Faith and Reason

There is something radical that comes from combining the faith in spirit with the reason of the mind. This week I attended a seminar that did just that. It started last night with a speech from Joan Chittister on the Divine Feminine and its place in not just the Christian religion, but in the world.

Today it was followed by a talk given by Richard Rohr which he called the Human Sprite, but really, I would have named it Human development. I have heard substance of what he said before in various forms, but of course, you always hear it in a new and different light.

When Joan spoke again this afternoon she didn't talk about spiritual theology. (I was getting tired of that anyway). She spoke about women and war. She spoke about the radical idea of giving a voice to women when it came time to go to war, and to end a war. How different would things look if people stopped to think about the women.

I don't think it really comes as a shock to anyone to hear the numbers she threw out there. Something like 90% of the casualties in the Iraq war have been civilians. That in its self is a tragedy. Beyond that though. What if we considered the women who are left alone in the bombed out village with their small children. Left to somehow provide them with food and water when there is none to be had. We don't hear these numbers. It was a very interesting. Very moving speech. One of those things where as she talked I kept thinking, "why had I never seen this before?" All of those people, hidden right in front of our eyes.

How do we make sure these voices are heard? Our voices are heard? I have no idea. Something to sit with for awhile.

If you want more information you can check out the UN page here.

Its only stuff

As a walked the block and a half from the bus stop to my car Monday night one word keep going through my mind. Deludge. I was soaked 5 seconds after I stepped off the bus and by the time I got in my car my clothes weighed more than I did.

This was only the first of many havey down poors that followed threw the night. When I woke up at 4am, I was sure my parents house had flooded. I prayed school would be cancled. I was right. On both accounts.

6 inches of water filled my parents house for about 3 hours. Just enough water, and just enough time to ruin just about everygthing sitting on the floor. This isn't the first time. Its the 6th time water has distroyed everything in their house. The fist time, when I was 10 (I think) it came as a great shock. And I cried as I had to throw away some of my toys. Now we realize it's all just stuff. My mom and I could not fill the trash bags fast enough as my nephews helped my father ripe up what was left of the carpet.

Does the whole thing suck? Yes of course it does. There is a lot that needs to be fixed. Somehow the family will help my parents muddle through. And in the end the stuff won't be missed on bit.

Seriously...

Discovery Island, Animal Kingdom
Walt Disney World
Photo by Katy 2008

... for the first time in my life I am actually thinking about canceling my yearly trip to Disney World because I don't want to go. I know... gross right?

The thing is, when I think about a week spent in the land of artifical imagination and capatalist orgies all I can think is ... yuck.

When I close my eyes and think of where I want to be right now, I don't get images of Epcot or the Polynessian Resort. I see vast empty spaces and mountians. I don't hear background music I hear silence.

What is wrong with me? How could I let things get this out of control?

45 Years ago today...

...Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress opened for the first time at the 1964 World's Fair in New York. It is the oldest Disney ride in existence, and one of Walt's favorites. Its simple enough. A revolving room rotates around an ever-changing stage which shows the advancements of the last 100 years and imagines those of tomorrow. (Well, actually now it imagines the tomorrow of 1994..."car phones and laser disc players").

Still it remains a favoriate of mine because it imbodies the spirit of Walt Disney the man and his famous quote, "Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things…and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

Happy Earth Day!

Disney's Animal Kingdom
Walt Disney World, 2008

photo by Katy

It has been a while since I posted something about the enviroment. I could write a post about what I did to give Alex a non-consumption, earth friendly(ish) birthday party. But my mind feels like mush. It has felt like mush since ... forever. I'm finding it really hard to form fully articulated thoughts at the moment. I'll be back later.

Things I've read...

"Well I think it's great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. Um, we live in a land that you can choose same sex marriage or opposite marriage and, you know what, in my country and in, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there. But that's how I was raised and that's how I think that it should be between a man and a woman." (Miss California from AP website)

Apparently Miss California is confused about the definition of the word "choose". If you think "it's great that Americans are able to choose one or the other" shouldn't you be for laws that would allow people to do just that? The other thing that I don't get is the conservative talking heads who think Miss California should have won. Yes she took an unpopular stance. No I don't think her opinion should be held against her. But she didn't do a very good job of articulating her opinion now did she. I'm mean seriously... heterosexual marriage is "opposite marriage?" that phrase alone should have lost her the title.

"At Feature Animation, David transformed the division financially, creatively, and technologically. During his tenure, he cut overhead, production costs, and operating losses in half. At the same time, he revived the culture of creative excellence at the studio with a new line-up of films. Finally, his leadership drove the historic transition from hand-drawn to computer-generated animation at Feature Animation and his other divisions, bringing animation at Disney fully into the digital era." (David Stainton's website DavidStainton.com).

