WTF? FTW.

So, I'm sitting, eating Chinese food, and watching Judge Judy. (Yes, there is a soft spot in my heart for loud, obnoxious know-it-alls; I'll admit to watching Dr. Phil in many moments of weakness.)


Anyways, I get a call from a woman who asks me if I live at my address. I ask as politely as possible, "May I ask who is calling?" She tells me that she was calling to collect a Capital One Bill. Now, at this point I am worried, because I think I might have a Capital One card, which I don't. She tells me that I haven't paid a bill since June. I tell her that I haven't gotten any letters from any Capital One people telling me about this. She tells me I owe her da money. I get extremely agitated, and I remember that I had a credit check in July or August, thanks to the lovely Inessa telling me that I had never once made a late payment. She then asks for my social security number which I refuse to give her. She then asks for my birthday, which turns out to be two years and several months off from the late payer. My social security number also does not start with a 2.

At this point she attempts some sort of lame apology. I didn't have balls enough to ask for her supervisor, and I wish I had. Nevsky thinks this is due to the complete breakdown of civil society under the current regime. I don't know if I should give Jorge all the blame, but I am less scared of someone stealing my identity than some credit card company confusing me with one of these @$$holes.

I'm also feeling hacked off having to deal with a bunch of belligerent students (that I had to teach last year). It is also my perception that several folks have gotten into my face about things that do not matter.

In case you are wondering, this blog has ceased to be about anything except for my mental health. So if it ceases to be interesting to you, that's probably because it isn't interesting.

Peace.

Central Africa

Today, our chapel speaker, Mr. Ed Kofi, told us a tragicomic Liberian idiom. Apparently, when someone is hungry, they mention that there is a problem in Central Africa (i.e. their empty belly). According to Mr. Kofi, the difference between Americans and Liberians is that Americans know when to eat by looking at their digital watches, Liberians hear the loud alarm of their grumbling stomachs.

He retold the story of the feeding of the five thousand, in a very interesting way. In his story Jesus was almost indifferent. He was preaching all day long to a "crusade" meeting, talking about "the kingdom" well into the night. When these folks alarms went off, the real crucial issue was no longer theology, parables, or religion. Rather, the main concern was eating dinner. Hmmm...

I have to say that I am blessed beyond my means to appreciate my blessings. I have a job that I enjoy, a warm and comfortable place to live in a city that I have grown to love. I have a wonderful, caring wife with whom my happiness has only increased. I have good friends who care about me, and a family that loves me.

In high school, my main frustration with the world was the rampant disparity between people. Driving down the Eisenhower expressway toward Chicago offered a simple tutorial in the difference between living in the Far Western Suburbs, the Near Western Suburbs, and the West Side.

I grew up in the richest county (per capita income) in the U.S. that never declared bankruptcy—take that, O.C. The United States is the richest country in the world, and I had every advantage of that blessing I could or would reasonably want. Therefore, my main philosophical question was not, "Why?" but, "Why me?"

My fate in life seemed like unreconstructed supralapsarian double-predestinating Calvinism. I mean, I have had the benefit of Christian teachers Pre-K through 16. I have the benefit of working in a Christian organization. Even negative and difficult things in my life have seemed to "work together for [my] good."

In answering the question, "Why me?" I have come up with several things that true justice is not

getting exactly what you want

getting what you think you want

getting what you think you deserve

getting what you think you need

getting the same that someone else has

Therefore, the question is, if the world is just, what makes it so? If this world is just, then why is so much mercy shown to the apparently unjust and such a lack of mercy shown to the vast majority of humanity?

I just have questions today.

merci beaucoup

This is a hearty thank you to all those who came out this weekend chez Lind! Together we raised about $500 to send to aid agencies!

I actually had a really fun time, and it was wonderful to take a moment amidst stress to enjoy myself and chill out. It was great to see Aub and Paul, thanks for coming all the ways down from Arlington.

pax vobiscum omnibus, in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti.

