Questions provided by Queen of Carrots.
1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
Pretty much skipped my birthday, due to Sara being long-term sick and me being short-term sick.
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t usually make resolutions, and I don’t remember making any specifically last year.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth or get pregnant?
Not in my immediate family. Several in Sara's.
4. Did anyone close to you get married?
No one really close, although again, Sara's family and friends had some action on this front.
5. Did anyone close to you die?
No.
6. Travel?
A very fun family trip up to Maine and Nova Scotia this summer. We went by train and had a fantastic time.
Also lots of work travel, which is kind of fun for me but no fun at all for the five left at home.
7. Did you move anywhere?
No. After moving the last time (almost 10 years ago now), Sara and I decided that we didn’t ever want to move again. And that was with only one child and less than two years of marriage to accumulate stuff.
8. What was the best month?
June, with the trip North.
9. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
A healthier family.
10. What date(s) from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I really can’t think of any particular dates.
11. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I did a case in California from beginning to end, and won! That was a blast.
12. What was your biggest failure?
The church that we’ve been attending for 6 years had to stop renting the space we’ve had because we aren’t growing. No, it wasn’t just my failure, but as one of two families who helped start it up, it feels bad. So now we’re meeting in a home, which I’m not at all a fan of, at least long-term.
13. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Oh, my, yes. Many, many colds for everyone; Sara’s 3 week bout with fever; Stuart was sick with a fever for about 2 or 3 weeks. It was not a nice healthy year.
14. What was the best thing you bought?
Dungeons and Dragons. We’ve had a lot of fun as a family playing together.
15. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Sara, for getting several articles published and GETTING PAID FOR THEM! Yay, Sara!
16. Whose behavior made you appalled and/or depressed?
I try to avoid being political on my blog, but I’m not sure whether I’m more appalled or depressed at the current executive and legislative branches of our federal government. Probably both words apply depending on the day.
17. Where did most of your money go?
Housing and food. Not in the bank. And regarding the money that is in the 401(k) plan, thankfully not much of it went anywhere. Flat is better than plummeting.
18. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going to a worship leader conference. Winning a case.
19. What song will always remind you of 2011?
“Mean” by Taylor Swift.
20. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
ii. richer or poorer?
i. Hmmm. Good question. I would say probably sadder, due to the afore-mentioned church move.
ii. Thankfully, a little richer. Mostly due to Sara’s doing the budget. She’s really good at it.
21. What do you wish you'd done more of?
House repairs. I’m not at all good at them, so I tend to do what Dad and I call our “ostrich act” – just bury our heads in the sand and ignore them.
22. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Eating. I’m still the same weight I was last New Year’s (ok, I lost 2 whole pounds over the course of the year, but it’s basically the same).
23. How will you be spending New Year's Eve/Day?
We spent them enjoying my vacation from work. I took two whole weeks off, and that was great. And dinner with the Shaw family included homemade pasta, which is terrific.
24. What was an unexpected surprise?
Getting to go to the HSLDA National Conference for the first time in 10 years. My legal assistant leaving on short notice. The Virginia earthquake.
25. Did you fall in love in 2011?
Nope, but stayed in love with my best friend Sara. Marriage to her gets better every year.
26. What was the best concert you've been to this year?
None that I can think of, but Matt Maher is coming to this area soon, and I hope to go see him.
27. What was your favorite TV program?
Heroes, Season 1. Loved it!
28. Do you dislike anyone now that you didn't dislike this time last year?
No.
29. What was the best book you read?
I think probably Spellbound by Larry Correia. David Weber’s Out of the Dark was pretty good too.
For non-fiction, Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana. Many thanks to Will Estrada for recommending it to me.
30. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Taylor Swift.
31. What did you want and get?
A new cross necklace for Christmas. Better organized at work.
32. What did you want and not get?
A new minivan. Maybe this year?
33. What was your favorite film of this year?
X-Men:First Class and Captain America were top notch. I also really liked The Three Musketeers.
34. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 38, and I got sick. It was not a stellar birthday.
35. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More time to spend with Sara.
36. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Fashion? Ha! I don't really care enough to have a "fashion concept," I'm afraid.
37. What kept you sane?
Reading and going out for drives BY MYSELF WITH NO LITTLE VOICES TALKING TO ME.
38. What political issue stirred you the most?
The national debt crisis.
39. Who did you miss?
Sara and the kids, when I was on business travels.
40. Random Memories from 2011?
Having a great time with Addi and Stuart at Virginia’s inclusive homeschool convention. Sitting in a welfare office for 2 hours waiting for my case to be called. Driving a bright yellow car called Ferdinand, listening to Modern Scholar CDs. Our tenth annual All Saints Day party. Getting to meet with some good friends in person instead of just talking over the phone. Flying to Los Angeles and then immediately coming back, because the hearing got postponed while I was in the air. Listening to a CD of "yellow songs" that my friends the Morgans made for me to listen to while driving my yellow car.
Showing posts with label Ponderings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ponderings. Show all posts
Thursday, January 05, 2012
Friday, September 03, 2010
7 Quick Takes, September 3, 2010
--DJ
It's been a while since I've done a blog post, and I'm out of practice. Let's see what comes of this! :)
Here's the link for the 7 Quick Takes home at Conversion Diary.
1. One of my favorite blogs to go to daily is Gene Edward Veith's thoughts on religion, politics, how the two interact, culture, food, random tidbits... He's a fun writer. Today he linked to a wonderful couple of recipes: Deep Fried Beer and Chicken Fried Bacon. I'll pass on the first, but doesn't the second one just sound so delicious?
