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Archive for the ‘Current Events’ Category

letterHey guys,

I’m going to be a bit transparent and bear my soul for the (electronic) world, but mostly just for you for a minute (though you can’t read yet, but you will one day soon at the rate you guys are going!). I write as your dad. And I do so knowing that not everyone your dad knows will like this letter. But I’m banking on the fact that we can be honest with one another and still be together, right?  That’s what we say, right?

Look, I was disappointed in the election last night.  And not because a party won or lost, but because I really wasn’t sure what to do with the candidate that won.

And now, on the other side of Michigan’s electoral votes, I’m curious about the future, but I can afford to be.  Because our President-Elect (who I now pray for and who will be our President) said some things that really trouble me, though they weren’t to me. And I have to be honest about that with you.  That’s not to say none of the other candidates, including the primary rival, didn’t also say or do some things that made me cringe.  But he said things about vulnerable people. He said things about people with disabilities.  He said things about veterans, about our Muslim brothers and sisters, about our Mexican brothers and sisters, and about our Black brothers and sisters.  His VP pick has done things that hurt our LGBTQ brothers and sisters.

He said things about women that I never want to hear out of your mouths.

In fact, he said those things so loudly, that it was hard for me to hear the other things that he was saying, so I’m really confused today about what is next. Confused and curious.

But I know that others did hear him, and liked what they heard (what they liked and what they heard, I’m not sure, but it’s clear they did).  And they, too, are our brothers and sisters, many of them, I think, in vulnerable situations, too.  And I think that we share more common values than disagreements. I really do.

But you have to know something about yourselves, boys.

See, you’re middle class white kids in a country that’s still made for you. You don’t need to feel ashamed of that, by the way. But you need to be aware of it.  The current world is situated for you, and your responsibility is to start situating it for all, with all. The risk for you in the world is minimal, save for those risks we all have associated with living: cancer, natural disasters, deranged individuals, and the hazards of driving with your grandparents.

And so, what I want to say about disappointment is this: though I am disappointed (and disappointed that we do not, yet, have a female Chief Executive as an example for you, though your mom is pretty good at filling the role), disappointment is something you must get used to.  You don’t always get what you want, even when you feel you work really hard for something.

But I will be more disappointed if we somehow fail to help you understand two things:

  1. You live in community with other people, a community that is ever expanding, larger and larger. All of the following has to do with that, because no attempt at shrinking it will make it smaller. So you must get used to this. Know your words in this world have consequences. And your actions have consequences. So you must defend the weak and vulnerable. You must have courage to be who you are. You must look after your fellow brothers and sisters, especially those who are looked down upon or who are in vulnerable situations. That is your responsibility, no matter who is the Chief Executive of our country, because that’s what God and decency requires of us. And, if they’re worth their skin, they’ll look after you. That’s how good community works, and even if we’re not yet *good* at community, you can be good within community.
  2. Sometimes you’re going to be disappointed. And that doesn’t mean that you get angry (though anger is natural and OK in pieces) or get even (never OK). It means that you lean into your values of cooperation and love and respect and you do what you can, where you can.  And you don’t have to hate or hurt people who disagree with you. They are part of your global neighborhood, guys.

The world you’re growing up in is more divided than ever.  Some of that is because my generation and previous ones haven’t really learned how to disagree well with one another.  We’re struggling with an increasingly globalized world in a way that we aren’t really prepared (or mature enough?) for in most cases.  We’ve been fed that we must tolerate one another, when really what we should have been taught is how to love each other.  We’re not yet comfortable with that.

And no amount of platitudes will ease this discomfort.  What you must do is reach out to those different from you, however that difference is made evident, and be with them.  You don’t have to stand for intolerance, but I don’t want you to just tolerate anyone, either.

I want you to love people, as you’re best able. And loving people means you don’t make fun of them, you don’t assault them, and you don’t generalize them. It means you listen and have dinner with them, and you pick up the tab half the time.

And yes, you can be snarky, but try to avoid cynicism.  And yes, you can have strong opinions, but if your opinion becomes a personal attack, it fails to be an opinion and has devolved into a baser form of communication, which should be avoided at all costs because, well, you’re bright guys and are better than that.

We’re going to be disappointed sometimes, boys. But know yourself, and know who, when disappointment strikes, will feel the aftershock the most.  And that’s who you look out for. And not because you are some sort of savior or guardian, but just because that’s where you’re supposed to be, by God.

Got it?

Love you guys. Go Cubs!

It seems like after every national tragedy–and let’s be honest, tragedy on any scale–people have this “ah-ha” realization about the fragility of life.

I think that’s a pretty natural reaction.  A wake-up of sorts.

And that “ah-ha,” that realization, often gets filtered into a phrase that comes out something like this: “we’re not promised tomorrow.”  It’s a carpe diem phrase of sorts. A call to mindfulness.  A call to smell the roses.  A call to, as Qoheleth and Dave Matthews chirp, “Eat, drink, and be merry” for tomorrow we die.

Or, at least, we might die.

On the one hand, I get that sentiment.  In a cosmic sense it is absolutely true, and shouldn’t be ignored.

But the tragedy in Orlando was not some cosmically caused killing.  A meteor didn’t fall from the sky and destroy Pulse. It wasn’t some freak shark attack.

If it had been a meteor or a freak accident, then I could get behind the phrase “we’re not promised tomorrow” as a response to this terrorist attack.

But this was a terrorist with a gun living under the laws and regulations of the United States of America.  We can’t just shrug our shoulders, hold our babies closer, and hope it doesn’t happen to us.  That’s ridiculous.  On some level, uttering that phrase in response to this particular act is just plain stupid sentimentalism; a vapid romanticism.

At its core, the laws and regulations that we live under are a social contract of sorts, a promise if you will, that your tomorrow cannot be purposefully infringed upon by my actions in a way that inhibits your “life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness.”

I’m saying that those people at Pulse were promised a tomorrow.  At least in the sense that no one could infringe upon their tomorrow in a forceful way by law.  We had a social contract that someone decided to break, and here we are shrugging our shoulders and saying, “No guarantees.”  Sure…no guarantees.  But we do have promises which, while not guarantees, are the social contract version that is pretty darn close.

And when we say something like, “We’re not promised a tomorrow” as a response to a situation that is a breach of social contract we abstract the incident to arms length, when what we actually need to do is draw the incident as close as possible.

Because things at arms length…we have little control over that. It’s a psychological crutch. But this type of mass shooting is actually something that we, through our social contracts, can take action on.

When Moses went up to Sinai and descended with those two tablets (three, if you believe Mel Brooks’ account), it was to establish a social contract both between humanity and between Divinity and humanity.  It is basically a response to, “how shall we then live?”  And it was, in essence, a promise of tomorrow for those people.  This is how we order ourselves, by promising one another a tomorrow because God has intended tomorrows for humanity.

