30 Days of Me - Days 23-30

I'm quite a bit behind with the most recent 30-Days project, so I'm going to blast through all the remaining September days with this post.  To be honest, this project hasn't really gotten me that involved... so I've been very lax in completing it daily.  I think I'll stay off the projects for a while and just post miscellaneous stuff.  Unless I find something I really want to try again. :)   So without further ado... Days 23 through 30...

Day 23- something you crave for a lot

Milk products.... Cheese, Cream Cheese, Ice Cream, Cheesecake, etc, etc, etc...  Sad that I'm lactose intolerant... or maybe it's because I'm lactose intolerant that makes me crave them.   Wanting what I can't have... story of my life..

Day 24- a letter to your parents

This one is slightly ambiguous... what exactly was this day looking for?  "Hi, how ya doing?" or "I've got something to confess?"  

Day 25- what I would find in your bag

Technology, Technology, Technology... A laptop, power cords, and iPad, a Netbook, a mouse, network cabling, USB cables, telephone cable (just in case), and the good old stand by... pen and a pad of paper...

Day 26- what do you think about your friends

What friends would those be?  To be honest, I have reconnected with an old high school friend of mine.  But most of my other friends are just coworkers... and we don't really hang out after hours...

Day 27- why are you doing this 30 day challenge

To get back into blogging... but this one just hasn't captured my interest like the last 30 Days of Truth did.

Day 28- a picture of you from last year and now, how have you changed since then?

Blizzcon 2009 (October)

30 Days of Me 2010 (September)

Looks like the same doofus to me. :)

Day 29- in this past month, what have you learned

How to program in AJAX... for the most part.  Still learning :)

Day 30- your favorite song

...changes from day to day.  Currently, it's Kurt Schneider and Sam Tsui's "Don't Want An Ending" (available on iTunes too)

30 Days of Me - Day 22: What makes you different from everyone else

I'm a 33yo gay guy, living with his parents who don't know I'm gay. I'm a practicing Lutheran whose religious teachings say I'm going to Hell.  I have a bad back from a car accident... and I am a self-taught website developer that has 2 companies that he works for and 2 that he is the owner of.  All that wrapped up into a 6'3", overweight body and you have me...  and that's what makes me different from everyone else :P

30 Days of Me - Day 21: a picture of something that makes you happy

Two for the price of one...

...because Drew is going to Vegas in December! :)

What's in a Name... Biblically Speaking...

For those not aware, I'm named after the biblical Jonathan, found in 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel in the Bible.  My namesake was the son of King Saul and close friend of King David.  In fact, the relationship between David and Jonathan is one most interesting biblical relationships.

You might ask why I'm mentioning all this.  Well bare with me just a little longer.

I was an avid follower of "Kings" the show on NBC that lasted only a single, shortened season... producing just 13 episodes before being cancelled by NBC.  (Yet another good show to die young from NBC's mismanagement.  But I digress.)  Anyways, "Kings" was based on the books of 1 and 2 Samuel... and took much of their characters, settings, and plot lines from those Scriptures.  They took many creative liberties with them, of course.  One of those liberties (or so I thought) was the fact that the character if Jack (who was the King's son and was based on the biblical Jonathan) was a closeted homosexual in the context of the show.

Now here is where we finally come back to relevance.   Jonathan is said to "love" David in the Bible.  Most historians and of course mainstream religious interpretation of the relationship call this one of platonic love.  But more modern scholars and writers and now interpreting this as a case of homoeroticism... and possibly even labeling Jonathan and David and homosexuals.

David (yes, the same one who slays Goliath) is brought before King Saul to celebrate his triumph over Goliath and here is where he first meets Jonathan... who is said to take an immediate liking to him.  They also made a covenant...

¹ After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. ² From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father's house. ³ And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. ⁴ Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt. - NIV Bible, 1 Samuel 18:1-4

Later on, King Saul is angered at his son, Jonathan, when he has let David go to his family instead of forcing him to attend the King's dinner table...

³⁰ Saul's anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, "You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don't I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? - NIV Bible, 1 Samuel 20:30


The word "sided" here is a translation of the word "behar" which also translates into "choosing" and sometimes indicates a permanent choice such as a firm relationship. And finally, David's praise of Jonathan upon hearing of his death...

²⁶ I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; 
       you were very dear to me. 
       Your love for me was wonderful, 
       more wonderful than that of women. - NIV Bible, 2 Samuel 1:26

All these passages seem to indicate there was more to the relationship than simply platonic affection.  The above passage especially seems to bring out the fact the Jonathan was in love with David... having more love for him than he has with women.

So in fact, "Kings" on NBC may not have been so far from the Scripture or taken as much liberty as one might have originally thought... at least in this regard.  And more to the point... my namesake appears to be the only instance where homosexuality is allowed and the participant is not killed or a city destroyed by God... as was the case with Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19.  Jonathan is in fact killed by the Philistines in 1 Samuel 31:2...with Saul's other sons.  While David becomes King of Israel and an ancestor to Jesus, our Savior.

And why did I post all this?  Just some random thoughts on my name... and it's ironic link to my homosexuality. :)

30 Days of Me - Day 20: Someone you see yourself marrying or being with in the future

I have no prospects in this regard.  Well, I take that back... there are several people I could see spending the rest of my life with.  The problem is they are all straight... as far as I know. ;)

30 Days of Me - Day 19: nicknames you have and why you have them

Technodude-
A nickname I got from working with computers and my tech saavy at work... not be cause I like techno music...

JP-
My initials and a nickname I had when I was around 5... and one that I grew out of (thank goodness)...

Ardy-
In-game nickname of my characters' longer names; Ardexor, Ardelon, and Eminard.

30 Days of Me - Day 18: plans/dreams/goals you have

I plan to one day be able to support myself with my own business... and not work for someone else

I dream to one day be able to legally marry the man I fall in love with... and not have to settle for legal paperwork to provide spousal rights.

My goal is to one day have the courage to tell my parents I'm gay.

I plan... I dream... I hope.