Matt Jones' Random Acts of Verbiage

Dan sent me an email with some pictures from Dribbleglass.com, specifically thier billboard pictures. These were quite enjoyable and, oddly, I haven’t seen any one the road yet, but I will be on the look-out. Here are a few samples:

Cheers!
-Matt Jones

It had been quite a while since I had visited the wonderful internet comic Homestar Runner, but I visited today and was reminded why I had previously enjoyed it so much. If you haven’t been there yet watch the intro, it’s a nice … well, introduction… to the fun. I also found (via Whatevor Trevor) an AWESOME Homestar Wiki page (not the Homestar Wikipedia page, which is also good). The Wiki has everything you could ever want to know about Homestar Runner and everyone involved. One the the best parts, is their Strongbad Email page because it has every detail about every email Strongbad has made fun of. This is also helpful for finding all the fun easter eggs. I am amazed at how much time people have spent putting this site together. Check it out.

My favorite emails: Kid’s Book (@Homestar), Caffeine (@Homestar), and Dragon (@Homestar) (with the wonderful introduction to Trogdor the BURNiNATOR!).

Also be sure to check out Teen Girl Squad, it is another favorite of mine.

Ohhh good times!
-Matt Jones

I finally watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind again tonight and really enjoyed it. It is a well made and, I think, original look at relationships, bad relationships specifically. Everyone has had them, everyone wants to forget them sometimes. The beauty of this film is that it doesn’t try to ignore that or cover it up, but deals with it in a very interesting way. Most movies seem to glorify relationships: either everything is (nearly) perfect or if not, you simply end the relationship. That is not reality, in reality, relationships are difficult (and this doesn’t necessarily only pertain to romantic relationships) and we have to work through those difficulties. While both Jim Carrey’s and Kate Winslet’s characters choose (somewhat impulsively) to have the memories of each other and their relationship erased, Carrey realizes that he doesn’t want to lose those memories, even if they are painful. At one point, when he start to realize what is happening Carrey says:

Please let me keep this memory, just this one.

That moment is one of my favorites. It is the realization that while relationships can suck, they are worth holding onto. That doesn’t mean the hurt isn’t there and that there aren’t going to be relationships that need to be ended, but it means that all relationships are worth remembering and learning from.

My belief is that relationships and love were not meant to be terminated. The Fall has brought in brokenness to relationship and hurt follows. We have to keep going though. And it is worth it. One of the final scenes ends with this exchange:

Clementine: I’m not perfect.

Joel: I can’t see anything that I don’t like about you…

C: But you will…

J: Right now I can’t…

C: You will think of things and I will get bored with you and feel trapped cause that’s what happens with me.

J: [pause] …Okay

C: [pause] Okay

Good moment. Relationships are worth it, don’t forget that!

I will leave you with a portion of Alexander Pope’s Eloisa to Abelard

How happy is the blameless vestal’s lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray’r accepted, and each wish resign’d;
Labour and rest, that equal periods keep;
“Obedient slumbers that can wake and weep;”
Desires compos’d, affections ever ev’n,
Tears that delight, and sighs that waft to Heav’n.
Grace shines around her with serenest beams,
And whisp’ring angels prompt her golden dreams.
For her th’ unfading rose of Eden blooms,
And wings of seraphs shed divine perfumes,
For her the Spouse prepares the bridal ring,
For her white virgins hymeneals sing,
To sounds of heav’nly harps she dies away,
And melts in visions of eternal day.

God Bless
-Matt Jones

For those in Vancouver, this one’s for you (well others as well, but you would have to get to Vancouver somehow).  Bruce Kuhn, who is an “artist in residence” here at Regent College, will be performing at First Baptist Church (at 969 Burrard Street) downtown.  He is an amazing and emotional performer who is able to speak the Word in a very meaningful and potent (not sure if that is really the word that I was looking for, but it works) way.  The performance starts at 6:30pm on Sunday in Pinder Hall and the cost is a recommended donation of $10.  You should go see, you would be well served if you do!

