2.31 A bit of a late start. Still struggling to recover from the incoherence of last night's lecture. Enough about that. Let's talk about The Trox. He's wearing a neutral green long sleeve dress shirt and khakis. He's looking very relaxed.
Lecture begins. Talking about Ezekiel
2.32 A phenomenal Powerpoint transition. I believe it was "cube". It made me believe that the overhead screen was actually in three dimensions for a few seconds.
2.34 We're analyzing a table that looks curiously familiar to myself from "Prophets of the Bible." Dave Vandenlangenberg confirms that though it is live, we are watching a repeat. Dave has an existential crisis as he asks why he is here.
2.35 Trox says "Dire warnings of destruction" and it makes me smile and feel warm on the inside for some inexplainable reason.
2.36 We're going into specific dates that these historical events happened in. I bet Trox just guessed on them. For my money, a Troxel guess is as good as what any archaeological information can discover.
2.37 I'm unsure if this guy across the aisle is chewing gum or repeating everything that Troxel says. It's freaking me out.
2.38 I think he's just an inappropriately active chewer. I'm done with being freaked out and am now just angry with him
2.39 A large list of "Oracles against foreign nations" appears to drift up from the bottom of the screen. I have to be honest: for as dry as some of these tables are, the man knows how to work with them. A list of verses and their corresponding dates of occurrence may not seem "fun" to everyone. But with a few powerpoint transitions, a relatable tone, and a firm grasp on the material, Troxel is able to hold attention without resorting to comics strips.
2.42 The list disappears for a moment and -psych!- it reenters. Our hearts give a silent cheer of gratitude that we should be worthy to view it twice.
2.44 Someone leaves the classroom quickly through the back side door. They are pitiful.
2.45 We're talking "Fiery-cloud vehicle" it appears that John Wiley's wish of "Wheel in the Sky" by Journey being played as this is introduced will not be granted.
2.46 Troxel suggests in jest that Ezekiel may have had "too much pizza and beer the night before" to provoke this vision
2.47 It seems that the contrast text color of choice will be red for this slide. Is this because of it's relation to fire? Or just random chance? I have the feeling that he is so in control of this powerpoint that no detail, slide transitions or contrast text color relations would escape his knowledge.
2.49 For some reason "I've got a feeling" by The Beatles has begun to play in my head. Also, Troxel says "loins" a couple of times.
2.51 Some freaking sweet picture of a fricking thing with wings all sweet up in the sky. Seriously. This thing is fricking sweet.
2.54 A graph, or chart, image? Of the conception of the world as a "three layer cake" Dome above Earth, Earth, and Subterranean Waters.
2.55 "Before we go there, I want to return to those creatures themselves..." I wish that could be my cellphone ringtone. He promises that there is an image coming up. I am on the edge of my seat, struggling to maintain bladder control.
2.56 Slides from the Ancient Near East sweetness rating from 1-10 in parenthesis:
1- From Persian period. Two divine figures with horse hooves holding up sky god (4)
2- Neo-Babylonian diety with four faces. this one might give me nightmares. Troxel references Philadelphia Cream Cheese for some reason. (5)
2.58 Only two slides. I'm a bit disapointed. I was really building it up there so that by the fourth image my descriptions would be vivid and the sweetness level would be at a 10. It just goes to show that Troxel's ways are not our ways.
3.00 Troxel teases Wylie by mentioning songs that reference "wheels within wheels" Buts up an image of a wheel. This one gets a sweetness rating of negative four. Because it's a wheel.
3.01 After Googleing the names of those sitting close to me, I stumble upon this I think the most disturbing thing is that someone thought it was appropriate to present their resume in an online flash video hosted by, as far I can tell, a demonic zombie-teddy bear. It was probably Jeremy.
3.04 The "Sleeping Dave" pictures are almost obligatory by now (see picture)
3.10 The mic goes out. It take him about a half second to recognise it, then he compensate, without further pause, by speaking louder. As he is speaking he, with the speed and agility of a puma, replaces the battery in roughly four seconds. HE continues talking, again with the aide of microphone (not that he needs it.) Amazing execution. Possibly his best. Stunning. Just stunning. He sets the bar so high for other professors. No awkward "Is my Mic out?" no "wait just one second" Just first class lecturing. I am honored and privileged to have witnessed that.
3.11 Just when we were taking the third dimension for granted, "Cube" effect again. Amazing.
3.12 Dave wakes up and puts his arm around me.
3.13 We're going to the gold background that he has been favoring as of late.
3.15 I accidently knock over my tea bottle (lid is on) People look at me with little grins. The guy across the aisle gives me a nod that almost literally says "You da man, Broseph." Yes, morons. Beer is the only beverage sold in glass bottles. I must have knocked over the beer that I brought to my Biblical Studies lecture. You caught me and you know it. You clever devils, you.
3.19 Contrast color appears to have shifted to blue, this can not be confirmed with certainty, however, as there is still some red text on the screen.
3.24 Troxel brings up the view that Cyrus' mention in Isaiah may have been a gloss. After he says "Cyrus is a gloss..." I hold back on my urge to yell "You're a gloss."
3.25 Summin' his points up. Are we don-- nope. "But this raises a question..."
3.26 "Any Questions...Everything clear." No. Yes.
3.27 Forty Five minutes in and my eyelids begin to get heavy. Must. Continue. Blogging. Must Expose Troxel to the World. Must Not Sleep.
3.28 Troxel cites "phraseology" Dave skeptically repeats the word in a comical fashion, but spell checker is telling me that it's legitimate. He should have known better than to question Trox's word useage. I personally don't care what the dictionary says. What Troxel says is.
3.33 A new transition! Words can't describe it! It's as if the next slide was on the back of the previous one and the slide simply flipped to expose it's other side... I can't do it justice. You had to see it to believe it.
3.34 A map titled "The Former Things/ New Things" Since I have only been listening enough to take note of Troxel's behaviors, I have no idea what this map is actually of. There are arrows. And dates.
3.36 Map disappears. apparently the map had something to do with Isaiah 42.9
3.37 Man, it's nice to listen to a coherent, comic free lecture. Trox abandons the gold background to settle on a plain white slide. Red is back as the text contrast color.
3.38 "The language...(slide changes) Whoa. I don't have language first, I have this (gestures to slide) first." A map that apparently caught him off guard. HIs composure, of course is only lost for less than a second. It's as if he feigned surprise to try to convince us that he's only human.
3.40 Enthusiastically whispers "Forget about it!"
3.41 Marc giggles. It almost makes me giggle too. That would have been bad new bears. Marc understands and gives me a grateful tap on the knee as if to say "thank you for fighting to avert that disaster, friend."
3.42 Somehow, we are still talking about The Former Things and New Things. I think.
3.43 For the first time, I begin t question why we are doing this. No! Stay the Course. Fight hard. Giving up is not an option. I am not a quitter!
3.44 Summing up his themes. Wishes us well on studying and gives us a couple of reminders.
3.45 Wraps up with "Good look on the test" [sic]
Man it was nice to hear a lecture without any freaking comics.
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