Just Kidding

I like the most recent ep in the Sufjan Christmas boxset. I give Babel a 6.3 and The Knife: Silent Shout a 8.2 Now I'm going to be cool and descern culture like Micah.

I was doing some research and it turns out Christmas is the most
terrible and despicable cover up ever. Of course, I'm sure you already know that
Jesus was not actually born on December 25 but that it was probably
closer to the 6th of January given the fact that he was about 3 months
old when the went to bring him to the temple. Did you also know that
Christmas is really an amalgamation of 2 pagan celebrations. The first
was the Roman winter festival celebrating the birth of Jupiter from
Dec. 17 until Dec. 25 which was the birth date of Mithras and other Sun
gods called the Sol Invictus. This celebration was known for excessive
drunkenness, orgies and oh yeah on the 25th they would exchange small
gifts. When the Catholic Church took power under Constantine the
holiday was changed so that it would be to celebrate the birth of
Christ instead. The other pagan winter festival which was added was
the Norse ceremony of Yule. During this time historians believe based
on Norse written mythology that nine of each species of animal was
sacrificed, including human. The means by which to kill them was by
ramming a pine tree through them and hence the Christmas tree was
invented. We also get mistletoe from them as it "had magical erotic
properties" and Christmas Ham because of a pig sacrifice to the Norse
god Freyr.

But everything is ok now right? I mean Christian kindof took the
holiday over right? We redeemed it as agents of redemption right?
hhmmm. not exactly seeing as we still use many of the pagan
traditions. Furthermore, for the first 250 years of the early Church
NO Christians celebrated the birth of Christ. Origen, an early
Christian scholar who lived around 200 AD said that followers of Christ
should not celebrate Christmas or any commemoration of His birth as
this was not intended or supporting what Christ came to this earth to
do. Instead Chirstians celebrate His death and Resurrection. Of
course, the Catholic Church decided to keep it because they were
afraid it would upset the people too much to ban it. However, many who
were part of the Reformation stopped celebrating Christmas because of
its pagan overtones and blatant borrowing form non-Christian sources.
In fact when the Puritans took over Britian they banned it only to
find many cities in riot.

....anyways...... fuck Christmas.

just kidding.

The Good Shepherd

I was initially opposed to going to see this movie on the basis that I am overly sensitive to criticisms of our government from the loony left out in Hollywood, but now I am opposed to you seeing it for different reasons: it is long and boring. We all know the CIA has been involved in more than a few shady deals since its creation and I suppose that should be fair game for a movie. However, the movie is 3 hours long and never really seems to have a very sure direction. Matt Damon plays a CIA agent who barely knows his wife and son. He manages to speak every line of dialogue with a straight face, with no hint of emotion - FOR THE WHOLE MOVIE! The main gist is that the CIA is secretive and powerful (wow) and Matt Damon and his wife (Angelina Jolie) cheat on each other. The political message is that the CIA created the Cold War to maintain their power. The Soviet Union was never a real threat (just like the war on terrorism, hint, hint), we just need a fake enemy to give certain people more power. I guess the butchering and enslaving millions as well as positioning nuclear weapons pointed at us from Cuba (USSR) and killing thousands on 9/11 (you know who) aren't enough to become a threat. Anyway, I give it one star. Sorry Robert DeNiro. Has anyone seen Apocalypto?

