To Quote the Poet: "Angel Voices"

 

 

   WHILE I definitely do not consider myself a poet, I try my hand at poetry sometimes. What comes out of my hand is my own hand's fault. Not my own. That's my disclaimer.

 

   I wanted to write a poem that tracked a common theme throughou the entire Bible. Something like an epic. While it didn't reach quite those proportions, here's what I ended up with. I hope you enjoy it:

 

 

Angel Voices

 

Hear the paean of angels’ voices

Lifted high by gladsome choices

Not to pagan king or Apollo

But, and thus not hollow, lifting high that Name to follow

 

At the dawning of the day

When God Himself set forth to say

‘Tis good—yes, world that He created

Not a wonder He belated, Deity o’er watching what created

 

Then it was the morning glories

Sang for joy, spun timeless stories

Of the Word that called the Light from Dark

Forever might that cry be stark: ‘Light divided from the Dark’!

 

But for all Creation’s wonders

Wrought by voice like soaring thunders

Finale called up from dust

Adam, in whom life was trust, raised from bosom of the dust

 

Hear it then: the angel’s whisper

Softly tempting to enlist her

Hear the angel’s lying voice

Deception, pride his path of choice, laden lies in serpent’s voice

 

She listened to the forked tongue

Conscience not within her stung

Eve, she first that wed a man

Stretching out the trembling hand, angel’s word on which to stand

 

Hear the moaning of the height

Groaning, foaming in the night

Angels’ voices fraught with fright

Weeping for the loss of light, Death’s o’erwhelming, chilling bite!

Shadows bearing length and long

Crushing all Creation’s song

Except the laughing demon throng

 

Message marked by angels’ voices

Dutifully given by faithful choices

To sons of men wandering abroad

Wandering prone from will of God, few turning, giving Heaven nod

Adam, Seth, Shem and Ham

Noah, Japheth, Abraham

By angels’ voices came word from He

Shifting eyes to majesty, at exodus command they flee

 

At Sinai ‘twas the angels voices

Solemn, frightening, pounding voices

Gave the Law to Jacob’s brood

Israel, in timid mood, took letters writ in granite crude

 

To messenger and prophet bold

Angels bore those words of old

Living out the tale told, bringing down the words of old

The Word Himself was soon to come

Begotten, Mighty God’s own Son

So by prophets spoke Heaven’s tongue

 

Hear the angels’ calling Hark!

To lonesome shepherds they remark

To God be glory, Peace on earth

No more wallow in the dearth, salvation comes by Savior’s birth!

 

Ministers of flame and fires

On Son they wait, as He tires

In the garden lowly weeping

Will of God observing, keeping, awake and praying, ne’er sleeping

 

Hear the angels’ silent score

Stringing, singing evermore

But quitted now upon the time

That crown of history’s purposed time: Son of God on cross sublime

 

Watching tears of God to fall

Angels’ voices wane and pall

Until three days He lay entombed

In sepulcher He lay entombed, but on the third the world illumed!

Shining forth from death and dark

Son of God, the nails’ mark

Seraphs’ clarion sing it stark: Light divided from the dark

 

Hear the joy of angels voices

Happy heaven all rejoices

Head of serpent crushed by pain

At calvary’s own crossed cane, by fountain of the crimson stain 

Hear the wondering angels’ voices

 

Looking in on Sovereign choices

Exulting before the golden chair

 

When a soul is won fore’er, won for Promised Land in air

 

 

And at the end hear angels’ voices

Bearing loud the grievous choices

Turning man from flames below

Saving gospel Earth to show, proclaiming Just their threefold Woe

 

But louder might there still be heard

Angels’ voices turned absurd

Slaves perverted, twisted within

Unleashed on world from dark prison, deceiving as the snake of sin

 

Though louder still the victory cry

When He is seen by ev’ry eye

Son of God, Lord of kings

Then ends Death’s blackest stings, ‘Behold, I make new all things’!

 

Then hear the dirge of angels’ voices

Tormented e’er for wicked choices

Wishing sin, for selves they spell

Eternal fire hot in Hell, crying clear their moaning knell

 

Churning brimstone with their hands

Scarred, undone, embittered hands

That once went fast to dark demands

Bound fore’er in blist’ring bands

 

But hear the golden angels’ voices

In Heaven safe by faithful choices

For ever as the saint rejoices, hear the chorus of angels’ voices

Long before His throne they stand

 

 

   ~norton

 

 

 

 

 

I'm currently lost in: "the City of God"

   SAINT Augustine was a theologian back in the day. He wrote a book I've always wanted to read.

