As if my opinion matters

Vision Correction

2011-01-13T02:54:00.002-05:00

“Then Elisha prayed, ‘O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!’ ... ” 2 Kings 6:17

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano read from Isaiah about our source of comfort. Attorney General Eric Holder read from 2 Corinthians 4 about looking to “things not seen” for our source of faith, speaking plainly the name of Christ. And of course, President Barack Obama quoted Psalm 46 and the river in heaven where God dwells as encouragement for the days ahead, and Job to describe the darkness around us—as well as describing the church involvement of the victims memorialized in Tucson on Wednesday, January 12. He didn’t have to include those details of the lives of the slain. But he did. Considering the prominence of Scripture in the speeches delivered at the University of Arizona, the idea of Christianity being vilified in the United States seems ludicrous to me. (And so, I just wanted to continue the sentiment of the Tucson event with another apt verse.)

The lives of the victims were varied. A U.S. District Judge. A young politically active fiancé. A Church of Christ pastor. A former Marine. A Republican grandmother from New Jersey. And possibly the one whose face is now etched in all our minds: a 9-year-old little girl full of promise.

The heroes were just as myriad. A gay, naturalized citizen from Mexico who volunteered in Rep. Gabby Giffords’s office. The older men present at Gifford’s meeting. And a “petite 61-year-old, Patricia Maisch,” who grabbed ammunition from the shooter Saturday.

They all represented the “best of America,” as Obama put it. They showed so many different facets of our citizenry while also illustrating that, in the midst of those differences, we really are connected. We are really all in this together. And every person matters. Every life is significant.

“Heroism is found,” said Obama, “not only on the fields of battle. … Heroism is here, all around us, in the hearts of so many of our citizens.”

All of these citizens gathered at the “Congress on Your Corner” event organized by Giffords because they believed in the possibility our democracy offers—that their voices counted. Obama charged the nation with the responsibility to honor their memory. “What, beyond prayers and expressions of concern, is required of us going forward?” (Or, how can we be the answer to the prayers we offer?) “How can we honor the fallen?”

I don’t need to go into detail about the state of public discourse before the Tucson tragedy, nor the accusatory rhetoric afterward. You have heard and read commentary about it everywhere. But I appreciate the president’s urging to “pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds.” To do that we must get out of our echo chambers and take off our blinders (pardon the clichés).

We need to correct our impaired vision.

Obama spoke of “guarding against simple explanations” about what happened in Tucson, and “challenging old assumptions. … We cannot use this tragedy as one more occasion to turn on each other.”

I particularly appreciated that he called for civility, “not because a lack of civility caused this tragedy—it did not—but because only a more civil and honest public discourse can help us face up to our challenges as a nation, in a way that would make them proud.”

A call for civility is not a look backward with finger-pointing, but a look forward, reaching for aspirations higher than winning arguments. Harsh public conversation did not cause this heartbreak, but this loss of precious life is now pushing us to reexamine how we speak to one another. That is a good and necessary thing. And we should, as Obama said, “question each other’s ideas without questioning each other’s love of country.” We are in this ongoing experiment together.

Christina Taylor Green—so full of promise, as every child is—was notable for being born on September 11, 2001: a “Face of Hope.” This is the hope, I believe, Obama was going for in his campaign for president. A hope for the future. A hope for healing. A hope for all that is good in America. With all our differing views on how to move this nation forward, we need to keep that shared hope in our sight, or risk stumbling over one another and going nowhere.

In a moving announcement, Obama shared that during his and First Lady Michelle Obama’s visit to see Rep. Giffords in the hospital before the speech, Gabby opened her eyes for the first time. It is our turn to open our eyes to one another as fellow citizens and not opponents.

As Obama reminded us, we owe that to the victims to honor their memory.

Really trying . . .

2010-10-12T14:51:00.002-04:00

"We must learn to pray out of our weaknesses so that God can become our strength."
-- Joan Chittister

(HT Sojourners)

Music Matters

2010-09-09T11:20:00.005-04:00

From my multiple photos and Facebook status updates regarding my daughter’s band involvement over the past three years, from advanced concert band in middle school to summer band camps to marching band now, my friends are well aware that music education matters significantly to me. And I believe it should matter greatly to everyone—whether or not you have children, in fact. It’s a matter of intellectual capital.

You’ve likely seen headlines about the effect of music education on academic performance. For example this Harris Poll showed that nearly “nine in ten people (88 percent) with post graduate degrees participated in music education. Further, 83 percent of those with incomes higher than $150,000 or more participated in music.” And according to studies cited by MENC: The National Association for Music Education,

Students in top quality music programs scored 22 percent higher in English and 20 percent higher in math on standardized tests mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act. (University of Kansas)
In 2006, SAT takers with coursework in music performance scored 57 points higher on the verbal portion of the test and 43 points higher on the math portion. (The College Board, Profile of College-Bound Seniors National Report for 2006)

As far as where that intellectual capital is being educated today? Sure, many might come from private and boarding schools or homeschool groups—and I highly support those educational choices, but they are not attainable for everyone, particularly in today’s economy. As I had assumed, public school enrollment is growing, likely due to decreased incomes. According to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, “total public elementary and secondary enrollment is projected to set new records every year from 2009 to 2018.” A lot of bright minds are entering our tax-funded schools; we must give them the tools to be our nation’s next leaders. Supporting music (and arts, I would add) education is critical to enabling these students to reach their full potential.

However, the effect of the still stagnant economy is not only increased enrollment, but also decreased funding of so-called “elective” and extra-curricular classes, programs, and clubs. Schools and their parent support organizations have to get creative to bring in funds. Here comes the appeal: Please make a donation of time, supplies, or money to the music and/or arts program at your area schools. Every bit matters.

“If you want to be a CEO, college president or even a rock star, the message from this [Harris Poll] survey is: take music,” says Dr. John Mahlmann, Executive Director of MENC. “As with reading, writing and arithmetic, music should be a core academic focus because it is so vital to a well rounded education and will pay dividends later in life, no matter the career path taken.”

Folks, this is not a political issue, but rather simply a practical issue: Invest in America’s future intellectual capital.

Desperation

2010-05-13T14:09:00.002-04:00

May Presidents Obama and Zuma speak out strongly against this predatory evil. May we all.

Speaking of paradoxes

2009-12-28T14:55:00.001-05:00

"I find it interesting that the meanest life, the poorest existence, is attributed to God's will, but as human beings become more affluent, as their living standard and style begin to ascend the material scale, God descends the scale of responsibility at commensurate speed."
- Maya Angelou

(courtesy Sojourners)

Much to do . . .

2009-12-02T22:16:00.002-05:00

However high be your endeavors, unless you renounce and subjugate your own will -- unless you forget yourself and all that pertains to yourself -- not one step will you advance on the road to perfection.

- St. John of the Cross, Spanish mystic, friar, and priest (1542-1591)

(courtesy Sojourners)

I'm in the black

2009-09-28T23:00:00.004-04:00

But I'll be in God's house at FedEx tomorrow.

Sometimes I feel like I don't know
Sometimes I feel like checkin' out
I want to get it wrong
Can't always be strong
And love it won't be long...
Oh sugar, don't you cry
Oh child, wipe the tears from your eyes
You know I need you to be strong
And the day is as dark as the night is long
Feel like trash, you make me feel clean
I'm in the black, can't see or be seen
Baby, baby, baby...light my way (alright now)
Baby, baby, baby...light my way

You bury your treasure
Where it can't be found
But your love is like a secret
That's been passed around
There is a silence that comes to a house
Where no one can sleep
I guess it's the price of love
I know it's not cheap

(oh, come on)
Baby, baby, baby...light my way
(oh, come on)
Baby, baby, baby...light my way

Oh...ultraviolet...
Ultraviolet...
Ultraviolet...
Ultraviolet...

Baby, baby, baby...light my way

I remember
When we could sleep on stones
Now we lie together
In whispers and moans
When I was all messed up
And I had opera in my head
Your love was a light bulb
Hanging over my bed
Baby, baby, baby...light my way
(oh, come on)
Baby, baby, baby...light my way

Ultraviolet... [Repeat 4 times]

Baby, baby, baby...
Baby, baby, baby...
Baby, baby, baby...
light my way
[Repeat 3 times]

Baby, baby, baby...light my way

first time played live: 1992-02-29: Lakeland Arena, Lakeland, Florida
last time played live: 2009-09-26: NBC Saturday Night Live - NBC Studios, New York, New York

Thanks to Macphisto for the lyrics and information.