DVD rentals

The Stop and Shop Grocery store chain in New England Now offers a DVD vending machine which allows customers to rent a DVD for only $1 without ever having to talk to a single person. Jaime and I have been enjoying and not enjoying some of them so I thought I would pass it along. Keep in mind I am married and now have to watch a variety of movies. "Friends with Money" I cannot remember that last movie that I saw that was worse than this one. UGH! It tried to be witty and trending and pretentious and it wound up being a load of crap. It was 88 minutes too long. "The Lake House" was alright maybe even tipped the scale toward good. Believe me I went into it with a really bad attitude, but it wasn't bad. It was entertaining and thought provoking a little logically incorrect but the idea of changing the future or past was fun, but as I said logically inconsistent (see 12 Monkeys if you want to see the best movie about time travel and changing the past or future). "Taledega Nights Ballad of Ricky Bobby" this movie was funny but like all Will Ferrel movies it is like a really long sketch. I have family member in the south and some of them love nascar. I dont get it, but some parts of the movie were funny and some was a bit of a stretch. This brings me to a hidden treasure. I always wanted to see "Thank You for Smoking" but I thought it was a documentary for some reason. I was so surprised and pleased beyond belief. This is one of the best movies I have seen in a while. It was written beautifully. The dialogue and writing is so quick and clever. This movie was a great tongu and cheek look at America, smoking, and personal choice. It was hilarious and has a great cast. Also, I haven't rented "Little Miss Sunshine" yet, but I saw it in the theater. It is another gem. It is very quirky and funny. If you havent seen it you should rent it. The little girl in that movie did such a wonderful job acting. This movie was fantastic please see it. I have been intentionally vague on all of these reviews incase people want to see any of these movies. If you want to discuss any of them leave a comment. Anyone else seen a good flick lately dvd or theater? I want to see "the Good Shepherd" and "Blood Dimond" any one seen that yet.

The Store Wars

Some of you may find this site interesting. I was never really that into Star Wars, but I can recognize quite a few of the references and they are sort of entertaining. So here you go, enjoy!

Who T-Bone?

Who am I? I will take this opportunity to highlight a few of my favorite memories of Micah and how it is I came to know such a free spirit. My very first memory of Micah is in the seventh grade. I had not met him at the time, but heard a rumor that he had made the basketball team because his father was the principal. I assumed this was a reasonable theory put forth by our fellow students and assumed it to be true. Come to find out, pretty much everyone makes the team anyway. Micah’s basketball skills were later revealed to me as we founded the intense sport of Night Game, which was basically 2 on 2 played at night and the winners received a homemade championship belt. One of my favorite basketball moments with Micah is when we played one on one throughout the summer of 2001. I managed to beat him consistently. After one game late in the summer, and a severe beating on the court, Micah lost control over his rage, went for his authentic McDonalds Dennis Rodman hyper color cup full of water, and threw it in my face. Basically I have known Micah for a long time. His house was pretty much a second home to me. I have been subject to accusations of stealing Mr. Bannister’s underwear throughout the years. The fact of the matter is, it’s a big house that they live in, there is a lot of stuff going on and it is hard to keep track of whose underwear is whose. I cant help it if we wear the same brand. I remember the first time I met Micah’s brother Josh and Joel too. We were playing football in their yard and they insisted on hanging around, as little brothers tend to do. I remember I swore a lot at the time and that was not something the bannister boys were accustomed to. Josh and Joel kind of reminded me of Rod and Todd from the simpsons. Josh with his curly hair and and his great attitude, and joel…well he was more into tombstone pizzas and sitting in the basement. But they have grown up to be fine boys. Well I think I am going on too much about Micah and his family whereas I am probably supposed to tell people a little about myself. I am currently living in Canada with my wife Celia. She could be referred to as my sugar momma, as it is she works and I go to school. I’m cool with the arrangement and so far so is she. At least she says she is. I am also currently co writing a hit play with Micah. It is pretty much top secret, but it will involve squirrel tattoos on thighs, people doing beer, and a motor cycle ride to Sturgis. That’s all I can come up with at this time of the night.

Happy Holidays, The Nativity Story, and the Incarnation.

