I am happy that my web site comes up second on google for the search decemberists dracula's daughter. Colin Meloy thinks it is the worst song he ever wrote.
This is my latest 100 Favorite Things list. The idea is to make a list of your 100 favorite things at the time you make the list. You can see how the lists change from 2002 and 2005. This year I did it to be part off a photo project on Flickr. I hope you enjoy my list.
My Dreamgirl, Sad Salvation, The South Bay Bloggers, coffee, digital photography, Flickr, family, coffee shops, writing, my iBook, San Jose, cities, Night Photography, graphic novels, MP3, TiVo (The Company), kissing, Music, e-mail, CD Mixes, Laughing, friends, the ocean, the little things, my parents, stories, The small of her back, my iPod, music, parties, walking, The San Jose Library, travel, signs, the softness of her skin, internet culture, my warm bed, NaNoWriMo, newspapers, days off, Friends, write-ins, blogs, sleep, self portraits, Conversation, Driving, red wine, Cover songs, graffiti, public art, tall buildings, radio, the way she looks at me, My Apartment, Chocolate, hotels, my neighborhood, well deserved praise, dreams, pictograms, cartoons, Pineapple, road trips, finding things, funny signs, statues, other people's tattoos, baseball, my co-workers, sharing, water, DJs, postcards, beauty, when she whispers in my ear, comic strips, Books, corn on the cob, geeking out about music, wi-fi, thinking, history, what money can buy me, Stick Figures in Peril, Showers, baked potatoes, Art Cars, Storytellers, surprise, Singing along in the car, ComiCon, Beer with Friends, baseball stadiums, highways, stencils, conversation, lyrics, icons, lists
I was raised Catholic, and attended Catholic schools almost exclusively from grade school through college. One time when I was young, I was in church with my mother and sister and a wooden cross display sitting on a window sill above me suddenly fell off and hit me on the shoulder. My mom joked that this was a sign that I would become a priest. At least I think it was a joke.
I know my mom is disappointed that I am not a Catholic today. She may feel a bit like she failed in her duty as a Catholic mother to raise a good Catholic child. She’s baffled by my agnosticism. It makes no sense to her. I don’t believe in God. That’s not to say that I believe that there’s no God. I just don’t see how any human could know one way or the other
In Catholic school, I was taught that this is why God sent Jesus, so that we might know and understand God better. Jesus said as much: “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.” (John 14:9-11) Jesus clearly believed in God.
Over the past 5 years, we’ve been living under the leadership of an Evangelical Christian president. George W. Bush’s religious beliefs, and his demonstrated favor for those who share his beliefs, have helped bring the Evangelical Christian world view into the mainstream of American life. The election of an Evangelical Christian president is the result of a revelation within the Evangelical community: that one’s beliefs can and should affect each decision one makes. Particularly, one’s beliefs should influence one’s decisions about politics, parenting, education, marriage, opportunity, and beginning and end of life issues. That is to say, most of the pressing issues of American culture.
What good are your beliefs, your values, if you don’t put them into action?
As the fervor of faith swelled in American culture, a serious clash of values arose between my mother and me (civil liberties, the war, abortion, etc.) This totally shocked me. It baffled me that we didn’t share the same values. After all, it was she who took me to the church and sent me to the schools from which my values derive. She had raised me with Catholic values—her values—certified by actual Catholic educators (Jesuits, you understand—the real deal), and yet she seemed disappointed with the results, like I got it wrong. Did I learn the wrong lessons?
My Catholic education did not succeed in convincing me that God was real, or that Jesus was God. That makes me a heretic, I suppose. My grandmother would be horrified to hear me say something like that—which produces guilt. Welcome to Catholicism, where questioning authority is simply not tolerated! But Catholicism did teach me about ethics. Even if Jesus wasn’t God, he was one stand-up ethical guy. This is the notion of Jesus as a revolutionary, the social justice Jesus. I started to think about what Christianity looks like if you peel away the theology.