2. This link's a little harder to get to, but it's worth it. Kari Jobe has a Christmas video that's really gorgeous. Click here, then go to page 18 and click on the black box at the top left. I think you'll like it. Unless you don't like Kari Jobe (not that I know anyone like this. Right, Sara?)
3. What I'm Reading: The Way of Kings. I have been a big fan of Brandon Sanderson's work ever since Elantris, and so I actually went out and bought the hardcover. Borders then tried to sell me their Rewards Plus program for $20, since "you obviously like hardcover books!" Um, no, this was the first hardcover I'd bought in 2 years. I'm only on page 130 (out of 1000), but I'm really liking it so far. Interesting characters, fascinating worldbuilding, and very cool illustrations and maps.
4. For school with the two older kids, I'm doing Character Building Activities for Kids by Darlene Mannix. Lots of fun activities and worksheets. Addie and Stuart are enjoying it. The first character quality is honesty, and it's already been fodder for some good discussions about how honesty isn't just what you say, but what you do.
5. I've gotten to take 2 Indian cooking classes from Daniel in the last month, and that has been a lot of fun. I hope to make a couple of the recipes for when Dad and Mom come to visit.
6. What I'm Reading: God’s Lyrics: Rediscovering Worship Through Old Testament Songs. Interesting book about modern Christian music and how it could be made better by incorporating elements from the Songs of Moses, Deborah's Song, Hannah's Song, and several from Isaiah. I've just started on it; I'll try to give a review later.
7. In one of Amy's recent posts, she mentioned how most of the kids' berries were gone from their pail by the time they were done picking. She described it as "so fun." I would find that incredibly irritating - when I'm berry picking, I don't eat a single berry until we're home, and I get annoyed if anyone else does. Weird, I know :)
And that's it. Have a good Labor Day!
It's been a while since I've done a blog post, and I'm out of practice. Let's see what comes of this! :)
Here's the link for the 7 Quick Takes home at Conversion Diary.
1. One of my favorite blogs to go to daily is Gene Edward Veith's thoughts on religion, politics, how the two interact, culture, food, random tidbits... He's a fun writer. Today he linked to a wonderful couple of recipes: Deep Fried Beer and Chicken Fried Bacon. I'll pass on the first, but doesn't the second one just sound so delicious?
2. This link's a little harder to get to, but it's worth it. Kari Jobe has a Christmas video that's really gorgeous. Click here, then go to page 18 and click on the black box at the top left. I think you'll like it. Unless you don't like Kari Jobe (not that I know anyone like this. Right, Sara?)
3. What I'm Reading: The Way of Kings. I have been a big fan of Brandon Sanderson's work ever since Elantris, and so I actually went out and bought the hardcover. Borders then tried to sell me their Rewards Plus program for $20, since "you obviously like hardcover books!" Um, no, this was the first hardcover I'd bought in 2 years. I'm only on page 130 (out of 1000), but I'm really liking it so far. Interesting characters, fascinating worldbuilding, and very cool illustrations and maps.
4. For school with the two older kids, I'm doing Character Building Activities for Kids by Darlene Mannix. Lots of fun activities and worksheets. Addie and Stuart are enjoying it. The first character quality is honesty, and it's already been fodder for some good discussions about how honesty isn't just what you say, but what you do.
5. I've gotten to take 2 Indian cooking classes from Daniel in the last month, and that has been a lot of fun. I hope to make a couple of the recipes for when Dad and Mom come to visit.
6. What I'm Reading: God’s Lyrics: Rediscovering Worship Through Old Testament Songs. Interesting book about modern Christian music and how it could be made better by incorporating elements from the Songs of Moses, Deborah's Song, Hannah's Song, and several from Isaiah. I've just started on it; I'll try to give a review later.
7. In one of Amy's recent posts, she mentioned how most of the kids' berries were gone from their pail by the time they were done picking. She described it as "so fun." I would find that incredibly irritating - when I'm berry picking, I don't eat a single berry until we're home, and I get annoyed if anyone else does. Weird, I know :)
And that's it. Have a good Labor Day!
Friday, March 12, 2010
7 Quick Takes, March 12, 2010
From Conversion Diary’s regular feature Seven Quick Takes Friday.
1. The big news of the week is that we have a new YELLOW! car. It looks basically like the picture below, but with no black trim to set off the YELLOW! I’d love to have name ideas for it.
NOTE: All names suggestions including the word “lemon” will be automatically discarded :)
P.S. Did I mention it’s YELLOW!? Because it is.
2. A friend of mine who works at a Northern Virginia non-profit forwarded me the following story. It’s true; I’ve seen the original emails.
*******
April 7, 1999
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Doe:
These are several lawyers in your state that either we have worked with in the past or who have told us that they would be willing to help people in your situation.
[List attached, including lawyer French]
Sincerely,
My Friend
*******
April 8, 1999
Dear Mr. Friend:
I appreciate your response to our inquiry regarding assistance in our issue with Connecticut pertaining to my nephew's case. However, I need to bring you up to date regarding one of the lawyers you referred us to.
I am a Major in the Connecticut Department of Correction and I am personally acquainted with inmate French. It was just a couple months ago that Connecticut was treated to headline news about the "born again Christian lawyer" who was arrested for murdering his wife and two young children. Since being incarcerated awaiting trial on Capital Felony charges (potential death sentence here), he has been involved in several disciplinary actions involving organized inmate disobedience. Having met the prisoner and being familiar with the details of his present circumstances, I would heartily recommend that he be deleted from your referral list.