And for the Christian, the promise of tomorrow goes even past death.  So Christians must take quite seriously this part of our social contract.

And we cannot, of course, ever guarantee something like this shooting won’t happen.  Our laws are no preventative guarantee; they are a promissory note, though.  A promissory note that we all sign onto.

And, look, the promise was broken.  Let’s not pretend it was an act of God.  Let’s not pretend this was written in the stars or some similar platitude that will help us swallow this pill.

Do not swallow this tragedy.  Choke on it.  Choke on it and let action to save lives be our response.  If you throw it out at arms length we’ll just do this all again.

Let’s not pretend we have no way of figuring this out. We know how this happened; we know how it happens.

Let our “ah-ha” moment not be a realization about the fragility of life, but a renewed commitment to tomorrow and to keeping promises and to doing the things that help us all to keep our promises.

Because, actually, we are promised tomorrow.  Not guaranteed…but at least promised.

And if you say otherwise, you are delusional or lying or just unwilling to face the reality that we are not powerless here, we’re just choosing to be powerless here…

Going up?

The votes are in.  It is clear that, in many and various ways, the church is slowly but surely abandoning the cross as its primary identity.

The new hotness? The arrow.

And if you doubt this is true, think of all the churches that have an arrow pointing upward, or “right and up” as the business world calls it, in their logos. As their logo. It’s the new “thing” and it speaks to optimism and the “you can do it” vibe that much of Christianity is giving off these days.

You don’t have to Google too much to find one.  You probably will see it on a bumper or as a window cling on your way home from work today.

And that’s not bad, necessarily.  But it certainly isn’t the cross.

Sermons are now “TED talks.”  They’re “how can I improve my life?” talks instead of “how does Jesus ask me to give up my life?” proclamations. (And I love me some TED talks)

And, look, I’m all for practical and relevant sermons.  I think I give them. And I’m all for trying to improve myself and others.  I hope I do that in some ways.

But I’m pretty sure Jesus didn’t die on the cross so that I can learn how to reach higher in life.  I’m pretty sure Jesus talked, lived, and died in such a way that makes me desire downward mobility rather than upward mobility.

The downward mobility of washing feet.  The downward mobility of kneeling with those in grief. The downward mobility of embracing a life that banks more on repentance and grace rather than “trying harder” or “getting it right.”

In my neck of the woods so many churches are embracing the arrow over the cross.  The arrow of “make your life better” instead of “God is embracing you where you are, and believe it or not, that is better than constantly trying to make your life better.”  And I get why it’s happening, at least in part.  Arrows can speak to transcendence, a desire that humanity has been wrestling with since we first started to think bigger than our stomachs.  But the problem is that arrows promise a false transcendence; a transcendence that requires you to “keep climbing” instead of giving up.

But the cross speaks of giving up.  Specifically giving up your life for the sake of others.  And only then realizing that your life is given back to you in a new way.The cross speaks to the truth of human fragility, human vulnerability, human suffering and, subversively, Divine hope.  The arrow speaks to the lies of stair-stepping our way to salvation and human moral progress in such a way the sacrifice is less about “what I give up” and more about “I’m going to work harder.”

A difficult truth to swallow for some may be this understanding, which I’ve come to see as true: sometimes I find people following other faith paths (and sometimes even no faith path) living a more cruciform life than those with Jesus fish on the back of their cars.

And it’s not about wealth or church attendance or even belief statements, necessarily.  It’s about, as Jesus says, “Losing your life to gain it.”  It’s about starving the all-consuming ego monster in deference for the Other in front of you.  It’s about God resurrecting you more than you trying over and over again to resuscitate your happiness, self-worth, career, what have you.

This is something that 12 step programs understand so well, and something that we’re missing in the pews (or auditorium chairs, if that’s your thing).

Now, before you write that response below, I have to clarify something: I’m not for living or wallowing in total depravity.  I’m not for shunning the gym or canceling your therapist.  I am all for self-betterment in the non-annoying, non-cloying, non-consumerist ways it can happen (spoiler alert: that audio book will not “take away your Mondays”…but you knew that before you bought it and you bought it anyway because you’re willing to try anything to get rid of that feeling, right?).  This is not just a “grumpy church person” rant.

I think these things form and shape us.  And I think arrows are bad news when it comes to spiritual life.  They look like good news, but as a Lutheran I must “call a thing what it is.”  And it is bad news.

Because we don’t climb our way out of life.  This life is not about the climb.  We can’t climb out of that life, no matter how high you go, but we can live in such a way that we give up that life in exchange for a different one not so intent on moving up, but more intent on having the Spirit move within.

But the Spirit does all sorts of thing that will make you unhappy.  Things like:

Ask you to give up your life for the sake of others.

Ask you to put down the self-help book, to help the other selves around you.

Ask you to speak out against injustice  and own your role in the system (a system that promises you ascension at the expense of others).

Things like convince you that God is less interested in how much money you make, and more interested in how much money you decide to keep.

And, ironically, that’s exactly what we need.

3087694160_65e7783731_oMark’s 9th chapter, a small but hearty portion of which is the Gospel lesson for this Sunday, speaks directly to fear.  Here’s how it goes.

Jesus and his close friends were walking to school one day. You could tell by the way they walked that Jesus was the leader of this would-be gang.  Thomas hung behind a bit, not sure if he should join.  Judas snuggled in close to Jesus’ shoulder, feasting on every word (and every envious glance from others) that this new-found friend provided. James and John walked a little ahead tripping each other at the feet.  Peter and Andrew both fiddled with a pocket knives and some shaveable wood…they were always doing something.  Doers, those two. And the rest? Well, not much else of note for the rest of them.

And as they were walking, he kept on telling his friends about how anyone who wants to save this failure of a school system needs to break away from the need to be popular, take a risk to propose some new, innovative, even scandalous ways of doing things.  And though it would get negative attention and probably even get them expelled, the new life that would follow would be worth it.

Honestly, his friends were only half-listening.  They’d been hearing this all year from Jesus and they still couldn’t make heads or tails of what he meant, though his presence certainly made life more exciting at school.  But if you could look into the recesses of their hearts, some of them actually did start to understand what he was saying…they were just afraid of what it would mean for them and chose a convenient ignorance on the whole matter.

Besides, soon they’d rule the school the way things were going.  And even teachers and administrators listened to the most popular students.  In fact, as they rounded the block past Peter’s old house they started having hushed conversations about which one of them would be “the enforcer,” Jesus’ right-hand guy.  And also who would be the “gate-keeper,” you know, the one everyone had to get through to get to Jesus.

This was important stuff!

