God's Assistance Part 1

(I recommend reading the post Acceptance before reading this post) Hello again audience. As far as I know, a lot of people don't have so much faith in the Lord. Therefore I have created posts of stories from the bible to strengthen your bond with Him, and this is the second post so far. So let's get straight down to business.

Have you wondered if God was the one to count on if you needed someone who would really lead you the way, vanquish all enemies who stand against you and your destiny? Most people doubt this, but according to the Holy Bible, the Almighty One has really done this (At least back in the Old Testament). In one story, he led Israel to freedom against their cruel captors, the Egyptians. Here's the story...

Thousands of years ago (think B.C.), the people of Israel were ruled by Egyptians. The reason the Egyptians were ruled by Egypt was because that the Pharaoh feared that Israel would soon conquer Egypt if left alone. For this reason, the Pharaoh ordered his country's unfortunate neighbors to be slaves. This way there would be no rebellion against Egypt. After years of brutal work and mistreatment, God decided to put a stop to all this evil.

God sent a former Israelite fugitive named Moses to the Pharaoh to send a message from God to let the Lord's people go. The Pharaoh refused to comply to His request, so He sent a terrible chain of disasters upon the evil Egyptians.

1. The Red River

God started his first offense on Egypt by turning all the water sources in Egypt into blood. In the River Nile, the crystal-clear river turned into an unbearably disgusting flow of blood. With all the water sources useless, you'd expect the Pharaoh to give in and let Israel out of captivity, but NO, the relentless ruler still refused to let his prisoners go.

2. The Frogs

Next, God sent literally sent a whole country of frogs to infest Egypt (I bet the Egyptians were "hopping" mad). The annoying amphibians scared the citizens, pestered the Pharaoh, and horrified the officials. The Pharaoh pretended to give the Israelites permission to leave the country, and God called off the plague the next day. However, when the frogs were cleaned from Egypt, the Pharaoh instantly recalled Israel back to Egypt (Let's call this tactic "The Fake Promise" to put it in shorter terms, OK?)

3. The Parasites

(If you're terrified of massive colonies of insects, I suggest you skip this bit) "Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt." God said to Moses. Moses did so, triggering every grain of dust to transform into lice (or gnats or fleas, it didn't really say in the bible). The incredibly irritating insects assaulted Egypt, causing everlasting chaos (and hygiene problems) among the whole country, "bugging" the people. After doing "The Fake Promise", the Pharaoh still kept the poor Israelites in the country.

4. The Flies

Following the lice attack (which is, by the way, a VERY GOOD reason to take baths), God unleashed a swarm of flies to Egypt (what was the big deal with bugs back then? They seem to be the star of ancient annoyances!). The Pharaoh exercised "The Fake Promise" a third time so he could keep Israel in Egypt.

5. The Cattle Tipper

(This plague may be the reason that livestock are potential carriers of disease) This plague is a bit "futuristic". After irritating the relentless ruler, God decided to turn up the pressure a bit and start using murder and life-threatening threats. This time God unleashed a kind of cattle-killing disease (think anthrax) upon the Egyptians. Although the epidemic didn't kill the Egyptians, you can bet than they were less than happy when they saw their farm animals sprawled on the floor (At least they were able to salvage meat from the cattle and have a few tons of steak to eat. It always pays to look at the bright side). Hmm, I wonder if this was the start of livestock-carrying diseases? Anyway, you know what happened next. Fake promise, Israel still stays in Egypt.

I'll continue the story in another post. Sorry for any inconvenience caused, but don't worry. I'll post the next part on the next update. Peace out for now!

It's Not My Fault. It's Fate.

Do you believe in fate? For those of you who don't know what fate is, here; take a look at the Jason's Dictionary:

Fate: Your destiny; it cannot be changed, because it's your destiny; what you are going to do, what will happen. For example, it was my fate to type this post for you.

You've got to admit, fate can be a little misleading at times. God controls our gates/destinies, so it's possible to use this as an excuse for what's currently happening. Take this conversation below:

Teacher: John, why didn't you make your homework?
John: It was my fate not to do my homework. You can't blame me for that.