Cheers,
-Matt Jones

Well this has been a pretty stressful week. Stupid money. On top of all my money issues, Regent accidentally double charged me for this term and I didn’t notice for a week. That equated to eight overdraft charge. Yes, eight! I am hoping that once Regent credits me, they bank will understand because it wasn’t actually my fault. I dropped Hebrew both for financial reasons and because it is probably for the best: not sure if I would have been able to handle another term. I appreciate those that have been praying and/or offering financial aid, it is really appreciated and I feel very blessed (I especially want to thank Laura from Pursuing Holiness). And again, if any millionaire bloggers happen to stop by, the donation button is to your right.

The first reading for my systematic theology class comes from B.B. Warfield in his essay “The Idea of Systematic Theology” taken from The Princeton Theology: 1812-1921 edited by Mark A. Noll. I thought there were a few good quotes worth of sharing with you all:

Our reaching up to Him [God] in thought and inference is possible only because He condescends to make Himself intelligible to us, to speak to us through work, to reveal Himself… the sole source of theology is revelation.

All science without God is mutilated science, and no account of a single branch of knowledge can ever be complete until it is pushed back to find its completion and ground in Him…

[T]he clearer, fuller, and more discriminating this knowledge is, the more certainly and richly will it produce its appropriate effect; and in this is found a most complete vindication of the duty of systematizing the separate elements of truth into a single soundly concatenated whole by which the essential nature of each is made as clear as it can be made to human apprehension.

[I]f we misconceive it [systematic theology] in its parts or in its relations, not only do our views of truth become confused and erroneous, but also our religious life becomes dwarfed or contorted. The character of our religion is, in a word, determined by the character of our theology: and thus the task of the systematic theologian is to see that the relations in which the separate truths actually stand are rightly conceived, in order that they may exert their rightful influence on the development of the religious life.

And the payoff of doing theology:

[T]he systematic theologian is preeminently a preacher of the gospel; and the end of his work is obviously not merely the logical arrangements of the truths which come under his hand, but the moving of men, through their power, to love God with all their hearts and their neighbors as themselves; to choose their portion with the Saviour of their souls; to find and hold Him precious and to recognize and yield to the sweet influences of the Holy Spirit whom He has sent.

And a note from Thomas Aquinas on apologetics (in “Apologetics” used by Warfield in another place):

[T]hough faith be a moral act and the gift of God, it is yet formally conviction passing into confidence; and that all forms of conviction must rest on evidence as their ground, and it is not faith but reason which investigates the nature and validity of this ground… We believe in Christ because it is rational to believe in Him… Of course mere reasoning cannot make a Christian but that is not beacuse faith is not the result of evidence, but because a dead soul cannot respond to evidence. The action of the Holy Spirit in giving faith is not apart from evidence, but along with evidence.

That, I feel, is a very powerful statement!

God bless
-Matt Jones

PS: There is talk that Arrested Development will be picked up by Showtime (if Mitchell Hurwitz comes along). Let’s hope that happens. Eventhough I don’t get the channel, I could at least get the DVDs!

Living on student loans has been extremely difficult and I am seeing how much more difficult this term might be.  I might even have to drop another class beacuse of it.  Please be praying for me and my financial situation as I have never been very good with money and this will definitely force me to figure things out.  Luckilly my rent is payed up through end of term, but still having bills and having to eat will still make things difficult.  Prayers are greatly appreciated and all those millionare readers of my blog, the donation button is on the right.

Cheers,
Matt Jones

Seattle’s Shaun Alexander celebrates his second-quarter TD. Credit: Robert Giroux/Getty Images

Yes, that’s right, I am reporting it before the end of the game! Knock on wood, I know. Heh. Seattle has been so completely dominant today, they are just having fun. Heading into the fourth quarter, Seattle has 350+ total yards. Carolina? 109. Total. Matt Hasselbeck: 18 for 25 passing for 200 yeards. Jake Delhomme: 10 for 29 for 120 yards. Steve Smith: 2 receptions for 8 yards! How is that for the man that can’t be stopped? Shawn Alexander: 118 yards rushing. More to follow when the game is actually over. Awesome game!! Score: Seatte 27, Carolina 7

UPDATE: Shawn Alexander scores his second TD, Smith looks dejected. Seattle 34, Carolina 7

UPDATE 2: Carolina TD after stupid Seattle penalty. Onside kick picked up by Seattle. Seattle 34, Carolina 14

UPDATE 3: Seattle starts to take it easy. Steve Smith fumbles. Frustrated much?