Foxworthy, Kids, and God

2009-09-19T15:28:00.002-04:00

The most important lesson I have learned from my own kids is that they have given me a small glimpse of how God must feel about us. You know, your spouse is capable of doing something where you wouldn’t love him or her anymore, but your kids aren’t. It doesn’t mean you don’t get angry or frustrated with them, but you cannot not love them. They’re an awesome gift. And I kind of think that’s how God looks at us, like, “Oh, good grief, you’re so stupid, you’re driving me crazy, but I still love you.”
(From Parade, 9/20/09)

Must see for Tori and me

2009-09-04T13:54:00.001-04:00

. . . When You Think about It

2009-08-11T19:10:00.000-04:00

R.I.P. John Hughes

2009-08-06T18:00:00.000-04:00

We'll never forget about you.

Yeah

2009-08-01T00:48:00.000-04:00

Wait. Whoa. Chris Isaak's 53??

2009-07-29T20:09:00.003-04:00

Enjoyed this short Q&A with Chris Isaak, like the opening banter:

Is it true you were the homecoming king at your high school [A.A. Stagg in Stockton, Calif.]?

No, no, no. [Laughs] I was student council president. I even had my own office. I was a cheerleader, too. I found out about cheerleader camp and heard that there were about six guys and 3,000 girls, so I signed up. It was a precursor for a rock-and-roll career.

And what a wise mom he has:

Well, heartbreak is my forte. But I tried to make it a balance on this record. There's some really upbeat songs like "Big Wide Wonderful World." And "We've Got Tomorrow." You know my parents have been married 60 years and I asked my mom, "How do you stay together?" And she said, "You don't leave." It's really simple.

Probably good to stay away from those who leave from the get-go . . .

'Best Wedding Entrance Ever'

2009-07-23T17:34:00.000-04:00

Excuse my fear of my child, or me, getting sick

2009-07-15T13:54:00.002-04:00

Apparently, my need for health care coverage is a threat to the comfort of certain 'Christians.'

Refreshingly, Prof. Vigen gets it so very right:

. . . If we are a people shaped by our respect for life and the dignity of the human person, how can we not be at the front lines of health care reform? Even more, why do many of us oppose a public option for health care?
The Gospels overflow with stories of Jesus caring for people in need--not only the fortunate few, but whole gatherings of people--hungry masses, gaggles of children, and scores of the infirm. In one instance, Jesus healed too many to count (Luke 4:40). If we take Jesus seriously, then our obligations to the naked, hungry, beaten, suffering, and vulnerable are hard to deny. This is not new or revolutionary--Christians have understood this duty for centuries; it's why the first hospitals in the West were founded by religious communities and why so many doctors and nurses were also priests, monks, nuns, ministers, or lay members. . . .
Consequently, Christians are called to embody this grace for others--friends, family, neighbors, and strangers alike. Jesus did not favor V.I.P.'s, societal insiders, the affluent, or people with the best paying jobs. But that is exactly what our currently-fragmented health care system does. Significant numbers of people go bankrupt every year because of medical costs. Thousands of others are being cut off of charity care because hospitals and doctors can no longer afford to be generous. Others delay seeking care or are refused care because they don't carry the right or adequate insurance. Jesus cared for whoever needed attention the most--regardless of status, wealth, or employment. The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10) shines a spotlight on the responsibility to care for the stranger (and to pay the bills!).
Are we willing to put our money where our scriptures are? Health care is not free. I ask only that we shoulder one another's burdens. . . .

On my short list

2009-07-09T22:51:00.001-04:00

'Just One Day'

2009-06-16T10:18:00.000-04:00

Yeah. I want to see this.

2009-06-09T23:44:00.002-04:00

Love Mendes, ever since American Beauty. And after the lack of much original thinking in his non-ground-breaking Revolutionary Road -- saved only by brilliant performances by Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, and the one who stole the show in a character who almost revealed Mendes's hand too much, Michael Shannon -- I am really looking forward to him showing us what made us love him in the first place: in Away We Go.

Yet, the cliched design of the movie's website and credits, etc., can't help but remind me too much of Juno and other such non-indy indy films. Mendes doesn't need that help to drum up an audience.

Not the ukelele I'm used to hearing

2009-06-09T11:40:00.001-04:00

Very cool.

and part two:

A necessary apology

2009-06-04T14:58:00.002-04:00

Humbling to admit your past wrongs, and that the opinions or sentiments you once held are not right. While I am pro-life still, I do not believe the issue is handled through legislation -- I believe it's counterproductive, just creates backlash. But I believe Frank Schaeffer is right in that the rhetoric, however unintended, has fueled the wrong passions in the issue.

Compassion and love -- and grace -- should always be the answer. From Frank Schaeffer's column:

Like many writers of moral/political/religious theories, my father and I would have been shocked that someone took us at our word, walked into a Lutheran Church and pulled the trigger on an abortionist. But even if the murderer never read Dad's or my words, we helped create the climate that made this murder likely to happen. In fact, it has happened before. In 1994, Dr. John Bayard Britton and one of his volunteer escorts were shot and killed outside an abortion clinic in Pensacola, Fla., by Paul Hill, a former minister and an avid follower of my father's.

Angry speech has become the norm in American religion from both the right and the left. Words are spoken which, when taken seriously, lead directly to violence by the unhinged and/or the truly committed.

'Up' Is More Real than Corliss Realizes

2009-05-08T14:54:00.004-04:00

My daughter and I have anticipated seeing this film since seeing the previews in December before watching 'The Tale of Despereaux.' And after reading Richard Corliss's review, I am anticipating it all the more.

But there's one line in his article where I believe, after reading more of the storyline of this upcoming film, Corliss could not be more wrong: "Up isn't realistic..."

Of course, I know he's referring to the depictions of the characters. But reading the intentions of the storytellers and the background of their characters, you don't have to be a crotchety old widower to relate in a deep and meaningful way.

Can't wait for May 29.

"... or snacks"

2009-04-29T09:17:00.000-04:00

Love it.

'Constructive Summer'

2009-04-28T09:08:00.001-04:00

Much needed positive thinking at such a time as this. (Thanks, Steve, for the reco.)

Free Roxana Saberi

2009-04-26T14:41:00.004-04:00

We need our newspapers and general media to survive, not the least because of invaluable journalists like Roxana Saberi.

Freedom of the press matters.

Free Roxana.(Join the Facebook group.)

Our human battles

2009-04-25T09:59:00.002-04:00

' . . . "I loved that idea of animalistic chaos and following our own desires,” Jackman says. “I think Wolverine represents that in its most allegorical sense. He’s a man who battles between the animal and the human, between the chaos in him and the self-control he must have. We all deal with this to some extent. At which point should we let go and do what we want to do, and when should we submit to rules? Coming to terms with our true natures and who we really are has always been a fascination to humans. I know it fascinates me." '

(Hugh Jackman)

'I Believe'

2009-04-23T10:34:00.000-04:00

(HT Steve Beard)

Not always 'Linear'

2009-04-22T18:39:00.003-04:00

The pizza was the bread, and the wine completed the sacrament I was taking after more than a year since I took my last. The hymn, “At the moment of surrender”; the icons provided by a Dutch photographer.

I was in the midst of seeking Him in a Church called Home, but not yet welcomed back, it had been longer than is comfortable since I took my last communion. I’ve been hungry, and I’ve been thirsty.

And I’ve been at war.

I’ve said to others, I envy Job. Why would anyone, though, envy a man beset by pain on every side? Because he overcame. With God by his side—by placing himself by His side—he overcame.

My son’s father wonders, though not explicitly, how I would pursue a faith he believes is constricting. To begin, I do not find it a trap. I see doors more widely open, and a true sense of reverence for the One with Whom I’m at war. There’s a greater, more humble sense of His grace and of His mystery. And those whose faith is great are not the ones, necessarily, whose lives are squeaky clean and faith unquestioning. But quite the opposite.

That not to say the appeal of coming Home is that it’s easier to live there. But quite the opposite: It forces one to confront all that is uncomfortable about belief. It forces one to relinquish control. To accept that what we think is, is not necessarily so.

And so, He made my Grenache into wine, my pizza dough into bread—and once again confounded my belief, my doubt, my war, and held His arms more widely open again.

And so I continue to walk toward Home, where once again, I can drink of the wine and the bread of His promise.

Some "Party"

2009-04-20T13:15:00.002-04:00

From Prof. Benjamin Carp on the "tea parties" last week:

In Boston in 1773, the men who boarded the tea ships had to conceal their identity or risk punishment -- perhaps even being hanged for treason. Last week, the merry protesters chatted with journalists about their complaints, then folded up their "Welcome to the Second American Revolution" signs and went home. The original Tea Party had helped make free speech possible, but these modern protests didn't seem likely to change the world just yet.

A representative government, unlike a monarchy, must listen to the people -- otherwise we are indeed poorly represented. But it should also be careful not to overreact -- either by punishing dissidents or by conceding too much.

Beetlejuice!

