Monday, December 30, 2013

A Year in Review: 2013

January: Elected Vice President of CP Churchill

February: Discovered Doctor Who (well, rediscovered)


March: Spring Celtic Ball

April: Midwest Homeschool Convention, Creation Museum College Plus Gathering; Will You Be the One Youth Conference

May: Blimey Cow Skype Call hosted by the Valiant Defender's Party

June: Bought my iPod

July: Blimey Cow Photo-A-Day; Samx as Doctor Who Challenge; Ohio State Fair

August: Twelfth Doctor Revealed!

September: VDP High Command


October: Random CP Gathering

November: The Day of the Doctor Gallifreyan Plus CP Gathering


December: College Plus The Gathering Texas

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

College Plus The Gathering Texas

Who knew the Creation Museum gathering could be toppled? But it was.

Just the week before, we had a Doctor Who College Plus Gathering here in Columbus to watch "The Day of the Doctor". So I totally was ready to meet new CPers!

Arriving at the Port Columbus CMH Airport, I said goodbyes to my sisters and parents and went through security. I met up with the Proffitts, who were on the same flight as I was. The plane was on time, with a little confusion at the gate changes, but all was well.



We boarded the plane. First time flying with friends! Landing in Dallas, the weather took a turn for the worse, as rain started to pour. As the Proffitts got their baggage at the claim, I headed to Terminal E to meet Taryn. A few minutes of confusion later, I finally arrive to meet the group waiting for us, with the Proffitts beating me there. (But it was an adventure!) I met Alex, Neil, Kimberly, Andrea, Amie, Rebecca (Becky), Paul, Justice, and a few others. And Joshua Loomis! A bearded Joshua Loomis!

Our shuttle took us to the camp called Lakeview Camp of Assemblies of God. We got registered with yellow wristbands, and we headed out for dinner. I then saw Daniel Diedrich, who I met in the Creation Museum, and who also is my Churchill President (I'm the VP). They had some brisket and everything - best camp food I have ever tasted. Sat with some guys at the table. Everyone was open to conversation.


We then headed out to orientation! After learning some guidelines, we split into our small groups.



Met this dude right here. His name is Rusty. He is an actor. The kid in the Courageous movie, in fact. He is a College Pluser!


College Plus TX Gathering Facebook Group


Saturday, November 23, 2013

Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor Review(?)


No spoilers here. I did cry.

Watched the pre-show on BBC America livestream. There was a dancing show on BBC One, where a judge commented that a dancer moved like a Dalek.

Lots of references to everywhere. A nod to the classic in the very first scene.

All the Doctors are present, even the classic ones. Well, in a way they all are. You'll just have to watch it to see how.

A classic Doctor shows up in persona, but not in the way most people know. No, it's not Paul McGann (though Paul does show up in the Night of the Doctor).

David Tennant's Doctor is not the alternate universe clone.

Steven Moffat has brilliantly used time travel to tell the story. Alternate timelines may be giving away too much.

Rose comes in her Bad Wolf form (this is not a spoiler since it was already confirmed), and only in her Bad Wolf form. She does not come as the peppy Rose we all know.

No other companions show up, sadly. Many are referenced, though.

As a story, it kinda stands on its own. It's not just hyped-up fanfare, there's an actual story! A story of loss and gain and hope and good stuffs. Also, there is an explanation of how the Zygons are tied in.

The episode is a seismic change in the direction of the show. But not a darker one, as some hoped it would. At least to me, it's not dark at all! It's about hope!

So, I can't wait to see it in 3D with my friends on Monday! :D Can't wait for the Christmas special as well.


Sunday, October 13, 2013

Conspiracy Theory of the Month: Ylvis "the Fox" Illuminati Symbolism


Update: They came out with a children's book: What Does the Fox Say?

I'm a conspiracy nut. But hey, there is so much Illuminati symbolism and dialogue in this new viral video, I could not resist to dissect it. Here is their MP3: The Fox (What Does The Fox Say?)

The first part of the video shows a party of people dressed up as different animals. If you know anything about the secret societies, they dress up as animals with masks in their secret gatherings.

By 0:40, the singer transforms into a fox costume, and asks a question, "What does the fox say?", which is the apparent theme of the music. Parallels can be drawn with the supposed transformation that the Illumined supposedly go through, but we'll assume that's coincidental rather than intentional.