First period began.  Half of the friends headed toward Algebra II where they would ponder invisible integers in an attempt to come up with real-world answers (for some of them this would be their life’s work).  A few others skipped class to smoke in the bathroom, warming themselves with nicotine before heading into the classroom.  And a few other stuck by Jesus in the opening class of the day.

As the shop teacher unrolled a scroll of blue-print paper for the day’s project, Jesus turned to John and asked what they’d been talking about.

The shop teacher began passing out smaller copies of the blue-print, interrupting John’s halting explanation of their hushed conversation over greatness.  As the paper landed on the desk Jesus spied it: two beams of wood joined at the center with long spikes.  It was to be an example of an impressively massive marking post to let everyone know that “something important happened here.”

They’d each be constructing their own.

At the back of the class was a little boy.  Smart.  He was known by Jesus, but John and Peter and the rest didn’t pay a lot of attention to him.  He was different than they were in many ways.  But he was smart, and that day he’d just happened to throw together an imaginative example of a clock built from ordinary parts.  No sun dial, this.  It had a motherboard, wires, and a digital display with a tiger print face.

He was proud of it.

As the class period was drawing to a close, barely anyone had finished their assignment.  Some had abandoned the project altogether; others just figured it was too hard to start and didn’t.

The little boy himself had been working on a different project, though similar in scope.  It was strange to some people, but that was nothing new for the boy.

As the bell rang everyone got up to leave.  The young brown boy with the clock in his bag who had been working on a different project walked up to the teacher, proudly displaying his gadget.

The teacher looked at the boy, and the clock, and just wasn’t sure what to make of it.  Was it dangerous?  Was this boy dangerous?  He did, after all, work on a different project than most everyone else…

The boy was escorted to a different room where the chief principal and the secretarial scribes interrogated him with the school truancy officer.  It became clear that a different official outside of the school would have to be summoned, and in walked the Stateys.

It was deemed that the boy would be too dangerous for the good of the people, and he was cuffed and showed the door, leaving his clock behind.

Meanwhile, Jesus and his friends were standing by their locker, having seen what was going on.  As the boy passed by, Jesus turned to his friends and, in a bold move, pulled the young boy into the middle of them.

“If you want to be the greatest,” he said, “you must be willing to stand with, no…more than that…become this one that the world writes off.”

As he was saying this a Statey pushed Jesus out of the way, causing him to tumble backwards, the contents of his backpack spilling out.  Amidst the pencils, pens, and planner that came tumbling out was that blue print of two crossbeams gathered at the center.  It landed square on the floor as if to mark that something important was about to happen.

And Jesus fell straight back onto it, hands splayed out.

And then the friends got it…though the rest were confused about what they were seeing.

Let all who have ears to hear, hear.

Upon the chair the child sits. Upon their head our judgment sits.

Upon the chair the child sits. Upon their head our judgment sits.

It is absolutely a sign of my privilege that I forget that racism is alive.

I get “down time” from the uncomfortable, awkward, demeaning, and violent ways that racism infects conversation and interaction.  I don’t mean it’s not there.  I mean that I get a rest from realizing it.

Which is no rest at all.

At our local church assembly yesterday I came out of a workshop session and was talking with a colleague.  A member of local congregation that he knew came up and started chatting as well.  And then it got weird typical:

Colleague: “How did you like the morning workshop you attended?”

Congregant: “Wasn’t helpful.”

Me: “Yeah, I think we were at the same one.  It wasn’t helpful for me, either.”

Congregant: “Yeah. All I want to know is what you do when your Confirmation students look like this.”

And as he said the words “like this” he pointed to a chair sitting nearby.

A black chair.

Colleague: <red face>

Me: “I don’t get your question.”

Congregant: “You know, like this.”

Me: “What are you saying?”

Because if you’re going to say it, say it.

Congregant: “When they’re black.”

Me and Colleague: “…you teach them.”

And I turned back to my colleague and resumed our conversation…and the man left to go somewhere.  And I knew I was giving him the cold shoulder.  And I knew I was angry.  And I knew I didn’t know what to say.  And I knew I felt bad about not knowing what to say.

And then later on we would go to vote on anti-racism legislation for our church and vow to be against racism in all it’s forms…a sea of blue cards would fly up, easily passing it…

Send the medicine, Lord. We’ve got the sickness already.

And here’s the thing: I don’t think he knew his words were hurtful.  That’s not me making an excuse for him; there’s no excuse.  Equating anyone to the color of an inanimate object is really inexcusable and tacky and all sorts of sad.

But it was another knock on my heart at how deep the system is.  Because I imagine that this man probably thinks he’s open and welcoming to everyone.  I imagine he thinks that he’s an ally.

And I imagine that in some ways he is.  But in subtle ways, he’s not.

Louis CK had a stand-up bit on the season finale of SNL a few weeks back.  It was really awkward, as most of his bits are. But this particular act was really in poor taste, I thought.  Nothing is funny about child molestation.  Social commentary is one thing. He went too far.

And it’s too bad that the parts about child molestation overshadowed the whole routine, because I actually think he hit on a nugget of reality in the monologue that is good to ruminate on, even if uncomfortable.

He talked about how he’s not racist, and how when a black man in a hoodie walks into a convenience store late at night while he’s shopping the aisles, he has to continue to repeat to himself, “I am not racist. I am not racist. I am not racist.”

And that, there, is what I’m talking about.  Because for as much as he’s “not racist,” the subtle triggers that have been given to him by the media, by privilege, and by his own uncomfortability in being absolutely present in situations that test the tribal mentality of his cultural upbringing still persist.

Because Louis CK is racist. And an ally. He’s both.  And pretending he’s not won’t do any good.  And he knows that. Because the minute we forget that the system is alive is the minute it steals from you, like it stole from me in the exchange with the man yesterday.

Because if I had been present in the moment, I would have been more forceful in telling him, point blank, how uncomfortable his words made me feel.  How when he pointed to that chair, all I could see is my own Confirmation students sitting there.  And how their heritage is so important to them. And how I could see them looking down as this man pointed at them as if they are an issue that he had to figure out.

If the man is having trouble teaching students of any race, then the man is the issue, not the student.

I speak out about the overtly racist system all the time.  I forget about the subtle racist systems…and it always steals my voice. Because it exists in me, too. And it is pernicious.  And it operates under the radar for most of us (and in most of us) who consider ourselves allies.

Oh the subtle ways we’re racist…even in the church…maybe especially in the church…

You’ve all heard the hubbabaloo by now going on in Indiana where Governor Mike Pence signed-in private I might add-the9740026677_b5c818f328_o Religious Freedom Restoration Act which effectively allows businesses and vendors to not serve people if it violates their…<cough>…religious convictions.

Great.  Because we have so many examples in the Scriptures of Jesus not serving people because of their sexual orientation, occupation, reputation, and (insert favorite reason to dislike people here).

So many examples.

So many, that I’m not sure how to choose from the examples.

