They just thought I'd know better...

Does anyone ever read my blog anymore? No, because I suck at updating it. I'm beginning the slow demise into the abyss of bloglessness. Life is just getting tricky to write about in this open, honest way. Is that weird? I guess it's because now, the things that matter often happen in the context of a committed and intimate relationship, and even though these things aren't secret, they are better kept private. Is that cryptic enough? lol

So speaking of this guy that is indirectly affecting my blogging ways... Tom is, as you all should know, a huge Guns N Roses fan. Pretty crazy. I mean it's not everyday you run into someone who's favorite band is GNR.

But the band has grown on me so much - I kid you not. They make really fun, really rocking music. I can't believe I said rocking but that's the only word to describe it.

And the actual point of this post is that you should look online for a song from the upcoming GNR album Chinese Democracy. There are tons of songs that have been leaked. But the one that I love is called "Better." Check it out. It's pretty amazing. Apparently some GNR fans think it's horrible but Tom and I are big fans of the new direction of things.

Oh, and if you're like, GNR? Are they still around? Basically Axl Rose bought the rights to the band name, got all new band members, and has spent 10 years and $15 million working on Chinese Democracy. Will it ever really come out? If the songs are like "Better," I hope so!

Kurt Vonnegut has left the building

I'm sad. Even though I really didn't read that much by him, everything I did read resounded and made me laugh. He's direct, says it like it is, emphasizes the real human tragedy of it all, and then laughs because really, life is so ridiculous that what else can you do but laugh...

Here is a really excellent reflection on the man.

You might also try Google Video or You Tube to see some videos of him. I saw him on The Daily Show last year and was terribly entertained and enlightened.

What we're spreading

"I find this so unsavory ... they‘re going out and killing people around the world to spread democracy, and what are we spreading? A form of government based on how much money you can raise from rich people."

- Chris Matthews, host of Hardball with Chris Matthews, on the record-breaking campaign fundraising figures for the 2008 presidential election. (Source: MSNBC.com)

Holla' if you like open source software

So, I'm really not that much of a computer nerd, but I am aware of this little phenomenon called "open source software." I'm no expert, but basically it's software by the people, for the people! And that means it's free (but donations are always welcome).

I'm appreciating it anew today because I recently got a new computer. I sucked it up and had Microsoft Office 7 installed on the system, but what I didn't realize until just the other day is that I bought Office basic. Meaning, though I do have Word, Excel, and Outlook, I am missing FrontPage and PowerPoint. Those are two programs I actually have to use for work, too!

So, I was debating about what to do, and even called my friend John to get his advice (which was great. I kept trying to copy the old program files but thankfully he told me that madness was futile and wouldn't work.) But then I started wondering if there was an equivalent to either program.

Thankfully, there is! The "equivalent" for FrontPage is called Nvu ("New View") and you can get it at http://www.nvu.com. The "equivalent" for PowerPoint is called Impress and you can get it as part of OpenOffice at www.OpenOffice.org. (They also have replacements for Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, CorelDraw, and I'm not sure what else.) I put equivalent in quotes because it's not super helpful to think of them as replacements. They are different. But for all intents and purposes, they do the same things. Sometimes, you might argue, they even do it better.

So far, everything is working perfectly. You can even save things in Microsoft-compliant formats. For example, even though I'm creating a slideshow presentation in Impress, which is a totally different program, I can save it in a format that PowerPoint users can handle without any problems.

You probably know that Google is on top of this whole software thing as well. They have created web-based versions of these software programs, as well as web-based email and calendars. I'm sure that's the way it's going...

I am happy for the creativity and development of companies like Microsoft, but I have to admit my little heart leaps when there are democratic solutions like this available.

Update on the letter: Kudos to the NAE

Evangelical Body Stays the Course on Global Warming

Rebuffing Christian radio commentator James C. Dobson, the board of directors of the National Association of Evangelicals reaffirmed its position that environmental protection, which it calls "creation care," is an important moral issue.

Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, and two dozen other conservative Christian leaders, including Gary L. Bauer, Tony Perkins and Paul M. Weyrich, sent the board a letter this month denouncing the association's vice president, the Rev. Richard Cizik, for urging attention to global warming.

The letter argued that evangelicals are divided on whether climate change is a real problem, and it said that "Cizik and others are using the global warming controversy to shift the emphasis away from the great moral issues of our time," such as abortion and same-sex marriage.