2009-04-18T23:47:00.001-04:00

My daughter (2nd row, 2nd to the right of the director) playing clarinet last summer at band camp.

Always love a good Peeps show

2009-04-14T15:09:00.002-04:00

My personal favorite from the finalists (check them all out):

'Nothing changes -- ever'

2009-04-08T13:38:00.003-04:00

Indeed, it was just a scented wind ago
(But another day, another year)
When a young boy snatched at a
hover fly, and clutched
In crumpled hands, the empty air.
Nothing changes -- ever.
The insect drones a lazy paean to the sun
In the molten noon, and there is not winter.
But the brook is ice and the leaf is mold
Till the grass is sweet again.
How to measure time --
Earth reborn, and flesh a year dissolved.
Again full cycle, and the fly is gauze
on the garden walk --
And childhood's done, with memories.

--from 'Poem' by Roger Fogelman.

When I need a laugh

2009-03-27T21:10:00.004-04:00

I read this text from a friend, which I kept because it was so random and funny:

There is a drunk guy at the bar playing a guitar he just won at hardtimes. He has no idea how to play it and he's singing the song '[friend's name]' at the top of his lungs. Oh, and he keeps referring to me as his seductive bartender. I so need to get out of here.

Classic.

We have to wait until October to see it??

2009-03-26T08:44:00.001-04:00

Cannot wait . . .

The Poor, for Thought

2009-03-25T16:50:00.002-04:00

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist" - Dom Helder Camara, former Archbishop of Olinda and Recife, Brazil.

(courtesy "Verse and Voice of the Day," Sojourners)

Makes you feel safe

2009-03-23T22:56:00.001-04:00

I absolutely love 'Rescue Me.' Not the least because of crazy stuff like this.

Rescue Me: Special Presentation - Short Episode: Courageous Men

Random. And Freaky.

2009-03-22T14:15:00.000-04:00

Erin go Bragh!

2009-03-17T11:33:00.000-04:00

Decorate your home, and yourself, at the same time

2009-03-16T12:44:00.004-04:00

Want to give your place a unique look and be in the know before everyone else? Hang one of Angela's photos on the wall. (Yes, I'm biased. Never mind that.) One sample:

Want a beautiful, totally cool piece of jewelry no one has? Check Lisa's fabulous stuff. One of my faves:

How do you make this mistake?

2009-03-15T22:56:00.002-04:00

Regarding the daycare provider who gave children windshield wiper fluid, thinking it was Kool-Aid, one toxicologist remarked, “I think the take-home message is not to have these products in the kitchen or where you’re doing any kind of food preparation.”

Or, here's a wild and crazy idea: Read the flippin' label, you twit!

Let's go, fellas

2009-03-10T00:24:00.001-04:00

Crazy!

2009-03-05T16:59:00.000-05:00

'Breathe'

2009-03-05T16:58:00.001-05:00

Absolutely Magnificent

2009-03-05T16:53:00.000-05:00

The song I can't get out of my head now

2009-02-25T20:44:00.000-05:00

On Ash Wednesday

2009-02-24T22:34:00.003-05:00

I tied myself with wire
To let the horses run free
Playing with the fire
Until the fire played with me

The stone was semi precious
We were barely conscious
Two souls too smart to be
In the realm of certainty
Even on our wedding day

We set ourselves on fire
A girl could not deny her
Its not if I believe in love
If love believes in me
Oh believe in me

At the moment of surrender
I'm falling to my knees
I did not notice the passers by
And they did not notice me

I’ve been in every black hole
At the alter of a Dark star
My body s now begging
Though it’s begging to get back
Begging to get back
To my heart
To the rhythm of my soul
To the rhythm of my consciousness
To the rhythm of yes
To be released from control

I was punching in the numbers at the ATM machine
I could see in the reflection
A face staring back at me
At the moment of surrender
A vision of a visibility
I did notice the passers by
And they did not notice me

I was speeding off the subway
Through the stations of the cross
Every eye looking every other way
Counting down till the pain will stop

At the moment of surrender
A vision of a visibility
I did not notice the passers by
And they did not notice me

U2 "Breathe"

2009-02-24T09:08:00.002-05:00

From 'No Line on the Horizon'

(Thanks to Kenneth Tanner for the link.)

Random First Thoughts on NLOTH

2009-02-19T19:24:00.008-05:00

Note: I’m no music critic and haven’t read the tons of reviews and background info that’s already out there on U2's latest, 'No Line on the Horizon.' This is pure first-impression, just first-listen reactions to the music alone.

1. NLOTH: interestingly, somewhere around the 2:45 mark, reminded me of my friend Nathan’s crooning. You’re in good company, Nathan. Then as it went, to me, there was a harking back to younger days of U2. Very classic, yet very now. Timeless.

2. Magnificent: Bono’s simply at the top of his game. His voice is large and beautiful in this track. Otherworldly.

3. Moment of Surrender: This one just made me introspective. It’s very personal. They reach inward both with voices and music. A little close to home.

4. Unknown Caller: Guitars—just wow.

5. I’ll Go Crazy if I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight: While the lyrical style is so familiar, Bono sounds like he’s really trying some new things in the sound of this. It’s a little un-U2, in that it’s got a sound that is more within the now, as opposed to a classical, timeless sound. Love it.

6. Get on Your Boots: intentional single, but fun. Crowd-pleaser like ‘Elevation.’

7. Stand Up Comedy: This one’s really fun. Lots of smiles. One to crank up. [Edit: A brilliant line--"Stop helping God across the road like a little old lady."]

8. FEZ-Being Born: I think I’ll have this on repeat. Just phenomenal. Surreal. Probably my favorite.

9. White as Snow: First impression from the title is a biblical reference. And listening, there’s almost something Christmasy in its sound; reminded me of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” Beautiful.

10. Breathe: Teensy bit Matisyahu-esque in the beginning with the rapid-fire words. I’ll be blasting this in the car with all the windows down this summer.

11. Cedars of Lebanon: All about the words, like the album as a whole. This one just keeps you thinking. Required listening for every world leader.

Overall, this seems a more reflective album, something a 14-year-old who’s unfamiliar with U2 would be out-of-the-loop on regarding the band, and thus turned off by the group. That high-schooler would be missing out. A diehard U2 fan listens to this and is brought back to U2’s beginning, and to their experimental period, and to the last couple albums. This is a culmination, and a stretching still further forward. They’re simply at the top of their game. This is large music that is beyond the time it’s in, beyond the trends, beyond the genre. It is no mere entertainment.

Five years ago with the release of ‘How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb,’ I tried to be realistic: I said, U2’s got a good strong ten more years, and then they should go when they’re at the top, and not become a (albeit respected) curiosity like the Rolling Stones. Well, let’s tack on another ten years now.

(Special thanks to Beth for allowing me to listen in.)

Ok, yes, I'm a little obsessed

2009-02-19T14:01:00.001-05:00

Now, THIS Is an Encore

2009-02-19T13:49:00.001-05:00

Chris Martin, Brandon Flowers, and Bono . . . oh, to have been there.

Thanks, Steve, for the link.

The Go Sheilas

2009-02-17T17:11:00.000-05:00

Thanks, Steve.

Convicting, and possibly enlightening

2009-02-14T09:25:00.001-05:00

Does the compassionate life not demand that we be present to those who suffer; does it not require that we enter into solidarity with the poor, oppressed, and downtrodden; does it not motivate us both to move into the thick of life and to experience the hardships of existence in solidarity with the outcasts?

- Henri Nouwen,
Compassion: A Reflection on the Christian Life

(From Sojourners "Verse and Voice of the Day")

E*Trade Baby

2009-02-08T13:02:00.000-05:00

Hysterical.

Wise Words

2009-02-05T12:57:00.007-05:00

"... I can see that it is so wrong of us to compartmentalize us and to label people. I am hoping that through all of this we'll learn how to, instead of label people and put them in categories, that we'll learn to really listen to each other and really see each other and have compassion for each other. Because the last thing we need to do is burden people who are just trying to work out their lives." -- Gayle Haggard, on the complexity of life.

(image from adamsacks.com)

When the Clouds Eventually Part

2009-02-04T15:56:00.007-05:00

I read two articles recently from a past Sunday Washington Post (yes, I’m reading it some ten days later, and yes, I saved it that long—such is the life of a single mom who loves her Sunday Post) that got me thinking about the “what next?” in our society and economy. It’s easy right now to get down about it all, with talks of liquidations and layoffs, rising unemployment rates and foreclosures. Believe me, I know, as I’m in that hunt for gainful employment along with so many. And then I read these two articles, and as I unnervingly tend to do (unnerving, that is, at least to myself, and doubtless other would-be cynics), I had an idealistic thought, and a tingle of excitement crept in.

These two articles had seemingly little to do with each other, but then, you could see how they could touch something in all of us.

