A Call to All You Lost Fans Out There

Given that I’m a huge fan of Lost and given that its season premiere is scheduled for tonight (here in Jersey), I figured it would be appropriate to put out a theoretical question to all Lost fans out there.

If you had a choice, which faction would you want to belong to in the Lost universe?

1.) The Hostiles – Pre-Others prior to the Dharma Purge.
2.) The Dharma Initiative – The original pre-Purge Dharma Initiative.
3.) The Others – Benjamin Linus’ “reformed” group after the Dharma Purge.
4.) The Survivors – The survivors of flight 815.

Now, I realize that currently everyone has incomplete information regarding all the factions, given that hardly anything has been revealed about the Hostiles or the inner workings of the Others, but let’s just try our best to examine each faction’s merits and flaws based on what we know.

1.) The Hostiles
Merits:
a.) You would probably age very slowly based on Richard Alpert’s character (just a guess).
b.) You’d possess a basic know how of everything on the island, including its mysteries.
Flaws:
a.) Not much else is known about the Hostiles.
b.) You won’t have any access to some of the modern comforts of our world (their leader, Jacob, hates technology).
c.) You’ll have to watch out for that pesky Dharma Initiative. Good thing that you have the home territory advantage!

*Things to Note: Apparently, based on Ben’s childhood flashback, the Hostiles were not in the habit of abducting children, before they “reformed” and became the Others.

2.) Dharma Initiative
Merits:
a.) You’d have all the modern comforts of the outside world.
b.) You’d also have a direct connection to the outside world.
Flaws:
a.) If you choose to become part of Dharma, chances are, you’ll probably die in the Purge, lest you choose to be one of those poor guys down in the Swan hatch.
b.) You would have to worry about Hostile incursions.

*Things to Note: Unlike the Others, Dharma didn’t seem to do the “brainwashing” thing on any of its members, despite how disgruntle some of their own members might have become over time (Ben’s dad, Kelvin, Ben). It’s helpful to note that the Room technology that the Others now use were only shown in the Dharma videos as devices used for psychological research as opposed to subjugating their own members. Besides, I don’t think Dharma really needed to use any brainwashing just as long as they kept their employees well paid.

3.) The Others
Merits:
a.) You’d have access to all the modern comforts of the outside world.
b.) You’d possess a basic know how of everything on the island, including some of its mysteries.
Flaws:
1.) If you don’t obey you’ll probably be sent to the Room.
2.) You have the habit of kidnapping people, which though this really isn’t a technical flaw if you think you're doing good, but still—it’s just freaky.
3.) You'd have to deal with all that still-birth baby thing.

4.) Survivors
Merits:
1.) Ummmm….good question.
Flaws:
1.) You won’t know anything about the island.
2.) You won’t have any access to the comforts of the outside world.
3.) You’d always have to watch out for the Others and the Monster.

So which faction would you want to be? For me, I could either see myself as being one of the Survivors (simply because I could relate to them better) or a part of the pre-Purge Dharma (maybe I’ll be doing some of the maintenance stuff or perhaps I’ll be one of those poor guys down in the Swan pushing that button every 108 minutes (that way, hopefully, I’ll survive the Purge)).

"The Stolen Child" by W.B. Yeats

The Stolen Child

WHERE dips the rocky highland
Of Sleuth Wood in the lake,
There lies a leafy island
Where flapping herons wake
The drowsy water rats;
There we've hid our faery vats,
Full of berrys
And of reddest stolen cherries.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

Where the wave of moonlight glosses
The dim gray sands with light,
Far off by furthest Rosses
We foot it all the night,
Weaving olden dances
Mingling hands and mingling glances
Till the moon has taken flight;
To and fro we leap
And chase the frothy bubbles,
While the world is full of troubles
And anxious in its sleep.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

Where the wandering water gushes
From the hills above Glen-Car,
In pools among the rushes
That scarce could bathe a star,
We seek for slumbering trout
And whispering in their ears
Give them unquiet dreams;
Leaning softly out
From ferns that drop their tears
Over the young streams.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

Away with us he's going,
The solemn-eyed:
He'll hear no more the lowing
Of the calves on the warm hillside
Or the kettle on the hob
Sing peace into his breast,
Or see the brown mice bob
Round and round the oatmeal chest.
For he comes, the human child,
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
From a world more full of weeping than he can understand.

