpful, and was invited to talk. They seem to prefer guest speakers who talk about world travel with a religious theme, but are willing to settle for me tonight. The essay's outline is ready, and now it's time to write.
My other chore today is to wrap Chanukah presents for family, and mail them. Except for the baked goods, which we'll keep in the freezer until Chanukah is nearer.
Happy December!
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Lots of Little Internet Games
Another friend recently pointed me to Lightforce Games. I have not played any of these, since I currently have a nice computer game to enjoy.
Those who have children might enjoy Orisinal more because they are so pretty, even if some are a bit simplistic.
Those looking for a specific little internet game will probably find it at Addicting Games.
Those who have children might enjoy Orisinal more because they are so pretty, even if some are a bit simplistic.
Those looking for a specific little internet game will probably find it at Addicting Games.
Blitnz Wrappers
Well, my wife and I are still working on a gluten-free bread for small loaf pans. But we have made other progress! Now, besides the easy scones, pizza crusts, and apple/zucchini loaf breads, we have...
Gluten Free Blintz Wrappers
In a blender mix 4 eggs. Then add:
Blend for about 30 seconds, then let the batter sit for a few minutes to thicken.
(This is a good time to put together your filling. A no-prep sweet filling is cranberry sauce and cottage cheese. For a quick and easy savory filling we currently use a little cream cheese with sauteed garlic, mushrooms, and spinach.)
Heat a small frying pan (six to eight inches diameter) on mediun heat. Use either butter or oil to coat the bottom of the pan -- half a tablespoon is usually plenty.
With a spatula, stir the batter and then pour some into the pan. For our eight-inch pan we use two tablespoons (measured as 2/3 of a quarter cup measure) but we're not experts and thinner blintz wrappers are quite possible.
Shake and swirl the batter in an attempt to evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Then return the pan to the stove.
When the edges of the blintz wrapper start separating from the pan the bottom will be browned -- flip it, and fry the other side for a few seconds before adding it to the pile of cooked blintz wrappers. Each cooked blintz wrapper will need a paper towel atop it to separate it from the next one.
If you cook more blintzes than you eat, the pile of cooked blintz wrappers, paper towels and all, can be put in a gallon size bag for refridgeration.
(For those who are curious, it seems that a Swedish Pancake is not cooked after the filling is added, a blintz is fried afterward, and a crepe is baked.)
Gluten Free Blintz Wrappers
In a blender mix 4 eggs. Then add:
- 1/2 cup rice flour
- 2 tbsp potato starch
- 1 tbsp tapioca flour
- 1 cup nonfat milk
Blend for about 30 seconds, then let the batter sit for a few minutes to thicken.
(This is a good time to put together your filling. A no-prep sweet filling is cranberry sauce and cottage cheese. For a quick and easy savory filling we currently use a little cream cheese with sauteed garlic, mushrooms, and spinach.)
Heat a small frying pan (six to eight inches diameter) on mediun heat. Use either butter or oil to coat the bottom of the pan -- half a tablespoon is usually plenty.
With a spatula, stir the batter and then pour some into the pan. For our eight-inch pan we use two tablespoons (measured as 2/3 of a quarter cup measure) but we're not experts and thinner blintz wrappers are quite possible.
Shake and swirl the batter in an attempt to evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Then return the pan to the stove.
When the edges of the blintz wrapper start separating from the pan the bottom will be browned -- flip it, and fry the other side for a few seconds before adding it to the pile of cooked blintz wrappers. Each cooked blintz wrapper will need a paper towel atop it to separate it from the next one.
If you cook more blintzes than you eat, the pile of cooked blintz wrappers, paper towels and all, can be put in a gallon size bag for refridgeration.
(For those who are curious, it seems that a Swedish Pancake is not cooked after the filling is added, a blintz is fried afterward, and a crepe is baked.)
How we are like Nazareth
Today I read a nice though from one of Jonathan Cahn's sermons. I'll paraphrase:
In John 1:46, Nathanael asks Phillip, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?"What is from heaven comes through us.But Yeshua came from heaven -- he only came through Nazareth. Nathanael asks the wrong question.
And each of us is similarly like Nazareth. It does not matter how small or unimportant we are, or what we are capable of by our own strengths and history. Yeshua acts through us. The Spirit of God acts through us.
The December/Kislev issue of Moment magazine has an opinion piece by Dennis Prager in which he explains his answers to the question of why so many American Jews are irreligious and/or anti-religious.
After describing two historical factors (incompatability with Orthodoxy's goal of separation from society, and a distrust of organized religion stemming from historical, organized, religious anti-Semitism) and one cultural factor (high attendance rates at anti-religious universities) he says:
His fourth point seems significant for Messianic Judaism. Its values are more conservative than Reform or Reconstructionist Judaism. This can make it simulatenously strange and helpful to American Jews who are searching for truth.
As an example, later in the magazine is an Ask The Rabbis piece with responses from different branches of Judaism to the question "Should Jewish children sing Christmas Carols?" The common Messianic Jewish response would match those of the Orthodox, Conservative, and Lubavitch answers: it wrongs Christianity to treat the clearly religious carols as if they are not religious, it wrongs America's pluralism to participate in a commercial effort to remove religion from Christmas, and it wrongs Judaism to claim that participating in an activity that is at its root Christian evangelism is an appropriate interfaith activity. Thus in any individual case it may be okay (because people and friendships matter, and caroling is not innately dangerous to an individual person) but in general it should not be encouraged.
