John Paul Jones

A friend of mine just shared this youtube video with me - it's pretty funny (contains explicit lyrics but otherwise SFW).

John Paul Jones [not the drummer] is the one who said, "We have not yet begun to fight!" which is the rallying cry I am trying to co-opt for the Environmental movement. Not too much success yet, but it's early going. Check out the "Serapis" flag.

Kismet

I seriously DO love the web. There is so much synchronicity that is proved to me, almost daily, that I am amazed.

Anyway, I went to one of my favorite blogs this morning, bldgblog, and saw this post about the "Landscapes of Quarantine" show announced by the blogger:

Quarantine is both an ancient spatial practice and a state of monitored isolation, dating back at least to the Black Death – if not to Christ's 40 days in the desert – yet it has re-emerged today as an issue of urgent biological, political, and even architectural importance in an era of global tourism and flu pandemics.

Quarantine touches on serious constitutional issues associated with involuntary medical isolation, as well as on questions of governmental authority, regional jurisdiction, and the limits of inter-state cooperation. Quarantine is as much a matter of national security, public safety, and agricultural biodiversity as it is an entry point into discussions of race, purity, and unacknowledged discrimination.

And when I went to religious imagery in culture the topic of their most recent post was called "exclusion" which is where I found the image (above) by Will Govus. It's a great photo - why are the surveillance cameras there??

Cool, right!?! Those of you who know me, know how much I love the liturgical season of Lent. But I had never really thought of Jesus' 40 days in the desert as a self-imposed quarantine. Which makes me think about not only the fast, but the idea of quarantine all the more. For those who haven't read it, I recommend Daniel Defoe's "A Journal of the Plague Year". Not as great as Moll Flanders (imo), but a great description of the need for effective quarantines.

Under the Hagia Sophia

Found this link in my daily blog-reading and am amazed [thanks bldgblog for your awesomeness, as always!]. It just sounds SO COOL! Like Jacques Cousteau meets Indiana Jones. Or Steve Zissou!

Anyway, on one of my visits to Turkey, we stumbled across an excavated-but-abandoned archaeological site which had been flooded. The doorway arches loomed out of the water, and frogs were splashing around. I felt like I'd found Atlantis or something. But tunnels under the Hagia Sophia sounds so Byzantine!! [get it?]

I can't find the upcoming film of the expeditions at the site on IMDB yet, but according to the Hürriyet article,

His 50-minute documentary, “Ayasofya’nın Derinliklerinde” (In the Depths of Hagia Sophia), will compete at international festivals starting in the fall.

"St John's Bible" Event

I just found out about an upcoming event at St George's Church in Philadelphia.

September 26, 2009, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. the St John's Bible will be on display as part of St George's 3rd Annual "Smithsonian Museum Day."

You can go here for more details, but this is from the press release:

For the third year in a row, St. George’s is participating in the Smithsonian Museum Day, welcoming the community to our museum. Special exhibit includes the Heritage facsimile edition of the new illuminated masterpiece, the St. John’s Bible. Thanks to Donald Jackson, the artistic director of the original manuscript, the Heritage Edition is a work of art in its own right. Leading manuscript experts recognize it as the highest quality reproduction ever made. Commissioned by Saint John’s Abbey and University, The Saint John’s Bible is a contemporary work created in the tradition of handwritten medieval manuscripts. The Artistic Director of the project, Donald Jackson, is one of the world’s foremost Western calligraphers and Senior Scribe to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s Crown Office at the House of Lords. During the past eleven years, Jackson has worked in rural Wales, with scribes and artists to write and illuminate The Saint John’s Bible entirely by hand, using quills and paints hand ground from precious minerals and stones such as lapis lazuli, vermilion, malachite, silver, copper, and 24-karat gold. To learn more, please visit www.saintjohnsbible.org.

I hope to see some of you there!

LA Poretentosa Vida de la Muerte

One of my new favorite blogs is "Morbid Anatomy". They recently had a guest post by Salvador Olguin who had recently given a lecture which they attended:

One of the most interesting things Olguin touched on in his lecture was a book I had never heard of: the fantastically illustrated (see above) La Portentosa Vida de la Muerte (The Astounding Life of Death). This book--a kind of whimsical and irreverent life history of Death in the form of a woman--was published in Mexico in the 18th Century and was, as he explains, highly influential in Mexican culture.... [click here to read more!]

The images that accompany the post are all from La Portentosa..., and remind me A LOT of images from the Tarot, which, according to lore, was coming into being in the late 15th Century. Though, the Tarot supposedly follows the "life of the Fool". Fascinating. I will look for this book in the library.

New John the Baptist Icon

The site religious imagery in culture has been blowing me away recently with their posts. This image they found at Carioca Studio. Go check out the "Work" section, under Icons, and you'll find more beautiful images, including one, of (I think) Mary Magdalene, my other favorite saint.

Amazing work!

Good Times!

So, I first heard this song on the Twilight soundtrack - BUT - the film is set in Berlin, Germany. It brings back so many memories for me. I had a great time visiting a cousin in Berlin in 1991. Ah, so awesome. I want to go back!

