One For Truth: January 2007

Slow Down and Taste the Beer

I have been forced to deal lately with the degree to which my focus on work is causing problems in my life. I am distracted, weary, a bit irritable, and spiritually near a zero. Among other things, I have forgotten to slow down and taste the beer in life--which is why this article was a welcome read this morning. Another one of those handy metaphors for living, no?

"Black People Love Us!"

No explanation, just go there.

For You Second Life Lovers...

...Get a First Life.

What Does it Mean to Lean on God?

What does it mean to lean on God? As Mrs. Zeke is well aware, this is high on my mind right now.

I've done my best to practice it in the past... I think. When the economy upended after 9/11, I remember doing a lot of face-planting into the carpet, giving everything up to God, praying and weeping, begging in prostration. I spent a lot of time in prayer and Bible study as my finances went up in flames, the engine blew up in my car, we pulled our daughter out of private school, and the bills got more and more overdue.

I know that it was in the midst of this crisis that I tried harder than ever to lean on God. That probably explains why I ended up being so pissed at church. If you can't bitch at the boss, bitch at the help. Maybe that's it, or part of it.

But I really would like to understand just what it means to lean on God, to trust in his purposes and care. Maybe you have some experiences to share.

The Wisdom of the Internets, Continued: "Under our own clothes, we are all naked."

Apropos of nothing, that's today's profound comment as read on a discussion thread.

"Dear Google: What is the Meaning of Life?"

Much has been made of the impact of the internet on Communist China. The implied assumption of most who celebrate the introduction of the internet and the growth in access is that information will undermine the Party, which will lose its monopolistic voice. Once people get online, they will be exposed to real freedom and succumb to the democratic virus.

Sure, maybe. I suppose one of the best ways to gauge what the Chinese people are getting from the internet is to see what they are asking it about: the Chinese website Baidu has compiled a list of the most popular searches in China. While I hope that the internet will in fact spread truth and freedom, I also suspect that most people have more mundane concerns. I figured a list of search terms would feature some Chinese spin on "Britney Spears," and "porn," and maybe even "democracy." I found instead a list of questions that are more personal, basic and much more profound. The usual "how can I lose weight and make more money" stuff is there, of course, but others on the list were more touching:

Why are we alive?
Why does my hair fall out?
Why do we love?
Why get married?
How to build a harmonious society?
What is happiness?
Should I continue living?

It's interesting to note how search terms can vary from culture to culture. Are the Chinese just more reflective and contemplative than the average American? Is there something in their soul that has so absorbed collectivist thinking that "How to build a harmonious society" would actually be among the top search terms?

By the way, here's Yahoo's top searches for 2006:

Britney Spears
WWE
Shakira
Jessica Simpson
Paris Hilton
American Idol
Beyonce Knowles
Chris Brown
Pamela Anderson
Lindsay Lohan

No, that's not the celebrity top ten. That's the top ten.

Google has a corner of its universe called the Zeitgeist that tracks weekly what the top search inputs are. Google's US tops for 2006 are:

bebo
myspace
world cup
metacafe
radioblog
wikipedia
video
rebelde
mininova
wiki

Google also tracks search terms by country. An interesting read. No surprise to find Britney on so many searches around the globe, sadly.

Jason Dunham Awarded the Medal of Honor

Back in August of 2005, I blogged about The Gift of Valor, the story of Marine Corporal Jason Dunham, lost in Iraq to a grenade that he selflessly threw himself upon to protect his fellow Marines. Yesterday he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery.

Whatever we may feel about this war, we should pause to remember and honor the personal sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform however they may serve.