-W.B. Yeats

For All You H.P. Lovecraft Fans Out There!!!

Since one of my previous posts involved the subject of horror, I figured it wouldn't hurt to post something light hearted on the subject today. For all those Lovecraft fans out there, you'll definitely enjoy this. This web series has been going on for about a year or so and it’s garnered a significant following ever since. The address to its main site, which includes all the other episodes of this series, is http://callsforcthulhu.blogspot.com/. From now on, I will include a link to this site in the Links section of this blog.

This show, for those of you who still don't know, is based on a dark god created by the horror writer, H.P. Lovecraft. This dark god, which is obviously named Cthulhu, is an immense alien being who slumbers beneath the ocean in an ancient forgotten city. When the time is right, he will awaken and bring about the end of the world, while devouring the souls of men and driving humanity into sheer homicidal madness. So, anyway, enjoy!

Miserable With the Truth or Happy With the Lie?

I've asked this question to my friends and I've received varying responses all around. For a while, I've theorized whether one's answer to this question really reflects the essence of one's character or whether it didn't matter at all. Well, nothing's conclusive yet.

But putting all speculation aside, would you rather be miserable knowing the truth or happy with living a lie?

For me, though I don't follow my decisions perfectly, I would choose to be miserable knowing the truth because:

a.) I believe the truth will always come out in the end, so what's the point of lying to yourself. The truth is the truth, no matter how you feel about it. Live with it.
b.) I can't imagine myself being able to live happily knowing that something is seriously wrong. Oh yeah, did I mention that I'm a compulsive worrier?
c.) I'm an aspiring writer. So, in a way, I'm already a glutton for emotional abuse and self-torture. Might as well be consistent.

For all you readers out there, which is about a whole 4 of you, what's your view?

The Anatomy of Horror

The genre horror, in its most elemental form, is the cathartic exploration of human nature--the examination of what people fear with the hope of overcoming that fear/evil through some means or another. It is there to bring to the surface the things that people in general don't like to face and force them to face it. Whether it is through this act alone that allows people to get in touch with their higher selves or whether a moral is told through specific tales of horror--the need for catharsis and an eventual epiphany through that catharsis should be the focal point of every horror. All in all, I will say that this is pretty much stating the obvious, especially to all horror fans out there. But people need to be reminded of this.

With all the horror works that come out each year, it's becoming too easy to get caught up in the gore for the sake of gore; the shock for the sake of shock, while missing the entire point of what horror is meant to be. Yes, horror movies and stories are there to entertain, but all art (even the darker forms), in my view, should be there to make us into better people, in some way or another, rather than to degrade us.

ZenniOptical.com - $8 for Prescription Glasses with Case

If you're looking for quality prescription eyeglasses at a good price without the hassle, then zennioptical.com is the site for you. By selling their own manufactured frames direct to customers, while practically avoiding the cost of advertising, Zenni keeps their prices low to keep their customer satisfaction high. Right now, Zenni offers complete prescription eyeglasses with their cases for only $8! To take advantage of their low price, please click on the offer, Zenni Optical: Sell Rx Glasses $8 with case!, for more details.



*Note: This post is sponsored.

Too Much Coffee Man Installment Day

Here's another Too Much Coffee Man comic. Just like almost every other installment, this one has a very tragic, yet all too true message to it. I'll try my best not to give too much away (which I'll probably end up doing anyway), but I'll just say this--most of the things that we think will make us happy probably won't.

Short Movie Filler Day - "Still Life"

Found this movie gem online just the other night. A very excellent film. For those of you who enjoy paranormal storytelling (like me), this is for you! Enjoy!

AtomFilms.com: Funny Videos | Funny Cartoons | Comedy Central

Think You Could Make An Easy Living From Blogging?

For those of you who think they could make a living from blogging or even strike it rich from blogging, you should definitely read this entry (click the word "entry") made by the professional blogger, Darren Rowse, of problogger.net.