Great Vacation!

We drove over 3,500 miles, but somehow I feel refreshed! [Josiah DID do all the driving.] There's still lots to do this summer.

Enjoy!

Hiatus

Dear All,

I'm "going off on a 'toot,'" as my dad would say when our old dog would take off around the neighborhood. The Grand Forets will be traveling around our fair nation to go to a wedding, and visit friends along the way.

I found this image of St Cecilia, patron saint of musicians, on Idle Speculations, my favorite Religious Art site. Terry does such a great job.

Whether there is music in your summer or not, enjoy!
Sally

Love Conquers All?

Fair warning: this post is LONG!

So, All, I have finished reading the Twilight Saga. I will say that it would have happened sooner if I'd bought the last book when I first saw it at the Last Word used book shop, here in Philly. Instead I waited 'til I was ready to read it and then had to wait 2-3 weeks or so until another copy arrived. I have to say, though, that the Last Word is definitely the place to get used books. They remember you, and what you want, and are great about continually getting new stuff in.

With that endorsement out of the way, here's what I thought: The Twilight books are not the best-written books ever. If I read the words "perfect," "sculpted," "stone" or "cool" in reference to a vampire again, I think I'll gag.

What I liked best about Twilight was the description of Bella's crush on Edward. It reminded me so much of the crushes I've had, and the way I felt when the object of my affection was near me, or touched me. That electric, inept feeling was so clear. What's NOT so clear is why Bella is in love with Edward, "in LUST" yes, that's obvious. But it was also very easy to understand why the story was so chaste, given the fact that Edward is a vampire. It was refreshing to see feminine desire described, and played out, even if there was a fair amount of repression that had to happen so that nobody died. Edward seems like the logical extension of Anne Rice's character, Louis de Pointe du Lac, from "Interview with a Vampire," as a vampire who feeds only on animals, not humans, to survive. I also think the choice of Rob Pattinson was inspired, even if it means that poor (human) Rob will be hounded to the ends of the earth forever because of it.

Out of the whole series I liked New Moon best, because I loved the character of Jacob. I admire steadfastness as a trait, and Jacob is nothing if not loyal. I think he gets pretty shafted throughout the story, but he's my favorite character.

I thought Eclipse was really just a bridge to the last book. It was nice to see the characters of Edward and Jacob have a rapprochement, but really, it read like a comic book, without pictures of gorgeous vampires and werewolves.

And then there's Breaking Dawn. It's interesting, because here I am, in my late 30's, with children in my life, and if I were writing about vampires, is this also where I would end the story?

SPOILER:
Bella becomes pregnant with Edward's child. It's a very difficult pregnancy - how could it not be, really - and several people consider ending the pregnancy. Bella, however, joins forces with her former nemesis, Rosalie, in order to keep the fetus alive. The delivery is gruesome, and in order to save Bella, Edward must turn her into a vampire with his venom. Bella becomes the vampire she always wanted to be, is married to Edward, and has a half human-half vampire daughter. I thought it was a pretty convenient plot device, but in a "Hollywood ending" way, Jacob "imprints" on Reneesme immediately, and so will always be protective of and present in Reneesme's life, in whatever form that needs to take - caretaker, friend, lover, husband, etc.

My first thought when I finished reading Breaking Dawn was that the idea I was meant to take away from this saga was that "love conquers all." Bella becomes a vampire after many struggles and transforms from a truly awkward human to a truly amazing, powerful vampire - she was klutzy, even for a human, as a human, and has an extreme super power for a vampire, as a vampire. Even though I think Bella was taken in by Edward's (and the rest of the vamps') camouflage (attractive looks, smell, strength, sound, etc.), she never seemed to really analyze what she was doing until Rosalie confronted her. She was mesmerized by Edward, and I thought in a shallow way just wanted to become a vampire so she could be with him forever. She never really seemed to consider the real consequences until it began to affect her physical relationship with him.

Edward "made a deal" with her that he required her to marry him. Once married, she understood the awesomeness of sex, and most especially, sex with Edward. So, she started making deals of her own - more years as a human, more sex, before ending her life (e.g. becoming a vampire). And he agreed, because he never wanted her to become a vampire in the first place. It's interesting to me how her awakenings happen through physical means. And that her human sexuality is what makes her powerful (even though she is completely in the thrall of Edward and his family, and is entirely defenseless if another vamp is nearby). It's when she becomes pregnant that the paradigm shifts again. Everyone is concerned about the "monster" she is carrying. And she starts acting, in my opinion, like many pregnant women - forms an attachment with the fetus, takes care of it as best she can, even if she starts doing weird stuff. [The whole thing about her pregnancy diet is gross, so I won't go there.] Interestingly, that section of the book is told from Jacob's point of view, so, it's not as intimate, but of course, he's upset during her pregnancy because she's in so much pain. There IS an inordinate amount of time in the whole saga when Bella is suffering physically, and it gets a little tiring to read through.