If you don't know who David Stainton is you have too much of a life. You need to stop whatever it is you are doing and start hanging around more Disney message boards and animation websites. This is one that a lot of people around the web are blasting today and here's why. Stainton was head of Disney Animation at a time when the studio was at its worst. Einsener took a thriving studio and put a suit in charge. A suite that would cut costs and raise profits. To give you an idea of Stainton's creative bone, on his website he enthusiastically takes credit for deciding to animate The Hunchback of Notre Dome. A closer look at his self proclaimed filmogrophy and you will see that the projects he had full control over all sucked. The worst of Disney Animation.. Brother Bear, Home on the Range, Chicken Little not to mention the over 20 direct to video sequels he produced. Yes people bought them, but Walt had a strict policy against sequels. He never did them. I think by the time Cinderella III was released shortly after Stainton's exit, Walt was beyond rolling in his grave. Of course it's hard for me to put all the blame for these disasters on Stainton's shoulders (even if he does have an over inflated ego). The man should have never been put in charge of an animation studio. He is an Honors graduate of the Harvard Business School. Did he take any art classes while he was there?

Happy Birthday!

ALEX
China, Walt Disney World
Photo by Katy

My baby was born a decade ago today. She is officially in double digits. Alex is really an amazing kid. (Don't all parents say that?) Obviously we don't always see eye to eye on things like, time management and homework, but at the end of the day she is a great, loving individual who is truly growing into her own. When I look back at where we were 10 years ago today, I almost can't believe we are the same people. I was just a stupid, scarred 16 year old and she was just a pink squirming infant. Now here she is, walking upright and letting everyone know her opinion of the way things ought to be.

Happy Birthday kid. I can't imagine what the next ten years will bring.

The Easter Story

Inverstion: A Houston Art Instalation

by Dan Havel and Dean Ruck,
Art League of Houston, 2005

An old house was made new, and we were forced to see the world in a different light.

Automat
Edward Hopper, 1927

There is a lot to be said for facing reality. So many problems are caused by people who go about their lives, living in a constant state of delusion. These people tend to bug the crap out of me. They either don't see the immediate danger waving its arms right in front of them, screaming their name at the top of its lungs, or they just pretend not to get it. There is a lot to be said for people who don't get it. They haven't been hurt enough to identify hurt before it happens. They haven't been sick enough to take every cough, every head ace too seriously. They haven't seen enough people die to believe a doctor who tells them death is going to pay them a visit.

And while it is handy to see that danger is coming so that you can take the next available exit, I liked things better when we were pretending that my friend was not about to die. I liked how I felt when I woke up this morning. Before I spoke with my friend who confided that it all just kind of hit her last night. This was really it. I don't know what it was about last night that made it real for her. I don't know why it was last night and not February when her doctor told her there was really nothing they could do about the cancer spots in her brain. All I know is that even though I thought she was being delusional when we would talk about fighting this thing, I liked that a lot more than the conversation we just shared.

He's Not Dead Yet!

Good Friday, Daisy Nook

L.S. Lowry 1946

I feel like everyone has jumped to Easter, but I am not ready to skip Good Friday just yet.

Peace and silence be with you this day.

Maundy Thursday

foot washing 1

by Matt J. Saw

Jesus did not come to our dirty world to make it clean and pure. He came to teach us love and make us whole. Today we remember the last night he spent with is disciples. The last night that he broke bread with them. The night he became their servant.

We expect it to find us one day. The grandeur of peace and grace. Its out there. Somewhere. We just need to grab it. Capture it in a jar. Hold it in our arms. What he forget is that its is there. Here. Already. We are loved even though our feet are still dirty. We are loved not because we have been made clean, but because being clean was never a goal to begin with.

My Movie Reviews...

I have seen a lot of good movies recently. This doesn't happen often, so when it does I like to brag. Also, I am aware at how my view of good entertainment has changed over the years. I find the shift to be interesting.

These are posted in the order that I saw them. I am using a rating system of 1-5 (5 being best). I will take the market audience into account into my ratings as well as type of film. In other words, An action film staring The Rock will not loose points for being shallow, but a cartoon marketed to children, but made for adults just might loose some. All right.. here goes...


