Psalm 3
A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.
1Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.
2Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.
3But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
4I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.
5I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.
6I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.
7Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.
8Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.
Psalm 4
To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm of David.
1Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
2O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.
3But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.
4Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
5Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
6There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
7Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
8I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
Psalm 5
To the chief Musician upon Nehiloth, A Psalm of David.
1Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.
2Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.
3My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
4For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
5The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
6Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
7But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
8Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.
9For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.
10Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.
11But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
12For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
Chapter 3
What I notice in reagrds to the first two verses is that David is dealing with an opposition of some sort. Since David is outnumbered, he cries out to God for help. I can relate to that because in my life when I've dealt with crap I couldn't handle (on my own), I cried out to God. With the Lord, I find comfort in knowing that I am fealess before opposition and not ashamed to depend His guiding me through it. Regarding verse 2, according to the Companion Bible, "help" can mean salvation, or deliverance. It deals with doubters, since David says that they (the doubters) claim that he himself cannot rely on God to deliever him from his troubles. I myself haven't dealt with many doubters that have said, "Oh, regardless of how much crap you're dealing with, God isn't gonna help ya out" or something those lines. In fact, God's helping me out in the past strengthened my relationship with Him because there's nothing He wasn't able to get me through. I've gone through trials and tribulations and the only way out was utter and absolute dependence on God. I'm not gonna get into it, but there was a time when I felt like stabbing myself cuz Satan had me believeing his lies and God delivered me from that. In terms of reflection, I think that's where verse 3 fits in because the fact that God is being described as a shield -- metaphorically speaking -- illustrates that He provides safety and protection for me when I'm dealing with crap in my life so I can get through whatever trial I'm dealing with due to His guaranteed victory over trials and tribulations. He'll protect me from the enemy when I need it, which was what He did when I believed Satan's lies. He made it so I would not give into the enemy's pressuring me to stab myself. With that being said, I find myself resonating with verse 4 because I cried out to God to help me out. God heard me and eventually delivered me. Matthew Henry writes about verse 5 in his Concise Commentary by saying, "Many lie down, and cannot sleep, through pain of body, or anguish of mind, or the continual alarms of fear in the night. But it seems here rather to be meant of the calmness of David's spirit, in the midst of his dangers." I think, during that trial I faced, God did comfort my spirit when He saw fit. Although He didn't answer my call immediately, He still heard me and comforted me to the point where I didn't I had to injure myself to get His attention. Verses 6-7, to me, say that I should be afraid if I am outnumbered by opposition because with God, who am I to be intimidated? That's not always easy, being fealess before opposition, but I guess that's why God wants me to depend on Him for it. He'll deal with my enemies, as verse 7 illustrates -- I just have to have faith in Him. Verse 8, which again illustrates deliverance, says to me that only salvation, only deliverance from my enemies, is something that only God is capable of.
"Selah," which is a word used throught the Pslams, is a pause since the Psalms are bascially songs and poetry. It's a Hebrew word for "Interlude."
Chapter 4
Heh...another mention of David crying out to God in his distress. I guess it's kinda being reiterated here. I like the part that says, "Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress." It's kinda like saying that God won't throw anything at you that's too big for you to handle. I found that to be true many times and I like being reminded that with God, our problems aren't too big. Makes me wanna run around the block exclaiming, "Nothing is too big for God!" "Englarged" can be translated as "relieved" and I see it as David's way of saying that God removed the weight from his shoulders. I don't have much to say about verse 2 since it seems to speak for itself, but I think I'll comment on verses 3-4. In regards to verse 3, what I gain from it is that God knows what is godly, which has to do with calling on Him. He knows that what I have to say to Him not only pertains to Him, but is a genuine crying out to Him. He knows when I am need, specifically when I need to be delivered from my trobules. Matthew Henry says the following about verse 4: "Consider your ways, and before you turn to sleep at night, examine your consciences with respect to what you have done in the day; particularly what you have done amiss, that you may repent of it. When you awake in the night, meditate upon God, and the things that belong to your peace. Upon a sick-bed, particularly, we should consider our ways. Be still. When you have asked conscience a question, be serious, be silent, wait for an answer." In a way, I can relate to that because I typically pray before I go to bed. Although I don't reflect as in-depth as Henry describes, maybe that wouldn't be a bad idea. I ask God to forgive my sins, but I don't really think about the opportunities I had in which I didn't share about Him, which can be seen as not honoring what God wants me to do. I think Henry's thought is a bit conviciting and perhaps even an encouragement for me to change. Although, in modern times, Christians are not required to make sacrifices to express their love to God (Hosea 6:6), verse 5 still stresses stresses trusting in the Lord. Verse 6, another verse dealing with doubters, is saying that some people don't think God will help them. David, however, wants to prove them wrong, and he asking God to do so. I guess in a way, if I witness to people, that verse encourages me to talk about the good things that God has done in my life. Verse 7, to me, says that the joy God has filled me with cannot be replaced by the pleasures of this world. And due to God's goodness, I can sleep comfortably at night (v. 8).