But whether it's a plot device, or it's really the "message" of Twilight, Bella becomes powerful through her child. She would have died because of the baby, but now she's immortal. She can hold her own with Edward now in bed (no limits once she's a vamp). She discovers that she's got a vampire super-power, which she hones quickly in order to save her family. Is this the new "coming of age" story for young women?

I sort of jest. But, seriously, I think it's interesting that the woman who wrote these books has kids and is in her 30's. As you may know, I am struggling with my upcoming (big) birthday. And I'm trying to make sense of my "self" so far. I realize that my youth is gone. And while I am happy with my life, and my family, I sometimes struggle with day-to-day responsibilities and commitments, and I wonder what the future will have in store for me. What I can relate to in Bella's story, is the desire to have "a perfect forever." I wish and hope that my family will be safe and happy and whole forever, and Bella is able to achieve that. She is a strong lover and mother. She becomes MORE sexy with motherhood, and powerful in ways that are hard for even vampires to fathom. It's a nice fantasy for a character who started out so average and normal. What do you all think?? Leave me a comment or two.

There are other critiques to be made, and I have copied some of them below, all from Wikipedia's Breaking Dawn site:

Breaking Dawn has received generally negative reviews. Publishers Weekly stated that the main problem was that "Essentially, everyone gets everything they want, even if their desires necessitate an about-face in characterization or the messy introduction of some back story. Nobody has to renounce anything or suffer more than temporarily--in other words, grandeur is out."[10] In an article by The Associated Press journalist Sara Rose posted on NewsOK.com wrote that fans of the series would love "engaging characters, great humor, a distracting obsession with beauty, focus on the minutiae of emotions", however "casual readers may be disappointed with a lot of build-up and little action."[11] The Independent called the book, "shockingly, tackily, sick-makingly sexist" and said that "Bella Swan lives to serve men and suffer." [12] Entertainment Weekly graded Breaking Dawn with a D, criticizing the birth scene and Bella's "unwavering passion for Edward" and having no other goals.[13] The Washington Post also responded with a negative review, making comments such as, "...Meyer has put a stake through the heart of her own beloved creation," and, "Breaking Dawn has a childbirth sequence that may promote lifelong abstinence in sensitive types."[14] However, an article in The Daily News Tribune, a small town newspaper, Margaret Smith says of Breaking Dawn "You too might fall in love with its suspense and moving sensitivity -- and with the unlikely couple struggling to find light within their world’s heart of darkness."[15]

My horoscope this Week

uh oh:*



PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): (My horoscope for the week of June 24th)

A delicious forbidden fruit will be more available than usual in the coming weeks. You can choose to ignore it, of course. You can pretend it's not even there and instead concentrate on the less forbidden fruits that are tasty enough. Or, on the other hand, you can sidle up closer to the forbidden fruit and engage in some discreet explorations, testing subtly to see whether it's any healthier for your sanity than it used to be. I'm not sure what the best decision is, Pisces, but I do suggest this: Don't just rip off all your defenses, forget all your commitments, and start heedlessly taking big bites out of the forbidden fruit.

Funny: that seems to be the theme underlying the Twilight Saga books. I am almost done with the last one of the series, and while I don't feel ready to comment on the whole "message" yet, there is definitely a subtext about controlling one's physical desires. But it's the quotation from Genesis at the beginning of Twilight that is obviously connecting with my horoscope (above) from Rob Brezsny:

Genesis 2:17
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.


I've been having a recurring nightmare for the past several years where I wake up an hour or two after I fall asleep and can't determine whether I'm still alive, or dead.

I look around my room, and it seems different. I take stock. I look at everything and it feels out of place, and I feel like there is a voice, or a message, telling me that "this isn't real, it's not your real life, you're on the other side now." And it takes me a good 5 minutes or so to figure out that I'm actually alive.

This nightmare went away for a while, but has been back in full effect recently. I wonder if my Twilight obsession is feeding in to this - the idea of eternal life mixed up with eternal death. It's very unsettling. I've been thinking that this is happening because of my big birthday coming up.... but maybe not. Do you all have any ideas?


* I don't generally put a whole lot of stock in horoscopes. I don't think they predict the future. But I do think that one should take a close look at "coincidences" and see if there is a message from the Divine that I should be listening to. The stained glass is from Chartres Cathedral, in France.

Happy Midsummer!

I hope you and yours have an awesome Midsummer, or St John the Baptist's Day, whichever you call it. I just found out that the Finnish National newspaper (Int'l edition), Helsingin Sanomat, takes the whole month of July off, I guess it's "a slow news time" there, after Midsummer and all. Finland is great!

I guess over the weekend in Rutland, VT(?) there was a Finnish Midsummer festival. I love the "wife-carrying contest".

On Saturday we had our own Midsummer party - a dinner party for some local friends and neighbors. It was potluck and fun! I'm hoping we can make it a tradition. Finnish flag was flying too.

Translating Mary

My dear friend, Mama K has a new blog: Filling the Chalice. It's awesome! [Way to go Mama K!]