The first was a feature on director Kelly Reichardt, whose film Wendy and Lucy is now in theaters (though, more likely, the smaller arthouse ones—but it should be more widely released, because we really need to open our eyes). The movie is not getting rave reviews, but rather comments about it not going anywhere or giving the viewer “enough” to go on about the central character, Wendy. Now, I will say, I have not seen the film. So I cannot judge it on that. But the filmmaker’s intentions are definitely laudable.

She made the film well before the economic recession. The idea came to her and co-writer Jon Raymond, actually, after Hurricane Katrina. "I called Jon Raymond after hearing an interview where someone used the proverbial 'pull yourself up by your bootstraps' image,” said Reichardt in the Post, “and we were musing over what happens if, like Wendy, you have no safety net, you have a nothing education, you don't have family support, and certainly there's no trust fund. How do you pull yourself up by your bootstraps?” Good question, and relevant today particularly.

I have the feeling some reviewers, even if they realized that knowing next to nothing about Wendy is Reichardt’s point, are still missing the film’s beauty. (Again, I realize I need to see it to determine whether the film meets the director’s intentions. Anyone want to babysit for me??) Writes the Post’s John Anderson, “But are the economically distressed defined strictly by their circumstances? Is poverty really just a condition? Such an approach deprives Wendy, already deprived of almost everything else, a narrative, something that would make her singular and incontrovertibly human. We get the whole point. We just don't get the whole woman . . . ” I’m not so sure, though, that Anderson and others do get the point.

I don’t think the film is about Wendy and her dog. I think the film is about the audience—about us. From the Post: “ 'Wendy and Lucy' asks the question of what we owe each other, and what's our responsibility to each other?" says Reichardt. “Wendy is a stranger: We don't know where she came from, and people have to decide in the moment where they meet her what their obligation to her is. Or maybe there is no obligation. Is it every man for himself now?” To repeat, we, our, we again. I think this film, in its intent anyway, is more about a look in the mirror.

How are we going to see those around us? Yes, Wendy is a “whole woman,” a person with more depth than we apparently are allowed to see in the film. But does that mean the film failed to develop her? Or that we failed to see ourselves? Maybe I’m getting too obscure. But maybe not.

We look at people’s circumstances only and define them by that alone, regardless of how they got there or how they view their own actions. And in so doing, we keep them down—if those circumstances are low—or falsely on a pedestal, if they’re high, equally limiting people in their situation (think Bono, trying not to look ridiculous as a rich rock star while helping the world’s poor).

Ok, enough on Wendy. The second article was by a Slate columnist on the liquidation of so many well-known chain stores: Circuit City, Linens’n’Things, Sharper Image, to name a few. You’ve heard about the rest. It’s as if the strip-mall landscape as we know it has changed forever. But what next?

We could see ourselves in a place of hunkering down, saving up—what did they hoard during the Depression? Aluminum? Or, we could (I hope someone is) see this as a chance for a fresh start, a chance to do business—and community—differently. Perhaps whole new ventures with completely innovative ways of operating will crop up to fill the void after all the going-out-of-business sales.

Another part of Wendy and Lucy (yes, I realize I said above I was finished with it—tough) was the road trip aspect and the sense of looking for the American Dream, in caps. Again from the Post: "For 'Wendy and Lucy,' I spent six months looking at the parking lots of supermarkets," Reichardt says. She depicts an America where corporate branding is banishing local color. "When I was a kid we used to do a road trip every summer from Miami to Montana," she says. "You really knew what state you were in by the radio and all these things that made each state particular. Now, between New Jersey and Laramie, Wyoming, it doesn't matter where you are, it's all the same: Taco Bell, Days Inn."

Maybe now is the time to move beyond the ubiquitous chains that alienate us by making us all the same, mired in materialism, and toward “some sense of community [that] can bring people back together,” as Reichardt puts it. To start, we would see the Wendy’s and their dogs not as circumstances, but as people. And then, when the “gathering clouds and raging storms” that Obama described pass, when the clouds finally part, a more appealing and realizable American Dream will shine through.

So I guess that’s a call to entrepreneurs to churn the wheels in their minds, and neighbors to open their eyes and hearts to each other. Wow, that was really sappy, but who cares?

'We Are All the Same' by Sam Martin

2009-01-22T09:13:00.001-05:00

(Thanks to Erik L. for sharing this. Erik describes it: "A music video from my friend Sam Martin -- reflects, in new ways and new words, the mood of the country and this rising generation's aspiration to find common ground in a world defined by our differences.")

A Time to Turn to Each Other

2009-01-21T00:39:00.005-05:00

So I have posted enough videos and pictures and other people’s words. Time to post some of my own thoughts.

It is the end of Inauguration Day. I did not join in the packed Metro, the huddling crowd, the lines waiting in the frigid cold of a January day in Washington, D.C., for a glimpse of our new president. (Why, again, isn’t Inauguration in June?) But I watched the day’s events on television with my 12-year-old daughter (who wasn’t terribly disappointed not to be standing in the cold, although I was). Nevertheless, there was not much that we missed, thanks to the extensive media coverage.

And while I watched, I (what else does this generation do?) perused the reactions of friends on Facebook. One asked whether, in our lifetime, there had been a more polarizing event. (Apparently, in the coffeehouse where he works, there were rather pointed reactions when the TV was turned on to the inauguration.) Even now, the debates continue (“How could Michelle choose that dress??” and “Oh, she looked lovely in white!”) … but seriously. One person replied to that question that the Bush 2000 inauguration could, arguably, be deemed more polarizing, considering the closeness of that contest with Al Gore. No doubt our nation is still strongly divided politically.

Television commentators observed today how the city (excuse me, I’m being presumptuous to beyond-the-beltway dwellers—“the city” being D.C.) has already changed in tone, socially speaking. It is more upbeat, and people are intermingling outside their usual circles, whereas in the last administration people did not put aside differences after hours—there was always a schism, even at dinner. I hope this is not a short-lived trend.

I have often liked to say that my generation (X) knocked down the walls in the first place. Sure, much can be said about Gen Y’s contributions to a changed culture, but no, we Xers got the ball rolling, small cohort though we are. We are about getting past differences (while many of us still hold on to our convictions) in order to get good work done. I believe that we are the generation of joining together, not tearing apart, and that Obama’s election is the culmination of that pursuit.

In his benediction at the end of the swearing-in ceremony, the Rev. Joseph E. Lowery prayed, “And while we have sown the seeds of greed—the wind of greed and corruption, and even as we reap the whirlwind of social and economic disruption, we seek forgiveness and we come in a spirit of unity and solidarity to commit our support to our president by our willingness to make sacrifices, to respect your creation, to turn to each other and not on each other.”

I loved that sentiment, of turning “to each other and not on each other.”

Yes, there will be partisanship among politicians, as is the nature, but, I believe, there will be more true “reaching across the aisle.” And as I said to a friend, citizens do not need to be beholden to any party. Politics is a part of life, a part of changing culture. Even Obama, in a backstage interview with ABC at the Neighborhood Ball, noted that the government will turn its wheels and do its work, but real change will come in the neighborhoods, the communities, where people reach out to one another and help each other. Right on.

I like to pretend I am such a cynic. I really am pessimistic about so much. Truly I am (grumble, growl). But my idealistic nature always outs me by rearing its precious head. So indulge me a bit here.

My hope is that those who revel in this day will not be vilified. And those who are disappointed will not be the object of schadenfreude. We are all in this experiment together.

We need to remember who Obama is and, more importantly, who he is not. We cannot put ostentatious expectations upon him, believing we will wake up next month to a perfect world. He is simply a man, with a new job. He is the POTUS, not God, not Santa. He even reminded us of this inevitable fact on Sunday at the “We Are One” concert, when he said, “I won’t pretend that meeting … these challenges will be easy. It will take more than a month or a year, and it will likely take many. Along the way there will be setbacks and false starts and days that test our fundamental resolve as a nation.”

So we cannot place unrealistic expectations upon this one man, and in the same way, we cannot later put undue blame upon him. Let no one sneer when the harder times he said will come do come. As I said, he is simply the president—he is not a monarch who has all power in his hands. The work ahead is not his alone. It is all of ours: the executive, judicial, and legislative branches; the states, as well as the federal governments; and communities, neighborhoods, and individuals. (Please cut up your charge cards now.)

We should marvel that anyone would want to be president in this volatile and depressing climate—what with the impossibly difficult work ahead, and the overly high expectations people in need have of a new president. This is not the most auspicious time for any president, let alone a historically significant one. But again, he is one man, who is part of a long process in this American experiment. We really need to remember that. Obama does.

Some critics complain about the atmosphere of today, that it’s too upbeat. They sneer, Wait until four years from now, when Obama makes all his mistakes. To refer back to what he said in that interview during the Neighborhood Ball, the good work to be done is not for him alone, not for government to accomplish, but for citizens within their own communities.