Chapter 5
The first three verses seem to be illustrating to the fact that David is talking to God in prayer. I don't have much to say about it since it seems to speak for itself, but I will cover verses 4-6. Verse 4 says to me that God does not delight in evil things -- rather, He delights in blessing who obey Him. He's blessed me before and I can't say He's ever done anything wicked or evil to me. If God had even a hint of evil dwelling in Him, that would cancel His goodness. Verses 5-6 are dealing with how God feels about those who oppose Him -- those who choose to live in sin and not acknowledge His saving grace. I can't really relate to it since I don't oppose God, but if I did oppose Him, then I would be under His wrath. Verse 7 is David saying that He's gonna do the opposite of what the the foolish do: he's gonna get involved in public worship and express love to God. I enjoy public worship, especially when the Holy Spirit is working through it. Verses 8-9 is David's way of saying that he doesn't want to be influenced by his enemies. In response to that, I don't wanna be influenced by my enemies. Furthermore, I'm gonna go out on a limb by saying that I'm not gonna accept their lies. In verse 10, "Destroy thou them," according to the Companion Bible means to "Deal with them as guilty." In other words, God will deal with those who rebel against Him and those who try and deceive me. By trusting in God, though (v. 11-12), I will get rewarded. It's comforting to be reminded of that.
Sources used:
"Matthew Henry Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible: Psalms 3."
http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=003
"Matthew Henry Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible: Psalms 4."
http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=004
Bullinger, E.W. The Companion Bible.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Reflecting on the Psalms: Chapters 1-2
Psalm 1
1Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Psalm 2
1Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
2The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
3Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
4He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision.
5Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
6Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
7I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
8Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
9Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
10Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
11Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
12Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
Chapter 1
There is a contrast between the godly and ungodly, the righteous and the unrighteous. I figure since I am blessed by God for walking in His ways, I can't lose (v. 1). In a way, that's a reminder that God provides for me as a result of trusting Him. Verse 2 speaks to me because I can delight in God's law because it is the standard which I live by even I fail to do so. Another day, however, gives me another chance to follow His Word if I screw up. Yes, as a believer, I still sin, but that doesn't mean I revel in sin just so God can forgive me. His Word provides me with guidance and direction, which is another reason why I see myself delighting in it. I try and meditate on His law day and night, which isn't always easy because I may have another other things going through my head, which may or may not be worth thinking about. The comparisons contained in verse 3 are interesting because it's as if it's God thinks of His followers as plants. It describes the process which a tree goes through, which is something I can relate to faith-wise. I feel that as a Christian, I should bear fruit and that I will do so in my season -- or rather in my time. I do bear good fruit for the Lord, but that doesn't mean I'm always gonna be doing something that ilustrates that. Sometimes I'm just apathetic, I guess, but I know that with God's stength, I can overcome that. I like the fact that if I walk in God's way, my leaf shall not wither. It's kind of reassuring, I think, especially in times of doubt. I'm glad that I don't have to worry about drying up if I follow after God. And the things I do that will prosper, I imagine, are the things that are pleasing to God because I will be rewarded for doing His will. I don't have much to say about verse 4, but I figure that if I'm a godly man, that means God's judgment on me, when the time comes, will be something to look forward to (v .5). Verse 6, I feel, is another way of saying that God knows His plan for me if I continue to follow it; furthermore, I won't be at a loss eternity-wise if I lean on Him.
