Dec 2003
I Knew Nebuchadnezzar, and You, Mr. Hussein, Are No Nebuchadnezzar
12/17/2003 15:17 Filed in: Faith & Reason
Why Saddam Hussein will never live up to the historical figure he wanted to emulate, Nebuchadnezzar of Ancient Babylon
Like much of the rest of the civilized world, I felt like I had received an early Christmas present this past Sunday morning. I turned on the news as I got dressed as I do every morning, and I admit to doing a double-take when I heard the military spokesperson who was giving the the now historic press conference comment on the "appearance" of Saddam Hussein. Appearance? How could he know anything about Saddam Hussein's appearance? The guy was in hiding or perhaps dead. But within seconds I realized the truth that we all know now--Hussein had finally been captured. And not only that, but captured without a struggle, despite proclaiming months earlier that he would never surrender without a fight to the death.
Once I realized what had happened, I immediately did that downward fist to the side motion that you make when your favorite team scores a goal. And then I began calling people who I thought might not have seen the news yet. I woke family up who were in Central Time Zone, but no one seemed to care--this was major news.
I doubt we will ever forget those first images of Saddam Hussein with disheveled hair and a beard quite a few months in the making. He was being checked out by medical personnel and may as well have been an animal instead of a human being.
Now, what you may or may not know is that in past years Hussein carried an obsession with an ancient ruler from the same locale--Nebuchadnezzar II of Ancient Babyolon. He saw himself as a type of Nebuchadnezzar, an inheritor to the ancient king's mantle.
However, in reality, Saddam Hussein pales in comparison to the Nebuchadnezzar of history. If historical calculations are correct, Nebuchadnezzar held reign over the Babylonian Empire (neo-Babylonian, if you want to be picky) from 605-662 BCE--an impressive number of years by any standard. Not only did he rule nearly twice the number of years that Hussein held his dictatorship, but he also ruled over a much larger empire, including at various times most of the Middle East (including North Africa) and a great deal of Asia Minor.
Did Nebuchadnezzar hold anything in common with Saddam Hussein? Well, yes, but not much. What the world knows of Nebuchadnezzar comes primarily from the Bible and thousands of ancient cuneiform tablets (many of which are still to be translated). Nebuchadnezzar and Hussein ruled from the same basic area in Mesopotamia, now modern-day Iraq, with Nebuchadnezzar's main headquarters situated in Babylon, located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Like Hussein, Nebuchadnezzar was a tyrant, but what leader of any ancient empire wasn't a tyrant? In comparison, Hussein oppressing his own people in a small Middle-Eastern country comes across much more as a bully than a political leader of any real historical worth.
That's not to say that Nebuchadnezzar couldn't be just as cruel. 2 Kings 25:7 describes the fate of Zedekiah, the last King of Judah under Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah's own sons were executed in front of him, and then his eyes were gouged out so that his sons' deaths would be the last thing he ever saw.
Armchair historians can debate whether or not such cruelty was necessary in the ancient world as opposed to the modern. Regardless, however, there is something seemingly redeemable in Nebuchadnezzar that just cannot be found as easily in Saddam Hussein.
First, it is interesting to note how God referred to Nebuchadnezzar. Over and over again in the book of Jeremiah, he is referred to as God's servant in spite of the fact that Nebuchadnezzar was as pagan as any idol-worshipping individual of the day. "Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant..." (Jer 27:6, NASB, emphasis added). Israel was guilty of violating her covenant with the one, true, creator God by turning to idols and neglecting to take care of the poor such as the widow, orphan, and foreigner in the land. God demonstrated his sovereignty in choosing this pagan Babylonian ruler to be the instrument of his justice and discipline on his chosen people, the Israelites. The amazing thing is that Nebuchadnezzar was being used by a God whom he neither recognized nor knew.
