Picture of the Snow in Seattle per request of the P.B.E.
11.29.2006
Notes to Self:
1. Next time I buy a house, find out where the water meter is, and the main water shut off to the house. It's not fun looking for these items in 16 F weather in the snow with a strange man from the Alderwood water district at 11pm in the evening.
2. When it snows or the temperature drops below freezing, make sure that all exposed water pipes are well insulated and keep a faucet dripping to ensure water flow at all times.
3. Make sure to unhook all hoses from outside faucets and put insulated covers on the faucets.
4. Don't by an old house, no matter how adorable it is or how much you love it. Go for the ugly split level or the cookie cutter cottage house. Much more practical in Freak Snowstorms.
5. Always make a snowman of some kind when it snows. Even if it's 2 feet tall.
11.26.2006
11.23.2006
Gardens
Gardens, wide open spaces,
Tall grass and sunsets, ice cream on a hot day.
Violins and cellos as accompaniment.
This was the speech I planned.
Instead, I took the words,
The broken glass, shoes, old and tired;
Eggshells, crusts of bread, moldy cheese.
I threw them at you, threw them all
Until your ears must have burst from the noise--
Wishes are harder to picture in my mind,
Let alone speak of them; I cannot even whisper.
Cotton balls, the small hands of a child,
Feathers, bits of string and Eskimo kisses.
So, I gather these in my lap, close and safe.
Gardens, wide open spaces,
Tall grass and sunsets, ice cream on a hot day.
Violins and cellos as accompaniment.
This was the speech I planned.
Instead, I took the words,
The broken glass, shoes, old and tired;
Eggshells, crusts of bread, moldy cheese.
I threw them at you, threw them all
Until your ears must have burst from the noise--
Wishes are harder to picture in my mind,
Let alone speak of them; I cannot even whisper.
Cotton balls, the small hands of a child,
Feathers, bits of string and Eskimo kisses.
So, I gather these in my lap, close and safe.
11.22.2006
Book Recommendation:
The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
If you are like me and have ever noted that some of the best fairy tales are the dark ones where characters have three eyes, the bad guys eat children and even the heroes and the princesses are aren't perfect, this book is for you. Imagine a story that comes to life borne out of your fears, weaknesses and jealousies and you get put smack dab in the middle, expected to be the hero and conquer them all.
On another note, I haven't come across such creativity in a long while.
So, its a little dark, (ok maybe a lot) but it's one where the dark gets darker and the light gets lighter.I suppose I did not tell you much, but that makes it all the better. It's really better discover this book.
The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
If you are like me and have ever noted that some of the best fairy tales are the dark ones where characters have three eyes, the bad guys eat children and even the heroes and the princesses are aren't perfect, this book is for you. Imagine a story that comes to life borne out of your fears, weaknesses and jealousies and you get put smack dab in the middle, expected to be the hero and conquer them all.
On another note, I haven't come across such creativity in a long while.
So, its a little dark, (ok maybe a lot) but it's one where the dark gets darker and the light gets lighter.I suppose I did not tell you much, but that makes it all the better. It's really better discover this book.
11.21.2006
11.18.2006
I have been accused of being too fragmented in my internet presence:
http://www.myspace.com/grapesky
http://grapesky.blogspot.com
http://regent.facebook.com/profile.php?id=215500549
http://www.wallop.com/joonitree
http://grapesky.vox.com/
http://grapesky.spaces.live.com/
What do you think?
Honestly, the best way to keep track of me, is to use the rss feed on this little blog of mine...
http://grapesky.blogspot.com/atom.xml
http://www.myspace.com/grapesky
http://grapesky.blogspot.com
http://regent.facebook.com/profile.php?id=215500549
http://www.wallop.com/joonitree
http://grapesky.vox.com/
http://grapesky.spaces.live.com/
What do you think?
Honestly, the best way to keep track of me, is to use the rss feed on this little blog of mine...
http://grapesky.blogspot.com/atom.xml
11.17.2006
To Old Man in 4 Runner who Flipped Me Off with Your Stubby Middle Finger:
I am not sure why your middle finger was chopped off, perhaps from working in a saw mill, or from some crazy torture inflicted upon you in a Vietnam POW camp, but please refrain from flipping me off with it, ESPECIALLY since, you had the right of way and there were a pile of cars behind while you were backing up traffic honking at me to take my left when you know very darn well that it was your turn.
I am not sure why your middle finger was chopped off, perhaps from working in a saw mill, or from some crazy torture inflicted upon you in a Vietnam POW camp, but please refrain from flipping me off with it, ESPECIALLY since, you had the right of way and there were a pile of cars behind while you were backing up traffic honking at me to take my left when you know very darn well that it was your turn.
11.16.2006
Smooth Move Tea works well....perhaps too well.
The moon was a slice this morning. I hope that tonight it will be clear as its going to be gorgeous.
I like seeing old men in cowboy hats while sitting in traffic during the early morning commute.
The moon was a slice this morning. I hope that tonight it will be clear as its going to be gorgeous.
