Hounds of Love

He's Everything

2012-02-04T19:26:00.007-06:00

"I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door I will come in to him and will dine with him and he with Me." (Rev. 3:20)

I want to dine with my Father. I want to sit at His table, with Jesus at His right hand. I want intimacy with Him. He is my Provider, Comforter, Sustainer, Refuge, Savior, Best Friend, Shepherd, Father, Protector, Lover, King, Everything. There is no one greater. He is so worthy of praise and worship.

"I have nothing than all You offer me. There is nothing else that's of worth to me. I love you, Lord. You rescued me. You're that all I want. You're all I need." (Hillsong)

Lord, I know you will never leave me nor forsake me. Be everything to me. Let my life be all about You. I want to be consumed by Your love and glory.

I've been in a season of difficulty and pain. Pain is serving a purpose though, and I tell God that I am willing to go through the fire for as long as He wants in order to be changed and be prepared for His tremendous blessings. Pain has brought me close to Him, and for that I am very thankful.

"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." (Romans 5:3-5)

"Pain removes the veil; it plants the flag of truth within the fortress of a rebel soul." (CS Lewis)

Jesus

2012-02-03T20:36:00.002-06:00

I admitted the other day that I felt like I wasn't as close to Jesus as I should be. I usually direct my prayers to the Father (Papa) or the Holy Spirit, but not to Jesus as much. Understanding the roles of each of the Trinity is confusing to me sometimes. (When I express gratitude, I usually thank the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to cover my bases.) Of course, a great way to know Jesus better is to read the Gospels. But, last Sunday at church, Jesus was made very clear to me. During worship, we all read the scripture below, and it was very moving and powerful. I'm greatly moved by His humility, which reflects His deep love for people.

It overwhelms me to think that our Creator, who has all power and knowledge, chose to become His creation, endure endless ridicule from them, and willingly die the most humiliating and excruciating death. And He did this all while His creation denied Him and lived a life of sin (we all fall short). Why did Jesus come and die this way? I believe it reflects His character, God's character. God's love for us is immeasurable. I also believe that to endure so much pain and ridicule, there must be something so horrible from which God meant to save us - hell.

Christ Jesus...

"Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness, and being found in appearance as a man, humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!

"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Philippians 2:6-11

Power

2012-01-29T20:30:00.003-06:00

"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may KNOW the HOPE that He has called you to, the riches of his glorious INHERITANCE in the saints, and His incomparably great POWER for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but in the age to come." (Ephesians 1:18)

New Creation

2012-01-23T21:04:00.005-06:00

Before God rescued me, I thought the measure of a Christian was the possession of fruits of the Spirit - patience, love, kindness, peace, faith, gentleness, self control.

I didn't possess any of these qualities (isn't this a quote from Gladiator?) and knew I could never live up to God's standards, so I gave up. Christianity was too hard.

But then after a difficult year and in a moment of great anguish (it was quite dramatic), I begged God for help. He didn't say, "I'm sorry, but you have not followed my ways and so I will not help" or "I am mad, fix yourself first." For years, I did what the Bible said not to do. Oops. And what was God's response to me?

He said "I love you." Then a miracle happened. I started a new job, saw a girl there doing a Bible study, and left that job shortly after. That girl emailed me. I emailed back asking about her Bible study. She said she never does those but she thought God told her to. From this, we became friends and she helped lead me into a new relationship with God.

For several weeks, I cried out to God in repentance. My chest would feel physically lighter. Once at nighttime, I was feeling strongly depressed. I asked Jesus to take it away. Immediately, I felt light and calm.

This was the beginning of really knowing God. It's been over a year since then and He keeps telling me and showing me how much He loves me. When you know you are greatly loved by your Creator, what else matters?

Rescue Mission

2012-01-23T19:54:00.005-06:00

I'm posting again. Hello audience.

Here's some Bible verses that describe what God did for me about a year ago:

"In my distress I called to the Lord, I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice. My cry came before him, into his ears. The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook. They trembled because he was angry. Smoke rose from his nostrils. Consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. He parted the heavens and came down. Dark clouds were under his feet. He mounted the cherubim and flew. He soared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—the dark rain clouds of the sky. Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning. The Lord thundered from heaven. The voice of the Most High resounded. He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy, with great bolts of lightning he routed them. The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, Lord, at the blast of breath from your nostrils.

He reached down from on high and took hold of me. He drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support.

He brought me out into a spacious place. He rescued me because he delighted in me." Psalm 18

How much differently would we think and act if we knew that God delighted in us?

Hi

2011-12-20T19:37:00.004-06:00

Hi, I haven't posted in a year. That's all I really have to say. Oh, I love Jesus, like a lot. I'm not sure if my old audience could relate, but I guess I don't care. Well, I do care, but it wouldn't affect the content of my posts. Most definitely, I can no longer relate to the Kate Bush quote over to the right. A lot can change in one year.

A blog discovery

2010-09-14T18:00:00.008-05:00

I just discovered my new favorite blog. Posie Gets Cozy. Her name is Alicia, she's from Portland Oregon, and she blogs about sewing, cooking, and all things domesticity. I can't believe how well she can sew, and her photos are so lovely.

I LOVE the look of her home and how she has made many of the things in her house. I've recently started sewing. It's really fun. Now I'm most definitely getting her embroidery book so I can start some new projects. And, I want to start taking more photos again of things other than my baby boy (he's the cutest, though!) And, I'd like to try quilting. One thing at a time though.

Surgery

2010-01-25T11:40:00.005-06:00

I've recently read a lot about the late Dr. Michael DeBakey. He was known as the greatest surgeon of the 20th century and the father of modern cardiovascular surgery. He performed over 60,000 surgeries in the Houston area and did his last surgery when he was in his 90s. He was the first surgeon to complete a heart bypass surgery, complete a multiple organ transplantation, and successfully implant an artificial heart. He invented over 50 surgical devices, the first one while he was still in medical school. He traveled the world to advise governments on health policy and perform or consult on operations, but yet he cared equally about the patient with no social standing or money. He was not a saint, of course, but he came as close as a person can because he cared about improving the condition of humanity. I wish someone would write a novel on his life. People like him who have such a single-minded purpose and drive are amazing and rare. More on DeBakey...

I also came across a really crazy story posted on the Healthcare Economist blog about a Russian surgeon - Leonid Rogozov - on an expedition in the Antarctic in 1961 who came down with appendicitis and performed an Auto-appendectomy.

"I worked without gloves. It was hard to see. The mirror helps, but it also hinders—after all, it’s showing things backwards. I work mainly by touch. The bleeding is quite heavy, but I take my time—I try to work surely. Opening the peritoneum, I injured the blind gut and had to sew it up. Suddenly it flashed through my mind: there are more injuries here and I didn’t notice them . . . I grow weaker and weaker, my head starts to spin. Every 4-5 minutes I rest for 20-25 seconds. Finally, here it is, the cursed appendage! With horror I notice the dark stain at its base. That means just a day longer and it would have burst and . . .

Wedding dress

2010-01-08T15:30:00.004-06:00

This is the most beautiful wedding dress I've ever seen. It's so delicate.

More pictures of this gorgeous wedding... on Design Sponge, one of my favorite design blogs.

This was the dress I wore at my wedding last year. It's pretty also, and simpler, and probably much much cheaper.

Family photos

2009-09-28T12:19:00.002-05:00

I've been scanning old family photos.

My dad's side of the family:

Great Grandfather James Vincent

Great Grandmother Pearl Vincent

Grandma Martha Vincent Mardock

Ebay for Baby

2009-09-18T15:17:00.013-05:00

I was looking on Ebay for a scale to weigh the baby on during his first few weeks. By weighing him every day, I can know whether he is getting enough milk. But, I decided to save money and not get one because I already have a postage scale. If he won't stay on the scale (the scale is a little small), we can put him in a box or a basket, weigh him, and then subtract the box or basket. We're trying to be frugal and avoid spending $10,000 on the baby during his first year, which is the American average.

That's not the point of this post, though. While on Ebay, I came across a strange listing. It's a doll someone handcrafted to fit in a dollhouse. It's pretty detailed and the seller took the time to take pictures of the doll in several settings (on some leaves, on a ceramic duck...) I feared dolls when I was a kid, and this doll proves my point. They're creepy.

My maternity instincts have really kicked in. I feel really guilty about making fun of this thing. I have to remind myself that it's not a real baby.

H1N1 Fashion

2009-09-04T08:08:00.009-05:00

This is what all the men will be wearing when the H1N1 flu is pervasive. Love the color and the simple design. It leaves some room for creativity - I'm thinking feathers and oversized buttons.

(A model presents a creation by French designer Romain Kremer during the 080 Barcelona fashion week in Barcelona.)

I like the purple one better, but these may become necessary at some point.
(Models display creations by Stand house design at the final day of the Rosemount Fashion Festival in central Sydney)

Warzone

2009-08-06T09:16:00.000-05:00

Entertaining the troops, incredible photograph...

