Every time I move out of a city, I do a kind of farewell photography tour. I go to the places I'd wanted to visit but never had, seek out the quirks of a city, and carry my camera everywhere. I find myself in that mindset today, thinking about photographing what makes Albuquerque the city it is before leaving for Santa Fe.
One of the things that makes Albuquerque unique is the film industry here. It's not unusual for sections of the city to be closed down for filming, or to see parking lots reserved for the vehicles of the film crew... parking lots filled with trailers, honey-wagons, and catering trucks.
From time to time people complain. They find it inconvenient to have to go around the detours. They don't want the parking spaces filled. And, I guess, they simply don't think about the money that's coming into the city in local hiring, in the restaurants and hotels and rentals that go along with the film industry.
At other times, businesses seem to capitalize on it.
This sign is now a regular feature on 6th St between Central and Copper. Across the street is one of the parking lots most frequently used by film crew. They first went up during a huge filming a couple weeks ago, and even though the film crews are gone, and to the best of my knowledge never filmed on this particular block, businesses seem to imply that filming is going on now at those businesses, and that you can be a part of it by just getting your hair cut or your boots repaired here.
Of course having two kids in the film industry I may be a little more sensitive to what other Albuquerquians have become inured to: The piles of equipment being stacked up outside of buildings, or the sudden closure of parking lots, and the lighting equipment pushed up against the building as crews put out the detour signs. The residents blink and realized "oh, there's filming going on" when it's in progress... I see the events leading up to the filming, the signs of what's coming, before the closure, before the cameras roll, before the lights are turned on.
One day I remember driving by the Bank of Albuquerque to see its new sign read "Bank of Southern Los Angeles" and knowing Bank of Albuquerque hadn't been bought out over night, also realized that the bank was about to become part of film history.
Film trucks are likely to be part of my farewell photography tour... as will be some of the other unique features of the city.
Yesterday, I wrote an Examiner article responding to Jefferson Bethke’s latest video called “Sex, Marriage, and Fairytales.” Today, I still have more to say on the topic. I thought of making my own spoken word on the subject, but I would rather be more informative.
First, I want to talk about sex before marriage. People have sex for a variety of reasons. It isn’t just for procreation anymore… as if it ever was. Sex is also a very important part of a relationship and it is important to know that everyone involved are on the same page when it comes to the subject. Just as it is important to get to know someone’s personality before you marry them, it is important to get to know someone sexually before you marry them too. Sex isn’t everything in a relationship, but it is something… and for most couples it is a very important something.
Next, since Bethke focuses a lot on the negative, let’s look at divorce. Divorces happen. That is not necessarily a bad thing. People today live longer and healthy lives than we did back in the day. If you marry someone at 19, you aren’t just spending 20 or 30 years with them anymore. People are now living into their 90s and even into their hundreds. Over time, one thing is certain. You will change. You will either change with your spouse or change in a different direction.
I get my wisdom in the strangest places. A long time ago, I remember watching the first episode of SeaQuest DSV. At the end of the episode, Lucas (the boy genius) told an interesting story of how his parents fought all the time and he hated listening to them argue. He said that he just wished that they would get a divorce, but they wouldn’t. Captain Bridger asked why they didn’t. Lucas said that his father told him that they made a promise, but he guesses they didn’t count on things changing.
Like I said before though, sometimes people change together and when this happens, people can stay together for a very long time and maybe even their entire lifetime. One piece of advice that I have to help that is to marry someone who you are also friends with; more importantly, to treat your marriage like a friendship. One way to test whether you are doing that is to view the marriage ceremony as just that, a ceremony.
Getting married should not change the relationship or make the relationship more serious. Should just be a celebration of the relationship you already have. If you think you need to get married to make the relationship work, than you probably shouldn’t get married to that person at that time.
With that said, please check out my Examiner article on Jefferson Bethke’s video “Sex, Marriage, and Fairytales.” Thanks!
Over all, there are now more people under “correctional supervision” in America-more than six million-than were in the Gulag Archipelago under Stalin at its height.
An interesting tidbit of information about the police state of the US of A, and how their capitalist system has found a way to rework the justice system itself in order to secure cheap and maleable labour.