Like that woman at the well who had so many husb…oh wait, scratch that.

Like that woman about to get stoned because she was adulter…oh wait, not that one.

Like that man, the short tax collector who was cheating people, his name started with a Z…oh wait, nope.

Well, at least there is that traitor Judas, right?  At least Jesus puts him in his place, right?

Except that right before Judas betrays Jesus, Jesus kneels before him and washes his feet.  Right before he sells Jesus for profit, Jesus lovingly takes his heel, douses him with water, and scrubs the dirt right off his sole.

…see what I did there?

Lexicon it.  Jesus doesn’t refuse service.  Even the Gentile woman in Mark’s gospel gets a piece of Jesus’ love, despite Jesus’ initial protests.

So tell me, Indiana legislators, lobbyists, and general public who might support such drivel, where you get the idea that this somehow restores religious freedom.  Because I don’t think you’ve read your Bibles.

I really don’t.

Because if you read your Bibles, if you read the story of Jesus instead of the soundbites of crazy, profit-hungry, TV preachers, and bigoted, rapture-awaiting, crazy folks who pretend to be pastors/messiahs/prophets, but are nothing more than charlatans or hustlers, you might realize that to Jesus religious freedom actually means that you are not free to do whatever you want.

My patron saint (no, not Jimmy Buffett…he’s my muse), the Blessed Martin Luther says it this way, “A Christian is absolutely free; subject to no one.  A Christian is absolutely bound, servant of all.”

Another way to think about that is to recall Jesus’ call for us to be yoked to God.  That yoke is “light.”  When we bind ourselves to God, our yoked-ness is light.

Because being yoked to God actually takes away your choice.

This was something that Christopher Hitchens actually got right in his books.  He took umbrage with the idea that we must, as Christ followers (and Torah followers), love our enemies.  It was the height of forced-abuse, he thought (for more on this read his God is Not Great).

So I call on all Christians in Indiana to actually do what this bill, in title at least, claims to do: restore your religious freedom.  Restore the yoke of God to yourself, because if you refuse service to someone for any reason that may be part of an “ism,” you’ve sloughed off the yoke.

But woe to you liberals, too (no one gets out of this one unmarked).

I hear your calls to boycott legislators from your businesses.  I hear your cries of anger, and your threats to not serve supporters of this act in your establishments.

To you, again, I encourage a close reading of Scripture.  Because Jesus actually has said something about this.  In Matthew 18 Jesus instructs Christians on how to deal with those who sin.

And I gotta tell you, I think this law is an example of sin in this world.

What do you do?  You talk to them.  I know many have done that already.

And if they don’t listen, you take another with you so there is a witness.

I think we’ve all witnessed this step…

And if they still don’t listen, you bring in the church leaders.  And for us in the ELCA, this has already happened, too.

And if they still won’t listen, you “treat them as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.”

And this is the moment when you think you’re given permission to stick it to The Man.

Except, when you look at how Jesus treated Gentiles and tax collectors (see references above), you realize that, unfortunately for our egos and sense of justice, we are servant here, too.  We do not boycott them from our eateries and services.  We do not block them off from our handshakes and welcome.  We may not re-elect some of the legislators, but we in no way get to marginalize them.

See, this following Jesus thing is pretty tough.  This yoke is light in that it takes away my choice.  But it is pretty heavy on my ego and my own sense of retaliation…

Ugh.  This mess in Indiana makes me a reluctant Christian.  And then Jesus’ own advice on what I’m supposed to do makes me reluctant, too, because it’s not what I want to do.

So, what should Christians in Indiana do in response to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act?  Speak out; yes.  Be active; sure.

But also eat with those who you consider your enemies.  Bless those who persecute, because in doing so you show them a love that they are unwilling to give and to receive.

Your anger is justified.  But your discrimination is not.  None is.

2 (7)‘Tis the season to carry spare change, right?

At my faith community we raised over $2000 this week for the hunger advocacy center we helped to start a few years ago.  We made over 200 meals for gay/bi/trans/queer teens and served them in Boystown on Thursday.  And we packed up over 40 complete Thanksgiving meals for the food insecure in our neighborhood.

Oh, and we fed ourselves that night, too.  Five turkeys, every side-dish you might imagine, wine, cider, and a partridge in a pear tree (extra delicious).

It was awesome.

But the sad thing is that with exception for the 200 meals (we do that monthly), we only do this once a year.

I mean, we do other things in other seasons, but we only do this particular type of feasting once a year.

And, despite what we might want to think, poverty isn’t seasonal.

Do we donate at this time of year so that people can have a “nice Christmas”?  What about making sure that people have a nice life?

Thank God we can reach into our pockets once a year to donate a little more…how generous of the haves…

(and I’m a have)

Dave Ramsey had this terrible list out about a year ago, and it caused a little stink.  In it he lists the 20 habits of the rich (that, the not-so-subtle inference is, keeps them rich) and pits them against what he calls “the poor.”

It’s at this moment that I encourage you to look up Luke 6:20.  Go ahead, I’ll wait.  You know that word “poor” the Gospel writer uses there?  It’s an economic term, not a spiritual term (though Matthew makes it a spiritual term, perhaps to soften the blow).

And how nice of Ramsey to pit the rich against the poor.  No need to draw such lines, Ramsey. Life does it well enough without your help, but thanks for contributing.

It caused such a stink, though, that Ramsey followed it up with an explanation (keep scrolling in the article to see what I’m talking about).  He defends himself by saying that what he posted “is a simple list outlining the habits of the poor versus the habits of the rich.”

The problem is that the list isn’t simple at all (and that there are serious philosophical problems with the whole thing).

It’s not simple because Ramsey imagines that the discussion is just about behavior.  But poverty is not simply about behavior.  I know out of work men and women who work harder than those of us with jobs, and for much less reward.

It’s not about behavior; it’s about systems.

And if there’s one big mistake that I think Ramsey makes it’s that he mistakes privilege for what he presents as “common sense.”

How lovely that you are wealthy enough to eat fresh fruits and vegetables.  How nice that you have the ability to focus on “one goal” in your day.  It probably means that you have access to a supermarket and only one job.

And you read for pleasure?! Bully!

I’m relatively wealthy; no denying that.  I have a bank account, savings, and we have a college plan set up for our children.  I have investments and disposable income.  We have a car, and when it needs fixing we can usually fix it right away. I never wonder how I’m going to eat, and I am (for the most part) not worried about how I’m going to keep the roof over our heads. Our son goes to daycare twice a week, and we fully pay for it. I read for pleasure and for work and spend more a week on coffee than any reasonable human being should (I’m working on it…).

I say all of the above not to make anyone feel bad, but to give myself…and you, reader…a gently disturbing thought: one of the fears that I have is that our participation in the systems of poverty is given a nice little exclamation point by our sense of generosity at “this time of year.”

