Fallen into Knowledge

Forget Cosmetic....

2005-04-17T23:51:00.000-07:00

Okay, forget the cosmetic changes. This Blog has moved. It has decided to join my Website. Afterall, it was kinda ridiculous to have a website at one address and a blog at another. So head over to www.christopherlayton.org and let me know what you think of the new digs.

Cosmetic Changes

2005-04-16T22:52:00.000-07:00

I had grown tired of the look of the blog, and tired of the title; and so finally being inspired by Joyce, I decided to make a leap of Faith.
The new title is inspired by John Milton's Paradise Lost:

"Out of the fertil ground he caus'd to grow
All Trees of noblest kind for sight, smell, taste;
And all amid them stood the Tree of Life,
High eminent, blooming Ambrosial Fruit
Of vegetable Gold; and next to Life
Our Death the Tree of Knowledge grew fast by,
Knowledge of Good bought dear by knowing ill."

Bike Move

2005-04-16T22:38:00.000-07:00

Here's another picture of the bike move, this one while riding down
16th Ave.

Bike Move

2005-04-16T22:28:00.000-07:00

This Morning I participated in my first Bike Move. These events have
been happening more often of late; perhaps its catching on. If you are
unfamiliar with this, the idea is to get people (and all of their
stuff) moved without the use of automobiles. Instead, a bunch of
people on bikes, many with trailers, show up, grab all of the "movee's"
stuff, and transport it to the new Pad. It was a load of fun, and
further re-assurance that one can live just fine in the city without a
car.

Multnomah Blogroll

2005-04-12T12:41:00.000-07:00

This is a great idea
If you are attached in some way to Multnomah Bible College/Seminary and you have a blog, get on over and let people know!
Onward and Upward

The Grammar Patrol Strikes Again

2005-04-09T11:33:00.000-07:00

"March 2005
Dear Dex Media White & Yellow Page Users:

We inadvertently goofed!"

Tell me, if one goofs on purpose, is it still a goof?

If I were a book, they say I'd be...

2005-04-09T10:11:00.000-07:00

You're Ulysses!

by James Joyce

Most people are convinced that you don't make any sense, but compared
to what else you could say, what you're saying now makes tons of sense. What people do
understand about you is your vulgarity, which has convinced people that you are at once
brilliant and repugnant. Meanwhile you are content to wander around aimlessly, taking in
the sights and sounds of the city. What you see is vast, almost limitless, and brings you
additional fame. When no one is looking, you dream of being a Greek folk hero.

Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

And, yes, I have read it...

Ways to Use a Book

2005-03-30T22:35:00.000-08:00

This beautiful quote is from the introduction to Schopenhauer's "The World as Will and Representation:"

"I am afraid, however, that even so I shall not be let off. The reader who has gotten as far as the prefaceand is put off by that, has paid money for the book, and wants to know how he is to be compensated. My last refuge now is to remind him that he knows of various ways of using a book without precisely reading it. It can, like many other, fill a gap in his library, where, neatly bound, it is sure to look well. Or he can lay it on the dressing table or tea table of his learned lady friend. Or finally he can review it; this is assuredly the best course of all, and the one I specially advise."

Syllabus Shock

2005-03-30T13:58:00.000-08:00

Fortunately I have anly a few papers this term, in addition to the usual round of mid-terms and finals (read: madly fill as many blue books as one can in the alloted time)
these are not what is creating in me a sense of panic; no, what I am panicy about is my calculation that I will need to read 1000 (one tousand) pages per week to keep up. None of the reading is as hard as last semester (Kant and Heidegger), but there is a lot more of it. Yikes!
I geuss it is time to take up again that habit I broke: reading while walking. Maybe I should also learn to read while riding my bike....

Saturation Point?

2005-03-27T22:45:00.000-08:00

While playing around on the PowerBook, I discovered (via Sherlock) that there are Twenty-One (!) Starbucks locations within two (2!) miles of my house. Is this really necessary? The closest location A whole .04 miles away, and, yes, I can see it from my apartment.

Spring Break Adventuring

2005-03-25T23:00:00.000-08:00

Its Spring Break!

