Posted 4:40 AM by w3y
Artists ver2.0: Jerks

okay, so i've already ranked on artists once, but they're just so easy to make fun of because they are so dumb. this time, my information doesn't come from pure observation but from an artist themself (roddd). since artists are dumb, he is unable to write this himself, so the responsibility to relate the information to the general public falls on my shoulders.

you may be thinking, "hey, i know some artists, they seem alright" and by no means am i saying that they're jerks to you. rather, they're jerky and mean to each other. lemme try and elucidate.

artists have these things called, peer reviews. in said review, they are to tell each other what they think of the artist's work. the thing is, since most artists are dumb they don't have much to say. this would be alright if they made up for it with execptional skill or talent. the majority, though, are stuck in their own mediocrity. what does this have to do with their peer reviews?

during these pure reviews, artists can either praise the work or trash it. instead of saying what they are really thinging and what the piece condigns, such as "it sucks" "wow, how'd you come up with such crap?" "i just want to dig my eyes out it's so horrible". you get people saying things like, "i like it" "that's really good" "i like the... yah". why do artists give ambiguous feedback? art is probably the most cutthroat profession out there, more so than engeniering or computer science.

let's see if we can figure out why artists due this. we have already established that most artists are mediocre at best, and that's being nice. we can even go so far as most artists stink. so rather giving constructive feedback to the person, they'll give hem those ambiguous phrases full of empty praise. all in an effort to stymie their talents. artists are dumb, they think that what they've done really is as good as people say.

"if they all do this, don't they know that people are just saying it?" is the counter argument. you forget that artists are dumb. they can't tell the difference between their left and right foot. to them, there is no such thing as left or right, it's just a matter of style. the few people that do realize this are the few people that do have talent. this is because they can tell that when people say their "comments", they know they are just being patronized. those that don't realize this never get better because they are constantly being told "it's good", which is enough to satisfy them.

this is why artists are jerks. they don't care about the other person at all. they know that it's easy being an artist, so the only way to get ahead is to keep them from improving. if on the other hand, they were constantly being told that their work "sucks", then one of two things would happen. they'd cry and run away and never come back. which does the world a favor by eliminating the possibility of having to look at their trash. or two, they cry and run home and have the motivation to prove you wrong. in which case, they will continue to be mediocre because they don't know how they suck.

if you're an artist, this may be the first time you realized that you were a jerk. maybe its the first time that you realized that other artists are jerks. what can you do about it? nothing. you will continue giving ambiguous praise so that they will be perpetually mediocre. if you havn't realized this before, you will now consciously do it, just compounding the problem. the issue is reinforced even more because now that you know other people are doing it to you. you will begin reciprocating the action.

i'm sorry if this wasn't as coherent as it could have been. i had written up a far superior blog, unfortunately, i forgot to save it (i was at arc labs) so now its gone forever.

It's good,
-WeY

Posted 3:18 AM by w3y
Dumb People

why is that people must find some silly notion to believe in. whether it be in aliens, conspiracy theories, or that they are secretly being laughed at. are people really that dumb? are we just not giving credit where credit is due? i say, they're actually dumber than we think.

you look at films like zoolander. stupid stupid movie. it was funny, but boy was it stupid. it took absolutely no brian power whatsoever to watch. and maybe that's why i watched it. maybe it's why i enjoyed it as much as i did. whatever the reason, this has absolutely nothing to do with what i'm talking about. oh yah, dumb people.

so there's this new movie comming out with mel gibson. the main plot vehicle is supposed to be these crop circles. where did they come from? how are they made so perfectly? was it aliens? only aliens would have the intelligence to do something like that. unfortunately folks, i love bursting your bubble, but those crop circles were made by a bunch of kids. i guess not many people know this. either that or many people just choose not to.

are we really that dumb that we can't explain a few rings of flattened grass? "but it's so perfect" they claim. no wonder we think we're so stupid. we treat ourselves as if we were. zoolander is just proof of that.

beyond crop circles, we have the belief in aliens as a whole. given, if you believe in evolution, this is "possible" in the strictest theoretical sense. just like it might be possible that my butt doesn't smell. as of now, they haven't been able to find a single planet where life can be sustained. sure there are those planets that "might" be able to support bacteria. that's not saying much. i won't get into the whole debate over the existance of aliens, at least not now.

