i decided to explore the treasure cave otherwise known as my bro's room, which has quite a bit of christian books, and decided to read this book by c.s.lewis(don't tell me he's a great christian writer; i'm quite aware of that), the book is called "the screwtape letters;" it took me a bit at first to realize what was going on in the book, but it's intrigued me; it's basically a fictitious correspondence between a superior devil to an inferior devil about how to claim souls; as we all know, spirits can't control human beings; they do however, control the power of suggestion, and that is how their power is used; in this book, the devils hope to manipulate the souls so they end up in hell. like how ppl assume there's a guardian angel for every being, this book assumes that there's a guardian devil for every being; the inferior devil is responsible for an english man. i'm still in the book, and so am not through to making full comments, but here's what i can remember off the top of my head;

-satan can't use reason to draw you away from christ; while you may think of atheists who draw up powerful arguments to sway you, you can almost argue your way back to christ, given the truth. satan however, CAN use the power of impulse and suggestion; he can suggest instinctive things, like suggest "lunch?" when you start thinking of the loopholes in atheism.
-he can't prevent you from praying; however, he can draw you away from praying for the actual person; perhaps the sins that you are praying for a specific person aren't really sins, but things that irk you about that person; the more these things get on your nerves, the more you're praying for a fictitious person and not the actual flesh-and-blood person
-how close something is to a christian can have a major affect; such as what you hate and what you care for; take for example, the book's example; the older devil suggested the younger demon try to focus the man's hate onto the things that are closer to him and push the things he cares for to the remote(the germans; this book takes place during WWII); the more you care for something almost imaginary, the more hazy details are and the less likely you're bound to care as much. etc.
-suffering is not all joy for satan; he knows that god allows it for a man to become stronger in his christian roots. this brief trial gives satan a good oppurtunity to shake the man. but if the man goes through it, it will become that much harder to sway him.

i'm thought today that it takes a certain man not to fear death... i certainly don't fear death... i don't think i do... but it also takes a certain man not to fear life, the pains and sorrows associated with success and failure of life... i think it takes a true man not to fear both... to not be afraid of failure in this life, and to not fear what's beyond that dark curtain.

matthew west - the end
(what he sings near the end is funny)

what the? shaq now in miami? well, i dunno whether to say this is a plus for the lakers or miami; prob for miami, until you realize shaq has LIMITED utility; i don't think you even need the pistons to run over the heat. same weaknesses stand w/shaq in miami; weak bench, limited ability to defend the pick-n-roll, defense in general sucks. indiana could beat this team. i think nets could as well. any team w/better depth basically.

on the flip side, lakers would look funny with this undersized SF and PF trade. this really would be kobe's team(unless he lands in jail or chooses to go to clippers; i think he's pretty much limited it to either la team) my new favorite teams would be bobcats and magic come next season; i would love to see if okafur remains the shot blocker every1 says he is. and the combo of francis and howard intrigues me.

there's something about watching "the terminator" on telemundo; hearing ahhnold say "i'll be back" in spanish(yo volvare) isn't as authoritative... still, term 1 is one of my fav movies... i watched it just for the heck of it. and to jog some of my spanish comprehension abilities.

ok, i ran outta things to say.

free slurpee on july 11th; just show up

i ain't sexist(really)... but if you don't crack up at this snippet i found from the web, i dunno... you must have no sense of humor...

Men strike back!

How many men does it take to open a beer?
None. It should be opened when she brings it.

Why is a Laundromat a really bad place to pick up a woman?
Because a woman who can't even afford a washing machine will probably
never be able to support you.

Why do women have smaller feet than men?
It's one of those "evolutionary things" that allows
them to stand closer to the kitchen sink.

How do you know when a woman is about to say something smart?
When she starts a sentence with "A man once told me."

How do you fix a woman's watch?
You don't. There is a clock on the oven.

Why do men fart more than women?
Because women can't shut up long enough to
build up the required pressure.

If your dog is barking at the back door and your wife
is yelling at the front door, who do you let in first?
The dog, of course. He'll shut up once you let him in.

What's worse than a Male Chauvinist Pig?
A woman who won't do what she's told.

I married a Miss Right.
I just didn't know her first name was Always.

Scientists have discovered a food that diminishes
a woman's sex drive by 90%.
It's called a Wedding Cake.

Why do men die before their wives?
They want to.

Women will never be equal to men until they can
walk down the street with a bald head and a beer
gut, and still think they are sexy.

In the beginning, God created the earth and rested.
Then God created Man and rested.

Then God created Woman.
Since then, neither God nor Man has rested.