What's the H stand for?

Have you ever been in a Sunday School class where the teacher tried to start a discussion by asking you what you would most like to ask God when you get to heaven? I've thought about that many times, and of course, my real, non-snarky question would be, "Life, the Universe, and Everything?" However, my very snarky, and to me—don't ask why—profound question would be...

"What's the H stand for?"
By the way, if you follow that link, you'll find my friend Aubrey's new blog—about which I am very excited.

By way of confessional, and in order to clear out my second fifth chakra before I get sick again, I must post. Not that anyone cares, but I did intend to post something in the last few days. However, my html-coding skills were going to

this,

this,

this,

this,

and most recently this.
At least this is a good class. The main problem with blogging, however, is that lately I have been convinced that everything and its opposite are true.

Therefore, let's work backwards, and maybe we can get to the heart of the issue.

• As I drove home with groceries for the party, I played "Love And Peace Or Else" by U2, to calm my spirit.


• The check-out lady at Kroger—who was the same one who had, in earlier weeks, refused to sell me a bottle of wine because la Juanita had not brought her purse with her—was quite taken aback by the amount of beer I was purchasing, and expressed her concern at the pending "beer bash" I would be hosting. When I explained that guests were invited to bring donations for disaster relief rather than party supplies, I don't think that she was impressed—especially because she expressed more concern at the total of the bill and hoped that someone else would help me pay for it.


• I have not responded well to my friend and boss, and have been quite short with him lately. I have profusely apologized, however, I had been feeling overly micromanaged. Plus, I have been gossiping too much with co-workers.


• A woman at the AFC knocked me down accidentally when I started swimming next to her. When we both stopped at the same time, I said, "Sorry." Then she gave me a short lecture on how I should have "advised" her of my presence. I was hoping for either, "That's okay", "I'm sorry too," or, "Thank you for apologizing," especially because it was open swim time and everyone has to share a lane.


• I've been lifting weights, doing over a hundred stomach crunches, and swimming 1k almost every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.


• I've been running either a 5k or slightly less with Dave and John (co-workers) every Tuesday and Thursday.


• I've been hiking or trail-running with Janna on the weekends. (This weekend I start training for the Mens' Four-Miler with Dave.)


• My blood sugar is hovering in the low hundreds.


• I'm extremely far behind on grading.


• I'm not going to teach Latin for them.


• If you had asked me when I was younger if I ever thought I would be exercising more than three days a week on a regular basis, I would have told you that you were crazy.


• Every time I get out of the pool, I give thanks to God for extending his mercy to me and enabling me to do things I never thought I could.


• The drama that some of our students are stirring up is ridiculous, at the same time, I have some of the sweetest kids imaginable.


• I had a great two days belaying kids from the climbing wall, not sleeping, and listening to J.R. Briggs talk about digging holes in the roof at Rockbridge Young Life Camp.
  
• I know that I get a sick high from elevated stress levels, and I subconsciously seek out stressful situations. However, that high, like most, does not lead me to healthy choices physically, spiritually, relationally, or emotionally.


• I discovered that Silvia is actually Silvio (if a membrum virile is sufficient evidence). More proof that in this cosmos you see what you want to see.

For an object lesson, let's look at the two most recent Presidents—Bill and Dubya. Bill was a hands-on kind of guy, micro-managing the heck out of guv'mint, kicking @$$ and taking names. However, as much as he criticized 41, Bill also lacked that "vision" thing, failing really to accomplish anything but full lunchpails and a widening gap between rich and poor. Yet Willy worked himself to the bone; he still hasn't laid off the Mickey D's, and he's got one heart-bypass operation to show for it. His stress level took away from the balance in his life that might have allowed him to actually have a healthy marriage and body.