Patriot Americans love to remind everyone on the socialist side of the prism, about how better capitalism is than everything else, and bring about comparisons with Russian gulags and the like. It’s hilarious to point out that they’re actually far worse than they were.
I’ve heard every one of the things said in this video, and every time I feel an urge to rampage and riot and behead people. Oh, wait, no, that’s not right — I’ve felt an urge to laugh, mock, sneer, or argue. Sorry, I just mistook cultural norms for my own for a moment there.
Ireland shut down their Vatican embassy; everyone says it was a cost-saving measure, but you know there had to have been some notion that this was a rebuke to the Catholic church for screwing over Ireland for so long. Now some groups want to reopen it…and so far the response is rather emphatic. I suspect you’ll make it even more emphatic.
“Because of the Lord’s mercies, we are not consumed–for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!” Lamentations 3:22-23
You are sometimes tempted to think that your lot is hard, and that your trials are greater than others–but do not think thus. Rather think, “But for the mercy of God–I would have been in Hell this moment, lifting up my eyes in torments; and in the agony of despair, cursing my God and King! It is all of mercy, that I am not now in the flames of Hell, surrounded by infuriated devils, and assailed on every hand by the groans of the damned, and the dreadful cursings of the lost!”
HELL! Who shall attempt to describe what is wrapped up in that fearful word? Yet all that it contains was your righteous desert; and but for sovereign mercy–must have been your eternal portion! What a mercy to be out of Hell!. Yes, even though you are now in the sorest trials, in the greatest pains!
Ah yes, the threat of hell. Keeping Christians faithful and true for 2000 years.
The University of Saskatchewan Freethought Alliance, Saskatoon Skeptics and Centre for Inquiry Saskatchewan are proud to host the fourth annual Darwin Day celebration in Saskatoon on February 12 from 1:00-5:00 pm.
Come and help us celebrate Darwin’s 203rd birthday with 2 presentations followed by discussions. Speakers this year are from the U of S Biology department: Prof. José Andrés and Prof. Dick Neal (Emeritus). Birthday cake and coffee will be available and the Museum of Natural Sciences is nearby for touring and working on a scavenger hunt.
Schedule of Events (subject to change):
1:00 pm Introduction & 1st Presentation
2:45 pm Birthday Cake & Coffee; Museum Touring
3:15 pm 2nd Presentation
5:30 pm Pub Discussion (anyone interested can join us for further discussion & cheer – probably at nearby Alexander’s)
Cash donations are optional, but welcome all the same. Tax receipts are available for any donation over $10. Head for the Biology building (112 Science Place) and look for room 106. That’ll be us.
Hopefully we get a good turnout this year. Last year seemed kind of poor but I think there were a few other things going on around town, too, and maybe we didn’t give ourselves enough time to advertise the event and really plug the value of attending. It was interesting, thoug. One of the speakers took us through some human history from an archeological standpoint and I remember being enthralled by the talk but I never took any notes to blog from later, alas.
I’ve heard that one topic getting discussed this year will be altruism, a facet of humanity that religionists like to co-opt as their own special god-inspired trait (like this dude who merely falls back on Pascal’s Wager as if that could ever good enough reasoning) but I think the audience for that particular lecture will learn how that’s not quite the case.
So, if you’re in the area and can find a little time that Sunday, give this event a try. Like it says above, there will be cake. Always worth the calories, cake… And you can feed your brain at the same time. Also worth it.
A quick bit about me before we move on to more exciting things.
I consider myself a Christian in the sense that I follow the teachings of Jesus, do believe he is the son of God and was the ultimate sacrifice for brokenness on the earth.
I do realize how absolutely insane that sounds, but I believe it.
I’m also intensely overwhelmed with how the “Christian Image” is portrayed in modern culture. While I am an extremely open-minded individual and try loving everyone, try understanding everyone, and definitely respecting everyone, I often have the most difficult time doing that within my own faith community.
I’m here to talk about real questions that go through my head. Real criticisms I have and maybe (maybe) blow the whistle on some serious stuff that just isn’t right within the Christian community.
With that said, people who know me could call me on my own mistakes and flaws. Nobody is perfect. I don’t pretend to be. That’s where the issue comes in. (Hypocrisy much?)
I’m a responsible and intelligent adult. Because of my job in the Jesus industry, I’ve met most of the “famous” Christians out there. A couple of them may have even tried to get in my pants. And no, I’m not kidding.