why do we have this need? what does this do for us? if there were in fact aliens living in our universe, they would almost definately be hostile. why? because they made it all this way over here to this dinky little planet. it's like when we come across an anthill. at first, they seem interesting, but then they start getting kinda annoying. we start thinking to ourselves, what would happen if we put our foot here? oh, they go around. what would happen if i took out my magnifying glass? oh, they burn.

similarly, if aliens found us, they'd start moving mountains around just to see our reaction. we'd start throwing our rocks at them and they'll just laugh at our feeble attempts to retalliate. in response, they'll whip out their super giganto magnifying glass and fry entire cities. as you can see, the aliens would be hostile not because they'r mean, but because they'r jerks and because they can. you know you would do the same thing if you were in their position. what matter is to them if they found a dinky little planet and they destroyed it? nothing. lucky for us, there are no aliens, again, we won't get into that.

conspiracy theories. i'm a big fan of these for the sheer entertainment value of them. do you really think that the governement would be dumb enough to do something that they don't want us finding out about but somehow manage to leak it out into the world so it's become some of the most common topics of all media? i don't think so. i think if the military really wanted to keep something under wraps, they'd kill all that were involved and no one would know about it. as it is, these are just fairy tales. just like stories of cinderella or king arthur, but without the gruesome endings.

it's easy to believe in conspiracy theories, because they're large, complex, and put the blame on whoever you don't like. especially if its on the government. it's so easy to hate the government. just look at taxes and welfare and other things that steal our money. in the end, government is intended for the people. how do you think the senators and the representatives keep their houses? by keeping the people that vote for them happy. without you people, the'd be like everyone else, paying taxes.

and to those of you who think they are secretly being laughed at, it's just not true. it's not a secret. we're all laughing at you openly, you're just too dumb to realize it and think we're laughing with you. so all this time when you thought peopel were secretly laughing, you were just too dumb to notice.

oh, i'm laughing with you,
-WeY

Posted 12:11 AM by w3y
Gift of Love

i'd like to propose a radical idea to the Christian community, especially to those that have been in the faith for several years now. we all have a bible, possibly 3 or more. i know many of my fellow brothers and sisters will react harshly to my proposal, but hear me out.

we all probably have that one bible that we love to death. we take it wherever we go. we write in the margins our little thoughts and our little questions. we underline our favourite passages. we color code them and cross reference them. the pages are all tattered. the cover is practically falling off. there's coffee stains, soda stains, all kinds of wear on our word. we love our bibles. we pour our love into them.

what i propse, is that you give your bible to someone. not just anyone, but your best friend (who isn't a believer). show them how much you love them by giving the one thing that is irreplaceable. your bible. there is no other bible like it on the face of the planet. no one else has written the things you have written. no one else has underlined the passages you have underlined. no other bible in the universe has gone through the things your bible has gone through.

you're probably staring at me as if i were the spawn of satan now. "how could i give up my bible?!" you ask. i say, because you love. you have loved your bible, but you love this person more. you love them so much that you are willing to part with the one thing in your life that is irreplaceable. this isn't some stranger we're talking about. this is that one person in your life that means everything to you. the one that you love.

so show them love by giving them love. it's easy to just go to the store and buy a bible. but who can buy a bible that has your specific touch. your nuiances? nowhere. your bible is unique, just like you. and in a way, you are giving this person a part of yourself.

"you're crazy", that must be what you're saying. "you're out of your mind", i guarantee you that i am not. i know that's not much of a guarantee, but its the best i can do. now what would make someone like me say such a crazy thing? well, roddd im'd me and gave me this link: mail a bible to hungry souls. i took this idea and formulated what you have before you.

i know this will be a difficult task for you to accomplish, and many will not be able to do it. this is not something for everyone, but i encourage everyone to think of that one person they would like to see in heaven with them. worshipping the lord almighty by yourside. will this change their life? i don't know. will they be saved? i don't know. honestly, that's not the point. you don't do this because you want results. you do this because you love the person. you do this because you know they are worth it.

this isn't about what will happen. this is about showing love. do you love this person to the point where you are willing to part with the one thing that you care most about? do you love this person so much that you are willing to intrust not only God's Holy Word, but your love and heart to them?