Now Dubya has made the 12-hour work month mandatory for himself (and the 80-hour week variety mandatory for those on minimum wage). He has taken time to play Halo II, choke on pretzels while watching football, and ride his bike into security guards while listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd on his Ipod. He is physically one of the healthiest presidents in living memory, however, his complete lack of intellectual curiosity and his indifferent anti-federalism has led to twin disasters in both the Middle and Southeast. Apparently, however, he stopped doing coke, drinking beer, and making love to people who are not Laura a long time ago, thanks to the power of his personal crutch and savior, Juh-EE-suhs. (Although, leaning on the everlasting arms is never discouraged on this blog, treating God like a fire-insurance provider sure is.)

So that brings me back to my original question, "What's the H stand for?"

first person

This morning I saw a new sign while biking to work that had a picture of bicycle and said, "Share the Road." I think they put it up just for me...and all the Hispanic day laborers who live in the trailer parks near my job.

So, in that same vein, I am not going to say anything critical about Mr. Bush today. Wow. I'm dumbfounded.

"Katrina exposed serious problems in our response capability at all levels of government, and to the extent that the federal government didn't fully do its job right, I take responsibility."

Since Bush is stepping up to take responsibility, so shall I. Come one, come all. If you live within driving distance, you have no excuse (except if you already lavished some aid agency with a new mobile kitchen or rescue helicopter).

http://www.evite.com/mateo_lind@hotmail.com/partay/

The party will benefit these two organi(z/s)ations.

• World Vision


• Christian Reformed World Relief Committee

pro bono publico

Okay, Tom's recent post has gotten me thinking about public morality in Ancient Rome and today.

Here are some thoughts.

Ancient Rome was a dirty, smelly place full of hardship, suffering, and daily terror for most of its residents. If you were able to go back through a time machine to see it, you wouldn't recognize it from the capital of any third world country, if you saw the whole of it.

Young Roman men would have considered easy access to prostitution a right, not a privilege. Rich bands of youth roamed the streets at night killing street people and vagrants for pleasure with impunity. Bands of criminals roamed the streets at night looking to kidnap people and hold them for ransom, or sell them into slavery.

Most female slaves were subjected to sexual slavery in a completely abject way, with no ability to escape. Most male slaves were expected to work 14-16 hour days. The lucky ones worked in the fields. The unlucky ones took minerals from deep inside the ground.

The vast majority of citizens had very little protection from the vagaries of the rota fortunae which could carry any individual, from a senator to the lowest plebeian into complete destitution.

The Roman reliance on slave labor put a drag on industrial development, and therefore Rome lagged far behind Asia in technological development.

On the other hand...

Roman law created the idea of "rights" and "due process," which exactly 1786 years after the dedication of the Ara Pacis, blossomed into the Declaration of Independence.

The Greco-Roman tradition of rational inquiry helped Europeans use technology mostly developed in Ancient China to enslave the world...oh, wait, this probably should have been included in the last list.

They had some really great naked statues. I mean, really great.

They had indoor plumbing...and domes. Did I mention the domes?

They created the idea of a multi-racial state which afforded its residents certain rights of citizenship. Okay, this one is pretty cool.

You could probably add to either list. Here's what floors me about today's world. Romans expected their leaders to provide for them. The emperors maintained their power by offering free grain and entertainment to the peoples. People of Senatorial rank were expected to provide for the public edification of their city or province. In other words, although it was a vastly unbalanced system, the rich were expected to look out for the poor. Let's look at an historical document, written by a group of folks who had a good reason not to be happy with the Roman state.

Romans 13
Submission to the Authorities
1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Let's get back to that crucial verse number 4, "For he is God's servant to do you good." Not, "For he is God's servant to take a vacation at his ranch while people are dying." And it adds this, "If you owe taxes, pay taxes." The most offensive thing that I have seen in the last few days was a headline at FOXNews.com. It read something like, "Are taxpayers going to have to pay for Hurricane Katrina?" The answer is, "Damn right, they are." We all are taxpayers. If you don't pay taxes, and it is not because you make less than $10,000 a year, then put yourself on the list of bad people, right next to catamites and idolaters.

