The Life

Its strange the random things that can bum you out. Things like when I don't feel productive. That one sucks the life out of you. Its like I have hours where I just can't seem to get anything done. Then its 25 minutes where you get everything done. Ugh, there is always so much to get done. On a positive note, never underestimate the value of good shoes. Our housing bill was high this month. I don't know if its surcharges or just higher. I was so bummed today I missed lunch. When I spend time with people I am at my best. It just seems like it doesn't get anything accomplished. Oh well.

The Apartment

Here is an update on my life. I moved into my apartment, Heather married me (yaaaaay), and I've started my job. All not in that order. Heather is getting used to life in the big city. Things are starting to settle down. There was all sorts of craziness getting stuff moved in and put into place. There are a few more things to do, but almost done.

Work at the church is good but slow at this point. There is no framework for youth ministry. So I am working to get that in place. That means I have to spend a lot of time getting to know leaders and figuring out what people have been doing what over the years. Also working on plans to move the nursery. I'm excited about that. Rawr! I'm ready to get to work yeah yeah yeah yeah!

Heather has no special message for this blog.

Love,
Mark

The Day Before

So, I'm getting married tomorrow. I am so thankful for my bride to be, my new job, all the friends and family that have supported me and have been such a big help to me. And I am so thankful to God for this time of refreshment.

I thought I would be more stressed or nervous right now. But Heather has taken care of most everything. There are a few other thinks Heather and I need to finish up when we get back to Memphis but that just normal moving stuff. Personally I'm just ready for this to be over. I know Heather feels the same. I'm looking forward to not having to say good-bye for months at a time anymore.

Spending time at Grandma Bragg's I've been spoiled. Heather and G.B. set me up with quite a few things. Everyone is coming in today. Everyone else tomorrow. Heather's baby cousin Jaycee is a big headed cutie. She lets me hold her.

I feel like I'm making an awards speech.

Thanks to all the little people.

For the last time,
Bachelor Mark

New Job

So I'm working now as Youth minister at a church in Memphis Mo. Things are going well. I've not started a job like this before so the ramp up is different, but I'll figure it out soon enough. Just getting a feel for protocol.

Love All

The Question

Where is the magic arrow of life?

The Second Interview

So this last weekend I had another interview. It went well, but now I'm sick. I'm working on a webpage and seeing what I can do about my laptop. Love all.

The Life

Someone is trying to make money off of a tomb, and I'm not sure if its Cameron or Christians.

I had a job interview today. Now I am tired.

My laptop is still toast. Don't buy Acer.

I'm kinda bummed.

Love,
Mark

The Crack

So about a month ago I sent in my computer for 2 weeks to fix the Ethernet and wifi. It comes back ethy works but the wifi is still out. Now this vertical line of discolouration appears 3 inches in and 1 inch wide. Then a little while later the screen all out cracks on me. So now I get the run around on how my screen isn't under warranty. I kindly explain that the repair work was under warranty. $600 to fix it. I call back. $400 to fix it. Needless to say they are getting another call back.

Going to learn the joys of Vista tomorrow.

The Lesson

So I came up with a new idea for teaching rubber-meets-the-road type lessons. Then I got the idea that I should take topics from the news. Especially topics that students would know better and find the Biblical truth in it. For example Brittany Spears shaved her head. The lesson could be about compromising a little bit until its all compromised.

The Montly Grand

Something interesting.

The Mason

This is beautiful. From Wired Magazine's Website:

How does a fertilized egg become a human?
Imagine that you place a 1-inch-wide black cube in an empty field. Suddenly the cube makes copies of itself - two, four, eight, 16. The proliferating cubes begin to form structures - enclosures, arches, walls, tubes. Some of the tubes turn into wires, PVC pipes, structural steel, wooden studs. Sheets of cubes become wallboard and wood paneling, carpet and plate-glass windows. The wires begin connecting themselves into a network of immense complexity. Eventually, a 100-story skyscraper stands in the field.