The problem with Catholicism is that it’s theology is largely invented by humans who lived centuries after Christianity’s founder died. It’s just ideas and rules made up mostly by men—regular humans who don’t know any more than any of us do about the nature of God. They even invented a concept to cover their theological asses—Papal Infallibility. Can’t argue with that! Most Catholics accept the Church’s rules and ideas about God simply because those ideas are ancient. They’ve been codified for so long, they create their own reverence. Catholics will not tolerate deviations from the Catechism. The Jesuits tortured and killed people en masse for such deviations. (So much for ethics.)
The Protestant reformation happened in part because the Catholic Church maintained a stranglehold on ideas about God—to the point of torture and murder. In a sense, Evangelical Christianity is a revolutionary movement, born out of the Protestant Reformation. One of the key ideas of this revolutionary movement was that you didn’t need a priest to mediate between you and God—to explain God’s message to you.
Evangelicals believe that a person can read the word of God, aka the Bible, and decide for him- or herself what God’s message is. Where the Evangelicals run off course is they take everything they read literally. This literalism absolves the reader from having to develop the critical and interpretive thinking that was once the sole provenance of the priest. If you state that the Bible must be taken literally, then there is no interpretation, no room for God to speak to ”me”. The fundamentalism itself becomes the mediator between me and God. This seems like replacing one priest with another.
It seems to me that true Christian fundamentalism would seek to strip away ALL mediation between human and God, especially with regard to the word of God. Since we know that the Bible was written centuries ago by other humans, each of whom had his own agenda and purpose for writing what he did, seeking the true “word of God” would naturally focus on what Jesus actually said. That would seem to me to be more fundamental to Christian faith than say, the letters of Paul. After all, who is Paul to interpret the meaning and significance of Jesus’ words and work? Just another priest.
Many early Christian writings were simply collections of sayings of Jesus (see the Gospel of Thomas). We know from non-Biblical historical references that Jesus was a real human, and he said things that people took to be important, and eventually many of the things he said were written down. I suppose the accuracy of these sayings is a matter of, um, faith. But I think you can set aside the question of whether the historical Jesus actually said all of these things and focus on the wisdom that these ancient texts display. If you want to get to the heart of Christianity, the truly fundamental essence of following Christ, I think you have to look at the actual words attributed to Jesus and disregard the theological designs created by humans who followed centuries later.
Jesus spoke mainly on two topics: social justice and ethics, and the nature of the divine. Now since I understand Jesus to be human, I generally take his statements about divinity as mysterious poetry, intended to reveal parts of a world beyond human understanding. This is why many of the sayings of Jesus are so inscrutable, and seem to align themselves with ideas found in other world religions. These theological sayings point toward some universal experience that is beyond human. We tend to refer to this experience as God.
But while this divinity talk is interesting, cosmic, and to some even life-affirming and emotionally satisfying, to me it seems ultimately of little use in our daily lives. Maybe something magical happens after we die, maybe something magical can happen while we’re still alive (mushrooms? voodoo? yoga?), but I am more interested in social justice and ethical issues that affect the way people live right now.
Evangelical Christians talk a lot about moral values, explaining that these values are derived from Jesus, who has personally saved each and every one of them. “What would Jesus do?” is the bumper-sticker distillation of this concept. Now that the Evangelicals have a strong voice in American culture, they relish in their opportunity to introduce Jesus’ values into the American mainstream. So why are we not seeing the results of their efforts in the form of a more just and ethical society? Is it because the atheists, homosexuals, and feminists are working so hard against the faithful?
Based on the text of the Gospels alone, the ethical and social justice values of Jesus (as opposed to the theological values), are radically inclusive. They work for faithful Christians as well as they do for non-believers. Love your neighbor, turn the other cheek, help the poor, forgive those who trespass against you. Most people will say that trying to adhere to principles like these is absurd and unrealistic. These values seem simplistic, and Jesus delivers the message with such grace and confidence, they almost seem easy.
The trouble is, these values are INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO LIVE BY, especially in the abundance of modern America. That is the true challenge of Christianity. Jesus himself said that if you follow his teachings, you will be persecuted, you will be poor, you will be tempted endlessly, and you will suffer at the hands of those in power. The reward is supposed to be the satisfaction of living ethically, even if it means you’ll be lynched like a Jew trying to help black Southerners vote.