I like seeing old men in cowboy hats while sitting in traffic during the early morning commute.
11.15.2006
11.14.2006
My poem writing is a little shaky at the moment, because I have not been practicing. Quite horrid of me, I know.
.............................................................................................................
Opening the door to a stranger and seeing the future.
I can choose to shut the door
Or open it again and again.
The vase on the table full of flowers needs more water,
Ignoring that won’t bring them to life.
Some things are certain, but this time
It’s really hard to predict if it will end.
Will I return the borrowed coat?
Or will I iron the collar and fold the towels?
Those things are unimportant.
Because it is how I dry my hair
And remembering to change the oil—
The moments of time.
.............................................................................................................
Opening the door to a stranger and seeing the future.
I can choose to shut the door
Or open it again and again.
The vase on the table full of flowers needs more water,
Ignoring that won’t bring them to life.
Some things are certain, but this time
It’s really hard to predict if it will end.
Will I return the borrowed coat?
Or will I iron the collar and fold the towels?
Those things are unimportant.
Because it is how I dry my hair
And remembering to change the oil—
The moments of time.
11.11.2006
11.10.2006
It's Friday, and a good day for a Color Extravaganza, with a clown.
YOU MUST SEE THIS! --make sure you have sound.
PS: Thanks to the VSL.
YOU MUST SEE THIS! --make sure you have sound.
PS: Thanks to the VSL.
11.09.2006
...Chuck Colson writes an daily email called "BreakPoint." Today's was so good, that I wanted to post it.
A Pounding at the PollsWhy Conservatives Lost
November 9, 2006
Election Day is over, the votes have been counted, and it's clear that conservatives took a beating. I have always maintained that Christian leaders should not make partisan endorsements—and I never have. But I am unashamed to say that I am a conservative.
In one sense, I think, all Bible-believers are conservative, because we believe in governing our lives by revealed truth rather than by man-made, utopian ideologies. Modern liberalism wants to remove all restraints on people's behavior. Conservatives believe in the moral law. So Bible-believers might be liberal on a lot of issues, at least in the common sense of that word, like helping the poor, but they would be fundamentally conservative in their disposition toward life.
So, what happened in Tuesday's election? The economy is strong. And it's true we're in an unpopular war, but people vote their pocketbooks most often. Yet the conservative movement, which had been gaining ground, has blown it. It has been defeated. Why?
The answer is one that may startle you. Conservatives lost because they deserved to. They failed to live up to the high standards of personal behavior they preach about. And that's what brought them down.
Is there a double standard here? Why should the case of Mark Foley have helped bring down the Republicans? After all, twenty years ago a Democratic congressman, Gerry Studds, had an affair with a male page, disclosed that he was a homosexual, got his wrist slapped by the House, and then got re-elected! Why has Foley's indiscretion turned into Foley-gate?
The answer is because it's just the tip of the iceberg. Look at how the conservatives for years railed against the Democratic liberal establishment and all of its money, the lobbying establishment, the junkets, the payoffs. The conservatives campaigned against it in 1994, only to take over Washington and do exactly the same thing. This is what is known as rank hypocrisy.
Is it unfair that when conservatives do things liberals do, that they, the conservatives, are labeled as hypocrites? No.
According to that great conservative thinker Russell Kirk, the first tenet of conservatism is the preservation of the moral order. True conservatives don't look at government as a plaything by which they can impose their latest ideas on the country; they look at political power as a guardianship, what Chesterton called the democracy of the dead. In other words, we have a debt to those who have gone before us, and the primary debt is to preserve the moral and constitutional order that our forebears fought to defend.
So when a conservative has a much-publicized affair or is outed for improper sexual behavior with pages, or digs into the congressional budget pot to hand out earmarks to his own district, he is a hypocrite to be scorned.
My hope and prayer is that conservatives in America will do some serious, sober soul-searching. We need to get our own act together before we can preach to others, or before we deserve to hold power. And if we break trust, we are breaking trust with the very essence of who we are. Our own character is at stake.
You can talk all you want about the unpopularity of President Bush, or the Iraq war, or immigration. But what this campaign really boiled down to was, well, when it comes to conservatives, it's character, stupid. If conservatives don't learn that lesson, they will spend a long time in exile—and deservedly so.
A Pounding at the PollsWhy Conservatives Lost
November 9, 2006
Election Day is over, the votes have been counted, and it's clear that conservatives took a beating. I have always maintained that Christian leaders should not make partisan endorsements—and I never have. But I am unashamed to say that I am a conservative.
In one sense, I think, all Bible-believers are conservative, because we believe in governing our lives by revealed truth rather than by man-made, utopian ideologies. Modern liberalism wants to remove all restraints on people's behavior. Conservatives believe in the moral law. So Bible-believers might be liberal on a lot of issues, at least in the common sense of that word, like helping the poor, but they would be fundamentally conservative in their disposition toward life.
So, what happened in Tuesday's election? The economy is strong. And it's true we're in an unpopular war, but people vote their pocketbooks most often. Yet the conservative movement, which had been gaining ground, has blown it. It has been defeated. Why?