That’s basically the process a fertilized cell undergoes beginning with the moment of conception. How did that cube know how to make a skyscraper? How does a cell know how to make a human (or any other mammal)? Biologists used to think that the cellular proteins somehow carried the instructions. But now proteins look more like pieces of brick and stone - useless without a building plan and a mason. The instructions for how to build an organism must be written in a cell’s DNA, but no one has figured out exactly how to read them.
- Steve Olson, author of Mapping Human History

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
~Psalm139/13

The Tabs

import pickle
class manage:
(tab)def create(self): #creates a new student and assigns them an ID sets ID saves
(tab)(tab)sacred=pickle.load(open("data.tbs", "r"))
(tab)(tab) self.id = sacred["list"]
(tab)(tab) sacred["list"]=sacred["list"] + 1
(tab)(tab) datafile=open("data.tbs", 'w')
(tab)(tab) sacred[self.id]={}
(tab)(tab) pickle.dump(sacred, datafile)

(tab)def setid(self, arg): #sets ID of instance, may not be neccisary
(tab)(tab) self.id=arg
(tab)(tab) self.attrib={}

(tab) def edit(self, name, attribute): #sets names on instance, needs ID set to save
(tab)(tab) try:
(tab)(tab)(tab) self.attrib[name]=attribute
(tab)(tab) except:
(tab)(tab)(tab) self.attrib={}
(tab)(tab)(tab) self.attrib[name]=attribute

(tab) def save(self):
(tab)(tab) sacred=pickle.load(open("data.tbs", "r"))
(tab)(tab) for key in self.attrib:
(tab)(tab)(tab) sacred[self.id][key]=self.attrib[key]
(tab)(tab)(tab) print key, 'corresponds to', self.attrib[key] #for creation use only
(tab)(tab) datafile=open("data.tbs", 'w')
(tab)(tab) pickle.dump(sacred, datafile)

(tab) def open(self, id):
(tab)(tab) sacred=pickle.load(open("data.tbs", "r"))
(tab)(tab) self.attrib= sacred[id]

(tab) def delete(self, id):
(tab)(tab) sacred=pickle.load(open("data.tbs", "r"))
(tab)(tab) del sacred[id]
(tab)(tab) datafile=open("data.tbs", 'w')
(tab)(tab) pickle.dump(sacred, datafile)

#Sorry about all the (tab)'s HTML doesn't support the tab.
#They mean exactly what they say
#I'm currently stuck at the wxPython tool kit. Merh

The Anti-Folk

So I really like Regina Spektor's music.

The best ones are the "I" and "music." and of course Fidelity.

I've been living at home for the last few weeks. I'm waiting on a church to have a meeting tomorrow (Monday) so see if I will get an interview. If that doesn't turn out I will go again. It's pretty frustrating being at home, but I'm resolved to keep busy. My computer gets sent in tomorrow. I really haven't used it all that much. My old roommate told me I couldn't go a day without my laptop. I've pretty much been apart from it for 2 weeks. I'm thinking about getting back into python programming, but I need a project.

The End of the Year

So 2006 is done. 2007 is here. 2006 brought about all of my best guy friends getting married. First Shane, Clifton, now Justin. Clifton and Nikki are pregnant with twins. They have a cat. I'm now done with school and looking for a job. Living at home isn't that exciting. I had my internship, but it really doesn't ever end. I am now officially engaged after being un-officially for well over a year. Justin and I started another blog. He's been kinda busy lately so I've been keeping things held up. Heather and I have been apart for way too much this year, but we were able to spend more time together toward the end of the year. I miss her. I was able to preach a couple weddings. Heather and I are working on ours. May your 2007 be filled with joy and fresh fruit!