If Cizik "cannot be trusted to articulate the views of American evangelicals on environmental issues, then we respectfully suggest that he be encouraged to resign his position with the NAE," the letter concluded.

he Rev. Leith Anderson, the association's president, said Saturday that the board did not respond to the letter during a two-day meeting that ended Friday in Minneapolis. But, he said, the board reaffirmed a 2004 position paper, "For the Health of the Nations," that outlined seven areas of civic responsibility for evangelicals, including creation care along with religious freedom, nurturing the family, sanctity of life, compassion for the poor, human rights and restraining violence.

On Friday, the association's board approved a 12-page statement on terrorism and torture. Anderson said that Cizik gave a report to the board on his work in Washington as vice president for governmental affairs and that there was no effort to reprimand him. "I think there was a lot of support from me, from the executive committee and from the board for Rich Cizik," said Anderson.

(Article Source: By (AND) - www.andnetwork.com)

Conservative Christians... you baffle me

So James Dobson and the conservative evangelical crew have written a little letter about Rich C. at the NAE. Read the letter here. Seriously, read it. It's very fascinating. It gives me a strange sense that history is unfolding in my midst when I read it. Indeed, a major change is taking place, and it's impossible to guess what the outcome will be.

I've met the head of the NAE before. It was as part of a group that focuses on helping American Christians find ways to alleviate the suffering of people in poverty. I was and continue to be, all about that. I was proud of him for being involved. A powerful Christian leader in DC could be doing a lot of things other than spending time on helping the poor. That was good to see.

I've been to meetings on Capitol Hill. One time at a meeting in a Senate office building, I was approached about Christians in leadership being part of the solution on climate change. Very little was being done. Ever since then, I've been happy to hear whenever more is being done.

But the most fascinating part of the letter is this... and I have to thank Sojourners in DC for highlighting this letter and this portion in particular.

They wrote:

"... we have observed that Cizik and others are using the global warming controversy to shift the emphasis away from the great moral issues of our time, notably the sanctity of human life, the integrity of marriage and the teaching of sexual abstinence and morality to our children."

Oh... my... God. They did not really write that, did they?!

The great moral issues of our day are (very narrowly defined) sanctify of human life (ABORTION), the integrity of marriage (NO GAY LOVE) and the teaching of sexual abstinence and morality (SEX IS PLAIN BAAAD!)

Sometimes it's hard to believe how different Christians can be from each other, because I wear the CHRIST nametag too but I feel like I have almost nothing in common with these misguided freaks.

The sanctity of life... how about defining that as it relates to issues like Iraq, Afghanistan, poverty, Hurricane Katrina victims still living in squalor, inner cities abandoned because of racism, the horrible travesty of public education in thousands of U.S. cities...

The integrity of marriage? Cool, if you're excited about that, if you've found the One, then cool. But Jesus did not harp on this. He mentioned it once. He also mentioned selling all your possessions once. Who has the hardened heart?

Teaching our kids sexual abstinence and morality? Again, what in the world is this preoccupation with SEX? How about we teach our kids love, tolerance, patience, integrity, honesty, generosity. These things don't making loving Jesus impossible or even compromised. They make loving Jesus real and tangible.

Ugh. The whole thing is disgusting. I am so tired of powerful Christians intimidating each other. I am tired of ideologies being used as a heavy vehicle for rolling over and smashing other people. (A moderate Democrat or Republican is often mercilessly berated by their own party.)

Anyway, I guess that's a whole 'nother conversation... I just find this letter very telling and very disturbing. Dobson is probably planning a coup as we speak.

Ann Coulter calls Edwards a faggot

This incident was so, so inappropriate.... remind me again why this woman is famous? She is the political equivalent of Paris Hilton. I love hearing that some of her advertisers split and some publications pulled her column. John Edwards is a lawyer... he should sue her for defamation. That would be fun (albeit a huge distraction from anything that matters).

Whether she's talking about Democrats or Al Qaeda or whatever other stuff she talks about, she thinks she's so hilarious. Well she's actually a little hate inciter, and I can't stand her. Blah. Go away, Ann.

If you aren't convinced, check this out:

Women's Voting

During an episode of Politically Incorrect, she said: "I think [women] should be armed but should not vote... women have no capacity to understand how money is earned. They have a lot of ideas on how to spend it... it's always more money on education, more money on child care, more money on day care." She also once said: "It would be a much better country if women did not vote. That is simply a fact. In fact, in every presidential election since 1950 - except Goldwater in '64 - the Republican would have won, if only the men had voted."