I really enjoy listening to WEEI 103.7FM in Boston, actually I think that affiliate is out of Providence RI (suz + PB). Anyway it is sports radio, but the hosts are as conservative as they come which has always surprised me considering it is MASS. I mean they laugh at global warming, they mock social programs, and of coarse they have a problem with HAPPY HOLIDAYS. The host was getting really irate and it got me thinking. To be honest we do live in a "tossed salad" country that represents a variety of cultures and religions. To me it makes sence to be a little bit sensative. I don't know the percentages, but I would assume the majority of people in the US are Christians. However, there are a growing number of people that cellebrate other holidays during the winter. If they don't cellebrate Christmas why wish them a Merry Christmas. But at the same time the politically correct swing towards Happy Holidays is laughable. It is so insincere and toungue in cheek that I think it is even more offensive then wishing someone goodwill for the wrong holiday. I mean they take obvious Christmas symbols and slap happy holidays on it. It is effortless and thoughtless. Calling it a Holiday Tree, or putting Happy Holidays under Santa Claus. Come on!!! Those are Christmas symbols no matter how comercialized they have become. I dont see anyone calling the Manora a Holiday Candle stick. Christianity is kind of like the Religious whipping boy. Christmas was hijacked first by commercialism and then by politically correctness. But lets call things what they are. Christmas trees and even Santa Claus have Christian origins call them Christmas they are and thats not offensive. Quansa, Hannukah whatever religious or non religous days they have their symbols call them by that. Merry Winter everyone! So my wife and I went to see "The Nativity Story" the other day with her parents. Before going I really wanted to like it. I kept thinking in my mind about how I wanted it to be a positive assertion into the season. But I have to say I was pretty disapointed. It wasn't much different from any other church pagent you have witnessed or live nativity you have seen. It all ended with three wise men (one black of coarse)on the right and a bunch of shepherds on the left (don't worry one of them had a lamb across his shoulders) It was very safe. It did not rock the boat in either direction. I thought it could have looked at the story between the lines and still stayed true to the Biblical account. Interpret, speculate do something, please! The one thing it did do was hone in on the humaness of the story to a minimal degree. This brings me to my last point the Incarnation. Nothing is more Christmas than a little Theology and Doctrine of the Incarnation. Jesus was not God clothed in flesh, pretending to be human and he was not a really good person almost like a god. He was not some third thing. a half human half god angel mutant. He was both fully human and fully divine at the same time. At my church they have been talking a lot about the first advent and how that points forward to the second advent. But I have been thinking a lot about Christ's coming, Christmas in its own terms. It was the ultimate revelation of God. And it made a powerful statement of who God is. God was both fully divine and fully human at the same time. How? Who knows he is God? But I think that is the revelation. God is two seemingly impossible things at the same time. Like two sides of the same coin they are mutually exclusive. If it's heads it cannot be tails. If he is divine he cannot be human. But surprise!!! God is and was during Christ's life. He can be heads and tails at the same time. His is the only hand that can beat Chuck Norris's hand in poker. God is the ultimate paradox. He is forgiving and gracious and at the same time as just and holy. He is unchanging and still sympathetic and responsive. Lately i have been thinking that God is both outside of time and within time all at once. He is able to hold togheter seemingly impossible things. He is the Lion and then Lamb. But not the Ying and Yang. God is not both bad and good: a balance. He is all good, all love, all the time. But love is a paradox and only God has it figured completly out. So he sent his son gave us a picture and empowered us to do likewise. Can God create a rock so big he cannot lift it? Trick question? Nope. He can be both things at the same time. He is strong and meek and humble. This complexity is who God is and what keeps us searching him. Merry Christmas!

Me n' my Red Ryder BB Gun

Weeeeell now, it sure is mighty nice to meet you fine folks. I'm very much excited about this whole set-up that Micah has procurred for us. I miss that old community I used to have at Calvin - the music-swapping, the story-telling, the laugh-having. It was a good time and I have not found a group that lovely since I graduated.

As for formal introductions, some of you know me, some don't. I know our godfather Micah through Jaime (the Ax) Bannister. I am a card-carrying member of Second Timmer and it was Jaime herself who introduced me to the guitar and co-founded our old band The Usual. These days I don't strum my guitar much - you're more likely to see me with my Red Ryder in the backyard shooting pidgeons. Actually the only gun you'll see me with is a price gun since I'm working retail right now.

My degree was in Psychology and Art but I find myself applying to graduate school in landscape architecture for next fall. It's a surprise even to me but I think it'll be a great fit and I can't wait to be back in school learning again. In the meantime it's to the Museum Shop stockroom I go. Minneapolis has been my home for a little over a year now and I really dig it. Lots of art, music, hipsters, snow (though not lately), and more music. My S.O. Justin works at the Walker Art Center doing geeky things like web design and VJ-ing. We live in a nice part of the cities where the coffeeshops prevail and the local hardware shops have not gone out of business (yet).

I'll give a rundown of what I'm indulging in lately, according to the five senses.

