Pure Unadulterated Lust

There is no other word for it.  Not desire, not covetousness.  The only word for what I feel for the Vibram FiveFingers shoe-glove is lust.

Look at them!  How can you not want them?

They announce to the world "I am an important man with important appendages."  This is something the world needs to know.

The protruding parts of my anatomy are so important that each toe requires its own private space.  A place where they can remain undisturbed while researching cures for cancer, designing a portfolio that outperforms the market while being adequately hedged against risk, conducting delicate diplomatic negotiations,  creating new forms of art that will cause you to rethink the human condition and all the other things my toes do on a daily basis. 

And those are just the little toes, I'm not at liberty to disclose what my big toes are doing.

I wear a size 44, in case you're wondering what to get me for Christmas.

Also, I would like a miniature executive desk in black walnut with matching bookcases for my nose.  Affixing it to my upper lip will be difficult but not, I think, insoluble.

Calvinist Hip Hop Thursday

Why Calvinist Hip Hop?  Because lots of words rhyme with election.

This weeks pick is Lecrae's "Don't Waste Your Life"



Looks like someone has been reading John Piper.

Psalm 32: Blessed Are the Forgiven

A Maskil of David.

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
     whose sin is covered.
2Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity,
     and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

3For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
     through my groaning all day long.
4For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
     my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.

Selah

5I acknowledged my sin to you,
     and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,"
     and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Selah

6Therefore let everyone who is godly
     offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
     they shall not reach him.
7You are a hiding place for me;
     you preserve me from trouble;
     you surround me with shouts of deliverance.

Selah

8I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
     I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
     which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
     or it will not stay near you.

10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
     but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD.
11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous,
     and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

I was going to write some commentary on this, but some guy named Paul already did:

Romans 4
1What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness." 4Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:


7 "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
     and whose sins are covered;
8blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin."

Which College Major is the Most Foolish

We all know which majors attract the smartest students.  Those selecting the hard sciences are pretty clever while Elementary Ed majors are as dumb as a sack of hammers.  The question that excites me is somewhat different.

Given the abilities of the students selecting the major and the expected payoff for earning that degree, which students are making the wisest decisions?  The most foolish?

I understand that there are non-monetary considerations--theology students wanting to be closer to God and El Ed majors wanting to be closer to their intellectual equals--but given the wealth of resources available at your local library, college is not worth bothering with unless a degree will get you cash money.

To answer this question, I used two sources of data: Steve Sailers estimation of IQ by GRE score and PayScale.com's list of median salaries by major.  The IQ estimations ranged from 103 to 133 and the median salaries from $41,600 to $109,000.  I simply subtracted the lowest score from both sets of numbers to give me a rouch estimation of dollars per IQ point.  I compare this to an expected value of $2,246.67 per IQ point.  This method works well because Social Work majors are both the dumbest and the lowest paid. 

If you have a better methodology (and you probably do), don't tell me about it.  Just run the numbers and post the results.  I'll link you from here.

Unsuprisingly, Accountants are the wisest and Fine Arts the most foolish. Philosophy majors came off suprisingly well here.

Here's the raw numbers for you:

Major	Verbal	Quant	Sum	IQ	Median Salary	IQ Predicted Salary	Difference
Accounting	408	585	993	110	$77,600	57326.66667	$20,273
Business admin & mgmt. (Business Administration)	438	561	999	111	$73,000	59573.33333	$13,427
Health & medical sciences (Health Sciences)	447	552	999	111	$69,600	59573.33333	$10,027
Chemical Engineering	485	726	1211	128	$107,000	97766.66667	$9,233
Communications	470	533	1003	111	$68,400	59573.33333	$8,827
Electrical Eng	459	726	1185	126	$102,000	93273.33333	$8,727
Computer & Infor Sci (Computer Science)	466	701	1167	124	$97,400	88780	$8,620
Industrial Engineering	440	707	1147	123	$95,000	86533.33333	$8,467
Business admin & mgmt. (Business Administration)	442	592	1034	114	$73,000	66313.33333	$6,687
Public Administration (Health Care Administration)	453	515	968	109	$61,000	55080	$5,920
Mechanical Engineering	469	724	1193	126	$98,300	93273.33333	$5,027
Civil Engineering	457	700	1157	124	$93,000	88780	$4,220
Economics	503	706	1209	128	$101,000	97766.66667	$3,233
Architecture	475	610	1085	118	$78,300	75300	$3,000
Earth, Atmos & Mar. Sci (Geology)	495	636	1131	121	$84,200	82040	$2,160
Engineering (Environmental Engineering)	468	719	1187	126	$94,500	93273.33333	$1,227
Other business (Hotel Business Management)	444	599	1043	114	$66,400	66313.33333	$87
Social Work	428	466	894	103	$41,600	41600	$0
Banking & finance	467	711	1178	125	$89,400	91026.66667	($1,627)
Materials Engineering	494	727	1221	129	$98,300	100013.3333	($1,713)
Agriculture	458	592	1050	115	$66,700	68560	($1,860)
Life Sciences (Forestry)	462	581	1043	114	$64,200	66313.33333	($2,113)
Political Science	524	588	1112	120	$77,300	79793.33333	($2,493)
Psychology	472	545	1017	113	$61,000	64066.66667	($3,067)
Education	449	534	983	110	$54,100	57326.66667	($3,227)
Chemistry	486	680	1166	124	$82,300	88780	($6,480)
History	542	557	1099	119	$70,000	77546.66667	($7,547)
Sociology	488	545	1033	114	$57,900	66313.33333	($8,413)
Mathematical Sciences (Mathematics)	502	733	1235	130	$93,600	102260	($8,660)
Arts-Performance & studio (Drama)	488	553	1041	114	$56,600	66313.33333	($9,713)
Physics & astronomy (Physics)	533	736	1269	133	98800	109000	($10,200)
Biological Sciences (Biology)	491	631	1122	121	$71,800	82040	($10,240)
Elementary	442	526	968	108	$42,400	52833.33333	($10,433)
English language & lit (English)	560	553	1113	120	$66,900	79793.33333	($12,893)
Anthropology & Archeology (Anthropology)	533	569	1102	119	$63,200	77546.66667	($14,347)
Arts-History, theory, crit	539	572	1111	120	$62,400	79793.33333	($17,393)
Philosophy	590	638	1228	129	$76,700	100013.3333	($23,313)
Religion & Theory (Religious Studies	541	589	1130	121	$57,500	82040	($24,540)
Foreign languages & lit (Spanish)	531	574	1105	119	$52,600	77546.66667	($24,947)
Other Humanities & Art (Fine Arts)	563	599	1162	124	$56,300	88780	($32,480)

Calvinist Hip Hop Thursday

I was predestined to like Calvinist Hip Hop.

This week it's my new favorite song, Trip Lee's "Cling to You" featuring Shai Linne.

Verse 1 - Trip Lee:
Lord, I'd like to start by saying I can hate where I'm at
When this life is hard and situations take me aback
The fight is hard and I can hardly face it in fact
In life it's hard to get up like a bar with weights that's attached
It really seems the situations that I'm facing is wack
I been awakened but now I'm feeling forsaken and trapped
With no hope and I'm broken open for Satan to trap
I been bothered since You Father put this weight on my back
So please erase it's wack, cause when this pain it attacks
My weakness is at it's peak and I'm feeling strained and I lack
The trust in You I struggle through the ways that I should come to You
Lord, what am I gonna do? It's true this pain it distracts
But I see my only hope when my backs on the ropes
Is in You so I read through the facts that You wrote
The pain may fade away, but if that's my only hope
Then You don't get the glory alone not even close

Hook:
Lord, it may get better but it may not
So when I pray God, I pray I
Would trust You whether or not the pain stops
So when the the pain falls, coming down like rain drops
I just gotta cling to You