It can also be used to exploit people.

You: (trip a person over)
Unlucky victim: WHY DID YOU DO THAT?
You: I didn't do that on purpose. It was your fate.

But that's not the main reason I composed this post. I made this post mainly because fate confuses me. Why? Well, here's a little paragraph on why fate is such a confusing thing:

If God already controlled our destinies from our births to our deaths, then why does he count our sins and good actions? Since he already controls our fates from the beginning, he will be the one who's going to decide if what we're going to do next? Then that means we are puppets, unaware if our next act is going to be evil or saintly. Sorry if I sound like an atheist, but I'm just expressing my opinion.

So that concludes another post on the wonders of the Lord. I hope you will give this one some thought and help me solve this saintly dilemma.

Acceptance

Many of you must be wondering if God is truly the ultimate leader, the sheep's shepherd, who forgives whatever His sheep does. Some people out there, I just know it, just don't seem to 100% believe in this theory. Well if you're this kind of guy, I highly recommend you to read this post. If you're not this kind of guy, it's still a good post to read nevertheless. So here's a story of how much God cares for us (before you read this story, here is the "cast": God is the father, and we are the father's foolish son. Enjoy the story)

Once upon a time, there was a rich father who had two sons. One day the younger brother asked for his share of his father's inheritance (for those younger readers out there, inheritance is the items your parents will give you after their passings, and whatever you do, do not ask for your share of your parents' will until the time has actually come, unlike the reckless little kid in this story). Amazingly, the father granted his son's unbelievable wish.

So after receiving his money and valuables from his father, the young son bade goodbye to his father and moved into the city (he previously lived in some kind of suburb). He squandered all his cash on wild parties, (probably) eating in fancy and insanely expensive restaurants, and in scientific terms, living the wild and extremely comfortable. But eventually after all his insane shopping spree, he went bankrupt.

Now here's some additional information to help you understand the story even better: when the young son ran out of money, he also ran out of friends. After all, back at that time, (and maybe today it still goes on today) there is an important rule in having friends: You must be RICH. Back at Jesus's era, as long as you were a rich person, loads of people will want to be your friend. Why? Well, people are much more primitive that time (no offense if this hurts anybody) and this is their concept of friends: "A good friend is a rich person. A rich guy can invite you to wild parties, afford you expensive gifts, etc, etc. If the guy's not rich, don't befriend him. He can't afford you anything."

And that was precisely was happened to the poor, unfortunate kid. Once all his cash went down the money drain, all his friends dumped him. Since they knew he could not afford expensive dinners anymore, they abandoned him right when he needed them most. Some friends these guys are. Anyway, the son tried to find a job in the city. But unluckily for the kid, he couldn't find a decent job and ended up as a pig-watcher. He had such low wages that he sometimes had to resort to devouring pig food in order to temporarily contain his hunger.

Eventually he got sick of being such an unfortunate citizen. He eventually returned to his father's house, where he planned to say, "Dad, I have squandered all my inheritance on unnecessary stuff and totally disgraced you. For that, don't take me as your son anymore. Just allow me to be one of your servants.". Then at least he would get decent pay and have a life.

But when he got home, his dad didn't get mad at him: instead he forgave the son for his recklessness and threw a party for his son's return, for "My son has been lost and found: he was dead and brought back to life!".

So there. If God is the father, that means he will always give us a second chance no matter what. But that doesn't mean you can push him far. That's it for this post. See you til' the next update!

One Step Ahead

The world is like Facebook. Everyday people constantly update it and every single second it always becomes newer and newer. And just like Facebook, if you don't catch up, you would get left behind. This is the typical life of the ordinary citizen. Now, you might wish that you were one of those life-changing people who actually helped make life even easier than it was before. But being an inventor who makes life-changing newfangled contraptions isn't going to be as easy as snapping your fingers. Life as an inventor means competition, rivalry, and other unlimited terrors. But if you pull it off successfully, the rewards are going to be tremendous.