The singer then is transported in a Bohemian Grove-like atmosphere with masked dancers. Again, secret societies always wore masks as a sign of secrecy for their rituals. Beams of light, or illumination, seems to be prominent in the video.

I assume that the main singer in costume acts as somewhat of a "high priest" in a middle of a ritual circle, at least in appearance. Again, I do not want to inject more there than it really is, but that is the impression. If this is really a Bohemian Grove-type, then it would make sense.

On 0:57-58, an old grandfather is supposedly reading a book of fairy tales to his grandson. He will feature prominently later in the video. The grandfather is illuminated by a lamp.

I suppose this could mean that the Illuminist families indoctrinate their children in their rituals at such a young age. This coincides with what the former Illuminist, now-turned Christian Svali testified.

At 1:12, the singer describes the fox. It seems harmless at first, just describing the general features of said fox.

Foxes in the Bible are always in antithesis and opposition to Christ and His work.

Luke 13
31 The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee.
32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

Song of Solomon 2:15 

Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.

Matthew 8:20

And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

Nehemiah 4:3

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.

On 1:30, something reminded me of a Bible passage. The singer says "So beautiful".

Ezekiel 28:12
12 "Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty."
13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire."

The fox is a picture of Lucifer, as far as I can ascertain. The fox is Satan, a spirit of the grove, an adversary of Christianity. The singer then says "Like an angel in disguise" in 1:33.

2 Corinthians 11:14
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

Interesting correlation, no? Light prominently showers the video, the false light of illumination, it seems.

The next phrase by the singer is curious. "But if you meet a friendly horse, will you communicate by morse? How will you speak to that, horse?" Huh? Well, the Morse code is a secret code or cipher, something secret societies use (not Morse specifically, but code in general). Also, Morse code involves telegraphs, which is tapping of fingers. Secret hand signals, perhaps? Maybe. The horse is friendly, meaning it could be a fellow member of said secret society. Again, this is just a guess, but from what I know of the Luciferic Illuminati, that may be the correct hidden interpretation.

On 2:30, rays of light that may represent enlightenment go out towards the viewer, with the main singer on front. The singer makes more interesting sentences.

"The secret of the fox. Ancient mystery. Somewhere deep in the woods. I know you're hiding."

Ah yes. The ancient mysteries. Some secret societies, maybe most, hold onto occult philosophies that call themselves ancient mystery schools. Mystery schools have hierarchical degrees and occult secrets in layers. Freemasonry, various orders, Druidic traditions, etc. are examples of mystery schools.

All mystery schools can be traced to the religion of the Tower of Babel, a first one world humanistic defiance of God.

Revelation 17
17 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.

Singers start to levitate. Levitation is one of the so-called secrets of the mystery schools. Singers then ascend as they sing.

"What is your sound? Will we ever know? Will always be a mystery. What do you say?"

The fox finally appears and says something. But he is not noticed. Maybe the rituals are not high enough the hierarchy?

"You're my guardian angel hiding in the woods. What is your sound? Will we ever know? I want to know!"

The construction of groves, or a collection of trees used for religious purposes, is prohibited by the Old Testament in the Bible. In them are idol worship held. The video is set in the middle of the woods. The Bohemian Grove in California is a well known grove where an owl statue of Molech still resides today, used by the elite in occult rituals.

Deuteronomy 7:5
But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.

You can also see the All Seeing Eye (the Eye on the Pyramid) punctuated throughout the video in flashback images and subtly hidden scenes. Lots of scenes where you can only see one eye on the character, by the turn of the head, or hair hiding the other eye.

Zechariah 11:17
Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.

Matthew 6:22-24

22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

In the end, the light of day ends the ritual dance. The Illuminists put on their form of normalcy.

So, what is the sound of the fox?

1 Peter 5:8
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Again, that is what I see with Illuminist symbolism within the video. Is it coincidental? I'd like to think so, but I would also welcome the possibility this truly is an Illumined work.

Update: They came out with a children's book: What Does the Fox Say?

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Musings About Girls and Various Things Like That

Musing #1:
So.

I like most girls.

I have many friends that are girls.

I really like some girls.

I really, really liked a few girls.

I only love one girl.

I have never had a girlfriend.

Musing #2:
I have asked out many girls to dance.

They all said "yes".

I've only asked out girls for a banquet thrice.

They all said "no".

I only had two dates in my life.

We were just as friends.

I thought she was the one. No, she is the one.

