I'm not the type to blog about things like this, but I think both sides of this lawsuit are just absurd...
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/08/08/osteen.trial.resumes.ap/index.html
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Confidence...
So it seems as though my confidence in what I am capable of seems to grow and dwindle depending on the circumstances. Lately, the confidence pendulum has been on the upswing.
I have run a few calls that have gone well, where I just felt like I had the whole call management thing figured out.
I've regained my interest in firefighting activities again. I have a Lt that I like to work with, I finally found some interest in the DPO stuff I'm doing, and I decided to try out the physical agility course that they put together for the most recent hiring process, and i completed it successfully, including the part where you have to drag the 165-lb dummy 100 ft. I knew that once I got a good grip and stood up with it that I would be able to complete it, but it was tough (I had some great people encouraging me along the way though!. I did discover that a 24 foot extension ladder feels like it weighs approximately nothing after the dummy drag. The passing time was 5:33, and my time was 4:59. I was pretty pumped.
So it made me feel really good about myself. It wasn't the worst time out of the group, and there were several people who didn't pass at all. So when I saw those individuals fail, and saw what time it took others to complete the course, I wasn't sure I'd be able to do it. I really have never tested myself to see just how much I can lift or how far I can go or what I can do, so it was kind of nice to see that I could get through it. I guess I should give myself a little more credit.
Oh not to mention that the rest of my life is good. Happy home life, happy work life, happy play life. Life is just good.
I have run a few calls that have gone well, where I just felt like I had the whole call management thing figured out.
I've regained my interest in firefighting activities again. I have a Lt that I like to work with, I finally found some interest in the DPO stuff I'm doing, and I decided to try out the physical agility course that they put together for the most recent hiring process, and i completed it successfully, including the part where you have to drag the 165-lb dummy 100 ft. I knew that once I got a good grip and stood up with it that I would be able to complete it, but it was tough (I had some great people encouraging me along the way though!. I did discover that a 24 foot extension ladder feels like it weighs approximately nothing after the dummy drag. The passing time was 5:33, and my time was 4:59. I was pretty pumped.
So it made me feel really good about myself. It wasn't the worst time out of the group, and there were several people who didn't pass at all. So when I saw those individuals fail, and saw what time it took others to complete the course, I wasn't sure I'd be able to do it. I really have never tested myself to see just how much I can lift or how far I can go or what I can do, so it was kind of nice to see that I could get through it. I guess I should give myself a little more credit.
Oh not to mention that the rest of my life is good. Happy home life, happy work life, happy play life. Life is just good.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Beliefs
I've been working on this post in my head for a long time. The last post I made about anything religious was over a year ago, in my old blog.
I've taken some time to work on figuring out what it is that I think, feel, and believe. Here's what I've found so far.
1. There's something out there greater than me. Bigger than me. Bigger than everything, or at least bigger than anything science can come up with. This something is what religion likes to call God.
2. This something is the reason I'm here, and is the reason everything is here. There's enough science out there that we have a reasonably good idea of where the earth came from, and how we likely made it out of a puddle of primoridal ooze. But something had to put the energy and gasses there in the first place so that the big bang could happen.
3. There are many things on this earth that simply cannot be explained by science. The ability for memory, complex thought, reasoning, logic, etc.- I don't understand that, and it's unlikely that my own brain will ever be able to fully understand it's function. Also, the concept of innate habits- crying, nursing- things that babies somehow know how to do when they're born. That something is responsible.
4. That something wants us to be happy. It's placed us here on earth, with so many amazing and wonderful things, and it wants us to enjoy and experience them. The goal, then, in life, is to find happiness, and to live it. Also to experience all the things on Earth that we can.
5. Morals and values: It's important to do the right thing- not because someone or some religion or some religious character has told me to do so, but simply because it's the right thing to do for myself and my fellow earthmates. Humans, animals, etc.-- it's rewarding and leads to further happiness.
6. Life after death? Couldn't tell you. Seems like there should be more out there- 70 years, though it seems like a long time, isn't really all that long.
Organized religion: It's a box. Someone telling me that I have to follow these commandments because I won't get into heaven if I don't. It's important to be nice to other people- but for the sake of being nice to them, and it's what I would expect if the roles were reversed. Not because it's what "Jesus would do."
I'm not trying to suggest that people who follow organized religion are wrong- just that they're forced to think inside a box. Organized religions have very strict rules as to beliefs and behaviors, and sometimes there are situations where those absolutes just don't work. I'm not denying the existence of any of the prophets looked to in other religions (Jesus, Muhammad, etc.)- they all seem to have the same idea- Be nice and be happy! Just trying to take a more global approach to religion.
