HokiePundit

Not Dead

I just haven't had much to say, lately. I mean, the election's on, and I hope for the sake of just about anything I can think of that Bush wins. But, it's not the end of the world if he doesn't. Maybe an era of American history, but the world will go on. In Blacksburg, there are obviously a lot more Kerry signs and stickers than ones for Bush, but the number of Bush signs and stickers seems to be growing steadily. Also, I've noticed that a very large number of girls I know plan on voting for Bush. If they truly represent the college girl demographic, I think Kerry is in super-mega-huge trouble.

This Thursday's game against Georgia Tech will be the only game (other than possibly the bowl game) which I won't be attending this season. The band travelled (or will travel) to DC for the USC game and down to Winston-Salem for the Wake Forest game. I could make it to the game, as I don't have any classes this week after Thursday morning, but I don't know anyone else who could go, so what would be the point? Besides, I've already organized a road trip of ten Navigators (due to the laws of irony, we'll surely get lost along the way) to the Miami game in December. This weekend, I head home, as my grandmother will be turning 96 and my only uncle will be in town from Italy. Also, my dad's alma mater, VMI, will be the Homecoming fodder for the I-AA powerhouse JMU, where one of my sisters attends, this Saturday. My sister doesn't care about her football team, and so my parents and I aren't really sure what to do. I personally refuse to wear JMU gear, as every time we play them they try to cripple our Heisman candidates. My dad will of course wear VMI gear, and my mom is undecided and will probably opt for something neutral. I'll probably wear a Tech sweatshirt and cheer for VMI.

I've also started dating a girl I'd known extremely slightly for a while, but only started really talking to a few weeks ago. I think she's a lot smarter than I am. My sister at Radford is complaining that all the guys there ever talk about is football, and they spend all their time playing football outside or on their video game consoles. My parents assured her that this is the way of the world.

In any case, I'm recharging. I've also got a super-mega-huge amount of homework. Give me a week or so, and we'll see if things don't start picking up around here.

No One Listens To Christian Music

Well, that's not entirely true, but it's not that far off, either. Mark Shea's post about a new emergence of Christian hip-hop got me thinking (always dangerous). As good as many (but certainly not all!) Christian-themed bands are, very few are heard outside Evangelical circles. Let's go with a quick list of Christian rock bands or rap groups, and, assuming you listen to modern rock and rap, think how many you've heard on your local rock station.
DC Talk
Audio Adrenaline
Relient K
O.C. Supertones
MercyMe
Switchfoot
Cross Movement
Da TRUTH
Grits
T-Bone
Gospel Gangstaz
Newsboys
Third Day
Sanctus Real
Jars of Clay
Delirious?
Insyderz
Five Iron Frenzy

Probably not many. MercyMe and Switchfoot have made it in fairly recently, but other than a few one-hit-breakthroughs back when I was in high school for those such as Jars of Clay and DC Talk, there's not a lot of successful crossover. You're far more likely to have heard of Evanescence, Lifehouse, P.O.D., or U2. Why do you think that is?

Dating and Courting

I've been reading Joshua Harris' Boy Meets Girl, which I heartily recommend to anyone seeking advice on how to pursue Godly romantic relationships. However, there are some things which he seems to gloss over, perhaps assuming that people already know. I was talking to a friend of mine, and despite our talking with parents, siblings, friends, and such, we're still not fully clear on what dating is. We're thinking that until we can figure out exactly what is meant by each, we have no business doing either.

Courting seems to cover a spectrum of thought, ranging from "dating with purpose and responsibility" to "pre-engagement." Generally, though, it involves the guy having asked permission from the girl's father (or appropriate guardian) to get into a relationship with her in which they will try and determine if they should get married down the line. So that's fairly easy to recognize.

Dating, however, is more complicated. The standard image is a guy and a girl who only go out with each other, kiss, hold hands, and write bad poetry to each other. However, there's more to it than that. Sometimes, dating and courting are synonyms. However, our concern is over what constitutes a "date." Is it a guy and a girl (obviously not close relatives) going and doing something together? Does there have to be romantic interest from one or both people? I mean, I can say if something isn't a date, but I'm not sure I can prove it.

