Senin, 31 Mei 2010
Guest Post: A Few of My Favorite Things
+ Sun-kissed freckles. Not only are they adorable, they give me an excuse to go easy on the makeup all summer long.+ Architectural salvage yards. I have this dream of living in a modern home, sprinkled with rustic details, like this sliding barn door.
+ Being feminine.
+ Big, thick, oversized glasses. I crush on a new pair every week.
+ Hats. My mom had me in all sorts of different styles from an early age. Right now I'm enamored of a classic fedora I picked during a trip to Sonoma, California.
+ Boy things, like flannel, hiking boots, oversized watches, broken-in jeans, and super soft T-shirts. I'm always stealing my fiancé's clothes!
+ Cats that do human things. Like this one.
+ Cheeky accessories. I'm a true nerd at heart, with a soft spot for dry humor. I love these playful mittens from Kate Spade. Gotta find a pair on eBay!
+ The best days start with two slices of avocado toast.
+ Designer Paul Rand. Get to know his work here.
-- By Kate from Wit + Delight
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Minggu, 30 Mei 2010
"...Star differs from star in glory..."
(Vincent Van Gogh, "Starry Night over the Rhone," 1888)
I Corinthians 15:40-44:
"There are both heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one thing, and that of the earthly is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; indeed, star differs from star in glory. So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body."
I had a magnificent set of evenings over Memorial Day weekend sitting out among the moon and the stars--even sleeping out all night in my yard one night, it was so glorious--and seeing the lightning bugs begin their summer debut for the season. It was simply a magnificent weekend to be a speck in God's Universe. The sheer size and awesome timelessness of the "big" things in nature--the sky, the stars, the ocean, just to name a few--have always been the major spiritual grounding rods for me, my entire life. People just don't do it for me the way nature does.
I looked at the stars these last few nights and pondered the paradoxical dance that "people" seem to occupy in my existence, thinking how each star, in its own way, is its own "person." How like the stars in the sky, we are called to community, and how each of us in our own way feels called to individuals in that community. Yet for me, the paradox has always been nothing gets my goat like people sometimes. I can only handle people for so long, and then that secular monastic in me takes over and I retreat to my safe hermitage of my country life. There is my daily retreat from work, as well as "add on" forms like my occasional "silent Saturday morning," and my "stay-cation retreats where I never leave home." Yet I never feel "un-called" to be a part of a community. When I am home alone, after a certain amount of time enjoying my alone-ness, I think of what it is I am supposed to "do next" when I enter back into community. When I am in that community, after a while I start daydreaming of what I want to do next in my "alone time." Each needs the other, and truthfully, each feeds the other.
On one of those nights, I sat out and thought about different people with each star--what they were experiencing in their lives, and how it is that I am supposed to combine with them to light up the sky, yet maintain my own individual "star-ness." Each one of us with the incarnational light of God within us, but manifested in so many unique ways.
There seem to be at least three kinds of stars in my life experience. Most valued are the "stars I can always see"--for instance, in the winter, I can always find the constellation Orion, and in the summer I can always fix my gaze on Scorpio. They are like the people in my life who have now been my friends for three decades or more. How we relate to each other has changed drastically over the years--sometimes not even close to the roles in which our relationships started out--but we somehow can always adjust. Sometimes their light is very intense and intimate in my life, and vice versa; other times, the light is dimmer. But they are constants. They are appreciated for both their longevity and their versatility.
Then there are the stars that once were a major focus, but I now no longer pay much attention to. I really don't pay much attention to the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper, or the North Star itself, per se. But there was a time I always looked for them. They are like the people who were once very involved and intimate in my life--old lovers, intense best friends, etc.--and somehow no longer figure much into the tapestry other than to be a thread once cherished, but no longer. Some of these fizzled out in a supernova of conflict, whereas others just sort of atrophied and slowly burned to extinction. Sometimes their light returns--but it is almost never of the same intensity that it once was, nor does my need to tend to that light return with the same intensity. I appreciate those stars for the history they have given me, even if it includes hard lessons.