During the first few weeks of blogging, I've seen hundreds of blog sites advertising ways to strike it rich from opening a blog (many of them guaranteeing a livable income within only a few months). Well, this is reality and I'm thankful that I learned that fact very early in the game. Although, before, I was a little bright eyed about become a professional blogger as soon as I opened this blog, I now mostly run this blog simply out of sheer enjoyment. Either way, whether I'll someday become a professional blogger or not, making a living off of blogging requires the same thing that any other job requires--HARD WORK.

For all you prospective bloggers out there who think they could take short-cuts to riches just from blogging, time to wake up!

Book Review: "The Zombie Survival Guide"

Cut to the Chase:

"The Zombie Survival Guide" has a humorous premise and a few humorous anecdotes here and there, but after a while, the humor wears off. But even when this is the case, the book is written so technically and seriously on its subject matter that it becomes an absorbing read nonetheless. Overall Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

"The Zombie Survival Guide" by Max Brooks is available in all major book stores

If Monsters Existed...

Would the world be a better place if monsters (as in supernatural monsters) really existed? It seems like a strange enough question to ask, but when put under the microscope, there's actually more to it than that.

Assuming that the monsters aren't too overpowered or numerous, would it actually help humanity in the long run?

Here are some of the possible pros:
1.) Since there would be one entity/entities to act as a universal nemesis to mankind, mankind would most likely learn to set aside their differences and learn to fight against it in a unified front rather than with each other.
2.) People would learn to take life less for granted and they'll learn to cherish it more.
3.) Less moral ambiguity. With the existence of monsters, people can now assign a "face" to evil, which is good, especially when that face is absolutely inhuman.
4.) With the constant struggle against monsters, technology can possibly develop at a quickened pace.
5.) The monsters can limit the population of humanity and prevent over-population.

But here are the possible cons:
1.) Depending on the circumstance and the intelligence of the monsters, humanity can lose or even become enslaved by them.
2.) Any technology developed out of the struggle against the monsters may be destructive and may spell disaster for humanity in the long term.
3.) Monsters kill innocent people. Whether or not you see this as population control, killing innocent people is still killing innocent people.
4.) The existence of supernatural monsters doesn't necessarily mean a unified humanity. Certain governments or factions may attempt to exploit or even "domesticate" these creatures for their own agenda.
5.) The existence of supernatural monsters can divide humanity even more, especially in terms of the world religions, who may end up arguing over the nature of these creatures as a whole.

Would the world be a better place with monsters? Hard to say.

A Reading of I Corinthians 13

"1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

- I Corinthians 13 (NKJV)



(To reach this reader's blog (Samuel Godfrey George), please refer to "Relish the Cognitive Process" at http://samuelgodfreygeorge.blogspot.com/, which is also included in the link list.)

Not Okay To Be Normal?

It has become almost instinctual for everyone (depending on the context) to recoil from the idea of being "normal". Nowadays, it's no longer considered okay to be "normal". We must be different. We must "go against the flow"--we must all be different, as though being different or individually unique is an act that requires conscious effort as opposed to something that's simply innate or natural. But, the truth is, is this the thing that people should be worried about more than anything else? Should this be the primary objective in our life? The answer seems obvious, yet there are still many people out there who have made "being different just for the sake of it" the center of their universe (sometimes even at the expense of others).

There is nothing wrong being normal. There is nothing wrong with being average. And there is nothing wrong with being just a face in the crowd.

We, as human beings, seek out significance, as though it was something that must be "earned" as opposed to something that is inherent in being human. The fact is, though one can gain "significance" in certain contexts--such as being a significant contributor to a project or a company--significance in terms of inherent value comes with the territory of being created in God's image.

Every human being, "different" or "ordinary", exceptional or average is unique within the grand scheme of things as man is the only creature in existence created in the image of the Creator. Not even the angels themselves were given that gift--that high honor. Until human beings begin to see that more and more and recognize the Creator and our place with Him--then the search for significance in the wrong places will always remain an issue for man.

Another Comic Filler Day

Sorry for not updating the site with some original content (again). I've been quite tied up lately with other things in life (namely with helping my cousin move to his new apartment today), so hopefully, for now, this will do. This one's from the "Sluggy Freelance" web comic and for those of you who have GPS (like me), this is a definite nod to you guys. Since I have yet to ask permission to post this comic onto my page, I can only give the link (entitled "Sluggy Saturday") below. Sorry again folks, but still, please enjoy!

