So you think you're a philosopher

well, you're not.
and neither am I.


I Just finished my first-half semester since spring of '05. That's four years, for those of you keeping score at home. It started out without much fanfare. Sure, there was an AP article a few months ago, but (surprisingly) a ticker tape parade was somehow deemed unfeasible. I say : If the public wants it, let them have it. Wasn't that one of the campaign slogans? Nevertheless, I decided to trod through this travesty and haven't looked back. Except right now. I remember my first day of school like it was January:

Like many addled adolescents, I stood, paralyzed with unbridled enthusiasm for the impending expedition I was to embark on. I got to my class -PHIL 6593 with plenty of time to spare.
Its official title is: Sem—Contemp Phil (How Do I Go On?)
That's right, How Do I Go On? Class commenced with us stating our names, for the record, and then a slight overview of the course. Most of the schedule was and has been devoted to studying Wittgenstein, who thought he had solved everything about philosophy in a book he wrote in his twenties, only to recant it in a book he wrote later (We are studying the later book).
My second class was PHIL 5523, the next day. This class is Epistemology (the study of knowledge).
What I found out in these classes was this:
Almost all modern philosophy has been dwindled down and devolved into a philosophy of language. The logical postitivists had made it their goal to make it a field of observational evidence only. So, the most intriguing areas in philosophy (all metaphysics and ethics) have been relegated to Xanga status: most people just don't care anymore.

Apparently, though, diving into the deeper waters of philosophy consists of things like:

• Using words like adjudicate and normative.
• Being extremely offended when non-philosophers use the phrase "begs the question"
• Taking fairly simple ideas and construing them in terms that don't really tell us about the real world.

• Taking more simple ideas and transplanting them into far-fetched scenarios that make you think: So this theory does not work because this situation that will never happen causes the theory to give unpleasant results.

We all know that the theory of addition says that 2 +2 =4.
But it is possible to imagine a world where 2+2=8. Therefore, because the theory of addition is not able to account for all possible scenarios, it cannot be an all-encompassing theory.

This is an oversimplification, but that is the gist of much of it. It only took pursuing a graduate degree to realize my field had become frivolous. And one could certainly argue that skolnick never had problems with frivolity in the past. On the contrary, in the past I have been an ardent advocate of it. But alas, even the most frivolous have the capacity to tire of it in one way or another. That is not to say I have given up; that is a decision to be made further down the road. Being a philosopher, however, is not a prerequisite to contributing to philosophy. There are still glimmers of hope in it, and I still feel like I have a great deal to say about it. But the theme for me has always been:
What I believe and know to be true is not found on the basis of any argument. Neither is it for anyone else. Not for my friends, my classmates, or my professors, regardless of what they say. Even in the presence of logical necessities, humanity tends to hold strong to what they believe. An evidence of faith, though it does not seem. In this, I do not profess to be distinct. But what I believe once hung on a tree. God pursues humanity.

Autozone

You shouldn't judge a book by its cover (i. e., title), but what's the rule on blog posts?
Judging by this title, one wouldn't suspect anything profound, in which case they would be right. A mere observation is all I offer: When I go to autozone (which isn't often), I feel this urgent need to convey to the people there that I have much more knowledge about vehicles than I actually possess (which is minimal). I suddenly start sputtering out phrases like the everyday dilettante:

"Yeah, it could be the catalytic converter, but I think I need new spark plugs. Or at least more. This is a V8. How many Vs should I have?"

The mind kicks into overdrive. I start sputtering out words that I haven't even heard before: manifold...intake valve...thermal viscosity breakdown. Am I the only one to suffer from this syndrome? It's like I have to prove to them that they shouldn't dumb things down for me (although they really should). That's all I had to say.



-simon


p.s. Have you ever just decided to keep on hitting refresh on your blogspot profile just to up the number of times people have viewed y0ur profile? Yeah, I haven't done that either- I was just wondering.