Chapter 2
This seems to be a messianic psalm. I may not be able to relate to it as an individual since most of it seems to be directed at a group (v. 1-3). I see how it apples to modern times if one were to put it into that context. Earlier, I asked my dad about the first three verses and what intirgued me the most about them was the phrase "The kings of the earth" in verse 2. My mom overheard our discussion and she mentioned Libya. That parallel makes sense and opens my eyes to how the verse fits into modern times. Moreover, the first four verses say to me that I shouldn't be part of a nation that rebels against God. In the past, in biblical times, Israel rebelled against God, which is an example I can learn from. Proverbs 1:10 says, "My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not." If I choose to get involved with sinners and, should I say, revel in it, I will end up facing God's wrath. I don't serve God so He won't pour out His wrath upon me, though; I do it because I love Him and I wanna express that to Him. Verse 7, which points to Jesus, illustrates that since Jesus is the Son of God, I am born of God -- I am a heir and joint-heir with Christ (Romans 8:17). I think that verse also gives me confidence in proclaming that I am a son of the living God. Verse 8 has a bit of irony about it. It's basically saying that according to a commentary I came across on enduringword.com, "The Lord's Anointed holds the nations as His inheritance. He will rule over all nations and all judgment is committed to Him (John 5:22)." It kind of reminds of the Book of Joshua, chapter 19 in particular, when the tribes inherited the land. Verse 9 basically is saying that it's foolish for the nations to rebel against God and His Anoited, which is basically how the chapter starts out. That's kinda what happened with Libya, I guess. Perhaps I should not dwell on that too much, though. I see verses 10-11 as a kind of calling to the nations that have rebelled against God -- a shot at repentence. I've been praying for this nation these past couple days since it seems rather godless. Praying for this nation isn't something I'd normally do, but my pastor suggested to the church assembly on Sunday to do it, and I thought I'd go along with it. It's crazy how verses 10-11 fit in. And who knows? Prayer makes a difference and even if God works in a small way, that doesn't mean He won't have a big impact. I'd like to see people turn from their ways serve God, especially if they have turned away from Him. I'm not judging anyone -- I'm just saying that maybe things would be better and maybe the economy would prosper if this nation turned to Christ. Verse 12 seems to imply a romantic relationship with God since it starts out with "Kiss the Son." There's a song by Pistis In Him Alone called Kiss the Hope, which I guess is along the same lines. The word "kiss" isn't literal in this sense, but rather a metaphor for our affection towards Him. To me, showing affection towards God means getting choked up due to expressing His glory, whether it be out loud or written. The cool thing about being blessed due to trusting in Him is that if I follow His plan, I find comfort in it. I find a sense of joy since He provides for me in a way that no man could.
Source used:
"Psalm 2 - The Reign of the Lord’s Anointed" http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/19002.htm
1Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Psalm 2
1Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
2The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
3Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
4He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision.
5Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
6Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
7I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
8Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
9Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
10Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
11Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
12Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
Chapter 1
There is a contrast between the godly and ungodly, the righteous and the unrighteous. I figure since I am blessed by God for walking in His ways, I can't lose (v. 1). In a way, that's a reminder that God provides for me as a result of trusting Him. Verse 2 speaks to me because I can delight in God's law because it is the standard which I live by even I fail to do so. Another day, however, gives me another chance to follow His Word if I screw up. Yes, as a believer, I still sin, but that doesn't mean I revel in sin just so God can forgive me. His Word provides me with guidance and direction, which is another reason why I see myself delighting in it. I try and meditate on His law day and night, which isn't always easy because I may have another other things going through my head, which may or may not be worth thinking about. The comparisons contained in verse 3 are interesting because it's as if it's God thinks of His followers as plants. It describes the process which a tree goes through, which is something I can relate to faith-wise. I feel that as a Christian, I should bear fruit and that I will do so in my season -- or rather in my time. I do bear good fruit for the Lord, but that doesn't mean I'm always gonna be doing something that ilustrates that. Sometimes I'm just apathetic, I guess, but I know that with God's stength, I can overcome that. I like the fact that if I walk in God's way, my leaf shall not wither. It's kind of reassuring, I think, especially in times of doubt. I'm glad that I don't have to worry about drying up if I follow after God. And the things I do that will prosper, I imagine, are the things that are pleasing to God because I will be rewarded for doing His will. I don't have much to say about verse 4, but I figure that if I'm a godly man, that means God's judgment on me, when the time comes, will be something to look forward to (v .5). Verse 6, I feel, is another way of saying that God knows His plan for me if I continue to follow it; furthermore, I won't be at a loss eternity-wise if I lean on Him.