If I eat lunch with a girl in whom I'm not interested, is that a date? What if I'm interested in her (whether she is interested in me or not), does it become a date if it wasn't before? Assuming either situation is a date, and a friend comes and joins us, does it cease being a date? If I eat lunch with a friend's romantic interest, I don't think that's a date, but it would be one if I ate lunch with someone in whom I'm interested.

Basically, it's very important to me to figure out what is and isn't a date, so I can figure out when I am and am not going on dates. I don't want to lead either girls or myself on, but I do want to be able to recognize what I'm doing. If there should be no dating before courtship, and lunch alone with a girl is a date, then I need to rework some things.

If you're confused at this point, that's okay. So am I. However, any thoughts, especially from girls (and you can be anonymous), on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

WE MUST PROTECT THIS COUCH!

This past Saturday, the unranked Virginia Tech Hokies shattered the national title hopes of the #7 West Virginia Mountaineers to the tune of 19-13.

It was sweet.

As you may remember, I went to the game in Morgantown last year, where the national title hopes of the #3 Virginia Tech Hokies were shattered by the unranked West Virginia Mountaineers. And do you know what? After Saturday, I still think WVU fans have the least class of any in college football. Empty whiskey bottles were thrown at the members of our Corps of Cadets after the game, and the bad blood continued. Currently, we're scheduled to play them one more time, at Morgantown in 2005, but there's serious talk of simply paying to cancel the game and schedule a home game against some minor team instead. It's simply not safe there. Last year, there was an attempt to kidnap some Tech fans and tape them to a couch which was about to be burned. Football fans should not have to fear for their lives when visiting an opposing school. N.C. State was here last week, and we got on like peas and carrots despite our losing 17-16. We've got a reputation as a fairly hospitable school to visiting fans.

I am a little worried, though, as several friends and I will be making the trek down to Miami for the December 4th game against the Hurricanes. Last time, some friends of mine who went reported that they were spat on and had things thrown at them from the upper levels. We're hosting Maryland this year, but I'm told that their fans would rival those of WVU. This is just stupid. It's only football. Despite our having a huge rivalry with UVA (aka Dopey Scissors University), I think both schools respect each other and no fan would ever be in danger of more than taunting at either place.

Having beaten WVU, Tech has taken possession of the Black Diamond Trophy. I say, let's cancel the game next year, never play them again, and keep the stupid thing for all time.

From The Liner Notes of College Dropout

"THANK GOD!!! Thank U so much, You've worked miracles in my life, I always use 2 think, why there no good rappers on GOD's side??? I know I'm not where need 2 be, matter fact, far from it! but...well u know when a n**** use the word but, he finna come with an excuse....I don't got no excuse, you spared my life and I still be on bull****! AMEN! YOU ARE THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF MY LIFE THANK U!"
-Kanye West

Sisyphied

There are some areas in my life where I feel a lot like Sisyphus, perpetually rolling my rock uphill, only to see it consistently roll down again. While I've gotten angry about this situation, in its various guises, I had essentially resigned myself to the idea that it was the way of things. I would obviously like to be in a different situation, but I can accept that God wants to see how I act under adversity rather than what I do once I get rewards. Sometimes, the things we want simply aren't meant for us. Having accepted that the situation will remain the same, I was able (warning, I'm going to beat this metaphor into a bloody pulp) to learn from experience, so that every time I pushed my boulder, I knew more about the rock itself and the hill on which I labored, so that when I inevitably had to start again, it was easier because I knew where the best traction and danger points were.

The problem is that I was recently pushing my boulder when I was startled to realize that I'd made it further up the hill than ever before, and yet the rock had yet to tumble. A famous author (I can't remember which, though I'd love to find out) once said that he was fascinated by Sisyphus, especially the point right after the rock had rolled back down but before the man himself had decided to turn around and trudge back. Almost as interesting is the situation in which I now stand. Part of me wants to just let the rock go back down. If it is destined to go down anyway, it'll be far less frustrating for it to do so now, rather than once I've gotten my hopes up. I don't really know the lay of the land, and the chances of a catastrophic misstep are high. However, the rest of me is screaming out to keep going. I know that a single false move could be disastrous, and so it is absolutely vitally important to take my time. If God wants the boulder moved, He'll allow me to move it.

Huh

You know, Erika has a good observation about tonight's Presidential debate which I haven't seen mentioned anywhere else. Very revealing, I think.