Found @ 2 or 3 Things I Know

Photos

2009-07-29T14:24:00.003-05:00

Mini Vacation

2009-07-28T14:47:00.001-05:00

On Saturday night, I woke up twice because I heard a loud noise. The second time, I woke up Rocky because I was really scared. We peeked outside and saw the downstairs neighbor traipsing around in the backyard with a flashlight. Rocky thought he saw a ghost and I thought there was probably another peeping tom outside. Rocky investigated and found out a tree had fallen and knocked out power to the downstairs neighbor's place. We went back to bed. We were woken up again when the fire department pointed flashlights into our windows. Rocky told them to stop and they did. At about 2am, one hour later, the fire department knocked on our door and told us to leave because they were turning off the power. We went to a motel and stayed at another one the following night because of continuing power problems. The result was a mini vacation of shopping at antique stores and fancy dining at Threadgill's and Joe's Crab Shack.

Baby photos

2009-07-27T10:43:00.003-05:00

Me and my momma... I'm glad this was caught on camera because I have no memory of it.

My husband Rocky... He was a cute little baby, but a real troublemaker.

Health care reform

2009-07-23T10:53:00.005-05:00

"A bolder president would start by attacking two huge distortions that make American health care more expensive than it needs to be. The first is that employer provided health care packages are tax-deductible...The second big distortion is that most doctors in America work on a fee-for-service basis; the more pills they prescribe, or tests they order, or procedures they perform, the more money they get-even though there is abundant clinical evidence that more spending does not reliably lead to better outcomes." - The Economist

Many in the state legislature are interested in instituting a pay-for-performance system in which doctors are paid based on their patients' outcomes. A positive outcome yields higher earnings. Currently, their payment rates are determined prior to treatment and they receive additional payment for conducting additional tests. One prominent doctor testified to the legislature that his personal doctor and wife urged him to get an MRI to verify his health and receive assurance that all was well. He, however, refused because there was no medical basis for the scan. As medical technology has advanced, the cost of these tests has risen dramatically, and the current fee system encourages doctors to prescribe tests when they are not necessary.

The interest in pay-for-performance indicates a likely paradigm shift in American health care. Obama should focus on following this trend because it will do what is needed the most - lower costs. Of course, it's not a panacea, but cost has to be addressed, especially as Americans age and require more health care.

Selling old pretty things

2009-07-22T08:40:00.002-05:00

Got the vintage shop up and running... Bellevue Vintage... and it's so much fun! Need to acquire a mannequin now.

Added these things to the shop:

Bellevue Vintage

2009-07-08T09:21:00.006-05:00

I'm starting a new blog that will coincide with my new store at Etsy (Bellevue Vintage). I'm going to sell various pretty vintage things along with some art projects using photos, if they are successful.

Finally, I get to use the business skills I honed in my 5th grade I Love Money Club, of which I was founder, president, and note-taker.

Finito

2009-06-01T20:16:00.003-05:00

SINE DIE!!! It's over. It was fun. All those people who said I would have to sleep in the office were wrong. And personalizing my desk space to make it more home like wasn't necessary; although, I have a nice map and tear-out from a calendar on the wall.

I must say, though, I'm glad it's done. What's next?

For the summer, I plan to write a book on my ancestor, just to provide my family with our history. I need to finish my paper to be published on Mr. Edward Flynn and his secret mission to Moscow. I am going to start my online vintage clothing/other objects shop. I'm going to blog all the time too, so I can get more visitors, so maybe one day I can quit my job and live off the ad income from the blog.

Happy Sine Die

2009-05-28T08:22:00.008-05:00

Received this e-mail at work yesterday:

Safety Reminders for Sine Die Celebrations:

1. Any type of open flame or flame producing items are prohibited in the buildings.

2. Smoke generating machines are prohibited in the buildings.

3. Attaching decorations to the fire sprinkler heads or its covers and smoke detectors is prohibited.

4. Covering ceiling light fixtures with any type of material is prohibited.

5. Because the hallways serve as escape routes to the exit stairs during an emergency any decorations, serving or storing food and beverages, and placing furniture in the hallways is prohibited.

Sine Die means that the legislature is adjourning indefinitely; it's the end of session - unless there is a special session, which is entirely possible. The governor has informally proposed a special session if the legislature does not consider the issue of windstorm insurance before session's end. Voter ID may also be a topic of a special session. Chubbing (talking to pass the time) in the House has forced the Senate to get creative. In response, the Senate is adding issues from Senate bills that have died in the House as a result of chubbing to House bills that are in the Senate.

The legislature must abide by a strict set of rules and traditions. Strangely, though, a body can break these rules and traditions, or find exceptions in them, to change procedure. What is the purpose of rules if they are not followed and are there any rules that absolutely cannot be changed to accommodate legislators?

I suppose legislators need flexibility, but it's also true that breaking rules and traditions can result in penalties. For example, Republicans broke with tradition at the beginning of session to bring the issue of voter ID to the Senate floor. They suspended a rule that prohibits a bill from being heard on the Senate floor without approval of two-thirds of the members. At the end of session, Democrats in the House stalled to kill the voter ID bill while also killing many other Senate bills. To Republicans, the issue of voter ID was important enough to risk future punishment.

Last night a sergeant at arms removed the clock from the Senate Chamber wall so that the senators could hear and pass bills past the midnight deadline. People complain about these instances, but breaking from rules and traditions occurs in probably all legislative bodies at some point. It's a part of the political process. Maybe it shouldn't be; I don't know at this point. A lot more goes on that I don't know about.

My great great great great great great grandfather, Francis Peyton, was a legislator in Virginia during the Revolutionary War. He probably broke some rules, which makes me proud. More about that in another post though because this post is veering way off topic and that is unacceptable.

Let's fall through the rabbit hole

2009-05-26T11:40:00.004-05:00

I added a new feature to HOL, over there to the side. It's the HOL Book Club - a reading list. I'm adding books that I want to read and adding the date to the side indicating when I finished reading them. It took me nearly seven months to finish The Wind in the Willows and probably the same amount of time to finish Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. (I was reading them simultaneously.) What happened in my life to prolong the time it took to read these books? I blame my husband. (I hope he doesn't see this.) It's my husband's fault for making me want to spend more time with him than doing really anything else. But, now that we've been married for a month, things are settled down again, and I can read more books.

Actually, the real reason I'm interested in reading again is because I watched an episode of Lost last week. Lost always restarts the part of my brain that questions everything. Why are we here? Who's in charge? How much choice do we have? What are the underlying differences between liberals and conservatives? I predict that the overall premise of Lost will be, "Progress can't be stopped. We have a choice. Liberals are better than conservatives." Yes, conservatives are slow to change, or never do change. But, where would we be if there were no conservatives. Fear. Chaos. Death. I have digressed, but not in vain I hope.

I don't really expect the new feature to increase traffic to my blog. (Although, I wouldn't be opposed to that.) It's there to help my readers understand me a little more. Many friends and readers often say, "I just don't get you" or "I read your blog and I'm confused." I want to be understood, and I think the new feature will go a long ways to accomplish that. Readers, drop me a line if you feel you know me better now. Thanks. I also welcome book suggestions.

2009-05-23T13:55:00.003-05:00

This slide show about the perils of giving birth in Tanzania is really heart breaking. Babies from C-Sections are born unconscious because the doctors or medical assistants use ether for anesthesia.

"There are many nights like this at the hospital here, 6 miles from the nearest paved road and 25 miles from the last electric pole. It is not uncommon for a woman in labor to arrive after a daylong, bone-rattling ride on the back of a bicycle or motorcycle, sometimes with the arm or leg of her unborn child already emerging from her body."

slide show

Playing for Fall

2009-05-05T13:51:00.003-05:00

I wish this print was available for purchase... just about the prettiest thing I have ever seen...

From the artist Anna Emilia Laitinen

Sea Horse Poster

2009-04-15T16:36:00.003-05:00

I wish this movie poster was for sale, not that I need any more. Oh, what I am saying, there's no such thing as too many movie posters. I wish I had every Criterion movie poster.

What Criterion says about the movie:

"The mesmerizing, utterly unclassifiable science films of Jean Painlevé (1902-89) have to be seen to be believed: delightful, surrealist-influenced dream works that are also serious science. The French filmmaker-scientist-inventor had a decades-spanning career in which he created hundreds of short films on subjects ranging from astronomy to pigeons to, most famously, such marine-life marvels as the sea horse and the sea urchin. This definitive three-disc collection brings together the best of these, and also includes the French television series Jean Painlevé Through His Films, rock band Yo La Tengo’s eight-film score The Sounds of Science, and an essay by film scholar Scott MacDonald."

I gotta see this thing, and get the poster.

2009-04-07T01:11:00.001-05:00

It's 1:11 a.m. and I'm still at work.

I finally have a reason to like Biden.

2009-03-14T08:29:00.015-05:00

I finally have a reason to like VP Biden! Yesterday he announced that $1.3 billion in stimulus funds is going to Amtrak. Amtrak is in desperate desperate need of money, so this is some of the best news I've heard in awhile.

I've riden Amtrak many times, Philadelphia to New York City to Chicago to San Marcos, Utah to Chicago to Austin, Seattle to Vancouver, Montreal to New York City, New Mexico to San Antonio... and everytime I've riden the rails, the quality of the ride has worsened because the Bush administration cut Amtrak's funding almost entirely. Many Republicans don't see the value of a public rail system. They prefer gas guzzling cars and large, ugly stretches of expensive highways.