The answer is one that may startle you. Conservatives lost because they deserved to. They failed to live up to the high standards of personal behavior they preach about. And that's what brought them down.
Is there a double standard here? Why should the case of Mark Foley have helped bring down the Republicans? After all, twenty years ago a Democratic congressman, Gerry Studds, had an affair with a male page, disclosed that he was a homosexual, got his wrist slapped by the House, and then got re-elected! Why has Foley's indiscretion turned into Foley-gate?
The answer is because it's just the tip of the iceberg. Look at how the conservatives for years railed against the Democratic liberal establishment and all of its money, the lobbying establishment, the junkets, the payoffs. The conservatives campaigned against it in 1994, only to take over Washington and do exactly the same thing. This is what is known as rank hypocrisy.
Is it unfair that when conservatives do things liberals do, that they, the conservatives, are labeled as hypocrites? No.
According to that great conservative thinker Russell Kirk, the first tenet of conservatism is the preservation of the moral order. True conservatives don't look at government as a plaything by which they can impose their latest ideas on the country; they look at political power as a guardianship, what Chesterton called the democracy of the dead. In other words, we have a debt to those who have gone before us, and the primary debt is to preserve the moral and constitutional order that our forebears fought to defend.
So when a conservative has a much-publicized affair or is outed for improper sexual behavior with pages, or digs into the congressional budget pot to hand out earmarks to his own district, he is a hypocrite to be scorned.
My hope and prayer is that conservatives in America will do some serious, sober soul-searching. We need to get our own act together before we can preach to others, or before we deserve to hold power. And if we break trust, we are breaking trust with the very essence of who we are. Our own character is at stake.
You can talk all you want about the unpopularity of President Bush, or the Iraq war, or immigration. But what this campaign really boiled down to was, well, when it comes to conservatives, it's character, stupid. If conservatives don't learn that lesson, they will spend a long time in exile—and deservedly so.
11.08.2006
11.06.2006
New Houseguest
We have a new resident in our house who seems to have claimed our laundry room. Let me see if I can describe this new housemate....
Small, grey and rodent-like. Any guesses? He likes to poke around in our recycling bags. In fact, he gave me quite a scare when he jumped out of the brown bags and scampered around the tile floor.
I am sure you will tell me that he is just as scared of us as we are of him. And well he should be. Because we have called the Reinforcement in. However, as our Savior can't help us until Wednesday set some more traps and put more poison out, our little, but mighty, guest will have the whole laundry and basement to himself.
And if you wonder if I will feel any guilt in killing this horrid thing, I will tell you, NO. Most emphatically, NO! I am considering getting a t-shirt that says "I love to KILL mice."
I just need some help with the font choice.
P.S. I should note that I am a little disappointed as a part of the outfit I wanted to wear tomorrow is in the laundry room. I just hope he doesn't try it on!
We have a new resident in our house who seems to have claimed our laundry room. Let me see if I can describe this new housemate....
Small, grey and rodent-like. Any guesses? He likes to poke around in our recycling bags. In fact, he gave me quite a scare when he jumped out of the brown bags and scampered around the tile floor.
I am sure you will tell me that he is just as scared of us as we are of him. And well he should be. Because we have called the Reinforcement in. However, as our Savior can't help us until Wednesday set some more traps and put more poison out, our little, but mighty, guest will have the whole laundry and basement to himself.
And if you wonder if I will feel any guilt in killing this horrid thing, I will tell you, NO. Most emphatically, NO! I am considering getting a t-shirt that says "I love to KILL mice."
I just need some help with the font choice.
P.S. I should note that I am a little disappointed as a part of the outfit I wanted to wear tomorrow is in the laundry room. I just hope he doesn't try it on!
11.04.2006
11.03.2006
Just Another Friday Night
I suppose you think that today after work, I went home, took a nap, made dinner and then worked on a paper for school, but this is where you are very wrong.
On the way home from work, there was an accident that happened in front of my very eyes, I stopped to make sure that all the parties were ok and that no one was hurt. At that point, I realized that the person in the small grey SUV was my 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Anderson. I remember her very well as she read to my class Where the Red Fern Grows and we got quite emotionally involved with the story, to the point where I cannot watch that movie with out bawling my eyes out. **SPOILER** The part in the film where Big Dan saves the boy from the cougar and his entrails have spilled out of his body just GETS me every time, and then when they go home and the Little Ann dies of a broken heart. GOSH. My eyes tear up just thinking about it.
Anyways, after connecting again with my 5th grade teacher right there on the side of 405, I continued on home. However, after arriving home, I found a huge crate on my porch addressed to me. Inside I found a real live Koala Bear, which my friend Courtney had shipped over from Australia as a surprise present for me. I went up to the crate to get aquainted with the Koala and he just about bit my hand off. Never fear, because I remembered if you give a Koala Eucalyptus leaves then it will become really mellow, kind of like catnip for Koalas. So I ran in quickly to my house and tore off a bunch of the Eucalpytus leaves from my Eucalyptus tree that I just happen to have growing in my house.
