February 2016 – Imperfect Collective

Put a Praise on It!

On February 26, 2016

You have to praise Him no matter what the circumstances.

I know that this is much easier said than done, but it’s the truth. No matter what, you have to thank Him and praise Him. It’s imperative to thank Him for what He has given you. There is such a blessing that comes back when you praise Him. We need to praise Him not only for what He has done for us, which is more than we could ever think or imagine, but we need to wholly praise Him just for the simple fact of who He is.

Praise can come in all forms and shapes. That is something that I have very much learned over the last year, specifically. As I continue to take the Lord out of the box that I had placed Him in, I have also learned to take worship and praise out of the box that I put them in.

I Need New Shoes

By Brandon Kauffman

On February 26, 2016

In Uncategorized

Shoes
The last pair of shoes I bought was in April of last year. They’re super comfy, too. They have memory foam bottoms that make me feel like I’m walking on little rubbery rainbows. Or at least they did.

For the last month or two, they haven’t been as comfortable as I’d like. The upper that was once nice and white is a dull tan color. Those rubbery rainbows I mentioned in the last paragraph have turned instead to hard, uncomfortable cement blocks. They have been worn almost daily since the day of purchase, so it’s no shame for them. Let’s be honest, if three hundred(ish) pounds of pure sexiness walked on top of you for eight to twelve hours a day for months on end, you’d be a little worn out, too.

Kanye’s unenviable path to Pablo

By Seth Kuhns

On February 20, 2016

In Music, Uncategorized

If The Life of Pablo is a glimpse into the mind of Kanye West, he’s just as confused and unstable as everyone surmised. It’s uneven, sprawling, and will upset a lot of people who hear it: It’s a perfect symbol of the character of Kanye West. And while the album hits its sonic stride in its final four or five tracks (with a powerful assist from Kendrick Lamar), it’s the first two-thirds of the album’s content that’s most intriguing.

Twitter’s “Infinite Hashtags” Aim to Revolutionize Written Word

By Adam Shaffer

On February 19, 2016

In Technology

Twitter’s manager of journalism and news, Mark Luckie, discussed the introduction of “Infinite Hashtags” at NASA headquarters on Friday. Photo courtesy of NASA

Hot off the controversial news that Twitter will be expanding its 140-character limit later on this year, the social media giant announced today that it would also be making significant improvements to its most famous contribution to the English language: The hashtag. Once also restricted to 140 characters, hashtag users were often forced to abbreviate words and phrases to convey complex ideas. For example, a user looking to confess his or her love of milkshakes may have to resort to posting #milkshakes4lyfe rather than expressing their true feelings about their favorite dairy beverage. Such restrictions will soon be a thing of the past, as Twitter has announced that hashtags will now have an infinite number of characters to work with.

Reduced

By Brandon Kauffman

On February 17, 2016

In Essay

This is another older piece from my college days. I find it pretty entertaining and it is all true, mostly.

I decided the summer before sixth grade that I needed a change. I never had any money and that needed to change. My mother saw an ad for a paper carrier position in our local newspaper, The New Castle News, and she hung it on our refrigerator. This was her way of telling me to call and set up an interview. This interview led to a job, which led to fame and glory – or at least cash in my pocket and a Carrier of the Year trophy in my room. But it also led to something that I will never, ever lose or forget: a huge scar on my right knee, and another one on my heart.

Just a few short months after starting my position as future Carrier of the Year, I began to deliver the paper to three buildings on the campus of Westminster College. The buildings were separated by three steps and a few thousand feet of rough, grey sidewalk. No big deal. That is, until the day the sidewalk sought revenge for the daily trampling I gave it.

Finding My Own Music: Jamiroquai

By Bill Coyne

On February 17, 2016

In Uncategorized

Growing up, my music was mostly my parents’ music. Billy Joel, Rush, and Cat Stevens were dominant forces. My first cassette was Steve Miller Band’s Greatest Hits (the one with that cool airbrushed blue horse on the cover). My first CD was given to me by my grandmother (before I had a CD player) and was Britney Spears’ debut album. When I asked her why she bought it for me she responded, “Maybe if you listened to the music kids these days listen to, you would have more friends.” Great intentions, Grandma – poorly delivered. Also, that album was terrible.

A Memoir From Cell Block C

By Brandon Kauffman

On February 17, 2016

In Short Story, Uncategorized

Cell

This is an old piece of writing I did in college. It was a colloquial writing piece that I liked and apparently so did my professor. Just a little bit of change from my previous pieces. Think about it and enjoy.

Whelp… I guess this is it. White-washed walls, a thin mattress, and a little hole that gives me a small piece of a hallway. No hope. No outside world. Just a hallway.

I did it for the money. That’s what the world is all about after all.

All about the money.

Are Video Games an Art Form?

By Adam Shaffer

On February 12, 2016

In Technology, Video Games

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more complex, developed science fiction universe than the one portrayed in the Mass Effect trilogy.

It amazes me that, in 2016, the general consensus about video games is that they are mostly a meaningless form of entertainment meant to amuse and pass time. Most people would look at you like you were crazy if you used the words “video game” and “art” in the same sentence. If you were to watch a movie or even crack open a book every night, nobody would bat an eye because those are pieces of entertainment with class. But if you consider those latter two forms of expression art, you should be including modern video games in the same conversation.

Much ink has been spilled trying to nail down the definition of what art is. The classical definition is very narrow in scope, basically limiting it to physical works like sculptures and paintings. But the modern definition of art has evolved to include basically any tangible expression of thoughts, sights, or sounds that resonate and connect with us on an emotional level. Music. Film. Dance. Most 21^st century people would agree that these are forms of artistic expression. So why not video games?

Persistent Prayer

By Lynn Kuhns

On February 12, 2016

In Essay, Inspiration

I want to share with you a very powerful, yet often-unappreciated weapon that you have in your arsenal. Honestly, for years I didn’t understand the power of it and questioned whether there was any validity to it. I can now say beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it is my go-to resource for just about everything. I’m still working on making it number one for everything, but I am still a work in progress.

This great weapon and tool that we have is prayer, and it does so many things. First, it connects us to our Heavenly Father. It isn’t just a ritual that we perform when we need something from Him, nor is it something that we should only do in the good times or before meals. It is something that we need to constantly be doing all the time. He wants to talk to us and wants to hear from us. So why do we avoid talking to Him?

Time to pull back the microphone

By Seth Kuhns

On February 10, 2016

In Sports, Uncategorized

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There was a collective groan that overcame the sports world on Sunday night when Cam Newton walked away from his press conference following the Carolina Panthers 24-10 loss to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50. The groan was split into two separate, yet equally important camps: The folks who were waiting for Newton to trip up and the folks who were sure he would not. His actions played right into the narrative that Newton, the league’s newly minted MVP, was not mature enough to be the leader of the best team in the NFL.

Month: February 2016 (Page 1 of 2)

Put a Praise on It!

I Need New Shoes

Kanye’s unenviable path to Pablo

Twitter’s “Infinite Hashtags” Aim to Revolutionize Written Word

Reduced

Finding My Own Music: Jamiroquai

A Memoir From Cell Block C

Are Video Games an Art Form?

Persistent Prayer

Time to pull back the microphone

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