What is notable about Obama’s election, is how, unlike other candidates I can remember, he has instilled hope, even in those who disagree with him. And that hope spurs people to action. And I believe, four years from now we will see change—not brought about by Obama, so much as by individual Americans pulling themselves up and then helping their neighbors.

And so, this Inauguration Day is a day of thanksgiving for a man and his God who reminded us of our collective strength as a people.

As we huddle together in the cold of the difficult days to come, let’s be busy in bringing about “the change” ourselves. Turning to each other, and not on each other, during these next four years will make us stronger.

Let’s get to work.

America's Song

2009-01-20T19:36:00.001-05:00

Just Perfect: a brilliant, crazy Irishman at the American inaugural

2009-01-18T16:36:00.003-05:00

(H/T @u2)

And so it ends...

2009-01-17T16:50:00.001-05:00

The entertainment value of this administration will be missed. (Thanks to Heather D. for the vid link.)

Presidential

2009-01-14T19:32:00.005-05:00

Formidable is the word that came to mind.

Just read...

2009-01-12T23:20:00.005-05:00

Yes. Simply yes.

I shut my eyes and breathed in the smell of the soft skin of Fred's neck, the soft fleshy part underneath the long curls at the back of his head that I can't bear to cut because they represent the last vestiges of his babyhood. He giggled, because it tickled, but allowed me my moment of wistfulness. He smelled of a sweet blend of clean pajamas, soap, and the unsullied pureness of recently washed toddler, and I felt myself melt. Waves of nostalgia for the baby he will never be again swept over me, and for a moment I thought I might cry. Sometimes it is a question of getting through the days, but then from nowhere come those moments that you want to preserve forever. (From Slummy Mummy by Fiona Neill)

Helping the Poor

2009-01-08T13:40:00.000-05:00

What he said.

And what he said too.

Yes, yes, yes

2008-12-22T14:12:00.000-05:00

"My generation cares more about the fact that 30,000 kids died today of hunger, poverty, preventable disease than about gay marriage amendments in California," he told ABCNews.com. "We are pro life, but for us that definition is far broader than abortion. It includes poverty, AIDS, human trafficking and the war in Iraq."

But after that controversial Dec. 2 interview with Terry Gross on "Fresh Air," Cizik was asked to resign -- a "huge disappointment" and a "sad commentary on the current state of evangelicalism in America," according to LaTondresse.

More.

Stop Torture Now

2008-12-10T15:02:00.002-05:00

Today is the 60th anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Some applaud this important document. Some decry it as a celebration of socialism (I would say such critics fail to have a global view of what it means to lack basic freedoms -- the freedom to believe, for one; it is hard for Americans to fathom true want of basic rights). But many recognize the inherent value, nonetheless, of this imperfect statement in its public pronouncement that all deserve dignity and freedom.

Among the human rights declared in the Declaration is one on my mind lately as we prepare to welcome a new administration in the White House and seek a better way of taking care of business, as it were. That is, ending torture. Article 5 reads: "No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment." Seems pretty obvious. Seems pretty "American."

You would think so, but you would be wrong.

A lead interrogator in Iraq wrote recently in the Washington Post about the horrors he saw in Iraq. Going by the pseudonym Matthew Alexander, he writes, "I should have felt triumphant when I returned from Iraq in August 2006. Instead, I was worried and exhausted. My team of interrogators had successfully hunted down one of the most notorious mass murderers of our generation, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq and the mastermind of the campaign of suicide bombings that had helped plunge Iraq into civil war. But instead of celebrating our success, my mind was consumed with the unfinished business of our mission: fixing the deeply flawed, ineffective and un-American way the U.S. military conducts interrogations in Iraq. I'm still alarmed about that today."

He continues, "Torture and abuse are inconsistent with American principles. And on the pragmatic side, torture and abuse cost American lives. I learned in Iraq that the No. 1 reason foreign fighters flocked there to fight were the abuses carried out at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo. Our policy of torture was directly recruiting fighters for al-Qaida in Iraq."

This writer's observations are consistant with that of other military personnel, as Tom Ricks publicized last year in his "Inbox" column in the Post.

I recently watched Rendition. "Oh, but that's just a movie," some may think. Yes and no. The United States has taken part in extraordinary rendition and inhumane interrogation tactics. Rendition helps the average citizen wrap his mind around what we have been doing. And it is beneath us. It is beneath any human who values the dignity of all persons, in fact.

Still think torture is justified and effective in some cases? Please read this. Want to do something? Go here.

Story of My Life

2008-12-07T22:24:00.002-05:00

This song kills me. (Excuse the clips from now-defunct show Popular in the video below -- only one I could find of Abra Moore's 'Trip on Love.')

I used to think that the 'you' in the song would be directed so well at some males I have known. Now . . . I think it's more applicable to myself.

Ooh. Wow. That was revealing. Sorry.

Advent

2008-11-30T08:52:00.000-05:00

As we enter the season . . .

Oh, how appropriate

2008-11-19T15:26:00.001-05:00

Sent by a friend. Too true.

A can of Off! isn't going to do it

2008-11-18T14:44:00.004-05:00

From the New York Times:

In 2000, when the World Health Organization endorsed treated nets as a weapon against malaria, fewer than 2 percent of African children had them.

So even though coverage has increased sharply, 90 million children are still unprotected.

The study’s authors, from Oxford University, are based in Kenya and sponsored by the Wellcome Trust. They collected survey data in regions of 40 countries. (The global extent of malaria is guesswork because so much data is lacking or outdated, but the Oxford-Wellcome collaboration’s work is widely admired. For example, to map poverty, they used satellite images showing light at night, indicating
electricity.)

Donor contributions for malaria have greatly increased since 2002, but distribution of the nets has been spotty. More than half of the 90 million missed children were in just seven countries, and 25 percent in Nigeria alone.

A few small countries did particularly well; Eritrea reached 85 percent coverage. Some medium-size ones, like Kenya and Madagascar, did moderately well.

But some large or populous countries, like Nigeria, Uganda, Mozambique, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan — the last two of which are at war — were below 15 percent.

Free distribution of nets worked best, the authors said.

Here's how you can help.

A Night at The Red and the Black: Truth, Beauty, and The Shackeltons

2008-11-14T17:44:00.007-05:00

It is not often that you hear an indie band that you cannot compare to a more well-known band—that is, lesser-known bands almost always have a sound comparable with a more popular band. Were I to try, I would liken The Shackeltons to Modest Mouse in terms of eccentricity, and to the Killers or the Old 97’s as far as the instrumental goes. I would compare lead singer Mark Redding’s voice to that of Fred Schneider of the B-52’s—but Mark’s has more energy. But even as I type that, I’m shaking my head. Really, The Shackeltons have a sound like no other.

On a cold night in November, a friend and I found our way to The Red and the Black Bar in the Atlas district of Washington, D.C., a perfectly dark and darkly perfect dive of a place where we found moments of joy, sometimes unexpectedly. The Shackeltons opened the night with their unmatched style. While the audience stood wanly, sipping their longnecks, the band members poured their art out on stage.

Interacting with the audience between songs, Redding drew the listeners into the grand story he was weaving in the music—countering their stagnant presence with his animated one. He prefaced his songs with brief descriptions: “This one is about my mom.” Or, “This one is about the Chicago Fire of 1871.” Even, “This is about reaching middle age and not getting enough sleep.” There was definitely nothing tiring about The Shackeltons: They were enlivening.

They also touched the listener deep inside.

My friend Angie said their music was “like performance art,” adding that it really moved her. I felt I was listening to poetry. It was definitely more than mere entertainment.

Recently in Rolling Stone, Bono said of Bob Dylan, in his album Shot of Love, that his “voice becomes the words. There is no performing, just life—as Yeats says, when the dancer becomes the dance.” And Sam Cooke's description of Dylan: “ . . . from now on, it’s not going to be about how pretty the voice is. It’s going to be about believing that the voice is telling the truth.” And that is art—as it should be anyway: It tells the truth.

With The Shackeltons, you don’t just hear something easy on the ears, some Top-40 schlock. You hear a part of yourself you might not have wanted to confront. Some might call the band’s music discordant. But so is life. And in that discordance, you hear truth. In that is beauty, and that is good.

Not many bands express human longing with any truthfulness—with sincerity, maybe, but not stark truth. It is this reality of human longing that The Shackeltons exude so well. Listen closely, and you’ll hear your own.

(All photos by Angela Aveta)

Obama the Father

2008-11-11T21:17:00.005-05:00

Well, he's been sneeringly called the Messiah, so might as well tack on the Father.

But seriously, lifting these observations from friend Kevin, even if you disagree with Obama's views, you have to admire him as a father.