I’m looking forward to giving a little more this Christmas.  More to my neighbor and more to God.

And then I’m hopeful that in doing so I might one day learn to give more on December 26th, too.  And May 9th.  And July 12th.  And…

Because poverty isn’t seasonal, and I want to remember that a Merry Christmas isn’t the same as a merry life.


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Exhibition-TRANSMUTE: The Art of Dain Quentin Gore, Daniel Funkhouser, and James B Hunt

It’s sad how stilted the establishment art approach to painting has become, draining it of so much of its potential.

Painting excels as a means to convey personality both by documenting the artist’s individual decisions regarding craftsmanship, and by capturing unique impressions of the greater truths. The paintings of a fully engaged artist must be seen as a form of confession-not just about flaws and errors, but of what is essential about that person.

However, there is a prevalent mindset operating in the art world that just copies outward appearances without participating in these fundamental revelations. For imagery, many artists working under the post-modern influence rely on viewer recognition of appropriated mass media images or plagiarisms of previous artists’ explorations as a substitute for compelling content. Hopping on a bandwagon doesn’t lead to any essential communication.

In the creation of paintings, instead of putting in the work necessary for the coordination of eye, mind, and hand, there is an overdependence on technological shortcuts. Working in mere fidelity to projections and photographs, needing machines make their discoveries for them, practitioners limited to these methods would reduce artists from skilled visionaries to second-rate stenographers.

Fortunately, many other artists still take full advantage of the possibilities the varied and flexible medium of painting offers. The three artists of the recent Trunk Space show “Transmute” presented an exciting environment where their three distinctive demeanors still worked together as a cohesive exhibit. In a selection of largely figurative paintings, their differing approaches highlighted the versatility of painterly techniques and priorities. These artists all showed the influence of the mass media saturation we all live with, but they were not limited by it. Each still introduced his own character into the pieces, and expressed his own vision.

Dain Quentin Gore weaves skeins of lightly impastoed brushwork to activate the entire surface of his canvases. The forms depicted are almost subordinated within the energetic, overall treatment; their intricate details emerge gradually through a restless haziness. Hard spots of scattered highlights help to shape and define the figures and terrains. Looser passages of color are contrasted with more carefully controlled drawn elements, which provide stability within the pictures. The bold characters and creatures shown are both mythic and comical, creating dramatic tableaus that complement the animated mark making and assured draftsmanship.

In the works of Daniel Funkhouser, the paintings are superimposed over mixed media assemblages, composed of wood, plastic, hardware and seemingly random objects. The painted imagery is a series of self-portraits, a well-realized likeness with a questioning gaze. The interaction between the portraits and the varied materials used as supporting structures are integral to these particular works, and display technical virtuosity across the changing textures. The well-crafted wall hangings are as much sculptures as paintings.

However, compared to the emotive painting, the sculptural elements feel more arbitrary, and ultimately anonymous. The jumbles of surface treatments, glitz and patterning lean towards the decorative rather than conveying any substantial implications. It would be interesting to see what this artist could achieve with a more deliberate strategy of insight supporting the experimentation, making all the elements as expressive as the paintings. The quality of the assemblages imply great potential; they could be more than just pretty props.

James B Hunt’s pieces also possess some mixed media and assemblage elements, in this case more cohesively incorporated into the works. His emblematic compositions are balanced by small passages of cryptic texts and icons, but the focus is on the figures. These are built on tonal backgrounds by delicate lines rendered in muted, subtle colors-but the beings these marks define are monstrous. Misshapen, caught in either a moment of melting or forming, their dominate attribute is sharp scrutiny. They are looking back. They feel as intent as birds of prey.

The camaraderie and sense of discovery of Transmute can be best summed up by a collaborative piece by the three artists. “Mercury Melting Man” is an Exquisite Corpse painting, a play off the old Surrealist parlor game. Each painter created a third of the work, unaware of what the others were doing, except for shared marks on the edges of their small panels to show where representational elements would connect. Here, despite challenges presented by different decisions regarding the background, the format becomes a chance for each artist to highlight his particular techniques. The contrast of the conjoined images enforces the strengths of each, and expectations are literally turned on their head.

Transmute demonstrates what happens when artists are inspired by their influences, instead of merely imitating them. Adding their own peculiarities makes for something new, and an enriching experience.

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COMMENTARY: The Art World Is Very Bad At Its Job

The Pop Star

Richard Bledsoe “The Pop Star” acrylic on canvas 24″ x 30″

Art isn’t about attacking the present, as if disruption will clear the way for some imaginary utopia.

Art is also not about the reflexive homage to the past, only repeating the accomplishments of an earlier era.

Art is about the eternal.

Art isn’t a matter for intellectual analysis, its a matter of spiritual resonance. It’s about giving a current recognizable identity to the enduring forces of truth, beauty and order that underlie the universe. Each generation, each culture, must find its own way to say the same things.

The spontaneous urge for renewal that moved though the arts in the modern era starting in the late 1800s quickly became derailed into formulas, theories, and agendas. Art became isolated, losing the vital connection to communal life. Modern art, as it fragmented, became more simplistic, giving less to viewers in its own presence, and relying more on the viewer bringing in externally gained knowledge to appreciate it.

Serious visual art these days is limited to an academic mindset, an environment where people accept art is something to study for, dissect, explain. This level of technical focus is an interesting pursuit; I love that aspect of it myself.

However, ultimately the shop talk needed amongst artists is not the point of art. Outside that environment, and for the huge majority of human history, art was not a lesson to be learned. It was a powerful joy to be experienced, and didn’t need instructions on why it should be enjoyed. It was self-evident.

Outside the bubble of those highly engaged in the art world, the common response I get when I say I’m a painter is, “I don’t get art.” This is tragic, and a direct reflection on the failure of the art world to do its job correctly.

The people I’m talking to aren’t stupid or ignorant; they can recognize when something captures the spirit of art, and when it doesn’t. They are just afraid to say so, because for so many years the art world has been telling them they are wrong. The offerings of the art world leave them cold and unsatisfied. This is an instinctual matter. There are not enough words in the universe to justify a dead end, or breathe life into something that is just inert matter, if that self-evident spirit is not present.

Artists have a job to do, but for decades we’ve been giving our fellow humanity stones for bread, and talking about how beautiful the emperor’s new clothes are. This is not good enough for these challenging times. Art needs to get out of the cloister and rejoin the flow of life.

Many modern and contemporary artists, from the early 1900s until today, might seem powerful from our provincial viewpoint as educated art bubble dwellers. There is a vast sea of humanity that do not see equal merit.

I don’t blame the audience like many inside the art bubble do. I hold the artists accountable for falling short of creating art that is both compelling and universal.

