Various Random

Out for 32 miles today, halfway through the ride I noticed about 75 yards of audiotape strewn across road, no mind for the wind and trucks blowing by. Disregarded. I couldn’t be sure, but something was telling me it was a recorded song. As if the psychic energy of the dying tape was leaking onto the road …

Heads of state who ride and wrangle
who look at your face from more than one angle
can cut you from their bloated budgets
like sharpened knives through chicken mcnuggets

Couldn’t get that riddim out of my head for the rest of the trip, but it did help on the painful up-hills.

I also caught a “gaggle” of gorgeous Canadian geese just lounging in an unused field. They are amazing creatures. They fly in thier “v” to cut down on energy. The lead bird -- each one rotates to that position -- cuts the wind, and each following uses 40-60% as much energy. When a member gets tired or injured, if they fall away from the group, two strong geese will fall out of formation to bring the weaker bird back to the group. It would not be able to make it back itself. In a bike (road) race, similar ideas apply. Drafting is a critical part of the race. The designated leader rides behind each teammate (“domestique”) in turn, each sacrificing all his energy for the sake of the leader, so he will have more to expend at the end of the contest. In the goosey world, cooperation is necessary for survival, not just an advantage in competition.

I love these images, because they are such a great picture of life. We are built for relationships. No exceptions. We do not survive without them. If we fall (and we do, eh?), it is critical that we have others to bring us back into the race. With them, we don’t just survive, we can flourish, and at times take the lead – and the hard work – on behalf of others.

In rugged contrast (or perhaps not?) I soon afterward rode past a group of aspiring young rednecks on ATV’s. Yeehaw. They actually chased me for about half a mile. Screaming something like “faggot!” or whatever. I don’t know whether to be flattered or offended, but something about the encounter made me grin.

Ok, my impression of the first 5 chapters of Melville’s Moby: Queer eye for the harpoon guy. Not that there’s anything wrong with that …

<< frivolous information section >>

Favorite liquids, in this order:

1. Strong Italian coffee
2. Extra-dry vodka martini up, shaken, olive
3. Pedro’s extra-dry chain lube (I've apparently got a thing for x-dry)
4. Room-temp water
5. Hearty red wine
6. OJ
7. Citrus Cytomax

If I have consumed all in one day, I mark a notch on my bike.

The Cruelty of Life

I heard today that presidents Clinton and GHW Bush became emotional when presented with pictures made by children showing their parents swept away by the tsunami.

Shit.

What are we whining about?

Bookish

I just opened Moby Dick for the first time. I know … I’m a literary loser. I’m only on the 5th chapter (of 134, thank you), but already I am feeling “Ohmygod, this is the best book I have ever read!” I just don’t know why it has taken me 25 years of adult literacy to get around to this work.

I had this sneaky plan this past Christmas. I want my oldest son (and the siblings after him) to read some contemporary classics, so I went on Amazon and bought about a dozen $5 paperback versions of these things “for my kids”. Animal Farm, Of Mice and Men, Lord of the Flies, Fahrenheit 451, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, etc. Stuff that is perhaps over his head right now, but of more substance than Harry Potter. I must admit that the Lemony Snicket books are creative and of surprising quality, but I don’t want him to skip these gems.

I have spent way too much of my post-collegiate reading time with the Christian “challenge and encouragement” genre. Not that this is a bad thing, it’s just like having spinach for every meal for several years. I have tinkered with fiction and such, but my diet is (was) far to unbalanced.

So I am determined to read about the whale. I truly can’t wait.

Monster Vote

Jordan, our 13-year old artist, entered the "Miguzi Make a Monsterpiece" art contest sponsored by Cartoon Network. Out of over 104,000 entries by kids 13 and under, he is one of 10 finalists. These 10 kids will have their pictures on the Cartoon Network website from Feb 14 to Feb 21 so that visitors can vote on their favorite (not more than once a day!). The picture with the most votes will be used in a cartoon on TV.

So ... please ask everyone you know, including grandma, your boss, your neighbor, and the postman to vote for Jordan's picture. Thanks much!!

We

I am sure I have seasonal affective disorder. I have abundant disorders. I can post a list if needed. I need sunlight like a reptile. Give me 25 years -- I'll be in Florida complaining about the enormous insects.

What is the deal with moods? Some people are cheerful all the time, others brooding. Some of us shift like a dancer’s steps. I am one of the moodiest people I know. I wouldn’t want to live with me.

Someone once told me that there is more value in loving people when you don’t feel like it than when emotions easily lead you there. It’s more intentional, and more of a self-offering. Ironically, the more we invest in others like that, the more we feel drawn to serve them. A bit like owning a home vs. renting a place. We are not just self. We are these others. Perhaps that’s why an offence against another is more like a self-destructive act than not.

Welcoming Porn Stars and Addicts

Jesus was more concerned about the hypocrisy and “heavy burdens” from the religious leadership of his time than correcting the behaviors of those on the social fringe. In fact, he went out of his way to befriend and identify himself with the furthest out: touching lepers, drinking and socializing with prostitutes and tax collectors. He didn’t set aside any laws, just added qualifiers to the law: those without sin should throw the first stone. He didn’t condone their behavior; it simply wasn’t the focus of his interest. As he welcomed them, they examined their own hearts, and came to their own radical conclusions about their need to change. He loved them and welcomed them, and allowed the rest to take it’s course. It was only the religious self-righteous that he challenged regarding obedience and behavior – mainly because their (our) biggest problem was (is) failure to see their (our) own flaws.