Jesus never said that following him would be easy. In fact, it’s so difficult that in my observation, almost nobody does it. If every Christian in America took the words of Jesus seriously (as opposed to literally) and acted accordingly, this country would be transformed. That America might actually have a chance of becoming the beacon of freedom, the light in the darkness, that George W. Bush says it is. All it would require from Christians is sincerity.
For example, take the economy. American capitalism encourages and rewards greed. Greed is the engine that drives our nation. Anyone who participates in this greed engine cannot call himself or herself a Christian, can they? Greed is not a Christian value. Yet America depends upon it. Accumulation of wealth and social status is the prime incentive for people to create products and services for the American marketplace. But wealth accumulation is not a valid incentive for a Christian, is it? A Christian would be motivated by, say, working to ensure medical coverage for all American children. Jesus viewed wealth with distrust at best. He regarded greed as a sin. How can a Christian work to support an engine of greed that infects every aspect of American life with money?
Over the last five years or so, I have often loudly lamented the “invasion” of the public forum by self-righteous Evangelical Christians. For a while, it seemed to me that the Christians had taken over, or even that they had always been in control. Having re-examined my own Catholic roots by focusing on Jesus’ advice for an ethical life, I now understand that the Christians have not taken over America. In fact, I don’t think there are any Christians in America at all.
I decided I was going to make a list of my 25 favorite songs from my favorite bands. I guess this might be like a greatest hits mix. Tell me if you think I am on track.
California One Youth And Beauty Brigade Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect The Soldiering Life The Engine Driver July, July! The Bagman's Gambit The Legionnaire's Lament On The Bus Mall Red Right Ankle Odalisque The Gymnast High Above The Ground 16 Military Wives Cocoon Leslie Anne Levine Clementine The Mariner's Revenge Song Oceanside Shiny The Infanta My Mother Was A Chinese Trapeze Artsit Billy Liar Los Angeles, I'm Yours Song For Myla Goldberg Bridges and Balloons (live Joanna Newsom cover) Human Behavior
I would like to seem mega-tags on flickr. By mega tags, I mean second level tags. The photo above is of my Mom and Dad. I would like to only have to add 'mom' and 'dad' tags to this photo. I would like this photo grouped with family, women of my life, and backhome. I want one tag to group with the other right away. I think having a second level tag would give me more ways to orginize photos. I would also have to spend less time adding tags to photos.
Here is my Ten Seconds of Super Bowl Hype. I am rooting for the Seahawks even if "The Steel Curtain" is my favorite nickname. I might not watch the game this year.
I am a certified interpreter/translator in English, Spanish, and German. Every time I am outing my profession in the free business world, I receive encouraging hand shakes and sympathy statements that let me feel like the last dinosaur ready to leave the earth.
Indeed, if I look around, there are not many of us pro-s left. Why is that so?
Outsider, mostly budget cutting managers, think that the translation software packages available for low money or even for free to download on the internet can substitute the human translator who costs money and can make mistakes as he or she is no machine.
Now, what do we get from free translation.com ? One of my US friends recently commented on a blog entry in which I described our governator with the friendly German word "Wichser" that the only reasonable search result for this term he could obtain on a German-English translation site was "Windshield Wiper." This should make managers re-evaluate their decision to reduce labor costs by exclusively depending on translation software for their finished publications - unless they don't think that there is a huge difference between the word "windshield wiper" and "masturbator" which would have been the correct translation in this case.
Well, mistakes like that do not occur in the mainstream business language one might say. The same one should not bet on that too soon. Here is an example:
German sentence: "Wir haben die Gehaelter bereits ueberwiesen." English online translation: "We have the go holds already over meadowed." Correct English translation would have been: The salaries have already been transferred."
The most popular German word in the USA is "Fahrvergnuegen," frequently used in Volkswagen commercials. Sorry to burst your bubble folks but the word "Fahrvergnuegen" does not even exist in my native language just like "drivepleasure" doesn't in the English speaking world. "The pleasure of driving" would be the correct translation of this randomly put together so-called German term.