Now, I know at this point, you must be thinking that this is pretty much enough excitement for one night, but can I just tell you that right after making dinner, there was a knock at my door. And who do you think was there? The band MegaDeath. They had heard that I recently beat a co-worker with the initials BAM at the upcoming XBOX 360 game Gears of War. Since BAM had taught them how to play the game, they had thought he was the best in the world, but in hearing my recent feat, they wanted to know if I had any tips for them.
So I invited them in for tea, and we had a little chat not just about GOW, but also about various topics, one of them being Jesus Christ. Did you know that one of the band members is a Christian? Yes, its true.
All in all, a very interesting evening.
I suppose you think that today after work, I went home, took a nap, made dinner and then worked on a paper for school, but this is where you are very wrong.
On the way home from work, there was an accident that happened in front of my very eyes, I stopped to make sure that all the parties were ok and that no one was hurt. At that point, I realized that the person in the small grey SUV was my 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Anderson. I remember her very well as she read to my class Where the Red Fern Grows and we got quite emotionally involved with the story, to the point where I cannot watch that movie with out bawling my eyes out. **SPOILER** The part in the film where Big Dan saves the boy from the cougar and his entrails have spilled out of his body just GETS me every time, and then when they go home and the Little Ann dies of a broken heart. GOSH. My eyes tear up just thinking about it.
Anyways, after connecting again with my 5th grade teacher right there on the side of 405, I continued on home. However, after arriving home, I found a huge crate on my porch addressed to me. Inside I found a real live Koala Bear, which my friend Courtney had shipped over from Australia as a surprise present for me. I went up to the crate to get aquainted with the Koala and he just about bit my hand off. Never fear, because I remembered if you give a Koala Eucalyptus leaves then it will become really mellow, kind of like catnip for Koalas. So I ran in quickly to my house and tore off a bunch of the Eucalpytus leaves from my Eucalyptus tree that I just happen to have growing in my house.
Now, I know at this point, you must be thinking that this is pretty much enough excitement for one night, but can I just tell you that right after making dinner, there was a knock at my door. And who do you think was there? The band MegaDeath. They had heard that I recently beat a co-worker with the initials BAM at the upcoming XBOX 360 game Gears of War. Since BAM had taught them how to play the game, they had thought he was the best in the world, but in hearing my recent feat, they wanted to know if I had any tips for them.
So I invited them in for tea, and we had a little chat not just about GOW, but also about various topics, one of them being Jesus Christ. Did you know that one of the band members is a Christian? Yes, its true.
All in all, a very interesting evening.
11.02.2006
10.31.2006
For some reason, I cannot post photos at the moment. Sorry, the promised pics will have to wait.
In doing research on social networking sites, I have compiled a list of a few of my favorites:
Meetup --want to meetup with people over a scrabble game or a political issue? This is the place
OK TA TA BYE BYE --an online community of travelers
Virb--still in beta and I as of yet don't have an invite, but desperately want one
Wallop --got an invite and it has a sweet layout...still in beta
LinkedIn--business networking
In doing research on social networking sites, I have compiled a list of a few of my favorites:
Meetup --want to meetup with people over a scrabble game or a political issue? This is the place
OK TA TA BYE BYE --an online community of travelers
Virb--still in beta and I as of yet don't have an invite, but desperately want one
Wallop --got an invite and it has a sweet layout...still in beta
LinkedIn--business networking
10.27.2006
10.26.2006
Social Networking
I am doing a paper on social networking sites and so far its been really interesting. Today, I got invited to a new beta site called Wallop and its pretty radical. Well, how it looks at least. It is easy to change the look and there are some new features that I haven't seen on other sites like Facebook and MySpace. Also, the user is supposed to be over 18 which is better than MySpace. Why do junior highers need to network anyway? A friend of mine is a nanny for a family and the two girls, 11 and 9, both have a MySpace. Honestly, I think that's wrong. Why do nine year olds need to put pictures of themselves on the internet... even if its a private site, its just scary. Anyways, social networking sites are here to stay so I think everyone needs to make their decision about how they are going to respond to the trend... (I should add that 3 years ago, everyone said that blogs were dead, but I don't really think that's true, do you?)
Check it out...
I have a few invites left if anyone is interested in checking it out.
I am doing a paper on social networking sites and so far its been really interesting. Today, I got invited to a new beta site called Wallop and its pretty radical. Well, how it looks at least. It is easy to change the look and there are some new features that I haven't seen on other sites like Facebook and MySpace. Also, the user is supposed to be over 18 which is better than MySpace. Why do junior highers need to network anyway? A friend of mine is a nanny for a family and the two girls, 11 and 9, both have a MySpace. Honestly, I think that's wrong. Why do nine year olds need to put pictures of themselves on the internet... even if its a private site, its just scary. Anyways, social networking sites are here to stay so I think everyone needs to make their decision about how they are going to respond to the trend... (I should add that 3 years ago, everyone said that blogs were dead, but I don't really think that's true, do you?)
Check it out...
I have a few invites left if anyone is interested in checking it out.