Respectfully,
Mr. Doe
Major – Connecticut Dept. of Correction
3. Back when I used to read World magazine regularly, Andree Seu was my favorite columnist. Her recent column “What’s in a Name?” was superb, as usual. She discusses the difference she found sitting at a formal seminary dinner, where “the after-dinner speaker waxed of venerable ‘traditions,’” and at a banquet of truckers, when “I knew right off the bat that it was all about Jesus and not about the organization; the excitement for Him was palpable. You don't know off-white until you see white next to it.” It’s well worth the read.
4. The movie will probably be awful, but the trailer for the remake of Clash of the Titans looks cool. Perhaps I’ll go. When I was young and heard about the original movie, I thought that “Clash” was a person, and wondered why I’d never come across him in my mythology books.
5. On the other hand, I am most definitely going to this one. I can’t wait.
6. Eve Tushnet linked to a fascinating article called “Why There Is No Jewish Narnia.” The premise of the writer, Michael Weingrad, is that “To put it crudely, if Christianity is a fantasy religion, then Judaism is a science fiction religion. If the former is individualistic, magical, and salvationist, the latter is collective, technical, and this-worldly.” He goes on to contrast the two religions more fully:
Christianity has a much more vivid memory and even appreciation of the pagan worlds which preceded it than does Judaism. Neither Canaanite nor Egyptian civilizations exercise much fascination for the Jewish imagination, and certainly not as a place of enchantment or escape. In contrast, the Christian imagination found in Lewis and Tolkien often moves, like Beowulf or Sir Gawain, through an older pagan world in which spirits of place and mythical beings are still potent. Nor is this limited to fauns and elves. This anterior world can be dark and frighteningly alien, as Tolkien has Gandalf indicate in The Two Towers. “Far, far below the deepest delvings of the Dwarves,” the wizard says, “the world is gnawed by nameless things. Even Sauron knows them not.” Lewis sounds the same note in Perelandra when, far below the surface of the planet Venus, his protagonist catches an unsettling glimpse of alien creatures, and wonders if there might be “some way to renew the old Pagan practice of propitiating the local gods of unknown places in such fashion that it was no offence to God Himself but only a prudent and courteous apology for trespass.”
The writer also points out that “Christianity offers a far more developed tradition of evil as a supernatural, external, autonomous force than does Judaism.”
As a Christian and a fantasy fan, I don’t agree with everything Weingrad says, but I think he’s right in his basic premise.
7. A very cool public service announcement from our friends across the pond, on the importance of wearing your seatbelt. (Warning: profanity in the comments) I remember that when I was in 10th grade health class in public school, the state police brought in a machine called “The Convincer.” You sat on a car seat in a metal frame with a shoulder/lap belt, and rolled down a slight hill until the frame hit the end and stopped short. The first ride was at 5 mph, which wasn’t too bad. The second ride, where you hit the object at 10 mph, left me with a bruise on my shoulder for several days. Since that time, I have always worn my seatbelt.
And with that moralizing, I’m off! Have a great weekend.
--DJ
1. The big news of the week is that we have a new YELLOW! car. It looks basically like the picture below, but with no black trim to set off the YELLOW! I’d love to have name ideas for it.
NOTE: All names suggestions including the word “lemon” will be automatically discarded :)
P.S. Did I mention it’s YELLOW!? Because it is.
2. A friend of mine who works at a Northern Virginia non-profit forwarded me the following story. It’s true; I’ve seen the original emails.
*******
April 7, 1999
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Doe:
These are several lawyers in your state that either we have worked with in the past or who have told us that they would be willing to help people in your situation.
[List attached, including lawyer French]
Sincerely,
My Friend
*******
April 8, 1999
Dear Mr. Friend:
I appreciate your response to our inquiry regarding assistance in our issue with Connecticut pertaining to my nephew's case. However, I need to bring you up to date regarding one of the lawyers you referred us to.
I am a Major in the Connecticut Department of Correction and I am personally acquainted with inmate French. It was just a couple months ago that Connecticut was treated to headline news about the "born again Christian lawyer" who was arrested for murdering his wife and two young children. Since being incarcerated awaiting trial on Capital Felony charges (potential death sentence here), he has been involved in several disciplinary actions involving organized inmate disobedience. Having met the prisoner and being familiar with the details of his present circumstances, I would heartily recommend that he be deleted from your referral list.
Respectfully,
Mr. Doe
Major – Connecticut Dept. of Correction
3. Back when I used to read World magazine regularly, Andree Seu was my favorite columnist. Her recent column “What’s in a Name?” was superb, as usual. She discusses the difference she found sitting at a formal seminary dinner, where “the after-dinner speaker waxed of venerable ‘traditions,’” and at a banquet of truckers, when “I knew right off the bat that it was all about Jesus and not about the organization; the excitement for Him was palpable. You don't know off-white until you see white next to it.” It’s well worth the read.
4. The movie will probably be awful, but the trailer for the remake of Clash of the Titans looks cool. Perhaps I’ll go. When I was young and heard about the original movie, I thought that “Clash” was a person, and wondered why I’d never come across him in my mythology books.