As far as the confusion caused by modern and contemporary artists, much of it was a function of the times they were working in. But now that we have hindsight, we are responsible to find a better way forward. This is our moment in the vast continuum. We are responsible for the productions of our time, bringing the wisdom of the past into the opportunities of the future. The current elitist and decadent art world has failed utterly in this regard. We need to move past the wreckage they’ve caused.

Remodernism provides a model to incorporate traditions while discovering innovations. It will change the paradigm of how art is made and viewed. Freed from the manipulation of greedy ideologues, art can again be an act of inspiring transcendence.

The art world would really be as big as all of humanity, if we were doing it right.

12 thoughts on “COMMENTARY: The Art World Is Very Bad At Its Job

  1. THIS. You inspired me so much, I’m posting a blog post and linking here. But seriously– an artist without an audience, who yet earns bread, is less natural than a unicorn. At least the latter is theoretically possible and has the virtue of treasuring purity.

    Yep, the first hit/sample is free. 🙂

  2. <i<Remodernism provides a model to incorporate traditions while discovering innovations.

    Exactly what Ezra Pound meant when he counseled fellow artists to “Make it new.”

    Love “The Pop Star,” by the way!

  3. I agree with so many of the things that you said in this post. Art IS about the eternal, and if it does not have a more noble ideal, then it will just waste away.

    And yes, so many people are afraid to speak up because they are afraid they will be told they are wrong. I like to question what people think, and so I do speak up when I choose. But I sure know what it is like when people do not like what you have to say!

    The elitism is gross though, like you said, and it is part of the reason why, after graduate school, I was repulsed by the NY scene – and went into another field.

  4. I sometimes think art is too difficult an environment for me: I can’t understand its dynamics nor entry into it…. too distant, too different, too elitist…. I just paint…. and love when I find someone appreciating my efforts…. nothing more…. still a few of your passages in this post I find illuminating and clear in their concision (Art is about the eternal…).
    I am not a ……ism kind, no one would accept me in a art trend or group, and I am tired of trying.
    And truly good art feeds my heart.

  5. Such a dysfunctional bunch do not deserve to define our culture. Social pressure and conformity are their weapons. They have no power over free and determined individuals who do not care about fitting in.

  6. Art does feed the soul of both its creators and viewers. Your feelings of alienation from the art world are understandable, given the ugly and misguided efforts hyped by our institutional creative classes. The best thing you can do is make your own art with dedication and joy, and keep following your own vision!

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Now showing items 1-1 of 1

  • T Tauri stars : mass accretion and X-ray emission

    Gregory, Scott (University of St Andrews, 2007-04-30) - Thesis
    I develop the first magnetospheric accretion model to take account of the observed complexity of T Tauri magnetic fields, and the influence of stellar coronae. It is now accepted that accretion onto classical T Tauri stars ...


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ESRC First Grants Competition Open

The ESRC’s ‘First Grants Scheme’ for 2009-10 is now open. The scheme is intended to provide funding for new researchers to gain experience in managing and leading research projects.  In order to be eligible, you must not have been a PI on any other Research Council award, and must normally be within 6 years of completion of the doctorate (although those who have had a career break or who have other exceptional circumstances may still apply – such applications are considered on a case-by-case basis). If you hold an RCUK Fellowship, or are currently funded from a non-Research Council source you are eligible to apply.

Applications may be up to three years in length, and up to £400,000 at 100% of Full Economic Costs (fEC). However, a maximum of 40% of the PI’s salary costs can be claimed. While you do not have to be a permanent member of staff to apply, you do have to demonstrate that you have the agreement of a recognised ‘Research Organisation’ to support your research and to pay the remining 60% of your salary for the duration of the award.

The deadline for the submission of Outline proposals is 4 pm on 26 November 2009. Proposals received after this time will be rejected. ESRC will inform successful applicants by email and letter by 22 February 2010. The assessment of proposals will again be a two stage process; an Outline Stage will enable applications to be shortlisted and a number of applicants will be invited to submit applications to the Full Proposal stage.

For full details on how to apply, go to:

If you intend to apply, you should also contact your school’s Research Development Manager or Research Support Officer who will be able to offer invaluable advice on your application. You should also read all of the ESRC documentation very carefully to ensure that you are eligible to make an application, and that your application is as strong as possible. You should also allow plenty of time to complete the application so that you can get feedback from a supervisor, line-manager, PI or colleague and be aware that internal deadlines will apply in order for the University to process and/or approve your application ahead of the ESRC deadline.

Good luck!

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Achieve Guest House New York City

  • Please select a date to see the proper prices!
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Description of the accommodation:

Rooms, services Achieve Guest House New York City is offering six comfortable rooms to guests looking for accommodation in New York City. To learn more about the exact range of services of Achieve Guest House New York City (including services for an extra fee) and the exact equipment of the rooms, please check the information sheet below.

Payment Credit card guarantee or advance bank card payment may be required for the reservation, depending on the chosen room, date and price.

Arrival, opening hours The earliest arrival time is 15:00, the latest time to leave the rooms is 12:00. English is spoken by the personnel.

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Old posts

When I first started my blog, the plan was that as I keep writing I will be able to keep a written record of the changes that happened in my life. I wished to go back and read my old posts to see what was going on in my life and what kind of decisions I have made in those situations. However, I wasn’t able to go back and read a single post. It’s not because I don’t have time but just because I can’t do it. I can’t bring myself to read about my past. I am horrified to know what I was thinking at the moment of crisis or at good times and what led me to where I am today. For now I just simply chose not to revisit my past, Instead focus on my present. I will Keep writing because I know one day I will overcome the struggles I am facing now and on those days I think I will enjoy reading about my journey.

My first glimpse

This is a picture I took on last september when I went to visit the Grand Canyon…It wasn’t really that impressive to tell you the truth. I enjoyed more my stay at New Mexico. Even though I got tired of the grandness of the Canyon pretty soon, my first glimpse at the canyon was breath taking. So I wanted to share with you guys what I saw.


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storyteller, broadcaster

A month from now I will be traveling east on the Trans Canada, bound for Winnipeg. How I wish I had a buck for every time I have made that drive since our family motor trips in the mid-1950’s. How I wish there was still train service between Winnipeg and Regina.

This upcoming trip at the end of April will mark the second time I have returned to Winnipeg after living in Regina. I first moved to Regina to live on Valentine’s Day 1977. I was a cocky 29 year old radio broadcaster who was hired by the Armadale Siftons to run the newsroom at CKCK radio.

Fairly quickly this Winnipeg lad who had grown up with the Blue Bombers, embraced the green and white, the beloved Roughriders. The Curries have been a football family, as I’ve often written about. It was the only team sport that I was played at a competitive level, winning a Manitoba high school championship in my last year at Kelvin in 1964.