Anyways, I can relate to her recent post on "language barrier" in chruch - the spiritual/religious sphere. She and I talk about this a fair amount. But, being raised in the Episcopal church, the liturgical year, and Bible stories are my foundation. So, when people talk using those terms, I "get it". Even though my most "spiritual" (spiritually moving - that brought me back to religion) was during a Wiccan ceremony. That was when I realized that there was a cosmic force that was powerful out there.

But for me to understand and participate in religion, I need to have a community and a structure, I can't create it from scratch (which is how all the Wiccan groups have been that I've been involved in, and it's too hard for me). But, what I love about the Church's liturgical calendar, is that it pretty much follows the Solar calendar* (which is the foundation of Wiccan practice - along with the Lunar calendar, of course).

Anyways, I had an epiphany when I read the Mists of Avalon, and thought about Mary as the continuation of the Goddess in mainstream Chrisitian practice. That she's never gone away. And that is a thought that gives me a lot of comfort.

* I'll write more about this later, but I'm planning a St John the Baptist's Day celebration for our church on June 24th. Stay tuned for more details.

Brandish Your Piece for Jesus

I'll start with this quotation, which I found on Faith & Theology, and was labeled, "a quote for Pentecost":

“It is the Spirit’s work to draw what might otherwise be a cacophonic disunity into symphony. The Spirit worked to transcribe God’s music for playing on the human instrument of Jesus of Nazareth; the Spirit now works to orchestrate that theme for an ensemble of billions.” —Mike Higton, Christian Doctrine, (SCM 2008), 161.

Because I'm not sure how to reconcile the idea that Jesus "packs heat." I found the image (great graphic!) and story at Gawker. This is incredibly disturbing:

"In light of George Tiller being gunned down in a church, this blows the mind: a Louisville pastor wants to expand his flock by encouraging them to brandish firearms while they worship." - Gawker

Here is a potential rebuttal to the Louisville pastor, from Monte Asbury's blog. It's a long quotation, but we need something to counteract the firearm brandishers! Sheesh:

"I’ve been thinking a lot about why we come here.

We need a sense of that – a sense of what we’re here for. Just making a church bigger – that doesn’t do it for me. We’ve been down that road. It isn’t enough to satisfy my hunger.

Why do I come here?

I think I want one thing more than anything else: I want to bring love into my world. I want to bring it to my family. I want to bring it to you. I want to bring it to people on the street. I want to bring it to political decisions. I want to bring it to unloved people. I want to bring it to people on the internet. I want to bring it to the nations of the world.

I want love to change this world. I want it to smother tragedy. I want it to expose selfishness. I want it to change the way my family lives, my workplace operates, my government thinks.

What I want to do here is to re-capture that source of love – and share it in such a way that you do, too – so that love will make everything you touch as you walk through your week just a little different than it was before.

But my world doesn’t get that. It thinks love is a wimpy thing, not the way of heroes. So all week long I talk and visit and write to people who are convinced the Kingdom of God is not enough, and it cannot bring what the world needs. And sometimes their arguments wear me down.

And that’s why I come here. It’s because we’re doing something together. We’re believers that the love of God is stronger than anything that’s wrong in the world. We’re determined to bring it to the places we live and work and vote and write. You’re doing something."

And hopefully, we're doing something for the common good.

Half Way Through....

So, all, I'm half way through the Twilight Saga, and I gotta say, I'm hooked.

I started out a firm supporter of "Team Edward", but at this point, am fully behind "Team Jacob," I don't see how that feeling will "wane", but you never know.....

Dude. It's intense. :)

UPDATE:

Check it out: Adult Swim encapsulates the series for us... funny.

La Pieta OR "Heaven to Hell" by Lachapelle, and more

WOW. Not sure about Courtney Love as Mary, but....

Thanks to religious imagery in culture for the image. Be sure to visit their blog for more fantastic religious art and images. They've been posting some amazing stuff recently - keep up the great work!

I just found this link to the outstanding work of Azerbaijani photographer Rena Effendi today, via Heading East. You've got to check it out. You'll understand the connection when you get there. Fantastic work!

More on Healing in Religious Art

I just found this posting on one of my new favorite blogs, Morbid Anatomy. It's about the chapel at St Roch Cemetery in New Orleans. Go on over to M.A. and check out the whole post! There are more amazing photos, and an historical account of the cemetery itself (reminiscent of Jezebel).

I guess it's more "proof" of the power of faith in healing. This image makes me think of the Basilica of St Anne de Beaupre in Quebec, where the interior of the church is covered with old crutches, donated by the healed pilgrims.

It also reminds me of one of my pal Bob's recent post about creepy religious art imagery, and in particular, the case of St Lucy . I guess this statue is St Lucy....

An Icon of the Empire

I found this icon on Religious Imagery in Culture. Fantastic! I love that the centurion is giving a blessing (and holding a Bible) - do storm troopers READ?!

Other Star Wars-themed religious art has appeared on my blog before. Interesting that both feature artificial-type characters, not so much the human or animal-like variety.

I'm digging this. Thanks RIiC!

Jesus as Healer

I found this image on Boing Boing today. Awesome.