5. On the other hand, I am most definitely going to this one. I can’t wait.
6. Eve Tushnet linked to a fascinating article called “Why There Is No Jewish Narnia.” The premise of the writer, Michael Weingrad, is that “To put it crudely, if Christianity is a fantasy religion, then Judaism is a science fiction religion. If the former is individualistic, magical, and salvationist, the latter is collective, technical, and this-worldly.” He goes on to contrast the two religions more fully:
Christianity has a much more vivid memory and even appreciation of the pagan worlds which preceded it than does Judaism. Neither Canaanite nor Egyptian civilizations exercise much fascination for the Jewish imagination, and certainly not as a place of enchantment or escape. In contrast, the Christian imagination found in Lewis and Tolkien often moves, like Beowulf or Sir Gawain, through an older pagan world in which spirits of place and mythical beings are still potent. Nor is this limited to fauns and elves. This anterior world can be dark and frighteningly alien, as Tolkien has Gandalf indicate in The Two Towers. “Far, far below the deepest delvings of the Dwarves,” the wizard says, “the world is gnawed by nameless things. Even Sauron knows them not.” Lewis sounds the same note in Perelandra when, far below the surface of the planet Venus, his protagonist catches an unsettling glimpse of alien creatures, and wonders if there might be “some way to renew the old Pagan practice of propitiating the local gods of unknown places in such fashion that it was no offence to God Himself but only a prudent and courteous apology for trespass.”
The writer also points out that “Christianity offers a far more developed tradition of evil as a supernatural, external, autonomous force than does Judaism.”
As a Christian and a fantasy fan, I don’t agree with everything Weingrad says, but I think he’s right in his basic premise.
7. A very cool public service announcement from our friends across the pond, on the importance of wearing your seatbelt. (Warning: profanity in the comments) I remember that when I was in 10th grade health class in public school, the state police brought in a machine called “The Convincer.” You sat on a car seat in a metal frame with a shoulder/lap belt, and rolled down a slight hill until the frame hit the end and stopped short. The first ride was at 5 mph, which wasn’t too bad. The second ride, where you hit the object at 10 mph, left me with a bruise on my shoulder for several days. Since that time, I have always worn my seatbelt.
And with that moralizing, I’m off! Have a great weekend.
--DJ
Friday, March 05, 2010
7 Quick Takes, March 5, 2010
Today’s Seven Quick Takes post is brought to you by Jim Sammons, who encouraged us to “always listen to the cautions of your wife.” And with that cryptic comment, off we go!
1. Philip Jenkins wrote a book several years ago called The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity that I found fascinating. The major premise of the book was that Christianity is rapidly becoming non-Western, and that by 2050, only about one-fifth of Christians will be non-Hispanic Caucasian. As I belong to a church communion that exists mostly in Africa and Brazil, I agreed with many of his conclusions. However, I found his most recent book The Lost History of Christianity to be much less compelling. While it was an interesting story of the Nestorian churches in Africa and Asia, the writing was nowhere near as good. The main problem, however, was that I disagreed with his basic foundation – that non-Nicene/Chalcedonian Christianity is as theologically valid as that which won out at those Councils. As he argues, “Even on an issue as basic as the Person of Christ, what we today call mainstream historical orthodoxy looks more like the view that happened to gain power in Europe, and which therefore survived.” (p. 27) Even though I think that much of the Nestorian controversy was the result of flawed and sinful individuals not understanding what each other meant by certain terms (a view I somewhat hold about the Reformation, but that’s opening another can of worms), I question Jenkins’ view that theological victory is determined only by being “the last men standing.”
2. A book I liked much better (and which was far better written) is Going Dutch in Beijing. Subtitled “How to Behave Properly When Far Away From Home,” this book by an English travel writer has hilarious (and eye-opening) chapters on what hand signals to use (and which to avoid) in various countries (hint: the extended middle finger is never appropriate in any country); the etiquette of giving gifts; and how to participate in various holidays around the world. My favorite chapter was a discussion of the importance (or non-existence) of punctuality in different cultures. I don’t think I would do well in the Arab world, but insha’Allah, I won’t have to do business there for the foreseeable future.
3. You can’t always judge a book by its cover. And with that trite phrase out of the way, we move to a book whose premise sounded great – the marvelous variety of English synonyms or near-synonyms and how to use them properly. When Is a Pig a Hog?: A Guide to Confoundingly Related English Words looks great on the outside, and has an amusing picture of a pig (hog?) on a scale on the cover. But it’s BORING. Even for a reference book, which apparently it is, although it’s marketed more as entertainment, it’s bland. Too bad. I could see a book like this being hilarious. After all, “English doesn't borrow from other languages. English follows other languages down dark alleys, knocks them unconscious, and goes through their pockets for loose grammar.” (paraphrase of James Nicoll)
4. Last weekend I had the pleasure of going on a retreat up in New Hampshire put together by my friend Joel, and hosted by several Rhode Island churches. Pastor Jack Osteen (I doubt any relation to yet another Joel) gave several very inspiring (and short – yay!) talks on Scripture, and then we met in small groups to discuss and pray for each other. Lots of free time to do reading and praying on our own, good mature Christian men to get advice from, and great food. Well worth the 12 hour drive up and 10 hour drive back.
5. I recently saw a movie that I very much enjoyed called “Push.” If you like movies about paranormal people pursued by shadowy and corrupt government agencies, it’s well worth watching. Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure mine is a minority opinion (I think the best word to apply to movie critics’ reviews of “Push” is “panned), so I’m not thinking there will be a sequel. Too bad.
6. Anyone want to come to Virginia for vacation? The Virginia Department of Tourism is holding a family vacation contest where you can enter for four different trips – Williamsburg, a water park, cool stuff like that.
7. And if you have several days to waste, how better to do so than by enjoying a hysterical webcomic? One of my friends (yet a third Joel in one post) introduced me to Schlock Mercenary a few months ago. I’m not sure whether to thank him or not for getting me addicted. But just to pass on the addiction, here's the first strip.
