Joseph - ProfilesArchive

About Me

Who turned us thus around, so we,
no matter what, have the pose
of one who is departing? As he who on
the last hill which still shows
his whole valley, will turn, halt, pause â€”
so we live, forever taking leave.
[Rilke by way of James]

And I applied my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind. For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

My Interests

Anthropology, Archaeology, Religion, Orthodox Theology, Speculative Fiction, Politics, Music, Travel, Greece (Crete), anti-consumerism, Humans, Jewelry Fabrication, Greek, Jameson's, the collapse of civilizations, COOKING

I'd like to meet:

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Not a New Rule: If you want to add me, that's great. But unless I know you in REAL life, send me a message first. That way, I'll have some basis for the addition to my friends list.
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Music:

Jeff Buckley, Donovan, Dead Can Dance, Fairuz, Portishead, Esthero, Morcheeba, David Bowie, Liturgical Chant, Roxy Music, Boingo,

This guy is pretty cool. Dang.

Movies:

3D Desktop with Suse Linux and Beryl.

This is another video capture of my computer's 3D windowing system at work, showing off a bit more, and with a different look. Directors:

Everything by Wes Anderson. Chris Nolan too.

Specific Films:

Lord of the Rings, Hedwig, Asoka, Toto the Hero, the Empire Strikes Back, Ponette, City of Lost Children, Unbreakable, Princess Bride, Hero, Infinity, Boondock Saints, Batman Begins, The Fountain,

As well as:

Anything with Cary Grant. Almost anything with Anthony Hopkins, Tim Roth, Gary Oldman, Johnny Depp, Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchett, or either of the Wilsons (Luke or Owen). Okay... and Will Ferrell.

Television:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Angel
Firefly

Books:

Authors:
Frank Herbert, J. R. R. Tolkien, Fyodor Dostoevsky, C. S. Lewis, Thich Nhat Hanh, Vladimir Lossky, Kallistos Ware, Olivier Clement, Thomas Merton, David Brin, Larry Niven, Ursula K. LeGuin, Raymond Brown, Charles Darwin, St. Basil the Great, St. John Chrysostom, St. Symeon the New Theologian, Noam Chomsky, Richard Feynman, Orson Scott Card (his older stuff), Clifford Geertz, Jaroslav Pelikan
Specific Books:
(Apart from the assumed "anything" by the above authors.)
Historical Theology by Allister McGrath
The Cappadocians by Anthony Meredith
The Deification of Man by Georgios I. Mantzaridis
God's Own Scientists: Creationists in a Secular World by Christopher Toumey
Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution by Kenneth Miller
The Creationists: The Evolution of Scientific Creationism by Ronald Numbers
And please, for Pete's sake, read this: Cracking The Da Vinci Code

Heroes:

O Ayios Vasilios o Megas

My Blog

Some thoughts on matters of interest, potentially only to me.

There was a discussion in a forum here: a guy was asking what people thought of claims that the Gospel is really just rehashed from Egyptian and Indian stories. Below is my response, just for the sak...
Posted by Joseph on Thu, 24 May 2007 01:18:00 PST

The Communism of St. Ambrose of Milan

How far, ye rich, will you carry your insane cupidity? . . . Why do you reject nature's partnership of goods, and claim possession of nature for yourselves? The earth was established to be in common f...
Posted by Joseph on Thu, 10 May 2007 01:25:00 PST

Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom

If anyone is devout and a lover of God, let him enjoy this beautiful and radiant festival.If anyone is a wise servant, let him, rejoicing, enter into the joy of his Lord.If anyone has wearied himself ...
Posted by Joseph on Sun, 08 Apr 2007 02:20:00 PST

The Great Accomplishments of Our Crusade in Iraq

IRAQ: KIDNAPPERS BEHEAD PRIEST IN MOSUL "October 12 (Compass Direct News) .. Iraqi kidnappers who abducted a Syrian Orthodox priest three days ago left his beheaded corpse in an outlying suburb of th...
Posted by Joseph on Wed, 25 Oct 2006 01:03:00 PST

An Ecological Ascetism

Last few paragraphs of a great article:Where is it defined that our eucharistic communion with God and with nature through our fellow human beings is an ascetic relationship?That is what the Church pr...
Posted by Joseph on Mon, 11 Sep 2006 08:35:00 PST

Identity and movement control

Following are some excerpts from Identity and movement control, by Jennifer Lowenstein. Originally appeared in the August 2006 issue of Forced Migration Review.Since it occupied the Occupied Palestin...
Posted by Joseph on Thu, 07 Sep 2006 03:02:00 PST

History versus "The Da Vinci Code"

Somebody I know elsewhere recently linked to this site, and I thought it was awesome. It is authored by a historian. From the front page, the opening description says: The Aims of this SiteHistory v...
Posted by Joseph on Sun, 11 Jun 2006 01:16:00 PST

Thoughts on Brown's silliness -- The Da Vinci Code

The Da Vinci Code isn't a threat to Christianity. It is, however, a threat to intelligence.Historical fiction is great, but it should use what is known of histoy, and build on what is unknown. The u...
Posted by Joseph on Thu, 11 May 2006 03:11:00 PST

A lovely encounter...

Today, Wendy and I ate dinner at our favorite Mexican place. Afterwards, we were about to drive away when a young woman approached the car. She had a little box in her hands. She said, "My name is Nat...
Posted by Joseph on Tue, 25 Apr 2006 05:10:00 PST

The Holy Hasidic Fathers?

I just came across an interesting thing when looking at the liturgical calendar for the Orthodox Church. I noticed that on March 4th the Feast of the Holy Hasidic Fathers is observed. I immediately ...
Posted by Joseph on Mon, 27 Feb 2006 07:01:00 PST