Sound: Black Keys, Neko Case, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Sight: Battlestar Galactica (TV), "Eat Love Pray" by Elizabeth Gilbert, photographs by Alec Soth

Taste: Tiramisu, Cider & Jack, Thai deliciousness

Touch: the fireplace in my new apartment and our slippery new leather couch (I keep falling off)

Smell: freshly-made Cornbread from Trader Joe's

and the Sixth Sense is Love, is it not? I'll spare you the details on that one.

So that is me in a nutshell, so they say. I do like nuts. Can't wait to hear from the rest of you....

well, so long Deep South

Here is a beginning, a one act for moi, yours truly, Matthew Jensen III or, as I am now known, since my wedding, Matthew Lord. I am glad to be here (cyber-ly of course).

I am sitting in my hotel room in the deep south. I just finished packing up all my books and syllibi (plural for syllabus - you know, the thing that tells you what to do in front of your classroom) from my five week stint teaching for the Institute of Reading Development. I have been flying to Birmingham, Alabama (where they love the governor) every Friday for five of the past six weeks. This program I have been working for is really great and I have found that I love teaching. I suppose that makes sense as most of my friends and family have been telling me that I could be good at it since I was a young pup.
My classes consisted of students grades K-12 and adults as well. 8 different classes in all teaching various skills that work on a students knowledge of how to read, how to read faster, and how to enjoy reading more. Its pretty interesting to finally try something that you have felt so connected to but also very scared of for a long time. Ever since I was "removed" from the education department at Calvin College, I have felt that I needed to keep my distance from the front of a classroom. But this spark of classroom confidence has given me a new lease on life! Or teaching at least. I think I am going to keep it up.
I live in Chicago now, and I met a lot of you through the illustrious Calvin College. For those of you I don't know, I am married to a woman named Mandy Lord and we are the proud parents of one canine child named Miles. I must add here that for a long time I sneered uncontrollably whenever I heard someone refer to their dog as a son or daughter. It's a DOG....duh. However, as most biases come to an end and unfounded hatred is revealed as sickly and wan in the light of new found personal knowledge, I now fully accept and understand the naming of such a pet as kin...progeny even. In other words, I love my dog and he loves me. Oh yeah, and my wife...I love her too.
The Institute (or IRD as we call it in the biz) is an educational company that is based out of N. California and run by a dude named Paul Copperman. That should be enough information for if you wanna google that shizzle. Although they bear the title of "for-profit" instead of the illustriously misleading "non-profit" they are a stand up organization that does a lot of good things for the promotion of literacy, which I dig. They are nation-wide and run programs through local college continuing education programs. So technically, I am in Gadsden, AL through IRD and the University of Alabama: Gadsden Center.
Anyway, I am done in the South. The classes are five weeks long and there are three or four terms a year. This summer I am hoping to continue teaching with IRD in Chicago. In the mean time, I am planning on trying to get a job with the Chicago Public Lie-berry.
Well, that is all I have on personal information.
Now on to the fun stuff: I am excited for tomorrow. That is when Talledega Nights comes out on DVD. I really liked that movie. FUN-NY! I think that John C. Reilly pushed Will Ferrel in the acting department while Ferrel pushed Reilly in the comedy dept. A real exercise in give and take, ya know? All that to say, I'm buying it.
Has anyone seen the new Christopher Guest movie? Does it roxors? Do tell.
And finally, some more information on the media I am surrounding myself with: I am currently listening to the Zombies: Odyssey & Oracle (particularly the song This Will Be Our Year where the horns kick some a$$) and reading Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie. I just recently finished the book Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs (NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE EVENT!!!!!) which was a little disappointing. It was really graphically sexual in ways that I thought cheapened the read instead of lending some sort of depth or whatever. Yeah, that is me giving up on the description bit. It is pretty late....one thing is for sure: that kid had a messed up life. So, back to the world of fluctuating story lines and flittering time signatures that is Salman Rushdie.
Well, here's hoping your days are filled with gladness and goodness. LYLAB! LYLAS!
Peace, Mattypro.