Further, in spite of the fact that the book of Daniel most often describes Nebuchadnezzar in ways that would only characterize a megalomaniac, he never fails to acknowledge the superiority of the Hebrew God over his own gods once he is "put into his place" (see Daniel 2:47; 3:28-29; 4:1 ff.). However, most of the time when Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges the superiority of Daniel's God, he still doesn't seem to reject his polytheistic ways. Instead, Yahweh is merely added to his pantheon of Gods.
Then in Daniel 4, a remarkable thing happens in a chapter that is told in first person by Nebuchadnezzar himself. In response to his growing pride for his perceived self-gained accomplishments, God afflicts Nebuchadnezzar with a type of insanity that reduces him to an animal-like state (Dan 4:33) for a period perhaps as long as seven years. Then at the end of that time, a remarkable thing happens. Nebuchadnezzar tells us that "at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever" (Dan 4:34, NASB, emphasis added).
That little euphemism "raised my eyes toward heaven" is quite loaded. It means that Nebuchadnezzar looked away from himself and looked toward God as the source for all he had accomplished and gained during his lifetime. He finally seems to acknowledge his rightful place in the universe in comparison to God. Tremper Longman states in his commentary that a man who thought he was a god had to be reduced to a beast to realize that he was only a man.
When I saw the pictures of Saddam Hussein on Sunday morning, I thought he looked like little more than a beast. And then I thought of Nebuchadnezzar. You see, although I can't prove it biblically beyond a shadow of a doubt, there is part of me that wants to believe that one day when I get to Heaven, Nebuchadnezzar may just be there. I hope so. As a student of history, I have lots of questions to ask him.
But if Nebuchadnezzar wasn't beyond the reach of God's salvation, then neither is Saddam Hussein. Although the reports of his interrogation over the last few days have characterized him as flippant and defiant, maybe there is still a chance for him to make one final good and right decision in his life. He is not beyond the scope of God's salvation. And as much as some of us hate to admit it, he is not beyond the worth of our prayers.
Like much of the rest of the civilized world, I felt like I had received an early Christmas present this past Sunday morning. I turned on the news as I got dressed as I do every morning, and I admit to doing a double-take when I heard the military spokesperson who was giving the the now historic press conference comment on the "appearance" of Saddam Hussein. Appearance? How could he know anything about Saddam Hussein's appearance? The guy was in hiding or perhaps dead. But within seconds I realized the truth that we all know now--Hussein had finally been captured. And not only that, but captured without a struggle, despite proclaiming months earlier that he would never surrender without a fight to the death.
Once I realized what had happened, I immediately did that downward fist to the side motion that you make when your favorite team scores a goal. And then I began calling people who I thought might not have seen the news yet. I woke family up who were in Central Time Zone, but no one seemed to care--this was major news.
I doubt we will ever forget those first images of Saddam Hussein with disheveled hair and a beard quite a few months in the making. He was being checked out by medical personnel and may as well have been an animal instead of a human being.
Now, what you may or may not know is that in past years Hussein carried an obsession with an ancient ruler from the same locale--Nebuchadnezzar II of Ancient Babyolon. He saw himself as a type of Nebuchadnezzar, an inheritor to the ancient king's mantle.
However, in reality, Saddam Hussein pales in comparison to the Nebuchadnezzar of history. If historical calculations are correct, Nebuchadnezzar held reign over the Babylonian Empire (neo-Babylonian, if you want to be picky) from 605-662 BCE--an impressive number of years by any standard. Not only did he rule nearly twice the number of years that Hussein held his dictatorship, but he also ruled over a much larger empire, including at various times most of the Middle East (including North Africa) and a great deal of Asia Minor.
Did Nebuchadnezzar hold anything in common with Saddam Hussein? Well, yes, but not much. What the world knows of Nebuchadnezzar comes primarily from the Bible and thousands of ancient cuneiform tablets (many of which are still to be translated). Nebuchadnezzar and Hussein ruled from the same basic area in Mesopotamia, now modern-day Iraq, with Nebuchadnezzar's main headquarters situated in Babylon, located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Like Hussein, Nebuchadnezzar was a tyrant, but what leader of any ancient empire wasn't a tyrant? In comparison, Hussein oppressing his own people in a small Middle-Eastern country comes across much more as a bully than a political leader of any real historical worth.