10.25.2006
10.20.2006
A Sad Goodbye
Saying goodbye at 4am is still hard, even when half awake. I dropped off the "precious nugget heads" at SeaTac and left them to start the long journey home alone.
They maximized their luggage weight with all the shopping they did here, and it was cute seeing them walk toward the check-in counter trying to manage all the bags. Come back soon girls! I miss you already!
I just posted a few pics of their crazy antics...
10.13.2006
10.09.2006
G.B.O.T.
Last week, I inherited a Giant Box Of Tea from a recently departed coworker (not from the earth, just from my place of employment). There is an unknown amount of tea in this box. I do not know how many tea bags, but it is a lot. Could you expect less from a G.B.O.T?
Instead of sitting here counting them, I am just going to make a tally mark on my white board each time I take a tea bag out.
How many tea bags do you think are in the G.B.O.T? If you guess correctly, perhaps there will be a prize.
Last week, I inherited a Giant Box Of Tea from a recently departed coworker (not from the earth, just from my place of employment). There is an unknown amount of tea in this box. I do not know how many tea bags, but it is a lot. Could you expect less from a G.B.O.T?
Instead of sitting here counting them, I am just going to make a tally mark on my white board each time I take a tea bag out.
How many tea bags do you think are in the G.B.O.T? If you guess correctly, perhaps there will be a prize.
10.05.2006
If I could choose a Theme Song for a musical written about my life, It would be:
"Chicago" by Sufjan Stevens
Just for fun, I am going to copy the lyrics here.
Completey unformatted.
I fell in love again all things go, all things go drove to Chicago all things know, all things know we sold our clothes to the state I don't mind, I don't mind I made a lot of mistakes in my mind, in my mind you came to take us all things go, all things go to recreate us all things grow, all things grow we had our mindset all things know, all things know you had to find it all things go, all things go I drove to New York in the van, with my friend we slept in parking lots I don't mind, I don't mind I was in love with the place in my mind, in my mind I made a lot of mistakes in my mind, in my mind you came to take us all things go, all things go to recreate us all things grow, all things grow we had our mindset all things know, all things know you had to find it all things go, all things go if I was crying in the van, with my friend it was for freedom from myself and from the land I made a lot of mistakes I made a lot of mistakes I made a lot of mistakes I made a lot of mistakes you came to take us all things go, all things go to recreate us all things grow, all things grow we had our mindset all things know, all things know you had to find it all things go, all things go you came to take us all things go, all things go to recreate us all things grow, all things grow we had our mindset (I made a lot of mistakes) all things know, all things know (I made a lot of mistakes) you had to find it (I made a lot of mistakes) all things go, all things go (I made a lot of mistakes)
"Chicago" by Sufjan Stevens
Just for fun, I am going to copy the lyrics here.
Completey unformatted.
I fell in love again all things go, all things go drove to Chicago all things know, all things know we sold our clothes to the state I don't mind, I don't mind I made a lot of mistakes in my mind, in my mind you came to take us all things go, all things go to recreate us all things grow, all things grow we had our mindset all things know, all things know you had to find it all things go, all things go I drove to New York in the van, with my friend we slept in parking lots I don't mind, I don't mind I was in love with the place in my mind, in my mind I made a lot of mistakes in my mind, in my mind you came to take us all things go, all things go to recreate us all things grow, all things grow we had our mindset all things know, all things know you had to find it all things go, all things go if I was crying in the van, with my friend it was for freedom from myself and from the land I made a lot of mistakes I made a lot of mistakes I made a lot of mistakes I made a lot of mistakes you came to take us all things go, all things go to recreate us all things grow, all things grow we had our mindset all things know, all things know you had to find it all things go, all things go you came to take us all things go, all things go to recreate us all things grow, all things grow we had our mindset (I made a lot of mistakes) all things know, all things know (I made a lot of mistakes) you had to find it (I made a lot of mistakes) all things go, all things go (I made a lot of mistakes)
10.04.2006
10.03.2006
Bad for School, Good for the Heart=Visitors from Switzerland
I have a couple of visitors staying with me. The world famous Jenny Berger and Eva Maria. They have been here only a couple of days, but we have already done so much and more plans continue to build. At some point, I am going to have to do homework, but for now, I am thoroughly enjoying spending time with them.
I have a couple of visitors staying with me. The world famous Jenny Berger and Eva Maria. They have been here only a couple of days, but we have already done so much and more plans continue to build. At some point, I am going to have to do homework, but for now, I am thoroughly enjoying spending time with them.
9.27.2006
9.26.2006
9.21.2006
I found where I can get a constant supply of POM tea. Central Market in Mill Creek, WA. This is a stellar grocery store. Perhaps even better than Whole Foods. Another reason to like POM tea is the cool glass that it comes in.
I also am likin'
Sufjan Stevens
Quakes, Kettle Corn flavor.
Can you tell I don't have much to do at work today?
I also am likin'
Sufjan Stevens
Quakes, Kettle Corn flavor.
Can you tell I don't have much to do at work today?