--DJ
1. Philip Jenkins wrote a book several years ago called The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity that I found fascinating. The major premise of the book was that Christianity is rapidly becoming non-Western, and that by 2050, only about one-fifth of Christians will be non-Hispanic Caucasian. As I belong to a church communion that exists mostly in Africa and Brazil, I agreed with many of his conclusions. However, I found his most recent book The Lost History of Christianity to be much less compelling. While it was an interesting story of the Nestorian churches in Africa and Asia, the writing was nowhere near as good. The main problem, however, was that I disagreed with his basic foundation – that non-Nicene/Chalcedonian Christianity is as theologically valid as that which won out at those Councils. As he argues, “Even on an issue as basic as the Person of Christ, what we today call mainstream historical orthodoxy looks more like the view that happened to gain power in Europe, and which therefore survived.” (p. 27) Even though I think that much of the Nestorian controversy was the result of flawed and sinful individuals not understanding what each other meant by certain terms (a view I somewhat hold about the Reformation, but that’s opening another can of worms), I question Jenkins’ view that theological victory is determined only by being “the last men standing.”
2. A book I liked much better (and which was far better written) is Going Dutch in Beijing. Subtitled “How to Behave Properly When Far Away From Home,” this book by an English travel writer has hilarious (and eye-opening) chapters on what hand signals to use (and which to avoid) in various countries (hint: the extended middle finger is never appropriate in any country); the etiquette of giving gifts; and how to participate in various holidays around the world. My favorite chapter was a discussion of the importance (or non-existence) of punctuality in different cultures. I don’t think I would do well in the Arab world, but insha’Allah, I won’t have to do business there for the foreseeable future.
3. You can’t always judge a book by its cover. And with that trite phrase out of the way, we move to a book whose premise sounded great – the marvelous variety of English synonyms or near-synonyms and how to use them properly. When Is a Pig a Hog?: A Guide to Confoundingly Related English Words looks great on the outside, and has an amusing picture of a pig (hog?) on a scale on the cover. But it’s BORING. Even for a reference book, which apparently it is, although it’s marketed more as entertainment, it’s bland. Too bad. I could see a book like this being hilarious. After all, “English doesn't borrow from other languages. English follows other languages down dark alleys, knocks them unconscious, and goes through their pockets for loose grammar.” (paraphrase of James Nicoll)
4. Last weekend I had the pleasure of going on a retreat up in New Hampshire put together by my friend Joel, and hosted by several Rhode Island churches. Pastor Jack Osteen (I doubt any relation to yet another Joel) gave several very inspiring (and short – yay!) talks on Scripture, and then we met in small groups to discuss and pray for each other. Lots of free time to do reading and praying on our own, good mature Christian men to get advice from, and great food. Well worth the 12 hour drive up and 10 hour drive back.
5. I recently saw a movie that I very much enjoyed called “Push.” If you like movies about paranormal people pursued by shadowy and corrupt government agencies, it’s well worth watching. Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure mine is a minority opinion (I think the best word to apply to movie critics’ reviews of “Push” is “panned), so I’m not thinking there will be a sequel. Too bad.
6. Anyone want to come to Virginia for vacation? The Virginia Department of Tourism is holding a family vacation contest where you can enter for four different trips – Williamsburg, a water park, cool stuff like that.
7. And if you have several days to waste, how better to do so than by enjoying a hysterical webcomic? One of my friends (yet a third Joel in one post) introduced me to Schlock Mercenary a few months ago. I’m not sure whether to thank him or not for getting me addicted. But just to pass on the addiction, here's the first strip.
--DJ
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Friendship: The Great Risk
I subscribe to a magazine called "Keepers At Home," which as the name suggests is a forum for feminist activists. Ha, ha, my little joke. It's published by Mennonites, so it comes from the worldview of head coverings, cape dresses, and strict obedience to husbands. I enjoy it because it does allow for some variation of opinion among its readers, and it's a good place to find natural remedies when you don't want to reach automatically for medicine. Best of all, every issue has at least four pages of birth announcements, where they list not only the baby's name, but the names of all the siblings. I pore over these pages. The rest I just skim.
My skimmings in the latest issue left me thinking. A favorite topic addressed in KAH is "guarding the heart." It's a familiar concept to all of us girls of ATI extraction (and probably strange to anyone else): don't read romance novels, don't focus on young men, wait until God brings a man to you to marry, etc. The articles on this topic usually offer a lot of good advice, although not as much revealed Biblical truth that they claim to.
This issue of KAH mentioned a different aspect of guarding the heart. The writer says that at about 12 years of age, girls develop the desire to have a relationship with just one person. Usually they form a close and exclusive friendship with another girl. Parents are cautioned against letting this happen. Not because of any possible homosexual connotations, but because "inevitably, the friendships sours, leading to hurt feelings and a bad experience." Daughters should be directed toward their own family members to channel that desire for an exclusive friendship.
What do you think about this advice? I ask because I'm not entirely certain what my opinion is. On one hand, I think it's always a good idea to encourage family solidarity. Building a friendship with your brothers and sisters is work that reaps rewards all your life. After all, you can leave friends behind, but your siblings are always part of you -- even if it's only as a brother-shaped hole in your life.
Also, when girls form those friendships, they drive their families crazy. Nobody else is nearly as interested in The Friend, but the girl in question doesn't ever, ever understand that. I speak from experience... or rather, my family can. I was always the girl with The Friend.
On the other hand, advice like this comes from the camp that says "It's the duty of the parent to spare their children from heartache." It’s the same reason why the current notion of courtship has evolved into such a complicated ritual. First in romantic matters, now in matters of friendship: if it might turn out badly, then it can't be of God. Make sure it doesn't happen.