IT'S OFFICIAL- OU to readmit Skolnick

NORMAN,OK (AP)- After four years of misfortune and sorrow, the University of Oklahoma has decided on the readmission of Skolnick. The formerly prestigious college has been in shambles since parting ways with its most prolific scholar. The future looked bleak, but now there is some hope on the horizon. "We like our options, now," says President David Boren. "You can't stop Skolnick. You can only hope to contain him. We were able to look beyond a past mired in controversy and see the enormous opportunity that we had in front of us. Now, we have someone we can build around." It is that same controversy that has some of Boren's supporters up in arms. After accumulating a file two inches thick, culminating in 2 counts of what is only known as "The Adit Breach", his current hiatus was by no means voluntary. Many have doubts that one with such a reputation would be able to return this institution back to glory. Nevertheless, bringing in such a high profile student may do wonders for recruiting purposes. And it is no secret that the university had a certain level of respectability while Skolnick was in attendance. The question is whether or not these two factors are correlated. But for the student, it doesn't seem to matter. "I'm just glad to get a second chance," he said in a telephone interview. When asked to comment on any classes he might take, he declined, saying, "I don't take classes, they take me. Don't print that. I don't know what it means. Maybe Epistemology." He also declined to comment on the accusations that he was self-involved and suffered from a number of ego problems. His website did release a statement, but it was so entrenched with distortions, misquotes, and inane dialog that one wonders if it could be taken seriously at all. Nevertheless, it has been reprinted in the previous 19 sentences, including this one and any of them that follow. So it seems that, for now, everyone around this great city can breath a little easier. Mostly because pollen levels are low.

if I only had life insurance

This is my first post in about a year and a half. Since then, I have done many things. But one thing I haven't done is post on my blog. Today, I was contemplating faking my own death and sleeping on the island in the middle of the duck pond. I could bring a fishing pole and a sleeping bag and be done with it. Faking death is the easy part. I could fish and then clean them, but there wouldn't be anyway to cook them without someone noticing. A foreman grill would be the best option, but I doubt that there are any outlets on the island. And before anyone corrects me, I am aware that there are 2 islands, so, in order to clarify, I am speaking of the larger one. There is more vegetation to hide in on that one. Another concern is that I don't have a current oklahoma fishing license, and even if I got one, it would expire, so my goal of never leaving would be ruined. They do sell lifetime licenses, but that's a bit out of my price range. Now you may ask, why go to the trouble of obeying a law when you dont plan on being seen ever again? Simple: if I do get caught they'll just have me on trespassing and loitering. But if they could prove I've been fishing, then, that's strike three, and to the courthouse for me.
Now, you may say, "hey, man don't you like it here?" Sure. Earth isn't a bad place to grow up. But sometimes you need a break. Paul and Jesus and others lamented some of their time on this green earth, and I am certainly not to that point, but it would be an interesting experiment. I wonder at what point John the Baptist just walked to the river and started yelling at people. Did he tell his mom and dad? "Hey, I'm going to the Jordan. I'll probably be there for a few years... Oh don't worry, I'll just eat locusts and honey. No problems. Don't bother bringing me a sandwich." But he just up and went. I'll bet Mary and Elizabeth had some interesting conversations.
Elizabeth: So I hear Jesus is appenticing to be a carpenter. That is wonderful. He is growing up to be a fine man, and perhaps he could one day even lead this nation.
Mary: Yes, and I hear that John still is living near the Jordan. How is that going? Does he have enough camels' hair?
(extened pause)
and so on.


anyway,
thats all i've got for today
(apologies for being so scatterbrained... its been awhile and i can get carried away).
-whomever God wants me to be

Freelance poetry

here are a few things I have written recently:

First, a piece honoring my sandals, which, this summer, saw me safely through Chicago, England, a war in Lebanon, Jordon, and back to England again, where they became too much of a nuisance. It got to the point where it felt like there was more foot support in walking barefoot than in wearing those, so I had to ditch them. I wanted to wear them until they broke, but these were not going to break. Sure, they had holes in the soles and I would stub my big toe all the time because of how worn they were in that place, but that is essentially why I must honor them.

An Ode to Sandals:

My pair of flip-flops,
They died today.
I just walked by
And threw them away.
It was a difficult
Thing for me to do.
(Getting rid of
my best pair of shoes).
I wept very much
and was obviously grieved.
I miss them already;
There is no relief.
"So what?" you say.
"Who cares?" I hear.
My friend, you would care
If you could see my tears.
So, I decided I might
Commemorate on a whim
The sandals that took me everywhere,
And hence, I shall describe them:
Their hue consists mostly of khaki.
Every time I bring them home,
My mother has called them tacky.
They are quite tattered
around the edge of the sole.
Throughout there are impressions
In the shapes of bowls.
And let's not forget
The hole in the left heel.
It's the size of a half-dollar.
Every rock I step on I feel.
Finally, things became kaput.
And I ended up barefoot.

(written in the first couple of days of august-06, with some slight alterations just now.)



and here is another one, best described as a personal challenge molded after the sermon on the mount:


Hunger and Thirst

If you don't intend
To preach to the poor,
If the only heart
You want healed is yours,
If you are not willing
To let the captives go free,
If you are refusing
To let the blind see,
If you don't intend
On raising the dead,
Then don't even bother
To get out of bed.



yep, it is kind of simple, but it has some inspirational value.

that's enough for this entry; more on my summer and other thoughts later.

school's out for the summer

well.