We're just acquaintances now. Almost strangers, but not quite.

No one. I have no one.

I never really knew where I stood with her. Who is she to me? Who am I to her? I. Don't. Know.

Musing #3:
I think all that I am is an annoyance to her. That I really don't mean anything to her. That I just imagined I might have meant something. But not really. Maybe, I have meant something, just not in the way I thought I did.
I asked her out once. I don't think I'll ever do it again. I felt like I wasn't wanted there. She sounded like she wanted to be anywhere but there where I was. That's why I ran. So she wouldn't have to be anywhere near me.
I tried to be just a friend to her. But I can't. She can't as well.
When I look at her, I see all my failures. When I look at her, I miss her even more. So close, and yet so unreachable.
And I still am running.

Musings #4:
Why do I pour out my heart on these blog posts?

Because I want to, that's why. And the majority of the readers won't know the details.

So you are left to ponder.

Musings #5:
Only God can bring this soul to peace, this longing heart to hope.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Let's Play Socrates Jones: The Bible and Euthyphro, Or, God is Holy, Holy is God


from Socrates Jones: Pro-Philosopher

A dilemma was postulated by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, who asked Euthyphro:  "Is what is morally good (holy) commanded by a god because it is morally good (holy), or is it morally good because it is commanded by a god?"

This was brought to my attention by the above game, Socrates Jones. It features an Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney-style gameplay, but instead of a court case, you are literally debating the meaning of morality for your life... because apparently you died since you didn't buy deer repellant and now you have gone to philosopher "heaven" (or more accurately, "purgatory"). At any rate, it's not an afterlife you want to spend much more time in.

Euthyphro is the first philosopher you debate against. In the game, he argues that mankind is flawed, which is true. He then argues because the gods are better than humanity, they determine what is good. But his premise fails because of his belief in polytheism, for the gods contradict each other. His counterpoint to that is most gods (and religions) agree on what is good and what is bad. Which brings back the dilemma, do the gods agree because that thing is intrinsically good?

After a few pensive thoughts, my mind turned to Scripture, which, naturally, has the answer.

Isaiah 6
1In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 

2Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

3And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

The passage equates God as thrice Holy (reflecting His Triune nature). It doesn't say "God says what is holy" or "God knows what is holy", it says He is the very essence of holiness and moral good. It cannot be separated from Him. His very nature is holiness and moral good! No God, no holiness.

Euthryphro fails to acknowledge the thrice Holy God of the Bible. There are no other gods but Him. What he has is only a false dilemma once you know the actual state of things.


Isaiah 45
5 I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:

6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else.

Note that the passage capitalizes the "G" in God on verse 5. While there are many small "g" gods, there is only one capital "G" God. Because the idols are beneath Him, whether the god be called Baal or Zeus or Thor, since He is the the God, they don't even start to compare, making them ill fit to be standards of morality. (It's a favorite strategy by atheists to equate the Christian God to Zeus due to the fact they are both religious entities, but the similarities end there. The Christian God stands by Himself while Zeus and his pantheon merely resemble petty immortal humans with great powers, i.e. superheroes.)

Which brings us back to a slightly altered question:
"Is what is morally good (holy) commanded by God because it is morally good (holy), or is it morally good because it is commanded by God?"

Answer: "God is holy and morally good, holiness and good morality is the nature of God. God commands what His holy nature is to be, and what His holy nature determines what is commanded by Him".





Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Of Stocks and Options...

So, I have forayed into the world of the stock market. I haven't made much considerable gains yet, my strategy is mostly a "buy-and-hold" technique for the long-term. Right now, I only recommend buying Apple (AAPL) stock as it gave me the biggest gains so far, and it is assumed to even rise even more. (I do regret selling some shares of it now to invest in 3D printing, but hey, that could give returns as well, so I'm not too bad).

My stock portfolio is a mix of North and South American company shares ranging from oil, to steel, to gold, to land, but the largest piece are technology stocks.

So yeah, right now, it's mostly a loss, because of the recession, but my strategy is long-term investing for the most part, as to avoid sentiments of fear and greed, the ever simple "buy low, sell high". I experimented with short-term gains, but the commission is too much of a factor for quick profits.

I also have my sights on options trading, but it's proving either complicated or that I do not have enough money to invest to start in it. I am studying it, to make preparations for the future.