Anyone for Ice Breakers at Quest

In light of Meghan's suggestion to get to know each other there has been a thread started on the google group too. So you can give a little blerb in either place here or there, wherever you feel more comfortable. so take some time...think about it...pray about it....journal about it. What are people's feelings how is this going, are there suggestions, comments, redirections?

Mr. B (and No Child Left Behind)

I came across a fun little article that includes micahs father on the issue of no child left behind. For those that do not know Micah’s father, he is the principal of Shepherd Jr. High in Ottawa. He was also principal when micah and I attended the school. So understandably Mr b might take an interest in the NCLB deal. Here is a quote that I find fits mr. B's personality quite well, he is speaking of the special needs students in his school, "We have one subgroup at our building, like Mrs. (Jama) Wahl at Central," said Michael Bannister, principal at Shepherd. "They are part of our kids. I understand that. And we want to push them to achieve to the highest level they can ... Some have feeding tubes. Some are in wheelchairs, cannot speak, cannot hold a pencil ... To think that by 2014, everybody will be at 100 percent is horse feathers." In case you didn't notice, I highlighted horse feathers as the link to the article. So, if by chance you ever come across Mr. b, don’t tell him you like the no child left behind legislation, or he will likely ask Judy (his wife) to hold his glasses. Micah, here is something you may find interesting, a comment about the article from someone: “Wait until these kids get to high school and really learn math in the tom jobst failure of the century - integrated math.” And here is a comment in regard to that: “If you cannot improve upon the silence, don't speak (or write). If you don't know what you are talking about, don't make a fool of yourself. Tom Jobst is the greatest thing to happen to education in years.” Well, there are a few more about jobst, so you might want to check it out.

Who are you people

Well, I'm enjoying this so far, but can we slow down for a second? I don't know more than half of you interesting folks and your little profile view is doing little to help me. I say we all give a little one act to ourselves. You know the basics... where ya live, what ya do, what's your connection to micah (our master). ....and maybe why you're on this thing.

I'll go first. Meghan.

Originally from Rhode Island, I live in southern California. I love saying that. Probably because I've only been here for six months. I moved to LA most recently from North Carolina to work in the film/tv industry. Since September, I've been assisting an executive producer for the NBC show "Medium." I love it. Working my way up to produce my own stuff someday. Ideally, feature films that make you cry and laugh in the same breath and help you understand your neighbor a little better.

My connection to Micah is via Calvin College (class of '03) and his beautiful wife, my dear friend Jaime (we went to hs and college together). I have never blogged in my life (this is actually my first post ever) but this idea is terrrrific. I'm excited to talk about music and films that I come across. I'm being spoiled in this city with too many great options of both. And I love hearing the same from other people from around the country.

So there ya have it. Your turn.
(Post a picture)

let's get these bullets

Is the video still around? Thoughts, comments anyone?

ahh those were the days

testing testing

This is something my talented husband Joe created...sort of a self-depiction. I'm just doing this as a test because we've had problems posting pictures.

The DaVinci Code

Maybe it's because of all of the negative hype "The DaVinci Code" seemed to be getting from a lot of conservative Christians that Micah and I were more intrigued to see it (though I should really only talk for myself on this), or it could have been because the book was so popular ... whatever the case, I was pretty interested in understanding what all of the fuss was about (though I'm embarrassed to say that I have not picked up the book yet ... I went straight for the dvd). But I have to admit, after seeing it, I was pretty disturbed. I felt like if I wasn't a follower of Christ and had seen the movie, I would have been given even more reason to believe that Christianity in general is weird, scary, and ridiculous. But I guess I have no way of knowing if that is truly how I would feel, since I cannot completely disconnect myself from my faith.

But trying to pinpoint exactly why I am offended by it has been challenging. Even though it's premise is that the Roman Catholic Church is willing to go to murderous extremes to protect "the greatest cover up in human history..." the royal bloodline of Jesus Christ, I don't think that's what offends me. It's actually an interesting concept and I can see how it can make for a good story line. Perhaps I found it disturbing because there is truth to the fact that throughout history there have been many evil things done in the name of Christianity. Even still, to have a fictitious story making the church seem kind of psychotic didn't sit well with me. I wonder if it would have been easier to swallow if it was an intense thriller/mystery about the crusades or something.