Sluggy Saturday

Too Much Coffee Man Installment

Whew! Sorry for the short commercial interruption. But now, where were we? Oh yes...now it's time for another Too Much Coffee Man Installment. This one oughta mess with your mind!

Ultimate Paintball Store

If paintball's your steak, then you'll need a knife and fork for that. And there's no better place to get that than in the Ultimate Paintball Store.

Tippmann, Spyder, Smart Parts, Dye, Empire, Draxxus--these are just some of the brand names sold. From guns to gear, from soup to nuts, Ultimate Paintball has it all at low prices, great quality, and free shipping.

Some of their top selling guns include: Tippmann A-5, Tippmann 98 Custom, Smart Parts Ion, and Spyder Pilot ACS. If you want it, then it's probably there. They practically have all the best paintball guns for sale.

Go ahead and be the king of the hill, own every bunker, show off to your friends before lighting them up--Ultimate Paintball is the place to shop.

To see their entire selection, feel free to check out their site at www.pntball.com.

(*Note: This post is sponsored.)

Dollarblvd.com

Are you looking to find the best refinance rate possible? Tired of going through the hassle of shopping for lenders who could provide for your specific needs? Then you need to take a look at Dollarbld.com.

There, you could have lenders compete to serve you. Whether your needs involve debt consolidation, auto loans, or mortgage issues, Dollarbld.com is there for your convenience. There is no obligation on your part and the options provided are numerous. To learn more, click onto Florida Mortgage.

Short Movie Filler - "The Fountain"

Saw this short movie about a year or two ago. I found it to be very sweet, but also very absorbing. Enjoy!!!

Posted May 23, 2002

An elderly man discovers a fountain of youth in his backyard greenhouse. How will he use his new-found, supernatural powers?

"He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven" - W.B. Yeats

He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven

HAD I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

- W.B. Yeats

299 Word Novels

Just recently, I stumbled on this very interesting site, featuring a guy who specializes in writing 299 word novels. I found it to be quite nifty (even though these "novels" would technically be called short-shorts in the literary sense)!

The address to his site is http://davidbdale.wordpress.com/ and the title of the site is "Very Short Novels".

From now on, this link will also be included in the link section of this blog.

Hmmmm...299 words...thinking I might want to try something like that someday...maybe...perhaps...I think...

Jonny's Got Some New Shoes!

Got myself a brand new template for "The Mad Hermit"! Do you like it? I hope so, since I'm pretty much going to be sticking with it for quite a while.

Anywho, for those of you who are interested in changing their blog templates or design, here are two useful sites that are worth a gander:

Free Blogger Skins

Blog Templates

"Under Ben Bulben" (Fifth Stanza) - W.B. Yeats

Today's going to be a special treat as it's not only going to be another poetry reading installment, but also a poetry reading featuring the reading of W.B. Yeats by Brendan Anthony Francis Ross, a special guest reader to "The Mad Hermit". After viewing my reading of "Richard Cory", Brendan contacted me over YouTube and it was there that I had the pleasure of witnessing some of his poetry readings online. The poem that he's reading, in this feature, is the fifth stanza of "Under Ben Bulben" by William Butler Yeats (whose name was accidentally spelled wrong in the video by the video taker and not by Brendan). Overall, Brendan does an excellent job at bringing out the spirit of the poem and in keeping with its rhythm as well. For those of you who are interested in some of his other postings, they could all be found here.



Under Ben Bulben (Fifth Stanza)

Irish poets, learn your trade,
Sing whatever is well made,
Scorn the sort now growing up
All out of shape from toe to top,
Their unremembering hearts and heads
Base-born products of base beds.
Sing the peasantry, and then
Hard-riding country gentlemen,
The holiness of monks, and after
Porter-drinkers' randy laughter;
Sing the lords and ladies gay
That were beaten into clay
Through seven heroic centuries;
Cast your mind on other days
That we in coming days may be
Still the indomitable Irishry.

-William Butler Yeats

When Insults Are Just So Tasty!

You know, it’s weird how people developed ways to describe certain people in terms of food.