Monday, August 5, 2013

Mindwrap: The Gutenberg Future

This is a thought experiment on the future of 3D printing and its impact. I would have classified it as AltHist, but it concerned more of our immediate and long term future.

This is the world of the Gutenberg Future.

Background:
The method of 3D printing, once the economical and technological hurdles will be overcome, represents the greatest potential of revolution for years to come. From Gutenberg, we have the printing press and the power of words... and thus with the portable, cheap 3D printer, we have the power of creating objects.

Economy:
The most obvious impact will be on the economy. Stores will become increasingly useless as consumers learn to simply print whatever object they want to acquire. Plastic objects are the most prolific, but printing of metals, food material, etc. appear as science advances. The 3D printers become cheaper, more portable,  and more complex, along with computational power as with Moore's law, allowing for more complicated 3D objects. Common and mainstream brand names become less important, while specialty brand names do.

Education:
More classes will be devoted to 3D modeling and printing. It may start in existing art classes of schools and integrated in the curriculum of technical schools, then every school will soon have a specialized course or class dedicated to 3D modeling and printing.

Food:
The printing of food will start in gourmet kitchens and specialty chefs. If personal gardening (and even meat creation) is not made easy enough with the genetic and bio tech advancements, farms and markets for fresh produce and meats will still exist.

Culture:
Those who don't have 3D printing technology are at a great disadvantage, however, a sub-culture rises, somewhat reminiscing the hipster movement of the early 21st century that harkens back into antiquated styles.

Arts:
Those who expert modelers in 3D programs will become more commonplace, and their skills are important in the jobs market. Craftsmanship of the hands will still exists. Wood and stone creations will still enjoy popularity as art, symbolizing hard work and toil, especially for the rich. Clothes will still be manufactured by factories unless their is a technological leap in creating soft fibers. Once 3D printing or nanotechnology replicates wood and stone, those are seen as inferior.

Government:
The rise of the corporation and their scholarly offspring, the mathematician numecrats ("those that rule with numbers", also, numerati, as coined by Stephen Baker) create new government paradigms: the corpocracy and numecracy. There are more independent local regions.

Beyond Gutenberg:
Nanotechnology may be utilized and create Star Trek-like replicators. However, resources are still needed; there needs be some raw material and energy for nanobots to work on.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Revealed

Today at 7PM GMT(2PM EDT here), Peter Capaldi was announced to be the 12th incarnation of the Doctor.


Peter Capaldi has played Caecillius in Fires of Pompeii, and Frobisher in Torchwood: Children of Earth. He will fill the shoes of eleven actors before him. Glad to be part of the historic livestreaming event, compared to electing a Prime Minister!

Congratulations! The Doctor Who audience are in an uproar of mixed emotion. I for one have no great emotional response. I really liked Matt Smith, but I see the Doctor as one person, not 12-14 different people.

Enjoy this random video that doesn't represent my views, but does provide a perspective:

Sunday, June 23, 2013

What is Module Failsafe?

What is Module Failsafe? 

The plan module was conceived in 2012 to deal with the inevitable coming time of disaster and chaos. It contains:
1. One diamond engagement ring.*
2. Hotline to every dads' phone number in the world.
3. Portable time travel machine, a TARDIS will do.
4. Many, many prayers to God. And fasting. Yes.

Note: No courage is included, however, once this is activated, it is assumed there is a time pressure that might translate to courage.

*A 500-1000$ value

Break Only In Case Of Emergency.

The time is coming. >.<

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

iTARDIS: Converting the iPod Touch into a Police Box


Ever dream of creating the ultimate Doctor Who themed iDevice? Well, apart from creating a TARDIS iPod from scratch, this is what you can do.

Steps:
1. Download a TARDIS police box wallpaper and TARDIS console wallpaper into your iDevice. Google Images will suffice. The Dropbox app is particularly helpful for taking images from your computer to your iPod, and that is how I downloaded it.

Alternatively, you can search for the images, hold down your finger and "Save Image" will pop up. Check out how to save images from Safari here.

2. Go to the Camera app. Go to the Gallery of Photos. Set the TARDIS police box wallpaper as the Lock Screen of your iPod.

3. Set the TARDIS console wallpaper  as the Home Screen of your iPod.

Voila, a smartphone that is bigger on the inside! Well, smartphones are already bigger on the inside, as one of my friends pointed out.