So what I guess I've come up with is, yes, I believe in some concept of a God. I believe that the goal in life is finding happiness, sharing that happiness, and experiencing all that exists on earth. I believe in being honest, kind, respectful of everything, and doing what's right because it's the right thing to do. Show some love, and you'll get some back.
I've taken some time to work on figuring out what it is that I think, feel, and believe. Here's what I've found so far.
1. There's something out there greater than me. Bigger than me. Bigger than everything, or at least bigger than anything science can come up with. This something is what religion likes to call God.
2. This something is the reason I'm here, and is the reason everything is here. There's enough science out there that we have a reasonably good idea of where the earth came from, and how we likely made it out of a puddle of primoridal ooze. But something had to put the energy and gasses there in the first place so that the big bang could happen.
3. There are many things on this earth that simply cannot be explained by science. The ability for memory, complex thought, reasoning, logic, etc.- I don't understand that, and it's unlikely that my own brain will ever be able to fully understand it's function. Also, the concept of innate habits- crying, nursing- things that babies somehow know how to do when they're born. That something is responsible.
4. That something wants us to be happy. It's placed us here on earth, with so many amazing and wonderful things, and it wants us to enjoy and experience them. The goal, then, in life, is to find happiness, and to live it. Also to experience all the things on Earth that we can.
5. Morals and values: It's important to do the right thing- not because someone or some religion or some religious character has told me to do so, but simply because it's the right thing to do for myself and my fellow earthmates. Humans, animals, etc.-- it's rewarding and leads to further happiness.
6. Life after death? Couldn't tell you. Seems like there should be more out there- 70 years, though it seems like a long time, isn't really all that long.
Organized religion: It's a box. Someone telling me that I have to follow these commandments because I won't get into heaven if I don't. It's important to be nice to other people- but for the sake of being nice to them, and it's what I would expect if the roles were reversed. Not because it's what "Jesus would do."
I'm not trying to suggest that people who follow organized religion are wrong- just that they're forced to think inside a box. Organized religions have very strict rules as to beliefs and behaviors, and sometimes there are situations where those absolutes just don't work. I'm not denying the existence of any of the prophets looked to in other religions (Jesus, Muhammad, etc.)- they all seem to have the same idea- Be nice and be happy! Just trying to take a more global approach to religion.
So what I guess I've come up with is, yes, I believe in some concept of a God. I believe that the goal in life is finding happiness, sharing that happiness, and experiencing all that exists on earth. I believe in being honest, kind, respectful of everything, and doing what's right because it's the right thing to do. Show some love, and you'll get some back.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Why so stressed?
I've been feeling distinctly fallible this past week. Read on...
This whole hormone cycle thing is really odd, especially the way my mind deals with it. I feel like the first week of each cycle (remember from A&P, day one is when the bleeding starts) is great mentally. I have great focus, great abilty to get things done. Any studying that needs to be done I can get done. I'm able to set my mind to things and get them done. The second week there may or may not be any differing effects, the week after that is bad too, and the week right before my period I can't focus on anything, not to mention the fact that I'm moody (generally in a negative way), I cry a lot, stress wears on me more easily...
Monthly it seems to hit with varying degrees of difficulty- some months my "bad week" isn't as bad as other months.
This month (the past week), my emotions have been awful. Not one, but two melt downs. Complete inability to self-motivate, complete inabilty to maintain any kind of confidence, and complete inability to focus on ANYTHING. It's so predictable... i wish there were something I could do about it... my life would be so much easier if my emotional status from week 1 maintained throughout the month...
It's no wonder the latin root "hyster-" as in hysterectomy, is the same root found in "hysterical" or "hysteria." The damned uterus makes women looney...
This whole hormone cycle thing is really odd, especially the way my mind deals with it. I feel like the first week of each cycle (remember from A&P, day one is when the bleeding starts) is great mentally. I have great focus, great abilty to get things done. Any studying that needs to be done I can get done. I'm able to set my mind to things and get them done. The second week there may or may not be any differing effects, the week after that is bad too, and the week right before my period I can't focus on anything, not to mention the fact that I'm moody (generally in a negative way), I cry a lot, stress wears on me more easily...
Monthly it seems to hit with varying degrees of difficulty- some months my "bad week" isn't as bad as other months.
This month (the past week), my emotions have been awful. Not one, but two melt downs. Complete inability to self-motivate, complete inabilty to maintain any kind of confidence, and complete inability to focus on ANYTHING. It's so predictable... i wish there were something I could do about it... my life would be so much easier if my emotional status from week 1 maintained throughout the month...
It's no wonder the latin root "hyster-" as in hysterectomy, is the same root found in "hysterical" or "hysteria." The damned uterus makes women looney...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)