Finally, there are the stars I just got around to noticing, like the time I first recognized all of Ursa Major, rather than just its "dipper." The first time I realized the dipper could be converted to a bear, it was an exciting time. It made the sky seem a little bigger than it used to be. I think about the gifts and talents in people I just now got around to appreciating in people who have been around me all along, or about the new people that come into my life over the years, and something about them challenge me to tend their light and let them tend mine. I appreciate those stars because they represent hope and promise.
Even the stars are perishable--which enhances my knowledge that people are perishable. It makes me understand the urgency of the Gospel of Mark, and in Paul's letters. If even stars are perishable, then people definitely are. Yet timelessness and infinity rides within all of them. What a beautiful, but messy, dance it all is!
AirAsia offering tax only fares to Bangkok
AirAsia is offering 10,000 tax only fares from its international destinations to Bangkok from 28 May to 1 June, 2010 for travel between 7 June and 31 August, 2010.
The low cost airline through its travel holiday division AirAsiaGo is also offering guests traveling into Bangkok free night offers (stay, pay promo) for hotel stays in Bangkok including free transfers and free half day city tours.
The international destinations included in this special five-day promo are Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Penang), Myanmar (Rangoon), Cambodia (Phnom Penh), Singapore, Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi), China (Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Macau, Hong Kong), Taiwan (Taipei) and Indonesia (Bali, Jakarta).
Sabtu, 29 Mei 2010
World's Strongest Beer
Man's favourite recreational drug just got much stronger.
Alcohol is the oldest and most commonly used of all recreational drugs, with annual sales exceeding USD 1000 billion a year. Beer has been the world's most popular alcohol since well before the invention of the wheel with annual sales now exceeding USD$500 Billion – roughly the GDP of Indonesia, the 18th largest GDP of any nation.
Read the full article at Gizmag
Jumat, 28 Mei 2010
SD Summer is Here
FINALLY this weekend temperatures will break into the 70's for one of the first times this friggin year. Memorial Day Weekend marks the beginning of summer in this city (especially this year since we had a raging frigid winter). Check out SignonSanDiego's hot list of fun things to do this summer. I've added a few of my favorites below, woohoo Summer of 2010!!! Everyone have a great holiday
Dancey Goodness at Jivewire
Jivewire happens at The Casbah the day before any holiday so you can kick of your day of freedom right! OH and it's always FREE!
Balbo Park International Cottages Ethnic Food Fair
Sunday, May 30 10:00a to 5:00pIt's the Annual Ethnic Food Fair at the International Cottages in Balboa Park (San Diego, CA). The houses/cottages will be serving ethnic food, and entertainment will be presented on the stage.GET MORE INFO HERE!!
30th on 30th, A Great Date!
Here's the program: on the 30th of each month, a bunch of restaurants and bars on and near 30th Street in the North Park/South Park part of San Diego offer specials, such as a feature appetizer for $2. This makes it easy for you to go on a restaurant crawl and check out all the amazing places on the 30th Street Corridor. Most places start their specials between 5 and 6pm. So come on out
That Mysterious Critter called the Trinity
In that odd way that only people who have worked around a hospital can appreciate, I have found the fact that Trinity Sunday coinciding with Memorial Day Weekend (Or, as I like to call it, "Opening day of major trauma season,")--rather amusing.
I've got a confession. I find thinking about the Trinity too long, rather traumatic. My clergy Facebook friends find preaching about the Trinity on Trinity Sunday rather traumatic. Most of them refer in some way that it is a week where they feel compelled to teach those in the pews about the Trinity, and have to admit they really don't understand much about the Trinity.
Now, I can handle the diagram above. It's pretty straightforward and simple. I recognize God is in all three entities, and each of the three entities are not in each other--well...sorta. One person told me in a recent discussion, "I know I'm not my brother and I know I'm not my sister, but the family DNA is in all of us." That is kind of what the diagram parallels. I agree with all of that. But that's where it ends.
Here's my heresy...