Our church offers unction every Sunday, and I have to say, that at first, I was totally freaked out by the concept. But the more I think about it, and have massages in my non-religious life, I realize that there IS a healing power in touch. And I have heard many sermons about the idea that maybe all the sick people that Jesus cured really just wanted some companionship, and care, and that's what cured them of their ailments.

This reminds me of one of my favorite paintings of Jesus' miracles which I saw in Montreal at the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal. I have to postcard at home - The Raising of Jairus' Daughter, by Gabriel Max, 1878 - and I found the image on Flickr. So moving. It's strange to see a painting of one of Jesus' miracles and see so little of him. But, it's such an intimate and amazing moment. A miracle.

Vampires for Oxfam!

I think this has to be the best Oxfam ad EVER. Especially given my new obsession [the Twilight movies]. I found this at the Twilight fan blog. Hold onto your hats, people, because this may rival my LotR obsession, which was truly all-consuming for several years there. Hmm. I think it has to do with the eye-candy.

"The hero. The leader. The god"

Just found this on Religious Imagery in Culture, by Alexandre Kosolapov - and I love it! Thanks for posting, elnellis.

I'm Bitten

Those of you who know me, know that I have a massive soft spot for vampire lore, especially when translated to film. But I just saw "Twilight" and am hooked. I will now need to read the series.

I have a lot of ideas about the concept of vampires, but will need to think Twilight through a little more before I talk about them here. I have to say, I agree with the Gawker review [which I can't seem to find right now! ugh] which said, "it was the hottest non-sex of the year." I'd have to agree.

So, people, this is what Netflix is for. More on vampires later....

Finally Found It!

San Clemente & a Mithraic Temple

I'm back, but slow to blog at this point. Feeling a little out of practice.

When I got to the blog this morning, I saw that the highlighted "Sacred Destination" was a Mithraic Temple, that had been built upon by the Basilica di San Clemente in Rome.

Byzantine fresco in the right aisle of the Lower Church, discovered by Fr Joseph Mullooly in 1857, depicting the Madonna and Child. It is believed to have originally been a contemporary portrait of the Empress Theodora painted in the 5th or 6th century, which was transformed into the Virgin and Child in the 8th or 9th century. On either side are two ladies, who were probably originally members of the imperial court but later became Saints Euphemia and Catherine with the crowns of martyrdom. Photo © Paradoxplace.com.

This is one of my favorite types of religious sites - one where a previous tradition has been built over, but still remains. This is one of the things I appreciate about the seasonal liturgy (Liturgical Year) of the Church as it cycles through the Lectionary. The overlays are what fascinate me, and keep me thinking about religion.

My Vacation

So, I just got back from an awesome vacation (for me) while Josiah was working in Goldsboro, NC. We stopped at Chincoteague, VA on our way down to North Carolina. And while J. was training in Goldsboro, the girls and I went to New Bern, NC. It was a fantastic time! Here are the highlights:

* We ate fantastic Barbeque at McCalls in Goldsboro, NC. To my tastebuds, the best ever. Here is video of both the salad and entree buffet:



And then there was the dessert buffet. This place had the best banana pudding I've ever had. Complete with meringue topping.

* I saw an amazingly beautiful moth. The kind I only thought were owned by frustrated Victorians, a la "Angels and Insects". This thing was gorgeous!


* The girls and I drank Pepsi at the counter of the pharmacy where it was created in New Bern, NC.

* I met Liev Schreiber's mom and gushed about what a great (and hot!) actor I think he is. My brush with fame!

* And we saw an Indigo Bunting.

It was just an awesome time.

Brief Hiatus

Dear All,

Things have been crazy hectic in my life for the past couple of months! I could go into lots of detail, but I won't. Suffice it to say, I'm taking a couple of days off, and will be back in full effect in May.

Peace out,
Sally

Newsy Bits

Lots of news in my life:

My Godson is officially adopted into the family, as of Easter Monday!

Neighbor Ed just got tenure!

My friend Charlotte just got back from Istanbul and posted some of her amazing photos on Facebook. I'm really hoping she might be a guest blogger here and talk about her travels and the religious art she saw there. One of her stops was the Hagia Sophia (picture on left).

I'm trying to plan an academic path to a Master's degree for myself. I have a meeting with an advisor this afternoon!

And finally, this isn't in the news of the me, rather the news of the "we" but - I am so proud of our President and First Lady. Out planting trees:

Good Friday

I am always amazed by the people around the world that re-enact the crucifixion. They do it as penance, or to bring themselves closer to Jesus' suffering, I suppose. But, I thought the point of Jesus' death was that he did it for us. I can see the appeal, though.

Holy Week is so dramatic, and some of us just thrive on drama. I have never been able to bring myself to attend the Good Friday services. I am overwhelmed at Palm Sunday, where we hear the story of what happened on Friday, and I am often reduced to tears. For me, it's the betrayal that is so upsetting. And the guilt - that the crowd shouting to "crucify him!" is US. We are the ones for whom this all happened. So, in a way, I get the "Penitentes" who nail themselves to crosses. If it helps reduce the guilt of it, maybe it's not so bad after all.