If you’re a fruit, you’re either gay, crazy, or both.
If you’re nuts, you’re just plain crazy.
If you’re corny, you’re just plain crazy…again.
If you’re a vegetable, you’re brain-dead.
If you’re a couch potato, you watch too much TV.
If you’re an egg-head, you’re way too smart.
If you’re cheesy, you’re, well…cheesy.
If you’re vanilla, you’re plain and boring.
If you’re chocolate, you’re black (no racial slur intended).
If you’re peachy, you’re happy/jolly (in a bad, naive way...I think).
If you’re a cracker, you’re a white folk (again, no racial slur intended).
If you’re a piece of cake, you’re too easy.
If you’re a piece of meat, you’re used and exploited.
And if you’re a wiener, you should be insulted.

How weird is it that nearly all of these terms are meant to be insults?

Captions, Captions, Captions

Possible Captions:

- “LESS FILLING!!!!”

- “I TOLD YOU TO PINCH ME, NORM, NOT KICK ME!”

- After hearing one too many puns from Dave, Dan finally snaps.

- “Things to Do to Keep Your Foot from Falling Asleep: Option #1”

- Right in the middle of his kick, Bob suddenly realizes that he forgot to unplug the iron.

- “And this move, my son, is called the ‘Cuddly Bear.’”

- Introducing the new Fox TV special: “When Ballroom Dancing Goes Wrong”

- “Okay, so let me just test your reflexes with this mal-WHAT THE HELL?!”

- There’s no way a roll of Mentos will get that guy out of this situation.

- “OH MY GOSH!!! Sorry, Ted, I thought you were my ex-wife.”

Too Much Coffee Man Installment

For those of you who visit coffee shops often, you know what this means. But if you're one of those people in those coffee shops that this comic is referring to, well...
(click comic to enlarge)

Poetry Reading - "Richard Cory"

Richard Cory
Whenever Richard Cory went down town,
We people on the pavement looked at him:
He was a gentleman from sole to crown,
Clean-favoured and imperially slim.

And he was always quietly arrayed,
And he was always human when he talked;
But still he fluttered pulses when he said,
"Good Morning!" and he glittered when he walked.

And he was rich, yes, richer than a king,
And admirably schooled in every grace:
In fine -- we thought that he was everything
To make us wish that we were in his place.

So on we worked and waited for the light,
And went without the meat and cursed the bread,
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,
Went home and put a bullet in his head.

Edwin Arlington Robinson

Another Meditation

The other night, I was up watching an Oprah rerun (there was really nothing else to watch). During that episode, she featured a story of a homeless man who was given $100,000 from a documentary producer who was conducting a social experiment. Over the next few months, the homeless man spent much of his money on frivolous purchases and indulgences. After only a few months, all of the money was gone and he's now back on the streets. A link to this story can be found here. After watching this story, I found it all to be a very tragic and frustrating and I'm pretty sure that there are many other people out there who feel the same.

But all of this reminds me about how a good portion of the problems that most people face spawn from their internal struggles as opposed to their external situation. I've heard many stories of people who were absolutely miserable and ended up killing themselves even though they had everything--a nice house, tons of money, and a successful family. I've also heard of people who really didn't have much, but were still happy with everything they had in their life.

Most of the time, we associate the idea of happiness with something that's external--if only if I had this or that or if only things were like this, then I'll be happy. Rarely, do we ever stop to consider that happiness is as much (if not more) an internal thing as it is external.

Short Movie Filler Day - "The Bully"

This short film's an interesting piece about a man having a chance encounter with his childhood bully. Though the acting is a little wooden and though the film could have done without the little narrative at the end, it's still a very touching film nonetheless.

Posted Jul 18, 2003

PayPerPost.com

If you're a blogger like me and you're looking to earn some extra cash on the side and some extra traffic for your blog, then PayPerPost is really your best bet.

Signing up is free and convenient and, once you're signed up, you get to pick and choose the products/companies you want to promote from a given list. The amount of money you can make is relative to what you choose and, let me tell you, the choices are endless. Overall, writing a promotional post is fairly easy and, though some assignments can be longer than others, most promotionals can be typed up within several minutes.

And given that the addition of more content to your blog tends to equal greater traffic, what else is there not to love about it?

PayPerPost, as a whole, is also a helpful tool that allows you to hone your writing skills, whether in a business sense or a disciplinary sense (in terms of getting you into the habit of writing).

