For over a decade, I preached about alternative technologies -- especially about open source. I even had a little following and still persuade users to use open technologies like Ubuntu Linux (the operating system I use; http://www.ubuntu.com/).
I guess I must now concentrate on people and not merely on machines.
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
devotionals, pt. 3; a rock & roll ministry? yeah right!
I've tempted to study to become a pastor and not merely be layman (http://project05952381.blogspot.com/2010/07/devotionals-pt-2.html). I know websites where one can become a "minister" with a five-minute course, but I feel this is wrong. I strongly believe that a person must get a bachelor of divinity (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachelor_of_Divinity) at least.
Being honest to myself and to God, I must admit I don't know if I could take the endeavor of divinity studies. I could take some classes to learn more about God and to better my life and that of my children, but perhaps not to become a pastor.
Besides I'd be a weird pastor playing my electric guitar through a Marshall amp whenever I could. My defective brain (http://project05952381.blogspot.com/2010/07/my-lack-of-faith-my-mental-disease.html) might get me trouble if I were to take such a stand. I'm too much of a (crazy, obnoxious, etc) rocker to stand in a pulpit and preach without getting enraged and probably cursing. Perhaps it's all a wrong dream.
Well for the time being, I'll continue working on technology, reading books and essays from German philosophers (Nietzsche, Kant, etc) and writing on this blog for what it's worth.
Being honest to myself and to God, I must admit I don't know if I could take the endeavor of divinity studies. I could take some classes to learn more about God and to better my life and that of my children, but perhaps not to become a pastor.
Besides I'd be a weird pastor playing my electric guitar through a Marshall amp whenever I could. My defective brain (http://project05952381.blogspot.com/2010/07/my-lack-of-faith-my-mental-disease.html) might get me trouble if I were to take such a stand. I'm too much of a (crazy, obnoxious, etc) rocker to stand in a pulpit and preach without getting enraged and probably cursing. Perhaps it's all a wrong dream.
Well for the time being, I'll continue working on technology, reading books and essays from German philosophers (Nietzsche, Kant, etc) and writing on this blog for what it's worth.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
friends from afar
I sometimes think how strange a simple fact of my life (and that of many, for that matter) is and/or can be. In the 39 years I've lived on this earth, I've made many friends and met many times as many other people. Some of my friends have traveled in many directions since, moving from one side of the world to the other.
For example, Anna moved back to TX after living like a decade in NYC.
Christine moved Seattle, WA, after living in NYC for several years.
Coto moved to his native Chile with his family. Dency and Gina also moved to Chile to accept separate jobs (weird coincidence). That's three of the elementary/high school gang spread though out Chile.
Dina (NY born and bred) moved to Israel.
Eileen lives in NJ and recently moved further in that state -- a little over an hour away from NYC.
I-An first moved Australia and then back in her native Taiwan. Her sister I-Chun in the other hand moved to San Francisco, CA.
Julian first moved back to his native Argentina, then to Seattle and recently to Iceland.
July and Cachi moved to FL -- the same state where my grandfather moved close to two decades ago.
Lisby moved to Sweden where her husband is from.
Sandra might be moving to NC this fall.
Tony (my best friend in elementary school) moved to Lebanon after the sixth grade.
Yanny moved to VA with her husband and children. By the way, her sister Gaby also moved there.
Of course, there are many others, but I can't recall them all right now.
Meanwhile I moved back to NYC where I lived as a child and surprisingly the youngest of my two sisters (18 months older than I) moved to Spain several years ago.
I also have "pen pals" in Britain and Italy (where my great grandfather was born).
It's funny and interesting how we can all use technology (internet and email, especially) to keep in touch and still make fun of one another. There's no way the constant and mutual teasing was ever going to stop.
At the end of the day, we're all nomads making the whole world our playground without limits of any kind. As long as we have our technology and gadgets, we seem to be happy.
For example, Anna moved back to TX after living like a decade in NYC.
Christine moved Seattle, WA, after living in NYC for several years.
Coto moved to his native Chile with his family. Dency and Gina also moved to Chile to accept separate jobs (weird coincidence). That's three of the elementary/high school gang spread though out Chile.
Dina (NY born and bred) moved to Israel.
Eileen lives in NJ and recently moved further in that state -- a little over an hour away from NYC.
I-An first moved Australia and then back in her native Taiwan. Her sister I-Chun in the other hand moved to San Francisco, CA.
Julian first moved back to his native Argentina, then to Seattle and recently to Iceland.
July and Cachi moved to FL -- the same state where my grandfather moved close to two decades ago.
Lisby moved to Sweden where her husband is from.
Sandra might be moving to NC this fall.
Tony (my best friend in elementary school) moved to Lebanon after the sixth grade.
Yanny moved to VA with her husband and children. By the way, her sister Gaby also moved there.
Of course, there are many others, but I can't recall them all right now.
Meanwhile I moved back to NYC where I lived as a child and surprisingly the youngest of my two sisters (18 months older than I) moved to Spain several years ago.
I also have "pen pals" in Britain and Italy (where my great grandfather was born).
It's funny and interesting how we can all use technology (internet and email, especially) to keep in touch and still make fun of one another. There's no way the constant and mutual teasing was ever going to stop.
