And A Happy New Year.

I've been thinking, and I've come to the conclusion that 2008 has officially obtained a bad rep.  It's kinda sad, really.  I mean, I'd be pretty cheesed if I was a year and my overall outcome was determined by the results of a bunch of old, wealthy, greedy dudes trading stocks and failing at said activity.  Bummer, right?

In other news, it's almost 2009.  If I recall correctly, I made a post on the advent of 2008 talking about how it's pretty strange that the new year occurs within the time span between 11:59 PM and 12:00 AM, and decided that the new year process would take place all year long, as this was more fitting.  Well, the process is almost over!  (And for the record, I liked that way of looking at it much better.)

Anyway, I'm sitting here on Hans' couch listening to John, Emily, and Mike talk.  I think it's been a pretty good year, really.  I've made plenty of mistakes, I've gotten a lot of people mad at me, I've failed miserably at tons of stuff, and I've even managed to go $3500 into debt.

Yet the God of the universe looks down on me - a sinner, condemned, unclean - and pardons me.  He welcomes me into His presence with open arms, picking me up when I fail and separating me from my sins as far as the east is from the west.

All the times I sucked through this year, He told me otherwise.  All the times I wanted to call it quits, he slapped me upside the head and told me to focus.  All the times I messed up, He made the filth into a miracle.  It's mind-blowing, really.

And now, I'm about to see in a whole new year full of the same things.  I'm about to enjoy a year of God's mercy and grace, His genius plan and unbeatable timing.  I get to live out 365 more days on this earth, caught up in the wonder of life with Jesus as my Savior.*

I guess that what I'm trying to say is that it's been a very good year.  Go 2009.

-Daniel K

*And even if I die, I get to go hang out with Jesus in person.  Score.

It's Been Decided.

I’ve decided what I want to do after college. You see, for a while now I’ve been struggling with what exactly I’ll do when I run out of places to go to school. School is what I do best, as far as I’ve seen, and so the thought that someday I will have all my schooling behind me kinda freaks me out.
Seriously, what will I do without the constant challenge of staying awake during a midmorning class? And how will I fare when money is more available? Will I have to forgo yoinking a few handfuls of ketchup and salt from fast food restaurants to avoid having to purchase my own? What if I have to give up sneaking empty water bottles into the cafeteria to obtain free milk? I tell ya, I used to just sit around sometimes for hours dreading the time when tuition payments are a thing of the past.

But I digress. Onto the point of this blog.

I’ve decided what I want to do after college. *Ahem* “Private I.” Oh yeah. I’m going to be a private investigator. Think about it. It’s perfect for me! Being a Private I will allow me to utilize all of my unique skills. I’ll give you the low-down and lets see if you disagree with me.

First, I get to pretty much act as weird and off-the-wall as I want, because that’s what people expect when contracting a Private I... a dysfunctional yet thorough investigator. I mean, I’d have to act strange or else people would start asking hard questions - why are you a Private I, and not part of a bigwig corporation? What do you do with your spare time, anyway? Why do all your business cards have googly eyes hot glued to them? A hilariously offbeat quirk like having to lock and then unlock all the doors I pass through or the tendency to end all my sentences with “snarf” would make sure those questions go unasked.

Second, I get to spend a lot of my time creeping around. And I’m a guy who loves a good creep, you know what I mean? Nothing welcomes in the New Year like lurking within a Christmas tree in the park with an iPod and a pair of binoculars. Oh, and what better way to spend a Friday night than in a ventilation shaft with night vision goggles? Point and case.

Third, I would get to say the most awesome one-liners, like “bingo, Domingo,” when my comical sidekick figures out an obvious truth, or “checkmate” when I finally gather enough incriminating evidence to book the bad guy. That’s not even taking into account all the witty remarks I get to utter to annoying clients and/or inquisitive bystanders.

Fourth, I would get to pack heat. And I mean whatever kind of heat I want... With a little bit of certification, I could choose between a Derringer in the sock and a fully automatic rifle underneath a trench coat. I could even adopt a certain favorite weapon. Taking into account reason number one, it would have to be something quirky yet effective... A Civil War era cavalry revolver, perhaps? Or a Glock with a lucky rabbit’s foot attached to it. Ooh! There’s always the infamous sawed-off shotgun with a comical nickname - “The Mare’s Leg,” perhaps? Or “Stumpy?”