if you would like to participate in this ministry, i encourage you to love your bible. continue doing what you do every sunday, every small group, every day in your devotions. and resist the temptation to give them your bible right away. instead, i urge you to read through the entire bible at least once. whether you make marks in the whole thing or not, it doens't matter. once you've read through the whole thing at least once, then you can give it to the person.

if you choose to make this commitment, i would like you to write on the first page of the new testament, right now, a message to the person you will be giving this bible to. sign it with love and date it. when you have finished or whenever you feel that the time is ready, give it to them.

now that you've given, or will soon be, away your bible, you can start again. get a new bible. love it. and once you've loved it through at least once. do the same thing again.

i realize that this ministry may take years and year, but that's alright. we have a soverign God, who knows how He chooses to use this? to let you guys know, i am doing this. i'm not going to say who, but one day, that special someone will get my bible.

With God's Blessing
-WeY

Posted 11:15 PM by w3y
Sex: The New Idol

i never really thought too much about this when i was younger. but as i matured in my faith and my beliefs and conservatism started getting molded, this became a shocking realization for me. sex is an idol. what do you think of when you think of idol? do you think of your car sitting there at a light? no, not that kind of idle. i'm talking about worship and devotion.

i remember when i was in high school, even into the first year of college, my friend burma wanted nothing more to get layed. we always laughed at him at how hard he tried. he was so obsessed with it and so set on it that it consumed him. freshman year, i met some of his friends that were of the same mindset. i didn't think too much of it then, other than that they should invest their interests in other activities. only recently have i truly realized what a grasp sex has infiltrated our society.

i rememeber watching american pie back in high school. everyone thought this was such a funny movie. but no one really talked about the main driving plot tool: sex. here, are 4 guys, they're main goal is to get layed before the end of high school. what kind of goal is this? what does it achieve? nothing. there's no satisfaction in it. there's no reward. there's no celebration.

this is the lie that satan has fed us. that its okay to be open about sex. that we shouldn't be ashamed of something that's natural. but sex is something beyond natural, beyond shame, beyone vulnerability. yes, satan is partly right about a few things, that sex is natural and beautiful. but it is not something to be thrown around as if it were a worn old coat. i'm not going to get into the sex is sacred business, rather, i'm going to address the impact this has had on society.

when i say society, it's only the post-modern, american, 20 something and younger society. a sub culture of people who say that this is what they worship. this is what they desire and long for. sure they say that they want this or want that. they want cars, a big house, money. the impetus behind this is so they can get with the opposite sex in one way or another. it's not even about marriage. marriage doesn't become and issue until they've become old and insecure.

this sex comes in two forms. implicit and explicit. in movies like american pie, the sex is an explicit goal. but in various television shows, they seek opposite gender relations, which implicitly implies sex. i'm not going to talk about dating here, but that is definately an issue that needs to be addressed. lets look at all the things that are used to try and please this idol that america worships.

first, we have alcohol. oh mighty liquid, deceives us and blinds our vision and our thoughts. a few drinks here, a few drinks there, and she's almost a guarantee in the bag. notice i said she. it's not challenge getting a man into the sack, we'd jump in with no looking back. the challenge is getting the woman distorted enough so that they can look past the fact that we're not eloquent, we're not well kempt, nor are we remotely attractive. this is achieved by the use of highly effective "beer goggles". once donned and dazed, the opposite gender is easy pickings for those that have no aprehension against taking advatage of the disadvataged.

this isn't to say it is completly men's fault. the woman is there at the bar/club for the same reason, to meet the opposite gender. if they didn't want it, why are they there? they know that the chances for such a thing to happen are a lot higher.

second, is material possessions. men have this crazy idea that the more they have or the better of something they own, the more likely it is to get with a woman. just look at the cars we drive. people try to get nicer and nicer cars. expensive cars. sexy cars. all for the hope of possibly attracting that one girl. is there any substantiated evidence that the women reciprocates the idea? no.

thirdly, we have status or fame. you look at all the "rock stars" and how they have women hanging off of them left and right. not to mention the actors and actresses. i'm sure some people like them for their acting skills, but the majority like them for their looks and the idea that they have in their head of possibly getting in the sack with them. this is espcially true when it comes to guys and female celebrities. have you ever tried to do a google search for a female celebrity's name? about 90% of the sites that pop up have some sort of nudity or tease of nudity.

