Robert Diaz, MI: August 2005 Archives

I just realized that this is the first college I have attended where I've stayed long enough to witness a new freshman class come in. It's funny how I forgot that I knew so little about the campus and how it works when I first came here. Strange how I almost feel like they're invading my space just by their presence. I do not want to have to get used to new faces, but I suppose that is the nature of things.

Something about what my psychology teacher said today in class bothered me. I could have sworn my psychology teacher said that society determines what mental illness is. Her example went something like "If we decided that only people with hats were sane, and only one person wore a hat in a class of 10, then we could say that 9 out of 10 people were mentally ill."

This really bothers me, as it seems to be saying that there are no absolutes when it comes to the human mind and society in general. It sounds like she's saying that we as humans decide what is right and wrong. Consider me bugged. If you're out there, what say you? Should I be worried about this class?

It's the hour between my first class and the next. I'm going to try to move my first class down an hour so I'm not taking a class at 8 AM and can use it for morning exercise. If I can't do that, I still have the afternoon available. From what I can tell, I have a lot of really good professors this year, so it's going to be a good semester. Please pray for a successful year in school.

Thanks to Sancta Sanctis for the meme.

What was I doing ten years ago?

I was 14. I was still in Boy Scouts. This, I believe, is the year that I won fourth place in the district spelling bee.

What was I doing five years ago?

I was 19. I was headed off to the University of North Texas. This would probably be the darkest year of my entire life. However, the year had it's highlights.This was also the year I became passionately pro-life, and fell for a wonderful girl who would later become a wonderful nun.

What was I doing one year ago?

I was 23. Starting at my new school, the University of Central Oklahoma. I became involved in the student government, and a bunch of other organizations on campus. I restarted my degree towards Music Education.

What am I doing now?

Still going to the University of Central Oklahoma. Making plans for losing 50 pounds by the end of the semester, and trying to save up money for a new pair of glasses. Also, I would like to ask for your prayers in finding a part time job quickly so I can save up for other needs next year. Also pray for the success of my weight loss.

This meme has been passed around quite a bit. If you feel like taking it, go ahead and consider yourself tagged.

10. Lost 70 lbs in two weeks.
9. Suffered from Agoraphobia
8. Talked and walked with a couple of homeless guys on the freeway.
7. Camped during a flood in the Texas hill country.
6. Helped erect a barbed-wire fence in the middle of nowhere, Texas.
5. Stood in front of a moving school bus...and won.
4. Spoke with Fr. Mitch Pacwa, SJ
3. Got a personal email from one of my favorite authors, J. Budziszewski
2. Made and slept in a shelter I made by myself in the woods.
1. Met Norma McCorvey twice. She's the Roe in Roe vs. Wade. A beautiful christian lady.

by Will Eisner, Umberto Eco
Find this book here.

This book is about the development of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, and the spiritual poison it has spread throughout the world. Written in graphic novel form, the book takes a unique approach to informing people about how this anti-semetic work came about. It is Will Eisner's final work before he passed away, and one of the most informative and interesting reads I have had in a long time.

The book starts out in French Author's Maurice Joly's home, after he has killed himself. You learn that he had written a story that is written to incite an uprising against Emperor Napoleon III called The Dialogue in Hell Between Machiavelli and Montesquie. Later in history, Mathieu Golivinski, a man known for his talent for forging and plagiarizing court documents is asked to plagiarize Joly's work into an anti-semetic rant called The Protocols of the Elders of Zion and make it look like a document showing the Jewish plot to take over the world. The purpose of this is to keep Czar Alexander III from listening to the jews which the secret police find too progressive. The book is published and gets spread worldwide. In spite of being proved to be a forgery by The Times of London in the 1920's and later being pronounced a hoax by the U.S. Congress, the book continues to this day to incite hatred for jews from various groups looking for somebody to blame.

The most informative part of this book is a section where the author shows side by side comparisons between 'The Protocols' and Joly's work. Unfortunately, it is also the most boring. However, even though I skimmed through that part, I came away with a greater knowledge of the Protocols and the kind of damaging influence it has had on modern culture and even some of the people we consider to be modern history's heroes.

I recommend this book for reading, but remain hesitant to say it is worth buying. The side by side comparison in the middle of the book is a real drag. However, the illustrations are beautiful, and a real testament to the work of the late Mr. Eisner. Overall, I'll give it 3 out of 4 stars.