I admit that human translators can make mistakes - big mistakes - but at least there is a fair chance that 80% of their work leaves their computer correctly. Translators usually have to go through a thorough certification process before they are allowed to screw up in public. The online translation software very often helps them to stay competitive as it provides a basic translation matrix without labor costs involved. The human translator recognizes booboos and bugs and can fine-tune the script before it becomes public.
Make no mistake, the costs for a lawsuit that occurs from a faulty translation can by sky high - ten times as high as a translator's fee. I have the feeling that unlike the dinosaurs, my colleagues and I will have a chance to survive in our jobs, at least for now and the next couple of years.
Tonight we had the South Bay Blogger Best of 2005 CD swap tonight. Buzz, Courtney, Elkit, Fling93, and Andrew are all here. We talked more about Chuck Norris than music. It was still a good night.
Here are my best of 2005 mixes. I would like to know what people think.
You never know what can happen - Best of 2005
1. Since U Been Gone – Ted Leo & The Pharmacists 2. I Predict A Riot – Kaiser Chiefs 3. Requiem for O.M.M.2 – Of Montreal 4. The Infanta – The Decemberist 5. The Dark Don’t Hide It – Magnolia Electric Co 6. Trucker’s Atlas – Sun Kil Moon 7. Dance Music – The Mountain Goats 8. Evil and A Heathen – Franz Ferdinand 9. Deliverance – Calvin Johnson 10. Hardcore Days & Softcore Nights - Aqueduct 11. A Phoenix and Doves – Diane Cluck 12. Marching Bands of Manhattan – Death Cab For Cutie 13. Merchants of Soul - Spoon 14. 6 String Belief – Son Volt 15. Cream and Basterd Rise – Harvey Danger 16. Sing Me Spanish Techno – The New Pornographers 17. Noah’s Ark - CocoRosie 18. Smells Like Content – The Books 19. Don’t Let Me Explode – The Hold Steady 20. On Automatic – Michael Penn 21. Pencil Rot – Stephen Makmus 22. Madeline and Nine – Mike Doughty
The Second Best of 2005
1. (What is) Pop Music – No Luck Club 2. High Fidelity – Bob Mould 3. Let It Blow – Richard Thompson 4. Moon River – Petra Haden & Bill Frisell 5. Blue Orchid – The White Stripes 6. The Late Greats (Live) - Wilco 7. Sunday Bloody Sunday – Richard Cheese 8. Heard Somebody Say – Devendra Banhart 9. Little Bird – Little Wings 10. Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll – The Killers 11. Holland, 1945 – Christian Kiefer 12. Very – Moby 13. I Can See for Miles – Petra Haden 14. Come On! Feel The Illinoise! – Sufjan Stephens 15. Radio Campaign – M. Ward 16. TV Riot – The Adored 17. Landed – Ben Folds 18. The World If Full of Crashing Bores – Morrissey 19. Modern Music – Black Mountain
What is this World - New To Me 2005
1. 27 Jennifers – Mike Doughty 2. Jesus Chrst Was An Only Child – Modest Mouse 3. Young Pilgrams – The Shins 4. 3rd Planet – Modest Mouse 5. Source Decay – The Mountain Goats 6. Short Cut – Built To Spill 7. Sister I’m A Poet – Colin Meloy 8. 1952 Vincent Black Lightning – Mary Lou Lord 9. Gene Autry - Beylah 10. Courtyard – The Olivia Tremor Control 11. Almost Was Good Enough - Songs Ohia 12. Wreck On The Highway – Roy Acuff 13. Tangled Up In Blue – Robyn Hitchcock 14. Human Behavior - Decemberist 15. Hand of Kindness – Richard Thompson 16. Oh! September – Mirah/Ginger Takahashi 17. Division St. Girl – Jason Molina 18. Rules Broken – All Time Quarterback 19. Fire truck – Mike Doughty 20. Tidal Wave – Apples In Stereo 21. Inside – Patty Rothberg
This is my most "favorited" photos on Flickr. I think this would be good for Blog Sweeps Week. It is easy to see why this photo is popular. I think this is proof that my photography is about whimsy. I have no problem about that. If I want it to be about something else, I need to learn about photography
"Greetings from the East Coast. I am Rich's older sister, Kathy. Since all of his siblings are older than he is, I will let you guess where in the line I fall. Sometime in November Rich posted on Flickr a sign that hangs on our parents' front door that says "Thomas Tribe", he also referred to that as a kinda of 80's thing. Its true, it was the time of "Eight is Enough" (and we agreed), as well as the first revival of the "Brady Bunch", so cute names like Thomas Tribe were all the rage. Well here we are in 1981 in all of our glory wearing our numbered shirts:
(You have to remember that this was taken with an old Kodak 110 camera, and the picture hasn't aged well, so I apologize for the poor quality) By the way, The cute little kid in the front row squished between the Boss and the Chief now goes by Rich or Earthdog instead of #8.