UPDATE: A friend just sent me this link to the "Facebook Passion." FANTASTIC!

It's Almost Easter

So, All, I finished my Lenten endeavor - to read all 4 Gospels. I did it! Here's a great video - "From Jesus To Christ: the First Christians" that I watched many years ago, and got for my birthday recently. It's a great companion when reading the Gospels. Helps a LOT.

From Wikipedia, source of all knowledge:

• Matthew the Evangelist, the author of the first gospel is symbolized by a human (not an angel as sometimes thought) - a figure of humanity and reason. Matthew's gospel starts with Jesus' genealogy from Abraham; it represents Jesus' Incarnation, and so Christ's human nature. Christians should use their reason for salvation.
• Mark the Evangelist, the author of the second gospel is symbolized by a lion - a figure of courage and monarchy. Mark has John the Baptist preaching "like a lion roaring" at the beginning of his Gospel. It also represents Jesus' Resurrection (because lions were believed to sleep with open eyes, a comparison with Christ in the tomb), and Christ as king. Christians should be courageous for salvation.
• Luke the Evangelist, the author of the third gospel (and presumably the Acts of the Apostles) is symbolized by an ox bull or calf - a figure of sacrifice, service and strength. Luke's gospel starts on the temple duties of Zacharias in the temple; it represents Jesus' sacrifice in the Passion, and Christ as priest (this also represents Mary's obedience). Christians should be prepared to sacrifice themselves for salvation.
• John the Evangelist, the author of the fourth gospel is symbolized by an eagle^[3] - a figure of the sky, and believed to be able to look straight into the sun. John starts with an eternal overview of Jesus the Logos and goes on to describe many things with a "higher" level of theology than the other three "terrestrial" Synoptic Gospels; it represents Jesus' Ascension, and Christ's divine nature. Christians should look directly on eternity without flinching for salvation.

I can never remember which symbol is for which Evangelist, but I thought the above was helpful. I still don't love John's Gospel, but that's OK.

Happy Easter, Everyone!

Weekly Blog Round-Up

Check out this Peek-A-Boo Jesus via "Religious Imagery" blog. Love it! "Religious Imagery" does a great job finding graffiti-like religious art. I still haven't figured out if the blog author is the artist, but either way, it's fun, "found" art. Keep it up!

Italians walking their children to school, via NYT. I think we could make this into a movement here too. While we were walking to school the other day, we witnessed, through a bus window, an unfortunate child getting beaten about the head by another child. The other kids on the bus were laughing about it. La Prima and I discussed how it would feel to be the beaten child, and I described my own dire bus experiences. She still thinks riding the bus is cool, but now, maybe that feeling is tempered...?

* More beautiful poster art from Bryant Terry and Favianna Rodriguez.

* I still love this blog! from the NYT

* Honors for Indigenous Activists for saving Sacred Places! from: Censored News.

* Got to check out the PBS show - I love frogs! So cute! Via TreeHugger.

Film Review: "Taking Root"

Hi All. I went to see Taking Root last night. It's an Independent Lens production for PBS about Wangari Maathai of Kenya. She started the tree-planting Greenbelt Movement in Kenya to help the environment, and ended up defending democracy and human rights. It's an amazing and inspiring story that she wrote about in her book, Unbowed: A Memoir. But the film adds a whole new dimension because you can see what she was talking about. It's very moving, and I recommend it highly.

You can also check out the Action Guide which was put out by the film-makers. The movie totally has the activist in me clamoring to get my hands dirty. PHS was a co-sponsor, along w/Penn's African Studies department. The PHS Tree-Tenders program was featured and reminded me, once again, how awesome it is to live in such a green city.

The movie will air in Philadelphia on WHYY on Friday, April 24th at 10 p.m. Check it out!

Weekly Blog Round-Up

RELIGIOUS ART IN THE NEWS:

* "Death Saint"s are destroyed in Mexico, seen in the Philadelphia Inquirer. I had heard of "Narco Santo" and have written about the phenom here and here. But this is new to me. I always love it when religious art makes headlines in the mainstream news.

* Found on Idle Speculations, a relic of St Benedict was found inside another artifact in the (presumably vast) storage areas of the British Museum. It's beautiful, right? I am amazed by the simplicity of the imagery used to represent the four Gospels, mixed in with the intricate carvings. Intense. [For those of you following my Lenten spiritual exercise, I have read Matthew and Mark, and am about 1/2 way through Luke. I'm leaving the toughest for last.]

CULTURE:

* I found this "What Would You Do" clip on Joe.My.God. It is truly fascinating to watch how people's attitudes about big issues shift and get expressed in daily interactions.

* Here is a really good discussion of image rights as used in print and blog media from bldgblog. Clearly, the print mags bear the burden of cost in what author is talking about. I can see that there are serious monetary and ethical implications to cutting and pasting. But the free flow of ideas model is so alluring... it ALMOST overrides other concerns. Food for thought.