If you were an inventor, once you have a brainwave about a potential human-helping device, you've got to start to work on your new creation ASAP. Instantly hammer, drill and craft it into perfection. Why, you might be wondering, if you're an inventor, you have to workon your new invention so quickly? Well, I'll tell you why. That's because if you take it slow, sooner or later your invention is bound to be unknowingly created by someone else, and if they manage to patent it and send the bill to engineering and stuff like that, they'll get credit for the invention you were actually working on. They will get invited to parties and stuff like that just because they created that invention before you. You will be completely forgotten because you didn't show it to the public before the other guy did. All your hard work will be flushed down the toilet just because he made it public before you. Geddit, right?

There are famous examples of inventors who made the same invention at the same time. Take Alexander Graham Bell, for example. Another guy named Elisha Gray coincidentally invented the telephone roughly at the same time in different places. To top it all off, their telephones were also made of exactly the same materials! Spooky, eh? Well anyway, we all know that Bell invented the telephone, but that's because he just sent the patent to engineering before Gray did and the failed scientist's efforts were forgotten. Science can be horribly cruel sometimes.

You also can't be famous for being the guy who discovered HOW an invention could be made. For example, We all know that Edison invented the lightbulb, right? Well, history may be correct, but not entirely. Many people back then did DISCOVER that light COULD be made in the form of some kind of a lightbulb, but they didn't MAKE the actual light bulb. They just remained as another common-or garden human on the planet. Edison managed to actually CREATE the lightbulb, and he became world famous. So you can't get famous for developing an idea for an invention.

So if you're a keen inventor trying to help the world, please read this. This post will help teach you a thing or two about new invention. Anyway, thanks for reading. Jason out!

The Horror of the Past: Murder Devices Part 2

Yesterday I promised you guys that I would come up with part 2 of horrible killing devices back in the old days (read part 1 of this post if you haven't), and here is the promised result. Last post we did "formal" murder contraptions, which is really another word for machines used for public executions. Now we are doing "informal" murder items, which are easily purchased back in the day. Without further ado, let's start the list...

THE IRON MAIDEN
(Not to be confused with the band) In this monstrous device, the victim is locked inside and forgotten. Now these procedures may get a bit deceiving, maybe a bit boring. But when you look at the item used to put the victim in, you'll feel more sorry for the chosen person. A LOT more sorry.

Get the picture? Now repeat that boring old procedure, only with the Iron Maiden: Put victim in, forget about him. I told you you'll be sorry for the poor guy in this thing. Even worse, the Iron Maiden's spikes are placed in strategically painful places. For example the spikes weren't so long, so it'll stab the victim and allow him/her to bleed to death. There are also spikes specifically directed to pierce the eyes.

THE THUMBSCREWS
Now I told you readers that this post will be about murder devices, but just for the sake of giving you additional information, I've decided to make an exception. Welcome the thumbscrews. Definitely more of a torture than an execution device, it doesn't take a genius to figure out how to work this machine. Observe:

I sincerely apologize if the design wasn't as practical as you expected, but I guarantee you it's still extremely painful. Chances are that if you try this on a person he'll probably say more vulgar things than "SCREW you!"

That should be the end of the medieval torture weapons. I'm sorry if you readers didn't see as much machines as you expected, but I'll gladly find out about more if you want.

The Horror of the Past: Murder Devices Part 1

The world has turned into quite a gruesome place, but that's nothing compared to hundreds of years ago. Sure, technology and all the great devices meant for good today is used for bad uses instead of helping the world, but trust me, there are a lot of stuff that will make people awfully glad that they lived in the 21st century.

Today we are going to compare the horribleness of today's and yesterday's terrible killing machines. Just take it from me, just thinking about these primitive murder machines you will face in the old days is enough to make you lose your head (literally, if you do get killed by some of these things). After you look at this post, you too, will have to admit that these medieval murders could make the gas chamber look like a perfumery. Let's start the list:
(INTRODUCTION: These murder devices will be divided into two categories: Formal and Informal. Formal for the machines used for public executions, Informal for the ones even you could buy back in those days. Just an FYI: This post will be divided into two partsThe "informal" category)

FORMAL

THE GUILLOTINE
Used in the times of the French Revolution and countless other olden eras, these are one of the most (in)famous execution devices. For those of you who don't know, the guillotine is basically a massive door-like device (Picture a door) with a giant hole (Picture the said door 3/4 parts "holed"). A massive blade is attached to the top part of the device, supported by a rope (picture the "holey" door with a big bad blade on top of it. The blade is held up high with a rope. Let go of the rope, and the blade falls down). the "unholed" part of the door has a head-sized hole to put criminals' heads into. Here's a small picture of how the guillotine:

Get the idea? If you don't, do some more research on this thing.