--Mark

The Other Blog

So, I've been posting random things about tech stuff and what not. Just putting in writing my predictions. Justin started a blog inspired by me about important things such as zombies and such. I agreed to add some things like who would win fights. Anyway this blog will remain for me to post things about my life and things I have to think about. I have 1.5 weeks left of school and no job. I just don't know what to do. I guess I will go home and work. Gahh.

Kids at Ravenwood make me sad.

Everyone say kids are very important, but they take a back seat.

I've had 3 computer mess ups in a row.

I'm graduating!!

Love,
Mark

The Response

So, I posted a while back on what I think about the current generation of consoles. Earlier today Justin decided that he was going to post some comments. Some were in refutation of what I was saying. So this is a refutation of a refutation.

You neglected to mention that no one buys consoles unless they have the games they want to buy for them. No good games, no systems sold.

Yes, in the long run I suppose this is true. However in the short run there really haven't been any block busters. The 360 sold just fine and its #1 game is CoD2. You can get that for Mac even. People still play Halo 2 which is works perfectly fine on the original Xbox. Not until Gears came out was there finally a game that ousted the last gen shooter. A whole year of next gen and there was no must have next gen title. But the 360 still sold, for a whole year. Yeah the PS2 had a lot of block buster games, but that was very much in the long run. With or without great games all of the systems sold out. Even the Wii which had the most to sell and the least exciting games all sold out. And these aren't casual gamers who stand in line or bid on ebay. Bottom line: yeah great games sell in the long run, but just having the console sells it out.

but the future for gaming is always going online these days.

Good point. While it is not essential for games to go online for success. Half life. (Though most of its mods are online play) It will be essential for a console to support online games. Interestingly enough the Xbox had that great Xbox live, but still didn't win last generation.

Will Nintendo pick up non-gamers and make them gamers?

Who cares, they sold out with the gamers alone. Whether or not they get the gamers or not they have made money and don't have to make anything up on the games. I'm not really a gamer and it looked like something fun. But thats what Sony did already with the Play Station. Its a DVD player too, its not like a NES its like a VCR.

So here is that link that says Xbox 360 makes $76 per unit and PS3 loses $306 per unit. http://www.videogamesblogger.com/2006/11/16/ps3-loses-up-to-306-per-unit-xbox-360-profits-76-per-sale.htm

Yes, indeed you are correct. However, this was not always true. Way back last year they were loosing over $100 per system. And even now they are down over a Billion capital B. I don't have evidence, but I seriously doubt they broke even on the last Xbox. Flat out anyone who thinks that Microsoft's Xbox division has anything to do with making games is a fool. Yeah, I mean they make games, but in the end MS has only on game: OS. Their past dealings with Netscape, current dealings with Google are all about one thing, protecting Windows. Whatever they loose in producing a free web browser, a high tech web search or a next gen system all has to do with keeping their cash cow. MS's business is plain and simple Windows. Xbox division all about Windows. It doesn't matter how much they gain or loose as long as they keep Sony in check.

On consoles selling out... PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii all sold out initially. The people who buy those systems are the fans of those systems, customer loyalty. Those totals were 400,000 for PS3 in the US and like 500,000 for the Wii and Xbox 360 shippe dlike 1/2 a million at launch last year and sold out too.

If consoles survive on customer loyalty then Atari would still be around (original). There are some posts floating around digg.com that PS3 sales are slumping in Japan while the Wii stays strong. In the first week alone 600,000 Wii's in the US were sold. And thats not the Wii's primary market. Where as the 360 sold about that many in its primary market. Nintendo is promising 4 million Wii's by years end. And they keep selling. Many of the PS3's markets such as Australia have yet to see the console in any great number.

What the crap, now you need a wireless router to use the Wii on the internet, why not an ethernet cable?

Wii + Router = $300
360 + Ethernet cable = $400+
Next.

Ok I'll hit this one more. What about dial up people? Where is the modem? No one has them anymore. Its not a rare thing anymore. The Lee household has been a wireless hotspot for a while. So has the Schwartz. Additionally the Baldwin household. For goodness sake a router is the cost of one months DSL payment nearly.