I have two or three enduring friendships that went through those suffocating teen years, into the more relaxed years of adulthood. In each friendship, The Friend and I went over some rocky territory. In the one I thought was the worst -- the shattering of a perfect friendship -- she withdrew, and I got angry. For about two years we were barely on speaking terms. It hurt deeply. But we learned to understand each other; instead of shattering, the friendship is in fact better now. In retrospect, what I learned from those experiences has improved my friendships, my marriage, and me. But had I not found God’s grace and let those hurts heal, it still could be painful. I think many people do carry around friendship wounds all their lives.
So what is the balance? Should you restrict exclusive or outside-the-family friendships? Or should you let your daughter make friends where she wants to, hoping that the storms help and not hurt her? I think I'll discover an actual answer to these questions when it's my own daughters I'm talking about.
-- SJ
My skimmings in the latest issue left me thinking. A favorite topic addressed in KAH is "guarding the heart." It's a familiar concept to all of us girls of ATI extraction (and probably strange to anyone else): don't read romance novels, don't focus on young men, wait until God brings a man to you to marry, etc. The articles on this topic usually offer a lot of good advice, although not as much revealed Biblical truth that they claim to.
This issue of KAH mentioned a different aspect of guarding the heart. The writer says that at about 12 years of age, girls develop the desire to have a relationship with just one person. Usually they form a close and exclusive friendship with another girl. Parents are cautioned against letting this happen. Not because of any possible homosexual connotations, but because "inevitably, the friendships sours, leading to hurt feelings and a bad experience." Daughters should be directed toward their own family members to channel that desire for an exclusive friendship.
What do you think about this advice? I ask because I'm not entirely certain what my opinion is. On one hand, I think it's always a good idea to encourage family solidarity. Building a friendship with your brothers and sisters is work that reaps rewards all your life. After all, you can leave friends behind, but your siblings are always part of you -- even if it's only as a brother-shaped hole in your life.
Also, when girls form those friendships, they drive their families crazy. Nobody else is nearly as interested in The Friend, but the girl in question doesn't ever, ever understand that. I speak from experience... or rather, my family can. I was always the girl with The Friend.
On the other hand, advice like this comes from the camp that says "It's the duty of the parent to spare their children from heartache." It’s the same reason why the current notion of courtship has evolved into such a complicated ritual. First in romantic matters, now in matters of friendship: if it might turn out badly, then it can't be of God. Make sure it doesn't happen.
I have two or three enduring friendships that went through those suffocating teen years, into the more relaxed years of adulthood. In each friendship, The Friend and I went over some rocky territory. In the one I thought was the worst -- the shattering of a perfect friendship -- she withdrew, and I got angry. For about two years we were barely on speaking terms. It hurt deeply. But we learned to understand each other; instead of shattering, the friendship is in fact better now. In retrospect, what I learned from those experiences has improved my friendships, my marriage, and me. But had I not found God’s grace and let those hurts heal, it still could be painful. I think many people do carry around friendship wounds all their lives.
So what is the balance? Should you restrict exclusive or outside-the-family friendships? Or should you let your daughter make friends where she wants to, hoping that the storms help and not hurt her? I think I'll discover an actual answer to these questions when it's my own daughters I'm talking about.
-- SJ
Friday, February 29, 2008
Best Picture List
My friend Joel posted a list of the recent Best Picture winners on his blog, noting which ones he had watched. He had seen most of them. I thought it would be interesting to look at which ones I have actually seen, but the recent list was pretty scanty, so I went for the full list. It was pretty fun, being reminded of what the Academy has thought was worthy of an award.
Bold titles are those I have seen; italics are those that I have seen part of.
1928 - Wings
1929 - The Broadway Melody
1930 - All Quiet on the Western Front
1931 - Cimarron
1932 - Grand Hotel
1933 - Cavalcade
1934 - It Happened One Night - Sara and I watched this one together. Here are her comments on it.
1935 - Mutiny on the Bounty
1936 - The Great Ziegfeld
1937 - The Life of Emile Zola
1938- You Can't Take It With You
1939 - Gone with the Wind - I know, how can I be married to a Southerner and not have seen this one??
1940 - Rebecca
1941 - How Green Was My Valley
1942 - Mrs. Miniver
1943 - Casablanca - I watched most of this on TV when I was in elementary school, but it ended past my bedtime, and I've never finished it.
1944 - Going My Way
1945 - The Lost Weekend
1946 - The Best Years of Our Lives
1947 - Gentleman's Agreement
1948 - Hamlet - I've seen the Branagh and Gibson versions, but not this one.
1949 - All the King's Men
1950 - All About Eve - Marilyn Monroe was the best part of this movie. I liked it a lot.
1951 - An American in Paris
1952 - The Greatest Show on Earth
1953 - From Here to Eternity
1954 - On the Waterfront
1955 - Marty
1956 - Around the World in 80 Days
1957 - The Bridge on the River Kwai
1958 - Gigi
1959 - Ben-Hur - I can't wait until Stuart's old enough to see this one; I think he'll love it as much as I do.
1960 - The Apartment
1961 - West Side Story - watched some of it, but liked the original better.
1962 - Lawrence of Arabia
1963 - Tom Jones
1964 - My Fair Lady - I haven't seen the whole movie since I was in grade 7, when I was bored by it.
1965 - The Sound of Music
1966 - A Man for All Seasons - This is one of my favorite movies about one of my heroes, St. Thomas More.
1967 - In the Heat of the Night
1968 - Oliver!
1969 - Midnight Cowboy
1970 - Patton
1971 - The French Connection
1972 - The Godfather
1973 - The Sting - saw this one when I was too young to understand it, but liked the music. Saw it later and loved it.