I have this nagging feeling that the Trinity is a representational being--like the wave or particle theory of light. Although I would be the first to tell you that the Trinity and the statements in the Nicene Creed (well, except for that add-on about proceeding from the Father AND the Son--the Son half of the filioque was tacked on later to the Creed) are "true," I would tell you I think the reality lies behind the Trinity, and the Trinity is what we use to explain what is actually a single entity made of infinite parts.
For instance...
Light, in some ways, behaves like a wave. In other ways, it behaves like a particle. Odds on, it's something that is neither or both a wave or a particle. But we can function in our world, make great discoveries and inventions involving the spectrum of light, by acting like it is a wave when it's useful and convenient, and acting like it's a particle when it's useful and convenient. The fact that it probably is NOT exactly what we theorize it to be isn't relevant. We don't sit and bemoan that it's not "true." Truth is perception, more than anything.
But the fact that the Hebrew Bible has between 40 and 70 words (depending on which rabbi you consult) that describe one aspect of what Christians attribute to a function of the Holy Spirit, or God the Father, or the Messiah, makes me suspicious that the Trinity is to Christian thought what the wave or particle theory is to light--a representation we can wrap our brains around, at least to a basic degree, that allow us to be connected relationally to God, and not just function in that world, but imagine, invent, and share with others in community.
Did you ever notice humans, by and large, no matter what their culture, like "threes?" We like to think bad news comes in threes. We tend to use threes in literature, in our phraseology. Many things in science, if you repeat them three times, creates a greater than two standard deviations level of confidence, statistically. We tend to only start to "get" things after the third time we've experienced something. We say, "three's a charm." I used to think that was a function of Judeo-Christian culture, until I learned that many other religions--Hinduism, Buddhism, Paganism, ancient Celtic religion, ancient Norse religion, etc.--also have many examples of the significance of the number three.
My theory--and that's all it is--is that for some reason, humans brains are hard-wired to be ok with three. Maybe it is because it's simply one more than what we can grasp in our own two hands. It's manageable. So when the Trinity was being "figured out," people like the folks who came up with the Nicene Creed sat there pondering this God with infinite faces and forms, and gravitated to explaining it in an iconic representation that is the default human level of understanding--three.
So for me, the Trinity is simply a three-pronged representation of an infinite concept--and here is where some people are going to shove me into the Express Lane to Hell for saying this, but I'm going to say it anyway--the Trinity seems to me to be more of a functional theory than an actual fact. There is truth in it, but the truth actually lies BEHIND it, not IN it, and I am willing to accept the "model" because it allows me to function in my world of "understanding my relationship with God." To accept the Trinity as "truth" also means I must accept the mystery that it is a representation of a bigger reality that I cannot possibly understand.
It's why I don't trust anyone who claims he/she can "explain" the Trinity to me. I think part of accepting the truth of the Trinity is to also accept that my brain, in my living human form, cannot possibly understand it, but I can understand enough of it to function as one of God's children within the confines of what it represents. To say "I believe in the Trinity"--to say the Nicene Creed and mean what I say--means I believe the reality it represents is only fully fathomable in the next world.
I'll be honest--this is a hard realization for me. I like to think I'm smart enough to "figure most everything out." But to accept that I cannot possibly figure this one out, is to accept another part of my life as a child of God--faith. Faith that this representation can take me everywhere I need to go, to live in service to God--and in that, I believe.
Kamis, 27 Mei 2010
Toby is here!
My darlings! As you may have guessed from the radio silence, I went into labor on Monday night, and, on Tuesday at lunchtime, we welcomed Tobias Paul Goddard-Williams into the world! He weighed 5 pounds 15 ounces and has blue eyes and brown hair. He is tiny and wrinkly and just the sweetest thing in the world. We are beside ourselves and completely in love.I'll be taking the next month off to dote on the little man, and some guest posters will be here (I'll pop in now and again with baby photos!). Then I'll be back on July 1st and am looking forward to sharing more baby photos, the birth story, and regular posts, too, of course. Thank you so much. xo
Sending a huge kiss to you...and the whole world!!!
