The number 4 and why I hate it

So many of you are probably wondering why am I talking about this.  Believe it or not, I have had several people request this post after my post on random facts about me on my blog.  Well, ok maybe just Darren and Mike, but I am doing it anyways.  And besides it is my turn for an “Andy Rooney moment” anyways.

First of all, the symbol of the number four does not in my opinion match the overall scheme of numeral system we use.  And it seems to be the ugliest symbol in our system as well.

It also seems to stand out for some reason, like look at me I’m different.  But it is not any better than the rest.

Also, there are too many ways to draw a number 4.  For instance you can have the top with a triangle or as an open box.  It can also be drawn with a tail on the right side and in the middle.  

It seems to look top-heavy.  Structurally it just can’t sit up right in any way, either on its side (because of the tail) or standing up.  

It takes to many strokes/sides to complete a 4.  Yes I know that 5 has many twists but at least you don’t have to raise your pen to write it.  This is one of the major issues I have with 4.

It is ridiculously asymmetrical.  There are many numbers which are assymetrical, but 4 is to me the most unappealing asymmetrical design of all of the numbers.  

So far most of these reasons have been with the design of 4, but rightly so, since this is the major reason I do not like it.  I have hated the number 4 since I was a kid mainly because I never liked to write it.  

Anyways… on to the concept issues

Let me just say one thing before I begin on to the “concept” section.  I have no problem with the idea of 4 existing.  In arabic and roman numeral systems and all numeral systems, 4 has to exist somewhere.  And I have no problem with that.  I don’t have a problem that there are 4 wheels on my car or sitting in a group of 4 people.  The concept is useful since it is an even number and as Mike says, “The world is set up for groups of 4 people.”  I am okay with this and am not frustrated because of that.

Four is a homonym for “for” and “fore”.  Now you are saying, “Well ‘2’ is a homonym for ‘to’ and ‘too’.”  Yes I realize that but that is the only issue I have with the number 2 and I have always liked the number  2 because it is also a pair.  There also other reasons I like 2, one is because it always seems safer to 2 than just 1 and it is so small that it seems efficient anyways.  

It is too close to the number 5 that it always seems incomplete.  In tally marks and roman numeral systems it is always easier to have 5 being complete.  Also, 5 is half of ten which makes it very easy to count.  And 4 is dreadfully close to being very efficient as a 5 but not quite there.  Having $4 is annoying because you could just have a $5 for one more single.  The number 9 is close to 10, but I don’t have an issue with this because it is the last single digit number.  Therefore it can’t be compared to 10.  When counting $9, the $4 is really the pain, and I am biased towards hating $4 anyways because of the other issues I have with it.

Anyways, that is about it.  Oh and Mike about your question if I hated any of the letters of the alphabet; I have always thought “C” was a waste.  Since you can make the same sound either with an “S” or a “K”.  But I do agree that “N” is annoying to draw, and “B”.  

So there you go.  There are my issues with “4”. This is a peek into the very complex and puzzling nature of my mind.

 

authenticity

So this post started while I was in Chicago last month. I figured I would finish it and post it.

While I was in Chicago, I noticed something about people. I was in a store and they greeted us like this,

“Hello, welcome. How are you guys doing today?”

“Hi, I am doing great, thanks. How are you today?” I replied

“Oh well I’m good.” she murmured in a fading tone

It was obvious to me at least that she really wasn’t having a good day and just felt like saying that she was good. Why is this? Is it because it has become the norm to automatically reply in this fashion. It seems like society has made it too awkward to be original with people. To actually let people know that you are just doing okay or bad is not popular. At first, I thought this was just maybe because she was at work, but I have since noticed this all around and even with my friends and family at times. If you know me well, you know that I can usually tell when somebody is not doing well, even when they try to hide it. This seems to be one of my very few gifts I have but still.