So with all that a person has to gain from joining and the fact that joining, itself, is free, PayPerPost is a definite win-win situation in the long run.

For those of you who are interested, here's the link:

payperpost

Update - Blog Commercials

Just to update you viewers on what's to come.

I've recently signed up for a program known as "PayPerPost" and, essentially, it's a program that allows you to earn money for posting entries that promote various companies/products. So basically, from now on, don't be surprised to see me posting a promotional post advertising a random brand/service that really doesn't have anything to do with "The Mad Hermit" at all.

Just think of them as "blog commercials" that pop up every now and then between shows. All in all, when these promotionals come up, they'll be tagged under "promotional", so in case you're confused for whatever reason, just look for the tag.

- The Mad Hermit

Conan the Barbarian - By Crom!!!!

I just recently played the Xbox version of the "Conan" saga. Although the game is pretty much hack and slash with bad camera angles, I must admit, it's definitely a good game to release heat.

Supposedly the game is more faithful to the original Conan novels, so I did have a huge testosterone fix simply by playing it (slaying your enemies, hearing their whimpering cries as you dismember them in many directions, and having your way with bound women). Well, enough of that.

Afterwards, I did a little research on Conan and the Hyborean Age (the fictional time frame that the saga takes place). Turns out, Conan and his Cimmerian race is based off of the Celtic civilization. In fact, Conan itself is an Irish name as well as Crom (the god he worships). I already knew about Conan being an Irish name and all, but I never suspected Crom to be one (it's actually the name of a Celtic god). I find this very interesting, because Conan O'Brian, the late night host, keeps mentioning that people use to joke a lot about his "barbarian" name.

But now, in retrospect, it's not so unusual that Conan O'Brian would share the same name of some ancient barbarian warrior of old--they're both Irish! BY CROM!!!!!

Robert Frost - God's Garden

God's Garden

by Robert Frost

God made a beatous garden
With lovely flowers strown,
But one straight, narrow pathway
That was not overgrown.
And to this beauteous garden
He brought mankind to live,
And said: "To you, my children,
These lovely flowers I give.
Prune ye my vines and fig trees,
With care my flowerets tend,
But keep the pathway open
Your home is at the end."

Then came another master,
Who did not love mankind,
And planted on the pathway
Gold flowers for them to find.
And mankind saw the bright flowers,
That, glitt'ring in the sun,
Quite hid the thorns of av'rice
That poison blood and bone;
And far off many wandered,
And when life's night came on,
They still were seeking gold flowers,
Lost, helpless and alone.


O, cease to heed the glamour
That blinds your foolish eyes,
Look upward to the glitter
Of stars in God's clear skies.
Their ways are pure and harmless
And will not lead astray,
Bid aid your erring footsteps
To keep the narrow way.
And when the sun shines brightly
Tend flowers that God has given
And keep the pathway open
That leads you on to heaven.

Halo - Apparently the Master Chief Dates

During a recent Saturday, I saw this skit on Mad TV. Just yesterday, I discovered that it's already been posted on Youtube. Though it does lack a little on the humor bone, but it definitely gives a nod out to all Halo fans out there, including me. There's no doubt that they obviously did their research on the game. And, with all the references they give, there might be a chance that Microsoft will try to sue them, but that would be just plain stupid (Mad TV is basically giving them free advertising, plus this skit may fall under parody, which could protect them). For all Halo fans out there, tell me what you think.

Too Much Coffee Man - My Hero

About a year or two ago, I discovered this unique comic that I began to relate to quite well. It's an alternative comic created by Shannon Wheeler and it's called "Too Much Coffee Man". With a nice kiss of cynacism and a sharp bite of wit, this comic never ceases to please, especially for a coffee addict like me. The homepage of the actual comic is found at www.tmcm.com.

The comic strip of today is a short blurb about life in the working world. In a way, this kinda reminds me of an article I wrote a little while back. Once you're done reading the strip, feel free to take gander at it here. Enjoy! (Click on comic to zoom in)

The Psychology of Atheism

Found this interesting read from an orthodox blog regarding the psychology behind atheism. This read was, in turn, taken from Dinesh D'Souza's book "What’s So Great About Christianity". Here it is:

Sigmund Freud saw religion as providing a cowardly refuge from the harsh realities of life and the inevitability of death... Wish fulfillment would most likely give rise to a very different God than the one described in the Bible. Wish fulfillment can explain heaven, but it cannot explain hell.