Okok, just once more. 360 + Ethernet + Xbox live = $499+ (depending on the package. Eventually it will hit atleast $499)

Ok I promise last one. The Wii is really little, rather cute. Ethernet cables are lame. Really lame. And annoying. Not to mention that if you want to use a computer and your console at the same time you already need a router. Why not just upgrade to wireless? Its really very clever. DS already has it and no one complained. Meh. Oh btw if anyone wants I can make custom length patch cables if you like. You know so that you can run that 170 foot line from the office upstairs to the den in the basement. Did I mention that patch cables are lame? Remember all the fun we had running cables over (and out of) Lang? I would just miss that so much.

At least Nintendo is just a gaming machine, like old school. Now the others are multimedia machines:

True, but thats not all bad for the other systems. Many people are making what are called Home Theater PC's. They are basically a way to take all of your movies and music that are on your computer and bring them into the living room. This is a very good alternative to be honest.

Blue-Ray is not a Sony format, they are just in the malgomation of companies supporting it.
http://www.blu-raydisc.com/general_information/Section-14009/Index.html

True Sony is part of a mix. (amalgamation) On the other hand, Sony is clearly the spearhead of bluray. They started it, everyone else joined in. Sony is not a dumb company. Every one mocked them for creating a system that was so expensive. One digg story stated (I don't necessarily hold to this) that Sony would have to sell half a million of every game to break even. Sony like Microsoft isn't in the business of charity to gamers. Blu ray if anything will be the death of Sony's gaming division. It costs too much, it hindered production, its a ship with holes in it from a gaming only stand point. Yet, Sony has a bigger picture in mind. What could it be? Obviously Blu Ray. They aren't going to basically give away systems just to be nice to gamers. There is profit to be made. If they are to loose hundreds of millions they expect to make it up somewhere. Clearly they won't make it back in games. Where else will they make their money from? If there is nothing for Sony to gain from Blu Ray they are utterly senseless in adding it to the PS3. You could argue about all the extra space and so on and so forth. Yet last I checked Oblivion fit on one DVD. I don't want to play a game longer than that.

For Sony the console war is about winning the format war.

For Microsoft the console war is about keeping the Play Station from hurting PC sales.

For Nintendo the console war is about making games.

For far too long now, people all over Digg and Dot and Blogs and whatnot have been calling Sony dumb for insisting on putting Blu Ray in the PS3. This is both nearsighted and ignorant. Whatever decision Sony makes is deliberate and with a reason. Even if it takes sacrificing the Play Station line, Sony is determined to win the Blu Ray war. Why else would MS hold so strongly to HD DVD? Why else would they deem DVD good enough for the 360? Even the HD DVD add on doesn't play game disks. Why? Bc Blu Ray isn't about games. The games are just a clever way for Sony to get the ball rolling for their format. Don't you think beta max still looms in their memory? It was only a few decades ago. They lost out, big. They won't do it again. Blu Ray wins. Windows lives on. Nintendo survives another generation.

The bottom line is the bottom line.

The Console Wars

So this is my console wars listing with some pro's and cons.

#3 Xbox 360. You can get one now for as little as $300 if you know were to look. You can actually buy one this Christmas. It finally has some good games (Gears of War, woot), but it just keeps Microsoft in the game. The HD-DVD addon is useless (except for ripping it apart to put in your pc) as you won't be adding anything else to your games. Didn't Nintendo make this mistake with the 64? There have been rumors about Microsoft working on their next system. They better as this one just seems like a stop gap.