Love, Joanna, Alex, and (now) Toby
Briton facing death penalty over redshirt riot breaks down in Thailand court
A Briton facing jail, or even the possibility of a death sentence, for his alleged part in redshirt rioting in Bangkok last week, broke down in tears in court today, saying his incarceration is distressing his elderly mother.Led from the court, Savage was again defiant: "They won't gag us. This is a political case … they're charging me with a criminal case."
Led into court barefoot, Savage was manacled in leg-irons, and wearing prison-issue orange shirt and shorts. He struggled with guards and insisted he was being blamed for the crimes of others.
"We're being scapegoated. Where's all the other people who were in the protest? … We're being made scapegoats. We're political prisoners."
But facing a judge for the first time since being arrested at the weekend, he broke down sobbing. "This is hurting my mother, she's 80 years old. Can't anybody help me?"
Savage appeared in court alongside an Australian man Conor Purcell, who berated the judge, saying that the court had no authority to try him.
"Nobody in this country has authority over me. I'm not under Thai law. I'm only obeying international law. I'm head of the red gang," he yelled at the court, brushing off efforts by embassy officials to calm him down.
Purcell, who also claimed to have been beaten in prison, is facing similar charges to Savage. He is accused of inciting violence through a series of incendiary speeches made on the redshirts' main protest stage.
Both Savage and Purcell had their detentions in Bangkok remand prison extended under the emergency decree for another week. They will reappear in court on 4 June.
Read more at The Guardian
Ed. Looks like Savage now realises his 15mins of fame might be his last, ever. Purcell ain't got the message yet.
First Avenue Cage the Elephant Tickets
Originally from Bowling Green, Kentucky, Cage the Elephant formed in 2005 with influences from The Beatles, The Ramones, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Nirvana & more. These guys will be coming to First Avenue on Monday, June 28th at 5:30 pm. Ticket King has a great supply of First Avenue Cage the Elephant tickets for the upcoming show for just $45 per ticket. Remember that your tickets can easily be picked up from our Minneapolis office located at 212 Chicago Avenue.
She and Him First Avenue Tickets
The indie folk band She & Him will be making a stop at First Avenue in just over a week. The performance will take place on Saturday, June 5th at 6 pm in the main room at First Avenue. If you haven't purchased your She and Him First Avenue tickets yet, don't worry- Ticket King has a few left for just $60 per ticket. She & Him have released two studio albums since their debut in 2006 and have plans to tour Europe this year after their United States tour. Get your She & Him tickets today before they're sold out!!!
Mix Up YouTube Tunes With Muziic DJ
The author of one of our favorite music apps for Facebook,Muziic, is back with a new app that brings some pizazz to your YouTube music listening sessions. Muziic DJ is a web application that turns YouTube into a virtual DJ studio, enabling you to create playlists and mix the tracks into a seamless party mix.
The app lets you search YouTube for tracks and albums, which you can play in two virtual “decks” or save as playlists for later. Features such as Auto DJ (which automatically switches to the next track) and crossfade make the DJ-ing experience quite enjoyable. The app also supports some simple effects such as “brake” and “reverb,” as well as additional loops and sounds you can play over the songs.
National Sex and the City 2 Day
Today Sex and the City 2 will be unleashed all over the nation. Ok, I love Sex and The City the SHOW but the first movie was one big sob fest (Big leaves Carrie at the fucking alter and then she's apologizing to HIM in the end?! Fucked up). The second movie has already earned some horrible reviews but whatever. If you're a straight woman and you live in America you're probably going to see the
Lil Jon Partying at Hard Rock Tonite
Thursday, May 27th marks the 1 Year Anniversary of Thursday Nights. The night will include a DJ Set by LIL' JON himself!!! But supposedly a free bus will be making runs back and forth to PB so you can guess what type of crowd will be there in full force....
More Obama Family Porn
I just love em because Michelle and Barack look like they are truly in love and their children look truly happy. And sadly? That's a big fucking deal these days for an American Family.