... the reason many atheists are drawn to deny God, and especially the Christian God, is to avoid having to answer in the next life for their lack of moral restraint in this one.

In a powerful essay, “The Discreet Charm of Nihilism,” Nobel laureate Czeslaw Milosz argues that in order to escape from an eternal fate in which our sins are punished, man seeks to free himself from religion. “A true opium of the people is a belief in nothingness after death—the huge solace of thinking that for our betrayals, greed, cowardice, murders, we are not going to be judged.” So the Marxist doctrine needs to be revised. It is not religion that is the opiate of the people, but atheism that is the opiate of the morally corrupt.

If you want to live a degenerate life, God is your mortal enemy. He represents a lethal danger to your selfishness, greed, lechery and hatred. It is in your interest to despise Him and do whatever you can to rid the universe of His presence.

To me, this makes very much sense and can easily be one of the major reasons why many people turn to atheism. It's sad really. But at the same time, it gives hope to those who choose to be in a state of unbelief. For one, it confronts them with the reality of the issue.

Because just as they may think that religion is only a psychological crutch, the denial of religion can equally be so (perhaps even to a greater extent).

Short Movie Filler Day: Men in Black

This movie's a short animation of a soldier's experience (U.S. Army Specialist Colby Buzzel) during his tour in the middle east. It was featured on "American Crossroads". Whether or not you agree with the conflict in Iraq, this movie is a very telling tale about the impact of the war on our boys overseas.

Blog Update: Sorry for the Difficulties

For those of you who happened to gander down to my blog between yesterday and 11:15 AM today (which is probably around 3 whole people), all of you may have noticed that the video entries were non-fuctional. Well, for the sake of not leaving anyone out in the dark about what happened, basically I ran into some difficulty with the video uploading process and, later on, some small technical loopholes with Youtube.

But now, everything should be all fixed and there shouldn't be any further issues regarding video posts. The only problem is, now all my video entries have been made public on Youtube. I know this is a little ironic to say (given that this blog itself is a public site), but I'm not sure exactly what I just got myself into by opening this up to the Youtube community. To say the least, this could either help me or hurt me and only time will tell.

Spoils of the Dead

Robert Frost (1874–1963). A Boy’s Will. 1915.

Spoils of the Dead

TWO fairies it was
On a still summer day
Came forth in the woods
With the flowers to play.

The flowers they plucked
They cast on the ground
For others, and those
For still others they found.

Flower-guided it was
That they came as they ran
On something that lay
In the shape of a man.

The snow must have made
The feathery bed
When this one fell
On the sleep of the dead.

But the snow was gone
A long time ago,
And the body he wore
Nigh gone with the snow.

The fairies drew near
And keenly espied
A ring on his hand
And a chain at his side.

They knelt in the leaves
And eerily played
With the glittering things,
And were not afraid.

And when they went home
To hide in their burrow,
They took them along
To play with to-morrow.

When you came on death,
Did you not come flower-guided
Like the elves in the wood?
I remember that I did.

But I recognised death
With sorrow and dread,
And I hated and hate
The spoils of the dead.

New Video Blog Addition

Freelance Writing Links (Happy 2008!)

Happy New Year, everyone! It's strange how things tend to fly by so quickly. Well, for this first day of 2008, it's gonna be an early morning post with a few links to some of the freelance writing sites that I tend to stomp around in whenever I'm looking for work or just for the sake of exploring. For those who might be curious or for those who may even actually be considering a side job or a career change, feel free to peruse!

Freelance Writing Jobs - This blog, which is run by a professional blogger (Deborah Ng), pulls writing classifieds from basically everywhere, including Craig's List. It's updated frequently and it's usually the first source I go to for gigs.

FreelanceWriting.com - The name says it all. To look for gigs, simply click on the Freelance Writing Jobs link and it'll send you to the classifieds!

Associated Content - Basically this is the site that I published my first online articles on. It's free to join and they're willing to pay upfront for miscellaneous articles. Associated Content also has a performance bonus for every article they publish from you, allowing you to gain extra money after publication for any web traffic that your articles bring in.