Cue the Hallelujah Chorus 

   My excitement immediately dropped a few decibels the moment it arrived in the mail. It's a hefty tome. I mean, it's huge. The book has got like twelve books in it or something. It covers the decline of the Roman empire in Augustine's day, which the author contrasts with the divine City of God, which will never decline or pass away. That's a huge topic. It's a huge book. But... I paid for it, and I still believe it will be a great read. Only, you know how intimidating sizeable books can be!

   I'll someday update this post with a review on the City of God. Just give me til my retirement.

Sky and Sea

   STUDIO Ghibli. Just wow.

   If I ever put together an animated film, I would get the ingenious artist who does these gorgeous backgrounds for Studio Ghibli and movies directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The Studio is the Pixar of Japan, and Mr. Miyazaki is Walt Disney. If you have not seen these works of art, I suggest Porco Rosso, Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away and the recently released: the Secret World of Arrietty. They're like paintings in motion.

   Magical. Captivating. Inspiring. Masterful.

   Below is a sampling of their best. You get a free high-five if you can name the source films.

   Quite obviously, all material does not belong to me, but to its respective owners. Artwork is used here for appreciation only and not for profit. Also, some of these films were not directed by Miyazaki.

 

 

 

Concerning Books #001: Glendale Goodwill Purchases

  
   I recently walked into a Goodwill down in Glendale. Man, what a difference from the ones here in Lancaster. Clean. Well-stocked. Hip employees. Best of all, a sizeable book section with used books in great condition. Found a couple gems:



    I've never read this but I've always wanted to.

 

   Only once did I meet someone who read Lewis' sci-fi trilogy. It seems eclipsed by Narnia. In fact, this was the first time I ever saw it in print and held it in my own hands. $1.99? Yes, please.

 

  Haven't read this either. Seems like the kind of book that I'll open when I retire.

   This was new to me. Seemed pretty awesome. 2 bucks for a book full of famous quotes and where they came from.

   I had seen the movie but never read the book. I hate saying that...

~norton

Just once more, before total oblivion...

 

   WHY is it so easy to stay up late and so difficult to wake up in the morning?

   At the risk of dating myself (heh), it reminds me of the Circle of Life. Yeah, that one. From the Lion King.

   It seems like bad decisions, like staying up way to late, directly effect good decisions, like getting up early so you can help out Mum with her yard sale. Can anyone relate? But wait. If I already made bad decisions, then that means that good decisions have already been effected! It seems that the only way to stop this endlessly looping Circle is to immediately make a good decision.

  And so, that brings me to my next---

  ~norton

Christian Thoughts #004: on "the Mad Hatter"

Behold the ruinous powers of Tim Burton.

   UGH, no. Not that Mad Hatter. This Mad Hatter.

"Hats don't kill people. People in hats kill people."
~Mad Hatter quote from Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader

   Ah, much better...

   The Mad Hatter, AKA Jervis Tetch, is a Batman villain. He has been my favorite Batman villain since his debut episode "Mad as a Hatter" from Batman: the Animated Series, a staple of my cartoon diet in the 90's. There he was voiced by the late-great Roddy Mcdowell. There he had elequonce, sophistication and all the arrogance that spins any mind in madness.
  
   But I always felt the Mad Hatter was underappreciated. He is kind of a back-burner Batman villain. He always seems to be the least threat. Hopefully a DC writer comes along that really does him and his mind control justice.

   Which brings me to an observation: the Mad Hatter's mind control ability was used in his debut episode to force his secretary (named Alice, of course) into falling in loving him. Yet at the same time, the Hatter realizes that using his mind control  on Alice removes her free will and reduces her to an empty shell, "a soul-less little doll" as the Batman in his gravelly tone put it.

    Philosophically, this is an important fact. Love cannot exist without free will, the choice to love. Forced love, or forced will to do anything, is not a choice, is not free will, and is not love. But with free will comes the possibilty of denying or withholding love. And so we have our world today, a world full of human beings that from the outset of our race had the choice to love but we withheld love for the sake of rebellion, violence, pride, selfishness and hate.

   Yes, Genesis is philisophically sound. Did Adam and Eve have free will? Certainly. Did they have a choice? Yes, to either love and obey God or to disobey Him and sin.

   Critics of Christianity claim that evil in the world disproves the existence of a loving, all-powerful God, certainly the Judeo-Christian God. In reality, all that evil prooves is that God created humans with free will and that humans chose to abuse their free will for evil.

 

   As sacreligious as it seems to follow up a topic as profound as free will with a simple pencil sketch... it's too late. I already did follow it up with a simple pencil sketch.