Anyways, why is it that our reaction to this sort of question is always to try and look like we have everything together. We all know that we don’t so why do we hide this? Anyways, these are just some random thoughts from a pathological procrastinator. (I should be studying right now)

Lifehacker moment: Time Management

From a man who only has 6 months to live due to cancer, a 1.5 hour long presentation on how to properly manage your time. I’ll leave you with 2 pieces of advice for this:

1. Start at 12 minutes in if you want to skip the intro.

2. Watch the whole thing, and don’t watch it passively. If you’re going to watch it, don’t do anything else. If you have to do something else, pause it and come back.

Enjoy!

Suck Up’s We all Know Them

How to Change the World: The Art of Sucking Up

Check out this article about the best way to be a suck up. It gives you some perspective on how we suck up with out even knowing and how we can totally blow the efforts of our sucking up.

Think to yourself, who is the worst suck up you have ever met, then read this article.

I would love it if you leave a comment on other names for suck ups. Please keep it pg-13 🙂

Relationships: A World View

Sadly I believe this is the world view of relationships. I know many people my age who are engaged or getting married soon and I see this very logic behind some of their relationships. Now am I a hopeful romantic, because I believe there is a lot more to relationships than this. I believe that honest, original, and unconditional love can be found in a relationship with someone. I believe that we don’t have to settle, that we can find that “Fairy Tale” romance.

When I was growing up which in all honestly wasn’t that long ago, the ideals of love came from the Disney movies and cartoons that I watched. Dreaming of a princess to rescue was not uncommon. Today though, children and teens, only see love in a way that reality TV and MTV portray it. There are shows like Cheaters, The Hills, and The Bachelor which make relationships seem so worldly, logical, and under appreciated. No wonder the divorce rate is rocketing higher.

Kids may view relationships now in a completely selfish way. Who I date is how others see me, I need to get married first, Have a kid first, date as many people as possible so I know what a relationship is. They never take time to care for the other person, invest in the other person, or truly learn to love the other person. Like our housing, our relationships are being turned out like cookie cutters.

This video will help you better understand what I mean.

Vodpod videos no longer available. from www.fliggo.com posted with vodpod

All out there

So a few weeks ago my sister mentioned to me that she was really upset because many people around her and people she meets seem to be very vocal against Christians and against a lot of different people. She was upset because she was worried people assumed she felt the same way and that people didn’t see her as a Christian. After talking though, she realized that they didn’t know her at all and hadn’t spent enough time to analyze her actions or her words. I told her that they were just people who are probably angry and need to vent. Then I realized that people do this to me too sometimes, in fact often when I am not around other Christians. When my sister and I were downtown we met this guy handing out pamphlets for some random political candidate. He also mentioned we should walk the other way to avoid the Christian rally and group on the other side of the street. He called them bible-bashers and righteousfolk. We were kinda just upset that he felt it important enough to let others know how to avoid people who are doing ministry in the city. Not only that, but this was another example where somebody assumed that we did have a Christian faith. We were inclined to go across the street and see what he was talking about. When we went over there we saw people who were holding up signs and handing out pamphlets for their church. However, I didn’t see anyone that would be what I consider a “bible-basher”. It made me realize that maybe he assumed everybody disliked people.

Then something like this happened to me a little while later. I was at lunch with these guys and they started to pretty much make fun of Christians and discount the Bible. I let them know in the most non-judgmental way I could that not all Christians were how they described and spoke up on my faith. But it still startled me how bold people could be.

So here is the thing, do people assume that me and my sister don’t have a faith? Is it because we are not acting the right way or showing love for them enough? I struggled with this a lot and this is what I have come up with. This sort of thing happens when I am around people that I am just newly visiting. People I spend much time at all know that I am a Christian and my ministry, I enjoy sharing this part of my life. Maybe it is because these new people I meet are just a lot of times not paying attention and are consumed with their world and what is around them. This is why I need to be so careful to not consume myself with the world, but with the Spirit. I also need to be sure to be very accepting to everyone. Maybe it is because they don’t care what others think and say whatever they want. One thing that pointed out to me is that Satan is using this as a way to shut down Christ’s ministry. If non-believers can be this bold about how they feel against Christians, how much bolder should we be to love the people around us and share our faith more actively? It also makes me more inclined to embrace people like this because they have probably a reason to feel this way. I need to make sure that I am not holding back on loving people and that just loving them is not enough. Anybody else see this pattern or is it just me and my sister?  So I am going to make it a point to be all out with sharing my faith and do this better.