WELL-DONE

This treacherous execution method is long and cruel, as you are killed by a slow fire. You have a few minutes to make your final thoughts before you turn into ash. This method of murder is to tie the sentenced person onto a stake (NO, I am perfectly aware that I did NOT misspell this. They don't tie you to a piece of steak and set you on fire, we're talking STAKE as in WOODEN STAKE) and set him ON FIRE! And if that wasn't cruel enough, do remember that you're actually ALIVE when they burn you (IF they burn you). As far as I know, many famous people have gone this way, Although the only person I DO know suffered this fearsome fate is Joan of Arc. Here's an "old painting" (I said "old painting" because I got this picture from Google Images, so it's not 100% "old painting") of a person being burnt on a stake:

Well, that's the end of part one. But don't go away! Part 2 of this post is just around the corner and it's got more ingenious soul-destroying contraptions. See you until the next update!

Jason's Guide to Surviving Your Job: Stealth Soldier

(I recommend you to read Bad Jobs: Stealth Soldier as this post is a sequel, or part 2) Hey reader! Another update. I promised you guys who read the previous post that I would make a guide of sneaking around hostile territory in the extreme case you ever become a stealth soldier. Well here it is! The awaited post has finally arrived. This post is mainly directed to all those brave souls out there who want to try "cool" (and suicidal) jobs, such as a bomb squad member, assault soldier, etc. Now before innocent people start to rush into their insane jobs blind and clueless, I hope that I'm making this post at the right time to either stop them from killing themselves/to help them understand the risks and give them a few tips about their daring jobs before starting their ominious occupation. Today we are discussing the risks of being a sneaky and stealthy stealth soldier (maybe I shouldn't've told you that bit; you know that already from the title. Anyway, let's begin).

RISKS
Sneaking around restricted enemy grounds and taking out any hostile that comes near isn't my idea of a fun job, although that is a very good theme for video games. But we must know what it's like to be in the real thing: To be trapped in some terrorist lair, with the extremely dangerous task of acquiring crucial and confidential data deep within the bowels of its innermost fortresses, out of hostiles' reach. Charging in with guns blazing is out of the question, so that's when being sneaky and cunning really comes to good use. But the problem with stealth is that once you get spotted, your vulnerable body will be pumped full of lead and you'll just be another body of a foolish soldier who tried to unsuccessfully infiltrate terrorist HQ (of course, unless you actually manage to escape all those flying bullets and disappear into another part of the lair and get the enemy to continue their frantic search for you).

TIPS (this bit may not be totally reliable, as I take this part's sources from video games, but that's pretty much where all this post's sources come from)
Things you'll need in stealth mode:
-Silenced pistol (a normal un-silenced pistol will trigger instant enemy attention)
-Black suit (obviously black is the best color that blends in with cover, and it's cool too)
-Soft-soled shoes (For treading around silently in the shadows. No matter how silent you try to be, you'll still be detected if you don't use the correct footwear, say tap shoes)
-Night vision goggles (for the night. Otherwise, you'll be as blind as a bat, only without the sonar)
Techniques you'll need to use:
-Silenced eliminations (when near an enemy, don't shout "YAAAAH!" and pounce on him like a rabid bloodhound. For a non-lethal takedown, strangle him into fainting. For a more cautious approach, use a knife for a more fatal silent elimination. Don't try this at home)
-No explosives (too loud, use only when it could be drowned out by another sound)
-Most importantly, constantly try to make up back-up plans if Plan A goes wrong.

