I may give it up some day; You never know with Monkeys. But then, knowledge of grape varieties could come in handy... or not. One never knows.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Church-Sign Scandal Averted!
The American Southeast, it seems to me, is singular in many ways, but this really stands out: Churches here use the kinds of signs you'd post the catch of the day on to convey Christian messages. I've been through the West and the Northeast, and I've never seen such a preponderance. While remaining respectful, some people develop an eye for humor in the signs. My friend Palmer in North Carolina is just such a fellow. He let me post this one.
Oh... my... goodness! Um... eh... not sure what to say... not exactly comfortable...
Ahhh, see. Two letters have fallen. Was it some opposing wind that knocked them down, or does the Christian God want to remind us to keep our senses of humor alive? Draw your own conclusions.
Good fellow that Palmer is, he replaced the letters. There now! Whew!
By the way, there's a site where you can generate your own funny church signs. Enjoy!
Oh... my... goodness! Um... eh... not sure what to say... not exactly comfortable...
Ahhh, see. Two letters have fallen. Was it some opposing wind that knocked them down, or does the Christian God want to remind us to keep our senses of humor alive? Draw your own conclusions.
Good fellow that Palmer is, he replaced the letters. There now! Whew!
By the way, there's a site where you can generate your own funny church signs. Enjoy!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Women, the 'Net, and Veganism
I have criticized, and I'll continue to criticize, the recent growth of veganism as some sort of trendy diet, as the latest weight-loss regimen. The word "health" is thrown around often, but it seems like it's the person in the mirror that's at the end of it all. It would be a shame to see a fine cause consumed by narcissism. An aging hippie once told me that every lifestyle choice will have its time in the mainstream, so it's important to stick to your principles until the fad passes. True, but I've never been part of a movement that hasn't lost currency though widespread interest.
From what I can see, interest in the vegan diet wouldn't be quite so big if certain people weren't obsessed with what their scales tell them. And yes, sadly, I mean women. There are whole industries thriving on convincing women that they're not good enough as they are. Just stop and consider that ad for anti-aging cream you saw recently. It's all in the name of sexiness, but nobody's asking individual men what they like. Sexiness does mean actually being attractive to the other sex, doesn't it? For the majority of us, anyhow, with all due respect to the gay and lesbian people out there.
I mean, when pressed, what men really like. You'd be surprised. There's nothing wrong with a little bounce. Or maybe a lot.
If you try to please the public, you're leaving your own man behind. It's one or the other.
All that makeup, all the talk of calories and other numbers, just creates a barrier between a man and a woman. It's not about your own self worth, it's about others manipulating you to increase profits. If people found out that passion requires not a single dollar, huge corporations would collapse.
It was this video, posted by Kat on Facebook this morning, that spurred my thinking. If the female presence on the internet is characterized by narcissism, I wonder just how much the internet is affecting the growth of veganism.
Yeah, I know he emphasizes the cultural side of things a little too much, and there may be an instinct in women to attract a mate, but you get the general idea.
You know, I called a big vegan blogger out on things she said in a post, and I got a message telling me that I'd hurt her feelings. I had left my comment on the wall of her Facebook business account, but she took it very personally. I was a little shocked, and I'm still trying to figure out how to respond. I'm still grappling with the idea that the vegan diet and surrounding issues can, in her eyes, reflect her personal worth. I've been feeling that, by starting a blog with the word "vegan" in the title, I've entered shark-infested waters. If I knock over some cultural props that deserve knocking, I'm gonna hurt people.
See, avoiding animal food is resistance to me. It means rejecting what powerful people want you to do for the sake of what's right. It means being yourself rather than buying a self at the mall. It's heroism of the David-and-Goliath sort. But when individuals, of their own free will, and with little coercion, are selling themselves into the hands of manipulators, it all seems a little hopeless.
I'm talking We the People. Please, let's not give up. Please step off the scale and focus on bigger things. There's a whole world outside of trivial body-image issues, and it desperately needs your attention. And if ever you're tempted to envy some emaciated gorgon on a red carpet, please stop and think twice.
From what I can see, interest in the vegan diet wouldn't be quite so big if certain people weren't obsessed with what their scales tell them. And yes, sadly, I mean women. There are whole industries thriving on convincing women that they're not good enough as they are. Just stop and consider that ad for anti-aging cream you saw recently. It's all in the name of sexiness, but nobody's asking individual men what they like. Sexiness does mean actually being attractive to the other sex, doesn't it? For the majority of us, anyhow, with all due respect to the gay and lesbian people out there.
