Musical Monday: Beauty in controversy

One of the most famous songs across the globe has to be John Lennon's Imagine. It's powerful in the range of its vision and its utopian dream, yet a lot of people have criticized it on the grounds that it was pretty ironic for someone as wealthy as Lennon to have dreamed of a world with no possessions. The pastor at our former church disliked the song due to its anti-religious sentiment. However, there are many times when I wonder if the world wouldn't be a better place in the absence of religion. Perhaps growing up in a country where so many people were (and still are) killing each other every day in the name of religion has something to do with that.

Note that I don't equate lack of religion with lack of God, but many people make that connection. Controversy aside, Imagine still represents a beautiful ideal to which we can aspire. And this version features two legendary guitarists, adding a new dimension to the beauty that needs no words:



Update: For even more (and very recent) controversy surrounding this song, I owe Henry a hat-tip.

Door closed

After interviewing, it turned out that the prospective job would offer longer work hours for less money. It was pretty easy for me to say no :)

I'm not sure why this particular door opened, but through it, I reconnected with a friend who happened to accept another position at the company where I interviewed. Meanwhile, my current job continues to be busy, but it's good to know that there are other options out there.

Help out with ONE's latest campaign

I used to think signing petitions didn't really make a difference, but ONE has shown that getting the word out to the right people does help. At any rate, what do you have to lose?

The world hunger crisis is all over the news this week. In just three years, the price of staple foods like wheat, corn and rice has almost doubled. If we don't do something soon, hundreds of thousands of people face starvation and a hundred million more could fall into extreme poverty.

I just took action with the ONE Campaign and you can too, here:

http://www.one.org/hungercrisis?rc=hctaf

Earth Day every day

These kids have got it right:

Musical Monday: Green(er) door?

A couple of weeks ago, a new job opportunity landed in my lap. A smaller company than the one I work for (but one for which I've done some contract work in the past) contacted me. I wasn't really interested initially, but agreed to talk to them. The job is similar to the one I have now, and both companies share some common disadvantages with regard to upper management. The main attraction would be financial, but that comes with a greater risk of instability.

I will be interviewing later this week, so prayers for discernment would be much appreciated. This is a door that appeared when I wasn't really looking for one, but does it only lead into a closet? I'm going to leave this one in God's hands.

Eventually, I'll find out what's behind that door. Anyone remember Shakin' Stevens?

Crazy week

Not much time for blogging (or reading) this week. In Billy Joel, We Didn't Start the Fire-style:

Got the flu
M's sick too
F had to see the vet

Cleaned his teeth
Major feat
One less in his mouth

Job's okay
In a way
Still have to stick it out

Opening door
Been there before
Still gotta check it out

The more we know...

...the less we understand.

In the 1990s, there was a big push to sequence the human genome. During that process, we discovered that very little of that sequence (about 1.5%) actually did anything "useful" (i.e., was transcribed into RNA that made proteins). Then we discovered that 27% of the human genome was transcribed into RNA as part of protein-coding genes, but did not, in fact, code for proteins. Subsequently, it was found that another 25% of the genome not associated with genes was transcribed into RNA that did not encode proteins. Now we know that much of that noncoding RNA, previously thought to be "junk" sequence, actually controls a variety of functions within a cell. Noncoding RNA has been implicated in processes ranging from early development to cancer.

It always amazes me how complex even the simplest cell is...far more complex than the most powerful computer humans can invent. When you look at how our understanding of the human genome has evolved, it's clear that very little of that DNA is wasted. We still don't know what a lot of it does, but there's a pretty good chance that it's there for a reason.

As a scientist, my faith is often strengthened by finding similarities between the world of the very small and that of the very large. I've heard theories (often espoused by Creationists) arguing that we are unique, and that the rest of the Universe is devoid of intelligent life. It just doesn't make sense to me. Through the minute details of the DNA present within every cell in our bodies, God has been telling us that very little goes to waste. Why would the rest of the Universe be any different?

Two sides

Our men's group has been using Rob Bell's Nooma video series. So far, they've been pretty thought-provoking and have led to some interesting discussions.

Today, we discussed one called "Bullhorn." It touched on the contrast between the fire-and-brimstone approach to Christianity, and Jesus' emphasis on loving God and loving others. Here's a preview:



Interestingly enough, I found a lot more "responses" to the video on YouTube than I did clips from the original. Some were (unintentionally) funny, a couple were very clever parodies, and a few did raise some valid questions. Here's one that wasn't too over-the-top:



I think the point Rob Bell was trying to make wasn't so much his criticism of Bullhorn Guy (though there's certainly some of that) but that Christianity is about what we do rather than what we say. When I was in graduate school, we had our own version of Bullhorn Guy on campus, with pretty much the same message. It was just as ineffective then as it is now. On the other hand, "broadcast" Christianity does work when it's done by someone whose whole life--not just what comes out of his mouth--is focused on God. Ever hear of a guy called Billy Graham?

More poetry

Speaking of having to memorize poetry, here's another poem from my childhood. In later years, I discovered the joys of Jabberwocky, but this one is fun as well: You Are Old, Father William by Lewis Carroll.

'You are old, Father William', the young man said,
'And your hair has become very white;
And yet you incessantly stand on your head --
Do you think, at your age, it is right?'

'In my youth', Father William replied to his son,
'I feared it might injure the brain;
But, now that I'm perfectly sure I have none,
Why, I do it again and again.'

'You are old', said the youth, 'as I mentioned before,
And have grown most uncommonly fat;
Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door --
Pray, what is the reason of that?'

'In my youth', said the sage, as he shook his grey locks,
'I kept all my limbs very supple
By the use of this ointment - one shilling the box -
Allow me to sell you a couple?'

'You are old', said the youth, 'and your jaws are too weak
For anything tougher than suet;
Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak -
Pray, how did you manage to do it?'

'In my youth', said his father, 'I took to the law,
And argued each case with my wife;
And the muscular strength, which it gave to my jaw,
Has lasted the rest of my life.'

'You are old', said the youth, 'one would hardly suppose
That your eye was as steady as ever;
Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose -
What made you so awfully clever?'

'I have answered three questions, and that is enough,'
Said his father, 'don't give yourself airs!
Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff?
Be off, or I'll kick you downstairs!'

Poetry Party: Scene from a graveyard

Christine, at Abbey of the Arts, is celebrating her 15th poetry party! I'm glad that it's back...it's an inspiration in many ways.

Here's the image from her blog:


And here's my contribution:

The Gatekeeper

The gatekeeper watches the scene below
As old bones crumble and devolve to dust.
The multi-hued leaves of Fall lie still 'neath
their blanket of cold and crystalline death.

Who comes? Who goes? It matters not, but for
the record he keeps, the task weighs upon
weary winged shoulders. The gatekeeper
sighs, and longs for the day when, he knows, the

trumpet will sound and the book will be closed.
His task complete, he can return to
the world he calls home. Not heaven nor hell,
nor earthly abode, but a place of light.

The ones below will be free. With gates destroyed
there is no need...for a gatekeeper.

The image also reminded me of the days when, as a child, I was forced to memorize poems in school. Oddly enough, some of them stuck with me, and this image evoked a strong memory of one poem in particular: Abou Ben Adhem, by James Leigh Hunt.