psalm 8 remixed

A targum of Psalm 8:

1 Yahweh our Master!
Your Name is priceless throughout the universe!
Your glory is unsearchable and inscrutable
and utterly beyond our capability to measure.

2 Even the smallest and inexperienced ones; yes – babies
they praise you – just as you wanted
all this is like ignorant and inane babbling to those who hate you,
yet this incoherent baby-noise completely silences sinners and evil-doers.

3 When I ponder the chaotic-order of the cosmos,
the mechanics of your workshop,
whether multiple distant galaxies or single stars,
knowing you plan and place them all,

4 I wonder why you bother thinking of mere humans,
or why you concern yourself with homosapiens?

5 But – no other thing you’ve created comes as close to your divine greatness,
potential and power, reason and rhyme; you gave it – we have it.

6 Everything that you’ve created, we are now responsible for;
under God and over creation:

7 over the lions and llamas,
and every land-dwelling animal,

8 over every single thing that flies in the air,
and every thing in fresh-water or salt-water,
indeed – every kind of ocean-floor crawling and swimming thing.

9 Yahweh our Master!
Your Name is priceless throughout the universe!

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being responsible with your bits

This post over at Scoop highlights the reality (whether we like it or not) that the ‘anything goes’ mindset (and more specifically the outworking of that mindset) toward sexuality is not healthy – literally.  It does matter where you put your bits.

For me, an interesting angle is that of self-control.  We have the ability to control even the most basic and ‘natural’ desires.

Clearly, none of us controls our ‘self’ as well as we may want to (if we are audacious enough to believe that we even should control ourselves).  Apparently, something more than short-term national campaigns is needed – according to the article:

The effects of the ‘Hubba Bubba’ campaign haven’t lasted. More young people are getting STIs, not fewer.  What’s needed is a renewed emphasis on education and personal responsibility. Young New Zealanders need an attitude change.

Maybe re-claiming the value of the human body and sexuality would help just a tad?

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anthropocentric ethics

Anthropocentric Ethics – In Ancient & Modern Perspective

The author/composer/poet/community which produced the text we know of as Genesis 1 observed many things. Just one of these is the uniqueness of humans in relation to our environment.

Day and night, earth and sky, sea and land, vegetation, and fruits, creatures great and tiny, both in the sea and on land…

And then behold – human beings. These humans are at the pinnacle of creation and are invested with the task and responsibility of governing the entire earth.

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the logic that allowed public porn

Judge Nicola Mathers had this to say in regards to the ‘Boobs on Bikes’ parade in Auckland.

It is ‘not offensive per se for women to be topless’; her court was not one ‘of morals and it was her job to stick to the law’; and that “It may well be that the parade is tasteless but equally it may be that in a more mature society the vast majority might consider it harmless.”

My comments on each:

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porn parade – questions

The Erotica porn industry exhibition (forgive me for not hunting for a link – !!!) got free advertising by way of the now infamous and highly controversial ‘Boobs on Bikes’ parade.

Auckland City Council tried to stop the topless ride down Queen St., but Judge Nicola Mathers allowed it, commenting that it was ‘not offensive per se for women to be topless’, and that her court was not one ‘of morals and it was her job to stick to the law.’  She also said, “It may well be that the parade is tasteless but equally it may be that in a more mature society the vast majority might consider it harmless.” (source)

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so sexy so soon

Have a read.

It’s not just those fundamentalist, conservative, annoying Christians who are concerned about our western over-sexed culture…

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the story of stuff

watch it here (worth all 20 minutes of your time).

Note: The scope of this thing is so huge, please don’t fault it for making sweeping statements – to cover what it does in 20 minutes, it has to make its statements as general as possible.

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pain bears a message

This post over at ‘Just Thomism‘ is short, sweet and very thought-provoking.

I’m thankful for pain. Not generally at the moment I experience it, but when I think about it, yes I’m glad (for example) that my body tells me when I’m burning my hand on the stove-top. It’s a painful message that my body sends, but it’s one I desperately need to hear.

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oh baby…

Now that we’re out of the 12-week ‘danger zone’, I can (happily) share that my wife and I (well, really just her!) are expecting a baby in late Jan / early Feb!!!

The little guy (we actually don’t know the gender – and might not choose to find out before birth – but I’m going with ‘boy’ all the way!) is about 5cm at this stage… 🙂

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interesting people in america

A Screenplay (from a friend back in Missouri – relating a work story, which made me giggle… ) :

Int: Starbucks coffee shop. Very slow. Nothing happening.

(phone rings)
(Wes answers phone)
Wes: Starbucks on Sunshine, this is Wes… Gary?… Yes, we have lemon loaf and banana loaf…
Caitlin(in headset): Welcome to Starbucks, this is Caitlin, what can I get started for you?

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