Don't tell me she's joking. She puts so much truth in her joking. That's why she's a VICIOUS NUT!

The Uncyclopedia

The Uncyclopedia - The content-free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

Wow. Did people really spend this much time to make something this random into a spoof that is this close to the real deal? lol This is the best thing ever.

Where did 38 people go?

US accused on 'missing' prisoners

Thirty eight people believed to have been held in secret CIA prisons - or black sites - are missing, according to a report by a US human rights group.

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) report also details allegations of torture by a terror suspect who was held in secret custody for more than two years.

The group has asked US President George W Bush to reveal the location of these detainees and close all US black sites.

Last year Mr Bush said the prisons had all closed and had not used torture.

'Missing' prisoners

In a televised address in September, Mr Bush admitted that 14 detainees had been held at secret CIA prisons that used interrogation methods that were "tough" but "lawful and necessary".

"The United States does not torture," Mr Bush said at the time. "It's against our laws, and it's against our values. I have not authorised it - and I will not authorise it."

He said the prisoners had since been transferred to the US military camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the CIA was not holding any more terror suspects.

But in a report published on Tuesday, HRW has named another 38 people who were believed to have been held in secret CIA prisons, who are now missing.

Quoting US intelligence officials, The Washington Post says more than 60 people have been held in the prisons since 2001.

'Beaten and burned'

The group has called on the US to reveal the location of all detainees held by the CIA since 2001 and end its "illegal" secret detention and interrogation programmes.

Palestinian Islamic extremist Marwan al-Jabour told HRW he saw or spoke to a number of those named in the report while he was held by the CIA between 2004 and 2006.

Mr Jabour, who was arrested in Lahore, Pakistan in May 2004, also detailed torture tactics he says were used against him while he was in US custody.

He says at various periods during his 28-month detention Pakistani authorities kept him naked and chained to a ceiling. He says he was beaten, burned and handcuffed in stress positions.

During this time he was also reportedly interrogated by US agents for hours on end, but Mr Jabour says he was only tortured when the Americans were not around.

Mr Jabour admits that in 1998 he trained in Afghanistan in the hope of fighting in Chechnya. He also says he helped Arab militants who had fled Afghanistan for Pakistan in 2003, but he denies any links to al-Qaeda or terror activities.

EU threat

Meanwhile, the US has warned the European Union that ongoing inquiries into secret CIA flights within Europe linked to the black sites are threatening intelligence ties between Europe and the US.

The investigations "have not been helpful with respect to necessary co-operation between the United States and Europe," John Bellinger, legal adviser to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, said.

Mr Bellinger also labelled a European Parliament report into the flights, released earlier this month, as "unbalanced, inaccurate and unfair".

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/6405089.stm

Are love and faith the same?

I hope you don't mind, Philip, but what you wrote was so wonderful... I've never heard 'love' and 'faith' defined like this. You should be writing my blog! lol So I pulled your comment off the post below and put it here for all to enjoy:

I don't know how different love and faith actually are. Love seems to be (according to a list of authors and speakers listed later) an authentic approach toward another in which you are transformed, while leaving that other as is - in other words, not internally likening it to yourself or otherwise denying its individuality. It's an "internal" experience which requires some sort of response or reaction - even when you have no idea how to react.

Love at its core is both relational and personal. It only arises in relationship to another, but it's still ultimately you who loves, no matter the response (encouragement or otherwise) of the other. Even if the object hurts you or otherwise refuses your response, it is still your responsibility to love.

NB: THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "RESPONSIBILITY" AND "DUTY". You have no duty of any kind to stay in an abusive relationship of any kind or continue to love when such an attachment can kill you - in that sense that no one can force you to act otherwise apart from your consent, you're free. The flip side is that you are responsible to the relationship - it is your response to that other person which is ultimate.

Faith seems to be similar - approaching life/god/reality in a way that leaves you transformed and open to new possibility. It too requires a response which at any given time you might not be capable of performing, but the call must lead you on. It is the direct encounter with and responsibility to the Ultimate, and not mental assent to some creedal statement. No guarantee things will turn out right, and the probability that things will go badly and it might well be your own damn fault Yet you continue blindly into the unfolding world, listening ahead for the one who saves you from your finitude.

...writing this, I felt way too many influences. Levinas, McLaren, Buber, Krishnamurti, Gene, B. Katie, the gospels, a whole lot of Buddhist teachers and a little bit of Derrida. I can't say that a single thing above is even original, or accurate, or even internally consistent...especially since my experience at loving and at faith is virtually nil. They seem like smart people, though.