Being “Religious”-Is it good or bad?

Sooo, here’s a controversial topic, for all you snowed in folks.

During my bible study this past week, my friends and I talked about how in society, being “spiritual” is positive. This term brings a sense of calmness, devotion, and integrity to our minds. According to society, being “spiritual” does not have a negative connotation to it, and in a way, it can also be regarded as a “politically correct” term, because saying that you are “spiritual” does not limit you to a specific religion. (Like all my “quotation marks” so far?)

However, according to popular belief, being “religious” is regarded as a negative connotation. Many people believe that being “religious” means shouting to people about Christianity, specifically, trying to convert people beyond their control, and being a hypocrite, contradicting the very morals that you believe in. Certainly there have been many preachers or priests in the past who have strongly proclaimed their belief in the Lord, and they ended up going to jail or (perhaps hell, eek!) for their wrongful actions. It seems that because of these events, society automatically assumes that being “religious” means praising how faithful you are to a specific religion, and forcing others to become believers as well, but not being as faithful as you claim to be. (Sorry if that sounds really confusing) Society seems to be disgusted by the idea of “being religious”, so they replace that word with “spiritual.”

I agree with society that this action is wrong, but I believe that they are using the wrong term for it. Romans 2:17-24 says:

“Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God; if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

Nowhere does it say “this is the definition of ‘being religious’ “. Society, you’re not using the the term “religious” correctly.

Here is what I think “being religious” means.  I think it simply means to be actively devoted to your faith and belief, as well as following morals. It’s not ill-preaching, hypocrisy, or forcing conversion on people. It’s being active in your faith.

So what do you think, is being religious good or bad?

((I come home Friday! And i wanna see molly and andy!))

-LaurenMae

blogging=good

I recently read this article from Discovery news about blogging. They say that they have seen how people who blog and are involved in social networks feel more accepted and involved. Hmmm. I wonder why, no seriously though, I definitely agree that blogging is good for mental health, and as well as spiritual health. The article says that research shows people who blog are more confident that others can help them and feel more connected to a community. I think it also has to do with the fact that people feel like they are important. The web is huge and if people can still find and manage to help you, it makes you feel like you matter in the vast world.

Another thing I believe blogging does for people is that it allows people to vent their emotions or feelings as well as stuff they are going through in a constructive way. Instead of holding it in, people are connected and there to help.

The article states that social networking gets people to have more confidence in friendships in face-to-face as well as online. I have to agree, because sometimes when I am face-to-face with some of my friends, there are a lot of distractions that keep real conversations on the sidelines. Blogging helps to make things at least a little more intentional.

For me, I know that blogging has helped me to organize my thoughts and to understand more about what everyone in my life is going through. It helps me to look inside myself and really focus on what I am thinking and to make it in an archived format. I can look back at it whenever I want. I think many of the benefits from my blogging could have been achieved with a journal, but I just don’t do that. On the other hand, I feel like I belong to a community and I am not just talking to myself with my blog, as others can look at it and can discuss things, if not in the comments, then usually in person. I know I can discuss things better after I have already wrote down my thoughts. I know Brian spoke a little about what his thoughts were on blogs, I am curious to know how blogging has influenced the rest of you.

Facebook Disgust.

Yay first post! Here is my first rant.

As many of you know, Facebook is the infamous social networking site. I will admit that I have become a “facebook addict” ever since I moved away for college. It’s basically a way for me to connect with people who I cannot see every day. Other people use facebook in this same way, as well as writing on people’s walls and uploading photos. It seems that every time I look at my news feed on facebook (which I look at alot sadly), someone has uploaded a new photo album. Instantly, I see the photo album, become intrigued with what story the photos are telling, and I click on the photo album to look at all the pictures. However, lately I have been completely disgusted and annoyed with every photo album that I see.