The response to this Hurricane should have been our government's finest hour. After hours and hours of hearings, billions of dollars given for disaster management and planning, and committee after committee, why can't we get our act together four years after 9/11. I don't care who is responsible—whether we should blame Bush or his buddie, "Brownie," or Roy Nagin, or any other such person. I think that all of these people should be honorable like Richard Clarke, and take responsibility for the absolute bungling of this tragedy.


Yet, we do still have a hierarchy in our democratic society. George Bush is the President—the last time I checked we have no other. He ran away from the action during Vietnam, he ran away from Washington on 9/11, and he ran away from Katrina when it hit. Maybe the buck should finally stop. Maybe if he takes some responsibility for this mess, everyone else can step up like the grownups they should be and take responsibility too.

ADDENDUM
A kind and judicious commentator just reminded me of something else that makes me want to scream, kick, and pull hair. So, I'm afraid I'll dignify his actually thoughtful comment with an overly emotional response. I couldn't give a flying wombat's ass what the Founding Fathers' position on disaster relief would have been. The Founding Fathers had as much contempt for the constitution as any activist judge. Thomas Jefferson was opposed to the very idea of the constitution, and only muted his criticism of it in deference to Madison. The constitution itself was barely ratified. Nor was it created in any sort of transparent or democratic way. The Louisiana Purchase was completely unconstitutional, as were the Alien and Sedition Acts. The removal of the Cherokee Indians known as the "Trail of Tears," went way beyond constitutional limits. There was also the suspension of habeas corpus during the Civil War, etc...

We no longer live in an era where Philadelphia was a bustling burg of 40,000, which made it the metropolis of North America. Now that is just a neighborhood in New Orleans and there were more than half that many casualties already counted in the aftermath of this storm. If one does not want tax dollars being spent, then I would encourage one to move to Somalia or some other failed state. Then, you'll never have to pay taxes again, if you can kill enough people.

A democracy is a delicate balance between tradition and innovation. However, this balance must be struck on the basis of thoughtful and compassionate policies. We cannot allow ourselves to make decisions solely based on the misunderstood opinions of men who lived in a world without real cities, motorized transport, telecommunication, or heavy industry. If one wants to live in that world, I would suggest moving to Lancaster, PA. I hear that it is beautiful this time of year.

Catullus 101The De Rerum Natura Translation Project

I retranslated the beginning of Lucretius' invocation to Venus for my "about me" segment, and then something hit upon me that may be a useful purpose for this blog. I have decided to include, on a somewhat regular basis, my attempts at artful translation of ancient Latin texts. If they seem somewhat inartful or contrived, please give me shit in my comments. I am attempting to invite constructive criticism from any and all quarters, especially you literary types out there (Phil, Andy, etc...)

Anyways, the reasons for doing this may be self-evident, however, I believe Catullus' poem #101 can speak volumes to my purposes here. I also want to point out that if one would like to try this for oneself, Perseus is my primary resource here.

Carmen Catulli CI

Brought through diverse nations and broad, calm waters
I arrive at this heartrending interment, brother,
So that I could give you death’s final gift
And hopelessly address your silent ashes,
Since chance fate carried your very self away from me.
God! It isn’t fair that you’ve been taken from me.
And now, moreover, these traditions of our parents,
The sad gift of ancient custom, are given for a funeral.
Accept them, soaked in your brother’s mourning,
And forever, brother, I will say farewell.

Perspective

I grew up near the corner of Buena Vista and Prospect. No joke.

Remember when we all thought this would be the big news of the summer.

Or remember when we were justifying our desire to seek revenge about exactly four years ago next weekend?

The truth is, as Andrew reminded me, we like to pretend that we control the universe, but really we are subject to its very whim. That's why I feel the need to believe in a sovereign God, no matter how misplaced that belief might seem.