1974 - The Godfather Part II
1975 - One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
1976 - Rocky - I saw this one in 7th grade and hated it enough that I've never seen any of the others.
1977 - Annie Hall
1978 - The Deer Hunter
1979 - Kramer vs. Kramer
1980 - Ordinary People
1981 - Chariots of Fire - great movie about a great Christian.
1982 - Gandhi - I want to finish this one sometime, because I like Ben Kingsley a lot, and I liked the beginning of the movie immensely.
1983 - Terms of Endearment
1984 - Amadeus
1985 - Out of Africa
1986 - Platoon
1987 - The Last Emperor
1988 - Rain Man
1989 - Driving Miss Daisy
1990 - Dances with Wolves - I felt like I needed a bath after seeing this movie. I hope never to be exposed to it again.
1991 - The Silence of the Lambs
1992 - Unforgiven
1993 - Schindler’s List
1994 - Forrest Gump
1995 - Braveheart - once I figured out the British were the bad guys, I refused to watch it. Sorry, all you Scots out there, I'm Saecsen to the core.
1996 - The English Patient - I wasn't planning on watching this one, and then when I read this article, I was even less desirous of seeing it.
1997 - Titanic
1998 - Shakespeare in Love - definitely needed a bath after seeing this one.
1999 - American Beauty - not unless you tie me to a chair and force my eyelids open will I even get near this one.
2000 - Gladiator
2001 - A Beautiful Mind
2002 - Chicago
2003 - Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - it's unfortunate that the Best Picture had to go to the weakest of the trilogy, but I'm still glad for Jackson that he got his well-deserved award.
2004 - Million Dollar Baby
2005 - Crash
2006 - The Departed
2007 - No Country for Old Men - see comment for "American Beauty"
--DJ
Bold titles are those I have seen; italics are those that I have seen part of.
1928 - Wings
1929 - The Broadway Melody
1930 - All Quiet on the Western Front
1931 - Cimarron
1932 - Grand Hotel
1933 - Cavalcade
1934 - It Happened One Night - Sara and I watched this one together. Here are her comments on it.
1935 - Mutiny on the Bounty
1936 - The Great Ziegfeld
1937 - The Life of Emile Zola
1938- You Can't Take It With You
1939 - Gone with the Wind - I know, how can I be married to a Southerner and not have seen this one??
1940 - Rebecca
1941 - How Green Was My Valley
1942 - Mrs. Miniver
1943 - Casablanca - I watched most of this on TV when I was in elementary school, but it ended past my bedtime, and I've never finished it.
1944 - Going My Way
1945 - The Lost Weekend
1946 - The Best Years of Our Lives
1947 - Gentleman's Agreement
1948 - Hamlet - I've seen the Branagh and Gibson versions, but not this one.
1949 - All the King's Men
1950 - All About Eve - Marilyn Monroe was the best part of this movie. I liked it a lot.
1951 - An American in Paris
1952 - The Greatest Show on Earth
1953 - From Here to Eternity
1954 - On the Waterfront
1955 - Marty
1956 - Around the World in 80 Days
1957 - The Bridge on the River Kwai
1958 - Gigi
1959 - Ben-Hur - I can't wait until Stuart's old enough to see this one; I think he'll love it as much as I do.
1960 - The Apartment
1961 - West Side Story - watched some of it, but liked the original better.
1962 - Lawrence of Arabia
1963 - Tom Jones
1964 - My Fair Lady - I haven't seen the whole movie since I was in grade 7, when I was bored by it.
1965 - The Sound of Music
1966 - A Man for All Seasons - This is one of my favorite movies about one of my heroes, St. Thomas More.
1967 - In the Heat of the Night
1968 - Oliver!
1969 - Midnight Cowboy
1970 - Patton
1971 - The French Connection
1972 - The Godfather
1973 - The Sting - saw this one when I was too young to understand it, but liked the music. Saw it later and loved it.
1974 - The Godfather Part II
1975 - One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
1976 - Rocky - I saw this one in 7th grade and hated it enough that I've never seen any of the others.
1977 - Annie Hall
1978 - The Deer Hunter
1979 - Kramer vs. Kramer
1980 - Ordinary People
1981 - Chariots of Fire - great movie about a great Christian.
1982 - Gandhi - I want to finish this one sometime, because I like Ben Kingsley a lot, and I liked the beginning of the movie immensely.
1983 - Terms of Endearment
1984 - Amadeus
1985 - Out of Africa
1986 - Platoon
1987 - The Last Emperor
1988 - Rain Man
1989 - Driving Miss Daisy
1990 - Dances with Wolves - I felt like I needed a bath after seeing this movie. I hope never to be exposed to it again.
1991 - The Silence of the Lambs
1992 - Unforgiven
1993 - Schindler’s List
1994 - Forrest Gump
1995 - Braveheart - once I figured out the British were the bad guys, I refused to watch it. Sorry, all you Scots out there, I'm Saecsen to the core.
1996 - The English Patient - I wasn't planning on watching this one, and then when I read this article, I was even less desirous of seeing it.
1997 - Titanic
1998 - Shakespeare in Love - definitely needed a bath after seeing this one.
1999 - American Beauty - not unless you tie me to a chair and force my eyelids open will I even get near this one.
2000 - Gladiator
2001 - A Beautiful Mind
2002 - Chicago
2003 - Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - it's unfortunate that the Best Picture had to go to the weakest of the trilogy, but I'm still glad for Jackson that he got his well-deserved award.