Adam McInturf and I went backpacking in the Trinity-Alps, in Northern California (or, as some would have it, southern Cascadia). Perhaps it would be better if I said “we attempted to go backpacking.”
We drove down on Monday, got our wilderness permit and hit the trail. In the rain. By the time we made camp for the night we were both thoroughly wet. But our gear was mostly dry and so in not-yet damp spirits we got in the tent. After all, the pictures of the lakes to which we were heading looked spectacular. About the time we decided that it would be good to break out the stove and fix dinner and tea, I noticed that the ground was starting to look white. It snowed constantly through the night that first night, and we did not manage to get any drier.
Morning on the second day we decided to head for the nearest town, Weaverville, where we hoped to consult the Rangers to see where else (with a lower elevation) we might explore within the Trinity-Alps wilderness, and also to find a laundry-mat to dry out our gear. The laundry-mat idea turned out to be a stroke of brilliance, we were dry in no time; the Ranger, on the other hand, was less than encouraging. So we headed north toward Lake Shasta, looking for drier climes, swinging by Redding on the way so as to visit the nearest IN-N-OUT for dinner.
After dinner, which was excellent as one might expect, we noticed two things: first, we were running from a mess of black clouds; and, second, we were losing. Also, we were running low on daylight. So we quickly found the first place to camp that didn’t cost us any money: Down by the railroad tracks, somewhere off the highway near lake Shasta. We both felt like characters from a John Steinbeck novel. It rained on us through the second night also, letting up only as if to tease us.
Morning Three: not as wet as before, but our spirits were dampened considerably, so we headed to Ashland to explore. We set up in Lithia park: The stage of the amphitheater was the driest spot we could find that we could set up the tent to let it air out while we ate lunch. Picture this, two guys a bunch of gear and a tent, set up on the stage of an otherwise empty amphitheater, cooking. Needless to say we attracted the attention of the local law enforcement.
The Ashland police officer proved to be quite understanding once we assured him that we were not settling down for the night there on stage, even going so far as suggesting some camping spots for the night. We chose to not take him up on the offer; we, seeing the persisting black rain clouds, decided that we had enough with getting wet and drove home.
But not before exploring Ashland, and not before I found a couple of books at Ashland’s many fine used-book emporiums. Alas, our backpacking trip did not have much in the way of backpacking. But it was an adventure; and any adventure where one both both lives and does not get arrested is a success in my book. Plus, just think of all the great stories I can not ramble on about.
Oh, by the way, I wrote this post from my reading chair, typing on my new 15” PowerBook, which I bought the day after we got back - and which I think is pretty neat.

two weeks left

2005-03-03T23:12:00.000-08:00

The amazing thing about Paul isn’t that he said and did all these wonderful things; it’s that he did it all without coffee.

– N. T. Wright, in a lecture on Romans at Regent College in Vancouver, B.C.

Two weeks left this term. Two weeks, four papers to write and seven books to read. If you are wondered if I had wandered into oblivion, I am still here. I'm feeling kinda busy, though. I'll write more when I come up again for air.

Hitchhiker's Guide ti the Galaxy

2005-02-16T09:43:00.000-08:00

I just watched a new trailer for the upcoming movie "the Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy." If you know what I am talking about, you are laready excited and are not reading this anymore, but have already clicked on the link below. If you are still reading, sopt and click on the link below. I mean it. Now.Amazon.com: Welcome

Royale Theme for WinXP

2005-02-15T00:12:00.000-08:00

Do you use Windows XP?
Are you tired of the stock look, but not keen about using a third party skinning engine?
What if Microsoft made a new, better looking theme for XP?
Well, they have.
They haven't officially released it yet, but it has been leaked, and you can try it out at the site linked below.
The skinny: It works like a native Windows theme (because it is), and it is a real improvement over what I have been used to.
Download Royale Theme for WinXP (leaked)

Mid Terms officially over

2005-02-13T19:18:00.000-08:00

Well, I just hit the "print" button for my last mid-term. A paper on a book that I do not understand - no fun at all. But, rejoice, it is done - even if the paper makes no sense at all, thats okay by me, since the book that it describes doesn't make sense either. Now I am making no sense. Oh well, now that I am finished, it is time to catch up on my reading in those other books (the ones that do make sense). Ahhh. the Joys of Schooling in the Fast Lane. Back to work.

Today's Dose of the Absurd

2005-02-04T18:52:00.000-08:00

Lawyers representing several record companies have filed suit against an 83-year old woman who died in December, claiming that she made more than 700 songs available on the internet.
"I believe that if music companies are going to set examples they need to do it to appropriate people and not dead people," Robin Chianumba told AP. "I am pretty sure she is not going to leave Greenwood Memorial Park to attend the hearing."
RIAA sues the dead | The Register
No comment necessary.