UPDATE 4: It is official!! Seattle heads to their first Superbowl in franchise history! Final score of 34 to 14. What a great game! Both Seattle defense and offense played top games and should be proud. 393 total yards for Seattle vs. 212 for Carolina. Alexander ends up with 2 TDs and 132 rushing yards. Steve Smith could not catch a break against Seattle’s defense and caught five passes for 33 yards! Jackson and Stevens also had great games 75 and 66 receiving yards respectively and a TD each. Carolina had a total of 36 rushing yards and Delhomme threw three interceptions. Quarterback ratings: Hasselbeck: 118! Awesome! Delhomme: 35! Not so excellent!

And how ’bout that 12th man!? The some 67,000 fans were deafening and did not let up throughout the game, quite incredible. Bring on the Steelers! Superbowl XL, here comes Seattle!

See some pictures below the fold (click “more” below).

Resources:
ESPN: Carolina @ Seattle
Seahawks.com
Seahawks are going to Superbowk XL in Detroit on February 5th, 2006!
ESPN: Panthers’ Smith a non-factor in loss to Seahawks

Cheers
-Matt Jones

Read more…

Mike Zolensky (left), Stardust curator and co-investigator, and Donald Brownlee, principal investigator with the University of Washington, study Stardust material after its canister is opened in a laboratory at the Johnson Space Center. Image credit: NASA

Project Stardust aims to answer that question. This mission, which launched nearly seven years ago, has finally returned to Earth after completing its mission to capture cometary materials.

Scientists have confirmed that particles from a comet and interstellar dust have been returned to Earth by NASA’s Stardust mission. “The collection of cometary particles has exceeded our expectations,” said Dr. Donald Brownlee, Stardust principal investigator from the University of Washington, Seattle. “We were absolutely thrilled to see thousands of impacts on the aerogel.”

Back in my undergrad days in the physics and astronomy programs at the University of Washington, Dr. Browlnee was one of my professors. In the fall of 2000 I took Astro 321: The Solar System from Donald (which was really interesting even though it wasn’t what I was really interested in. The class page has a funny note up right now: “Note: Don has a spacecraft returning to Earth in Janurary and he will miss a few classes- including the first one. Toby Smith will cover the missed classes.” Heh.). One day Donald came into class a bit late and was obviously frazzled and kinda out of it. Being one of the upper level undergrad classes, things were pretty layed back in class so we probed him to find out what exactly was wrong. Turns out they had lost contact with Stardust and it had gone into some powersaving mode and couldn’t bring it out of it or something along those lines. Needless to say he was not very excited. I don’t think we learned too much on that day! Luckilly it turned out to not be a big issue and the rest of the mission went fairly smoothly: last week Stardust came to an end with its capsule containing cometary material landed in a Utah desert.

Closeup view of a cometary impact (center) into aerogel was inspected by scientists at a laboratory at the Johnson Space Center hours after the Stardust Sample Return Canister was delivered to the Johnson Space Center from the spacecraft’s landing site in Utah. Image credit: NASA. Click for larger image.

Now that the material has returned, the processing must begin. The general public can actually help with this in a project called Stardust@Home. When it starts up, you can download images taken through their microscope and search for microscopic dust particles. They estimate that it would take over 20 years of continuous scanning for them to search all the date themselves, that is why they need us! If you are the first to find a particle you will be included in research papers. Pretty cool, eh?
Check out more on the Startdust mission, it is pretty interesting!

Resources:
Stardust Mission
Stardust@Home
Stardust image gallery
Wikipedia – Stardust
Tom’s Astronomy Blog – the landing of the capsule

Cheers!
-Matt Jones