My connection to hockey is not as strong. I was an ankle skater whose career as a team player ended about age 12. I have certainly been an enthusiastic spectator over the years, and I was delighted to see the Winnipeg Jets rise from the dead in 2011.

Here is one of the more unique celebrations of the Jets’ history in Winnipeg, from a splendid choral group called Camerata Nova.

Just before Christmas, I had the good fortune to attend my first game involving the new Winnipeg Jets. What a grand night it was at the Phone Booth, the MTS Centre in downtown Winnipeg where Eaton’s used to stand. They beat the once mighty Montreal Canadiens 4-0 that night.

In their first season back, the Jets were a fabulous home team, but a less impressive road record has resulted in a finish that won’t go beyond the regular season.

Hey it could be much much worse. Right Leaf fans ?

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storyteller, broadcaster

Posts tagged ‘beer’

Shave and a haircut please, but no sipping suds in the barber chair

It will come as no surprise that a haircut is not something I do very often, even though it’s one of life’s quiet moments of relaxation.

Earlier this year I broke in a new barber, and I shall be sorry to lose him so soon as I move east in a matter of days.

Craig Zamonsky did a number of things before opening up a traditional barbershop in Yellowknife. It was located on Ragged Ass Road, so he and his partner decided to call it Ragged Ass Barbers. That is perhaps where his troubles began.

Such a name does not even raise an eyebrow in the rough and tumble mining country of Yellowknife, nor is it considered strange in those parts to sip a brew while Craig takes a load off your head. But in Regina it’s a different story.

Craig moved his operation to the Queen City partly so that he and his wife Marianne could both be closer to family. He found a great location in the Cathedral area and business has been good. But Craig got some strange looks and pointed questions when he went to register his business name. My word, what might people think?

That may have also done him in when he approached Saskatchewan liquor regulators about getting a license to serve beer in the barbershop. “Absolutely not” came the reply, but Craig may have been caught in the crossfire of a much larger and older fight involving alcohol in Rider Nation.

Some of my friends and co-workers say I’m moving to Manitoba so I can watch women take their clothes off and enjoy a barley sandwich at the same time. Truth be told I gave up strip bars when I still had hair.

I’ve never seen it as a big deal, but some who live in Saskatchewan are embarrassed by the archaic law that says you can’t drink and watch exotic entertainment at the same time.

They think it makes the province look like a Sunday school class or something. I’m not sure about that, but there is quite a history of rigid attitudes towards liquor in the Land of Living Skies.

Back in the Tommy Douglas era you could be fined for daring to drink a beer in your back yard. In the late 1970’s, Saskatchewan was almost the last place on earth to get cable TV. One of the reasons was a fight over those evil American beer commercials that would suddenly be washing over us without warning.

Aside from those ludicrous examples, other Canadian provinces, including Manitoba, have had just as much difficulty dealing with the demon rum as Saskatchewan has. It’s truly hard to believe in 2012.

Roger Currie is a writer, broadcaster and blogger.

He currently hosts Talk of the Town every weekday at Noon, 4pm and 10pm on Access channel 7.

He will be relocating to Winnipeg in May.

He can be reached at

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Rolling Hills Middle School

Board Meeting News - 12/8/16

Agenda topics and presentations from the regular meeting of December 8,2016

Organizational Meeting:

  • New Board Officers: President Thomas M. Gemetti; Vice President Michale L. Snyder; Clerk Richard H. Nguyen
  • 2017 Meeting Schedule: The next regular meeting will be January 19, 2017.  All future meeting dates can be found on our online calendar and posted at school offices.

Strategic Plan Update:

Superintendent Andrew provided the Board with a copy of the Executive Summary of the District’s Communication Plan, a specified task from the September Strategic Planning session. He noted that the summary includes a marketing schedule that outlines key opportunities for telling the district’s story and measuring outcomes.

Local Control & Accountability Plan (LCAP) Update:

Assistant Superintendent Whitney Holton reported on the State of California’s changes to the student assessment program and ensuing revisions to the LCAP template. She said:

  • The LCAP allows educators to look at student achievement data in effective ways and to guide instructional decisions.
  • The State’s new LCAP template promises a format that will make the reports more reader-friendly
  • CUSD is preparing an executive summary of our LCAP, which will be ready in January.
  • There are two LCAP Community input meetings scheduled for January 18th and 24th where the District will elicit input about goals and priorities. Slides from the presentation can be seen on request or online at

Campbell Middle Transformation to PK-8:

Superintendent Andrew described the plan for the December 15th Board Study Session and the role of the consultant who will be facilitating the discussion. Consultant Derek Mitchell, who is experienced in school transformations, will present relevant research, sample transformation models (their pros and cons); and the decisions and actions that will be needed for success.


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Ste Luce, Frenchville, Maine class=

The Ste Luce Cemetery in Frenchville, Maine was originally surveyed by John B Cahoun in 1986. The plot maps were updated by Walter Founier and Antoine Paradis in 2003 and 2004 to add the names to the map based on the existing tombstones and to add new headstones for the new section. It is very likely that additional ancestors are buried here but that their headstone is no longer in existence.

Permission to post the Ste Luce Cemetery listing was provided by the Ste Luce Parish in the summer of 2005.

The static alphebetical listings for the Ste Luce Cemetery have been removed. Please use the Ste Luce, Frenchville, Maine Advanced search to search the cemetery.

Return to the   Maine Maine Home Page  Home Our Acadian, French-Canadian, and Maine Ancestors


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Dream Big: Week 2

What a fun week! Students are excited about their dreams and those of their classmates. Our first task was to help each person share their dream with others.

Each class handled the task of sharing dreams a little differently. Some decided that we needed some norms, and focused on respect for each other with regards to what is included in their dreams. One class was clear that a person’s dream belonged to that person and others were not to ridicule or try to change the owner’s mind. Others were interested in being able to see each other’s work to help encourage each other. What I saw and heard from them bodes well for the future!

We tried out a variety of tools to put their dreams into a central document. We used email, etherpad (one day before it was disabled!), and a shared document. (Email actually worked the best). Eventually I got all of their dream statements into one space and was able t0 put it into a Wordle. It looked like this:

6th grade wordle

6th graders dreams (click to see larger image)

I greatly underestimated the importance to students of having their dreams represented in this graphic. They needed time to be able to look for their words as well as to see the scope of the project from their peers’ viewpoint. There was a lot of curiousity about who wanted what- and a great deal of validation as we learned who was dreaming what.

I chose a new “transition” song for this week- “It’s My Life” by Jon Bonjovi.  This video gets them cranked up a bit and gives some great lyrics to jump into discussion with. We talked about being a “just a face in a crowd” and “making your own breaks.” After this transition I introduced our daily guest from the high school. One, a recent graduate, was following his dream of being a professional wrestler. Another is an aspiring baseball player with a long history of hard work and success.