That's not to say that Nebuchadnezzar couldn't be just as cruel. 2 Kings 25:7 describes the fate of Zedekiah, the last King of Judah under Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah's own sons were executed in front of him, and then his eyes were gouged out so that his sons' deaths would be the last thing he ever saw.
Armchair historians can debate whether or not such cruelty was necessary in the ancient world as opposed to the modern. Regardless, however, there is something seemingly redeemable in Nebuchadnezzar that just cannot be found as easily in Saddam Hussein.
First, it is interesting to note how God referred to Nebuchadnezzar. Over and over again in the book of Jeremiah, he is referred to as God's servant in spite of the fact that Nebuchadnezzar was as pagan as any idol-worshipping individual of the day. "Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant..." (Jer 27:6, NASB, emphasis added). Israel was guilty of violating her covenant with the one, true, creator God by turning to idols and neglecting to take care of the poor such as the widow, orphan, and foreigner in the land. God demonstrated his sovereignty in choosing this pagan Babylonian ruler to be the instrument of his justice and discipline on his chosen people, the Israelites. The amazing thing is that Nebuchadnezzar was being used by a God whom he neither recognized nor knew.
Further, in spite of the fact that the book of Daniel most often describes Nebuchadnezzar in ways that would only characterize a megalomaniac, he never fails to acknowledge the superiority of the Hebrew God over his own gods once he is "put into his place" (see Daniel 2:47; 3:28-29; 4:1 ff.). However, most of the time when Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges the superiority of Daniel's God, he still doesn't seem to reject his polytheistic ways. Instead, Yahweh is merely added to his pantheon of Gods.
Then in Daniel 4, a remarkable thing happens in a chapter that is told in first person by Nebuchadnezzar himself. In response to his growing pride for his perceived self-gained accomplishments, God afflicts Nebuchadnezzar with a type of insanity that reduces him to an animal-like state (Dan 4:33) for a period perhaps as long as seven years. Then at the end of that time, a remarkable thing happens. Nebuchadnezzar tells us that "at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever" (Dan 4:34, NASB, emphasis added).
That little euphemism "raised my eyes toward heaven" is quite loaded. It means that Nebuchadnezzar looked away from himself and looked toward God as the source for all he had accomplished and gained during his lifetime. He finally seems to acknowledge his rightful place in the universe in comparison to God. Tremper Longman states in his commentary that a man who thought he was a god had to be reduced to a beast to realize that he was only a man.
When I saw the pictures of Saddam Hussein on Sunday morning, I thought he looked like little more than a beast. And then I thought of Nebuchadnezzar. You see, although I can't prove it biblically beyond a shadow of a doubt, there is part of me that wants to believe that one day when I get to Heaven, Nebuchadnezzar may just be there. I hope so. As a student of history, I have lots of questions to ask him.
But if Nebuchadnezzar wasn't beyond the reach of God's salvation, then neither is Saddam Hussein. Although the reports of his interrogation over the last few days have characterized him as flippant and defiant, maybe there is still a chance for him to make one final good and right decision in his life. He is not beyond the scope of God's salvation. And as much as some of us hate to admit it, he is not beyond the worth of our prayers.
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The Real Reason James Brown Has a Funny Haircut
12/09/2003 15:14 Filed in: Politics
My excursion into politics...fantasy politics...
I know I said I wanted to avoid a lot of the really personal kind of entries, but this is so funny (and obscure), so I have to share it. It all goes back to a dream I had a couple of weeks ago. This may give you some kind of weird insight into my psychological standing, and if so, keep your psychoanalysis to yourself.
Have you ever had one of those dreams that was so real that when you awoke, it took a bit before you realized it wasn't true? And then you were a bit disappointed once you really realized that? Well this dream was like this.