Optional:
1. Get a TARDIS iPod case. The ones they sell at the Doctor Who Experience museum are the best. However, it's only sold on that location, so I settled for a TARDIS Squigglecase.
 Amazon: TARDIS iPod case
2. Fill up your iPod with Doctor Who apps. There is a Doctor Who puzzle mobile game thingy, a Dalek synthesizer voice app, a third-party sonic screwdriver app... now if only I could find a proper time travel app, I shall be happy.

UPDATE:
 There is now an official Sonic Screwdriver app, Virtual TARDIS app, and the Doctor Who: Legacy game!


Images used:

All rights reserved to their respective owners!

Update: Here are some more TARDIS consoles!







Sunday, June 9, 2013

Fanfiction: Jack And The Magic Bean

Read Jack And The Magic Bean by Karthey M

This fanfiction story about a Doctor Who/Stargate crossover is short but sweet. Composed of six chapters, it details the meeting of Jack O'Neill and the Doctor in what looks like to be a planet with original alien lifeforms, the Arnak.

Apparently, the Doctor is a Tollan ambassador, or rather, Earth's ambassador to the Tollans. I do think the latter is the case, but if the its the former it would be unclear what the relation of the Tollans, a Stargate civilization, is to Gallifrey, the planet where the Doctor hails. If parallels can be made, the Gallifreyan civlization is very similar to the Tollan civilization. One, they are both ancient and possess more advanced technology than the other races. Two, they both are isolationist, enigmatic, and arrogant. I'd imagine though that the Ancients have more in common with the Gallifreyan Time Lords.

The relationship of the Doctor to the American SG-1 is also a bit unclear, knowing that the Doctor also worked for the global UNIT in various circumstances, but enough about the ambiguities.

The author (whom I've known for quite some time and she can be a bit stubborn ;) presents the Doctor's eccentricities rather efficiently and accurately. I would think however that his conversational-style that he uses on the story does not always match up to Matt Smith's acting on the TV show. To be fair, the author manages to capture the fast-paced tone of the conversations.

The Doctor's companions, the Ponds, could've used a bit more character development. They hardly interact with the other characters, and somewhat seems to be there simply to explain what the Doctor is all about to the SG-1 team and to ask questions about Stargatey stuff in return.

I do think Stargate was more presented better than the Doctor Who part. The mannerisms of the Stargate characters were what I expect from the TV show.

The alien lifeforms, Arnak, are described as humanoid giants. Knowing both shows' obsessions of seeding humans around the galaxies with genetic anomaly, it shouldn't be a surprised. The threat of the Arnak dominating Earth and enslaving is not as compelling as I'd like. My sense of belief was shattered when a giant goose is introduced in the story. I know it was supposed to be like the story, and Doctor Who usually has a ridiculous animal aliens sometimes, but it just didn't fit, I think.

The story is supposed to be the origin of Jack and the Magic Bean legend on Earth. The best I can summarize the story without spoiling it for you ("Spoilers!"). Anyways, it was a fun read, but with a bit of tweaking and research, it would be a bit more enthralling. But excellent job, Karthey! :D

Saturday, April 20, 2013

AltHist & Movie: Confederate States of America


I was traveling in time and through parallel worlds, and I happen to chance on this documentary from an alternate universe. ;) The documentary from the British Broadcasting Service (the counterpart of our BBC in that world) is about the history of the Confederate States of America from its victory in the War of Northern Aggression.

I won't spoil it for you, but there is definitely some very racist elements in the movie that made me almost gag, so don't watch if you're easily offended. It would have seem that the Confederate society did not evolve much from its focus on slavery. The almost unrealistic Cold War with a certain north country (and it's not Russia) leaves a bad aftertaste in my mouth. It's not a balanced documentary, because only the aspect of slavery in society is focused upon. The Confederate States as presented is as a very isolationist and almost totalitarian country. I would have thought as well that abolitionism would have a stronger resistance to the "slaveocracy". The Presidential family Fauntroy is too much of a focus in the film. The movie's mockery of Christian values, while understandably corrupted by the slavery question, also touches a nerve. 

All in all, the documentary made me think. Today, our rights are being assaulted by politicians. We aren't free anymore from government, as the slaves from the past weren't free from their masters. 

The video is the whole film, so tell me what you think below in the comments.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Midwest Homeschool Convention

Had such an awesome time at the Midwest Homeschool Convention in Cincinatti! It was my very first time, and though it wasn't what I expected, I wasn't at all disappointed.

