All 53 entries tagged Deranged Ramblings

Five blissful things

Mmmmm…

5. A big mug of hot water/hot chocolate/heated beverage of choice.
4. While lying in bed.
3. With a good book.
2. When you have the house to yourself.
1. Except for the cats, who are very pleased to see you.

(Aren’t they cute?)

I love days like this.

: 21 Dec 2007 14:53 |  Tags: Deranged Ramblings |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

It seems I'm back. Woohoo!

Welcome to my blog.

It’s got a new funky purple look (it may change, I dunno. But I like the purple). And a new name.

I should probably explain that.

Maybe later.

For now, let it be known that I am back and posting, ME being now better enough that I have the energy to do so.

Back in business, and it feels good.

So, to kick us off again, I feel a picture is in order. Maybe two pictures.

Bye Gadget!

Hello to the Exegesis Fairy!

: 05 Nov 2007 17:29 |  Tags: Deranged Ramblings |  Comments (5) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

I seem to have lost a skill…

Huh.

One of my seven assignments this term (the last one, thank goodness) is a 2000 word essay on…well, the environment, books, reliability of information, blah-de-blah.

It was once the case where I could rattle out an essay of this length in a couple of hours. No more, apparently. I’m now doing the avoiding-the-word-count-dance because it would just depress me to check every five seconds. Ah well.

I’m a bit upset to have lost this. I mean, I’m fairly sure I can still speak in coherent sentences. I’m still a stickler for grammar, spelling and punctuation (not that anyone in the department would actually notice if every third word was incorrectly spelled) and yet…

Where have my essay writing skills gone? Have they rusted from underuse?

I was told in my first year that engineers tend to graduate with vastly improved technical skills, but that their social skills go into decline at university. I understand why. After all, when assignments are piling up I exchange maybe three words a day with my lovely housemates. But still.

All engineers need social skills. Heck, all people need social skills. It’s a little worrying if ours go into decline as our knowledge increases. It just reinforces the nerdy know-it-all stereotype, which can hardly be a good thing.

Maybe it’s like riding a bike. You’re a bit rusty at first if you haven’t done it in a while, but you soon remember what you’re meant to do.

I hope this is the same with essays. And social situations.

Otherwise…

: 09 Mar 2007 16:09 |  Tags: Deranged Ramblings |  Comments (4) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Welcome to week 3!

Well, I felt (as two people said ‘when are you updating?’ and people have been taking bets on my love life or lack thereof) that it was time for another update.

So, as I’m trapped in F211 until FloWorks does its thing, now seems as good a time as any.

1) I still have too much work, but not as much as I had previously. This is good.
2) I dislike clay less than I did previously, but it still gets on my nerves.
3) I detest Microsoft Excel, just on principle.
4) Gran is no longer having chemotherapy, as at 81 it’s not really doing anything. She’s in a nursing home, and having good days and bad days, and all prayers are appreciated.
5) My Grandad is happy as Larry in his nursing home, mostly cos they feed him regularly and he has no idea what’s going on. He’s still trying to sneak chocolate into his room, I think.
6) Nobody else in my family has had anything nasty diagnosed of late.
7) I’m still pretty sure God is calling me to the ministry. Which is still meep. But that’s ok.
8) Still in love. Still an interesting experience.
9) My friends all still have as much drama as a soap opera, but it’s not currently EastEnders. It’s more like The Archers, for which I am grateful.
10) Medication is fun.

As to good things:

1) I got a ring at Christmas. It’s very pretty. Though my tendency to wear it on my left hand has led to people asking if I’m engaged.
I’m not. I think I would know.
Though with the speed of gossip around here, other people might know before me…
2) We still have two cats. They’re both very lovely. I like my cats.
3) Love still doesn’t entirely suck. But I seem to be spending a lot more time very clear-eyed rather than fuzzy like a little fuzzy bunny.

And, as a bonus,

4) I seem to have greatly reduced my ability to panic. Work still makes me panic a bit, but everything else just makes me sigh. I think I’m probably overly cynical, and I’m not even 21 yet, but we live and learn.

This blog entry is dedicated to Ali, who prodded me yesterday, and also to Andy, who is sitting right next to me frowning at SolidWorks, for it is mean and nasty.

: 22 Jan 2007 12:23 |  Tags: Deranged Ramblings |  Comments (6) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

General updates on life etc

Ok.

To provide a cogent summary of my term:

1) I have too much work.
2) I strongly dislike clay.
3) I detest Microsoft Excel.
4) My Gran is three treatments into chemotherapy for lung cancer.
5) My Grandad has been placed in a home cos Gran can’t look after him.
6) My Dad had a cancerous mole removed, but the biopsy seems to show that it hasn’t spread and won’t recur, he’ll just have to be careful.
7) I’m pretty sure God is calling me to be a minister in the Church of England. Meep.
8) I think I’m in love with someone who is about as likely to fall in love with me as he is to put on a pink frilly shirt and dance the tango.
9) Several of my friends seem to have more drama in their lives than the average EastEnders character, and I’m in the middle.
10) Happy pills can only do so much.