Messianic Judaism would add that scripture already explains how Sukkot is the approrpiate time to celebrate Yeshua's birth. Doing so on December 25th is therefore not only a religious activity (it doesn't hurt to celebrate that someone, no matter what day is chosen) but an activity innately specific to Christian culture (the historical and cultural reasons for the choice of which day). Since Messianic Judaism hesitates to adopt Christian culture that is not scripturally based, it normally avoids Christmas.
As those values that Prager calls "secular/Left" are becoming more visibly unworkable (for example, just because an individual can participate in the activities of other faiths without harm to his or her religious identity does not mean entire religious cultures can cooperate in this way) perhaps Messianic Judaism will become both more "oddball" and more attractive for maintaining a distinctively Jewish yet non-Orthodox set of alternate values.
After describing two historical factors (incompatability with Orthodoxy's goal of separation from society, and a distrust of organized religion stemming from historical, organized, religious anti-Semitism) and one cultural factor (high attendance rates at anti-religious universities) he says:
Fourth, the only Jewish denomination consistently offering a real values alternative to the secular/Left vision is Orthodoxy...Most Jews therefore have few religious models with which to challenge secular/Left values.Then his article continues...
His fourth point seems significant for Messianic Judaism. Its values are more conservative than Reform or Reconstructionist Judaism. This can make it simulatenously strange and helpful to American Jews who are searching for truth.
As an example, later in the magazine is an Ask The Rabbis piece with responses from different branches of Judaism to the question "Should Jewish children sing Christmas Carols?" The common Messianic Jewish response would match those of the Orthodox, Conservative, and Lubavitch answers: it wrongs Christianity to treat the clearly religious carols as if they are not religious, it wrongs America's pluralism to participate in a commercial effort to remove religion from Christmas, and it wrongs Judaism to claim that participating in an activity that is at its root Christian evangelism is an appropriate interfaith activity. Thus in any individual case it may be okay (because people and friendships matter, and caroling is not innately dangerous to an individual person) but in general it should not be encouraged.
Messianic Judaism would add that scripture already explains how Sukkot is the approrpiate time to celebrate Yeshua's birth. Doing so on December 25th is therefore not only a religious activity (it doesn't hurt to celebrate that someone, no matter what day is chosen) but an activity innately specific to Christian culture (the historical and cultural reasons for the choice of which day). Since Messianic Judaism hesitates to adopt Christian culture that is not scripturally based, it normally avoids Christmas.
As those values that Prager calls "secular/Left" are becoming more visibly unworkable (for example, just because an individual can participate in the activities of other faiths without harm to his or her religious identity does not mean entire religious cultures can cooperate in this way) perhaps Messianic Judaism will become both more "oddball" and more attractive for maintaining a distinctively Jewish yet non-Orthodox set of alternate values.
Friday, November 18, 2005
A Petition of Goodness or Spam?
Does anyone know if this petition (urgning the U.S. to take a strong stand against Iran's nuclear ambitions) is worthwhile or simply an invitation to e-mail spam?
I doubt the petition itself will actually do much. Petitions seldom do, and at this level of diplomacy too little is actually about what normal people know. But the number of people willing to sign petitions probably has domestic political consequences, so I am happy to take a moment to sign a worthy one.
I doubt the petition itself will actually do much. Petitions seldom do, and at this level of diplomacy too little is actually about what normal people know. But the number of people willing to sign petitions probably has domestic political consequences, so I am happy to take a moment to sign a worthy one.
Back to Blogging
Greetings again after a while! For a couple weeks I was in a not-blogging mood, and then my computer broke.
And I think I'll start this new round of blogging with a gripe, a disappointment: Eugene "lost" the Civil War Blood Drive.
Each year, during the week when the football teams from the University of Oregon and Oregon State University play (the "Civil War game"), the entire city is a bit fanatic. The county blood bank joins into the spirit of the occasion with their amusingly named Civil War Blood Drive. For those of us do not become emotionally consumed by the football event and its frenzy, the blood drive seems more significant.
The University of Oregon always "loses" the contest: 2152 to 2720 (in 2002), 2835 to 3705 (in 2003), 3095 to 4059 (in 2004), and this year 2220 to 2673. This could have been our year!
I called the county blood bank and confirmed that their number of regular donors is increasing each year. From this I'll conjecture that the overall drop in Civil War Blood Drive participants is not meaningful. Given that an individual cannot donate at whim but must wait 56 days between donations, if this annual event is actually successful in inspiring people to become regular donors then an increasing subset of the potentially donating population will be unavailable during the event itself!
And I think I'll start this new round of blogging with a gripe, a disappointment: Eugene "lost" the Civil War Blood Drive.
Each year, during the week when the football teams from the University of Oregon and Oregon State University play (the "Civil War game"), the entire city is a bit fanatic. The county blood bank joins into the spirit of the occasion with their amusingly named Civil War Blood Drive. For those of us do not become emotionally consumed by the football event and its frenzy, the blood drive seems more significant.
The University of Oregon always "loses" the contest: 2152 to 2720 (in 2002), 2835 to 3705 (in 2003), 3095 to 4059 (in 2004), and this year 2220 to 2673. This could have been our year!
I called the county blood bank and confirmed that their number of regular donors is increasing each year. From this I'll conjecture that the overall drop in Civil War Blood Drive participants is not meaningful. Given that an individual cannot donate at whim but must wait 56 days between donations, if this annual event is actually successful in inspiring people to become regular donors then an increasing subset of the potentially donating population will be unavailable during the event itself!
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
A break from recipes
Those of you not so interested in the gluten-free recipes might enjoy sites I stumbled across: a review of ramen, and tips for fluffly waffles.
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