look at "men's magazines". we are inticed by the covers with pretty girls. not just pretty girls, but pretty comma famous girls. the magazine as a whole is riddled with pictures of them scantily clad or suggestive positions. we're not even talking about the pornography industry yet. a few weeks ago when i went to dc, step-hen and i stopped into a small store. we looked at the magazine rack, 35% of the rack was composed of porno.

why is sex an idol? is it because it is forbidden? is it because it's special. maybe. but i don't think it's become truly worshipped until recently. it wasn't until a few years ago that "teen movies" starte popping up left and right. sure, some of these movies didn't imply sex directly (ie: she's all that). but there was still a large emphasis on the relationship that would probably lead to sex. then there's that horrible film, cruel intentions.

are these movies to blame? i don't think so. i am weary of blaming media as the root cause of social issues. that's not to say that media doesn't have an effect on social issues. i think that the problem was there to begin with. it was always ebing at everything in our lives. media just became overt with it, little by little. as media pushed the envelopes, it eventually brought it out into the open entirely.

as a result of this constent barrage of imagery, our sense of deceny has been slowly but surely, continually muted. how often to we hear cries about the content of sex in the media? the parents have long lost their voices. the news has long since quit calling it news. the liberals say this is the way it is. i'm not offering a solution. i just see the problem as it is.

Think about it,
-Wey

Posted 1:55 AM by w3y
Bags > People

something i've noticed more and more as i sit not only in class, but wherever i go, is the predominant preference for one's own bags over "charity" for others. for those of you that don't know what i'm talking about, just pay attention when you go out, you're on a bus, or you're sitting in class. you may be one of these people without really realizing it.

when i sit down, whether its on a bus, its in class, or i'm at hunan, i always place my book bag on the ground and let my jacket hang from my own seat. sometimes i kick my bag around too if i need more foot room. but do you notice that other people think that their bags are so important that they are required their own seats? they occupy an entire space just for a small bag. sometimes they use the space not only for their bag, but for their coats as well.

why do people do this? is it because they don't care about other people? maybe. granted, some people have some pretty nice bags or some pretty nice coats that they don't want to get dirty. but should that really matter in light of someone who is standing? maybe there's enough room for everyone and their bag, that's okay, i guess.

rather than saying that people just don't care about other people, i think people want space. we live in a country with such massive tracks of land. our houses are huge and our lawns are bigger. we drive around in trucks and suvs that are twice maybe even three times as large as normal cars. this goes beyond the lack of courtesy for people, this reaches into our most inner being and the way we have grown up.

this phenomenom can be viewed everywhere i go. in classes, the first thing people do is set down their bags in the seat next to them or in front of them. in my managerial economics class, this one kid takes up about 3 chairs. he puts his book bag and binder in the chair in front of him. he uses the chair to the left of him for his coat and he sits in his seat.

sometimes it is the lack of coutesy combined with the need for personal space that leads to our use of our own bags as spacers. on the bus, especially when its raining, i see many students sit in the aisle seat and put their bag by the window. this is especially bad because everyone is jam packed onto this one bus. sure it probably wouldn't make it anymore comfortable for anyone else if every seat was taken, it would just provide more standing room, but it does cut down on the capacity of the bus.

this need for personal space, and the desire for people to respect it doesn't end with just the placement of bookbags. i know a few people who get very uncomfortable when you get close to them. sharamon runs and tries to escape whenever someone is within her "3 foot" personal sphere. this is in my church too! where people are supposed to love each other and be one body. the bookbag love even persists within the pews during sunday service. sure we'll move them when we need to, but the majority of the time, we feel that our bags have a rightful place beside us.

this need for space is a fundamental desire to control and to conquer territory. you look at kings and dictators and rulers, almost every war in history has been over land in one way or another. only recently, have conflicts arisen because of another issue. it is this basic want and desire for more and more territory that drives us and changes our thought processes to say that "i have personal space". did the jews have personal space in the holocaust? no. you say that's an unfair example. look at the days of old. everyone was jumbled together in the same room, sometimes the same bed.

come to think of it, this may be another reason why we are so adverse to close quarters. our ancestors have been living in these cramped quarters for years upon years. now we have the ability and the privelege to have "space".