Random note: Don't look up what "pistis" means in Lithuanian. And if you do, don't read 1 Corinthians or Luke (or the other gospels, or Acts, or any letter besides 2 John) with that meaning in place of the word "faith" in translation.

(Credit, All of It, Due to One Philip S.)

Love is greater than faith

You know how the banner of the Reformation was "saved by grace through faith" ? Sola Fide... faith alone. Not by works but by faith. Yada, yada, yada. (Hehe I saw the Seinfeld "yada" episode last night. That's a good one.)

Anyway, I've just been thinking a lot about love lately.

But now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.
(1 Cor. 13:13)

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
(Galatians 5:6)

And it's just funny to me that we put so much stock in faith... so much faith in faith, really. When God has said pretty clearly, over and over, in story and even directly, that what really matters more than anything is love.

The greatest commandment is this: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
(Deuteronomy 6:5)

Not to have soul-saving faith, not to have correct theology (we'll be lucky if 2% of our theology is right, in my estimation), not to pray the right prayer... but the greatest commandment is to love the Great God of the Universe, the Maker of all things both seen and unseen, that Great Artist and Amazing Lover

And the second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself.
(Mark 12:31)

You could say faith is a necessary first step to loving. You might call me crazy but I would say love makes faith almost irrelevant. It's no longer even a question of faith. Love overshadows the whole faith issue.

I get along very well with people who understand faith as something that is only real when it is felt or expressed as love. I think Jesus liked those people, too -

Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner."

Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."

"Tell me, teacher," he said.

"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."

"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.

Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"

Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

(Luke 7)

Okay so he used the word faith at the end... hehe maybe my grand point isn't adding up. Hmmm I wonder if I could pull out some Greek and prove he used a special faith word that means love. Phil, can ya help me out? lol

Well let me just leave you with this one...

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Africa not filled with poverty?

This AllAfrica.com article about the misrepresentation of Africa is so freakin crazy. It seems that, for this author, caring is just a mask for racism and disdain.

I'm sorry, lady, but people in Africa really do lack access to clean water and basic sanitation.

More people really do have AIDS in Africa than anywhere else. Millions of children really are orphans because their parents died of AIDS.

It is literally a DARK place - that's not some arbitrary insult. If you look at one of those satellite images of the world at night, Africa is a dark continent. No electricity means less business, less economic development, and thus less economic vitality. Compare the lights in the U.S. or Europe to the darkness in Africa.

The Save Darfur campaign paints Africa in a bad light? It should! Genocide is occurring. Should we not give Sudan negative media coverage?

No one is denying that Africa is all the things you say in the last paragraph - beautiful, strong, rhythmic, hopeful. But if true caring is a glossing over of the quote-unquote true problems that exist, then I guess I just don't care.

The fact that she even puts the word Africa in quotations throughout the article shows how freakishly paranoid she has become about the whole thing. Africa is indeed a place! It's an actual land mass. It's not a myth. It's not a political construction. It's a real mixing bowl of thousands of vibrant cultures that have some strengths and some weaknesses in common. No need for quotations.

Love song for a man

If he were a color - he'd be deep, dark forest green
If he were a car - he'd be a long stretch limousine
With room for all of humanity inside
'Cause he is so giving and he is so wise

If he were a number - he'd be a 5, cause he has such a brilliant mind
If he were an animal - he'd be an ass (haha)
'Cause he's so stubborn sometimes...

If he were a song - he'd be a complicated melody
(That complicated fellow, he)
I almost cannot sing on key
He means the world to me...

If he were a building - he'd be a beautiful cathedral cause he's so traditionally spiritual
If he were a dance - he'd be complicated like the tango
Exotic like a mango

But if he were a song - he'd be a complicated melody
(That complicated fellow, he)
I almost cannot sing on key
But he means the world to me...