Despite Amtrak's replacement of china serving ware with paper plates and the sometimes eight-hour delays on the tracks, nothing beats riding on a train. It's efficient (when properly funded), it's cheap, and it's so fun. I've met really interesting people on trains and it's so amusing to watch people (old people, especially) try to walk down the car of a moving train without falling.

My hat's off to Biden and Obama!

Below are some pictures of my Amtrak experiences.

Some cars need paint jobs.

Some employees aren't always happy because they aren't paid especially well, and they have to hear complaints from passengers about time delays. Trains can be stuck on the tracks for 8 hours while waiting for freight trains to pass. This has happened to me several times and it's pretty frustrating.

Picking up passengers in Albany, NY.

Train engines are intimidating.

I was standing in the middle of the tracks when another train rushed by.

In Dallas. I saw where JFK was shot while waiting to re-board.

Light passing outside as the train moves out of New York City.

It's challenging to walk through the cars without falling. This poor woman almost didn't make it and I caught it on camera.

The dining car attendants pair you with other people at the table. I've met some really interesting people while at lunch and dinner.

My dad and I riding Amtrak 20 years ago.

Arabic

2009-03-04T13:52:00.003-06:00

During college I took two years of Arabic classes. Now I'm re-familiarizing myself with Arabic.

I recently came across a neat image on the web. It's a comparison of Roman and Arabic letters and everything in between. I always thought that Arabic letters were completely different from Roman letters, but I was wrong! There are a few similarities.

Source: Nizar Habash, Columbia University

German dancers

2009-01-30T19:02:00.007-06:00

Whenever I want to add to my repetoire of dances, I typically follow a strict practice/implementation regiment. First, I decide on a dance that I want to incorporate into my general repetoire of dances (dances that can be shown publically in bars or at people's houses). Second, I go to Beauty Bar on 7th and Red River, get loosened up (surprisingly, alcohol is not necessary), and then practice the dance. Beauty Bar is the ideal place to practice a new dance move because (1) the lights are low, (2) the music is very danceable, and (3) there are a lot of weird people who aren't bothered by weird or inadaquete dancing. Finally, once the new dance move is perfected, it is ready to be revealed to a less progressive, more well-lit audience.

The following two videos prompted this post and must be viewed in order for maximum comical effect. The first video is of a German Bundesliga (football/soccer) fashion show with models/insanely wonderful dancers who have amazing moves that I would love to incorporate into my repetoire someday, with a little luck and a lot of determination. The second video is the exact same as the first but REMIXED!!! And, amazingly, the new electronic song really works.

Video #1

Video #2 REMIXED!!

The first video is via swissmiss, a really wonderful blog by a Swiss artist.

Cute animals

2009-01-15T17:35:00.000-06:00

Penguins used to be my favorite animals until a series of mediocre animated penguin movies were released a couple of years ago. Now elephants are my favorite. They're really amazing - they're very intelligent, they weigh 10,000 pounds each, they're self-aware and have long-term memory, they grieve over their dead companions, and they have a gestation period of 22 months!

Watch this sweet story about an elephant and her best friend.
(Accompanying story)

Here is another video of an elephant painting a picture of an elephant. The paintings are sold to support elephant rescue.

Someone wrote in the comments of the elephant best friend story, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be measured by the way its animals are treated." - Mahatma Gandhi

The Best of This Year

2008-12-31T11:59:00.002-06:00

It's that time of year again when every blogger reviews the entire year and rates things in order from best to worst in Top Year-End Lists. The best best-of lists are still Pitchfork's Top Albums of 2008 (pretty pleased with their picks), Stereogum's Hottest Indie Music Artists (I'm glad to see that Spencer and Sufjan are included again), and AV Club's Year's Worst Band Names (Parasitic Extirpation, Crane Your Swan Neck, Boogaloo Assassins, etc).

Hounds of Love readers, do not fret. We are gleefully joining in on this annual tradition by publishing our own list, HOL's Favorite Moments of 2008.

In no particular order, HOL's Favorite Moments of 2008...

1. Nastia Luikin's Olympic gymnastics gold medal. Finally, artistry trumps power.
2. Britney's triumphant comeback. She overcame her past and reinvented herself kind of like Madonna.
3. No other event from 2008 has approached the greatness of #1 and #2, except when my boyfriend said, "I don't even know what year it's gonna be." Therefore, this list is complete. It is also nearly lunch time, and I have not eaten anything since breakfast.

On a final and bittersweet note, the end of a year is also an appropriate time to reflect on one's personal development. I may or may not explore this in another post.

Happy New Year!

Vintage Mother

2008-12-24T20:18:00.002-06:00

My mother
near Ruidoso, New Mexico
Fall 1971

Xmas

2008-12-19T16:19:00.008-06:00

No time for posting. Too busy. Lots going on. Ice skating. Blackouts. Crying. Pain. Hot chocolate. Apple cider. Cowboys. Click here. Watch the videos. They're funny. >>> The Five Most Terrifying Local TV Christmas Commercials. "Store your stuff at Jones Big Ass Truck Rental and Storage! I'm intoxicated right now. You got an elephant, I got space!"

Another video. Just go to sleep, baby bear.

Security and liberty

2008-11-21T19:02:00.000-06:00

After discussions with friends and recent reading, I've been considering the following ideas. Most are questions, which can be frustrating because questions often lead to more questions. But, it is also helpful, and questioning is how I most effectively learn and come to new conclusions. Although, it can be problematic when using this form of learning (Socratic?) during discussions because people can understandably (maybe) become defensive.

Things to consider:

Are Americans too complacent? I ask because recent discussions have brought to light the potential danger of citizen complacency in regards to government. America was founded to provide security and freedom to its citizens. In my mind, these are the most foundational responsibilities of a government (along with providing the pursuit of happiness, of course, but there is a debate - at least in my office - about what the pursuit of happiness means). Generally, all Americans have a brief understanding of the reasons for the American Revolution and know that America began under the pretense that citizens should have freedom from authoritative tyranny (and have equality - Alexis de Tocqueville predicted in 1835 in Democracy in America that Americans would over time value equality almost more than any other aspect of democracy). Does this knowledge then give modern Americans a perhaps false sense of security, that because America was founded to preserve freedom, freedom will always exist? If freedom will always exist, then there is no reason to believe that it can be taken away by the government or whoever else. Are Americans also distracted by culture (Hollywood, consumerism, etc.) to pay attention to politics? I think it's possible, considering that about 55 percent vote in presidential elections. Not all Americans are complacent about the status of freedom, of course.

Is the government consolidating power? Is there a group of people plotting consolidation (as in James Bond) or is consolidation the nature of government and power? I'm inclined to think that it is the nature of power and humanity to consolidate or maybe the conspiracy theorists are right. I think having an understanding of human nature helps with this. (I put Human Nature in the Bible by William Lyon Phelps on my Christmas Wishlist.) Regardless, people have been amassing power and using it maliciously or benignly since the beginning of time. The question remains, are Americans in danger of one day (or some would say, currently) losing their freedom? Lord Acton's famous words are "Absolute power corrupts absolutely," so the danger definitely exists.

Security and freedom are necessary, but providing both is difficult, and it seems that America is facing this problem now. How can the government provide security against terrorism, especially with improved technology that facilitates movement and communication? Some say that Americans can afford to give up a few freedoms for more security and some say that Americans should risk the threat of terrorism to protect freedom. But can both security and freedom be accomplished? I think it's difficult but possible.

That's all the questions I have. If these can be answered, I will be completely satisfied.

Space Elevator

2008-11-15T09:07:00.003-06:00

Japan is going to begin construction on a space elevator in 2018. The elevator will run on carbon nano tube cables or something like that and be powered by solar panels. It will cost 98% less than it does to take the space shuttle. The elevator will hold hundreds of people and travel at 120 miles an hour for 62,000 miles which means it will take 7 days to get to space.

I'm sure this is great for human progress, but I doubt I'll ever get on one of these since two of my greatest fears are elevators and space. And I'm not sure what you'd do when you get up there. Maybe it's more about the journey and seeing our planet from afar. Or maybe they will build attractions up there, at least a restaurant, I hope, and some extra oxygen, too.

Further reading:
ISN - Japan's Space Elevator
CNN - The 62,000-Mile Elevator Ride

Everything is Cinema

2008-11-11T16:25:00.006-06:00

Even though I'm not particularly fond of the French (some of them are okay - my Paris boyfriend was nice, but I can't be completely sure because of the language barrier), I have found myself enamored with the French New Wave movies (my French boyfriend rolled his own cigarettes - that's very French New Wave). So, I set out to educate myself and bought Everything Is Cinema by Richard Brody. The book describes Jean Luc Godard's working life and all of his wonderful movies.

I particularly like Godard because he is a radical.* Admittedly, I would like to be a radical. It would be fun, and people would get upset and confused. But, I could never be one. How will I pass the CIA background test if I'm a radical? I've probably already sabotaged my ambitions with this post (and a previous post about Palestinian dance music).