Two Quotes
"Yesterday, the devil came here. Right here. Right here. And it smells of sulfur still today'' --Chavez
"God is easy to please, but hard to satisfy." --George MacDonald via C.S. Lewis via Dr. Garry Friesen
"Yesterday, the devil came here. Right here. Right here. And it smells of sulfur still today'' --Chavez
"God is easy to please, but hard to satisfy." --George MacDonald via C.S. Lewis via Dr. Garry Friesen
There is no spoon.
Too many people rave about the Christian imagery of The Matrix. Yes, the Wachowski brothers use a lot of Christian images in their film trilogy, but they also use pagan images while mixing every imaginable kind of philosophy in the mix. The problem I find with comparing The Matrix to Christianity, is this...
In the film, the mind is the battleground for freedom. This is true, I admit. The saviour who will free all humanity from The Matrix is Neo who elevates his mind and will above the computer program that holds them captive. Trinity, the love interest, elevates human feeling above the computer program and brings Neo back from the dead through her love. The message? Freedom comes through and by the human soul. This is not a Christian idea.
In Christianty, freedom comes through the spirit, not the soul. Faith does not work through the mind, will and emotions. In order to have faith, the spirit must be stronger than the soul. Ironically, Neo is shown to have faith. He tells himself, "there is no spoon," and Viola! He can stop bullets and dive inside Agents. When has anyone gotten faith by just willing it? Or just feeling it? Or by telling their mind to believe? I don't know about you, but that doesn't workfor me very long, if at all.
The images in the movie can be powerful when used as a metaphor for Christianity. It is a powerful scene when Neo stops the bullets with his hand and picks one up to look at it. With the Spirit of God, we have the ability to stop thoughts and ideas in their tracks, treating them as silly and unimportant like Neo does the bullets. Yet, we have to be careful to not get carried away and write books of theology on the imagery in The Matrix and call it a Christian film.
9.19.2006
9.15.2006
9.14.2006
9.13.2006
A Reflection
Light must reflect off of something in order to be seen... probably common sense to you all, but at the moment, it seems quite profound.
"If there were not a reflecting Atmosphere, the sky would appear always dark, and you could see the stars even suring the day. In deep space, the astronauts see a black sky enen in sunlight. If our surroundings did not reflect light, we would live in total darkness, much as if there were no light at all" (18).
Sight Sound Motion: Applied Media Aesthetics, Herbert Zettl
9.12.2006
How many ways are there to communicate with Veronica?
1. Call her work.
2. Call her cell phone.
3. Text her.
4. MSN instant message.
5. Use my tagline on MSN.
6. Chat using gmail chat.
7. Call Melissa and have her give Roni a message.
8. Snail Mail.
9. Use my blog to leave messages.
10. Post a message on a bulletin board in a coffee shop.
11. Take out a personals ad in a newspaper.
12. Craig's List.
13. Drive to her house and knock on the door.
14. Telegram.
15. Email one of her 3 email accounts.
1. Call her work.
2. Call her cell phone.
3. Text her.
4. MSN instant message.
5. Use my tagline on MSN.
6. Chat using gmail chat.
7. Call Melissa and have her give Roni a message.
8. Snail Mail.
9. Use my blog to leave messages.
10. Post a message on a bulletin board in a coffee shop.
11. Take out a personals ad in a newspaper.
12. Craig's List.
13. Drive to her house and knock on the door.
14. Telegram.
15. Email one of her 3 email accounts.
9.08.2006
Various
I cannot claim to be a classical music guru, but listening to Mozart played on the cello is probably one of the best activities to do on a Friday afternoon while stuck at work in a very warmish stuffy office. The music makes is easy to stare off into space and find one's self walking along a rainy and dark cobblestone alley in Vienna hunting for that elusive coffee shop, or perhaps in a large cathedral, with the sun shining into the dusty atmosphere with confidence that it will be welcomed by the many pilgrims who have come from miles away to pray.
On another note, this seems to be the week in my film class to focus on 1980s action films. I am actually surprised at the excellent cinematography found in action. My first paper for the class is to compare Citizen Kane with First Blood. I would never have put the two together in any shape or form, but perhaps there can be some kind of paralells drawn behind a slaviciously rich mogul who dies holding a snow globe and a crazed vet who holes himself up in caves while wearing torn clothes as a bandana.
If you have ever considered owning a Wombat as a pet, perhaps you might enjoy Underdogs.
I cannot claim to be a classical music guru, but listening to Mozart played on the cello is probably one of the best activities to do on a Friday afternoon while stuck at work in a very warmish stuffy office. The music makes is easy to stare off into space and find one's self walking along a rainy and dark cobblestone alley in Vienna hunting for that elusive coffee shop, or perhaps in a large cathedral, with the sun shining into the dusty atmosphere with confidence that it will be welcomed by the many pilgrims who have come from miles away to pray.