Chapter 2
This seems to be a messianic psalm. I may not be able to relate to it as an individual since most of it seems to be directed at a group (v. 1-3). I see how it apples to modern times if one were to put it into that context. Earlier, I asked my dad about the first three verses and what intirgued me the most about them was the phrase "The kings of the earth" in verse 2. My mom overheard our discussion and she mentioned Libya. That parallel makes sense and opens my eyes to how the verse fits into modern times. Moreover, the first four verses say to me that I shouldn't be part of a nation that rebels against God. In the past, in biblical times, Israel rebelled against God, which is an example I can learn from. Proverbs 1:10 says, "My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not." If I choose to get involved with sinners and, should I say, revel in it, I will end up facing God's wrath. I don't serve God so He won't pour out His wrath upon me, though; I do it because I love Him and I wanna express that to Him. Verse 7, which points to Jesus, illustrates that since Jesus is the Son of God, I am born of God -- I am a heir and joint-heir with Christ (Romans 8:17). I think that verse also gives me confidence in proclaming that I am a son of the living God. Verse 8 has a bit of irony about it. It's basically saying that according to a commentary I came across on enduringword.com, "The Lord's Anointed holds the nations as His inheritance. He will rule over all nations and all judgment is committed to Him (John 5:22)." It kind of reminds of the Book of Joshua, chapter 19 in particular, when the tribes inherited the land. Verse 9 basically is saying that it's foolish for the nations to rebel against God and His Anoited, which is basically how the chapter starts out. That's kinda what happened with Libya, I guess. Perhaps I should not dwell on that too much, though. I see verses 10-11 as a kind of calling to the nations that have rebelled against God -- a shot at repentence. I've been praying for this nation these past couple days since it seems rather godless. Praying for this nation isn't something I'd normally do, but my pastor suggested to the church assembly on Sunday to do it, and I thought I'd go along with it. It's crazy how verses 10-11 fit in. And who knows? Prayer makes a difference and even if God works in a small way, that doesn't mean He won't have a big impact. I'd like to see people turn from their ways serve God, especially if they have turned away from Him. I'm not judging anyone -- I'm just saying that maybe things would be better and maybe the economy would prosper if this nation turned to Christ. Verse 12 seems to imply a romantic relationship with God since it starts out with "Kiss the Son." There's a song by Pistis In Him Alone called Kiss the Hope, which I guess is along the same lines. The word "kiss" isn't literal in this sense, but rather a metaphor for our affection towards Him. To me, showing affection towards God means getting choked up due to expressing His glory, whether it be out loud or written. The cool thing about being blessed due to trusting in Him is that if I follow His plan, I find comfort in it. I find a sense of joy since He provides for me in a way that no man could.
Source used:
"Psalm 2 - The Reign of the Lord’s Anointed" http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/19002.htm
Reflecting on the Psalms: An Introduction
Yeah, I know it's been a while since I posted anything, but I thought I'd try an experiment here. I started reading through the Book of Pslams and kinda decided to take on a challenge that Chuck Missler mentioned if one decides to go through the Psalms. I believe he said something about writing about one's reactions to the Psalms daily, which I decided to do, but with my own take on it. I'm gonna read a few chapters a day, for the most part, and take notes on what I read. From there, I'm gonna post blog entries. I always enjoy reflecting on the Word and pretty much anything that's related to it. I believe posting my reflections on what I read will not only continue to strengthen my relationship with Christ, but also challenge me in my walk and ultimately cause a kind of transformation in my walk. And sometimes I have emotional reactions to God's glory, so that might comes across while I write. With that being said, I'll probably indicate when I choked up. I guess I'll start blogging on this stuff in my next post.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Glassjaw's back
With plenty of new material. Ever since 2002's Worship and Tribute, fans of Glassjaw -- including myself -- have been wondering if Glassjaw was gonna release any new songs and they did. I bought Worship and Tribute a few months, so I didn't have to wait as long as some people, but still you'd think a band with two EPs and two full-length albums would've released new material probably about a year or two after Worship and Tribute. The band's vocalist, Daryl Palumbo, is involved in other projects, which explains the hiatus. Plus, the fact that he has Crohn's disease probably had an effect on how the band put music together in terms of new material. I still have much respect for Daryl despite the hardships he's faced. The singles release, Our Color Green, which I downloaded recently, has had all five of its songs performed live but I guess