Well, tonight is the Biola University Faculty-Staff Christmas party--yippee!! Free food. Good folks. Hopefully fun (there have been a few snore shows, but they're getting a lot better at this "fun" thing.

On another note, when I get home tonight I will have the dubious pleasure of writing for the next sixteen hours or so. I know. It's nuts. But I really do write well this way... and at least it's a Friday night/Saturday day (a definite improvement over past bouts of writing). Tonight/tomorrow I'm writing a 30ish paper on Ecclesiology, specifically, what is the biblical definition of church and what are it's identifying characteristics. Fun. Work, but fun.

This is a plug.

Even though punk isn't my cup of tea, Jon Gilbert, the drummer for The Black Tie Suicides, is a friend and one of the college students to whom I minister. Their band is going on tour beginning December 26, 2003, so check out the tour dates on their site and go out to see the band.

This is amazing! Starts really huge--galaxy sized--then goes incredibly small--quark-sized. Gives you an amazing view of the world.

Molecular Expressions: Science, Optics and You - Powers Of 10: Interactive Java Tutorial

Thanks to Mike Cope for the link.

This is officially a happy day. Today the prof gave us a one week reprieve on the second largest project currently occupying my plate. ***DANCE OF JOY***

Being a seminary student this article [USATODAY.com - Supreme Court takes on religious education case] caught my eye. Basically Davey received a scholarship based on merit and need, but when the state discovered he was planning to take religion courses at a religious school, they pulled the money. He took it to court.

His lawyer says:

"'It's discrimination, plainly,' says Jay Sekulow, Davey's attorney and chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice in Virginia Beach. 'The Washington program clearly singles out someone who takes religion seriously and says, 'We don't accept that.' '

The ACLU lawyer says:

The state isn't 'preventing other courses of study, including religion,' says Aaron Caplan, a lawyer for the ACLU in Seattle who helped to write a brief supporting the state's position. 'The state's concern is that we're not going to have taxpayer-trained priests, rabbis and imams. That's something that ought to be done with private money.'"

I'm thinking clergy training benefits society. Cannot state money be used to support what benefits the state? Especially when the student WON the award! On the other hand, money is power, and power can lead to control. I know I don't want the state messing with my seminary education. In other words, I'm torn. Glad I'm not on the Supreme Court.

Thanks to Relevant Magazine for the link.

I'm working on a research paper. I'm working on a curriculum project. I'm working on chapter summaries. I'm working on a book evaluation. I'm really busy and kinda stressed.

On the other hand, Winter break is in three weeks. Yeah!

Until then... homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework homework