This turbulent year is finally over. And it is ending on a high note. I feel very good about what is in store for next year, be it in Chanute or elsewhere. I have had a lot of fun here. Once I got over the differences of things, it became very easy to do my job. I still have some problems recruiting, but it looks like we will have a solid class coming in next year. It's weird. So far, I have applied for two jobs that are much better than mine, and I am not even sure that I would want to take them if they were offered. I mean, I am just starting to like this place. Unfortunately, there are people that I will probably never see again. But that will happen whether I stick around another year or not. I regret not getting more writing done, and although I squandered much of my time here, I think I made up for it in the last few months. I wish I knew more of what the future held for me, but I guess it is just a matter of trusting in Christ.

Although it has been a month since I went back to Norman, I am in no hurry to return. Sure I have friends there I would like to see, but I have friends here to whom I do not want to say farewell. And that reaction is completely surprising to me. My mind has difficulties believing my heart because of this. I would have never believed it would be possible for me to be indifferent towards Norman. And now, it is even more drastic. I feel like I may even prefer Chanute. But it is crazy to even start to talk like that. It started with the breakup, but I think a larger reason for my change of heart is that I am spending more time around other believers. When you can rely on others that are believing on the name of Jesus, it can be a powerful and uplifting thing.

I was going to write something very significant...

let's see if I can remember...

Driving back from Pittsburg today, I attempted communication with a divine
being. He showed me his perspective on my recent life.

He showed me so much love and grace throughout this that I am to the point of no regret, and that is saying a lot considering how I have felt as little as a month ago.

Now, as if that were not significant enough, here is something else, one of the most important lessons that God has ever revealed to me.

One year ago, at this time, I was in the middle of what the Christian community would call a "mountaintop experience." That is, I was in the word, and felt a nearness to God that I had never envisioned. Christians speak a lot about hills and valleys, and I had heard a lot about it, but I had no wisdom on the subject. What I had heard is that, in our spiritual walk, we will have hills and valleys, so eventually, people walking up the hill will reach the top, and have to go down. I just knew that I was traversing the largest hill I had ever been in contact with, and I liked it.

My thoughts were:

Why do I have to come down? Does this hills and valleys talk have any biblical backing?

I even asked a friend if that was the case. He didn't seem to have an answer that satisfied me. Much to my dismay, I came down. Not only came down, but I was the mental image you get when you hear the Jack and Jill nursery rhyme. I have been in the valley now for about nine or ten months. It is not easy - any time it rains, your feet get soaking wet. So why did I have to come down?

The answer is found in John 15. We are the branches. Every branch that bears fruit He prunes, so that it will bear even more fruit. Everytime we go through a valley, it is not God punishing us, but God pruning us to bear more fruit. Our problem is that we have taken this hill-valley thing way too far. We associate going through the valley with sinning, but it was not meant to be that way. When we go through the valley, that is when it becomes most difficult to avoid the flesh and follow Christ. So some of us even justify ourselves, substituting the words "sinning" with "going through the valley." The important thing is to remember that valleys are a necessary part of walking with Christ, and submitting to Him is the hardest in these periods.

For whatever reason, my thoughts feel somewhat disjointed on this post. Perhaps next time I will be able to paraphrase this thought a little better. I had no problem saying it on tuesday during bible study. Oh well.

mere thoughts

It rained today and I doubt it is done. We had a meet but it got cancelled. And I should have been able to go recruiting but all the high school meets also are probably rained out.
I am reading Chesterton's Everlasting Man. I think I have been trying to finish it for about 5 months now. It is even more difficult to read than Orthodoxy. There are some points where he puts everything together quite beautifully, but most of the time the writing is so intellectual, you do not remember the point he was trying to make to begin with, which makes it seem like it is all very disconnected and has no point. He does have a point, but most days I do not have the intellectual endurance to keep up. And most of the time, I have questions like "So why is he talking about this?"
I am approaching the point where my looks are strange enough to get a double take. I have noticed it. People you pass by, they make the kind of eye contact that makes me wonder for a split second if I know them. Eye contact with a hint of familiarity. I am unkempt enough to illicit this reaction from others. My beard is nearing a personal record for volume, and my hair, I am pretty sure, is the longest it has ever been. And I think I will be able to go another month before I have to do anything about it.
I am very tempted to start on my book, but a title alludes me. The 8th Day would be good, but there was an art exhibit at Arizona state that had that title. I don't know if that title would be sued or what. I doubt it, but one can never be too careful.
Also, I applied for a job at Florida International yesterday. Not any big expectations for it, but at least I actually am trying. That's about it. I gotta go.
-s

24

My age is now synonomous with a television show.
Today started out not so good. I spent a lot of my time by myself at certain track meets. But I prayed a lot. His heart for me is good, but I get so irritated at myself for making the same mistakes over and over. I will probably go home tomorrow (22nd), but I am not certain on what to do when I get there. I would see Devon and Sam, but I don't think they'll be back yet. I got some good ideas for my story today, and should probably write them down. I need to trim my fingernails.
(this was just an obligatory post, as it was my birthday. I will go into more detail later.)