On this blog, I will attempt to write about each Godard movie that I read about in the book and watch. The world must know about Godard. This is my mission. My life is not meaningless.

Godard's first movie was Breathless, or À bout de souffle (1960). Godard said that Breathless is the "story of a boy who thinks about death and that of a girl who doesn't." His summary is succinct, which shows that Breathless - a crime drama - is less about story and more about style and technique. This observation, however, does not imply that the movie lacks substance. Au contraire. Brody points out that the story of Breathless resembles early American noirs but that the movie was filmed in a radically different way.

Godard didn't really have a script; he wrote a scene the day it was to be filmed. He filmed the movie in the streets of Paris, sometimes by pushing cameraman Raoul Coutard down the sidewalks in a wheelchair. He used minimal lighting, shot in a documentary style, and edited using jump cuts (mostly to reduce the movie's length). The act of filming and staging the action greatly influenced the story and the outcome of the movie. For Godard, filming methods were equally important as the action and dialogue.

I love Breathless because it is radically different and rebellious (and this movie is Godard's least radical, I think). It's spontaneous and reflects real life. It's also a really pretty movie. For Godard, cinema is an art on par with painting and writing, and he wanted to create scenes and movies from scratch as do other artists. It seems that arriving at the point where he could create cinema from scratch so that it was his own, was one of his primary ambitions. In Breathless, he also wanted to recreate reality, which he did through his filming methods and long scenes of dialogue.

*Godard is still alive, thankfully, so I switch between present and past tense when writing about him because his ideas and beliefs may have changed.

Lessons in Vocabulary

2008-10-31T07:06:00.002-05:00

In an effort to respond to the wishes and demands of the readers, HOL (Hounds of Love for all the newcomers) is reviving "Vo-Cab Lessons," a former weekly section on HOL that I retired one year ago after my cattle roping accident. (Thanks for your prayers!) Before I proceed with the lesson, I wish to express my sincere thanks to the followers of HOL who so persistently lobbied for the section's return. Your e-mails, Myspace messages, and blog comments have been most appreciated and have inspired me to carry on with the blog despite my injuries. (Although, I must remind readers that HOL does not tolerate vulgarity or profanity.)

HOL (Or rather, just myself. I hesitate to admit this, but when I say "HOL" or "we," I am really referring to "me" because no one helps me with this blog. Je suis tout seul, as they say in Paris. I am just as alone with this blog as I was when the bull drove its horns into my side and I lay for hours on a pile of hay in throbbing pain.) ...has chosen to blog about the word "shamefacedly" for the first revived Vo-Cab Lesson post.

I first became familiar with "shamefacedly" through The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, and what compelled me to read this novel rather than Atlas Shrugged, my other option, (the book seller comes 'round only twice per year with limited supplies) was the book's appealing Signet Classics cover. The rat is so well dressed and is lounging so comfortably and smartly. The scene is reminiscent of James Bond, a movie I will never see because I will probably never leave this ranch.

The word's definition is rather obvious - showing shame or being ashamed. It also means "bashful." For further explanation, here is the context in which the word appears:

"What sort of games are you up to?" said the Water Rat severely. "You know it isn't time to be thinking of winter quarters yet, by a long way!"

"Oh yes, we know that," explained a field mouse rather shamefacedly; "but it's always as well to be in good time, isn't it?"

HOL suspects that shamefacedly is more commonly used in Britain than in the United States. However, we feel that Americans can use this word - sparingly, mind you - to intellectualize their conversations and of course, widen their vocabularies, which is the aim of every HOL Vo-Cab Lesson.

Onwards and upwards!

War in Afghanistan

2008-10-20T17:34:00.001-05:00

It seems that American news companies aren't usually the best sources for in-depth coverage of the Afghanistan conflict. The Guardian, though, is great.

After being wounded in the stomach last year, Guardian reporter John D McHugh is once again embedded with US soldiers. His photos and videos on the Guardian's website are fantastic, especially "You may have the watches, but we have the time" about tracking the at times elusive Taliban and "The Ugly of War: Dying children in a helicopter" about a soldier's really sad experiences as a Medevac chief. McHugh's blog posts are also riveting war-time accounts.

McHugh
Another grim story worth reading is "Chinook inquest: Caught in the Kajaki landmine trap" by Audrey Gillan for the Guardian. (Wow, what a nightmare.)

Is the war in Afghanistan unwinnable? If so, what will America do?

Global strategist Kotare discusses why the war in Afghanistan may be unwinnable. The Taliban does not care when one of its own dies unlike Americans who risk others to protect one life. America commits many more resources than the Taliban, and as the video "You may have the watches, but we have the time" implies, the Taliban can out-wait the US. ("The Taliban are hard, we are soft")

The Afghan government is also having difficulty controlling the Taliban. The soon to be released National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) reports chaos and predicts possible state failure in Afghanistan, and in light of the deteriorating situation, America's overall strategy in Afghanistan seems to have changed.

Myra MacDonald for Reuters reports that America is now formulating an exit-strategy and is wanting to enable Afghan tribal warlords to fight the Taliban. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says that the country's power should be decentralized because the central Afghan government is not able to stop the Taliban's resurgence. MacDonald asks whether this strategy will leave Afghanistan unstable, but it seems that instability has already taken hold and that no one is really able to stop it. ("Tactic versus strategy in Afghanistan")

Both Obama and McCain have pledged more troops for Afghanistan and have emphasized Pakistan and Afghanistan's importance to American foreign policy goals. However, if Gates is already discussing America's exit-strategy, what course will the future president take? How will America fight Al Qaeda when the situation in Afghanistan is in a "downward spiral" and the Taliban (who helps Al Qaeda) rules? Perhaps more troops are needed, and to accomplish this, America would have to pull troops from Iraq, a hopefully stable area... and I'm going to stop here.

Happy Birthday, Monty

2008-10-17T19:14:00.004-05:00

2008-10-16T08:17:00.003-05:00

Female Swedish inmates are getting new, more fashionable uniforms. The old ones were too drab and had no expanding waste bands to accommodate weight gain from meth use. ("Swedish inmates to get more feminie attire")(Monocle)

I'm happy that it's National Stay At Home Week

2008-09-23T07:51:00.002-05:00

I just want to remind everyone about "National Stay At Home Week," which began yesterday. This is a great time for Americans to stay in the air-conditioning, conserve gas, and read a great book. It's also a perfect time to watch TV because National Stay At Home Week actually coincides with the Fall premiere week on TV.

I don't usually give into marketing ploys, but I will this time because I've been hearing great things about the new shows (especially Gary Unmarried, which is about a not so good looking middle-aged man who got divorced after 13 years and is now single again).

Les paroles de la sagesse de Monsieur Godard

2008-09-11T07:37:00.004-05:00

Les paroles de la sagesse de Monsieur Godard... de son film Je vous salue Sarajevo

"In a sense, fear is the daughter of God, redeemed on Good Friday night. She's not beautiful, mocked, cursed and disowned by all. But don't get it wrong: she watches over all mortal agony, she intercedes for mankind. For there's a rule and an exception. Culture is the rule, and art is the exception. Everybody speaks the rule: cigarette, computer, t-shirt, television, tourism, war. Nobody speaks the exception. It isn't spoken, it's written: Flaubert, Dostoyevsky. It's composed: Gershwin, Mozart. It's painted: Cezanne, Vermeer. It's filmed: Antonioni, Vigo. Or it's lived, and then it's the art of living: Srebenica, Mostar, Sarajevo. The rule is to want the death of the exception. So the rule for Cultural Europe is to organize the death of the art of living, which still flourishes.

When it's time to close the book, I'll have no regrets.
I've seen so many people live so badly, and so many die so well."

via Chained to the Cinémathèque: Je vous salue Sarajevo (Jean-Luc Godard, 1993)

(la peinture est par Caspar David Friedrich)

Is Russia an enemy?

2008-09-03T08:54:00.006-05:00

Will there be another Cold War? Stratfor seems to think this is possible. In one of its reports, Stratfor outlined the Medvedev Doctrine, which says that Russia's goal is to weaken American dominance so that the international environment is multi-polar rather than hegemonic. Russia is also asserting control in areas of special interest, i.e. the former Soviet states. Currently, the US is unable to react to Russia by sending protective forces to the former Soviet areas or by coercing Russia into a peace deal because the American military is maxed out. (American naval forces are available but they wouldn't affect Russia because Russia is a land power, according to Stratfor). America's hands are tied because it cannot feasibly handle the Islamic radicalism wars in Iraq and Afghanistan while simultaneously responding to the Russia threat.

So, what should the US do? Stratfor thinks that if the US does not respond appropriately to the Russian threat soon, then Russian strength will build and another Cold War - a worldwide battle for influence - will likely occur. America's options are a little bleak; it could either remove forces from the Islamic world and make arrangements that will hopefully ensure stability there or it could leave its forces in the Islamic world and try to make arrangements to placate Russia (or leave Russia to European strategy, which may not exist). Either way, America should do at least do something to address Russia's goal to destabilize American power.