Bush does.

Wish I had a father like this. Wish even more that my kids did.

Completely amazing

2008-11-05T14:00:00.006-05:00

As friend Erik Lokkesmoe, whose group Different Drummer promoted Call+Response, called it, the anthem for our generation: Matisyahu singing "Redemption Song." Just beautiful.

This is so me and my daughter

2008-11-03T15:09:00.002-05:00

The end is near

2008-10-30T09:35:00.003-04:00

And desperation is your ally, sweetheart. Chris Buckley could not be more spot on. Respect could be garnered if they would simply speak on the strengths of their own platform instead of trying to win the fear vote. Sad.

Right recognition

2008-10-27T13:06:00.001-04:00

The Nobel committee missed the boat, but good for the European Parliament for giving honor where it's due. (HT Thunderstruck)

Money wasted, style ignored

2008-10-24T15:24:00.002-04:00

If you're going to spend $150,000 on a wardrobe for a candidate, at least don't dress her dowdily. And I'm thinking maybe I need to become a makeup artist.

Achtung Baby Faith

2008-10-21T12:51:00.003-04:00

If there were only one U2 album I could listen to the rest of my life, it would be . . . iTunes "Complete U2." No, but seriously. It would be Achtung Baby for so many reasons. Stephen Catanzarite offers a few of them. (HT Thunderstruck)

A New Call

2008-10-21T12:37:00.003-04:00

Steve Beard (creator of Thunderstruck) has a great review of Call+Response at NRO:

According to the 2008 U.S. State Department “Trafficking in Persons Report,” approximately 800,000 people are trafficked across national borders. That does not include the millions trafficked within their own countries. “Approximately 80 percent of transnational victims are women and girls and up to 50 percent are minors,” states the report. “Human traffickers prey on the vulnerable. Their targets are often children and young women, and their ploys are creative and ruthless, designed to trick, coerce, and win the confidence of potential victims. Very often these ruses involve promises of a better life through employment, educational opportunities, or marriage.”
“We’re not talking about good or bad business practices or working conditions,” former ambassador John Miller testifies in the film. “We’re talking about slavery. We’re talking about the loss of freedom and the threats of force or the actual use of violence to deprive people of freedom.”

As a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador against Trafficking and Slavery, British actress Julia Ormond visits places around the globe suspected of benefiting from slave labor and interviewing those who’ve been set free. “This is about people being held often at gunpoint, being chained, being electrocuted, being drugged, being thrown out of windows, having their families threatened that they’ll kill them,” she says in the film.

In researching his book Not For Sale, professor David Batstone — featured in Call + Response — traveled to Cambodia, Thailand, Peru, India, Uganda, South Africa, and Eastern Europe to investigate modern-day slavery. His findings are breathtaking. “Girls and boys, women and men of all ages are forced to toil in the rug looms of Nepal, sell their bodies in the brothels of Rome, break rocks in the quarries of Pakistan, and fight wars in the jungles of Africa,” he writes. “Go behind the façade in
any major town or city in the world today and you are likely to find a thriving commerce in human beings.”

There are many things you can do to stop this evil. Go to http://www.callandresponse.com/ to learn how.

Why I'm proud to be an American

2008-10-19T10:39:00.000-04:00

We can laugh at ourselves in the most serious of times.

Fellow Xers, we need a new niche

2008-10-17T14:22:00.002-04:00

Because we've become cliche.

Ann Hornaday had a great piece this past Sunday in the Washington Post, "From Indie Chic to Indie, Sheesh." It's cringe-inducing. In sum, mentioning so many movies I love -- and still do, despite her column -- she boiled "indie films" down to, essentially, the Gen X stereotype writ large. You know that stereotype: We're cynical, apathetic, self-absorbed slackers. And every time we hear that stereotype invoked against us, we balk: "No! We're much more!" At least I do; I always think, No, we're wall-breakers, open-minded, activist-oriented, and engaged. Some of us anyway.

And then along comes Hornaday with a perfect description of the films that define us, or at least have enraptured us, the past 20 years -- a description that's spot on. And a description that not only captures these films in a nutshell -- but also perfectly fit into the Gen X Stereotype Mold. (Yipe!)

American independent films used to be the stuff of the cognoscenti,
denizens of film festivals and art houses who laughed knowingly at their inside
jokes, appreciated their scratchy production values and applauded their formal
daring. It all changed in 1994, when the $8 million "Pulp Fiction" surpassed
$100 million at the U.S. box office. Since then, "low budget" films have been
steadily churned out by boutique arms of big studios and ambitious young
filmmakers looking for a hot Hollywood career.

By the time "Juno" screenwriter Diablo Cody won the Oscar this year, it was
painfully clear that the very principles that made indies so attractive in the
first place had morphed into tired, cynical mannerisms: Spontaneity became false
and studied; intimacy became precious; daring became shock value for its own
sake; personal became shallow and solipsistic; and willingness to challenge
linear narrative became pretentious and incoherent.

But there's hope:

Can indies be saved? Yes, but only as long as the question is framed
differently. It's time to stop talking about budgets, "edge" and filmmakers'
come-from-behind biographies -- indeed, maybe the word "indie" itself should be
banished -- and instead rediscover values like intelligence, emotional truth,
moral heft and restraint, which will endure long after indie-chic signifiers and
smug hermeticism have worn themselves out. . . .

Some of the best films of this year have been indies, in the most classical
sense of the word. "Frozen River," "Chop Shop" and "The Visitor" (by "The
Station Agent's" Tom McCarthy) each tells a well-crafted story about characters
we haven't seen before, in spontaneous, unstudied ease. Another bright spot on
the horizon is "Wellness," by Jake Mahaffy, which has barely been seen on the
festival circuit but turns heads wherever it's played. Mahaffy's unsettling,
finely observed drama about a traveling salesman in Pennsylvania suggests the
possibility for a new cinematic genre: post-industrial American neorealism. . .
.

In financing, lineage and vision, these movies are as independent as they
come. But none of them looks or sounds or acts like "Little Miss Juno Dynamite."
Instead, they look and sound and act exactly the way they should. They don't
concern themselves with being cutting-edge or groundbreaking; rather, as Chekhov
exhorted, they simply care about "what flows freely from the heart." Devoid of
mannerisms, gimmicks or look-at-me gestures, they do the truly radical thing.
They tell their stories simply and well. Move over, indie: Old-school classicism
may be making its own comeback.

All, it's time for a rewrite. There are stories to tell.

Sure, gas prices are high, but how are you eating?

2008-10-16T14:03:00.002-04:00

Probably better than most, if you're a Westerner.

"The poor are usually neglected. I think they're going to be even more neglected right now."--Jeffrey Sachs, development expert and adviser to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. (via UN Wire)

Please let it be true

2008-10-15T15:07:00.002-04:00

A friend noted recently he received a record number of e-mails in a day: 300. I had to wonder, how many were spam? According to the Guardian however, the U.S. just shut down a major global spam gang. (via UN Wire)

Refreshing words from McCain -- go figure

2008-10-11T20:19:00.002-04:00

The anger is getting raw at Republican rallies and John McCain is acting to tamp it down. McCain was booed by his own supporters Friday when, in an abrupt switch from raising questions about Barack Obama's character, he described the Democrat as a "decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared of as president of the United States."

More.

'The New Abolitionists'

2008-10-10T02:28:00.002-04:00

As mentioned previously, here is my interview with Justin Dillon, producer of Call+Response.

The film you must see

2008-10-09T09:16:00.002-04:00

The Washington Post's Style section today features an article on a film opening tomorrow, October 10: Call+Response, which I first discussed here.

The film goes undercover in the brothels of Cambodia, the brick kilns of India and near the dead lakes of Ghana to reveal that in 2008, the slave trade that we hoped was halted in the 1800s with emancipation in the United States and elsewhere is alive and escalating, feeding the dark side of globalization. The State Department estimates that at least 800,000 people of all ages are sold across borders each year, many of them to make products we use, wear or eat without knowing the origin.
"There are more slaves today than ever before in human history," Dillon said in an interview. "In 2007, slave traders made more money than Google, Nike and Starbucks combined."

Think that sex slavery is "not our problem" in the States? Think again: Even the Today Show had a difficult feature story on this human-right atrocity right in our backyard.

I have an interview with Call+Response producer Justin Dillon that will be posted soon. His dedication and passion on this issue is admirable.

Make your plans this weekend to see Call+Response. We must never become comfortable in our complacency. And there are things you can do in your corner of the world to make an impact on this issue: to stop human trafficking our lifetime. You can start by paying the ticket price to see this film. One hundred percent of the proceeds go toward activist groups fighting on the frontlines against human slavery.

