Welcome to the Gateway to the West!
(Click for higher resolution images.) For the background I used STL Skyline 2007 by CillanXC at English Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Continue reading “St. Louis Skyline”
St. Louis Skyline
My Own Pet Flim
I got up one day
I got up, I say.
I stood on my head,
Looked under the bed.
I saw a dust bunny,
And a piece of money,
I saw a crooked pin,
And –oh! – a yellow fin!
I got to my feet,
Looking very sweet.
“Come on, little one,
Come out, let’s have fun!”
He wriggled.
He sniggered.
He sniffled.
He giggled.
Conquering Math
So there I was, trying to drill some smattering of math into this obsessed child. “Leon!” I called. “Leon! Stop playing conquistador and come back to your studies! Look here, see this problem? You got it all wrong! 68 out of 88 is not 110%!”
“But ma’am, you have always told me to give 110%! When I am older, that is what I will demand from my soldiers! Why would I put 77%?”
“And there you go again! What is this soldier thing? We are doing math! Math is precise and exact…”
“So will my soldiers be,” Leon interrupted in a very definite tone. “They will be precise! There will be no disregarding my orders. Everything will be exact! No one out of line. No one a minute late!”
“Then look! Before you can command, you must be able to obey. See, I am telling you. You must divide…”
Poverty Part II: The Biblical Diagnosis
What is the worst state in which a man can be found? Is it a state of material destitution? Or is there something more devastating, more horrible – a state that affects him not only now, but forever? As we know from Scripture, the “light affliction” of this life “is but for a moment” (II Corinthians 4:17). For this reason, we “look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (ibid 4:18). With this sort of worldview, it is not surprising that the Biblical answer to material destitution – poverty – is far different from all others. While modern humanism elevates poverty and defines it as inequality, the Bible recognizes it as a result of sin – a fundamental brokenness often expressing itself in material need – a view which leads to help that is radically different and truly helpful.
Continue reading “Poverty Part II: The Biblical Diagnosis”
Flame
Close on the heels of Zap comes another dragon, this one sporting a red and brown color-scheme with singed black wings!
Zap
Roarrrrrrr! Better not get on this beast’s bad side, because he has some claws! Zap, my second attempt at a dragon, features extensive poseability, a wingspan well over 1′, and a rider’s seat decked out with a personalized flag!
Poverty Part I: The Modern Diagnosis
Who are the poor? In Western society today, material goods are often emphasized with little regard to other essential components of a truly happy life. For this reason, it is hardly surprising that poverty has been re-defined to mean those who have less, rather than those who have not. Time was when poor people lived in a one-room house with a dirt floor and were doing good to eat two meals a day; now they can have indoor plumbing and a TV in their living room. What criteria satisfy the modern definition of poverty? Based on those criteria, what is the modern solution? Does it work?
Contra Oleon – A Jungle Big Enough for Two!
One of the most enjoyable aspects of the LEGO hobby is the opportunities it offers for collaborating with other builders – and few collaborations are more rewarding than those that can be placed side by side, especially if the builders are able to work together and ensure a perfect fit! A few months ago, my brother and I found ourselves in the mood for some jungle… so enter one of our biggest builds yet: Contra Oleon!
The build depicts a fight between Oleon – blue coats – and Eslandola – green coats. Or actually, it’s more of a surprise take over than a fight. You can read the full story here and here – right now, we’re going to focus on the build!
Continue reading “Contra Oleon – A Jungle Big Enough for Two!”
Geneva D 