America's maxed out military gives Russia the advantage. The US was unable to help Georgia during the recent Georgia-Russian conflict because the American military was stretched. US naval forces had just been deployed to Iranian waters. Russia took advantage of this move. (Georgian president Saakashvili should also be blamed for this because it seems like he should have known about America's limitations.) Russia could also easily sell weapons to destabilizing regimes like Iran, Syria, and Iraqi resistance fighters. Because America cannot back up its power with military force, its power is weakened. Russia can conceivably sell weapons to whomever without fear of reprisal.

How will the new American administration handle Russia? With every administration change, there is a time lag as the new president appoints new foreign policy directors and policies are formulated. Still, it's useful to know how Obama or McCain would respond to Russia.

After the Russia/Georgia conflict in South Ossetia, McCain called for Russia's immediate withdrawal from the region, Russia's removal from the G8, and denial of Russia's application to the WTO. He also called for Russian/American talks to address Iran's nuclear weapons development. Will Russia's removal from the G8 prevent a conflict? McCain also has close ties to Georgia president Saakashvili, which makes the possibility of responding to Russia more likely. However, McCain has asserted that he would not remove troops from Iraq, which makes it unlikely that troops could be used in the former Soviet areas.

Obama was slower than McCain to admonish Russia. However, he did eventually encourage American noncooperation with Russia and the involvement of the international community in the issue. Obama may be more likely to remove troops from Iraq, freeing them for deployment in former Soviet areas. However, it is unclear whether Obama would resort to an international response involving Europe and the UN or whether he would pursue a solely American strategy. I don't know if the UN and Europe could respond effectively to this problem. Europe is divided and several key European states may be unwilling to react. Maybe Europe is coming around.

Recent mistakes

2008-09-02T09:52:00.006-05:00

I've been a little confused lately. For all our sakes, let's hope it's nothing serious.

1. I mistook the church band at Mosaic for Sigur Ros. Sigur Ros probably doesn't sound like the band at church. I've never listened to Sigur Ros's music (everyone knows that they're great, but it's hard to find the motivation to listen to them because almost all of their songs are a little too long, probably at least 6 or 7 minutes - they're not very angular post-punk). But, admittedly, this was a silly mistake because I do know that Sigur Ros sings in Finnish and the band at Mosaic sings in English as far as I know. So, who's to blame? The Mosaic band never starts on time and the person in front of me that day was blocking my view. The situation was also complicated by the fact that I don't know the proper pronunciation of Sigur Ros. It's not really a Western name. Usually I could ask, is this "some band" or "another band," but I was unable to do so in this case because I could not say "Sigur Ros" correctly without risking embarrassment. Maybe Merriam-Webster has an online recording?

2. My running schedule has been hampered because my shorts won't stay on. This isn't really a mistake, but it's causing me to lose time while I attempt to stay on the 10K Race Training Schedule. I've tried running while grasping the waste band of my shorts, but I can't because people are always watching and judging from their porches. Do professional runners have this problem? Will I figure this out after I gain a little more experience in the running world? How can I gain experience in the running world when my shorts constantly fall and I don't have the desire to buy new ones? I don't remember having this problem in the gymnastics world. Maybe I should peruse the archives of Runner's World or maybe the whole running thing isn't worth the struggle (I also have knee pain and endurance issues).

I don't have these.
3. It seems reasonable that the blog "Electronic Intifada: Palestine" would be about the electronic/dance music scene in Palestine, but unfortunately, they post about things like "the ongoing Israeli siege" and "Peaceonomics" (Peaceonomics is an excellent band name). I'm worried that visiting this blog has hurt my chances for a career with the federal government. Do Palestinians have an electronic dance scene? Do they know Truckasauras (Pitchfork gave them a really high score)? It can't be a coincidence that the latest Truckasauras album is "Tea Parties, Guns and Valor."

The Dream

2008-08-19T14:57:00.007-05:00

This is my story. To clarify, it's the story of a dream I had the other night.

The Dream

Some of my friends and I went to John's house to give him something of his that I had. No one was home, but the door was unlocked, so we went in. We sat down in the living room and watched TV for awhile. We got comfortable and took up residence in their rooms. Sarah, my roommate, stayed in John's room, which was quite large with overgrown grass flooring.

About three days passed, all of them spent watching TV, when panic struck me. We had been there entirely too long, and John and his roommates could return at any moment and find a really messy house and some uninvited guests. I told my friends that we had to clean up and leave immediately, but they wanted to keep watching TV. I desperately cleaned by myself, and since the house resembled a giant artsy antique store, it took a long time, probably a day or two.

Eventually, my friends turned the TV off and helped me. Even my parents came over to help, although my mom just got in the way because she cleaned everything so well that the house was cleaner than what it was before we got there. I got mad and told her that she would give us away. Some other people I didn't know came to help, but they also added to the panic because they tried to pack all of John's belongings in boxes.

We eventually tidied everything and left the house, much to my relief. A while later, I realized that I still had a set of keys to John's house. I returned to replace the keys and found some of my friends, including Sarah, the constant thorn in my side, back at John's and watching TV. I pleaded, and after a short argument, they left in a huff. I sat down on John's couch for a moment with some of my other friends.

I usually only panic when I'm running from a tornado, tumbling through the air in a malfunctioning elevator, or trying to cross a street when I can't open my eyes. When John came through the door with his roommates and friends, my parents, and a lawyer, I wanted to wake up. In disbelief, I asked my friend for some quick advice. She told me to deny everything and say that I had never been there.

I approached the lawyer and my parents with the intention of telling the fabricated story, but my parents, with no malicious intent, had already told the lawyer that we stayed at John's for three days without permission. The lawyer told me that I was in a lot of trouble, I would be sued, and I would probably spend about four years in jail. I pleaded for mercy, and the lawyer said that she might seek a lighter punishment.

I went over to John and asked for forgiveness. I told him that the long stay was unplanned and inexcusable. Stone-faced and surrounded by his friends at the dining room table, he said that he would not forgive me. I left and thought that I could still get out of this if I sent some really nice emails.

Le fabuleux destin de Benoît Caranobe

2008-08-19T09:06:00.003-05:00

Benoît Caranobe, my new favorite gymnast.

Benoit Caranobe - sol
Uploaded by blogosports

Boy, Jack Nicholson is skinny in The Passenger

2008-04-23T21:59:00.009-05:00

Thank you Netflix for giving me Antonioni's The Passenger so promptly. I loved this movie instantly! I added it to my Facebook favorites as soon as it ended. But the whole time I couldn't get over how skinny Jack Nicholson was, and when he had those aviators on I thought, wow, he's kind of good looking.

This movie reminded me of several other movies.

First - Hitchcock's Rope because of the technical use of the camera; both movies seemed very calculated although Hitchcock's is more so. Both directors pan the camera slowly in the climatic scenes so that only a limited amount of action is in the frame.

Second - Coen brothers' No Country For Old Men because of the quietness. Every minute sound detail can be heard in The Passenger, and it uses music only once. Both movies have an important dialogue by the main character that articulates the movie's main message. This is where I write about the similarities and differences between both movies' messages, except that I have to go back and watch both again because I didn't get it the first time around. Something else they have in common, both writers are smart and tricky.

Lastly - I was going to say Meirelles' The Constant Gardner, but I think that comparison is just too obvious. Both are set in the Sahara and London, have really pretty views of the desert, and see tragedies in Africa. The Constant Gardener's theme: "There are no murders in Africa."

Carter and Hamas: Good or bad?

2008-04-21T18:27:00.005-05:00

I came across two articles with differing views on former President Carter's recent talks with Hamas. The first, "The False Hope of Embracing Hamas" by Robert Satloff for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, says that Carter's visit and negotiations with Hamas was a mistake:

"Carter's outreach to Hamas -- on Friday he also met Damascus-based leader Khaled Meshaal -- could represent just the first ripple of a tidal wave of dangerous and desperate initiatives designed to "save" the Middle East peace process."

"Hamas...has no advocates of peace with Israel. The divide is between those who call for a tahdiya (a brief lull in the fighting) and those who favor a hudna (a longer-term armistice). Neither approximates peace with Israel..."

... and since Hamas has no desire for peace, negotiations will not work.

The other article, "Hamas and Peace" by the Financial Times, says that Carter is "right to have held talks" with Hamas. It uses Carter's recent announcement that Hamas is interested in peace as long as Israel returns Arab lands obtained in the 1967 War to support the idea that Hamas should be viewed as a legitimate negotiating body, especially since Hamas beat Al Fatah in recent Palestinian elections.

The FT editorial comment says,

"Mr Carter’s perception, shared by two thirds of Israelis, is that Israel cannot make war on half the Palestinian people and expect to make peace with the other half; if there is ever going to be a solution to this conflict, Hamas has to be part of it."

So, the question is, will Hamas accept peace with Israel? According to Carter, they will as long as Israel gives up the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Golan Heights.

To Serve Man

2008-02-22T23:03:00.002-06:00

To Serve Man is a Twilight Zone episode from 1962 that was based on Damon Knight's story of the same name from 1953. The Twilight Zone is pretty entertaining, but this episode has to be one of the best, with one of the most surprising and oddball endings. And like any good story, it makes the viewer think about motives and human nature.