 

   As far as the drawing, which is mine, I don't appreciate how the feet turned out, but I have to say it was fun to sketch. I could get really exaggerated with his expression and physical features because the Hatter's always been sort of comical and skewed, cartoony when compared to some of the Batman's more realistic rogues.

 

   Other old sketches of mine can be found at: http://daichinnraoss.deviantart.com/

  ~norton



 

 

 

 

Christian Thoughts #003: on "Bowser"

Rawr!

   HOLD the phone.

   I know what you're thinking. This guy's an alpha nerd. Well... you're probably right. My nerd-dom is a fact. Now hopefully what you aren't thinking is: "well, if he's such a nerd, I'm out."

   Hang on. Hang on. Nerd-dom is not what I'm here to talk about.

   I think any subject can be a launching pad into discussions that are relevant, practical and spiritual. Believe it or not, I'm about to do that with Bowser (hopefully).

      First appearing in Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985, Bowser, the King of the Koopas, was a fire-breathing behemoth, a hammer-chucking monstosity, a princess-nabbing villain doomed to plummet several times into a boiling pit of lava (over which he had precariously positioned himself, for some reason). His defeat came at the hands of none other than the classic hero himself, Mario. Or Luigi, if you had a younger brother or sister playing along.

   To me, the most interesting thing about Bowser is not the fact that he's a giant turtle with magical powers, although that is admittedly quite interesting. No, the real catcher is that he climbed out of that lava and tried again. And so you found him standing in that same spot, on an easily collapsable bridge, trying to foil his nemesis with a few balls of flame before he tumbles terrifically into effervescent magma. If you remember right, he did this eight times before the game was over.

Ker-sploosh!

   A lesser creature would've stayed in that lava. What could be the benefit of climbing out again? I mean obviously Bowser is a horrible failure at life. No amount of wealth or accumulation of land or power, nor even the affection of Princess Toadstool could be worth the beating he sustained and then rose up to sustain some more.

   And yet he did rise up. Again. Again. And again.

   In his subsequent appearances, Bowser has been dropped into holes, exploded, pulverized, run off the road, super smashed and crushed by the weight of his entire castle. He has suffered losses, set-backs, defeats and the like. The Mario Bros. succeed in ruining him repeatedly. So what keeps him coming back for more?

   Well, for one, he's a fictional character, Moses.

   Look, I know that, you mook.

   What keeps this fictional character going is a very non-fictional attribute: determination. Determination is that which says "I know it's hard. I know I fail. I know I've fallen into this stupid lava pit again and again. But I'm going to keep trying." If there's any fictional character that has embodied the will to never give up, it's the Koopa King. But if there's any non-fictional character that has repeatedly given up, it's the writer of this blog.

   I will admit that I lack determination. If I have to do something difficult (God forbid fight off an angry plumber over a pit of magma), my immediate reactions are complaining, griping, moaning, attempting and all around trying to figure out a way out.

   There's an old forgotten hymn that goes:

I am resolved no longer to linger,
Charmed by the world’s delight,
Things that are higher, things that are nobler,
These have allured my sight.

I am resolved to go to the Savior,
Leaving my sin and strife;
He is the true One, He is the just One,
He hath the words of life.

I am resolved to follow the Savior,
Faithful and true each day;
Heed what He sayeth, do what He willeth,
He is the living Way.

I am resolved to enter the kingdom
Leaving the paths of sin;
Friends may oppose me, foes may beset me,
Still will I enter in.

Refrain:

I will hasten to Him, hasten so glad and free;
Jesus, greatest, highest, I will come to Thee.
I will hasten, hasten to Him, hasten so glad and free;
Jesus, Jesus, greatest, highest, I will come to Thee.

   Where has resolution gone off to? Where is Christian determination? Where is the strength to promise within myself that I will go where He calls, say what He wants and do as He commands despite the fact that I will often fail?

   "Well, what about resolution? What about determination?" someone will say. After all, the apostle who saw the living Christ, who walked and talked with the Lamb of God, said to Him face to face that he would never deny Him, and yet he certainly did, and that three times! So what about determination?

   Well why is it then that the prophet in Babylon is praised for refusing the king's delicacies because he had purposed in his heart? Why is it then that the patient sufferer of old is applauded for making a covenant with his eyes? Why is the builder of the ark looked at in awe for his perseverance through 100 years of construction whilst his neighbors jibbed him at every word? Why is the runner of the race lauded for his self-discipline and his resolve to finish his race? Why does the blue ribbon go to the men who determined and succeeded? Because they succeeded.

   To the failure goes the old line: "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." It is almost expected to fail. I mean, after all, I'm human aren't I? I'm inclined to failure. And even if you don't believe in any of this Christianity stuff, you must know that even you aren't perfect all of the time, and that you surely don't always perfectly perform?