Silent takedown from Hitman

Bad Jobs: Stealth Soldier

Hello once again readers. I decided to continue the epic saga of Bad Jobs. It's mainly because that I'm worried that if when some youngster decided to pick a job, he'd choose a cool career that he say is "cool", but unbeknownst to him will endanger his life. Now I've made these posts of Bad Jobs to stop that very "accident" from happening. I'm trying to make a innocent soul know how deadly this "cool" job is so he'll know the risks of doing it instead of walking into his job blind. Now in this post I've decided to explain about a job that requires great skill in hand-to-hand combat, silence, and the ability not to crack under pressure. This deadly job is that of a stealth soldier (note that I didn't simply just say "spy". Well, that's because a spy's job isn't half as deadly as the stealth soldier. Here's a small comparison:
SPY:
-Mission: Eavesdrop on the enemy to gather valuable intel so the spy's country will know what they're up against.
STEALTH SOLDIER:
-Mission: Silently traverse enemy headquarters, trying to stay undetected. Get spotted, get killed.
Need I say more?)

Fortunately being a stealth soldier isn't half as deadly as being part of the infantry for your country (for further references, check out my first post on Bad Jobs: It tells you of the dangers of being in the infantry). One, you probably won't survive a few minutes out in the battlefield as a common-or-garden private soldier, whereas you have more chance of surviving as a stealth soldier in a big room where the enemy security are struggling to search for you. Two, it's much more... hmmm... How should I put it? Let's say "fun". Why? Here: If you are part of the infantry (unless you're a war veteran or something like that), you're just another easily dispatched barrier to the enemy. As a stealth soldier, you can strike fear into the hearts of your enemies, who are absolutely terrified at the fact of some guy pouncing on them and strangling them to death.

But being a part of the stealth army isn't all it's cracked up to be. You also have an equal chance of getting spotted by the enemy and gunned down instantly. Or even worse, they'll process you of the information you know about your country's confidential secrets. Oh yeah, and I almost forgot: Then they'll kill you. That's why you've got to have nerves of steel and guts of titanium. But all in all, it's better than being just another tiny speck in the army's footmen. For more tips for surviving as a stealth soldier, Check out Jason's Guide to Surviving Your Job: Stealth Soldier, which is just around the corner.

OK, It may not really be like this, but you get the idea, right?

True Martyrdom (Part 2)

So here comes the awaited sequel of True Martyrdom. Before we start, let me tell you readers something: If you've read the first part of True Martyrdom, do continue reading on. For those of you who haven't read the first part of this thing, it is strongly advised for you to read the first part of this religious saga. So anyway, let's cut straight to the chase.

ACT III: TOTALLY-INSANE "GOOD"
Easily the greatest level of loyalty humanity can show to the God Almighty, very few people can manage topull this off. Only people chosen by God, who have shown true loyalty to Him, are able to actually make this come true. Before we start the list of angel-raffed, lightning-touched, holy followers, Let's start with a small warning:
Disclaimer: I am not responsible to any damaged caused by these following acts. People who have done the following acts have died, received heavy humiliation and are disgraces to the public at their time. Try what these people did at your own risk.

DAVID
I sincerely apologize if plain ol' "David" wasn't specific enough a name for you. Well, let me explain now. David was one of the kings of Israel, and he was a true follower of the Lord. Why? Well, there are MILLIONS of reasons that indicated he was a true disciple of the Lord. Here are the reasons why:
-Ever read the story of "David and Goliath"? It's a very famous story even to those people of other religions other than Christianity. In this story, David kills a collosal giant named Goliath with a sling that held a rock. You could say that it was a one-hit-kill (one hit kill, headshot, call it whatever you want). Afterward, David beheaded Goliath with his own sword (mind you, GOLIATH's own sword, not David's, that is). He was mighty famous because Goliath was known for his outstanding skill and durability in battle. This is just one example of his faithful acts. There are many more glorious stories of him, but let's stop here, or I won't be able to finish the post.