2004 - Million Dollar Baby
2005 - Crash
2006 - The Departed
2007 - No Country for Old Men - see comment for "American Beauty"
--DJ
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Blogs and Friendship
(And all dedicated Austen buffs recognize the reference, right?)
Amy asked me to blog about a comment I made on her blog about, um, blogging. While I dashed off the comment hardly without thinking, it's taken me a few days to organize my thoughts for a post.
What's the big deal with blogging, anyway? Why can so many people be interested, nay, addicted to reading what amounts to other people's online journals? In my case, I could argue that it's how I keep up with my distant friends. Blogging closes the gap between us, so instead of living scattered across the country, we are all part of one big virtual neighborhood. And that's very true. I went through some very lonely times here, when making friends was all hard work with little reward, and my online neighborhood was was kept me afloat.
Well, okay, granted. It's like the age-old tradition of letter-writing, only updated and instant. But why would anyone visit blogs of people they don't know? Even better, blogs of people they don't know, which use code names for family and never say where they live? How is that keeping in contact with friends? Because it can't be a real friendship if you don't actually know the person.
It can be friendship. In the world of anonymous blogs, you enter a society where regular rules don't apply. You can skip the surface getting-to-know you chatter and get down to real discussions, real conversation. You can talk about things online that, in person, you'd tell only to your closest friend... assuming you have a friend that close. And because your anonymous readers don't have other loyalties to divide them, they can be supportive, encouraging, and objective. It's all the benefits of a close friendship without a lot of the work.
It's also less risky. You have to put a great deal of yourself into a face-to-face relationship, which means you can be hurt that much more deeply if it falls apart. Blogging gives you distance: you can choose what of yourself you want to give, and you can choose what of the other person you want to receive. The friendships you form can be very real, but easier to handle.
I always have to remember that my online friends -- even those I know personally -- let me see only what they want me to see. Most of my friends are very transparent, probably more transparent than I am on my own blog. But we bloggers are always in control of what goes on our blogs, so even the less-savory stories are revealed by our own hands. In short, when you're online, you never see the whole person. As far as blogging goes, that's perfectly fine. I give what I want, and I receive what I want.
The danger lies in letting online friendships replace face-to-face contact. It's so much harder to build in-person friendships that it's tempting to give it up. Don't. Keep up your blogging friends, but get out and meet whole people. Invite people to visit. Learn to love people whose voices irritate you, who forget to knock before coming in to your house, who really need a haircut but never seem to get one. Realize how rewarding it is to have a friend who isn't afraid to hug you, whose impeccable outfits leave you in awe, who laughs loudly at your jokes.
As warming as it is to get, say, twenty-five encouraging comments at once on your quiet, private blog (like I ever get twenty-five comments, not that that would have me walking on air all week or anything), it just isn't the same as sitting in a friend's kitchen on a snowy day, eating Ramen noodles and listening to the kids playing in the other room. Long live blogging! And don't forget the whole person.
-- SJ
Amy asked me to blog about a comment I made on her blog about, um, blogging. While I dashed off the comment hardly without thinking, it's taken me a few days to organize my thoughts for a post.
What's the big deal with blogging, anyway? Why can so many people be interested, nay, addicted to reading what amounts to other people's online journals? In my case, I could argue that it's how I keep up with my distant friends. Blogging closes the gap between us, so instead of living scattered across the country, we are all part of one big virtual neighborhood. And that's very true. I went through some very lonely times here, when making friends was all hard work with little reward, and my online neighborhood was was kept me afloat.
Well, okay, granted. It's like the age-old tradition of letter-writing, only updated and instant. But why would anyone visit blogs of people they don't know? Even better, blogs of people they don't know, which use code names for family and never say where they live? How is that keeping in contact with friends? Because it can't be a real friendship if you don't actually know the person.
It can be friendship. In the world of anonymous blogs, you enter a society where regular rules don't apply. You can skip the surface getting-to-know you chatter and get down to real discussions, real conversation. You can talk about things online that, in person, you'd tell only to your closest friend... assuming you have a friend that close. And because your anonymous readers don't have other loyalties to divide them, they can be supportive, encouraging, and objective. It's all the benefits of a close friendship without a lot of the work.
It's also less risky. You have to put a great deal of yourself into a face-to-face relationship, which means you can be hurt that much more deeply if it falls apart. Blogging gives you distance: you can choose what of yourself you want to give, and you can choose what of the other person you want to receive. The friendships you form can be very real, but easier to handle.
I always have to remember that my online friends -- even those I know personally -- let me see only what they want me to see. Most of my friends are very transparent, probably more transparent than I am on my own blog. But we bloggers are always in control of what goes on our blogs, so even the less-savory stories are revealed by our own hands. In short, when you're online, you never see the whole person. As far as blogging goes, that's perfectly fine. I give what I want, and I receive what I want.
The danger lies in letting online friendships replace face-to-face contact. It's so much harder to build in-person friendships that it's tempting to give it up. Don't. Keep up your blogging friends, but get out and meet whole people. Invite people to visit. Learn to love people whose voices irritate you, who forget to knock before coming in to your house, who really need a haircut but never seem to get one. Realize how rewarding it is to have a friend who isn't afraid to hug you, whose impeccable outfits leave you in awe, who laughs loudly at your jokes.
As warming as it is to get, say, twenty-five encouraging comments at once on your quiet, private blog (like I ever get twenty-five comments, not that that would have me walking on air all week or anything), it just isn't the same as sitting in a friend's kitchen on a snowy day, eating Ramen noodles and listening to the kids playing in the other room. Long live blogging! And don't forget the whole person.
-- SJ
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