So, hi. Nice to meet you.
Let’s move on to other things, shall we?
I saw this video, “Sh*tuff Christian Girls Say” on Facebook yesterday, and Hemant emailed me the link the other night, asking, what does this say about Christianity and women?
Here’s my play by play.
“God is leading me to break up with you.”
OHmyWORD.
As much as I hate that there is yet another parody in the “Shit ____ Say” series, this is likely the most common phrase spoken by unmarried Christians. I have never said it to anyone before, but I kid you not: the last guy I seriously dated pulled this out of his escape bag the day after he said he was my best friend and was always thinking about me being his potential future wife.
I could probably write an essay on how God is the Christian’s best cop-out for when we don’t want to hurt someone else. In the codependent lineup, he’s The Scapegoat. I mean, who’s to argue with what God is “leading” someone to do?
Back to the video.
“I’m just ready for my Boaz… Where’s my Samson to tear down the pillars of my loneliness?”
To clarify, these are two men in the Old Testament. Boaz was a rescuer to a mother and her widowed daughter-in-law (eventually marrying the DIL, Ruth). Samson is a super strong guy in the Old Testament who tears down buildings and reveals the source of his strength to a woman who betrays him. Hot.
She continues making references to Biblical characters (Jezebel, Esther, Potiphar’s Wife, and Sarah…to begin). Then, off to the pop-culture races we go.
Maybe you’ve heard about the mid-nineties book sensation “I Kissed Dating Goodbye” which asks readers to turn away from the painful dating scene and let God work.
From Amazon:
I Kissed Dating Goodbye shows what it means to entrust your love life to God. Joshua Harris shares his story of giving up dating and discovering that God has something even better — a life of sincere love, true purity, and purposeful singleness.
(Spoiler: It should be noted Harris got married shortly after the book’s release to the girl he was “courting” and, yes, they are still married today and even wrote a book together.)
A few more Christanese references later and our sweet hero(ine) is off encouraging others with her Spirit-filled lovey dovey words. On Twitter. Hashtag #Boom.
I give this little video four stars for its accuracy. If you’ve ever spent anytime in the Bible Belt, drop in any coffeehouse and I assure you 75% of the time you will hear at least three lines from this video.
But you won’t hear them from me.
I’m assuming I’m not the only person who thinks this video is a great example of how sheltered, isolated, and out of touch people in the Jesus Bubble can be. Even as a single Christian girl, I had to Google a few things, and I lived my life in the center of The Bubble. When I’ve heard these conversations take place in my own cafe-Bible-reading-journal-sessions (I kid…I do those things at home), I’ve often wanted to walk up and ask these girls if THEY even know what they’re saying.
“So, you want a Sampson? You want a strong hottie who gives in to a girl and loses all of his power? How romantic. And really? You’re enthralled? Who says that word? And that album is ‘anointed?’ Show me your iTunes playlist and I can point out almost every Christian artist and tell you about how this one singer slept with the drummer’s wife and broke up the band and how this other band doesn’t even really believe in God and how I saw the guy that wrote all those worship songs you think are so ‘filled with the spirit’ passed out drunk at the airport when I was on vacation. That ‘anointing’ is pretty much a clever trick played by the music industry so they can manipulate your emotions and take your money.”
But, alas. I refrain.
Why?
Because I am a Christian and I have made dumb decisions and tried to use Jesus as my PR schtick. I’ve name-dropped God to get my own way, I am no better or worse than the oversexed musicians, and I’ve even been drunk in an airport like the worship leader dude.
Insert confusion and angst.
Yes, these things make me mad, but maybe because they’re only truths about myself I don’t want to accept. The deeper question for me is why don’t I want to accept them? Is this some shame-based guilt complex of just living a flawed life? Is this some high-level awareness of a socially imposed morale code? I think that tension exists in a lot of people… maybe not only in Christian girls who say Sh*tuff.
Aw... po' widdle Grimmy got his precious snowflake feelings hurt. A few words of advice, readers: I really am a giant asshole on the blog most of the time. I can do it, but it's a real struggle for me to address egregious stupidity calmly and logically. When I get just a reiteration of the original argument without substantively addressing any of the points I made in my criticism, I'm not going to continue the struggle.