Anyways, I am not about to boycott this movie by any means, but I am kind of surprised by how offended I got by it. Has anyone else seen this movie or read the book? Any insights? Positive reactions? I'd love to hear feedback.

Life Aquatic with steve Zissou

“The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” is one of my favorite movies. Although, this has not always been the case. I remember being so excited when I read on the internet that Wes Anderson was working on a new movie and who the potential cast was going to be. Jaime and I were living in California when the movie finally came and it was released early in Hollywood. So we went and I was entertained, but sorely disappointed. I couldn’t believe it. It was the first time Wes had ever let me down. Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, and The Royal Tenenbaums are three of my favorite movies. I felt like I had grown up with Wes. He was an old friend and we could always share a laugh and a quirky story. I was disappointed, but it was almost as if there was a relationship that had developed between us so I owed it to him to hear him out and give him another chance. And so I did. I had to watch the movie several times before I started to get it, before I found myself in the story. I am not sure how many people are willing to watch a movie over and over again that they don’t like. But as I said before I trusted that Wes had done something worthwhile and I gave him the benefit of the doubt. This story is broad and profound and deeply personal.
The loudest critique of Anderson’s movies and of the Life Aquatic in particular is that it lacks heartfelt characters and the plot is lost in a whimsical and fantastic world. Part of the problem is that these movies have been pegged as comedies. They certainly contain comedic elements, but that title and expectation will inevitably lead to disappointment. The Life Aquatic is character driven. Steve is down and out and way past his prime in fact the “Zissou of my childhood represents all the dreams I have come to regret.” For him he is about to get together with his friends and make another movie. The crew on Steve’s ship, the Belafonte, mimic and mirror the real life experiences of Wes’s life making films. Another of the major themes is Steve’s pursuit of the Jaguar Shark. It is the thing that ate his friend, the thing that keeps him going, and in the end becomes the object of his admiration. Wes never intended the Jaguar Shark to represent any one thing, but rather lets it work mysteriously and wondrously throughout the movie. The films most telling story is the relationship between Steve and his probably son Ned. This is such a fascinating relationship because Steve “hates fathers and never wanted to be one.” He is and was intentionally absent from Ned’s life and through the coarse of the movie carves out his own unique way to relate to Ned. Ned is extremely sincere and innocent and finds himself drawn to and longing for a relationship with a probable father that neglected to even contact him and refuses to allow Ned call him dad. Steve sums it up by saying, "I know that I want him to think of me like a father, but the fact that there is an outside chance that he could realy be my actual biological son is very difficult for me." Steve as a protagonist is deeply flawed and ultimately leads to his own demise and to a peculiar sort of redemption.
The film’s story operates below the surface. It is vague and I am not sure there is anything concrete to take from it, but it operates uniquely and separately from other relational movies. It has something unique to say. There are so many sub plots and character’s that they can cloud the relational story of Ned and Steve if you do not see them as a function of the story and the only environment in which these two could exist. The theme of the absent and indifferent father is not new to Wes’s films. The same can be said for Royal in the Royal Tennenbaums, but both Royal and Steven make interesting self discoveries and unique growth that to me make their stories endearing and compelling. There isn’t a moral per say or a life lesson to be learned, but we get to see the illogical conclusion to an illogical world.
This movie has all the flair of a typical Wes Anderson movie. It is directed to the T with acute detail to wardrobe, camera shots, and soundtrack. It will not fail in it’s style, but the story lies beneath the surface if you are willing to visit it more than once.

Where should I live?

While taking a procrastination break from editing papers, I decided to take a popular quiz to determine what city would be the best fit for me for the next move that family of 2.5 (the .5 being the cat) make. After answering over 75 questions regarding everything from "walkable urbanity" to the importance of having 7th Day Adventist in my dream city, the resulting list was created. The top ten follow:

1. Hartford, Connecticut
2. Portland, Oregon
3. Providence, Rhode Island
4. Eugene, Oregon
5. Baltimore, Maryland
6. New Haven, Connecticut
7. Salem, Oregon
8. Corvallis, Oregon
9. Charleston, West Virginia
10. Boston, Massachusetts

Having visited a sibling while she attended "clown college" in New Haven, I can tell you that 1) New Haven is a place for bad weather and 2) Connecticut roads are the most stressful that I have ever driven on. I am no driving wuss; I lived in New Jersey for two years, and commuted weekly from Princeton to Brooklyn. So, spots 2 and 8 are off the list.

