The saddest thing I've seen in quite a while .
You'll have to endure a short commercial, but it's worth it.
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Thursday, January 25, 2007
Have things really not changed?
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The Sky is Falling
I have a grievance I'd like to air. Let me tell a story by way of introducing this...peeve.
Several nights ago, I was sitting in the bible study/prayer meeting my father regularly attends. The group is fairly tight-knit and they end the night by mentioning praises and prayer requests. Well...one of the women mentioned Bush's inaction on global warming and how the environment is going into meltdown, literally.
I noticed one of our family friends squirming a few feet away from me. Now this dear brother has been a missionary for many years...many more years that I've been alive, so I have great respect for his service all over this part of the world. However, we have our issues, and this includes some of his conservative values.
He jumped in and mentioned that according to that venerable institution, the Adventist Review, the Democrats were in the process of putting a bill through congress that would limit religious freedom.
Well, needless to say, I rushed home afterwards and did my own research. And indeed, the Review did contain an article claiming that section 220 of S.1, the new ethics bill, was in danger of taking away the rights of religious organizations. The article contains a link to the Baptist Press where the story originated. Well, now I had to see this, so I pulled up the Senate web page and found the bill.
I have been having trouble linking to the bill, but if you follow these simple steps, you too can experience this delightful piece of reading:
1. Head to The Library of Congress' search page for the 110th Congress.
2. Enter "grassroot lobby" in the word/phrase search.
3. Click on the link to S.1.PCS.
4. Click on Section 220 in the table of contents, and voila!
Well, now, I'm going to let you read what each document states, and don't worry, Section 220 isn't all that long, but am I missing something; because the bill seems to only want to make all that all grassroots lobbies involved in "paid attempts" to influence public opinion are above-board and transparent. Perhaps I am too naive and am missing the finer points of this bill.
My frustration is that the minute the Democrats do anything that could affect religious organizations in a way that is perceived to be negative, (oh, now you have to report your dealings with congress) the Christian right goes nuts. Apparently this bill attacks the free speech of churches and "pro-family groups." Where were they when the Patriot Act was passed? What about that endangering free speech? What happened to our values that we have become so partisan to tear one group of people apart and leave another group, doing equally bad or worse things, completely alone?
I'm confused.
I'd love to hear what you all think.
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Tuesday, January 23, 2007
The Moment Before Subcreation
There is a moment, just before an idea comes that is almost indescribable. A moment where whatever chemical locks keep the imagination shut in feel as if they fall away. It is like standing in front of a door that has just swung open and revealed all the possibilities in the universe, every world, every being, every story. You close your eyes and every piece of this world is alive and waiting for you to hear its tale. The feeling is like standing in the center of a stream and having it pull at you, every possibility tempting you.
It seems that for a moment you can just barely take in the eternal possibilities of God; but it is just a moment, because the ability to grasp The Infinite leaves you, and you stand still, realizing that you have just glimpsed God's back, and even that was incomprehensible.
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Thursday, January 18, 2007
I Wish
I wish, sometimes, that I lived in the 60s. It's not the music, the technology (or lack thereof), or the free-love that attract me, it's the importance politics and social issues seemed to have in young people's lives.
Maybe it's just the golden sheen 40 years will place on an era, but compared to now, people seemed to be genuinely interested in politics and the shaping of the world. Now those of us who will rule the world grow apathetic under the constant lurid whispers of reality tv and a media even further enveloped by industry. Maybe it was like that back then...but when I watch McGovern's young operatives hurl themselves in the face of the establishment or see the young members of the Weather Underground struggle against what they felt was a hegemonic juggernaut, I have to wonder.
I have always had a fascination with the Black Panther Party. Given the opportunity, I wonder if I would have been part of that movement. I think it's quite possible. Young brothers and sisters caught up in trying to bring real change to the world. And they were young, and full of life and dreams. They were going to pull an entire race up to face the American Empire. I think I would have liked to be part of those dreams, back when hip hop stood for something*.
Maybe I just went to the wrong university; and sure, we were a pretty apathetic student body and there are those out there still dreaming their dreams; but I'd like to think it was different. A time when the smell of change like the tantalizing promise of spring was just around the corner. What happened to us? I wish...
*Disclaimer: I understand this is a vague statement and certainly doesn't reflect my feelings about the entire hip-hop genre. There certainly are artists who are creating meaningful music including, but not limited to Lupe Fiasco, Sweatshop Union, Saul Williams, Kanye West, and even Ludacris. Here's hoping that more follow.
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Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Monday, January 15, 2007
Lessons Forgotten and Relearned
There's a person buried deep in my subconscious, a person I try to forget exists, but every once in a while, when the dark stars align, he stalks the internet in my body. This being is not really evil; he just happens to know a little too much for his good and be immature enough to be combative about his beliefs. Don't argue politics or religion, and especially not when one is using the little devil box we like to call an instant messenger.