this territorial attitude goes beyong just our bookbags and ourselves, we use it to judge other people. we compare the size of each other's house. the amount of land that we own. the size of our rooms. the size of our cases. we use these size distinctions to say that we're better than others. oh, look at your house, it doesn't compare to mine. i think this is especially true when we think of ghettos or projects. all these people crammed into this small space. i'm glad i'm not living there we all think to ourselves.

when you first walk into a house or a building, what do you do first? i know the first thing i do is look around. even if they're not the first words that i utter, the first thoughts that float through my mind, is the size of wherever i am. as we stay in a place longer and longer, we start comparing it to other places. your room is a little bigger than mine. mine room is so much bigger than yours. oh wow, you have so much land. hmmm, your kitchen is kind of small.

so what does this all mean? it could either mean a lot or not much at all.

With God's Love,
-WeY

Posted 12:42 AM by w3y
Youth Specialties

youth specialties - a resource conference for youth workers.

i went to this thing this past saturday (04.27.2002). it was a pretty good experience. i had been working with the youth for the past year or so. well, i wasn't really working, more like just being there. but just being there among other youth workers were just so encouraging. even though roddd and i were the youngest ones there, we could really relate to the other youth workers and empathize with their struggles and trials.

after some reflection, i sometimes feel that the the yg isn't in such a bad position. and i felt really blessed that we have this group of kids. we didn't have a large drug issue, nor did we have a high abuse ratio. this was really relieving. i guess just looking back, we have a lot of high class issues. we struggle with image and materialism and sex probably a lot more than the baser temptations.

at the same time, i look at the yg and see so much trouble. sometimes i almost see the face of satan mocking us and our efforts. i look at our leaders and see how they live hypocritical and undisciplined lives. i mean, do you guys even care about the youth? or are you just there to please your own desires, your own pride, your own lust for power. i can't say any of these things for sure, but i know that they're heart is not there. it's evident when you look at the effort the put into things. not that i have a right to say anything, but it just seems that whenever something needs to be done, they manage to find something else to do.

this is the bane of youth working. long hard committments with very little fruit. especially since they're so young, it's difficult to read whether the fruit is real or not. the real testing will come in college. at one point, i used to be scared of this, and now that i think about it, it's necessary. that's not to say that we shouldn't try our best now, but college is just such a different environment, everyone changes.

this is why youth work is probably the most important and the most crucial in any christian's life. it sets the tone and the prescedence for when they leave and go off to college. once in school and away from their parents, it's up to them to go to fellowship and to go to church. this is not always an easy thing, especially if you start hanging out with the wrong crowd right off the bat.

its not that we need to fill their heads with knowledge, nor is it about making sure that they're saved. sure, these things are important in different ways, but the most important thing is to build and establish those long lasting relationships. even if it's so that you just say hi every once in awhile.

although it was great seeing all these other youth workers, it felt as if we were so far from the mark. we were doing things, but we weren't doing anything right. i'd like to blame this on the youth leaders, but i can't totally. a lot of the blame falls on me and the way that i am and the way that i live. even still, most of it can be blamed on the leaders for their lack of prayer, their lack of committment, and their lack of leadership.

my only hope is that God is driving His yg into the ground so He can rebuild it again. it certainly feels like that at times. but there's always that tinge of hope on the edge of your mind. as you look at the dismal pit that is in front of you, you can't but help but try to look away. in your peripheral vision, you see that little light that urges you on. whether the depredation of the yg is complete or not, i can't say. but i know that i want to be around when its climbing out of its own wretchedness.

i'm in that position that says, i can't stand you guys, let me get away. and the other side of me that says that i want to do more. i want to give more to you guys, i just don't know how. no matter how hard i try to pull away, i feel that i am forever pulled back into its grasp. almost like an abusive relationship, but not quite.

so for now, i will persevere and stick with it. whether i come back next year is still uncertain. but i know now how much i really do care for these kids. for the longest time, it felt as if i didn't care at all. that i was just donig it for the sake of doing it or if i was just going through the motions. but after this saturday, i'm not so sure anymore. do i really care? i pray so.

i'm sorry for the lack of focus in this post. i didn't really have a purpose in righting this, other than just to get my thoughts down. even now, it seems like there's all these conflicting ideas floating through my head.

For Your People Lord,
-WeY