This Film Is Not Yet Rated is a documentary originally released in 2006 about the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the anonymous ratings board that rates all movies hoping to be shown in theaters in the United States. I found this on the Independent Film Channel while I was flipping one night. (See why I don't want to give up cable!?!) So what is the big deal? The director Kirby Dick and other film makers interviewed in the movie, contend that the ratings board is tantamount to censorship. This is especially true when it comes to sexual content and that fine line between being rated "R" and "NC-17". Most movie theaters will not show "NC-17" movies on a good day, and hardly any would show one when produced by independents and not major studios. The problem really is that there are no clear guidelines. No way for these film makers to know what is acceptable and what is not. The board members just kind of make it up as they go a long on a case by case bases. So where is the line in the sand? What is okay and who are these people who are deciding these things for us? I think Kirby Dick does a really good job of laying out a very complicated situation in very real, easy to define terms that we can all understand. The interviews of directors telling their personal experiences are epically compelling. If you have any vested interest in the movie industry, and most of us do... I would mark this as a must see... so for that I give this one a 5. (Contains sexually graphic material. I would not personally recommended it for anyone under the age of 14).



Race to Witch Mountain may sound familiar. It is a remake of the 1970s movie Escape to Witch Mountain. To be honest, when I heard they were redoing this one, I was excited. I grew up on the old Escape movie and while it had a good story to tell, like most movies of its time, it suffered from lack of editing. This new one is definitely more fast passed. It moves fast and features lost of explosions. Dwayne Johnson (the Rock) gives a surprisingly good performance. He does great action scenes of course, but he also knows how to deliver a funny line. All and all, I liked the cast. The kids were good, even though I wish they had been given more to do. The girl still has her telepathic powers and the boy can still move through objects, even stops a speeding semi truck bare handed, but they aren't always the ones saving the day. Johnson does a lot of that himself. Garry Marshall had a great cameo as a UFO buff that revels the secrete government bunker "Witch Mountain". Again, I think they lost the opportunity to have some really great scenes if he had been given more to do. Over all I give this one sold 4. Disney has rediscovered the family sci-fi action film that you can take your kids to see with out having to cover their eyes. Its fast passed and fun. I would definitely see this one again.



Monsters vs. Aliens landed in theaters with a lot of hype to live up to. It has been described as a the Sci-Fi B movies version of Kong Fu Panda... I beg to differ. I was really excited when I saw the previews for this one and I went to see it opening weekend. I was expecting AWESOMENESS that never came. If I were going to compare this one to other Dreamworks animation movies I would say it walks the line closer to Shrek in that it has a story, but not an exceptional one. It will appeal to adults as well as kids but for all the wrong reasons. Once again Dreamworks is relied on an adult story line with adult humor to apologize for the fact that their movie was animated. Hello... you can make a movie that appeals to both audiences without having to compromise story! I thought that lesson had finally been learned with Kong Fu Panda, but I guess not. If you want to have adult humor in a Sci Fi movie, I'm all for it, but don't market it to kids. Aside from my personal issues with some of the content, I would argue that they didn't have a good story at all. I think it would have been better, funnier if they have concentrated more on Dr. Cockroach and exploited their casting of the comedic genius Huge Laurie for all he is worth (and I'm not just saying that because I adore him). My sister said she liked the movie because it had a moral. Sorry, I didn't see it. I didn't like the heroine, Susan (aka Ginormica) at all. I have had my fill of desperate women in retarded relationships that are clearly all about the man's ego. I much preferred Po figuring out that "There is no secret ingredient. Its been in you the whole time" to Susan FINALLY figuring out that her fiance is an egotistical asshole. For this reason I give the film a 2 1/2. Not the worst thing I have ever seen, but I am not going back and I will not buy it when it comes out on DVD.

The Grounding...

After a hectic week of going in to work early and not getting to go home until late, I have found that I completely dropped the ball.

Alex came home on Monday with a list of assignments she needed to make up after her trip to Hawaii.

So the work began. I sat with her and made sure she finished Social Studies. By that time it was late. Oh and she hadn't brought her Language Arts book home so she went to bed. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I was MIA. Locked in the hell that is an labor arbitration by the time I would find my way home each night my brain cells weren't functioning. So I would simply ask, Did you do your work? I didn't check to make sure.

Today I came up for air. I was looking forward to a nice, easy Friday followed by a nice quite weekend. A friend's birthday party and a picnic in the park. Some how, foolishly I realize now, I thought I would check in with Alex's teacher. Make sure what that the assignments that were done were turned in.

Come to find out. No. The Language Arts assignment was not turned in. Not done. She lied. To me and her teacher. Now she has a 0 in the grade book. Nice. How wonderful. Now she is grounded. No party, and I can't picnic in the park. This also means a weekend of cleaning. I'm sure that the weather will be fabulous and I will be stuck in the house, supervising torture. Brilliant.