Likewise, I have driven and stopped in Charleston, WV, and can tell you the place always looks like the dark side of the moon. I can just see my doubling over as the coal infested air beckons the return of childhood asthma. Good bye possibility 9.

So, in the end, Portland, OR is on the top of my list. Hello Powell Books!












Small wonder; I spend a part of my honeymoon there, and almost went to graduate school at a fine urban planning program. Perhaps the Nolan School might want to hire a freshly minted Neighborhood Planner in four years?

Poisonwood Bible

I just finished reading Barbara Kingsolver’s “Poisonwood Bible” for, oh, I don’t know, maybe the 10th time? Its like a great roadtrip where you reach your destination and say, “Oh, I’m here already?” I’ve heard people say they wish they could read a book for the first time again because there’s no experience like the first. But when it comes to “Poisonwood Bible”, I have to be honest and say, it always feels like the first time for me.

Lately I have felt so shallow. So I picked it up, knowing I didn’t need something necessarily happy and good, but rather something strong and demanding. Sometimes we read the same books again for comfort, but in this case, its exactly the opposite. Her writing makes me uncomfortable; it makes me want to change. It makes me feel better and worse all at the same time, desperately clinging to salvation in the face of an unhappy ending. I read about someone else’s loss so that I can gain. Is that selfish? Perhaps. The words are deep, dark, and just when I’m feeling a little lost, they suddenly yank me to luminosity and I feel a hesitant, looming sort of hope again. The writing is relentless, but forgiving. Like anything resilient, I return to it again and again and it never seems to lose a thing. In the end, I guess I just love things that encompass both light and darkness, both in unexpected places.

It reminds me of what we all are, and a quote from one of the characters sums it up. “A crooked little person trying to tell the truth. The power is in the balance: we are our injuries, as much as we are our successes.”

Need Information

When I am in a pinch for information. I like to use www.google.com you should check it out.

Sharing Photos

Another one of Googles applications is Picasa. This program allows you to put your photos onto web albums and then share it publicly if you choose. This is another one of Google's many applications and since all of our mediums are run by google they are easy and very compatible. It is just a suggestion and another way to save space. This way we do not have to upload millions of photos to the blog or google group. Many of you probably already have some sort of web photo program that you can link too. This one is Google and since I now work for google as a celebrity sponsor I am legally obligated to mention picasa. In conclusion, it is easy, fun, compatible, and competitive.

http://picasa.google.com/

Sharing Music

If anyone is interested, an easy way to share music would be through (twango) www.twango.com It is free and relatively easy to use. However you will need to start your own account if you want to upload music. After creating an account then you can upload music. You do not need to start an account to listen to the music that is linked as long as people place the songs in their public channels. After uploading you can place a link to your public channel. It needs to be under the public channel in order for people to listen that aren't signed in or dont have an account. Also, when you upload the music if it is in a mp3 format people will be able to access it directly without using a media player. If you use itunes you can convert your songs to mp3 by going to edit. preferences. advanced. importing. importing using: mp3 encoder. You can then right click on the song and select convert to mp3. this will make a copy of the song as an mp3 and then you can upload that mp3 file to twango. it is easier than it sounds. just ask if you have questions.

Writer's Block

Having trouble
putting pen to
paper.

Try a picture

Trial Run

Micah asked me to help him set things up. I am really excited to be part of this community with everyone.

The Soft Drugs-In Moderation

Usually I am not a fan of T.W. Walsh. But this project was a perfect blend of unpolished rock with a twist of pop, shaken not stirred. It was a little intoxicating. Well not intoxicating but i did have a good listening buzz and it did grease the social wheels. David Bazan also played an intricate role as these two collaborated on this 5 song album available on i tunes. The lyrics are as expected a salty combination of cynicism and religious reflection. It was quite delightful. For more check out the links below.

http://www.thesoftdrugs.com/

www.thesoftdrugs.com/inmoderation/02_defending_the_paint.mp3