   There must be some kind of a balance here. I daren't say that I will never fail, and yet expecting failure, I don't even want to try. And yet to fail to give myself the chance to fail, or to succeed, is the greatest failure foremost. There are things in this life worth a little perseverance: character, happiness, dreams, eternal life, enduring relationships.

   Let them tell me "the princess is in another castle"! God, give me strength to go on to the next castle. God, give me perseverance to try for the things that are worth it. God, give me resolve through my failures. The frightening thing to me is that I'll hit the Publish button and immediately go back to the guy I've always been... Dare I say that I'm determined not to?

   "How few there are who have courage enough to own their faults, or resolution enough to mend them."

 --Benjamin Franklin




     Be one of the Few.

       ~norton

Mo Says...

 

THESE are just a collection of cartoons I drew up at work in the hopes of a few laughs. They are known as 'Mo Sayses'. Some of the quotes and jokes are not mine.

Click the pictures for a close-up.

 

 

The Psychology of Rock-Paper-Scissors

  "Jan-kenna-man-kenna-socka-socka-pon!"

   THAT was our battle cry growing up, learning to throw down our fists in the shape of our weapon of choice. Jan-ken-pon was pretty popular in Hawaii in the 90's, what with its larger Japanese population. We often used the game to settle minor disputes, to see who got to ride up front or who got to go first in line. How often our knuckles cracked like fireworks. How often our palms ached. Our fingers thobbed with the rhythm of our racing hearts because you only ever play to win.

    With that in mind, I've noticed some things playing rock-paper-scissors through the years. What I like about the game is that it requires quick choices, immediate choices, really. There's no strategizing or pre-planning. No one can think that fast. You just choose and it's all random, like the roll of a die.

    Or is it?

    Most people I've played or seen play tend to lead with rock. Why is that? I think because of the fact that everyone wants to win. There's no point in playing if you don't want to win. And so, everyone picks rock as their opening sign because in their minds it is 1. the first sign they think of since the game is called ROCK-paper-scissors, and 2. because a rock is in reality the strongest element of the three hand-signs. It's difficult to rationalize how a piece of paper triumphs over a chunk of granite.

   There are no random actions, unless your opponent isn't thinking. Most rational human beings make rational decisions, even at high speeds. Human beings playing rock-paper-scissors are often non-random.

    That having been said, a lot of the times the first round is a tie. But if it isn't, it's either because someone was thinking they could be sneaky and play scissors in the hopes that their opponent would open with paper, which no one ever does. Or maybe someone actually did open with paper. Bust out the party hats and cake, you've just seen a rare, historic event!

    At any rate, the game is now over. Go home happy and resume your lives.

    But what if there were two rocks on the first round. Now it gets trickier to predict, seemingly. There's little chance that the human mind will revert to rock again, unless the player pointedly decides it. What I've found, is that on the second round, especially if the first round was a rock-tie, people play paper. A couple reasons for this: 1. they already saw rock and their minds immediately jump to rock's weakness of paper, 2. they still want to win, now probably much more after having tied the first round. So paper went from being the least played to the most played between the first and second rounds. A person who plays paper on the second round after a rock-tie follows their impulse.

    Sure, there's a chance someone will be real nutty and play scissors on the second round, following a rock-tie, but they'll have to be real conscious about it. Scissors following rocks seems to be the weakest choice. Even less likely will someone play a rock the second round.

    So let's say then that the first round was a rock-tie (which is pretty probable) and the second round is a paper-tie (which is somewhat probable), what do you think will likely occur in the third round? You guessed it, a scissors-tie. The human mind automatically jumped to scissors for the same reasons it jumped to the other hand-signals. Consider also, that scissors is the last element of the three in the title: Rock-Paper-Scissors.

    Therefore, playing the game of Jan-ken-pon is highly psychological, not in that you're trying to outthink your opponent, but that you're trying to get in his head. If you can guess what he's going to play next, then you've got the finger motions to make sure he runs home in defeat. It doesn't matter how fast you are. It doesn't matter if you can see hand-signs forming and show yours late. Depending on the result of the first round, the second round is effected, and then the third should the second be a tie, and then the fourth, the fifth, sixth, seventh, eight, ad infinitum. The probabilities of your opponent reverting to specific hand-signs changes with each round, with the best probability going to the sign that was stronger than the previous sign. And now you'll never be able to play the same way again. Sorry about that.

    Now don't even get me started on rock-paper-scissors with three or more people...