Also, when it comes to politics, don't assume you know someone's position unless they clearly state it. This way lies disaster. Really, trust me.
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Wednesday, January 10, 2007
The minimum wage has been raised! God bless those Dems.
House Votes to Increase Minimum Wage.
Now if we can figure out a way to stop this ridiculous troop increase.
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The Return
Who thought going home could be so difficult? I certainly didn't anticipate anything but a long, uneventful flight from Detroit to Bangkok. Everything started smoothly. There was no rush to pack the last few things before I left that morning; I had successfully packed everything several days before. Check-in was even smoother that morning than usual because my sister's godfather was doing some traveling, and with the help of his Worldclub membership, we got through all the check-in hassle fairly painlessly, cleared security, and got to relax in the WorldClub lounge. Free snacks, free wi-fi, and comfy chairs? It's only reasonable to expect that that something would have to go wrong. Once my sister's flight had left, I settled into the comfort of the lounge and downloaded Democracy Now! podcasts with the glee of a spastic, sugar-frenzied child in a Flemish chocolate store.
At 1:15, I strolled to my gate and stepped into line to board the Northwest 747 waiting to take me to Japan. The flight was packed, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the seats next to me were empty. Are you picking up a trend here? Yes...travel isn't supposed to be this calm, relaxed and smooth. Something was definitely amiss: I wasn't tired, frenzied, and I wasn't panicked that I had left something behind. I dozed off in my seat, expecting to be in the air when I woke up. My last waking thoughts? I mused that it would be nice for something interesting to happen on this flight. My flights have always been a bit too normal. Wouldn't it be cool to be on a flight where something crazy happened that you could talk about for years after? I'm an idiot.
I woke up to find that we were still taxiing. In fact, we continued to taxi for the next hour and a half. The pilot eventually came on, sounding slightly bitter and announced that there was a technical issue and we would be returning to the gate. It took another hour and a half for the air crew to come to the conclusion that this was no small fix, so we were released from the now slightly sweaty interior of the 747. Back inside the airport, we were told that we would be leaving at 6 pm, and that because we would be missing our connecting flights, a hotel in Tokyo would be provided for our overnight stay.
To make a long story somewhat shorter, at 6 we were informed that we would be staying overnight in Detroit. As the 330 of us who belonged in the Economy section stood in line waiting for hotel and meal vouchers, I took some time to people watch. A Japanese man with a long face and clothes neatly ironed leafed through his English phrasebook searching for polite ways to express his disgust. A Croatian man spent the 45 minutes we spent in line muttering that this was "f*****g BS," while a fat little American kid whined loudly. Two elegant Japanese women regarded him with obvious disgust. At this point, the 25 pound backpack I happened to be carrying started to really dig into my shoulders.
Ground transportation to the hotel could be called an ordeal. We waited in the cold Detroit night for the shuttle. I had started to lose my sense of adventure as the cold wound around my arms and into my skin.
The hotel was comfortable, the night was slept through soundly, and at 6:00 I was back at the hotel, and by 8:30, we were off the ground. I'm sorry, did I skip some details there? No matter, the empty seats next to me were now filled, making my trips to the bathroom fairly complicated. If there's one thing that bothers me about Northwest, it's the fact that their planes are just a bit wobbly. I finally decided to stop looking at the engine swaying against it's mounting on the wing as we began to cross Alaska.
The Northwest trans-pacific flight isn't your typical sea-crossing. It heads up north, curving with the earth, crossing Canada, Alaska, then brushing the edge of the Arctic before heading down through Russia before arriving in Japan. My favorite moment of the flight was peering out the window during the Alaskan night, watching endless miles of snow covered mountains pass, and then spotting the lights of two villages twinkling against the monochromatic landscape. I stared at the orange dots for minutes, until they finally faded into the darkness.
The rest of the flight went fairly smoothly, except for the fact that I was having regular stomach cramps for the last three hours of the flight. I was still fairly cheerful, despite having to grip the seat rests occasionally as my stomach through a temper tantrum. Thankfully, Northwest pilots know how to land a plane with some definite skill, and they gentle landing did nothing to disturb my pouty internal organs.
The flight from Japan to Thailand was empty, and may I throw in a recommendation of JAL if anyone is traveling from Tokyo to Bangkok. The flight is almost empty, the chairs in Economy are larger, more comfortable, and each seat has it's own console and screen. And, with a click of a button, passengers can watch the scenery go by with the help of a camera mounted in front of the plane. It certainly makes take-offs and landings quite interesting.
So here I am, settling into Thailand. Hopefully, I can have a few days of peace, but knowing life, I'm sure something odd is just around the corner.
Continue the journey...
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