When I originally volunteered for this duty, I was going to write deep thoughts and other nonsense, but as usual the week got away from me. Work has been its usual hell and all of the other stuff that goes with it. So instead, I'll tell you that Rich and I are alike in some ways and very different in others. We both love taking pictures, but I love printing and scrapbooking them (no jokes please - all of his sisters and his mother scrapbook), we both love baseball (but Rich is more avid about it), we both enjoy music (but I am a classic rock type with no taste for anything recent), we both love reading (but our tastes are vastly different) and both tend to dominate at Trivial Pursuit. In fact, neither of us can find opponents. Our political views as sort of similar, but I am much more conservative (though definitely anti-big government from many "conservatives"). Rich is more of a risk-taker than I am, but I am more take charge (that comes from family positioning). Rich is very techno-savvy and I know just enough to get by. I don't have a blog and can't foresee starting one in the near future. I can barely keep up with my correspondence much less regular posting. Most importantly, we both value family and friends, because when it comes right down to it, if you can't rely on your family, who else do you have?
I hope that the Blog Sweeps Week is successful for Rich and his blogger friends, you sound like such a fun and interesting group. Hopefully the next time I get out there, I can meet some of you, in the meantime, I will settle for reading your blogs.
I went to a flickr meetup last night. Five of the Eight people there had digital SLR camera. I played with a couple of them. This made me want a digital SLR even more. They shoot really nice pictures. I guess I will just have to wait, unless one of my Sad Salvation readers want to buy one for me.
Yesterday I posted my most viewed flickr photo, which is a woman almost nude. Today I am posting a photo of a woman that is almost totally covered. This is one of my most commented and most searched for blog entries ever.
I first posted the photo this entry with the picture below and this entry about the picture have received the most comments. Everytime I post this photo I get more comments.
I guess this is the case of people being attracted to the extremes. In my everyday life I do not see women dressed in metal bikinis or in niqab. I would quess that is why people like these photos. I would like to know which one of these pictures appeal to the average Sad Salvation reader more.
Here are the comments that go along with the photo:
Date/Time: July 10 2002, 05:46 pm
Poster: Bonni
I feel that I am violating her just by looking at her picture. Just her eyes are so expressive.
1. This muslim woman( who fully covers herself) puts her picture up for everyone's eyes to see. It is attracting men to her eyes. As a Muslim she cannot do this....
2. Because of her picture Rich she's got you thinking about her, making you think about whats underneth..etc. This is almost as worse as her taking her hijab and niqaab off. But I cannot judge this woman. Maybe she posted her pic wth different intentions.
When a woman covers herself she is respected, and the eyes of men are lowered out of respect.
Thank you for you comment on my web page. I think you added something to the ideas there. I would like to ask you a question.
You Wrote:
2. Because of her picture Rich she's got you thinking about her, making you think about whats underneth..etc. This is almost as worse as her taking her hijab and niqaab off. But I cannot judge this woman. Maybe she posted her pic wth different intentions.
It did not get to think of her in a sexual way. I was think thinking about her body. I was thinking about how she views the world and what kind of person she is. Is that also wrong? I have heard that one of the reason Muslim women cover themselves is so they can be thought of as a person and not as a sexual object. Am I misunderstanding this?
I wanted to send this as an e-mail, but it got bounced back to me.