Hook, line, and sinker

2008-10-09T00:21:00.002-04:00

How (part of) the Church was bought. (HT Thunderstruck)

'Let Them Know They're Enough'

2008-10-08T19:54:00.003-04:00

At my daughter's back-to-school night the helicopter parents were there in force, and the teachers knew it. My daughter's extended language arts teacher handled it beautifully.

"Extended" means "advanced" -- the higher level version of the class. So naturally, it's a class that includes many, let's say, "intimately involved" parents. Which is good! Really. But there's a line between involved and overbearing. I have to watch where my toe's going.

But all that to say, this is a class where the students are precocious, and some parents may be obnoxious. God bless 'em . . .

So, my daughter's teacher, Mrs. P., relayed a story to illustrate a point. She said when she first became pregnant, she didn't think, "I hope I have the next president" or "I hope I have the next Olympic gold-medal winner." She said, "I hope that he's healthy -- just that he's healthy." And then "if he ties his shoe, that's a bonus," and "if he graduates high school, that's a bonus." But just that he is, she said, "that's enough. He is enough just as he is, however he is." This is the point where I got a little verklempt.

She noted how she came from Fairfax County, Va., where if you didn't letter/pin in three sports and get nothing but A's, you weren't doing something right; you weren't enough. Meanwhile her mom always let her know she was enough; she loved her as she was, and it made all the difference in Mrs. P's life. She said that she knew the types of students in this class pushed themselves hard. "If they miss a homework assignment, they're in tears," she said. "They don't know if it will be all right."

Mrs. P. then looked at the parents and respectfully asked us always "to let them know that they're enough," no matter what. Wise words.

(My post first appeared at The Point.)

This is good eating

2008-10-08T09:50:00.002-04:00

And the drive to Locke Modern Country Store is nice too. Gourmet foods, wines from all over the globe, amazing prepared food. An unexpected find in a small town.

I'd like to live in their world

2008-10-07T08:27:00.003-04:00

From Reveries:

"I used to buy Sirius stock to keep myself from buying more Hermes scarves," says shopper Jan Goode in a New York Times piece by Susan Dominus (9/26/08). "Now my Hermes holdings are much more valuable than my Sirius stock ... Sirius is at 90 cents a share. I should have been buying scarves all along." Such was the rationalization of one wealthy woman for standing "on" line to get into a Hermes sample sale on West 18th Street in N.Y.C.

Another said: "Even if the economy's down, a sale is all the more reason to buy something nice." She continued: "Buy something nice, it makes you look good, you feel good. If you pay full price and things are unstable at your job, it takes away the enjoyment." Of course, "not paying full price" at a Hermes sample sale means "a $900 pair of boots or $280 leatherbound hunting horn the size of a comb." And spending "nothing" apparently means dropping at least a grand.

As one shopper put it: "Even if I don't find anything, I still spend a thousand. It's like Costco." Only without the "lightbulbs, toilet paper or toothpaste." But it's not as though some of these shoppers weren't feeling just a little guilty. "I'll only buy if it's something I really need," said one. Others wouldn't give their names because they were playing hooky from work to attend the sale. "Let's just say my bank's still around," hinted one anonymous shopper, "That narrows it down to about four." To which another retorted: "Stop bragging!"

Actually, no. If I'm going to "therapy shop," I'll support a friend's endeavor.

What faith sometimes looks like

2008-10-04T22:49:00.001-04:00

Joe Biden, on the death of his wife and daughter in 1992. (HT Thunderstruck)

Morphing around

2008-10-03T17:45:00.005-04:00

Getting this idea from Ness. Morphthing.com is a silly, little addictive site where you can fiddle with your image and 'morph' it with another.

Like my friend, I've combined with two celebrities I've been compared to. First, me (an image Angie took):

Next, Fiona Apple:

And voila:

Kinda scary...

Then, Piper Perabo:

And the morph:

Yeah, I'm with Angie: I'll stick with the person I've morphed into. ( :

Wisdom from Wilde

2008-10-03T14:09:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite quotes -- reminded of it today from Sojourners "Voice of the day":

"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." -- Oscar Wilde

Now, this is a block party

2008-10-03T09:14:00.000-04:00

This is what community looks like.

Diners and other dives

2008-10-01T13:50:00.000-04:00

Why an all-night diner beats a four-star restaurant -- two words: community and equality.

Don't get me wrong -- I do love fine food; Jeffrey Steingarten is one of my favorite writers. But reading this article in the Los Angeles Times brought back fun memories from college -- namely, playing cheap pool at Gene's (where you banged your cue stick on the floor to get the table reset) followed by consuming questionable food at the T Room (AKA the TT, Tea Room, Texas Tea Room, or Texas Inn) at some ungodly hour. At the T Room, a retro diner complete with the lingo yelled by charming waitresses named Flo (at least, they could be named Flo), most of my friends loved the oddball sandwich called the cheesy western (whoever thought that one up must have stock in Tums): It was a burger topped with a fried egg and this horrid-looking mustard-relish sauce that made whatever that topping is on a Big Mac look appetizing. I stuck with the "hots" (hot dogs), which looked suspect, topped with even more suspect-looking chili. I have no idea, upon recollection, why. Here's one blogger with similar memories.

But back to the greatness of these fine eating establishments. Regarding equality, as this reviewer notes, ". . . when you get the urge, it all works, sitting there on a stool in a tiny restaurant, breathing second-hand smoke and passing pleasantries with a homeless drunk on one side of you and a bank president on the other. That's culture; that's atmosphere." Well, I'll skip the second-hand smoke, but it sounds to me like an establishment a certain carpenter might have frequented. (No, I'm not trying to pull a "WWJD?" I don't know that. ... Neither do you.)

Maybe "WWJD?" was what these guys had in mind, as described in the Times article:

At the counter this night is Esmeralda Cordova, a sad-eyed singer-songwriter sipping from a bowl of tomato-basil soup. A late-night regular, she appreciates Fred 62's easygoing comfort: "The great thing about diners is you can come by yourself and no one feels sorry for you," she explains. "It's not like a restaurant."
Her waitress returns with the bill, sheepishly explaining that two gentlemen have paid her tab and left a note. Inside, a hand-printed paragraph explains that Jesus loves her and that, although she seemed troubled, things will get better. The note is unsigned, and the men responsible are gone.

Well, that's a bold and presumptuous move by those mystery men. I got to remember that, though, next time I'm in a diner, to put on a sad face and see if I can finagle a free meal. ( : But this songwriter touches on the richness of diners: that you encounter community even when you're looking for isolation. You're not there to see and be seen and stand out; you're there to blend in and join in, find common ground. And get a greasy meal you can no longer get from the fast-food restaurants scrambling to avoid the next Big Tobacco: Big Fat. Makes some of those weird orange "hots" at the T Room sound appetizing again.

A diner is about the only place where you can see "night-crawling hipsters, post-rehearsal musicians and coffee-addled high school kids alike," as well as "rumpled hipsters [who] sit with punks in hoodies while miniskirted club kids chatter near couples in their 40s from the neighborhood." Another place might be -- or at least should be -- a well-mixed church. In this suburban age where every congregant or parishioner is wearing the same wardrobe from Banana Republic or Urban Outfitters, that would be refreshing.

(This post first appeared at The Point.)

'Like an unchecked cancer'

2008-10-01T12:17:00.000-04:00

Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man’s sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true.
-- Martin Luther King Jr.

(courtesy Sojourners 'Verse and Voice of the Day')

Just Pop Art?

2008-09-30T10:56:00.000-04:00

"He created the biggest series of religious works of any American artist,” said Professor Jane Daggett Dillenberger of the Graduate Theological Union of Berkeley. “To my certain knowledge,” said one friend of this artist, “he was responsible for at least one conversion. He took considerable pride in financing his nephew’s studies for the priesthood. And he regularly helped out at a shelter serving meals to the homeless and hungry.” This artist attended church almost daily, kept a devotional by his bedside, and prayed everyday with his mother, a devout Byzantine Catholic.

So, who was this artist? Probably not the late Andy Warhol with whom you’re familiar.

This isn’t news, actually. In the late nineties Dr. Dillenger discovered Warhol’s more than one hundred renditions of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper. And references to his faith have been mentioned under the radar. But when we think of Warhol today, we remember his “pop art”—like the Coke bottles and Campbell’s soup cans—not to mention his open homosexuality and his workshop that attracted celebrities and misfits in the 1960s.

Some have said his soup can paintings are just a comment on a consumer culture or that Warhol was saying there are no special standards of what art is.

And that may be, but art historian James Romaine offers another perspective. Though Dillenger referred to Warhol’s Last Supper pieces when she referred to his prolific religious works, those soup cans also fit into the category. “Warhol admitted,” Romaine writes, “that one reason he was attracted to the imagery of Campbell’s soup was that he had eaten Campbell’s soup nearly every day as a boy … growing up in a poor immigrant family. … Campbell’s soup probably offered a reassuring sense of belonging.” And he ate that soup under a reproduction of Last Supper on his kitchen wall.