Most of you know that I am originally from Louisiana. In my dream, Arnold Schwarzenegger was running not for California governor , but Louisiana governor . And he approached me because he said he had read my blog and he liked some of my views. Now what you really have to realize that in the real world, I had not yet started writing this blog, but the idea was already in my mind.
Arnold told me that he wanted me to be his running mate--he wanted me to run for Lt. Governor. Of course at first I immediately said yes, not because I have any real political aspirations, but mainly because I thought it would be cool to get to hang out with Arnold Schwarzenegger . Of course after I accepted his offer, I began to think of reasons why I really shouldn't do this.
I told Arnold, "Now you realize that I am not a republican like you, in case you are assuming that." But to that he said, "We are building da platform of diversity" (and you really ought to hear me say this in Arnold's voice). And he went on to tell me that he was a bit further to the left politically than I was and he needed someone to help him gain the more conservative vote.
And then I started worrying because I realized there would be debates and press conferences and what if I was asked something to which I was just clueless? So I decided I needed a few platform sound bytes. My first one would be "As your Lieutenant Governor, I will seek to create new jobs and a thriving economy in Louisiana ." But then I thought, what if someone asks me how I was going to do that. I had no idea, so I decided my response would be "Next question?" Also, I would tell people that we needed to really emphasize tourism in the state once again because I felt tourism had been neglected. Again, what if they asked me how I was going to do this. I did not know what I was going to say and I was more and more concerned that I was just going to come across as a doofus .
I told Arnold about my worries and he told me not to worry... that "You will do fine" (again, you really ought to hear me do his voice).
Suddenly, as we were talking, in walked James Brown . Yes, the "I Feel Good !" James Brown. And I realized that he, too, was running for governor of Louisiana. Of course, that made him the enemy. I walked over to him to shake his hand and see if I could get a feel for whether or not he was any real threat against us.
When I greeted him, he said, "Hey, man, I need a haircut." At that point, I really didn't think he was a threat anymore because he thought I was a barber. So I told him to sit down in the chair in front of us, and I would cut his hair. Of course, you have to realize that I don't know anything about cutting hair. I wouldn't cut the hair on a dog!
And since I didn't know anything about cutting hair, I found a rather large bowl lying around and I put that on James Brown's head and I simply cut around it. He did question my method, but I told him it was the in-thing and it would make him cool with you younger constituents. Of course he looked horrible and I wondered how mad he was going to be once he figured out that he had been punked by his political rivals.
At that point in the fun, I woke up unfortunately. There's never good closure in my dreams because I always have to turn off the alarm clock or go to the bathroom at some point. But the dream had been so vivid that it was not immediately clear to me that it wasn't at all real. But once that truth settled in on me, I was greatly disappointed.
Now, I know nothing about dream interpretation, but if you do, I welcome you to take a shot. However, I do find two things about the whole thing rather interesting. First, when I had this dream I didn't have a blog and now I do. So what's next? Maybe politics is in my future, too? (Arnold, if you're really reading this, give me a call and let's have lunch next time I'm in Sacramento). And second, isn't it amazing how quickly I resorted to dirty politics (the whole bowl haircut incident on James Brown). What's up with that?!
I know I said I wanted to avoid a lot of the really personal kind of entries, but this is so funny (and obscure), so I have to share it. It all goes back to a dream I had a couple of weeks ago. This may give you some kind of weird insight into my psychological standing, and if so, keep your psychoanalysis to yourself.
Have you ever had one of those dreams that was so real that when you awoke, it took a bit before you realized it wasn't true? And then you were a bit disappointed once you really realized that? Well this dream was like this.
Most of you know that I am originally from Louisiana. In my dream, Arnold Schwarzenegger was running not for California governor , but Louisiana governor . And he approached me because he said he had read my blog and he liked some of my views. Now what you really have to realize that in the real world, I had not yet started writing this blog, but the idea was already in my mind.