It seems that every photo album shares the same story. People gather together at a party or whatever, take pictures of themselves with as many people as they can, with as many alcoholic drinks in their hand. Red plastic cups, blue plastic cups, Bacardi, Smirnoff, Budweiser, martini’s, beer pong,etc, etc. It’s almost as if they take their camera to parties/clubs just to say “I’m going to take all these pictures with all these people and all these drinks and post them on facebook, just to prove that I am accepted by other people!” How pathetic. But the worst part is all of these kids are under 21, getting away with fake I.D.s

I understand that drinking is the “college thing to do”, but what these people do not realize is how horrible they look and the extreme negative consequences that come from the photos. For example, during my senior year of high school 6 of my classmates almost lost their scholarships because of drunken, nude photos that were posted on facebook and then emailed to the high school principal by someone from another school who found them. Last month, my RA got fired from an inappropriate drunken facebook picture. In addition, not to mention, all the employers out there just looking to find pictures such as these and rejecting to hire you. Also, being at art school, I see that many art students feel the need to be drunk or high in order to get inspiration for their art projects. This is completely bullshit, and they know that. They just use this ill-logic as an excuse. (Sorry for the language, but it was fitting.)

I know that I shouldn’t judge, but I feel like this generation is hungry for attention. Their main goal is to be accepted by others, no matter the cost. But what about being accepted by christ? Isn’t that far more important than being accepted by other people?

Anyway, I just wish that these people could see how unoriginal and ridiculous they look, but of course they won’t come to that realization until the negative consequences occur. I apologize if this post offends anyone, but I actually don’t care if this offends you. I feel that I have a valid point and you should know that you’re ridiculous for posting such pictures up on the internet for the whole world to see.

I’ve been wanting to post this topic for awhile, and now I just avoid looking at these pictures.

Actually during the time that I have written this post, two more photo albums with this criteria have popped up on my news feed.

Facebook, you disgust me sometimes.

-LaurenMae

technology and consumerism

So today Apple released their new Macbook pro models and Macbooks. Normally I would not care so much, but if you know me, you probably already know that I just recently purchased a Macbook Pro only a few months ago.

The new models have faster processors, an LED backlit display, multi-touch touchpad, larger hard drives, and a better video card. The LED backlit displays mean better energy saving, higher contrast, and brighter overall. The multi-touch is kind of a gimmicky, with the ability to rotate pictures and swipe the touchpad to switch between Spaces. The processors are Intel’s newest and include a .2 Ghz update. This is not much but still an update nonetheless. The standard hard drive is now 200 Gb, compared to 160 only yesterday. The video cards have faster RAM (GDDR3 for those that care).

So, who cares, right? Well I just spent $1800 on my laptop in late November and already my model is the outdated one. The new models have many great features if I had only waited. I mean did I really need one that soon…. maybe. The thing is it just really sucks knowing that you can dish out that much money and still not be on the cutting edge for very long at all.

I think the most upsetting thing to me is the fact that even though is spent $1800 on a machine that before I can pay it off, it will already be outdated. This relates to Clyde’s post on debt, I think. We can never spend enough money. Technology is increasing faster than our wallets. It is never going to be good enough. This is the reason people spend so much money on leasing cars. They pay a monthly payment and never own the car and when the lease is up they immediately get a newer, shinier, better-smelling car. All the while never owning one or being free from the debt. I hope I never get trapped into this sort of thinking, well maybe I am already.

Recently I have been reading in Matthew, and this passage came to mind as I was typing this :

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. – Matthew 6:19-24

This has been on my heart alot lately. I think this summarizes the condition of consumerism and worldly possessions in our lives. I know that I am personally guilty of putting to much worth in worldly things. I think we all struggle with this. The only things that matter are the eternal things, the things that man can not destroy. Jesus says that he will provide, because the birds don’t starve, why would he let us. (Matthew 6:26).The fact is that the only thing we need is HIM.