Author Archives: SirZac
Putin America Down
Here is my piece on Putin’s OP-ED in the New York Times
We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord’s blessings, we must not forget that God created us equal.
Today, Vladimir Putin wrote an opinion editorial in the New York Times, in this editorial he cites that this is an international issue, and military action from the United States would subvert the United Nations’ authority, because the action would be unsanctioned by the Security Council. This is true, however Russia is a known ally of Syria, this is supported by Max Fisher and the Washington Post Foreign Staff’s The four reasons Russia won’t give up Syria, no matter what Obama does:
- Russia has a naval installation in Syria, which is strategically important and Russia’s last foreign military base outside the former Soviet Union.
- Russia still has a bit of a Cold War mentality, as well as a touch of national insecurity, which makes it care very…
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I do not know how to deal with this video. We have a great pop ballad about breaking up, that is alternatively heartbroken victim and then full of the power of a woman scorned. The video has two sides too, we start with a vulnerable Miley crying, then suddenly she is naked and licking things! This strange dichotomy, instead of literally supporting the song comes off as the unneeded hyper-sexualization of Miley. It is gratuitous and unneeded, just… stop.
Overall, a great song that hearkens back to Kelly Clarkson’s Since U Been Gone, as a piece of music this has an interesting message, but add this overt sexualization of Miley, it falls from interesting to just pandering.
How I Define Religion
What is religion? Religion has so many varied shades, so many varied colors, and so many varied hues to so many people of all nations and backgrounds. From every era, every single sliver of time, each man, woman, and child has an opinion on religion, whether actively or passively. War. Peace. Hate. Love. Religion has created these things. From all these definitions, these concepts, these ideas, what can we collectively label as religion?
Religion is a reflection of the culture. I learned this during my summer in Cultural Anthropology. For example, all intensive agriculture societies will have very similar religious ideologies, especially in comparison to other society types, like the hunter-gatherer tribes. My cultural anthropology professor also described religion as anything supernatural. So religion could be the belief that external forces can act upon a person.
To me, religion is the ultimate expression of oneself, for it is the most personal thing. Your soul, your very concept of self, your life, your death, these are the most intimate things, perhaps the most important. These are only a few of the many universal concepts that each person wrangles with. To conceptualize, each person is a uniquely cut gem, and each unique religious concept is a distinct hue. So that each person’s religious ‘treasure’ is something that sparkles only the way they envision it.
Religion is art, for it should speak to you and make you feel something. It could be awe, terror, confusion, or even mystery. Awe in the face of all creation, terror of the afterlife, confusion about the truth in all things, and the mysteries of life still concealed. Religion inspires art, passion, and music. The myriad scintillating colors in the windows of a church, the inspired invigorating speeches at the pulpit, and the whimsically thoughtful liturgies and hymns, all of these things encapsulate religious thought and process.
In the almost three-dozen years I have lived, I have seen more than I will ever say. I have seen debauchery of the worst kind, those taboos that should never be broken or torn asunder. I have seen that American dispassion in the face of crisis. I have seen loss and pain. These moments, these slivers, these blinks of an eye of my life are the darkest moments in my soul. To feel utterly alone, to feel utterly bereft, to feel utterly ashamed, I have felt these things. Yet in those darkest moments I have found the brightest sparks. I have found the kind, the compassionate, and the self-sacrificing. I have seen love of the greatest kind, those holy vows that will never break for they are built with love. I have seen that American passion to combat a crisis. I have found hope and resolution. These moments, these slivers, these blinks of an eye of my life are the brightest moments in my soul. To feel utterly loved, to feel utterly accepted, to be me, I have felt these things. In this brightest moments, I found religion in the faith of people, in that resolute stalwart belief that your parents will love you, that your children will carry your tradition, that your life partner will always be there. Victor Hugo said it best in Les Misérables, “To love another person is to see the face of God.”
The U.S. does not do pinpricks.
President Barrack Obama, in an interview with Savannah Guthrie from NBC News
The U.S. does n…
After talking to the SGA President and finding out the schedule really worked well for me, I signed up to be part of SGA as a Student Senator. This brings my total student groups up to four!
Student Senator
Apparently the Final Fantasy XIV: a Realm Reborn community is repopulating the new forums with bizarre threads such as this “Show Yourself” thread. Time to grab the popcorn, kiddos!
#Zacronym 