We -- Christian culture -- have trouble understanding this. We like to think of ourselves as being the marginalized, but this is not the point. Jesus was marginalized. He did not set out to re-establish his own rights. I think this is why I react with frustration at the Christian Right’s condemnation and fear related to the perceived culture war. Because to some degree, they are me. Is there a culture war? Sure. But I wonder if our demands for others to conform (and thereby create a Christian state?) often made implicitly upon those outside, fuel misunderstanding and antagonism far more than assuage it. We need to stop spending so much time in vindicating our position, and welcome those on the margins. The way that man did. The one we name ourselves for.

Conspiracy

Thank goodness Dr. Dobson is watching out for the best interest of our children. What next? Perhaps there is a secret Al Qaeda plot lurking in our Sunday-school curriculum!

LiveStrong

If you've lived long, you know someone who battles cancer. Perhaps someone very close to you. Some have lost. Many fight now. I encourage you to give to this fight -- click the link in the title of this post.

Show solidarity with those fighting cancer. If you would like a wristband, let me know your address ... I'll send you as many as you want, in exchange for a commitment to donate any amount to the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Many thanks.

The Point

Rachel and I were talking Thursday about the interdependent setup that we are hoping to develop on our team at work. It became suddenly very obvious to both of us that this is the way life is in general: engineered so that we need each other.

Clay recently had a similar comment –- he offered that disagreement brings fruit, and fosters community and interaction. He provided this:

C.S. Lewis loved 'rational opposition' and Barfield supplied plenty of this. Besides sharing the same interests, Lewis wrote in Surprised by Joy, Barfield 'approaching them all at a different angle.' 'When you set out to correct his heresies,' said Lewis, 'you find he forsooth has decided to correct yours! And then you go at it, hammer and tongs, far into the night...out of this perpetual dogfight a community of mind and a deep affection emerge.' Barfield compared arguing with Lewis to 'wielding a peashooter against a howitzer'. It must be understood that 'rational opposition' is not quarreling. 'We were always,' said Barfield, 'arguing for truth not for victory, and arguing for truth, not for comfort.'

Clay is right. The interaction that disagreement requires is usually more important than the solution.

Walter the Farting Dog

Ok, I’m not making this up.

My 4-year-old found this lovely book at the library. Reading it to him last night, it had the gritty feel of a Tarantino film. The first thing you notice is that the art is all Picasso/Dali surreal.

Walter is sold to a clown for ten bucks by a lying father -- due to the low take on their yard sale (old dentures, dig biscuit, dirty sock, broken sunglasses, used underpants, you get the picture)... which itself is partially a result of the stench of pooch flatus. The clown feeds the dog beans, and straps a glass “fart-catcher” to Walter’s arse that blows up balloons, all for a “good cause” … children’s birthday parties.

In reality, the clown is a manipulative bank robber, using the balloons as weapons to stun and “leverage” anyone in his way: “… or I’ll pop every one of them!”

After the heist, Walter is cajoled by the thief to eat up for the next job, but apparently a leak develops in the contraption on the dog, and the clown’s $50 cigar ignites the “gas” with a vengeance. The clown is blown through a TV set, and with smoking tail, Walter heads home – finding his family and leading the police to the hideout. All is well.

The book is dedicated to “everyone who’s ever felt misjudged or misunderstood.”

Absolutely one of the best I’ve ever read.

Relijun

Lately I have been thinking about the purpose of Religion (besides war and bigotry). It seems that we (people "with skin on") need a tangible way to acknowledge God. This is to our own benefit. Corporate worship and practices can facilitate that. Faith content is best taught, understood, protected, and "managed" in general in a community where there is opportunity to flush out and apply the ideas of belief, where accountability is natural, and where people are challenged and encouraged to live consistent with what they believe. This "living" thing only seems relevant in relationships. This is one of the only ways we get a regular opportunity to die to self. Community is just a larger expression of family. We need a safe community to encourage that and live it out practically.


I made a comment a couple nights ago that seemed to make Tom uncomfortable: I believe my particular understanding of God and the world to be true -- at least as much as reasonable (as everyone except the psychotic does) and I am comfortable identifying my religion with God, however, I have been less comfortable lately identifying the Creator of Everything with my religion.

It just seems unreasonable that a supposedly infinite being could be captured and explained, even by a very very long list of whatnot. "God", if such a being exists, could only ever be partially understood. Religious belief can never reveal the whole picture. I suppose that doesn't mean that religious belief can't contain truth; it just won't be able to contain all truth. Which makes me wonder about the difference between partial understanding, and incorrect understanding.

So what of this truth? Is there such a thing as objective reality when speaking of God? I was violently protective of that idea for as long as I can recall, until about 5 months ago. Slowly, I am beginning to wonder if a demand for objective truth is necessary, or even healthy.

Uh ...

Transfomed!