* Johnny Cash's "Personal Jesus", from YouTube



* Bushburbs & Hoovervilles - found on TreeHugger. Sounds about right to me. Just add some size to those shacks and you'd have McMansions.

RELIGIOUS ART & TRAVEL:

* My friend Jennifer just recommended Diana's Blog to me (Diana is a writer for "The Faithful Traveler"). How have I not found this before?? Great stuff!

Philly's Wild Kingdom

Filmed by Josiah, on location.

Weekly Blog Round-Up

POP CULTURE:
* BSG at the UN - So Say We All. But, huh? From io9

* BlogHer posted a big discussion of the Jon Stewart evisceration of CNBC:

Stewart finds that outrageous. So do I. Reporters have a special role in our society. They are supposed to look at all stories with a skeptical eye. We count on reporters to make sure the mischief makers are caught and exposed. We do not expect the reporters to be turning a blind eye to the mischief.

Stewart's focus on CNBC captured what many people are feeling. From Mother Talkers,

I was listening to Marketplace on NPR during the drive home on Friday. I should really stop doing this, in this climate, because I get really worried. I heard this depressing statistic: if you graduated in the 1990s and started saving for retirement, you are basically back to square one. You have no more money for retirement than if you'd saved it under your mattress. I am furious. I did everything I was supposed to do: saved from the first day I started my first job, made it a priority. And because some fat cats on Wall Street got too damn greedy, I've lost it all. 11 years of investments, gone. Now what? I'm not sure I can trust 401(k)s for retirement anymore, y'know? Luckily, I'm at least 30 years away from retirement. But I'm still really pissed!

Oy on the financial news from BlogHer. From the same article: From Cenk Uygur of The HuffingtonPost

I have a close friend who works at a business news station -- and here is the worst kept secret in show business -- it's all about the access. If you piss off the CEOs or the companies, you're going to get a call from your boss. You have jeopardized our relationship with them!
That is very thinly disguised code words for -- don't ever say anything negative about a company we cover otherwise your job is in the trouble. The message is clear -- go along to get along. This isn't journalism. It's public relations by another name.

* I found this site randomly today. Need to take a listen

ART:
* Google flagging a French art blog for showing female nudes in artworks, which I learned about on Bob's Blog.

* Fast trains coming in Turkey! found on TreeHugger.

FOOD:
* Obama is tackling food safety via AmericaBlog. Yay! We've just sent in our check for our favorite farm's CSA I can't wait. And here's a second piece from Nicholas Kristoff's column about food safety, "Pathogens in our Pork." [A witty double entendre in there too!]

* White house green garden, via Huff Po.

* The Dirty Dozen buying guide for produce: a friend posted on facebook.

STYLE:
From my friend Jessica's Blog:

And now my friend is wondering, what does it say about him that he didn’t want to like those glasses because he was afraid that everyone else would like them, too? “Now and then,” he writes, “I get the awful feeling that people think I grew a beard to be trendy and I want to say, ‘I had this beard before it was cool.’… What sort of person feels that way and why?”

Here’s what I think. I think that the dynamic that accounts for his anxiety and my aneurysms is a particularly Generation X phenomenon. When we were growing up, we were fond of things that were weird and unlovable, largely because we, ourselves, felt weird and unlovable. Now that those things have been appropriated and repackaged for mass consumption, we instinctively want to reject them, even though we still love them—just like we mostly kind of hate ourselves, even though we inspire ourselves with something like the affectionate pity one might feel for a broken crayon, or, say, a tattered copy of Pac-Mania! The Official Pac-Man Joke Book.

Yay! Fug Madness is Back!

Fug Madness is Back! Rejoice!

photo from the Fug Report.

UPDATE: Here is the link to the Rules and Printable Brackets!

Enjoy!

Weekly Blog Round-Up

BELIEF:

* "None" gaining ground - In a USA Today article, found on Hasta Los Gatos Quieren Zapatos, more and more people are listing "none"as their religious affiliation. I was v. interested to read the following quote on reenee's post:

"Meanwhile, nearly 2.8 million people now identify with dozens of new religious movements, calling themselves Wiccan, pagan or "Spiritualist," which the survey does not define. Wicca, a contemporary form of paganism that includes goddess worship and reverence for nature, has even made its way to Arlington National Cemetery, where the Pentagon now allows Wiccans' five-pointed-star symbol to be used on veterans' gravestones." Having just been to Arlington for my grandmother's funeral, this tidbit struck me. Just like how there are now Wiccan Chaplains in the Army.

* A GREAT post on belief, Jesus, the Apostle's Creed and basically sums up my feelings about God, at BlogHer. Just hit the nail on my head!

* Interesting story on Beliefnet about the change from Junia to Junias in the Bible text in 1927. Apparently, Junia was considered a female apostle, until a footnote wiped her out. I read a lot about this issue, and found this link on Christian Feminism thanks!

* On BuzzFeed: Ha Ha:

"Roman Catholic bishops in Italy are calling for Catholics to abandon technologies like text messaging, Facebook and Twitter for Lent. Also recommended: BuzzFeed. So we'll see you in about 30 days have a great month everybody! Just kidding. But seriously, I was just about to poke God. "

* The History of religion from HLGQZ, found here


GREEN:

* I guess it comes as no surprise that in Istanbul, carpet recycling is the big green thing. Found on TreeHugger.