We arrived on Thursday, April 4. Beforehand, we visited the Newport Aquarium to look at fishies.

The first session I attended was the Historical Clues to Great Spelling by Barbara Beers. She taught on how the Latin, Germanic, and French and other language influences created the nuances in our English language. Grammar structure, pronounciation, plurals... everything starts to make sense once you know the history of the words.

The next session I attended was Biblical Worldview As It Relates to Science, hosted by Creation.com ministries. Kinda a repeat of what I already know, but reiterations are good. I had to stand up the whole time since the room was packed. Basically, the difference between Creationism and Evolution is not evidence, but the interpretation of evidence.

The last session for Friday that I attended was Professor Carol Reynolds's Russia in the Dark Age of Communism. She talked about her dream on living in Russia, and how her folk tale perceptions of it was shattered when she arrived as an American professor working in the country in the heat of the Cold War. She talked about the Russian Eastern Orthodox Church and how Communism sought to replace and eradicate religion. Professor Carol, who loves music, also taught some musical history of the Russians. It was one of the most interesting classes I attended in my life.

I bought a book called The Writing of God. It's about the real Mount Sinai in Arabia, across from the Sinai peninsula, not on it. The lady on the booth was very shrewd in selling it to me. But I don't regret it. It has some interesting archaeological pictures and essays.

So the first day ended, but the fun was only beginning! Onward to Friday, April 6th.

We woke up a bit late, so we missed the morning session, but I went straight to the class titled Throwing Light on the Dark Side: Good Vs. Evil in Contemporary Literature by storyteller Jim Weiss. He talked about how evil is presented in fiction and real life. He introduced to us the idea of mythology and how its a reflection of a culture's true beliefs, with one example as George Washington's cherry tree. Evil is manifested in four ways: a pure evil, evil with a different perspective, deliberately chosen evil, and banal evil. He then proceeded to relate it to works such as the Lord of the Rings, Narnia, Harry Potter, Hunger Games, the Twilight series, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Shakespearean plays, and other works of fiction.

Afterwards, I headed to the Ed Zaccaro's session, Ten Things All Future Mathematicians and Scientists Must Know. It was a reminder that math and science are ways of objectively looking into something and how statistics are manipulated to deceive us. It was also a point that many solutions are counter-intuitive, and that causes and correlations must be discerned among other things.

Attorney David C. Gibbs III of the National Center for Life and Liberty spoke on Bodly Standing in a World of Compromise. He reminded us that the only way to change our nation was to bodly proclaim the gospel. To do so, one must must actively tell and convert a person to Christ, and actively disciple them enough so that they would then go and convert and disciple others.

Homeschool Programming, Inc., a small business by a husband and wife team, did a session on Creating Android Applications. It was a bit boring, as you can probably tell if a computer programmer showed you how to code something simple in a monotone voice, but I did learn something about Android emulators and the market share of Androids compared to iOS devices. I think I should focus in on Android apps with Game Maker instead of the iPod.

I then met my good friends the Proffitts from CollegePlus! I got a sudden call from Bridget telling me to find them at the CollegePlus! booth. We went to the Bible Bee booth, because Bridget worked for the Bible Bee, and met a of their few friends. They went and hanged out with us as we walked around the exhibition hall. Then we had a dinner of pizza, kinda expensive(although the food in the convention was really expensive as well).We caught up with the ending of a session from John Stonestreet, the one who does the Worldviews Course at CollegePlus! He spoke on New Spirituality: Engaging with New Age, Eastern Religions, and Neo-Paganism. He showed quite an interesting movie trailer about "The Secret" and dissected it.

So we ended the day with just hanging out, going to different booths and shops at the exhibit hall. We didn't go to the Tim Hawkins comedy show because we heard that his jokes were getting less funny. And I kept getting teased on my April Fool's joke on getting engaged. XP

And the final day, Saturday, April 6th....

On about 9:45 to 10 AM, I was supposed to meet the Spydog of GMC Jam fame, but due to lack of wifi and miscommunication, we weren't able to. :( Still, I might meet him next year.

I proceeded to go to another of Jim Weiss' sessions, again. This time, he was speaking on G.K. Chesterton and how he influenced C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. He ended with a narrative retelling of his mystery short story "The Blue Cross". The story was very engaging, and I wonder how I ever missed this author! Unfortunately, I don't have much time nowadays with reading, so I don't know if I should look for his books.