At the end of the day, we're all nomads making the whole world our playground without limits of any kind. As long as we have our technology and gadgets, we seem to be happy.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
religion in a technological world
Technology is a great way (maybe the best way after the Gutenberg press and the publishing the Bible for common people to read and study, circa 1450, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gutenberg_Bible) to propagate the name of God. For example, if a church or congregation leader wants to communicate with others for any reason whatsoever, he/she can send an email, post a quick note on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/) and/or Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/) aside from posting such information on the church website.
In a real life example, the pastor at FAPC (http://www.fapc.org/) sent an urgent email this past winter during a heavy storm indicating that many children activities and the 9:30 service were canceled for that Sunday. This way the congregation knew that the church would open late and Sunday school was canceled for that Sunday only.
Groups like Geeks and God (http://www.geeksandgod.com/) promote open source technologies to create websites, forums, email systems and other services that a church can use to reach its congregation and others. For example, some churches have a live feed of their service for those who can't go to church for whatever reason (handicapped, elderly, etc) or excuse.
At the same time, some companies offer their services for free for non-profit organizations (churches included, of course not using the words "church" or "religion" to be politically correct). In this latter case, Google (http://www.google.com/) fits perfectly providing some services for free to promote other or the same services in a larger scale for a fee.
I will stop here 'cause I can write for hours about technology. I might continue later.
In a real life example, the pastor at FAPC (http://www.fapc.org/) sent an urgent email this past winter during a heavy storm indicating that many children activities and the 9:30 service were canceled for that Sunday. This way the congregation knew that the church would open late and Sunday school was canceled for that Sunday only.
Groups like Geeks and God (http://www.geeksandgod.com/) promote open source technologies to create websites, forums, email systems and other services that a church can use to reach its congregation and others. For example, some churches have a live feed of their service for those who can't go to church for whatever reason (handicapped, elderly, etc) or excuse.
At the same time, some companies offer their services for free for non-profit organizations (churches included, of course not using the words "church" or "religion" to be politically correct). In this latter case, Google (http://www.google.com/) fits perfectly providing some services for free to promote other or the same services in a larger scale for a fee.
I will stop here 'cause I can write for hours about technology. I might continue later.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
lo-fi joke, for those who were born in the late 1960's and 1970's
LE CULTE DU CASSETTE (THE CASSETTE CULT)
Low Noise, Type I
* lo-fi joke, for those who were born in the late 1960's and 1970's
Well what got into me to change the name of this blog from "Shopping for Faith" to "Le Culte du Cassette" (The Cassette Cult)? There's a joke in all this. Read it all or just jump to reason five (5) and not read the whole boring explanation.
1. It's a lo-fi joke for those who were born in the late 1960's and 1970's who might get it right away. Back when we were younger (1980's), most of us used cassettes to listen to our favorite records from whichever music genre (in my case, all forms of hard rock like punk and thrash).
2. To some of us back then, music genres were like subcultures, like a religion -- from choosing your friends (not limited by sex, race or religion) to what you wore (in my case, jeans and a black MC jacket).
3. Nowadays there's a retro community (1970-80's music, clothes, cars, guitars, etc) who still sees music as a deciding factor in human relationships, in the same way, that members of a church (religion, denomination, faith, beliefs, traditions, building, etc) become a subculture as we befriend other members of the same church.
4. Since some religious groups (also definable as subcultures) are considered cults for being deviant from the mainstream practice of Christianity, the new name is a mockery of this whole experience, human condition, situation and/or schism. Now is this a mockery of God? No, it's rather a mockery on man-made religion (practices) and oneself.
5. Then again I simply wanted to change the name from "Shopping for Faith" to something more relevant like enjoying religion and faith as most of us enjoy and love music (even in outdated, low fidelity technology). After all I already shopped for a spiritual home (a church) and I found one with several people whom I've become good friends with.
Low Noise, Type I
* lo-fi joke, for those who were born in the late 1960's and 1970's
Well what got into me to change the name of this blog from "Shopping for Faith" to "Le Culte du Cassette" (The Cassette Cult)? There's a joke in all this. Read it all or just jump to reason five (5) and not read the whole boring explanation.
1. It's a lo-fi joke for those who were born in the late 1960's and 1970's who might get it right away. Back when we were younger (1980's), most of us used cassettes to listen to our favorite records from whichever music genre (in my case, all forms of hard rock like punk and thrash).
2. To some of us back then, music genres were like subcultures, like a religion -- from choosing your friends (not limited by sex, race or religion) to what you wore (in my case, jeans and a black MC jacket).
3. Nowadays there's a retro community (1970-80's music, clothes, cars, guitars, etc) who still sees music as a deciding factor in human relationships, in the same way, that members of a church (religion, denomination, faith, beliefs, traditions, building, etc) become a subculture as we befriend other members of the same church.
4. Since some religious groups (also definable as subcultures) are considered cults for being deviant from the mainstream practice of Christianity, the new name is a mockery of this whole experience, human condition, situation and/or schism. Now is this a mockery of God? No, it's rather a mockery on man-made religion (practices) and oneself.
5. Then again I simply wanted to change the name from "Shopping for Faith" to something more relevant like enjoying religion and faith as most of us enjoy and love music (even in outdated, low fidelity technology). After all I already shopped for a spiritual home (a church) and I found one with several people whom I've become good friends with.
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