He ain't the reason for the sun and the moon
He's just the reason for this here tune
Cause he means the world to me
I said he means the world to me

That complicated melody
That complicated fellow, he
He's a complicated melody
I almost cannot sing it on key

("Complicated Melody," India Arie)

Feels like today

I woke up this morning
With this feeling inside me that I can't explain
Like a weight that I've carried, been carried away

But I know something is coming
I don't know what it is but I know
It's amazing, can save me, my time is coming
I'll find my way out
Of this longest drought

And it feels like today, I know
It feels like today, I'm sure
It's the one thing that's missing
The one thing I'm wishing
Life's sacred blessing and then,
It feels like today, feels like today

You treat life like a picture
But it's not a moment that frozen in time
It's not gonna wait till you make up your mind, at all

So while this storm is breaking
While there's light at the end of the tunnel
Keep running towards it
Releasing the pressure that's your heartache
Soon this dam will break

And it feels like today, I know
It feels like today, I'm sure
It's the one thing that's missing
The one thing I'm wishing
The last sacred blessing and then, it feels like today
Feels like today

("Feels Like Today," Rascal Flatts)

All roads lead to the trash can

Is it normal for a large percentage of one's projects to eventually be abandoned, and destined for the trash can? Is this just the way business goes in the 21st century? It was this way in my old job, and I chalked it up to the craziness of my employer, but now it's happening again with a different "employer."

I just don't do well with all these loose ends...

Meet my friend

My new favorite person in the world - Meatwad.

The coolest person in Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

He's soooooooo cute! He's like this innocent little kid but then out of nowhere, he just starts swearing or threatening people... but in a really sweet way. It's awesome. He is a big blob of red meat. What's not to love?

YouTube's chopping block

Viacom, which is absolutely massive, has basically forced YouTube to remove 100,000 unauthorized clips of its shows.

The thing that I find interesting is captured by YouTube's response: it is "unfortunate" that Viacom would no longer be able to "benefit from YouTube's passionate audience which had helped promote many of Viacom's shows".

Seriously. These Viacom executives are out of touch. People don't watch YouTube to avoid watching TV shows, or even to avoid purchasing DVDs. A few years ago, did you ever see so many TV shows on DVD at the store? People are watching more TV, more media, than ever before.

I liken it to the Barnes and Noble phenomenon. It was scary at first because it seemed if you gave people big, comfy chairs and unlimited time to read books, they would take advantage and read them without buying them. Sure, this happens, but book sales are way up nationally! My Dad, for example, goes to Barnes and Noble, gets a new book and a coffee. He sits down and reads the whole thing, cover to cover. If he likes it, which he often does, he buys one or more copies both for himself and for others. He has become a Barnes and Noble member because he buys so many books there.

I don't know if this phenomenon is purely economic, but it seems social and relational to me. People respond to the fact that they are trusted, they are given a gift. They become even bigger fans. They adopt a strange brand loyalty that makes marketing execs feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Especially in an age of interactive media, citizen journalism, blogging, cool cell phones... especially in this era, give somebody some free content on YouTube and you will find that person talking up the video to 10 friends.

The challenge now is not to retain control. The challenge is to create the absolute best content out there. Consumers are in control now, and if you are bad, they will have no time for you.

If you are good though, do not protect your creation - watch it spread. Democracy and media have collided.

Free hugs

I saw big, plain signs that said "FREE HUGS" on the streets of Seattle. I was with my Mom when we saw them.



Even though I didn't go get my free hug, we both laughed so much from just the sight of it. Not laughing making fun, but just laughing as in - isn't that crazy and great?

So I just now found the story behind Free Hugs and also a great video. This thing really made me cry. (Isn't that crazy and great? lol) My favorite is the little old lady who gets a hug from this guy and then just holds his face in her hand. It is such a beautiful moment.

You don't know lovely you are

Celebrate the U2-charist

The Church of England is celebrating the U2-charist to encounter the Lord this year. I'm sure some of you would ridicule that (yes, you know who you are), but hey, more power to them.

Cold enough fer ya?

So funny and yet so true...

60 above zero:
Floridians turn on the heat.
People in Minnesota plant gardens.

50 above zero:
Californians shiver uncontrollably.
People in Duluth sunbathe.

40 above zero:
Italian & English cars won't start.
People in Minnesota drive with the windows down.

32 above zero:
Distilled water freezes.
The water in Bemidji gets thicker.

20 above zero:
Floridians don coats, thermal underwear, gloves and wool hats.
People in Minnesota throw on a flannel shirt.

15 above zero:
New York landlords finally turn up the heat.
People in Minnesota have the last cookout before it gets cold.

Zero:
People in Miami all die.
Minnesotans close the windows.

10 below zero:
Californians fly away to Mexico.
People in Minnesota get out their winter coats.

25 below zero:
Hollywood disintegrates.
The Girl Scouts in Minnesota are selling cookies door to door.

40 below zero:
Washington DC runs out of hot air.
People in Minnesota let the dogs sleep indoors.

100 below zero:
Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
Minnesotans get upset because they can't start the Mini-Van.