And the Coca-Cola bottles? “Coke is Coke,” said Warhol, “and no matter how rich you are you can’t get a better one than the one the homeless woman on the corner is drinking”—the equality of all humanity.

This imagery reminds us of the import of the material. After all, Christ used the most common of items—bread and wine—to express a holy and eternal truth: His redemption of mankind.

In his work Last Supper (Dove), Warhol used everyday supermarket items in the scene with Jesus. Romaine says this demonstrated that modern life and faith are neither separate nor contradictory.

So while Warhol privatized his faith, his art betrayed a possible secret.

Again, it goes to show, you never know.

(original post appeared at The Point)

The world is one man poorer

2008-09-28T14:23:00.000-04:00

We have too few 'real' men as it is. . . . RIP Paul Newman.

Exactly

2008-09-25T14:20:00.000-04:00

From Reuters:

"It is extraordinary to me that you can find $700 billion to save Wall Street and the entire G8 can't find $25 billion to save 25,000 children who die every day of preventable treatable disease and hunger," the U2 lead singer told Clinton's fourth annual philanthropic summit in New York.
"That's mad, that is mad."
"This crisis is not an excuse to walk away from the world's challenges, but a compelling reason to intensify our efforts to meet them, around the corner and around the world," said Clinton, who has focused on humanitarian work since leaving the White House in 2001.
(HT Thunderstruck)

Grace

2008-09-25T12:39:00.000-04:00

Thanks to a good friend for reminding me of this.

I hope he wins it

2008-09-24T13:42:00.000-04:00

From the Guardian (London):

This year's Nobel peace prize could be awarded to a Chinese dissident to
highlight China's human rights record in the wake of the Olympic Games,
according to experts who closely follow the workings of the award.

A likely candidate to receive the prize, the winner of which will be
announced on October 10 in Oslo, is Hu Jia, a Chinese activist who has
campaigned on democracy, the environment and the rights of HIV/Aids patients. Hu
is serving three-and-a-half years in jail for "inciting to subvert state
power".

'The World's 27 Million Most Terrifying Secrets'

2008-09-18T11:14:00.001-04:00

What’s the most lucrative business in the world? Who are the most successful money-makers? Google? Nike? Starbucks? Oprah? No, not even Oprah.

Slave traders rake in the biggest bucks in the world: $32 billion a year.

In a packed theater inside the Beltway in northern Virginia, a most motley audience gathered. With a man in a sharp suit to my left and young girls in t-shirts and track pants to my right, we sat down to watch a rockumentary about an issue that has brought together a distinctively varied group of people. This was not your typical group of policy wonks—and that was the point, to get outside policy circles and inside groups not yet tapped for activism. After all, the fight against slavery has brought together activists from Chuck Colson to journalist Nicholas Kristof, from former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to Rep. Chris Smith and Ambassador John Miller. It’s a beautiful collage.

But it’s really not a surprise to find us all on the same platform.

The issue of human slavery cuts to the essence of who we all are as humans. The truth of who we are transcends ideology and political party. We all yearn for dignity and freedom, significance and acknowledgment. The value of our personhood is something we all “get,” and desire to defend and preserve. And when we see that dignity violated—in the vilest way, in this case—we naturally recoil, and demand justice, regardless of our politics or religion, nationality or race.

And so in this film, Call + Response, attended by a diverse gathering of those who care, we heard the voices of Gary Haugen of International Justice Mission and Ambassador John Miller married with those of Dr. Cornel West, Kristof, and Albright. They all spoke the same message. And while they spoke, musicians -- from the Christian singers of Switchfoot, to Jewish reggae singer Matisyahu, to child-soldier-turned-hip-hop-artist Emmanuel Jal -- sang to give voice to the oppressed.

Yes, the group was definitely an eclectic mix. Kudos to musician Justin Dillon for bringing them all together to deliver a singular message, calling for justice in the issue of human trafficking. And the message needs to be told. Twenty-seven million souls caught in the horror of human trafficking are calling out and waiting for our response.

“In music,” according to Wikipedia, “a call and response is a succession of two distinct phrases usually played by different musicians, where the second phrase is heard as a direct commentary on or response to the first.” The entry continues,

In Sub-Saharan African cultures, call and response is a pervasive pattern of democratic participation—in public gatherings in the discussion of civic affairs, in religious rituals, as well as in vocal and instrumental musical expression. It is this tradition that African bondsmen and women brought with them to the New World and which has been transmitted over the centuries in various forms of cultural expression—in religious observance; public gatherings; sporting events; even in children’s rhymes; and, most notably, in African-American music in its myriad forms and descendants including: gospel, blues, rhythm and blues, jazz and jazz extensions. . . .

Call and response is likewise widely present in other parts of the Americas touched by the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Known under the Spanish term coro-pregon, it can be found in Afro-Latin music based on religious chants.

I wish I could remember the exact words that Dr. West used in Call + Response to describe the practice of call and response in music among slaves of nineteenth-century America. He said something to the effect that by answering the call and continuing the exchange—by responding—you acknowledged the one who began the call. So with its tie to music and to slavery, Call + Response is the perfect title for this film.

A little background: Fair Trade Pictures, Different Drummer, and International Justice Mission, or IJM, are presenting this film. Also involved in the film are Free the Slaves and Shared Hope. The film was funded completely by donations, and 100 percent of profits will go back to global field projects and charities involved in fighting slavery.

In the film, actors like Julia Ormond, Ashley Judd, and Daryl Hannah were point-blank in their description of the horror of trafficking. And the footage is stark—jarring even. Yes, you could take your high-schooler to this documentary, but realize they don’t sugar-coat the issue. Like Wilberforce taking the aristocracy on a nice little boat ride past a slave ship, allowing them to linger among the stench of death emanating from the ship, this film focuses your attention on the very real evil happening to people—happening to children—around the world right at this moment as you’re reading this blog.

“Humankind cannot bear very much reality,” said Dr. West, quoting T. S. Eliot. Facing this awful reality—hearing that call by the oppressed—viewers of this film cannot help but respond.

Around the venue Thursday evening you could see some of the posters and t-shirts that I believe were from IJM. Black shirts were emblazoned with the missive “Seek Justice”—one of those requirements the Lord has of us. Recently, blogger Catherine Larson raised the question on her mind lately resulting from her writing on Rwanda: What is the end goal of justice? On this issue, I think it was Kevin Bales of Free the Slaves who said in the film: the eradication of human trafficking in our lifetime. After all, Wilberforce and the Clapham Circle achieved the abolition of slavery in 20 years some 200 years ago.

It can be done. But it requires commitment. After all, the slavers are committed to what they’re doing—and they’re succeeding. But as Haugen noted, traffickers know that the commitment of abolitionists doesn’t match theirs. We must prove them wrong.

But why musicians? Producer Justin Dillon was hit by this issue after a trip to Russia opened his eyes to the evil of sex trafficking happening under everyone’s nose. And he thought about what he could do—he can play a guitar and sing. But does that do anything to combat this darkness? Much. "Music is the only thing,” said Emmanuel Jal, that can “speak into your mind, your heart, and your soul without your permission.” It causes you to linger on this issue, to contemplate it more deeply, and to let it prick your heart and elicit action.

So, no, I wouldn’t say this is just an “awareness bubble” for this particular decade, or the social justice issue of the day taken on by artists to win brownie points with fans. As this film was presented, what I saw was the beginning of the 21st-century abolitionist movement, as Ambassador Miller put it, with today’s abolitionist songs. Justin thanked those in the State Department and other government agencies “for letting some freaky artists get through security.” In that same vein, he called on the audience to use what talent and abilities they have to join the new abolitionist movement. Justin played the guitar and sang (well!).

Well, I’m a single mom with a limited income—and limited time, as you can imagine. What can I do? I’m starting with these posts on Call + Response, and I’ve joined the Facebook page. I do so in hopes of an echo effect—that someone will read this and use what they have to join and further the movement, and continue the chain of call and response. I’m hearing the call and responding in my way—and perhaps someone will hear my call and respond in their way. And if we’re all doing this, the exponential effect will be deafening.

But regarding Call + Response, here are five specific things you can do:

Click on “Act” at Call + Response’s website and register your participation (lots of ideas are there).

Place a trailer and/or web banner on your blog or website (see the downloads).

Join the film’s Facebook “causes” and MySpace page—then invite your friends.

Invite 5 friends to join you at the theater on opening weekend (October 10).

Post 10 flyers at your work, school, coffee shop, and/or church or community gathering.

You’ve heard the call. Now—what will your response be?

(My post originally appeared at The Point.)