Like you I have a web site, but mine is on the reason why We [Muslim women] dress the way we do. I have pics of fully veiled women, ONLY for the sole purpose to show people the different styles of dress, and what is in acordance with the ISlamic Law [Sahri'ah]. But just to have a pic of a veiled woman on a site for no reason doesn't sit right with me. But this is my own opnion.
I want to start by thanking you for stopping and thinking about the fact that you were USING her. I know most people don't think of the image of a person as USING them, but in a way, that is what is going on.
I have two point of view, which counter each other, in some ways.
1- any image, male or female, covered or uncovered is NOT public property. It is that persons. We steal something from them when we use them without permission, for it is their "copyright" of their face/body.
2- Images of individual styles of dress help explain and educate others. As the saying goes, Picture is worth a thousand words.
So how do we use, but not abuse? That is the real question. So, I give you permission to use my images of my veiled face (with eyes exposed) or covered from my webpage, ok Rich?
It did not get to think of her in a sexual way. I was think thinking about her body. I was thinking about how she views the world and what kind of person she is. Is that also wrong? I have heard that one of the reason Muslim women cover themselves is so they can be thought of as a person and not as a sexual object. Am I misunderstanding this?
Amongst the soul reasons a woman wears the covering, is to be respected and honoured of her right as a person who has the potential of any other woman. But that beautiful gem is hidden to the eyes of the world and with that comes great respect. I have to agree with your comment there abt that yes. But I also strongly agree with my fellow Muslim sisters above. By protraying that Muslim woman's pciture, you ARE using her as an ad (maybe not intentially) to your website...(for that is how I got here in the first place). I'm curoius to see your viewpoint on that.
When I feel that one of my sisters in Islam, no matter what nationality she is, or even if she has done any wrong to me, is being treated with direspect, I am obligated to stand up for her when she cannot. The rest of what I have to say has been said by my sisters above.
That really is an amazing photo!!! I think I know where she's coming from, as a Muslim woman(I dont wear niqab, only hijab, but I am thinking of wearing it) The women I know who wear it have an increased sense of self-value than other women I've known. very strong, and self-respecting women, and in a way it's a bit of a 'feminist' thing if you will, that they don't want to be looked at as sex objects or get advances from men. There's a sense of liberation from all of that. Looking at the photo, you can tell she's a stunning woman, even if she wears only the hijab, she will get so much attention from others;)
Yup, starting off right over here in Sad Salvation, with nude pictures. Oh well, almost nude. That bikini really isn't much to write home about. Actually ... on second thought ... it *is* worth writing home about. And you don't hardly need any postage because it weighs no more than a spider web. I bet there will be more scandal and outrage this week, possibly including but not limited to the following:
Lotsa BLING! This will be the blingingest blog ever. Word!
Confessions of a dangerous mind, body, and soul
Kittens! Cuddly cuddly kittens!
[Expletive deleted]
... and a whole slew of other items we cannot show on television
And all of this without any safety nets and harnesses. No terrorism counter measures. No warrantless surveillance (oh alright, maybe a little bit if you're into that kind of thing). No backups. (You don't need those when Jesus is your homeboy.) So come back for more mind-blowing/-boggling, mindless, minty-fresh fun. We'll be here all week. Try the veal.
I really wanted to get off to get Blog Sweeps week off to a better start. My plan was to have have some entries already in the can, ready to go. My plan was to get up early this morning so I could get some writing in. I was going to have a great entry ready so it could be read when people got to work on Monday. The idea was to set the expectation that people could check Sad Salvation several times a day and find new content each time.
As you might have figured out by now, that did not happen. This morning I was happy because I was having breakfast with Dreamgirl. I would rather have breakfast with her than write. Still, I did not get started the way I wanted to get started.
I am not sure what this says about me, my life, or Sad Salvation. I know it says something. I love doing these things. I just not good at commiting the time or effort that could make a hobby like Sad Salvation better. This seems to be one of the themes of my life.
I thought this photo was the right way to start off Blogger Sweeps week. The photo above is my most viewed photo and second most favorite photo on Flickr. Since everyone seems to love the Leia Metal Slave Bikink, it seems to be the right thing to drive more readers to Sad Salvation. The only better thing would be if I had a new photo like this to post.