On another note, this seems to be the week in my film class to focus on 1980s action films. I am actually surprised at the excellent cinematography found in action. My first paper for the class is to compare Citizen Kane with First Blood. I would never have put the two together in any shape or form, but perhaps there can be some kind of paralells drawn behind a slaviciously rich mogul who dies holding a snow globe and a crazed vet who holes himself up in caves while wearing torn clothes as a bandana.
If you have ever considered owning a Wombat as a pet, perhaps you might enjoy Underdogs.
9.07.2006
Scams
I think the whole "selling" the internet is such a scam. I called both Comcast and Verizon about their high speed internet service...
Comcast: Yes we can do that for you, but if you ONLY have high speed internet, it will cost you an ADDITIONAL set up fee....
Verizon: Yes we can do that for you, but it will take three weeks to get out to your house and set it up. HOWEVER, if you also order a basic phone service, we can set up the DSL in just 7 days!
Frustrating.
I went for the Comcast scam as it was cheaper in the long run.
I think the whole "selling" the internet is such a scam. I called both Comcast and Verizon about their high speed internet service...
Comcast: Yes we can do that for you, but if you ONLY have high speed internet, it will cost you an ADDITIONAL set up fee....
Verizon: Yes we can do that for you, but it will take three weeks to get out to your house and set it up. HOWEVER, if you also order a basic phone service, we can set up the DSL in just 7 days!
Frustrating.
I went for the Comcast scam as it was cheaper in the long run.
9.06.2006
Smells
I am a person who notices smells.
One of my favorite things is the smell of dirty children who have been playing outside all day in the dirt and looking for frogs and tadpoles. These children have a very distinct smell, kind of a earthy fishy froggy smell mixed in with whatever lunch they ate that day.
I do not like the smelly feet smell, especially on a hot day in a hot office. This is partly the fault of cheap shoes, but also the fault of extremely unventilated offices.
What is your favorite or least favorite smell?
I am a person who notices smells.
One of my favorite things is the smell of dirty children who have been playing outside all day in the dirt and looking for frogs and tadpoles. These children have a very distinct smell, kind of a earthy fishy froggy smell mixed in with whatever lunch they ate that day.
I do not like the smelly feet smell, especially on a hot day in a hot office. This is partly the fault of cheap shoes, but also the fault of extremely unventilated offices.
What is your favorite or least favorite smell?
9.04.2006
8.15.2006
Laundry
I much prefer folding laundry than washing it. It is not the amount of time that bugs me, or else washing would be preferred. I think it is just touching all the dirty clothes, having to look for stains that need spraying and sorting everything into piles that just annoys me.
The reward of pulling warm clothes out of the dryer and folding them into neat piles on the bed makes all the messy work worth it. My favorite load to fold is the whites. I think that there is something about the way the freshly bleaches white clothes smell that makes me really happy.
Folding towels is also an art form. --just like folding napkins-- There are different techniques, but I think that my favorite is the "Three fold" technique.
Here is my best explanation:
Hold the towel up lengthwise. Fold over one third of the towel toward the middle, then fold over the other third. Now, you have a long skinny towel. Fold up one third and then fold down one third so that the ends meet in the middle. Now when the towels are stacked, they look like they are sitting on a shelf in the store, all neat and tidy.
I much prefer folding laundry than washing it. It is not the amount of time that bugs me, or else washing would be preferred. I think it is just touching all the dirty clothes, having to look for stains that need spraying and sorting everything into piles that just annoys me.
The reward of pulling warm clothes out of the dryer and folding them into neat piles on the bed makes all the messy work worth it. My favorite load to fold is the whites. I think that there is something about the way the freshly bleaches white clothes smell that makes me really happy.
Folding towels is also an art form. --just like folding napkins-- There are different techniques, but I think that my favorite is the "Three fold" technique.
Here is my best explanation:
Hold the towel up lengthwise. Fold over one third of the towel toward the middle, then fold over the other third. Now, you have a long skinny towel. Fold up one third and then fold down one third so that the ends meet in the middle. Now when the towels are stacked, they look like they are sitting on a shelf in the store, all neat and tidy.
8.12.2006
8.10.2006
Interior House Paint:
So far, the colors are:
Uncertain Grey Living Room
Watery Kitchen and Dining
Lemon Chiffon Bathroom
Riverside Clay Trim, Wainscoating and Other
The paint: Sherwin Williams
I will be the painter.
So far, the colors are:
Uncertain Grey Living Room
Watery Kitchen and Dining
Lemon Chiffon Bathroom
Riverside Clay Trim, Wainscoating and Other
The paint: Sherwin Williams
I will be the painter.
8.08.2006
Chicken Salad Day
Today was the first monthly chicken salad day.
There were two choices. One, still un-named, had dill, grapes and celery. The other, termed "C4" consists of Chicken, Celery, Cashews and Curry. Both were excellent and it was found that they were best when mixed together.
The event was followed up by a trip to "Cow Chips" for chocolate chip cookies.
The chicken salad festivities will once again resume on September 8th.
Today was the first monthly chicken salad day.
There were two choices. One, still un-named, had dill, grapes and celery. The other, termed "C4" consists of Chicken, Celery, Cashews and Curry. Both were excellent and it was found that they were best when mixed together.