An alien arrives in a spaceship and while holding his book "To Serve Man," speaks to the United Nations council. He promises peace and solutions to human problems of wars and famines, and although he is nine feet tall, has an absurdly large head, and speaks without moving his mouth, everyone trusts him with no objections or questioning. Maybe this reflects my post modern perspective, but if I saw that scary giant mutated monster, I would run to the nearest body of water. I've heard that aliens hate water.

At the end, one of the decoders figures it out. The alien's book - To Serve Man - is a cookbook, and they're ending famine to make people fatter and tastier. The human on the spaceship refuses food in protest, but after awhile, he caves and eats every bite. We're so weak.

Taliban portrait photos

2008-01-29T19:30:00.000-06:00

This is truly bizarre. The Taliban regime in Afghanistan was very restrictive especially for women. The video below from Slate says that the Taliban did not allow the depiction of human faces - they cut the heads off store mannequins and off 5000 year old statues. Women used fingerprints for their passports rather than headshots.

The video also says that the Afghans love having their picture taken, and their portraits, taken at illegal photography studios, tend to have a very effeminate quality. The men wear eyeliner and hold hands in front of Swiss countryside backgrounds. My favorite photo is of a Taliban man with a gun in his right hand and a pot of flowers in the left.

La Vie a l'envers

2008-01-29T00:18:00.001-06:00

Two excerpts from one of my favorite, super obscure movies about a man who becomes increasingly dissatisfied with every aspect of life. The film's visual qualities are very artistic and borderline strange. La Vie a l'envers (dir. Alain Jessua, 1963)

Extrait du dvd "La vie à l'envers" d'Alain Jessua
Uploaded by leoscheer_tv

Extrait (2) du dvd "La vie à l'envers" d'Alain Jessua
Uploaded by leoscheer_tv

See my other post about La Vie a l'envers

Is the Taco Bell on Guadalupe outsourcing?

2008-01-19T21:17:00.000-06:00

I believe that it is possible that the Taco Bell on 30th and Guadalupe is outsourcing their drive-thru service. How do I know this? I was there, at the Taco Bell drive-thru, and the person who took my order had a distinctive but discernible Indian accent. His tone was unusually friendly for an employee of the fast food industry. I then drove to the window, at which point my suspicions were confirmed. A Mexican woman was at the window, and there were no Indian people in sight.

What does this mean for the individual consumer of tacos and for the economy as a whole? After six years of university instruction in political science, I really couldn't say. We never talked about that. I did, however, learn that a country with McDonald's restaurants does not war with other countries that have McDonald's restaurants. This is called the McDonald's-Democracy Effect.

Personally, I welcome drive-thru outsourcing. When the actual Taco Bell employee takes my order, they usually say, "Hi, How are you?" which is nice, but it's also very confusing. Should I answer, "I'm fine, thank you. How are you?" or should I just tell the employee what I want? It's also a little rude because I'm pretty sure they don't really care about how I am doing. I know I don't care whenever I ask that question. The Indian call center employee's approach, which was to say "What can I get for you today?" was more time saving and thankfully, far less personal.

Gig art

2008-01-13T17:20:00.000-06:00

This is the most beautiful gig poster ever.

I'd buy it, but it costs £200. The artist is Emek.

I rock and I want a t-shirt (and a publication) that says so.

2008-01-12T14:43:00.000-06:00

I like this t-shirt ad that appeared on my gmail:
"Tshirts that say you rock - Do you Rock? Then tell everyone so in our cool line of rocking Tshirts."

This reminds me of a guy, probably early twenties and dressed like a Fallout Boy fan, who knocked on my door yesterday.
He said, "Heeeey... are you the lady of the house?"
Me: "There are several ladies here, yes."
Him: "That's great! Well, I'm supposed to walk around the city and knock on 300 hundred doors so I can practice my public speaking and learn not to spit and stutter while I talk. How am I doing so far?"
Me: "Ok I guess."
Him: "Yeah, thanks. (tries to shake my hand but can't because screen door is closed. he shows frustration. i open the screen door slightly, shake his hand, and shut the screen door again.)
Him: "What do you do?"
Me: "What do I do?"
Him: "Yeah. Are you a student?"
Me: "I'm a student." (not true)
Him: "What do you study?"
Me: "Nothing in particular."
Him: "Nothing?"
Me: "I'm undecided."
Him: Hands me a brochure offering magazine subscriptions. "What kind of things do you like to do? Do you like music, movies, art?"
Me: "No. Not really."
Him: "No?! Do you like to read about anything?"
Me: "I don't like to read about things. I just like to do them. I'm not interested in any magazines."
Him: "They're not magazines. They're publications. I'm competing with some other people to earn 1000 points and win a trip."
Me: "I don't want any publications. I don't want to partake in this."
Him: says with disdain "You don't have to partake. Can I have the brochure back?"
Him: "Do you know your neighbors over here?" (points)
Me: "No."
Him: "Do you know your neighbors over here?" (points in other direction)
Me: "No."
Him: "Are you a hermit?!"
Me: "I just moved here."
Him: with renewed enthusiasm "Wish me luck! If a group of girls knocks on your door, don't buy anything!"
Me: "I won't. Bye."

hee hee

2008-01-04T14:20:00.000-06:00

Is this poster supposed to scare me or make me laugh?

Minimalism?

2008-01-04T12:03:00.000-06:00

After much consideration, I've decided to do something a little drastic. I want to adopt a minimalist lifestyle, whatever that means. I need to do a little research first on the meaning and benefits of minimalism, but basically, I'm going to get rid of some of my stuff because I feel like I have too much and, not to sound too dramatic, but it feels a little burdensome. It would be healthy, I think, to have no attachment to things that aren't necessary for sustaining life. I also see this as an experiment at a time when life is a little stagnant.

Notes from Power, Faith, and Fantasy Chapter I & II

2007-12-02T22:15:00.000-06:00

Notes from Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East 1776 to the Present by Michael B. Oren

Chapter 1: A Mortal and Mortifying Threat

American ships were victims of many pirate attacks in the 1770s and 1780s and had a very weak navy and no real allies to help. Attacks mainly came from Barbary or al-Maghrib (N. Africa). Hampered trade. Americans were passive. They could either pay off the pirates like the Europeans or fight them, though this was difficult to do under the Articles of Confederation.

John Lamb was the first American diplomatic envoy. He went to Algiers in February 1785 to get the release of American hostages. He failed badly. (p. 25) John Adams went to Tripoli to seek peace with Abd al-Rahman al-Ajar who asked for $1 million from the Americans for peace. Adams offered a smaller sum but al-Ajar rejected, saying non-Muslims were inferior/sinners and Muslims had to make war on them. "Every mussulman who should be slain battle was sure to go to Paradise." This statement was shocking to Americans then. (27)

In 1789, Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson still had to negotiate for hostages' release. Americans were still unwilling to fight and didn't want to get involved internationally. In 1794, Congress narrowly voted to appropriate money to build frigates. These were to defeat Algiers and be dismantled directly after. This was the birth of the navy.

In September 1795, the government send David Humphrey to negotiate with Algiers. Leader Hassan Dey agreed to lower the price to $650,000 in goods. Americans looked everywhere for money. No loans from Europe but did receive a loan from a Jewish businessman in Algiers. (37) Other North African countries followed Algiers' example and took Americans hostage and then negotiated at an advantage.

Chapter II: The Hostile and Ethereal Orient

John Ledyard, one of America's first explorers, went to Egypt in 1788 when the Middle East seemed mythical and mysterious to Americans. He observed that Egypt was in very bad condition. He admired the desert nomads' love for liberty and thought that Islam seemed superstitious and warlike. He was upset about the untrue myth of wonder in Egypt. Ledyard was supposed to travel down the Nile through Africa but never departed. Upset with the delay in departure, he drank vitriolic (sulphuric) acid and died one day later. He was one of the first Americans to travel thoroughly and record on the Middle East. He sent the precedent for travelers and ideas about the Middle East and influenced Thomas Jefferson, his good friend.

Hitler's Pope?

2007-11-10T22:31:00.000-06:00

I ran across an interesting article about the Pope in World War II while doing research for my thesis. During the war, one of the Vatican administrators was Monsignor Joseph Patrick Hurley from America. Hurley was assigned the task of convincing the Pope to silence Father Charles Coughlin, a very popular Catholic priest with an audience of 40 million people in America. Coughlin was an anti-Semite, and Roosevelt and religious leaders worried that his anti-Semitic rhetoric was a potential danger. Roosevelt, through his Vatican representative Myron C. Taylor, asked the Pope to do something to subdue Coughlin. Sadly, the Pope didn't respond. Hurley was supposed to inform the Pope about Coughlin, but he never did because Hurley was also an extreme anti-Semite. At this point, I relinquished the Pope from responsibility of not taking action at that particular time, although later I heard from my professor that this Pope was very controversial, and many people believe that he was also an anti-Semite.