Verse 2 - shai linne:
Heavenly Father, in Your Word You say we can build
Because of Jesus and the blood that He graciously spilled
Lord, I thank You for real, cause my Dad's always there
I can cast all my cares plus the weight that I feel
My situation is ill, I ain't asking to be making a mill
But is all my money for paying my bills?
It gets crazier still, my soul's on dangerous hills
A target for the world, flesh, and Satan aiming to kill
While the wicked who be hating your will
Sit by the lake as they chill, taking in sensational thrills
Lord, Your Son I admire, He's the one I desire
I'll run through the fire if You say it's Your will
But at times it's hard to hear You, the world doesn't fear You
Lord, give me a clear view Your face is concealed
Help me to be patient until Your grace is revealed
And in the mean time, between time, be praising You still

Hook

Verse 3 - Trip Lee:
Lord, You know I'm hoping that my situation will switch
That You'll show me You're amazing by erasing it quick
But I've noticed that my hope was in You changing it quick
Instead of knowing You're enough Lord I was chasing Your gifts
But then I opened up Your text and looked at David and them
Their situations was grim, but it ain't change them within
They prayed You'd take it away but sought Your face in the end
And found comfort in Your justice and the grace You extend
So in this life full of strife if my days get grayer
I'm content with the fact that You'll stay my Savior
No change in my King, man, it ain't no greater
Comfort than what's found in You that's so major
So in this life full of strife if my days get grayer
I'm content with the fact that You'll stay my Savior
No change in my King, man, it ain't no greater
Comfort than what's found in You that's so major
So in this life full of strife if my days get grayer
I'm content with the fact that You'll stay my Savior
No change in my King, man, it ain't no greater
Comfort than what's found in You that's so major

On Conservatives

Once upon a time I considered myself a conservative. I no longer do, mainly because I don’t know what the word means any more. I thought that a conservative was someone who stood for self-reliance, limited government, fiscal responsibility, foreign policy realism and had a deep and unwavering suspicion that people who claimed to be able to fix the problems that have bedeviled man for millennia were either charlatans, fools or both.

My eyes have been opened. While Bush the Lesser was president, conservatives supported none of these things. Now that the Republicans are out of power, they’re claiming them as core principles again. Lew Rockwell famously argued that the only thing conservatives stand for is “lying from noon into night.” I think it’s a fine piece of political rhetoric, but I don’t agree. I don’t think conservatives are lying. That would require them to have principles worth lying about. They don’t because a conservative is simply someone who hates liberals.

Close your eyes and imagine the dream world of the liberals. It’s a marvelous place. Married homosexuals in Toyota Prii (I insist that’s this is the correct plural of Prius) carpool with endangered species. The various peoples of the earth hold hands and sings songs about love and sharing and all wars consist of pillow fights. In the evening the sick and infirm are wheeled outside to bask in the free healthcare that drops from the sky and no one ever has to die. I call it Liberaltopia and I often visit there in my dreams.

Conservotopia is another matter. It is a bitter land where the air is laden with the scent of sulphur and the screams of the damned. Here is where the feminists, environmentalists and hipsters are slowly tortured for eternity. They confess their errors and beg for forgiveness, but none is to be had. There are no demons in this land—all the torture is conducted by faithful conservatives. This is virtue’s reward. When evening comes, they leave their work and gather at the one oasis of serenity and beauty in this desperate land. It is a hilltop palace with peaceful gardens and tasteful sculpture. Here they may rest from their labors and gather at the center to worship the only begotten Son of God: Ronald Reagan.

I am not cool with this.

Men and Women are Different

Part One in a Series:

When a woman is attracted to a man, she laughs at his jokes. When a man is attracted to a woman, he laughs at his own jokes.

The truth of this can be confirmed through simple observation. I mention it because you should never, ever laugh at your own jokes. Ever.

If everyone else laughs, it's acceptable to get caught up in the moment, but if no one laughs, you will be the only one laughing. This means that you will be laughing at an inappropriate time.

There are only 4 types of people who laugh at inappropriate times:

1. Small children
2. Pot smokers
3. The mentally ill
4. The mentally retarded

You don't want to appear to belong to any of these groups. In the entrire history of the world no woman has ever told her friend "I met this really great guy: he's 6 years old, reeks of bong resin, thinks the CIA has put a hidden camera in his toilet and has to wear a helmet indoors. I think he could be the one!"

This has been a public service message from The Mighty Incognomen.