Welcome to the Greer-Heard Point Counterpoint Forum

2005-02-01T20:57:00.000-08:00

As a part of the Southwest Regional meeting ofthe Evangelical Theological Society, John Dominic Crossan and N.T. Wright are having a dialogue about the Historicity of the Resurrection. Sounds facinating. (anybody want to donate a plane ticket) Go here for more information.

2005-02-01T17:55:00.000-08:00

Here is an interesting article from U.S. News and World Report that I came across today. It concerns "corperate chaplians," that is, spiritual advisors who look over a workplace "flock." The interesting thing is, it is the company itself that sets this state of affairs up. Huh...I am not entirely sure what to think about this.

2005-01-28T19:45:00.000-08:00

Here is another, about half way into the ride, taken while re-grouping

2005-01-28T19:41:00.000-08:00

Here we are just before leaving on the ride - I would estimate between 200-300 people total rode.

Critical Mass

2005-01-28T19:26:00.000-08:00

I just now got back from this month's Critical Mass, and as I'm sure will be reported heavily on the local news tonite, the Mayor, Tom Potter, rode with us (as previously noted, see below). When I asked him why he wanted to ride with us, he responded that he had received conflicting reports on the movement from those who rode and the police the are inevitably our escort; so he wanted to see for himself what this was all about. He also noted that he had just planned on showing up - this wasn't supposed to be a media event. But it was - it seemed as though every local TV station was filming and reporters were present from every local newspaper. Also, since the word got out about the mayors riding with us, there were hundreds of cyclists present.
I talked with some of the people there and got the vibe that many people who want to participate in the ride haven't because of the stories of police "harassment," but given the mayors presence now felt comfortable.
It was an enjoyable, peaceful ride. I only heard a few directions from the police escort - all aimed at preventing cyclists from breaking the law - and only saw a few angry drivers, most of whom quickly had a bicycle police officer talking with them. It was a good ride! It will be very encouraging if we see people come back to do it again next month.

Photo-shoppin' Goodness

2005-01-24T23:58:00.000-08:00

On a lighter note...here is a page-full of photoshopped Mars pictures. Not all of the photos are the greatest in skill or taste, but there are some gems in thar web space. Filter wisely.

RDD Exhibition 2004

2005-01-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

The genetic modification of foodstuff is a tricky issue: clealy some modifications, like when a tomato is no longer vegetarian-friendly, can be labeled "frankenfood." But does modifying a seed to make it more resistant to disease as difference of degree or kind? How much should a consumer be told? RDD This exibit is thought provoking.

Future of the People of God talks | open source theology

2005-01-23T19:28:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to some audio files of N.T. Wright talking about the church. As if hearing Wright talk about the church wasn't interesting enough, his audience for these lectures is an Emerging Church Conference. Fascinating indeed!
Future of the People of God talks | open source theology

TIME Magazine: Grow Up? Not So Fast

2005-01-20T22:14:00.000-08:00

This is an interesting story, both in the traditional sense - the subject matter is interesting (its about people in my age group), and also in another sense - I hadn't thought of myself as too unusual in this respect. That is, the article describes the life/growing up patterns of those between 21 and 31 as being novel in many ways, but since I am in the midst of those experiences that the article describes (not only I, but also most of the people I spend a significant amount of time with) I hadn't considered my experiences to be unusual.
Why is it taking longer for us to become fully naturalized adults (married/family/financial independent/home owners)?
1. We are poorer (I, for one have never managed to break the poverty line)
2. School takes longer, is more expensive, and has less impact on our future financial well-being (and, oh, what a combination that makes)
3. Job security is harder to come by.
Those seem to be the tree main reasons that the article posits for this phenomena. Those three things are definitely true, and are certainly factors, but I think that there is something else that the article mentions in a (one) sentence that is more important than the above considerations: We have lost faith. Fulfillment, having a sense of purpose, a vocation (as opposed to a career): This is deemed more important than the finantial well being - or "entering adulthood." That is to say, I think that my generation is a generation of idealists in a world without clear ideals. We do not believe in previous generation's version(s) of success - but neither are we sure what our definition of success should be. We have lost faith, and we are determined to find it. And finding it takes time. And finding it looks to many people (including some of the people in the linked article) liike wandering. But we are not - we are dissatisfied with the world that we have grown up into, and so we are trying to shape a new world (or at least a place in the world) that we can be satisfied with/in.
the online version of this article is truncated - I advise you to find the print versionTIME Magazine: Grow Up? Not So Fast
BTW This rambling is officially a rough draft.