Source: "A peculiar brand of patriotism: The Holy See, FDR, and the case of Reverend Charles E. Coughlin" by Charles R. Gallagher in Woolner and Kurial's book "FDR, the Vatican, and the Roman Catholic Church in America, 1930-1945"

The Fire Within

2007-10-23T23:08:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, I sort of watched "The Fire Within" (Le Feu Follet) directed by Louis Malle (Au Revoir, les enfants) in 1963, and I caught a familiar line: "Tomorrow I will kill myself." This line is also in Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums. Richie looks in the mirror, shaves, says "I'm going to kill myself tomorrow," and then cuts his wrists. I always wondered why he says "Tomorrow" when he clearly means to carry it out at that moment. At the end of "The Fire Within," he shaves and then several minutes later shoots himself.

"The Fire Within" is a French film about a suicidal guy trying to recover from alcoholism. Turner Classic has a good description, but basically he goes to a clinic for treatment but then decides to look up old friends in order to rediscover happiness and a reason for living. Malle wasn't a part of French New Wave, but the FNW directors appreciated his work.

a church for weirdos

2007-10-20T21:37:00.000-05:00

I went to church the other day, at Mosaic, for the first time in a long long time. When the service ended, I looked at my friend and both of us laughed really loudly. The service wasn't especially funny, but oddly enough, our reaction was just as strange and unexpected as the church and the people.

I grew up in a Baptist church. The people there were nice and caring. They were genuinely concerned about the world and hurting people. That's why I can't relate or empathize (sympathize maybe) when people say that they've been burned by Christianity, by Christians who pretend to love but don't. Am I naive, too uncritical, or just lucky to have grown up in a healthy church community. Probably all of those.

Mark Scandrette spoke that night. He lives in the mission area in San Francisco and runs a non-conformative spiritual outreach program. Mark talked (and performed poems) about how we (Mosaic) are tired of these "Christians," and I thought, am I tired of these hypocrites? I probably would be, but I don't really know any (except myself?).

So many questions like this came up during the service. It was all very non traditional - a full band with an accordion (!) and beautiful songs about Jesus, a read description of the type of people who show up at this place (artists, non conformists, poor, unhappy...), communion, poetry slams, hipsters, an art gallery, and art stations (for spiritual self expression during church). I don't have anything against the Baptist church, but I'll never hear Spoon played as a closing song to worship. It was very strange and very funny.

There's a lot more to it, but I like this place.

Bonde do Role = big disappointment

2007-09-26T19:10:00.000-05:00

It's official. I dislike Bonde do Role very much. I've tried to FOUR times to see them, and something has happened every time to prevent this from happening. I give up.

1. Urban Outfitters show at SXSW '07: either their equipment didn't arrive on time for the set or the store's equipment couldn't accommodate the band's. Either way, Bonde do Role's fault.

2. Blue Genie party at SXSW '07: cops shut down the party (which was shaping up to be the party of the year) before Bonde do Role took the stage. Not Bonde do Role's fault.

3. La Tulipe in Montreal June '07: canceled because one of them had to go back to Brazil for a dental emergency. Bonde do Role's fault.

4. Emo's in Austin Oct '07: canceled because they're too tired and have health issues. huh? Their fault.

Summary: Bonde do Role sucks.

He has all the time in the world.

2007-09-23T21:21:00.001-05:00

The first film adaptation of HG Wells' The Time Machine, directed by George Pal (1960), as compared to the second, directed by Simon Wells (HG Wells' great grandson) (2002), is a touching look at a man's search through time for a personal and broader meaning in a society entrenched in conflict. The main character, the time traveler who is never named, is wonderfully played by the handsome and energetic Rod Taylor. The character is an inventor in Victorian England, and he dislikes the current state of ubiquitous violence. Britain is involved in the Boer War, and his friend suggests that he invent something to improve Britain's chances of winning. How unfortunate that mankind has devolved to this level of constant conflict. With his time machine, Rod is optimistic that he can escape the hopelessness of the present and travel into the future. Will he travel into a society that embraces peace (Taylor's character expects this outcome) or will he encounter people who still have yet to learn from the past?

As he travels through time, he sees that the only constants are himself and the smile of the mannequin in a shop window across the street. As the century passes, the mannequin's dresses shorten and the sun and stars streak by overhead. A candle burns down in 2 seconds, using stop motion photography that took 5 hours to film. (Turner Classic Movies) When he stops in 1917, England is at war with Germany, and sadly, he learns that his good and devoted friend David Filby, played by Alan Young, died on the front. He stops again during the aerial bombings in World War II and a nuclear attack during the Cold War where he narrowly escapes death by lava flow. He speeds through time and abruptly lands in the far future where people live in a seemingly bucolic setting. He soons discovers, though, that these people, the Eloi, are controlled by the Morlocks, a mutated species that lives underground.

The 1960 adaptation highlights man's propensity for war, yet it is not overwhelmingly pessimistic. The Eloi's stupidity and selfishness are a result of the Morlocks' long term absolute rule. If given the chance, the Eloi can and will care for things other than themselves. Though important, social commentary is not the film's primary purpose. It's an action movie first and foremost, and it succeeds at this. The speed is appropriately paced and like the special effects of The War of the Worlds, the effects here are old fashioned and spectacular.

The 2002 version isn't bad, but it is without a doubt weaker than the original. Guy Pearce plays the main character as an absent-minded inventor, which is cute, but he lacks Taylor's effervescence. Pearce's character is deeply in love with a girl and just as she accepts his marriage proposal, she is shot and killed. He then repeatedly attempts to use his time machine to travel into the past and change events to save her life.

A good story has a broader, deeper purpose. For example, the 1960 version questions, albeit briefly, whether or not human nature changes. Simon Wells' film omits this, and without that focus, the whole purpose of his film is altered. Rather than look forward, Pearce's character actually travels backwards, hoping to alter events to prevent his fiancé's death. Only when he discovers that one cannot change the past, does he travel into the future. He travels into the future because he has no hope in the present or the past, and unlike Taylor's character, he has no expectations for the future, other than to escape and move on from the tragedy. Because Pearce's character does not have a specific purpose for traveling into the future, the second half of the film is less substantiated.

There are other questionable decisions in the 2002 version such as Samantha Mumba's portrayal of Mara. In the first version, Mara (played by Yvette Mimieux) is sweet but slow, which makes sense because societal building blocks such as education are non existent. However, Mumba's character is a substantially quicker learner and yet she exists in a similar environment. This weakness is minor but easily apparent. Also, this film's focus on romance rather than friendship, to me, is uninteresting, though it is likely just a reflection of today's values. It is rare to see a contemporary film (non independent) that emphasizes the greatness of a loyal friend over a romance. So, it's refreshing to watch Filby's devotion to the time traveler in the 1960 version.

In a time when Hollywood unloads an endless stream of dull movies, the 1960 version's strong story line and use of the old fashioned stop motion photography is greatly appreciated. Ultimately, however, Pal's version is better than the more recent film because it asks more questions.

Popmatters' assessment of the VMAs

2007-09-18T18:50:00.000-05:00

"Perhaps that’s the ultimate purpose of the VMA: it’s a ceremony to celebrate people who have completed the dehumanization process from artist to brand to mere product. What a sexy graveyard!" Yes, and MTV's purpose is to sell these "sexy" products.

I fell in love with flirtation, the brevity of sensation

2007-09-07T21:28:00.000-05:00

Since 2005, I have grown to love the lively and poetic pop music of Maximo Park. For some reason, when I hear MP, I am compelled to jump up and down with my eyes closed and my arms flailing (I suppose you can call it dancing), and I do this in front of other people (!). Their music is full of anxious energy. Frontman Paul Smith conjures images of late night stumbles down dark empty streets under neon signs. The songs' characters are always in motion as if they're in a hurry to get to some place even if they're not sure exactly where. They appreciate art and see beauty yet have doubt and self destructive tendencies. In a 2005 interview, Smith said, "Things should be geared towards, if not a thrill, enjoying your life and getting everything out of it." (see the portable-infinite's interview) This is what Maximo Park is about to me and why I relate so well to their music because they understand that while it's easy to trip over yourself, the experience of trying to get somewhere can be fulfilling.

Their first album A Certain Trigger, released in 2005, is a whirling collection of transient desires and emotions. It's over almost as soon as it's begun and in its trail, leaves a staggering feeling of exuberance. Smith sings with energy and absolute conviction. When he cries, "I'm going missing for awhile. I've got nothing left to lose. Ohhhhh, I don't listen to anything," I respond with a resounding, "Yeah! Me too!" In "I Want You To Stay" and "Apply Some Pressure," the climax doesn't occur until near the end and when it does, it's as if a bomb has been dropped. The delayed effect is very powerful. MP utilizes this type of song construction often in A Certain Trigger, and it's to their advantage.

Acrobat, mostly spoken rather than sung, is a stunning highlight. Like the ambiance and moody music in Lost In Translation (My Bloody Valentine, Air), Acrobat is heavy but charming. Smith's description of the sky is simply poetic (these are my favorite lines of the whole album):

"The sky is often used as a metaphor
And I suppose that's because it's so big and expansive
When a long strand of cloud sits just above the horizon
Leaving a strip of clear blue beneath it
It becomes the panorama
It'll turn your head three hundred and sixty degrees,
And the same line follows you round if the land is sufficiently flat
Really, nothing can be compared to it"

Whereas A Certain Trigger's songs are sharp upbeat bursts of energy, Our Earthly Pleasures (their second album, released in 2007) has a more controlled and mature sound. The music is at times more melancholy, and the guitar riffs are definitely less angular. At first I thought this was a bad progression. I must say that overall I enjoy A Certain Trigger's energy and diversity more than Our Earthly Pleasures. However, as I replayed the newer songs, it became evident that in this case the progression is disappointing but still a positive development.