#2. PS3 Sony is just loosing money on this one. Ebayers are in the green. What they were able to get not even half a million into the US? Not a good way to make money. If people don't have consoles they don't buy games. If people don't buy games they don't make money. No wonder they have to charge $60 a game. So why is the PS3 number 2 on my list and not 3? Blueray. I really don't care which wins Blue ray or hd dvd. But Sony is playing it right. 400,000 PS3s all with blueray. Hmmm if they have the option of buying a blueray or hd-dvd which do you think they will buy? Blueray! Who makes the money if people start buying Blueray disks? Why the creator of blueray Sony. Yeah their batteries catch fire, but this was a great move. Long term planning. Who cares about blueray games? Hardly any games overflow a dual layer dvd 42 gigs more really won't matter. But the DVD market is huge and so will be the High Dev movie market. Remember all those VHS tapes you have and now have the dvd of? Same with next generation. Bottom line: Sony isn't making any money off of the PS3, but now their is a reason for at least 400,000 people in the US (Not to mention Japan who has more and is more likely adopt a new technology) who will buy blueray... long term planning.

#1. Wii. Why? They were the only one who didn't loose money on every console sold. They are making so much right now. Not only that their inferior technology is easier to make so 4 million Wiis are sold in US. If everyone buys a game Nintendo wins. They all sold out. Nintendo made money. They aren't mixed up with blue ray or hd dvd. At the same time, Nintendo cannot get wrapped up in things like that. Sony isn't likely to go under, Microsoft isn't likely to go under. But if Nintendo goes a billion under on their hardware (cough xbox) they don't have an operating system or bigscreen tvs to make up the loss. They just made fun games and are making millions. I wonder how it will do in the long term.

The Poem

You
by Kourtney

i never knew you till now.
i dont know why,
and i don't know how.
i see your face everyday.
why dont i ever look your way?
i speak to you in my dreams.
but nothing is what it seems.
i write your name on my hand.
i just dont understand.
i listen when you talk to me.
i look in your eyes when you walk to me.
i held your hand when you set me free.
i cried when you left me.
i didnt know what to do.
because i never really knew you.

Pictures

Here Are picutres of various sizes.

The Revisit

So here is my list of thing we must answer before we accept once saved always saved.

Matt 6:14-15

What if a Christian doesn't forgive others?

Matt 7:21-23

What kept the people out of heaven, unbelief or disobedience (lawlessness)?

Matt 13:1-23 Mark 4:4-8, 13-20 Luke 8:10-15

How does the rocky soil (which Luke tells us has a John 3:16 belief) fall away?

How does this passage match Matthew 12:33-37?

Matt 18:23-35

If at first the debt was forgiven, how did the man regain his debt?

Mt 22:1-14

What does the man thrown out of the banquet represent?

Matt 25:1-13

If this parable represents Christians waiting for Jesus' return, why did some wait but not enter?

Mark 9:50

What does the salt represent?

Mark 13:5-6

Why would the disciples have to watch out about being not misled?

Luke 9:62

What does putting your hand to the plow and looking back represent if it disqualifies us for the kingdom of God?

Luke 12:42-48

What happened to the servant which failed to fulfill his master's wishes?

Luke 13:6-9

What does the fig tree represent?

Luke 14:25-35

Who is the builder?

Who is the king?

John 8:31

Why is there an “if”?

John 15:1-11

If we must abide in Jesus otherwise we will be cut off and burned, how do we abide in Him?

If Jesus' love is so broad, how do was stay in it?

Romans 11:22

On what is God's kindness conditional?

How is a branch broken off?

Romans 14:10-13

Why should we not judge our brother?

1 Cor 6:9-10

What does this mean for a Christian who habitually partakes in one or more of these?

1 Cor 9:24-27

What is the prize that Paul does not want to be disqualified for?

1 Cor 10:1-13

Why remind Christians of deadly effect idolatry had on Israel?

1 Cor 15:1-2

Why is this statement conditional?

How does one believe (faith) in vain?

Gal 1:6-9

How were Galatian Christians able to desert Jesus?

If Paul condemns these preachers of another gospel to hell, what will happen to the Christian who begins to follows these teachers?

Gal 3:4

How could suffering for Christ be in vein?

