A little over a year ago, I decided that I was going to stop trying to get an "A" in every class. I'd come to the conclusion that it just wasn't worth all the extra trouble and effort, and so I made the decision to simply complete all the requirements of my classes and then let the chips fall where they may.

Today, my final grades for my final semester came back. As it turns out, I managed to finish this semester, as well as my entire program, with a 4.0 GPA. I'm really glad I didn't waste any time trying too hard...

Some new developments are shaping up for next year. (They are still in the category of "long-shot potential things for me to do," so nobody get excited). None of them involve making lots of money. Although I've never been opposed to taking a vow of poverty, I do not remember taking one. I must have though.

Dinner menu for rest of year: rice, beans
Entertainment menu for rest of year: gas, screams

Great poem.

Well, after 19 and 1/2 months of really hard work, I've finally finished all the requirements for my degree. All that's left is to walk a mile through the pouring rain and hand in my final paper. Fitting? Maybe. Next Sunday (when my degree will actually conferred), I'll officially be a Master of Science. Fitting? Maybe.

I wonder if my butt will stop itching by then. I hope so. (Wait, are adults supposed to say things like that? I doubt it.)

I'm sure you've heard about the ship captain who was recently rescued when Navy Seals shot and killed the three pirates who were holding him captive. It's great that he's safe, but the whole debacle has really made me think how we value life. As Christians, and even as human beings in general, we typically want to save as many lives as possible. Unless we're talking about trading pirates for captains.

On the surface, it does seem like a fair trade: three guilty pirates for one innocent captain. But I keep coming back to the fact that the pirates are in economic situations very much unlike our own. They come from a country where resources are scarce, and where every day brings a new challenge to literal survival. This certainly doesn't excuse kidnapping, but I do find myself wondering if we westerners share some responsibility. As members of "first-world" cultures, we unwittingly (and sometimes wittingly) exploit the downtrodden for our own gain: there's a reason prices are so low at Wal-Mart.

While I don't blame good ol' Sam Walton for piracy, I do contend that our influence contributes to violence and suffering in other societies. Undoubtedly there would still be evil-doers in an equitable society, but in some ways, we helped to create those pirates whose lives we've undervalued.

And three men for one is never a victory: we should rejoice for the one but mourn for the three.