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Rabu, 26 Mei 2010
Minnesota Twins vs. Tampa Bay Rays Tickets
Holiday weekends are always a lot of fun during the baseball season, but this year will be especially fun for the Minnesota Twins with their new outdoor stadium. Independence day falls on a Sunday this year and the Minnesota Twins will be playing a series against the Tampa Bay Rays from Thursday, July 1st through Sunday the 4th. If you haven't made plans for the Independence Day weekend yet, this is your chance to get a great deal on Minnesota Twins vs. Tampa Bay Rays tickets from Ticket King! We have seats starting as low as $30 for Thursday's game; $50 for Friday; $57.50 for Saturday or $50 for Sunday. Get yours now while our selection is at it's best!!
Big BAD Love
This HILARIOUS skit from The Second City Network is sure to be the one that scores you some points around the office jokes e-mail chain...you guys have one of those right??CHECK IT OUT!!
Taste of Little Italy TONITE
The Taste of Littly ItalyMay 26th from 5-9 PMStroll around gorgeous Little Italy and taste samples from over 20 of San Diego's finest restaurants and cafes. Music will be played on various street corners while you roam around and get your Passport stamped at each stop. Online tickets are sold out but you can purchase your tickets on location for $40. Get More Information HERE
Sick of Your Name?
Or just plain bored? Use the Porn Star Name generator and reinvent yourself. There are also gangsta name, pirate, Mexican wrestler, taxi driver, pet and mafia name generators!!Get a New Name STATMy Porn Name: Barbie HardcoreGangsta Name: Old AfricanPirate Name: Cap'n Bernice BackstabberMexican Wrestler: El Goooaaaaaaaallll de OroTaxi Driver: Ferouhauste SandersPet: Chunky JigglesMafia: Clarice
The O'Shaughnessy Jewel Tickets
If you're a fan of Jewel and still haven't purchased your Jewel tickets for the show coming up in just over a week, it's NOT too late! The show will be next Wednesday, June 2nd at 7:30 pm at the O'Shaughnessy in Saint Paul. Ticket King still has a nice selection to choose from starting at just $67 each for main floor seats in row K. You may even get a chance to hear music from her upcoming ninth studio album scheduled for release on June 8th. Don't wait, these tickets won't last much longer!
Expat school reports: British schools in Thailand - Telegraph
Expats in Thailand have been holding their breath as anti-government protests brought violence to the streets of central Bangkok this month, and at least three of our featured schools were closed for a period during the trouble.
But away from the protests, Britons have many quality establishments in the country from which to choose, while a British-style education is increasingly sought-after by Thais themselves. All featured schools take pupils from the early years through to 18.
Schools covered in the report are:
- Bangkok Pattana School
- Harrow International School, Bangkok
- The Regent's School Pattaya
- Shrewsbury International School, Bangkok
Go to telegraph.co.uk for full article.
Selasa, 25 Mei 2010
Briton faces jail or execution for inciting Thai redshirts to torch mall
via guardian.co.uk
A Briton arrested in Thailand faces years in jail, or even a death sentence, for urging redshirt rioters to burn down a shopping centre.
Jeff Savage, a 48-year-old married man, originally from Tonbridge in Kent, has been accused by Thailand's prime minister of being a long-time member of the anti-government redshirt movement and a key agitator in the riots which saw swaths of the capital burn last week.
In his first prison interview since being arrested on Sunday, Savage, who has lived in Thailand for nine years, told the Guardian he was being fitted up for crimes he did not commit. He denied he was involved in burning down the Central World shopping centre in the heart of Bangkok's shopping district.
"I am being stitched up, being fitted up. I thought it was just for overstaying my visa, but now this is serious," Savage said from behind bars in Bangkok remand prison.
Twins vs. Yankees Wednesday Night Game Time Changed
Heyyyyy Twins & Yankees fans!! As you may know, tomorrow night the Minnesota Twins are scheduled to host the New York Yankees at Target Field. The original game time was suppose to be at 7:10pm but it has been changed to 6:10pm. If you haven't purchased your Twins vs. Yankees tickets for the game yet, Ticket King has tickets for the SOLD OUT game currently starting at just $22.50 each! What a steal! If you would like to attend the game, get yours now before they're gone! GO TWINS!
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