Still, that just makes it look really depressing.

I also:

1) Got a bridesmaid’s dress.
2) Found out we now have two cats.
3) Found out love doesn’t entirely suck. It just makes you alternate between horribly clear-eyed and fuzzy as a little fuzzy bunny.

See why I haven’t been blogging? No flipping time!

: 06 Dec 2006 14:30 |  Tags: Deranged Ramblings |  Comments (5) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Frakkin' spiders

Yes, yes, I know, I’ve been watching too much Battlestar Galactica and it’s having a negative impact on my vocabulary. Nevertheless, I’m going to share what happened to me during Pots and Pans on Monday, cos I said I would.

I hate spiders. I just do. All creepy crawly things really, but it’s speed-dependent. And spiders are fast.

So when Tom (Chaplaincy cleaner) found a spider in one of the boxes, on his way to putting it outside he decided that, clearly, it would be fun to bring an arachnid into close proximity with me.

Hence my general backing off, shivering, and generally behaving like a weedy girl.

Oh yes, and shrieking, ‘Get it away from me!’ I’m a drama queen sometimes.

The next bit amused everyone else immensely.

‘Why do you hate spiders?’

‘Because they’re all freaky and have those big long spindly legs and ugh!’

‘To them, you look exactly the same.’

Thanks Tom.

Anyways, Pots and Pans is finished for another year, but life goes on. As does SPEAK, tomorrow. Which reminds me, I need to go buy brownie ingredients…

We were at Socsfed as well today.Yay for our new members!

OK, now I have to do some real work. Dang.

PS: Ooh! OOOH! It looked just like this one!

: 04 Oct 2006 14:35 |  Tags: Deranged Ramblings |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Dude, sweet!

Yes!

1) End of exams (happy happy Jill)

2) Fatigue is mostly gone for now at least (very happy Jill, also bruised)

3) Stuff is pretty good generally.

The bruises are a result of the fatigue being mostly gone. Thanks to the aftermath of the church barbeque, and various swing type things (there was a trapeze. How could I resist?) I was aching all over on Monday morning. But in a good way. I also have a bruise the shape of Australia on my right leg.

On Monday I did gladiator fighting at the Big Easy with Ian. And when pushing him off his podium smacked my knee off it. Ow. Ow. And again, ow. My knee is purple and a bit swollen. Oops.

But I don't really care, cos I'm so happy not to be sick any more.

Yay!

Still need about ten hours a night though. This is ok.

And I got my Bible back! Woohoo!

: 21 Jun 2006 20:20 |  Tags: Deranged Ramblings |  Comments (8) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Life, the Universe and Everything.

Oh yes, time for another inordinately long rambling entry…

(ahem)

I'm a very bad debater. This I can freely admit. I like debating, I do it a lot, but I'm really not very good. It generally requires an answer right away and they make me say stupid things I'm not trying to say.

So, not before it's time, I'm going to attempt to explain my faith and what faith has to do with anything, including rationality.

It's been suggested that to have faith you have to choose between it and rationality.

I hope that's never true, but I also reckon you can't base faith solely on rationality. If that were true then nobody would be a Christian because it's just so silly–sounding.

For example, if you were to take a bet a couple thousand years ago, which side would you reckon would last to the present day?

1) The Roman Empire: They gave us roads, drains, and central heating. ("Ok. Apart from…roads, drains, education…" Ahem. Sorry. Monty Python moment)
They commanded huge armies, they conquered a large proportion of the known world at one point. Surely they'll last the test of time, as opposed to…

2) A bunch of Jewish nomads who harped on about this guy called Jesus who they claimed was the Son of God and was resurrected from the dead. A large proportion of whom were killed for telling people about it and saying they should believe it too.

Surely the smart money would have been on the Romans.

Now while I reckon that basing your faith solely on someone else's isn't a very clever thing to do, it is quite interesting.

Anyway, that in itself is really no surprise. After all, entirely stupid things last for thousands of years, don't they? Entirely untrue and daft things that are sincerely believed (more on that in a sec) can go round the world.

Of course, the sincerely believed is a little bit of a problem. They claimed the resurrected Jesus appeared to them (which is recorded briefly in Matthew and Mark, in greater depth in Luke, and in Acts, which is pretty much 'what the apostles did next' and was also written by Luke, and in greatest detail in John).

Thing is, he appeared to about 500 people, all in all, over about half a dozen separate occasions. Which is kind of hard to do if you're dead. There's no body either. Now, I don't know for sure, but I reckon if you'd invented a religion that claimed a lie as it's basis and got caught, you'd shut up fairly fast rather than having to go through crucifixion for it. If you believe it's the truth then you'd be more willing. So if the disciples nicked the body and spirited it away somewhere, why would they go to death so willingly? Unless they're completely thick.