they were never released in a CD or digital format up until the beginning of this year. Even though I've already listened to the songs All Good Junkies Go to Heaven, Jesus Glue, and You Think You're (John Fucking Lennon) via YouTube, it's still nice to have 'em on iTunes where I could have 'em on a playlist. I would've gone to upcoming Glassjaw show this Sunday night at The Regency Ballroom, but I got other things going on, including a math test the next day. I downloaded the Coloring Book EP -- which is being handed out on Glassjaw's tour -- today and I'm enjoying it so far. Hopefully all the new material will hold me over till the next full-length release. With a band as inventive and musically diverse as Glassjaw, it's easy to understand that one would anticipate new material just to experience it.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Howard and The Thing:
No, this has nothing to do with the Howard Hawks classic The Thing from Another World, but rather an individual by the name of John Howard. Up until a couple hours ago, I was a member of his Facebook for John Carpenter's The Thing. You may be wondering what "up until a couple hours ago" implies. Well, originally the page was relevant in terms of content to The Thing, but the group went through constant name changes, which pissed me and some other people off because there was really no point in being in the group if it had nothing to do with The Thing. Some people posted on the group's wall that they were leaving and I just left without saying anything. I'm not sure if somebody was trying to keep the group related to The Thing by changing its name once it was changed to something else so that it stuck to the original purpose of the group, but I really wish John Howard would make up his mind. If he's gonna bastardize the group's original purpose to the point where it really has no purpose and no relevance to The Thing, then I figure the group's not worth my time anymore. I found another Thing group to join, which wasn't much of a problem. I can't say how I feel about John Howard personally since I don't know him personally, but I can say that I don't appreciate his actions because not only could he be removed from Facebook if the now, should I say, facelifted group has content in it which offends others and is not appropriate for younger people on Facebook, but also because I think he has better things to do with his time than promote a group he changed which really has no purpose of being on Facebook. Maybe's a little unstable and needs something to do to get his mind off that...who knows? I just hope if his actions cause problems, he'll be aware of that and that he'll take his being held accountable seriously.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Ideas are money:
For some people anyway. They figure they can cash in on something that hasn't been done before, which isn't always a bad thing. I just think one shouldn't have an idea and have it become a reality only for it to make money. It seems that if an idea is just being used to make money, then that takes the enjoyment out of it. Ideas should be used to produce something fun for someone, with no anticipation of making money off of it. That was the case with Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird when they created the Ninja Turtles -- they didn't think they were going to make money off their idea since they were basically doing a parody of Frank Miller's work on Ronin and Daredevil. Am I saying that one will make money off an idea if he or she doesn't anticipate to do so? To some degree. Anticipation did not determine Eastman and Laird's success -- originality did. No one had thought of crime fighting mutant turtles before, which was made their idea stand out in comparison to, say, a rehash of a Spider-Man story.
Another thing that comes to mind is when ideas are stolen to make money. I'm not sure how often such a thing happens or even how people can get away with it, but it seems rather dishonest. I just hope that in order to avoid stealing an idea -- that is, one gives credit to the person who has their idea represented in, say, a video game -- one acknowledges what his or her (similar) idea comes from. Not acknowledging the fact that one borrowed some ideas from a previous work is like saying, "Oh, no one'll ever notice." People do tend to notice, though, and they can end up feel like they've been cheated into buying something which has similar concepts to something they already own. I've noticed similarities between Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. I've had The Sands of Time sitting in my game drawer for a much longer period than Soul Reaver 2, but it wasn't until that I started playing it again that I noticed its similarities to Soul Reaver 2. While I don't mind the similarites between the two games -- the Soul Reaver and the Dagger of Time, for example -- I think that a game can lose its appeal if relies too much on the similarities it has with another game. Furthermore, I hope Ubisoft, the developers of The Sands of Time didn't simply rehash the Prince of Persia games so they could make money by stealing ideas from Crystal Dynamics, the developers of Soul Reaver 2. I'd imagine it's the other way around where Ubisoft borrowed some of Crystal Dynamics' concepts with permission to avoid any unecessary lawsuits.