I mean, when pressed, what men really like. You'd be surprised. There's nothing wrong with a little bounce. Or maybe a lot.
If you try to please the public, you're leaving your own man behind. It's one or the other.
All that makeup, all the talk of calories and other numbers, just creates a barrier between a man and a woman. It's not about your own self worth, it's about others manipulating you to increase profits. If people found out that passion requires not a single dollar, huge corporations would collapse.
It was this video, posted by Kat on Facebook this morning, that spurred my thinking. If the female presence on the internet is characterized by narcissism, I wonder just how much the internet is affecting the growth of veganism.
Yeah, I know he emphasizes the cultural side of things a little too much, and there may be an instinct in women to attract a mate, but you get the general idea.
You know, I called a big vegan blogger out on things she said in a post, and I got a message telling me that I'd hurt her feelings. I had left my comment on the wall of her Facebook business account, but she took it very personally. I was a little shocked, and I'm still trying to figure out how to respond. I'm still grappling with the idea that the vegan diet and surrounding issues can, in her eyes, reflect her personal worth. I've been feeling that, by starting a blog with the word "vegan" in the title, I've entered shark-infested waters. If I knock over some cultural props that deserve knocking, I'm gonna hurt people.
See, avoiding animal food is resistance to me. It means rejecting what powerful people want you to do for the sake of what's right. It means being yourself rather than buying a self at the mall. It's heroism of the David-and-Goliath sort. But when individuals, of their own free will, and with little coercion, are selling themselves into the hands of manipulators, it all seems a little hopeless.
I'm talking We the People. Please, let's not give up. Please step off the scale and focus on bigger things. There's a whole world outside of trivial body-image issues, and it desperately needs your attention. And if ever you're tempted to envy some emaciated gorgon on a red carpet, please stop and think twice.
The Florida Strawberry Festival, Part 1: Getting There
Something big has been going on in nearby Plant City, where one can apparently taste the flavor of fun, and since I'd never been to any event like it, we did some exploring. Traffic was backed up blocks away from the entrance, so there was a chance or two to catch some signs along the way. No matter how long I live here, I'll never tire of those little Southern gothic touches.
Hmmm... Roman 10-17. Is that anything like the Book of Romans?
Looks quiet on the outside, but...
Deee-luxe.
KJV only! Neato! Here you can probably find the kind of preaching that's so fascinating when you stumble upon it while playing with the radio. It has its own unique musical or poetic qualities. This deserves three pictures.
We made it!
I'm starting to get the idea that this whole visit will be characterized by a crumbling homemade quality. Sounds good to me!
More soon!
Hmmm... Roman 10-17. Is that anything like the Book of Romans?
Looks quiet on the outside, but...
Deee-luxe.
KJV only! Neato! Here you can probably find the kind of preaching that's so fascinating when you stumble upon it while playing with the radio. It has its own unique musical or poetic qualities. This deserves three pictures.
We made it!
I'm starting to get the idea that this whole visit will be characterized by a crumbling homemade quality. Sounds good to me!
More soon!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Sublime
Edmund Burke has been called the father of modern conservatism because he introduced the idea of romanticizing the past to justify political changes in the present. He also wrote an aesthetic treatise that can be considered quite liberal considering that it encouraged the strain of Romanticism informed by radical sympathies. In it, he drew a distinction between the beautiful and the sublime, the sublime being nature in its terrible, awe-inspiring aspect.
And why am I mentioning this? Because I think the eruption in Hawaii is sublime, at least according to Mr. Burke...
And why am I mentioning this? Because I think the eruption in Hawaii is sublime, at least according to Mr. Burke...
Eustace Conway
Sigh... the best introduction to the man that I can find seems to exist only to plug someone's blog. Yeahhhh, that's right, end the video with some nasty-looking, corporate-style logo. That'll make us all feel self-sufficient!
Nevertheless, I think the tiny shred of footage we're given is valuable.
Now there's a hint of sleazy condescension in this old report, but it gives you a good idea of what he does...
"Should we have worshed it off first?" Geez!
You've got to wade through a lot of self-interested nonesense to get to the heart of what he's doing, but when you do get there, it's pretty inspiring, isn't it?
Nevertheless, I think the tiny shred of footage we're given is valuable.
Now there's a hint of sleazy condescension in this old report, but it gives you a good idea of what he does...
"Should we have worshed it off first?" Geez!
You've got to wade through a lot of self-interested nonesense to get to the heart of what he's doing, but when you do get there, it's pretty inspiring, isn't it?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)