460 below zero:
ALL atomic motion stops (absolute zero on the Kelvin scale.)
People in Minnesota start saying..."Cold 'nuff fer ya?"

500 below zero:
Hell freezes over.
Minnesota public schools will open 2 hours late.

See yourself?

The man who writes about himself and his own time is the only man who writes about all people and all time.

George Bernard Shaw

Who doesn't love a puppy?

So, Tom and I are thinking of getting a dog. I know that's a huge step. I know it's somewhat crazy for a single female who loves to pick up on a whim and fly across the country to get a dog, which requires constant love, attention, walks, and bathroom breaks.

But everytime I think about how happy it would make me to have a little friend here, I just have to smile. I am a dog person, and I miss my family dog who died a couple years ago (also named Tommy. hehe) Also Tom is extremely happy like a little kid when he thinks about us getting a dog.

So anyway, a few weeks ago we visited the humane shelter in the Raleigh area. That was an experience! I always knew a pet shelter to be this dark, dingy, concrete-ridden sad place where unwanted animals spent their last few days of life before being euthanized. Well the SPCA of Wake County runs this new adoption center that is absolutely phenomenal. It's a brand new facility, and there's like a dog wing, and a cat wing, etc. Then there is like a dog bedroom, a dog playroom, and it goes on forever! There is actually - or so it seems - a bit of competition to get the animal you want. We didn't find anything small enough to meet our needs or wants.

We've been checking Craig's List. I'm in touch with someone about these little black and white puppies - maybe even just being a foster home for one of them to try things out - but I am afraid they will grow to be too big. Hmmm.

But the two breeds we are most excited about are a puggle or a Cocker spaniel. They are both so cute. I lean more towards the puggle and Tom wants a Cocker because his grandfather (I believe) had one and he has good memories.

The only problem is I really hate the idea of buying a dog from a breeder. It's not the cost, but rather the principle of ignoring the bajillions of unwanted dogs being put to sleep each year in favor of designer dogs. Even just that phrase "designer dogs" totally sucks. But then I don't know if I should feel the guilt of all the dead pets in the world just because we choose a puggle. Again - hmmm. I'll let you know what we decide, if anything.

Apparently the Super Bowl sucks

According to a new report, the Super Bowl will costs businesses about $800 million in lost productivity. Apparently it does this because people waste time here and there talking about the big event, betting on it, and/or shopping for a new TV.

I just find this a fascinating bit of business trivia. I mean, first of all, you have the oddity that something athletic and social would impact business in the general sense (businesses in all industries). And that something which solicits so many dollars would actually, in some sense, hurt the bottom line!

But even more fascinating (and disturbing), is the fact that everything is viewed now in terms of worker output. Reading between the lines lets us translate the header to: "Damn Sports Enthusiasts! Get Back to Work!" How productive do we as a human race have to be until we are satisfied? How many hard, long hours must we work!? I see the tangible benefits of a good work ethic... diseases cured, wealth created, etc. But the same white-knuckled grip on productivity also creates diseases (stress and all its psychosomatic ailments) and wastes wealth (instead of enjoying it).

So now I guess you know I'm not a Marxist because I hate seeing things in such cold economic terms. Have a beer and enjoy your Super Bowl Sunday! Geeeeez. Get off our backs, Man! (Yes, I mean The Man.)

The Space Needle Perspective

So it's my last day in Seattle - I love this city! It's amazing. I'm about to go meet a fellow business writer for some coffee and a chat, but I thought I'd check in with you guys. I also wanted to write about a really inspiring talk I heard last night from an author who has had a ton of book bans enacted against him. And I'm inevitably going to talk about the amazing food, the atmosphere here, the cool downtown library (that I'm in right now), and much more. Anyway I am still alive... hang in there faithful readers. :)

P.S. Yes, I did flunk out of South Beach. Hehe. I will get back on track with something...

P.P.S. Photos already available... Isn't technology great?

South Beach doesn't equal Hollywood stars

I always thought the South Beach diet had something to do with like, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. It sounds like something developed by highly-paid nutritionists that work with Hollywood A-Listers.

Well I haven't read the book yet, but apparently it's from a doctor in Miami. And since Micah turned me on to the South Beach diet a few days ago, I've been really excited about it... in fact, already in the first 48 hours, I've lost 5 pounds. Every morning is like Christmas morning, waking up being excited to check the scale (finally! lol I've been avoiding that thing for months). It's funny I never wanted to learn about this diet - I just dismissed it as a fad. In reality, it's really well suited to target the areas where I go wrong food-wise.