  ~norton

Christian Thoughts #002: on "Earthbound"

 

   RELEASED in mid 90's on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Earthbound was an unorthodox RPG. I don't remember when I first got a hold of the cartridge, but I do remember feeling some disappointment at its mundane, lackluster, cartoony graphics. I used to complain, as I held the controller in my hands and stared at the tv for hours, that it looked like a kid had drawn up the characters. But I didn't know any better. Earthbound is a unique and endearing story.

   The game introduces the player to Ness (of Super Smash Bros. fame), the hero of the tale, as well as his friends  Paula, Jeff and... Poo. Yes. That's not a typo.

   These four children are united across vast distances to overcome the dangers of wild animals, crazy neighbors, moving plants, monsters, zombies, robots and aliens on an adventure to confront and defeat a mysterious nemesis known as Giygas.

   Fast forward to the end of the game. Giygas, the alien mastermind, turns out to be a mindless embodiment of evil. The final battle is memorable. Giygas appears as nothing more than a swirling background, fetus-like, red, accompanied by horrific nightmare-sounds. Go and look it up. You know you want to. But close your eyes... jk, here it is!

 

Ewwwww!!!

  Pokey Minch, the cruel-hearted neighbor of Ness, informs the player: "Giygas cannot think rationally any more, and he isn't even aware of what he is doing now. His own mind was destroyed by his incredible power. What an all-mighty idiot! Yep, that's what he is! Heh heh heh heh... and you... you will be... just another meal to him!"

  What-the-purgatory!

  That's not fair! We're just a bunch of kids! What is your youthful cast of characters supposed to do in the face of such power? What hope could they possibly have? Sure, one of them is a genius and another is named... Poo... but what is that in comparison with pure evil and sheer strength on a wickedly cosmological scale?

  The answer is: pray.

  Y'see, each of the four friends have unique abilities. Ness has unique psionic abilities. Jeff can operate items like bottlerockets and insecticide spray. Poo can mirror enemy abilities. And Paula can pray.

  Now during the bulk of the game, her ability to pray is underrated. But when the finale begins, when the four friends have braved the horrors of Giygas and stand face to face with ultimate evil, it's not the powers of the three boys which brings victory to the forces of good, but the seemingly insignificant and invaluable skill of Paula's prayer.

  Each time the player chooses this ability, Giygas suffers an increasing amount of damage. The prayers call out of the darkness, reaching other characters which the four friends met during their quest, who then reach out with their hearts and their prayers as well. Finally, for the finishing blow, Paula calls out to the player. It's surreal. And it's with that final blow that Giygas fades away, ultimate evil is defeated and good triumphs because of the oft-overlooked ability of prayer.

  James writes "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (NKJV). He goes on to write that the prophet Elijah was just a regular man, with a human nature like our own, yet he prayed earnestly and wild things happened. It didn't rain for three and a half years.

  Don't ask me how prayer works. It does. The crazy thing is that it does. Prayer that is submissive to and alinged with the will of God is effective. The good book says it tears down strongholds.

  As human beings in our human world, we can sometimes face tremendous difficulties: financial, relational, political, national, professional or familial difficulties. Compound that with the realization that we are human beings in not just a human world, but a spiritual world. The Bible describes the Christian life as being one of warfare against beings that are not flesh and blood. Satan and his fallen angels are a powerful force of evil influence in our world, just like the character of Giygas and his armies.

  So what is the good Christian to do in the face of such power? What hope could they possibly have? Are we to place our focus on greater education, our hopes in better technology, connectivity or planning? Are we to search out the wisdom of man, the best and newest ideas, the best and newest formulas for success?

  No, we are to say our prayers. Prayer strikes the winning blow. Prayer causes demons to tremble. Against prayer, men are helpless.

  The question is: do I overlook prayer, one of the greatest weapons in the Christian arsenal? Do I consider those prayerful words as going up into the air to nothing? Do I think it's falling on deaf, or worse, uncaring ears? Heck, sometimes I just flat out didn't want to. So do I call it a waste of time? Or do I take hold of prayer with both hands? Will I?

   In the game of Earthbound, I esteemed prayer as nothing. I didn't give it two seconds of thought. But I needed it to finish the quest.

   In my life, I have esteemed prayer lowly. Often sleep or friends, breakfast or dinner, entertainment, events and many other things took it's place. There is a challenge here in all these words.

   As a better man once said:

"The power of prayer has never been tried to its full capacity in any church. If we want to see mighty wonders of divine grace and power wrought in the place of weakness, failure and disappointment, let the whole church answer God's standing challenge: 'Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knows not'."
        - J. Hudson Taylor

Finish the quest.

                                       ~norton