* Earth Hour: found on Green Lent. Let's do it!

* From TreeHugger: Rodale will donate to actual farmers if we buy food from these two companies. Plus! You can get a free subscription to Organic Gardening magazine.

FUN:

* Courtesy of Lakshmi. She laughed 'til she cried. I think it's funny. But then, I don't get Twitter.

* OMG! Dwayne Johnson! He Sings & Dances too!?!?!?! Sheesh, so HOT! From Joe.My.God.

RELIGIOUS ART:

* "View Religious Art For Lent" on Blogging Religiously, Via Iconia.

* PLUS! Church Sign Hackers - awesome. From BuzzFeed.

MENTAL HEALTH for DAUGHTERS:

I found this great list of questions that Reviving Ophelia author, Mary Pipher, PhD, recommends for adolescent girls, to help them stay grounded and healthy. It's a pretty good list for anyone, so I thought I'd share:

How do I feel right now?
What do I think?
What are my values?
Who would I describe myself to myself?
How do I see myself in the future?
What kind of work do I kike?
What kind of leisure do I like?
When do I feel most myself?
How have I changed since I entered puberty?
What kinds of people do I respect?
How am I similar to and different from my mother?
How am I similar to and different from my father?
What goals do I have for myself as a person?
What are my strengths and weaknesses?
What would I be proud of on my deathbed?

From Reviving Ophelia, by Mary Pipher, PhD, pg 255, 1995

FOOD:

* A beautiful, Spring-evoking (INvoking?) poem: "Strawberries" by Edwin Morgan from Queenie Takes Manhattan.

* More news from an Op-Ed in the NYT about how unsafe US food production is.

"So what’s going on here, and where do these antibiotic-resistant infections come from? Probably from the routine use — make that the insane overuse — of antibiotics in livestock feed. This is a system that may help breed virulent “superbugs” that pose a public health threat to us all."

* From my friend Jim's blog "Legend of St Ursula, St Michael Fighting the Dragons" This is a new blog, and this first (post-virgin) post is about illness, Lent and cooking! The Cornbread recipe is an added bonus - along with some fab religious art. Excellent work!

POLITICS:

* In my view, this is HUGE, and SUCH a relief. Way to go Barry! from Huff Po: "When signing legislation, Bush often would use such statements to direct officials to ignore parts of the law he thought were incorrect or restricted the administration's constitutional powers."

Weekly Blog Roundup

RELIGIOUS ART:

I love some of these images from Idle Speculations, I can't choose! the tree of virtue and the tree of vice to the left.

CULTURE:

How to have a good self body image, as a mom, but also impart good messages to our daughters about their bodies from Jezebel commenting on the original WaPo article. Makes a ton of sense.

An ode to godparenting from BlogHer echoes my feelings exactly. Thank you again, Lakshmi & Sam!

Egyptian pyramid photo of noblewoman's tomb cia BBC.

Interesting take on the dilemma that is Facebook from Huff Po (which is another thing I must check daily).

Some guy at CNN has a crush on Michelle Obama - I guess I do too then.

More on the impending demise of Gourmet. I wish it didn't have to be this way! via Gawker.

Fug Madness is right around the corner, y'all!

SHOPPING:

Dag! How did I miss this?? From my pal Jennifer Westhoven's blog: free Chanel 19?!?!? So bummed I missed it.

Cadbury Dairy Milk goes Fair Trade!!! This is awesome news, just in time for Easter. [Think they planned it that way??] via BBC.

Here is some worrying news about the state of hiring in this country . Yes, we should hire capable Americans for American jobs. But one thing this article points out is that

"Deep, long-term shortcomings in the U.S. education system have left the country dependent on foreign-born scientists, engineers, computer specialists and other highly skilled workers to fuel the research and innovation that drive economic growth."

Right. And who knows how long it will take to correct this. from Workforce Week, found via BBC.

ART:
Idea of the North - photographs by Birthe Piontek found on "Heading East". Beautiful and haunting photos. Wow.

two amazing shows at Penn's ICA right now:
1) Dread, by Joshua Mosley is a fantastic short film (with sculptures!) that might just blow your mind. Pascal and Rousseau feature prominently.
2) Touch Sensitive by Anthony Campuzano's fantastic art that uses text and bright colors. I was very moved by his work, even though it seems very simple when you enter the space, the ideas involved are very powerful. Two fantastic shows you won't want to miss if you're in/near Philadelphia.


Art Blog by Bob's monthly poll has me sweatin' to the oldies! Puts me in the mood for some hard rock.

I knew there was another reason I love Joss Wheadon - his craftiness! I love the part about his interview in Crocheting Monthly, from BlogHer.

Office cubicles from around the world from the TIME website.

How to be a mermaid/merman via Blogfish and Oceana.

Obamas turn White House organic! More on the "New Victory Garden" in the US. Yeah! From TreeHugger.