The idea is simple - Get over your addiction to carbs. For me, this is major and totally pinpoints my struggles with weight. I love comfort foods like bread and pasta, and I have a sweet tooth like none other. I never get sick of chocolate. I truly am addicted to sugar, and food in general (I just love it... what can I say?). After two weeks of totally abstaining from carbs and sugar, you get to start introducing the healthy ones back in... moderately. That's pretty much the whole thing in a nutshell.

Again, I haven't read the book yet, but I understand a lot of this has to do with avoiding foods that mess with your blood sugar level. These foods cause it to spike, and the cycle of craving and eating continues. I have felt for a long time that my eating issues are related mostly to my blood sugar level, which is a chemical-emotional thing in the end.

I am pretty sure Friday was the first day in my nearly 25 years of life (over 9,000 days) without eating bread. I can't believe I could just eat eggs, lean meat, low-fat cheese, and lots of vegetables and actually have energy and feel somewhat full! Now I have to admit, I've been using sugar-free candy as a bit of a crutch so far. But I totally have to. Like I said, I am a sugar addict. I would have already quit if I didn't have that indulgence. After these two weeks are over, I hope to quench my sweet tooth with just dark chocolate and something else very occasionally. Trust me, I have no interest on getting hooked on fake sugar.

I know I've only been doing this diet three days, but I really like it. My challenge is to eat this new way for life. Well, not totally carb-free, that's crazy, but relying more on other foods as the basis. Success for me will be eating ordinary things in moderation and keeping up with my work outs. I hope it's finally time in my life to get all these things under control!

By the way, can I just say, how do people manage to be the correct weight in our day and age? lol There is so much good food out there, and so much stress to drive us right into it. I personally find it more strange that people are naturally at their target weight, than surprising that people are overweight.

Anyways I'm just at the beginning of this journey (again). Cross your fingers for me... lol

A Fine Line

Last night I had my first semi-lucid dream since having a real interest in the whole experience. Here's what happened:

I dreamt that I was at home (my parents' house). I was sitting downstairs at their desk and feeling overwhelmed with things I had to do related to work and just life in general. I felt really yucky and just thought, why am I here doing this work? I don't want to be in Minnesota anymore. I already spent two weeks here for Christmas and though I loved it, I missed Tom a lot during those two weeks and I wanted to get back to Carolina.

The thought of Tom spurred another thought in me - wait, I was just with Tom last night. We were at John and Deb's house with the whole church. There's no way I could be in Minnesota! Even though, sitting there at that desk, I felt as real as anyone could possibly feel, I realized me being in Minnesota was a dream. I had to get myself out of it. I couldn't figure out how to pinch myself, so I started rubbing my temples in my dream in order to wake myself up. It didn't take long until I actually did awake in my bedroom in Raleigh, my body tingling.

Crazy!!

Now the next step will be to actually stay in the dream when I realize it's happening. That's the fun part. :)

What's interesting about the whole being at my parents' desk thing is that, when I was home last month... do you ever do this? .... I just sat there and stared around the room and out the windows, trying to memorize everything I could see. Location often feels like an illusion to me. I can just as easily close my eyes and be at home, as actually being there. I think this breakthrough happened because I broke the connection with absolute reality that night, if that makes sense. Lucid dreamers call this practice doing a reality check. By questioning what's real and what's not, you allow your conscious and subconscious mind to interact more playfully.

In a way, experimenting with dreams seems dangerous, but I don't exactly see how. I'm not a "life is but a dream" type person (I was raised Catholic and appreciate incarnation and the eucharist as much as anyone - the physical realm is precious), but in a way, life is a dream.... heaven is our real home, and infinitely more real than the days we spend walking on this spinning sphere. Not that our lives aren't real - they are. They're just not very real relative to our TRUE lives, if that makes sense? I know my real life is hidden in Christ. It's a mystery I love to think about. Somewhere in the half-awake stages of life (especially morning and nighttime), I catch a very tangible glimpse of Reality... God. You know what one of the coolest things is about God? He is eternal. In the context of what I've experienced in this dream, that means he is Real. I can't snap in and out of Him like time, or consciousness. He extends forever in every direction. He has dimensions I know nothing of. He is eternal! Thank God something on this earth (and in heaven) is real.

A Giant Acorn Descending Upon the Earth

Only in Raleigh, my friends... only in Raleigh.