Gal 5:1-6

What will happen to a gentile Christian who begins to follow Judaism (become circumcised)?

What does “severed from Christ” mean?

Who is “severed”?

Does “severed from Christ” have anything to do with a branch being cut off and thrown into the fire? John 15:1-11

Phil 3:12-16

Paul has not laid hold of something yet, what is it?

Does this give us any information about when eternal life begins?

Col 1:10

How does one bear fruit?

What happens to one who doesn't bear fruit? Matthew 12:33-37; John 15

Col 1:21-23

Why is this statement conditional?

What is the condition?

What is the reward for continuing in the faith?

Col 2:8

What is this captivity?

How can a Christian be taken captive?

Why does Paul warn against this deception?

2 Thess 1:8

What happens to one who does not obey?

2 Thess 2:3

What does apostasy mean?

1 Tim 4:1

When are later times?

If we hold to a pre-millennial eschatology, does it matter if a someone falls away from the faith during the millennium?

Why is this important for Timothy to know?

1 Tim 5:15

Who turned aside?

From what did they turn aside?

Can someone who follows Satan be saved?

1 Tim 6:10-12

What does fighting the good fight of faith have to do with taking hold of our salvation?

Does this verse have anything to say about when eternal life begins? Phil 3:12-16

1 Tim 6:20-21

What is Timothy to guard?

Does gone astray have anything to say about John 10:28?

2 Tim 2:14-19

What is the “ruin” of the hearers?

Why is the Christian warned against such things?

2 Tim 4:7-8

What is Paul celebrating?

What does “kept” the faith mean?

Heb 2:1-4

What was heard?

What does drift away mean?

What punishment is worse than plagues, exile, loss of nation, loss member of ones body, and ultimately death?

Why is this language so strong?

Heb 3:1-4:13

Why is there a conditional statement in verse 6?

How does this confidence compare to John 10:28?
What is the penalty for failing to meet the conditional statement in verse 6?

What is the warning in verse 1?

Who is warned?

Why is there a conditional statement in verse 14?

Why is Israel's unfaithfulness and the consequence of not entering God's rest used here?

Why should a Christian fear? 4:1

Why does Paul compare Israel and Christians?

What keeps someone from entering God's rest in 3:19?

What keeps someone from entering God's rest in 4:6?

Why does Paul include himself in those who need to be diligent lest they fall?

How does this fall compare to the passages theme of not entering God's rest?

Heb 4:14

Why exhort to hold fast?

Heb 5:9

Who is Jesus a source of salvation to?

Heb 5:11-6:12

Why does the NASB which is translated by the Calvinistic Lockman foundation translate the verse “since”?

What happens to the Christian that dies while in habitual sin.

Heb 10:26-39

What happens to a Christian goes on sinning willfully?

Heb 12:12-29

Who is it that we should make sure that they do not fall short? Christian , non-Christian or both?

1 Peter 1:5

Does this verse have anything to do with John 10:28?

2 Peter 3:17

What is the steadfastness we may fall from? Does this have anything do to with John 10:28?

1 John 2:3-5

How do we know we have come to know Him?

If we do not keep God's commandments have we come to know God?

1 John 2:17

Who lives forever?

1 John 2:28-29

How can we be sure that we will have confidence at Jesus coming?

Who is born of God?

2 John 8-11

What happens if we do not remain in Jesus' teaching?

Can someone have the Son and not the Father?

Jude

For what reason was the book of Jude written?

Why would Judas spend so much money for this subject?

Rev 2:4-5

What does remove the lampstand mean?

Rev 2:10

What happens if this church is not faithful?

Rev 3:1-6

What happens to the one that does not overcome?

If someone's name is blotted out of book of life, what does this say about his past status?

Ps 69:28 Exodus 32:32

Rev 3:7-11

What is crown?

Rev 3:15-18

Why is Christ going to vomit up this church?

Rev 14:13

If our actions follow us to judgment, what do they determine?