Arnold told me that he wanted me to be his running mate--he wanted me to run for Lt. Governor. Of course at first I immediately said yes, not because I have any real political aspirations, but mainly because I thought it would be cool to get to hang out with Arnold Schwarzenegger . Of course after I accepted his offer, I began to think of reasons why I really shouldn't do this.
I told Arnold, "Now you realize that I am not a republican like you, in case you are assuming that." But to that he said, "We are building da platform of diversity" (and you really ought to hear me say this in Arnold's voice). And he went on to tell me that he was a bit further to the left politically than I was and he needed someone to help him gain the more conservative vote.
And then I started worrying because I realized there would be debates and press conferences and what if I was asked something to which I was just clueless? So I decided I needed a few platform sound bytes. My first one would be "As your Lieutenant Governor, I will seek to create new jobs and a thriving economy in Louisiana ." But then I thought, what if someone asks me how I was going to do that. I had no idea, so I decided my response would be "Next question?" Also, I would tell people that we needed to really emphasize tourism in the state once again because I felt tourism had been neglected. Again, what if they asked me how I was going to do this. I did not know what I was going to say and I was more and more concerned that I was just going to come across as a doofus .
I told Arnold about my worries and he told me not to worry... that "You will do fine" (again, you really ought to hear me do his voice).
Suddenly, as we were talking, in walked James Brown . Yes, the "I Feel Good !" James Brown. And I realized that he, too, was running for governor of Louisiana. Of course, that made him the enemy. I walked over to him to shake his hand and see if I could get a feel for whether or not he was any real threat against us.
When I greeted him, he said, "Hey, man, I need a haircut." At that point, I really didn't think he was a threat anymore because he thought I was a barber. So I told him to sit down in the chair in front of us, and I would cut his hair. Of course, you have to realize that I don't know anything about cutting hair. I wouldn't cut the hair on a dog!
And since I didn't know anything about cutting hair, I found a rather large bowl lying around and I put that on James Brown's head and I simply cut around it. He did question my method, but I told him it was the in-thing and it would make him cool with you younger constituents. Of course he looked horrible and I wondered how mad he was going to be once he figured out that he had been punked by his political rivals.
At that point in the fun, I woke up unfortunately. There's never good closure in my dreams because I always have to turn off the alarm clock or go to the bathroom at some point. But the dream had been so vivid that it was not immediately clear to me that it wasn't at all real. But once that truth settled in on me, I was greatly disappointed.
Now, I know nothing about dream interpretation, but if you do, I welcome you to take a shot. However, I do find two things about the whole thing rather interesting. First, when I had this dream I didn't have a blog and now I do. So what's next? Maybe politics is in my future, too? (Arnold, if you're really reading this, give me a call and let's have lunch next time I'm in Sacramento). And second, isn't it amazing how quickly I resorted to dirty politics (the whole bowl haircut incident on James Brown). What's up with that?!
Question: What Is a Blog?
12/04/2003 15:36 Filed in: Miscellaneous
Here is a response to a question some of you have asked me.
A number of you have emailed me asking exactly what a blog is. Here is a modified copy and paste of one of the answers I sent last night.
"Blog" is a contraction/abbrieviation of sorts for "weblog." BLOG = weBLOG...get it?
There are thousands of weblogs on the internet (simply do a Google search for "blog" to see for yourself. Most blogs run daily at least until the writer get bored of it, busy, or run out of material for something everyday (see, this is why I decided not to do one everyday in the first place).
I've read numerous blogs from those that are glorified diaries to some that are really sharp commentary and opinion pieces. I hope to aim toward the latter because, frankly I feel like the diary stuff is kinda boring.
Hey, I got to use "kinda" again.
A number of you have emailed me asking exactly what a blog is. Here is a modified copy and paste of one of the answers I sent last night.
"Blog" is a contraction/abbrieviation of sorts for "weblog." BLOG = weBLOG...get it?
There are thousands of weblogs on the internet (simply do a Google search for "blog" to see for yourself. Most blogs run daily at least until the writer get bored of it, busy, or run out of material for something everyday (see, this is why I decided not to do one everyday in the first place).