Here's the deal. Grizwald Grim worries that somewhere, somehow, some self-described New Atheist might not make the distinction between mockery and violence. But that's a stupid worry. We live in a big world with a lot of people in it. We can't ensure that every person everywhere always acts sensibly and humanely. The same criticism applies to Grim, perhaps moreso: what if someone were to take Grim's words wrong and do something stupid? What if some nutjob were to take criticism of The Phantom Menace wrong and try to do something dumb to George Lucas? At least with atheist criticism, we can draw objective distinctions (no advocating violence, no criticism for ineluctable characteristics, distinguishing between the individual and the general/typical); I don't see any way to distinguish between "dangerous" and "benign" ideas according to Grim. The point is not that we must advocate violence; the point is that every activity might be dangerous.
The lack of priests, bishops, etc. also cuts both ways. Grim is correct: we can't authoritatively decide who is an atheist, or who is a New Atheist. We can't say, "Sorry, mate. You have two felony convictions. You can't get into the club." But neither can we set any authoritative standards as to what New Atheists say. There is no New Atheist authority that Grim can persuade to set standards of discourse. This lack of authority, though, is a net benefit. No, there is no authority to enforce "good" behavior, but neither is there an authority to organize "bad" behavior. I think the danger of the second is greater than the danger of the first. The New Atheists do what we can to mitigate the potential for violence: we don't advocate or justify violence, and we criticize people who do advocate violence. We support (to a point) the ordinary civilized institutions that mitigate violence: democratic laws, police, judges, prisons, etc. But just like everyone else, we cannot prevent every far-fetched hypothetical.
It's always chancy to speculate about motives, especially unconscious or covert motives. Still, the evidence is at least suggestive. Grim has never objectively defined "mockery". Grim has never presented any plausible scenario where our undefined (and probably undefinable) "mockery" would lead to any violence, much less violence that would not be routinely managed by ordinary civilized institutions. Grim actually disagrees with the substance of the New Atheist position, even though he has made no argument that our position is actually untrue. I can see no remedy for Grim's complaints other than that the New Atheists just shut up, that we just not say something that he disagrees with. And he making the same argument made by people who really do want to use violence to shut up critics of their misogynistic, anti-science, narrow-minded, and authoritarian religious institutions. Why is he protecting these institutions? It can't be the prevention of harm: he is protecting people who are doing real, actual harm right now on the basis that some unspecified type of criticism might do some potential, hypothetical harm in the indeterminate future. That argument is nonsensical on its face. I don't think Grim actually supports these institutions, though. Maybe Grim is just a garden-variety asshole who wants to shut up anyone who disagrees with him.
The National Prayer Breakfast is predicated on a mentality of “us” (good, godly Americans who embrace faith, preferably the conservative Christian kind) and “them” (everyone else).
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Here’s a swarm of quad-rotor robots hovering in formation. They’re a creation of the GRASP labs at the University of Pennsylvania.
Kind of cool. Before you get too impressed, check out the blooper reel at io9 and see all the ways the little four-rotor guys can screw up.
Sure, they’re cute, but what can the little guys do? Here’s an exhibit titled “Flight Assembled Architecture,” created at the FRAC Centre in Orléans, France. Several quad-copters are used to pick up polystyrene foam blocks and drop them into place, eventually creating a 6m tower. This is the work of Swiss architect Gramazio & Kohler and Italian robot designer Raffaello D’Andrea.
These little rotor robots are not the only kind of flying bot out there. Markus Fischer and his team at Festo, a German tech company, have created “SmartBird,” a robot that flies in the same manner as a bird. Here he is displaying their creation at the TED Talks:
Finally, the good folks at Neural Robotics, Inc have produced this RC gunship. For all I know, Neural Robotics is a respected company with a sterling reputation. However, it looks like two good ‘ol boys got together and said, “Hey, let’s build us a big RC chopper and strap a shotgun to it!”
Yesterday, atheists, agnostics, freethinkers and humanists in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest joined forces to announce the launch of their coalition and its first event, Darwin on the Palouse, with PZ Myers, Daniel Dennett, Jen McCreight ...
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On a conference call last month, Mitt Romney argued that Obama is leading an “assault on life,” an “assault on religion” and an “assault on marriage".
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