Another thing that comes to mind is when ideas are stolen to make money. I'm not sure how often such a thing happens or even how people can get away with it, but it seems rather dishonest. I just hope that in order to avoid stealing an idea -- that is, one gives credit to the person who has their idea represented in, say, a video game -- one acknowledges what his or her (similar) idea comes from. Not acknowledging the fact that one borrowed some ideas from a previous work is like saying, "Oh, no one'll ever notice." People do tend to notice, though, and they can end up feel like they've been cheated into buying something which has similar concepts to something they already own. I've noticed similarities between Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. I've had The Sands of Time sitting in my game drawer for a much longer period than Soul Reaver 2, but it wasn't until that I started playing it again that I noticed its similarities to Soul Reaver 2. While I don't mind the similarites between the two games -- the Soul Reaver and the Dagger of Time, for example -- I think that a game can lose its appeal if relies too much on the similarities it has with another game. Furthermore, I hope Ubisoft, the developers of The Sands of Time didn't simply rehash the Prince of Persia games so they could make money by stealing ideas from Crystal Dynamics, the developers of Soul Reaver 2. I'd imagine it's the other way around where Ubisoft borrowed some of Crystal Dynamics' concepts with permission to avoid any unecessary lawsuits.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
One of those days:
A screwy one at that. By the time I reached my algebra class this morning, there was a sign on the door saying that class had benn cancelled, which I was OK with because I could just write down the assignments that had been posted on the door as well and do 'em in the library. Shortly after writing down the assignments, I headed over to the library. I got there about 9:15 and checked out a math book to do the assignments since my order for books hadn't been processed yet. So I walked on my math while listening to my iPod and thought I'd finish my assignments at a reasonable time. Well, I was just about done with 'em until about 11:00 when the power went out all over campus. There was a lady that walked around the library and she said people could work in there since the natural lighting from outside provided enough light for everyone. I worked for a few more minutes until a campus policeman walked into the library and said everyone had to leave until the power outage was figured out. So I left and when I exited the building, some staff were telling people to pick up the pace in terms of exiting the library. Myself and others had to be careful to not fall on the stairs while exiting, though, because there's a big, long staircase that connects the library to the lower ground.
Once I made it down the stairs, I walked around to see if I could hang out with anyone, but I didn't really find anyone. Students either walked around in a zombie swarm-like fashion or stood around and talked. I walked to the student center and spent a few minutes there until some guy with a megaphone told everyone to exit. Once I exited, I found somewhere to sit down and contemplate the situation. After a while, I had lunch and headed over to see a former teacher of mine so she could interview me about a class I took with her.
I got to my teacher's office at about 12:30, which was when the interview was scheduled. She wasn't around and I noticed a sign that said she'd be back at 1:15, which was the assumed time that the power would go back on. I decided to hang around and wait. She arrived a little after 1:00 and she said she was late because she had to eat lunch off campus since the power was out and since no one was allowed to go to the student center to buy lunch. So after a little planning on the spot and figuring that it would be best to conduct the interview in her office, we got started. The interview went pretty good and my teacher was glad I came by because she was worried all day. After the interview, I headed to the nearest Wendy's -- the one near my school -- to use the bathroom since I didn't attempt to use a bathroom on campus because I figured pretty much all the bathrooms were locked. I walked to the bus stop after going to Wendy's and got on the 62 when the bus came.
Nothing really exciting happened on the bus except for when one of the tires popped for some unknown reason. Some guy in the back kept saying, "Oh, my God," but I didn't know if it was his fault that the tire popped. The bus driver left myself and others off at the bus stop near the Pruneyard, which was OK with me because I just had to wait for the next 62. Plus, the bus driver gave me two day passes since I didn't have any money to pay for the next bus. He figured if I lost one pass, I'd have another. I got on the next 62 and got home a little after 3:00.
It was quite a day for me...makes me wonder why I even got out of bed today.
Once I made it down the stairs, I walked around to see if I could hang out with anyone, but I didn't really find anyone. Students either walked around in a zombie swarm-like fashion or stood around and talked. I walked to the student center and spent a few minutes there until some guy with a megaphone told everyone to exit. Once I exited, I found somewhere to sit down and contemplate the situation. After a while, I had lunch and headed over to see a former teacher of mine so she could interview me about a class I took with her.
I got to my teacher's office at about 12:30, which was when the interview was scheduled. She wasn't around and I noticed a sign that said she'd be back at 1:15, which was the assumed time that the power would go back on. I decided to hang around and wait. She arrived a little after 1:00 and she said she was late because she had to eat lunch off campus since the power was out and since no one was allowed to go to the student center to buy lunch. So after a little planning on the spot and figuring that it would be best to conduct the interview in her office, we got started. The interview went pretty good and my teacher was glad I came by because she was worried all day. After the interview, I headed to the nearest Wendy's -- the one near my school -- to use the bathroom since I didn't attempt to use a bathroom on campus because I figured pretty much all the bathrooms were locked. I walked to the bus stop after going to Wendy's and got on the 62 when the bus came.
Nothing really exciting happened on the bus except for when one of the tires popped for some unknown reason. Some guy in the back kept saying, "Oh, my God," but I didn't know if it was his fault that the tire popped. The bus driver left myself and others off at the bus stop near the Pruneyard, which was OK with me because I just had to wait for the next 62. Plus, the bus driver gave me two day passes since I didn't have any money to pay for the next bus. He figured if I lost one pass, I'd have another. I got on the next 62 and got home a little after 3:00.
It was quite a day for me...makes me wonder why I even got out of bed today.
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