I've read numerous blogs from those that are glorified diaries to some that are really sharp commentary and opinion pieces. I hope to aim toward the latter because, frankly I feel like the diary stuff is kinda boring.
Hey, I got to use "kinda" again.
I Probably Think This Blog Is About Me
12/02/2003 15:04 Filed in: Personal
Well, okay...I'll give this blog thing a try, but does anyone really care?
My own internal objections to writing a "Blog" ("web log" for the neophytes) are twofold.
First, it just seems so vain . I mean who am I to think that anyone would would be interested in reading anything that I have to say--especially on a regular basis? Every time I hear of someone starting a a blog, I kinda raise my eyebrows and voice an internal "hmmm.... ."
Second, it's just another thing I am supposed to on a daily basis. I have trouble doing things on a weekly basis (like turning in my lesson plans and posting my grades to the web). I don't even make my bed everyday (actually, I don't sleep in a bed, but I guess that's a subject for a later blog).
I mean daily things... I would like to read my Bible daily, pray daily (i. e. multiple times daily), workout at the gym daily, watch the news daily to stay current, keep my desk neat and tidy daily, translate a verse or two daily from the Bible out of the original languages so I don't lose what I learned in seminary . But Sheesh, I think if I was able to do all of that daily, I wouldn't be able to go to work or sleep.
So why am I doing this? Well first of all I have had more than one person (that means two persons) suggest that I write one. See... there goes that vanity thing which I believe is inherently at the bottom of anyone's motive to keep a blog.
Plus, in reality, I have many thoughts and opinions on a wide variety of topics. For instance, I often go see a movie and then sit down and write a review that I email to my friends or use as discussion with my classes. I guess that I have lots to share with others, although that still doesn't necessarily imply that anyone is really interested.
Finally, I have this .Mac (pronounced DOT MAC) with Apple (yes, I'm a proud Mac user who will only give the platform up when you pry my mouse from my cold, dead... nevermind). One of the perks of having a .Mac account is you get free software every now and then. About a month ago, one of the free offerings was this program call iBlog from Lifli Software . Since I had masses of people (okay, again, two) urging me to write a blog, I downloaded it, and it has sat on my hard drive snoring away for about a month. The nifty thing about this software is that it integrates painlessly and effortlessly. with my website that is part of my .Mac account (where you are reading this, right now). This is my first entry, and I haven't tried it yet, but it seems like all I have to do is hit save and it is added to my my homepage. Pretty nifty, eh? But if you're reading this, I guess it worked.
So...here we are.
Okay let's set some ground rules. Actually, these are rules for myself. I am not going to write an entry everyday. If you come here looking for something from me everyday, you will be disappointed, plus you need to get a life. I mean, I've read other people's blogs before, but I don't read anyone's blog everyday. I guess the opposite of feeling that writing a blog is a vain thing is to read someone else's blog everyday. In other words, I don't have a high enough opinion of anyone that I feel I need daily inspiration from them. My goal is to read my Bible everyday, and I don't hit that 100%, so I certainly am not going to read what someone else says everyday.
But I will write as thoughts hit me, or as I see movies, or when opinions on a particular issue are strong. What will I write about? Probably not much about my personal life. It's that vain thing again that I would prefer to avoid at least as much as possible. I have no illusion that you are the least bit interested in reading about what I had for lunch or who I spent time with Friday night.
But I will write about things I am interested in under the broad categories of religion, technology, culture, movies, and books...and occasionally politics.
If you're really interested, I would recommend checking back maybe once a week. I have no idea how often I will write, but like I said, it won't be everyday. If this becomes a burden or if absolutely no one is paying attention, I'll pull it from my website.
By the way, as we go, if you have any questions, thoughts, comments, or rebuttals, feel free to email me (rmansfield@mac.com). Unless you ask me not to, I will address them here.
Until then...watch this space.
