March 2011
78 posts
Reach
Andrew Belle
New favorite obscure musical findings: Andrew Belle. Get The Ladder on NoiseTrade, because it is very worth it. Here’s Reach.
It’s like…ambient folk. With banjos. Yes, please.
A Thought on Restoration:
I’m a terrible philosopher and by no means a theologian, but there has been one thought rolling around in my head for a few months, and I’m not sure where to take it other than this:
I think, that when practiced humbly and in it’s most true form, Christianity is a truly culturally restorative religion.
People go back and forth all the time. It’s judgmental, it’s the people that are judgmental. It’s socially irrelevant, vs it’s totally relevant. So on and so forth: whether this particular body of spiritual followers are anti-culture, counter-culture, or a part of culture is a hot issue. Sure, it can and often is practiced in wrong ways (Jesus Camp, anyone?), but I beg to argue that this is our fault. We are judgmental, hurtful, manipulative, broken. Not the religion. Not Christ.
Being a terrible philosopher who is by no means a theologian and consequently a pretty confused Christian, I can’t make statements about what I would like to see out of the Christian community, or how I would like to see it. I can only speak for myself. And what I want to see more of out of myself is respect and understanding, a stronger social conscience, and more concerted efforts to become involved in culture- not just that of my town, home city, or nation, but globally. And hopefully in doing so, I can contribute to the restoration of our world, of our cultures, that I think my faith system is really all about.
International Justice Mission →
ijm.org
The other day I posted a bunch of resurfaced emotional angst, and if you noticed, took it back down. In the last few days there has been a few more things on my mind. Way bigger, more important things. Like sex trafficking. And the sex trafficking of children. And how global it is. And how seemingly impossible to fight.
There is a friend of our family who has some amazing stories about spending a few years “brothel busting”, if you will, in southeast asia and doing what he can to fight the problem. It is certainly a controversial problem, with controversial solutions.
I don’t think that invalidates the cause (being the efforts to fight the growing pandemic that is human trafficking). The more people aware, the more people who can fight for the eradication of ‘the biggest man-made natural disaster’, as human trafficking has been called.
This week I am working on a speech touching on this issue. Before I have done some research on America as a proxy for international human trafficking, and that is just one facet of human trafficking as a whole. It’s a big thing, and hopefully my woefully inadequate measures can somehow contribute to the fight.
Anyway. Here is just one of the organizations dedicated to putting an end to human trafficking. May we develop social consciences, and listen to them.
Play
Play
“Krasner was active in the Artists Union and a frequent participant in artists’ protests. She believed, like Trotsky, that artists could create abstract work and that art radicals should be more concerned with a better world than with making propaganda.”
—
Joan Marter in Negotiating Abstraction: Lee Krasner, Mercedes Carles Matter and the Hoffmann Years.
Lee Krasner was so excellent.
Bridges And Baloons
Joanna Newsom
I’ve tried to keep it cool all week, but, let’s be honest: I am so in over my head, have absolutely no idea what’s going on or how I got here, and I’m really not sure what to do about any of it besides keepin on and trying not to let anxiety get the best of me. But at what point do stress-relieving measures just add to your stress? This point.
So, you all know how this goes. I start panicking and put on Milk Eyed Mender. Joanna Newsom has been my anti-panic music since 10th grade. And oh goodness, do I need it now….
Since I usually post Peach, Plum, Pear…here’s Bridges and Balloons. (The entire album is gold, though.)
Play
“Ambition in a woman was considered dangerous, and a woman who became assertive enough to be a hero was, by definition, less of a woman.”
—
Ann Gibson, “Lee Krasner and Women’s Innovations in American Abstract Painting.” Women’s Art Journal.
Ridiculous. I’m so glad I don’t live in the 1950s.
Texting With My Mom:
- Me: Mom! I got an A on my eulogy for Dobby!
- My Mom: Rock on you adorable orator! ;-)
- Oh my. I love my Mom : )
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
—Mark Twain (via misswallflower)
Another Week in Free Association
Ahora te Puedes Marchar (again), only black coffee, Wednesday night spontaneity, being the listening ear…thrice, fancy words (like thrice), sneezing animals, back in classes, beautiful weather, pleasure reading for the first time in who knows when, music for the soul, granny squares, sewing plans, drawings, thinking about making more sketchbooks, a successful informative speech, being calm for once to being peacefully drained (what a new sensation), head about to explode after six hour long algebra marathons, function machines and domain buckets, being promoted from ukulele novice to intermediate, tweeting off the wazoo, library time, being too ambitious, tom thumb, tom thumb, tom thumb (aka, committee, t-shirt design, and learning i’m actually running the bakesale??), drawing class…yeah. I think that’s about enough for now. Oh, and how could I forget: Rebecca Black.
The Roadtrip Music Continues
It’s been over a week of mostly Black Keys, Dr. Dog, some Juanes, Mumford and Sons, and Atmosphere. (and maybe some ukulele Rebecca Black…)
What are you listening to?
“Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn.”
—C.S. Lewis (via mylittlebee) (via booklover) (via libraryland)
Spam-ku →
web.mit.edu
Almost 20,000 Spam haikus for your Spammy enjoyment. And no, I did not do the math wrong: there are actually that many.
I think I’ll end on a good note, and let this be the end of all the Spam posts…for now…
Spam Haikus
While researching the delectable luncheon meat, I came accross these two gems:
Pink beefy temptress
I can no longer remain
Vegetarian
The color of Spam
Is natural as the sky:
A block of sunrise
Pink beefy temptress? How could anyone resist that??
Everybodys Bunnies →
everybodysbunnies.tumblr.com
Ohhhhhhh…bunniiiies!
New follow. I am such a girl…
Google-tastic
I just went to type something into my search bar, and the history of most-recently searched items struck me as an oddly humorous mix. So, what do my most recent search items say about me:
- Spam luncheon meat
- The Horse Fair Rosa Bonheur
- Christian Hipster
- Rihanna Umbrella ukulele tab
- sneezing horse
- y u no tumbl
?