Lyrically, there is a slight change as well. These songs still contain Smith's wonderfully articulate observations, but the lyrics are slightly more complicated and scattered. Instead of painting a clear and complete story, he offers glimpses of the characters' thoughts and feelings.

More empty buildings for invisible men
No market value to justify the price of the rent
Ignorance isn't bliss,
Familiarity still ends in contempt
We're gonna need some time
But she said she'd wait for me…
("Russian Literature")

The prominent standout on Our Earthly Pleasures is "Our Velocity," in which Smith claims, "Never never try to gauge temperature when you travel at such speed." The speed of the song matches the urgency of the lyrics and these qualities would make this song fit in well on A Certain Trigger. Our Earthly Pleasures also includes several slower ballads like "Nosebleed," "Sandblasted and Set Free," and "Parisian Skies." The slower tempos of these songs mark a clear departure for MP because their previous album is so firmly grounded in speed and anxiety. The change here, again, is positive for the most part. The only negative distraction on the album for me is "The Unshockable." The synths and guitar are grating and uncomplimentary.

(photo from thisislondon.uk)
Our Earthly Pleasures is a little disappointing because after the greatness of A Certain Trigger, my expectations were perhaps too high. I can't really complain too much, though, because the songs still shine. It's also a relief because with their second success, MP proves that they assuredly are excellent musicians and excellent releases from them are likely inevitable.

Strangely, MP is not as popular in the United States as their British contemporaries (Kaiser Chiefs, Futureheads, Bloc Party, and Franz Ferdinand). Musically, they are as good or better than the others, but I think the smaller fan base exists in part because they haven't toured as much in the US. If I'm not mistaken, they haven't played in Texas since SXSW 2005. Their live show is one of their greatest assets as a band. Smith's presence is invigorating and just plain fun. On stage, he's known for jumping fantastically high and doing "air splits" (see picture). He also wears a bowler and reads from a book. If only the band would redirect their tour to Texas. Perhaps if I was able to write a pleading "please play in Texas" song with the same urgency of MP's songs, then they would feel compelled to comply.

Armed dinosaurs??

2007-08-19T10:34:00.000-05:00

Jurassic Park 4 is coming out next year. This is very exciting news. But, the supposed premise of the movie is a little odd...

"We're told that the film is about the government who has trained dinosaurs to carry weapons and use them for battle purposes." (bloody-disgusting.com | The Guardian)

Sounds like a winner.

This is gettin' ridiculous

2007-08-17T20:39:00.000-05:00

I happened to be listening to the radio the other day. I never listen to the radio anymore. In fact, I haven't turned it on in probably 2 years unless it was absolutely necessary (i.e. ipod battery was out). Not surprisingly, this time they were playing the same songs they played 2 years ago: Kelly Clarkson's Since U Been Gone (I like her voice at least), Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams Are Made of These, and then I heard possibly the worst song (even for mainstream radio). I had to Google the lyrics so I could put a name to a face. The culprit was a band called Plain White Ts and their song called "Hey There Delilah".

hey there delilah
whats it like in new york city
im a thousand miles away
but girl tonight you look so pretty
yes you do
time square cant shine as bright as you
i swear its true

hey there delilah
dont you worry about the distance
im right there if you get lonely
give this song another listen
close your eyes
listen to my voice its my disguise
im by your side

oh its what you do to me
oh its what you do to me
oh its what you do to me
oh its what you do to me
what you do to me

The only thing remotely interesting about this song is the name Delilah.

Favorite photos - Scotland

2007-08-13T13:03:00.001-05:00

I can't get over how pretty this photo is...

Taken in Scotland in 2003. I just scanned and uploaded it to the computer yesterday.

Rope

2007-08-07T19:48:00.001-05:00

Before seeing Rope, my favorite Hitchcock film was Rear Window. And before Rear Window, it was Suspicion. I didn't particularly like Suspicion's cheesy Hollywood ending, although it's an undoubtedly good movie. I really like Suspicion because I first saw it while sitting on the lawn in magical Bryant Park in New York City. Rope (1948), like Rear Window, takes place in one location, in an apartment, but the camera's focus never leaves the inside of the room, except at the beginning when Hitchcock shows a pleasant street scene but then cuts directly to a scream and a violent strangling. And also like Rear Window, James Stewart's character Rupert Cadell discovers a murder, that of only child David, carried out by Brandon (John Dall) and Philip (Farley Granger), and confronts them. Brandon and Philip are elitists who believe that they, as intellectuals, are superior to everyone else, and therefore they have the right to carry out an "immaculate murder" against anyone who "merely occupies space."

Brandon agrees with Nietzsche's Superman theory that each person should be able to create his or her own morality. We are not bound by society's rules or religion since there is no God, and compassion for others is weakness. Happiness stems from living by one's own rules. Rope is a superior film for many reasons, one being because in the end the murderers are condemned for their elitism. Rupert remarks that how dare they believe that they are better than anyone else. We're individuals, but we each have an obligation to society.

Like Hitchcock's other films, Rope is hinged on suspense, and Hitchcock arranges the story and camera accommodatingly. Rope is unique because it is shot in a real-time style. There are many long lasting scenes where there with no cut in action. In one instance, he creates suspense by letting the camera remain on the chest in which David's body lies while the maid shuffles back and forth between it and the kitchen. Waiting for her to finish removing the items from atop the chest so that she can open it, is thrilling.

The exchanges between actors Granger, Dall, and Stewart are very effective. Granger is emotionally destabilized by the murder, and Dall struggles to retain his own composure while trying to prevent Granger's complete collapse and confession. Stewart wrangles with the two, and upon discovering the murder, his reaction, a mix of shame, exhaustion, and horror, is very powerful. Montgomery Clift was originally offered the role of Brandon but turned it down.

The French New Wave film makers admired Hitchcock's style, but I think additional thoughts about this will have to wait for another day and another post.

La vie a l'envers

2007-08-04T20:06:00.002-05:00

I decided to write my second post about a really really good film I recently saw. "La Vie a l'envers" (Life Upside Down) is a French New Wave film directed by Alain Jessua in 1964. The story is about Jacques Valin (played by Charles Denner), a real estate agent/newly wed who slowly slips into insanity as the film progresses. Most films depict mental illnesses in a dark and disturbing light. Jessua, however, makes an entirely different case by showing, in an often comedic way, that becoming insane is more rewarding and perhaps more enjoyable than living a mundane existence. Though this view was and still is atypical, it was not so unusual within the French New Wave tradition. FNW lasted from about 1958-1964 and included directors such as François Truffaut (Jules et Jim, Tirez sur le pianiste) and Jean-Luc Godard (Breathless). The movement's films addressed existential questions and used unconventional and non linear narrative construction. (Wikipedia)

Jacques is himself an unusual character. He has one friend, Paul, who performs acrobatics, he notices and indulges in objects' intricate details, and he decides on a whim to ask actress/model Viviane (Anna Gaylor) to marry him though he is often unhappy with her (maybe this is not so unusual). He reacts to Viviane and his job with a strange indifference, which often results in very funny situations. In one of the funnier moments, Viviane takes Jacques to the theater to see her performance in a new advertisement. She gleefully cries, "Look at my close-up!", and before the feature even begins, she leads Jacques out of the theater to a cafe (although Jacques seems not to care). In the cafe, Jacques leaves Viviane and her friends to play pinball, and he "feels good" for the first time.

Jessua's visual approach is also strange and beautiful. For instance, the film was shot in the streets of Paris rather than in a studio, the camera angles are unique (Jacques is filmed from overhead rather than at eye level as he crosses the street), and the camera often focuses on the smaller details of an object (such as a wall or lamp), which, in a stunningly artistic way, serve to depict Jacques' slip into insanity. In one of my favorite scenes, Jacques sits down in front of a tree, and he stares at it, mentally dissecting the parts of each branch and leaf and enjoying its grandeur. I also love the extended shot of the Paris skyline.

I bought this VHS (it's not available on DVD) on a whim for a couple of bucks on Half.com after seeing the film's poster on someone's Flickr site. I'm so so happy I did. I get to practice my French, see Paris, laugh, and revel in Jessua's challenging and creative concept. This film is truly a work of art.

Surprisingly, Jessua made very few films after La Vie a l'envers. One was "Jeu de massacre" (Killing Game) in 1967, in which a mega fan of two comic artists acts out all of their cartoons including one where a character is murdered. After this film, Jessua made 3 films in the 1970s, 3 in the 1980s, and 1 in 1997. I wonder why, after La Vie a l'envers received such great reviews and Jessua was heralded as a talented new filmmaker, his filmography is so sparse compared to other FNWers. I think I will have to put my investigation skills to work for this.

My first post

2007-08-01T22:39:00.000-05:00

Yay, I've made a blog. Now, what should I write...