Oh yeah, this is why capital punishment sucks

I've been deeply disturbed by the whole hanging of Saddam Hussein fiasco, but I couldn't really articulate why. I mean I know I am opposed to capital punishment, aligning myself either as a super-liberal with Amnesty International or a super-conservative with the Catholic church (take your pick), but in the case of SADDAM? Why oppose it?

Thank you, Shane Claiborne, for saying it so well:

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Shane Claiborne: Communicating Through a Noose

"What do you think of that man?" the old guy asked in a raspy voice as I settled in next to him on the plane. He pointed to the face of Saddam Hussein on the front of his newspaper with a headline story of the looming execution. I gathered myself, and prepared for what could turn out to be a rather chatty plane ride. I replied gently, "I think that man needs some love." And the rather boisterous gentleman sat still, perhaps not exactly the response he predicted. Then he said pensively, "Hmmmm. I think you're right..." And finally, he whispered in a forlorn tone, "And it is hard to communicate love through a noose."

Sometimes we just need permission to say, "It's not okay to kill someone to show everyone how much we hate killing." As Christian artist Derek Webb sings, " Peace by way of war is like purity by way of fornication. It's like saying murder is wrong and showing them by way of execution." I am encouraged by how many Christians I hear voicing an alternative to the myth of redemptive violence in light of the recent killing of Saddam, folks who love Jesus and have the unsettling feeling that Jesus loves evildoers so much he died for them, for us. I have heard many evangelicals who see Saddam's execution as the ultimate act of hopelessness and faithlessness – after all it is humanity stepping in to make the final judgment, that this human created in God's image is beyond redemption. And for those who believe in hell, executing someone who may not yet know of the love and grace of Christ is doubly offensive.

It is rather scandalous to think that we have a God who loves murderers and terrorists like Saul of Tarsus, Osama bin Laden, or Sadaam Hussein – but that is the "good news" isn't it? It's the old eye for an eye thing that gets us. But the more I've studied the Hebrew Scriptures the more I am convinced that this was just a boundary for people who lashed back. As the young exodus people are trying to discover a new way of living outside the empire, God made sure there were some boundaries, like if someone breaks your are, you cannot go back and break their arm and their leg. If someone kills hundreds of your people, you cannot kill 160,000 of theirs.

We've learned the eye for an eye thing all too well. A shock and awe bombing leads to a shock and awe beheading. A Pearl Harbor leads to a Hiroshima. A murder leads to an execution. A rude look leads to a cold shoulder. An eye for an eye we have indeed heard before and learned its logic all too well. But Jesus comes declaring in his State of the Union Sermon on the Mount address (Matthew 5): "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,'" but there is a another way. No wonder Jesus wept over Jerusalem because the people "did not know the things that make for peace."

Gandhi and King used to say, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth leaves the whole world blind" (and with dentures). The gospels tell the story of a group of people who have dragged forward an adulteress and are ready to stone her (this was the legal consequence). Jesus is asked for his support of this death penalty case. His response is this... "You are all adulterers. If you have looked at someone lustfully, you have committed adultery in your heart." And the people drop their stones and walk away with their heads bowed. We want to kill the murderers, and Jesus says to us: "You are all murderers. If you have called your neighbor 'Raca, Fool' you are guilty of murder in your heart." Again the stones drop. We are all murderers and adulterers and terrorists. And we are all precious.

When we have new eyes we can look into the faces of those we don't even like, and see the One we love. We can see God's image in everyone we encounter. As Henri Nouwen puts it: "In the face of the oppressed I recognize my own face and in the hands of the oppressor I recognize my own hands. Their flesh is my flesh, their blood is my blood, their pain is my pain, their smile is my smile." We are made of the same dust. We cry the same tears. No one is beyond redemption and no one is beyond repute. And that is when we are free to imagine a revolution that sets both the oppressed and the oppressors free. The world is starving for grace. And grace is hard to communicate with a noose.

Shane Claiborne is a founding partner of The Simple Way Community, a radical faith community that lives among and serves the homeless in Kensington, North Philadelphia. He is a Red Letter Christian and the author of The Irresistible Revolution.

Culture is a word to celebrate, not be ashamed of

We all carry culture within us; whether we wish to or not, it is as embedded in our minds as DNA is in our cell structure. Culture cannot be reduced to elemental terms, such as a painting on a wall or notes resounding in hall, but is a continuing series of experiences that affect every mind in a different way. In the end, culture is worth celebrating as a word, and as a condition not to be endured but used to educate and enliven. (The Age)