And fifth, I could choose to work anywhere I want. Perhaps I could investigate some perplexing cases in Portland, Oregon? That would be excellent - stalking the cold, puddle-laden streets late at night, chasing some obscure lead. Breath seeping out from between my gritted teeth rhythmically, steadily, eyes sweeping the deserted shop fronts. No, no, no. Phoenix, Arizona. It doesn’t get cold there, so late night stakeouts would be much more pleasant. Plus, I could act more like a cowboy in Phoenix, which is always fun to do. I could chew on buckwheat and wear a sweet hat if I set up shop in Phoenix.

So basically, it’s the ideal career choice for me. I can be mysterious, dangerous, daring, and free all at the same time. I guess all that remains would be to change my name to something more adventurous...

Thanks for reading,

-Jack Spicer, Private I

Revolutionary.

A while ago in macroeconomics, we learned about Milton Friedman. Friedman was an economist from the Chicago School who eventually earned the Nobel Prize in Economics. Among many, many other things, Friedman made a name for himself from what he did in Chile in the early 1970s. Basically, the strictly government controlled economy was floundering with inflation going crazy, and Friedman claimed that a free market system would cure this completely. This isn't a history lesson, so long story short: Friedman and his "Chicago Boys" rebooted the economy as a free market and it worked. The Chilean economy (though initially causing a lot of hardships for the poorer classes,) was set back on track, and it can be argued that this free market system eventually led to the establishment of a democracy in 1990.



* * *

Shift gears: Before I left for Thanksgiving, I was watching a show on the History Channel called "The Real Pirates of the Caribbean." It was a historical look at what life looked like for pirates in the Caribbean Sea when major sea profiteering first began. One of the first buccaneers they focused on was Henry Morgan. Morgan was of British descent, and joined the army of General Venables to take over the Spanish city of Santo Domingo in 1655. Venables' British army got their butts kicked by the Spanish, leaving the crippled and disheartened fleet without a contingency plan. Weeks away from any advice on what to do next, the army did something that I think is amazing - they attacked the island of Jamaica and conquered it for the British Crown. Although the commanders of the fleet were later thrown in the Tower of London for taking over such a "useless" island, I think their decision was an incredible one.



* * *

Shift gears again to me: Through elementary, middle, and high school, I had been conditioned to think in a certain way; I would be given directions, and I would follow them. That's it. I'm amazed at how many students in high school flunk courses when all they have to do is simply follow directions. I mean heck, half the time your answers don't even have to be right... you just have to follow the directions! Anyway, with few notable exceptions, that was how I was taught to think.



Now I find myself in college - "the place of ideas," as I've heard it called often. Upon beginning my education here, I started noticing a change in philosophy. At first, I thought it was on the professors' behalf. Now, however, I see that it has taken place with me. The difference is this: I am no longer learning things for grades. In high school, I honestly couldn't care less about a lot of the subjects I was in. There was the classic, "when are we ever gunna use this?" In math classes, and the grumbling that accompanied Shakespeare and Emily Dickinson in English. As I sit through my classes now, taking notes and completing homework assignments, I am looking at this knowledge with one major question: how can I use this?

How can I use what I'm learning about ancient Rome? How can I use an understanding of supply and demand? How can I use an in-depth look at the New Testament?

The possibilities this method of thought brings up are endless. No longer am I doing schoolwork because I have to get an A to keep up with Jen and Hans. Now, I'm doing it because I know that there's got to be some way - even the most insignificant of details - that can help me out.

* * *

Going back to what I said about Friedman and Morgan. Using this way of thinking, I've been taking a long hard look at a phrase that has been repeated to every child in America probably around 67 times a year. "You can do anything you want, as long as you set your mind to it!"

No way, right? We all know that's a load of waffle that we adult-folk tell the little chili-pies to inspire them, right? Look at Friedman - there was no manual concerning "101 Ways to Restart a Country's Economy." Look at Morgan and the army he served in - there was no "Plan B" given a humiliating defeat to the French. Yet Friedman did it, and so did the British army. Without anyone telling them how or where or when. They weren't following directions, they were making up their own as they went along.

People who changed the world in major ways did not know what they were doing, they only knew what they could do.

I don't know what I'm doing. Any one of you reading this could tell that of me. But I know what I can do.


-Daniel


P.S. I'm getting my phone today (I lost it over Thanksgiving break,) so if anyone who's reading this would like me to have their number, text me anytime after 5pm with your name. Or just call sometime and say hello.