JESUS CHRIST
Now, readers, instead of making the same old mistake with a typical "Jesus" (Had I not been more specific about "Jesus Christ" and named him plain, drab "Jesus", you might think that "Jesus" is a guy that lives in Brazil or some black guy (no racism meant). Anyway, read on), I named this (literal) manifestation of God "Jesus Christ". Now you obviously know what "Jesus" I'm talking about (and if you read many of my previous posts, they revolve around Jesus Christ as well). You know, as in "died on the cross" Jesus? Jesus as in "fed a hundred people" Jesus? You're definitely familiar, right? He is the ultimate symbol of God. He suffered massive amounts of pain in the sake of forgiving us humans. He died on the cross for us. Let me give you an awesome fact about Jesus: (here comes the confusing bit) He is actually a normal human being either:
a. "Possessed" by God and sent down to Earth via Mother Mary (Jesus's mother) and grown up to be the most holy man in the world, if not the universe.
b. Just an extremely God-devoted man who was chosen by God to lead mankind.
(just an FYI, I choose B)
Don't say being the most holy man on the face of the Earth is as easy as snapping your fingers. You must resist inhuman temptation, go to extreme pain, and in scientific terms, do anything that God defines is right. Just in case you were wondering, he could've evaded getting beaten into worm food on the cross, but he didn't. He valued our lives over his. He knew he was going to great torture, but he chose to do the greater good. If he didn't die on the cross, People wouldn't be welcomed in heaven. So who could possibly be the ultimate beacon of light who could lead us in this world full of evil?

So that brings me to the end of my True Martyrdom series. Hopefully this will be a helpful guide to the world's most holy people or something.

A snapshot of Jesus on the cross.

True Martyrdom (Part 1)

Hey guys, and welcome back to Jason's blog. To those of you who are wondering how far some people would go to defend God's name, you have come to the right post. Why? Well, this post tells you about the levels of faith in the Almighty God some people will go to. Just in case you were wondering, I got the idea for this post after today's church ceremony, where this time the priest tells about some people's loyalty to the Lord. So here we go...

The priest explained that in this world there are three levels of "goodness" that defend God's name. Here they are:

ACT I: TYPICAL "GOOD"

All of us humans do good deeds from time to time. For example we'd help a guy with his/her groceries, help an elderly citizen cross a busy road, help another person with his homework, etc. Act I are just the common-or-garden good actions that are done every day by you and me. Obviously these aren't so hard to do, but they do shape up the majority of the good deeds we do from day to day, and is by far the easiest way to receive a one-way ticket to heaven. Sure, these may help give a good, clean visage on the Him, but it's not really as big a religious act compared to...

ACT II: OUT-OF-YOUR-COMFORT-ZONE "GOOD"

Requires a bit more guts to do than Act I, but it'll count more when you get to the afterlife. If you're feeling a bit brave, you might as well step out of your comfort zone and do some even crazier, gut-full acts. For example, if you're a timid and cowardly person (no offense if you are), you could try standing up to the school bully (who always punches your face in unless you give him something ranging from a few bucks to all your school lunch money), even if you might end up with a "few" bruises. After all, God would agree it was the right thing to do (don't do this unless you're feeling very brave or very stupid. After all, this isn't as easy as it sounds). Or, if you're the kind of guy who doesn't really like to smile or have some fun, you could actually TRY to cheer up a bit, therefore encouraging your other gloomy pals to be a wee bit more positive. Or, if you don't really mind about passing out in front of hundreds of people (this is for all you readers out there, as most of you people might all have this same fear), you could take up public speaking. The possibilities are limitless and they count more than those (seemingly) insignificant deeds mentioned in the first act (although they are also harder to do). God will appreciate your new, positive habits that makes you step out of the warm shelter of your old, boring habits.

I'm sorry if I caused you readers any inconvenience, but for the dramatic effect, Act 3 will be continued on another post. I want you to wait until the WAITED MOMENT COMES! (that is, tomorrow) It will tell about stories of holy people such as priests, prophets and other holy ambassadors of heaven who went into unspeakably insane acts for the sake of their God!

Okay, enough of the spoilers. See you in the next post. Peace out!

A crucifix (a miniature model of the cross Jesus was nailed on)