Ok, I am taking a break from studying patent procedure...

I was miffed to browse amazon and see the book listed in my currently reading section (which I am not interested in reading by the way.)  What made me think of browsing amazon was a search I found showing where your last name is most popular across the globe.  Mine wasn't too surprising: Gingerich's live in the US, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands if I remember correctly.  Then I found a cool name history/popularity graphic.  Apparently the name Wendell reached the height of its popularity in the 1920s, and now it doesn't even get 0.1% of "market share" (<1000/1,000,000).  But having a unique name has its advantages--people tend to remember it better for example.

Now I had better study again if I want to pass Monday.  It's been a crazy week.

Go BUCKS!

some random pics I found now that Canon fixed my camera (for free!)...


My wonderful parents


Waterfront, Va Beach

Find the interesting part of the photo below


My dog is pretty much the best, even if he is lazy/ornery sometimes..



May God bless you as you obey Him!

To start with, some interesting supporting info about religious and political conversion (garnered largely from Battle for the Mind by William Sargant)

1.  People who find a way to avoid dealing with a problem issue are the hardest to convert (or brainwash) because their emotional balance is maintained.  POWs that act indifferently or with detached amusement last the longest when subjected to high stress/torture.  When emotions (anger or fear esp.) get involved, "suggestability" (susceptibility to persuasion) is raised.

2.  More specifically, indifference and detached amusement are great defenses to conversion.  Sometimes it's better to avoid a fight and continue standard operating procedure than to get engaged in a debate, because at that point there is much greater tendency to be converted against your will.  Phlegmatic temperaments with happy, well-adjusted outlooks are the most naturally resistant to conversion.

3.  To stand under the highest pressure, including physical pain, the indifference to a false idea (e.g. Islam) must be coupled with an obsessive, driving belief in a creed or way of life (e.g. Christianity).

Why the US would be better off with a much larger Muslim population

Any difference in what we do and what we say we believe will cause stress and potentially impaired judgment.  The West holds Christianity as its religion.  However, because many of us do not act as Christians, we end up with impaired judgment on a variety of matters.

So the question becomes how can any Posers be truly converted in a way that changes lifestyle and action to be consistent with Christian beliefs? 

Answer: Overwhelming emotion.  If there were significant Muslim influence restricting our rights or persecuting us, 1) Christ's sacrifice and the context in which the NT was given would become real to our minds, and 2) we would really understand "Fear God" and "love thy neighbor as thyself."

Those beliefs on a large scale would begin to have genuine viability both socially and politically, which would in turn make it unnecessary for us to think of our Christianity as separate from our identity at work or elsewhere.  A unified, invigorated, and truly Christian body is worth the potential pain.

The battle is against indifference and apathy.  May I resist apathy daily in pursuit of a passionate, driving belief in Christ.

BFQOTP: It is much easier to suppress a first desire than to satisfy those that follow.