The event was followed up by a trip to "Cow Chips" for chocolate chip cookies.
The chicken salad festivities will once again resume on September 8th.
8.04.2006
Lists
How many of us make lists everyday for ourselves?
The To Do List Blog is keeping track of people's lists and it makes for interesting reading. I send in a list myself, but it has yet to make it to the blog.
Speaking of lists...
Here is one for my good friend Timothy.
Upcoming Amazing Stunts by Magician David Blaine
How many of us make lists everyday for ourselves?
The To Do List Blog is keeping track of people's lists and it makes for interesting reading. I send in a list myself, but it has yet to make it to the blog.
Speaking of lists...
Here is one for my good friend Timothy.
Upcoming Amazing Stunts by Magician David Blaine
8.03.2006
The World
I have seen only 4% of the world.
create your own visited countries map
or vertaling Duits Nederlands
I have seen only 4% of the world.
create your own visited countries map
or vertaling Duits Nederlands
USA
The red states are the states where I have been. I have seen 78% of my country. That's pretty good, don't you think?
create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.
The red states are the states where I have been. I have seen 78% of my country. That's pretty good, don't you think?
create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.
8.02.2006
Second best, but a close second...
Though I am not in NYC sitting on a balcony over looking a small garden eating my 5 lb deli sandwich from the local Amish deli,
I am sitting at my desk eating french bread with turkey and babybel, drinking cranberry/lime sparkling drinks in my new POM glass with Milano Mint cookies for dessert and tuning out the cubical world that surrounds me with Yo Yo Ma and Bach.
Though I am not in NYC sitting on a balcony over looking a small garden eating my 5 lb deli sandwich from the local Amish deli,
I am sitting at my desk eating french bread with turkey and babybel, drinking cranberry/lime sparkling drinks in my new POM glass with Milano Mint cookies for dessert and tuning out the cubical world that surrounds me with Yo Yo Ma and Bach.
7.26.2006
Candy
Everytime I go to Target and buy a 100 Bucks worth of candy, the cashier usually wants to know why I am buying so much. I usually tell them that I work for a company full of computer geeks and that suffices, but today, the cashier took it further and started asking the starting wage at my job. I think she was looking for a job. I am not sure if free candy is enough of an incentive to work at my company, so I told her to look into a carpentry apprentice job.
Everytime I go to Target and buy a 100 Bucks worth of candy, the cashier usually wants to know why I am buying so much. I usually tell them that I work for a company full of computer geeks and that suffices, but today, the cashier took it further and started asking the starting wage at my job. I think she was looking for a job. I am not sure if free candy is enough of an incentive to work at my company, so I told her to look into a carpentry apprentice job.
7.25.2006
Books Recently Read:
The Fall of Lucifer
The Devil Wears Prada
Grapes of Wrath
Currently Reading:
Winter's Tale
The Power of One
On the Horizon:
Journal of the Unknown Prophet
The Fall of Lucifer
The Devil Wears Prada
Grapes of Wrath
Currently Reading:
Winter's Tale
The Power of One
On the Horizon:
Journal of the Unknown Prophet
7.24.2006
7.21.2006
Disappearance
No, I have not disappeared. I have just been working way too much. This last week, I have been trying to get on and post some pictures, but each time I sit down to do it, I find that I have misplaced the cord for my camera to transfer the pictures. So, no pictures as of yet.
Here's the update of what I have been up to lately. July started with my big birthday celebration. Then I hopped on a plane to Boston and work a show. Next, I flew home and signed the papers for my house. I am now a homeowner!! Then I caught another plane and found myslf in Orlando to work another show. It has been a busy month.
No, I have not disappeared. I have just been working way too much. This last week, I have been trying to get on and post some pictures, but each time I sit down to do it, I find that I have misplaced the cord for my camera to transfer the pictures. So, no pictures as of yet.
Here's the update of what I have been up to lately. July started with my big birthday celebration. Then I hopped on a plane to Boston and work a show. Next, I flew home and signed the papers for my house. I am now a homeowner!! Then I caught another plane and found myslf in Orlando to work another show. It has been a busy month.
7.01.2006
The Farmhouse
...as I have been calling it, was appraised this week. Good news! It is appraised at the price I am buying the house for. I went last week with a friend to look at it again and take some measurements, so I thought I would post some pics...
This is the stairs and the living room, along with a pic of the smaller upstairs room. There are also one big upstairs bedroom and two downstairs bedrooms.
The furniture and decor is not mine, but the sellers.... i will have to post photos of the transformation over the summer!
...as I have been calling it, was appraised this week. Good news! It is appraised at the price I am buying the house for. I went last week with a friend to look at it again and take some measurements, so I thought I would post some pics...
This is the stairs and the living room, along with a pic of the smaller upstairs room. There are also one big upstairs bedroom and two downstairs bedrooms.
The furniture and decor is not mine, but the sellers.... i will have to post photos of the transformation over the summer! I am finding that it is exciting to plan out all the little projects and ideas I have to get the house ready to move in to!!
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