I got a text from the Proffitts to meet them after one of the twins takes the Medical Transcriptionist class. She needed the job, but I warned her, since I tried to take that job before. So we agreed to meet at the CollegePlus! booth again afterwards. I went to Thomas Purifoy's session, Why Every Christian Needs to Understand Economics. He reminded us that economics are the choices man makes with limited resources as a steward of God's kingdom. Mr. Purifoy then proceeded to give us a model of history as a struggle between the Augustinian city of God and city of Man, where economics of one conflicted with the other. In the end, I got a free economics DVD.

Meeting again with the Proffitts and one of their friends Kaitlyn(Caitlyn? Katelyn? *shrugs*), we decided to attend the Teen Track session Keeping Cool Under Fire: Handling Objections with Grace and Truth. Scott Klusendorf did a roleplay on being a pro-choice supporter, which made me almost mad... and then I realized it was a roleplay. -.- He gave us pointers on how to graciously debate by asking the Columbo questions: "What do you mean by that?", "How did you come to that conclusion?", and "Have you considered the implications of your view?". I'll find this very useful in the future.

Took a small break at the Starbucks. The twin sisters didn't go to the coffee shop much, but I recommended that they get a frappe. We then went back to the Junior Ballroom to hear Sean McDowell speak on the factual evidence for the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Along with the cold, hard, historical facts, I learned about his once having doubts about the faith. I did learn that the resurrected Jesus did show Himself to people that did not believe on Him, including Saul and James, His half-brother.

Another break, then finally the last session. It was Mr. Klusendorf again, but this time, he spoke on Moral Relativism. Basically, the philosophy is self-refuting. He also spoke on the 'intolerance of the tolerance crowd'. I'm glad for the Christian speakers equipping us with tools to engage our culture.

I had to say goodbye to the Proffitts (but hopefully I'll see them in two weeks). Then the finale... An Evening With Dr. Ron Paul! We got as close as we could to watch Dr. Ron Paul speak. As the Prime Minister and Chairman of the homeschooled Valiant Defender's Party, it was one of the most inspiring political speeches I have heard. Sadly, I didn't have a recording device, and the event wasn't recorded. I then understood why he stood on his foreign policy as he did, and that he's going to start a new homeschooling curriculum. He encouraged us, the young people, to get involved locally and to spread the message.

Ending the night and today on Sunday, we started for home. We did attend Fellowship Baptist Church, the home of the Fellowship Tract League for the morning service. It was a very awesome weekend, one that I will remember the rest of my life. I thank God. :)

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Book: Secret Sabotage

We at CP Group Churchill have written a book! I did the basic plot for it, but it was the writers and editors that brought it to life. I present... Secret Sabotage!


As the war effort against Hitler ramp up in England, more threats await Winston Churchill than he knows. Even as he declares his readiness to fight, "in France, in the seas, and on the oceans," his close friend and long time associate, Brendan Bracken must fight to protect him from a Nazi plot which even Churchill could not have conceived. Meanwhile Victoria Livingstone, Churchill's ward, must confront her difficult past to fight from the home front, which has unknowingly become the most treacherous front of the war. Can they save Churchill from the Nazi's sabotage, which has the capacity to alter the course of history?

Authors: Andrew Eddy, Sarah Eddy, Tori Larson
Editor-In-Chief: Will LaValley
Publisher: Daniel Diedrich
Cover Illustrator: Joshua Cole
Planning: Samuel Garcia, Katie Follett
Proofreaders: Jonathan Lyons, Aaron Campbell

Buy Secret Sabotage here!

Thursday, January 3, 2013

A Year In Review: 2012

A bit late... but here are highlights of 2012

January
I discover BlimeyCow.


February
I go to my last Valentine's Banquet


March
Probably the biggest highlight of my year: The Spring Celtic Ball! It came right after my birthday. :)



April
Trip to the Philippines.


May
High School Graduation at the A Beka Academy, Pensacola, Florida.

June
High School Graduation at the High Street Christian Academy, Columbus, Ohio. (Yes, I had two)


July
Youth Conference at Hammond, Indiana.

August
Trip to Chicago.

September
Trip to NC, SC, and GA.


October
The Valiant Defender's Party October Elections.


November
I got a job at Verizon FiOS. And I got a cane from my sister Victoria for the gift exchange. :D


December
The Winter Festive Ball!




I can't wait for what 2013 will bring. God has blessed me so.  :)