so much for self-esteem

http://nymag.com/news/features/27840/

Don't tell your kids that they're smart. Although for some people, having smart kids might not be an issue :P

senior banquet

Senior banquet was last night.

What argument do we have in defense of our faith, when faced with this world's suffering? Christ's pure, unconditional, and unrequited love. No other argument comes close.
- Joung (liberally paraphrased)

No one will remember what you say at senior banquet, only how you looked.
- Dennis

Okay, so the second statement is only partially true. I really only remembered two things. Ephraim remembered more, I'm sure, he was taking notes.

As for the first, there was a quote Joung used from Brothers Karamazov, by Dostoevsky. I will have to read that book someday, along with The Idiot, which Bonnie mentioned once a few months back. I believe God's relationship with us was compared to a rich man's proposal to a prostitute. God's goodness is greater than our unworthiness.

good thing no one reads this

So a few weeks ago, a Chinese student at Duke tried to mediate between a group of pro-Tibet protesters and a group of very nationalistic Chinese students. Within a few days, she received death threats, and her parents' address in China was posted online along with other personal information (forcing her parents' to move out of fear for their safety).

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/us/17student.html?scp=1&sq=duke%20chinese&st=cse

Recently, if anyone writes anything condemning the human rights record of China, he (or she) can probably expect to receive rather hateful comments along with death threats. I think that this article sums it up pretty nicely:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1734821,00.html

I guess this ultra-nationalistic tendency of the Chinese is something like the little man syndrome, but on a larger scale. Except, it's not so amusing when it leads to hate, and people getting hurt.

christian girls

Soooo, apparently girls who go to church work harder.

http://time-blog.com/work_in_progress/2008/04/girls_who_go_to_church_work_ha.html

Haha maybe this is just another reason to find a nice Christian girl to marry. Peter, however, disagrees:

Peter: well they lose

like at least

104 hours

in church

2 hours / week

But... those hours aren't spent at work either? No one works on Sunday... to which peter responds:

Peter: but they could be better spent!

cleaning

cooking

ironing

pleasing her man

duh

Sorry, just had to post this :) Besides, my blog is "in the most obscure part of blogosphere" hahaha.

dune movie

So it was confirmed a few days ago that "Peter Berg will be directing a new big-budget Dune movie from Paramount."

Anyways, if you haven't read the books, you should (even if you're not into sci-fi).

Here's a quote that has nothing to do with anything, but it used to be one of my favorites:

"What do you despise? By this you are truly known."
- from "Manual of Muad'Dib" by the Princess Irulan

community vs. networked individuals

I heard those two phrases contrasted today.

Basically, we were having a discussion about the merits of confession. Everyone was basically saying the same thing, but everyone was also trying to assert his individuality. Everyone was saying, "no, I think...". But if anyone had stopped to listen, he would have realized that there was much more agreement than anything else.

Why are we so quick to assert our own ideas? I guess it's the natural thing to do. We communicate with other people, but come to a conversation being very much an individual. We really should try to be more community-minded.

what to be

So a few weeks ago, I heard this guy talk about his life in the financial world... and it made me want to go into finance. I know, right? Thankfully, that thought only lasted for a total of half a day.

This past weekend, at Spring Retreat, I heard an awesome message by a Baptist minister. He gave a very casual set of three sermons. More like, a discussion, where he'd just spew out some very interesting thoughts. Maybe it was because he didn't prepare a sermon. But they were very good thoughts. Hrm... nope I don't necessarily want to be Baptist, but I feel that going to seminary is a must sometime later in life. Of course not now, because, I want to make lots of money first... :P

Now that I'm back home, my mom half-convinces me to take the LSATs in June. Or October. Or maybe half-convinces isn't the right term, more like... I'm convinced. I think I'm going to take it.

I wish I could be a professional student. But then, I wouldn't be of much benefit to the world, would I?

One step at a time, I guess. Chances are, I'll fail all my standardized tests. Then I would know that I wasn't called to be a lawyer or a mathematician :)