Moving on, cos that bit has been done to death.

Having sifted through all of this stuff, I come to believe it. I believe that the Bible is true.

There isn't much middle ground here really, for Christians at any rate. Either the Bible is true, and everything contained in it is truth, or we're following a lie.

This does not mean that we can interpret everything correctly.

Nor does it mean that we know everything.

Nor does it mean that we're ever going to stop discussing how to interpret certain bits.

However it would be the height of arrogance for me to say 'well, the Bible is divinely inspired, but only in bits. And I obviously can tell which bits.'

Not all of the Bible applies any more. Some of the later parts say 'this was the law. However, this whole Jesus business means that this law no longer applies.' Does this negate what the old law did? No, but it means that it no longer applies (dietary restrictions on Christians, for example, are nonexistent)

But that doesn't mean that when it was written it wasn't divinely inspired.

I generally avoid talking about the Bible when debating with people who aren't Christian. The reason for this is I reckon it's stupid to try and persuade people by quoting a book they believe is made up. It makes no sense. Still, by reading it, praying over it, immersing myself in it and studying it as intelligently as I know how, it forms a significant chunk of my basis for believing.

Ok. So, so far, I have explained how I have faith based on:
1) my intelligence (as limited as that may be :))
2) my ability to discern stuff, gather evidence, and draw rational conclusions.

However, this is not all. If it were, then whenever I ran into a problem I didn't understand or a question I didn't know how to answer (it happens a lot. Generally I go annoy clever people until they tell me what they think) I would be stuffed. The fabric of my life would be torn apart, I would cease to be a Christian, I would…er…I dunno, embrace atheism, agnosticism, pantheism or Flying Spaghetti Monsterism.

The last component of my belief is faith.

"Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen." That's Hebrews 1:11 I think. Basically faith to me is something that means I know, somehow, that God is with me. I believe that He exists. And…I am convicted of it.

I once read a book which said, "Belief is something you'll argue for. A conviction is something you'll die for." And people have that much faith. They are convicted of something strongly enough to die for it. Whether it's a religion or a philosophy or whatever, faith is the thing that makes people willing to die for their principles.

Of course it's not just that. That would be an extraordinarily narrow definition of it.

Google is my friend.

1. religion: a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny.


2. complete confidence in a person or plan etc.


3. religion: an institution to express belief in a divine power


4. loyalty or allegiance to a cause or a person.

The first and the last I reckon are the most important. Faith is something I reckon can be attained (don't ask me how) but also involves a setting of the will. A committment to be loyal too.

I know, none of this really makes any sense, and I'm very tired and have a seminar tomorrow very early.

Questions, comments, whatever, do leave them and I'll get back to you probably on Monday.

Enjoy your weekends, guys!

: 27 Apr 2006 19:49 |  Tags: Deranged Ramblings |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Mumblemumble

Fed up.

Having one of those days where you just feel so meh that you can't bring yourself to care about revision, work or life in general.

And then you (well, I) generally end up reading really bad chick lit, which is the literary equivalent of McDonald's: probably ok in very small doses so long as you stick to the lighter stuff; deadly when a frequent indulgence.

Also, trip to Tunisia is looking…well, it could be cutting it a bit close to go. Oh dear.

Still, sleep is always good.

I need some chocolate now.

: 19 Apr 2006 20:17 |  Tags: Deranged Ramblings |  Comments (4) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

TV, RIP.

I miss my TV.

I'm forced to find other methods of distracting myself from the general harshness of reality. Like the Internet. It's not as good at it.

(The average UK internet user spends 164 minutes online every day – the equivalent of about 41 days per year – but watches TV for only 148 minutes per day – or 37 days per year.) This according to Webwatch, but you know that whole thing about lies, damned lies, etc. After all, some people don't have the Internet and so spend no time on it per day, meaning that the average goes down. Still.

As opposed to my preference, which would be to perpetually live in the world inhabited by Alan Shore (I love Boston Legal, mostly because of this character. No, I'm not drooling. Honestly.) and Major Case at the 2-7 (Law and Order: Criminal Intent is my favourite, favourite programme), not to mention any kind of CSI (Sunglasses of Justice!).

I'm spoiled when I go home. I still have to cook, sure, but there's food without me going to shop for it, and TV with many many many channels.

Ahhh.

But…

All good things must come to an end. And so I'm back in Coventry.

But I love Coventry too. The people (almost) make up for the total absence of a television. :) I'm sure they're happy to know that.

Also, people who were in Iona for the Chaplaincy trip (ie half my circle of friends…hehe. A semicircle of friends.*) are back tomorrow! Yay!

*I'm afraid this must be taken as conclusive proof for my unerring geekiness. It's a flaw, but one that I embrace. Cos it's fun.

: 06 Apr 2006 21:19 |  Tags: Deranged Ramblings |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem