Thursday, April 30, 2009

Home Videos, Now Online!

Having received his Brother, the Wandering One's, latest fraternity lip-synch competition entry, the Lost One must, now post it (Even though, truth to tell it's not that good [Sorry Bro]. It seems their dancing consists chiefly in buttoning, and then unbuttoning their suit jackets. Kinda lame, still...):



Now this one from two years ago, much better (Can you tell which is The Wandering One?):


The Lost One knows what you are thinking, Dang, those nerds have game. The Lost One knows, Right? Who knew that MIT kids had it in them?
Until next time.

Friday, April 10, 2009

News of both...

The Sacred:
Two students who were threatened with suspension at the College of Alameda after
one of them prayed with an ailing teacher in a faculty office can sue the
community college district for allegedly violating their freedom of speech, a
federal judge has ruled....The women sued, and U.S. District Judge Susan Illston
ruled in San Francisco that their case could proceed, saying a college student
has the right to pray in private outside the classroom.
San Fransisco?!??!! Huh, who'd a thunk it?:
Kyriacou prayed with the teacher, Sharon Bell, at an office Bell shared with
other teachers, on two occasions in November and December 2007. The second time,
a day when Bell was feeling ill, another teacher entered the office and told
Kyriacou, "You can't be doing that in here," and the student stopped praying and
left, the suit said.
Kyriacou and Omaga received suspension notices 10 days
later. Omaga was accused of praying disruptively in class, Illston said, citing
testimony at the students' disciplinary hearings.
Well, it looks like someone is about to get their tenure snapped. Heh heh.

Now on to the "Profane". Washington, DC is often referred to as "Hollywood, for ugly people", but it would seem that that is only true of American politics. So here's a link to a list of the 65 most beautiful women in international politics. (Scroll down past the Espanol [OK, so it's not that profane, none of the pictures are "risque" so it's totally SFW, but the Lost One had a perfectly good set up to use]). Smart and pretty = *Sigh*. Enjoy. Oh, but watch out for #46.

Via, drum roll please, Ace (AAAE).

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Episcopal Denomination, Now with Less Crazy!

Now, in an effort to get back to the funny, Lost In The World, proudly presents: Ann Holmes Redding, The Priest who doesn't bother with all that boring Bible reading. The Lost One first became aware of Ms. Redding waaaaaaaaaay back in the days of yore known as the magic land of 2007. It turns out that then Rev. Redding attended an interfaith Class, from the Seattle Times:
at a St. Mark's interfaith class, another Muslim leader taught a chanted prayer and led a meditation on opening one's heart. The chanting appealed to the singer in Redding; the meditation spoke to her heart. She began saying the prayer daily.
First, we have the obvious question: Why was a Christian church hosting an Islamic class on how to pray like a Muslim? Is it just the Lost One? Was this made a best practice while he wasn't looking? Anyways...

Eventually, Ms. Redding decided, well let's let her tell it:
"I could not not be a Muslim...At the most basic level, I understand the two religions to be compatible...I am both Christian and Muslim."
But how you say, does that work?
"There are tenets of the faiths that are very, very different,"said Kurt Fredrickson, director of the doctor of ministry program at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif. "The most basic would be: What do you do with Jesus?" Christianity has historically regarded Jesus as the son of God and God incarnate, both fully human and fully divine. Muslims, though they regard Jesus as a great prophet, do not see him as divine and do not consider him the son of God.
And how did Redding respond?
Redding doesn't feel she has to resolve all the contradictions..."why would I spend time to try to reconcile all of Christian belief with all of Islam?"
Umm, because YOU'RE A FREAKING PRIEST!!!???!! So how did she get here?
"It wasn't about intellect,"
You don't say.
"All I know is the calling of my heart to Islam was very much something about my identity and who I am supposed to be."...As much as she loves her church, she has always challenged it. She calls Christianity the "world religion of privilege." She has never believed in original sin. And for years she struggled with the nature of Jesus' divinity.
So we have a radical lefty, who never actually committed to the basic tenants of Christianity. And she was both ordained and employed by a Christian organization. For 30 years. Fan-freaking-tastic.

Yet, all good things must come to an end: from CNN
For nearly 30 years, Redding has been an ordained minister in the Episcopal Church. Her priesthood ended Wednesday when she was defrocked.

Over 3 years after her "conversion". 3 Years.

James Wellman, who chairs the department of comparative religion at the University of Washington, said that while it is not unusual for people to "mix and match" beliefs, it is almost unheard of for a minister to claim two religions. "When you take ordination as a Christian minister, you take an explicit vow of loyalty to Jesus. It's hard for me to understand how a Christian minister could have dual loyalties," Wellman said.
So obvious a contradiction, even a secularist can see it.

The Diocese of Rhode Island, where Redding was ordained, told her to leave either her new Muslim faith or the ministry. A diocese statement said Bishop Geralyn Wolf found Redding to be "a woman of utmost integrity. However, the Bishop believes that a priest of the Church cannot be both a Christian and a Muslim.

3 Years. 2 years after an article was published about her. *Sigh* Well, better late then never. Via Ace (AAAE).

Friday, April 3, 2009

The End of an ERa

Yesterday the final new episode of long running TV show ER was broadcast. Though the Lost One can't rightly say he was a fan (He's seen only a handful of episodes in the last half decade plus), the end did stir up a startling amount of emotions. So, cause the Lost One is feeling maudlin, he's going to subject you to this post. Sorry.

The First thing to know is that while he hasn't watched for a while, in the beginning, he did. Those of you old enough to remember it's beginning will recall the East coast/West Coast style rivalry that was being set up twixt, ER and Chicago Hope (Wha? The Lost One knows, right? So here's a link to explain). It was an easy choice really, whiny over educated sawbones, or fast-paced hero viewing created by the author of Jurassic Park? Yeah, it was that easy.

Still, it's not the memory of the shows he watched, but instead the Lost One remembers random things like calling his friend Elizabeth "Angel" Wolf, "Lizzie" during high school (Just Like Dr. Romano [Y'know, before the Lost One figured out he was a douche]), the article on the new hit medical drama he read while waiting for the bus to take him to the mall, or the time he found the ugly truth about racism in America, when he discovered there were actually people agitating against an interracial couple on ER (The shock? It was Actor Eriq La Salle an American of African descent who was opposed). Each memory takes an added flavor from the show to memories for which the show only provides a backdrop. Yet, they make the memory that much more intense.

And so, while he outgrew the show years ago, The Lost One bids a fond farewell to it, since it was with him in his childhood. Funny, the show ended it's run by recreating a scene from it's premiere, implying that while the show was ending, the drama at the hospital never would. A good metaphor for childhood, we all leave it, but it continues without us.