Quick side note department: This iBlog software has a built in spellcheck like that in MS Word where misspelled words get underlined in red. Up above it didn't give any protest to my use of "kinda" (which I like to use a lot even though I know it is not a word). However, it does put a red line underneath the word "blog" and "iBlog." How ironic is that?
My own internal objections to writing a "Blog" ("web log" for the neophytes) are twofold.
First, it just seems so vain . I mean who am I to think that anyone would would be interested in reading anything that I have to say--especially on a regular basis? Every time I hear of someone starting a a blog, I kinda raise my eyebrows and voice an internal "hmmm.... ."
Second, it's just another thing I am supposed to on a daily basis. I have trouble doing things on a weekly basis (like turning in my lesson plans and posting my grades to the web). I don't even make my bed everyday (actually, I don't sleep in a bed, but I guess that's a subject for a later blog).
I mean daily things... I would like to read my Bible daily, pray daily (i. e. multiple times daily), workout at the gym daily, watch the news daily to stay current, keep my desk neat and tidy daily, translate a verse or two daily from the Bible out of the original languages so I don't lose what I learned in seminary . But Sheesh, I think if I was able to do all of that daily, I wouldn't be able to go to work or sleep.
So why am I doing this? Well first of all I have had more than one person (that means two persons) suggest that I write one. See... there goes that vanity thing which I believe is inherently at the bottom of anyone's motive to keep a blog.
Plus, in reality, I have many thoughts and opinions on a wide variety of topics. For instance, I often go see a movie and then sit down and write a review that I email to my friends or use as discussion with my classes. I guess that I have lots to share with others, although that still doesn't necessarily imply that anyone is really interested.
Finally, I have this .Mac (pronounced DOT MAC) with Apple (yes, I'm a proud Mac user who will only give the platform up when you pry my mouse from my cold, dead... nevermind). One of the perks of having a .Mac account is you get free software every now and then. About a month ago, one of the free offerings was this program call iBlog from Lifli Software . Since I had masses of people (okay, again, two) urging me to write a blog, I downloaded it, and it has sat on my hard drive snoring away for about a month. The nifty thing about this software is that it integrates painlessly and effortlessly. with my website that is part of my .Mac account (where you are reading this, right now). This is my first entry, and I haven't tried it yet, but it seems like all I have to do is hit save and it is added to my my homepage. Pretty nifty, eh? But if you're reading this, I guess it worked.
So...here we are.
Okay let's set some ground rules. Actually, these are rules for myself. I am not going to write an entry everyday. If you come here looking for something from me everyday, you will be disappointed, plus you need to get a life. I mean, I've read other people's blogs before, but I don't read anyone's blog everyday. I guess the opposite of feeling that writing a blog is a vain thing is to read someone else's blog everyday. In other words, I don't have a high enough opinion of anyone that I feel I need daily inspiration from them. My goal is to read my Bible everyday, and I don't hit that 100%, so I certainly am not going to read what someone else says everyday.
But I will write as thoughts hit me, or as I see movies, or when opinions on a particular issue are strong. What will I write about? Probably not much about my personal life. It's that vain thing again that I would prefer to avoid at least as much as possible. I have no illusion that you are the least bit interested in reading about what I had for lunch or who I spent time with Friday night.
But I will write about things I am interested in under the broad categories of religion, technology, culture, movies, and books...and occasionally politics.
If you're really interested, I would recommend checking back maybe once a week. I have no idea how often I will write, but like I said, it won't be everyday. If this becomes a burden or if absolutely no one is paying attention, I'll pull it from my website.
By the way, as we go, if you have any questions, thoughts, comments, or rebuttals, feel free to email me (rmansfield@mac.com). Unless you ask me not to, I will address them here.
Until then...watch this space.
Quick side note department: This iBlog software has a built in spellcheck like that in MS Word where misspelled words get underlined in red. Up above it didn't give any protest to my use of "kinda" (which I like to use a lot even though I know it is not a word). However, it does put a red line underneath the word "blog" and "iBlog." How ironic is that?