A thought about "adult" things...

Just because something is "not for kids" does not mean it is "adult".

New Blog = The End - 2020

Hey guys!

You guys might have been seeing a lot of commercials for the new movie, 2012. You may have even seen websites like ThisIsTheEnd or WHo Will Survive 2012

Well, I have a new blog, called The End - 2020.

If you've read the Left Behind series, then you might be interested in it. The basic concept of a ficitonalized story of the biblical Apocalypse is the same, but theologically different. When it comes to the End Times, also known by some as the Tribulation, there seems to be 3 main thoughts: pre-Trib, post-Trib, and Chicago Trib.

1. pre-Trib: There is this vague biblical idea of the Revelation. Pre-Trib people read the Bible to mean that Christians will be raptured up before the anti-Christ is revealed, and THEN there will be a Tribulation. People can still get saved, but it will be much harder.


2. post Trib: These people An extremist might buy a cabin in the mountains & stock up on supplies (like the Y2K fears in 1999). "Normal" post-Tribbers will simply prepare for bad times, and preach the gospel in the midst of any persecution, and try really hard not to complain.


3. Chicago Trib: OK, i made that term up. This philosophy says they don't know if either pre- por post-Trib will happen. They'll just go with the flow, and read the Chicago Tribune (or other news sources) and deal with events as they come.
   

However, one of the best thoughts i've heard on the above philosophies is summed up like this: "Pray, pray, pray for the Rapture, but prepare, prepare, prepare for the Tribulation."

I started this blog now, due to a couple of reasons:

1. some extra free time


2. The movie 2012 is coming out, and they too have a blogger, so i'd like to exploit that if i could


3. The desire to challenge American popular Christianity, which made Left Behind kind of trendy, and the Church not as effective as it could in addressing social issues in the world


4. i'd like to see if i have any potential as a professional writer.

Some peculiarities about The End - 2020:

1. i found a glitch in the Matrix - er, Blogger's set up, where there is a way to essentially post blogs from the future. (check the date of this entry) How i did that is a trade secret for now. Should I get some kind of book or media deal, then perhaps you can find out.


2. If this blog got any traction, it could open the door for a book. The blogs would serve as the openings for each chapter, and create the background for what was about to happen, plot-wise.


3. If anyone really gets into it, i am very open to having other contributors,who can give the perspective of another type of believer, such as someone from China, who might already have been under persecution.


4. i plan on linking to some real life blogs, as The End 2020 blogs might reference those as a way to talk about certain issues. If you wouldn't mind me doing so, let me know if i can link to your blog as well.


5. Comments will be from real people. i'll moderate them so we don't get anything too crazy. But i think th eonly way people will want to come back, in addition to creative entries, will be to see that the blog really engages people.

i would like to see how it goes by the end of the year. Let me know if you think i should continue. If so, please spread the word. Also, if there are any ways you can boost traffic, i'd appreciate it. For example, I have a link to one of 2012's fictional blogs, e ThisIsTheEnd. I am wondering if you click it through my blog, it might somehow enhance my blog's visibility.

Also, try google searches (especially blog searches) that include key words: 2012, 2020, Charlie Frost

and see if you can find it. If so, there's an option for you to bump it up (in Google), so I would appreciate that a lot.

Look for more entries beginning Nov. 2 or so.

Thanks for your support!

EDIT: This blog entry originally had the post date of 12/21/12, but I changed it to make room for more relevent material.

Best boxes for Aldi

i am planning a post, "How to Shop at Aldi's", but there's one particular segment that will take quite a bit of room, so i thought i would elaborate on that aspect before writing the bigger blog. (i also note about Chicagoan's calling it Aldi's, despite the sign).

This sounds crazy, but to those inexperienced with Aldi, this can be helpful in helping you bring your groceries home.

At Aldi's, you have a couple of options to take your groceries. You can buy plastic bags for just a dime, or pay $1-$2 for reusable bags & insulated bags. But one other option is to use the boxes that the items were shipped in. These are free, and when you are done with them, you can simply toss them in your recycling bin if you don't use them for your own storage (or other purposes).

The best boxes to use are:

1. Orchard Gold 1 Gallon Punch (Citrus Punch & Fruit Punch): With the cardboard inside the big box, you have extra support on the handles as well as separation for different type of items.

2. Nature's Nectar Juice (Grape & Cranberry varieties; NOT Apple): These boxes don't have specific handles, but are made such that they have natural handles. I actually also use them to store different types of items at home. The different colors but standard size make them great for home use.

3. Carlini Oil (Vegetable, Canola, Corn): A little smaller than the juice boxes, but same basic concept. Solid and easy to handle

IMPORTANT: Now, it's OK to shift 1 or 2 lone bottles in a box over to another box that has some space. But please do NOT empty an entire box of items (and especially do NOT stack them on full boxes). It's rude, it makes the store look bad, and it may cause the management to take drastic measures, and ruin shopping for the rest of us. In fact, the Aldi at 7342 S. State Street at one point actually tore a whole stack of juice boxes, rendering them completely useless to customers.

Coming soon, "How to Shop at Aldi's"