-skolnick

learning

It has been awhile since my last post. Nearly two weeks. Times are fairly good now. The last couple of days, it has been difficult to find intimacy with God, but that is only because of a lack of persistance on my part. One important thing I have been learning is that I have to have faith that Jesus is who He said He is, and more importantly, can do what He says He can do. Obviously, this is plain and simple; but I often find myself ignoring this truth. I must believe that he can not only deliver me from the consequences of my past sins, but as a new creation in Christ, sin no longer has the same grip on me as before. I am not saying that I live without sin, but we know it is possible to live in this exact moment nearing the life that Jesus wants us to live. Nobody's looking for or expecting perfection, but it is within reach for us to follow Christ in this moment. Paul said that if he sins, then he knows that it is sin living within him, not he that sins. That is why we must put our flesh under the submission of the new creation. I continually pray that I will have the faith that Christ is my deliverer and conquerer.

I am way behind for the lebanon trip. I should ask God if it should be a bigger priority...although I think I already know the answer.

I am embracing Chanute more. I am starting to see that He does have a plan even if I don't have the wisdom to acknowledge it. I am finally optimistic about what God can accomplish here and now I realize I shouldn't have been apathetic to it.

I bought Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe. It was expensive, but it is one of my favorite movies. Watched it with a couple of the athletes and did my best to keep from tearing up... especially in the scene where Aslan is about to die.

Lent is almost over. For about half of it, I ignored the main idea behind it. That is, when I feel like eating a burger or logging onto facebook, I need to remember that I am doing this in remembrance of the forty days our Lord spent in the desert without food or water. I need to remember that I am "crucified with Christ."

I am nearly addicted to Waterdeep. In the last three weeks or so, I have found much of the music I used to listen to somewhat depressing. The last few weeks I have pretty much only listened to Waterdeep, which is amazing, considering that before Ryan gave me that cd, I had barely even listened to anything by them. But the buzz I think is slowly wearing off.

That about wraps it up. I pray that God gives me strength and grace for this next week, but also focus. That I may not get wrapped up into affairs that keep me from looking to Him.

-skolnick

Well. My spring break is over. Back to coaching and recruiting and being an RA in the middle of nowhere. But it really is not all that bad. I believe it was the first time ever that I wanted to come back here instead of staying in Norman. Frankly, April might be the first month ever without visiting Norman, and I really do not mind. And although it was not exactly an easy thing to go through God has given me the grace to walk me through it. He has shown me that I may harbour bitterness that seems unrecognizable from the outset, but can lead to death. He has shown me that I relied too much on my relationships in Norman as opposed to my relationship with Him. I found that, when I am in any kind of relationship, I should do my best to include Him in everything I do. "Seek first the kingdom," which I have not been doing lately. I do have faith that he will turn this situation into something even better than what He already has. I thank God that He can put me in a place where I can be led entirely by Him.

my first entry

well. not to be redundant, but this is my first entry on a blog. I started this because I have a lot of free time, and I need to practice my writing skills. I've been here in kansas since august; that's about seven months of exile. I call it exile, but it's not nearly that bad- I still get to go back to Norman about once or twice a month. But it feels like exile. I don't get to see my friends too often; and I have felt disconnected from the world more often than I would like. Still, I do believe that God is working something in me- and I think that, in the end, it will be worth it. I suppose I am nominally concerned over who will be reading this, but I have resolved not to tell anyone about it, so for now it is mainly a personal thing. I was tempted to tell one of my friends about it the other day (yesterday). And that's pretty bad considering that I had not even posted anything yet. I try to thank God for His mercy and ask for it every day. Wisdom is also something I ask for a lot. The team is doing alright, and I am interested to see how much improvement can be made during outdoor season. I still need to get my passport, but I will probably wait until spring break. Hopefully, I will be able to keep myself from making transmissions of this nature in the future. This isn't meant to be another personal journal; I would like it to be more like a place where I can talk candidly, but not necessarily about my own experiences. That's all.