Overall, the students talked about the importance of staying dedicated to their goals. They talked of frustrations. One student had his graduation gifts “revoked” when he said he wasn’t going to college right away. Another spoke of personal sacrifices made socially to stay on track with his dream. The best quotes of the week were: “When people tell you you’ll never achieve your dream, don’t listen to them. They are just mad because they aren’t living theirs.” “Make sure what you do puts you in the best possible place to be successful.”

My students then started planning their own dreams. We used a template I created in GoogleSites with three sections:

  • Identify the dream
  • What skills do you need to be able to “do” your dream?
  • What are you doing now to get yourself ready to reach your dream?

This format allows me (and other students) to comment and collaborate with class members to work on their dream plans.

This is where we stopped…and next week is vacation. We’ll be picking this up with renewed enthusiasm on April 26th.

3 responses to “Dream Big: Week 2

  1. This is such an awesome project and exercise for students. Are you finding that because they are doing this exercise as a school project, they believe that their dreams can be realized more? My students tend to go after their dreams more because they begin to realize that someone else cares about their dreams and is ready to stand behind them.

    • What I’m finding is that they are starting to think of things they can do now so they don’t have to “wish” it will happen. One aspiring art teacher is talking about putting together an art club. Another that wants to be a wildlife photographer has begun to hound a teacher who has great photography skills. It’s so cool to watch them empower themselves.

  2. I love this idea. How good the students must feel that somebody is interested in what their dreams are. Were some of them reluctant to share their dreams at first?
    I think it’s a great strategy to have visitors talk about their dreams and how they have achieved them, or how they are trying to achieve them.
    I’m looking forward to reading your next post on Dream Big.

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Writing good transfer essays

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Our Powerboat Fleet: PowerTime!

Beneteau Swift Trawler 30 in Sarasota FL
Beneteau Swift Trawler 30 in Sarasota FL

Beneteau’s continuing quest to perfect the trawler….

The newest member of the ‘long-distance cruiser’ family, the Swift Trawler 30 is an excellent balance of comfort and seaworthiness.  She has a range of around 250 miles at 19.5mph cruising speed. The Swift Trawler 30 will take you places quickly and safely.

The Swift Trawler 30’s  open layout is wonderful for any voyage. Incredibly ingenious, the rear cockpit converts into a spacious terrace over the sea, while the flybridge, with a small lounge and steering station, creates a completely separate living space.

Beneteau Grand Tourismo 35 in Annapolis MD
Beneteau Grand Tourismo 35 in Annapolis MD

The Perfect Sporty Day Boat

Following the “day boat” concept, The Gran Turismo 35’s design increases fun and relaxation on the water; from the open, spacious cockpit to the large swim platform and comfortable sun bathing pad on the forward deck. These improvements enhance enjoyment of outside areas while the renowned Beneteau finishing touches create comfort inside.

Beneteau’s patented AirStep® hull design with twin sterndrive engines gives the Gran Turismo 35 a more comfortable and stable ride, better safety, and superior performance.  Derived from aeronautical technology, the Air Step® forms small steps under the hull that help evacuate the water stream and reduce friction. Combined with captured air forming a cushion, as well as runners to the rear of the hull increasing stability, these steps considerably increase speed, while reducing energy consumption.

Annapolis Yacht Sales and Beneteau lifestyle Annapolis MD.

Undisputed Leader in its Class

The Swift Trawler 34 is built on a semi-displacement hull designed to cut through the waves with minimal resistance.  The first-rate hull makes her the most economical boat in her category: from 12 to 19 knots she demonstrates exceptionally high performance at a rate of 1 nautical mile per 0.1 gallons.

Her wide range of speed, skilful construction, and impressive turning radius always provide the utmost comfort underway.With two double cabins, a lounge that converts into an extra cabin and a functional U-shaped galley, the interior is full of space.

Cruising catamaran details on a Lagoon 39 in Annapolis MD

Family Motor Cruising Made Simple

Thanks to her fuel efficiency, long range cruising capacity and stability, the 40 MY is a truly multipurpose boat, whether for a sunny day at anchor, coastal discoveries or a long distance cruise. Inside, her Nauta designed accommodations combine elegance and comfort, with an option of 3 or 4 cabins.

On deck, the 40 MY offers all the advantages that will guarantee real cruising pleasure: large sheltered cockpit, rigid bimini , convenient steering station, sunbathing area on the cabin top.

Perfectly Proportioned Sport Cruiser

The slender lines of the Gran Turismo 40, underlined by her hardtop and exquisite side glazing, emphasizes her pronounced sporty character. Built with a centered helm and the latest generation Air Step® hull, she is not only superior at the wheel but safe, even when traveling at speeds up to 38 knots. The spacious cockpit can seat up to 11 people with the outdoor deck galley with electric grill off the back.

The layout of the lower deck gives you a feeling of space unrivalled on a boat this size. Facing the spacious salon, a proper fully-fitted galley complements the deck galley. The Gran Turismo is constructed with two cabins, a head and separate shower. Matte walnut woodwork and lavishly upholstered furniture is the signature mark of her elegance.

Best in class fuel efficiency, speed, comfort and stability

Underway, the Swift Trawler 44’s semi-displacement hull offers very enjoyable sensations at all speeds, as well as terrific stability as she breaks through the waves.   The Swift Trawler 44 adapts to all sea conditions and can reach a top speed of 24 knots. Its starboard walkway and flybridge ladder are well protected.

She is timelessly elegant, combining classic style and great modernity.  Large hull portholes bathe the cabins in light. The convertible sofa with separating curtain turns the saloon into private space creating a third cabin in a few seconds.

A stylish layout you can personalize

With the owner’s suite offering a full beam view of the water on both sides and a guest cabin with a head and separate shower, the Gran Turismo 46, in a two or three cabin layout, offers superior accommodation for her size. Her interior is well-ventilated and provides a lot of natural light. Gorgeous woodwork enhanced by lavish materials such as titanium, leather and lacquer finishes create a comfortable atmosphere.

The Gran Turismo 46 has a completely open hardtop, electrically operated side glazing and a wide glass door that protects the cockpit.   The large swim platform is submersible and can easily take the weight of a Jet Ski or dinghy. There is even a storage locker in which all your swimming and water sport accessories can be kept close at hand.

Learn more about SailTime Fractional Sailing and BoatingDownload a SailTime BrochureStart your own SailTime business

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Archive for the ‘Spike Island’ Tag

My First Year at Spike Design

I am a freelance Interactive Developer. I have been freelancing since 2007. Like many other freelancers, I started doing this from the comfort of my own home. “That must be amazing!”, friends would often say, “You don’t have to go to work/see your boss/get up etc.”. And, in part, there are some amazing things about working from home…. BUT after over a year, moving from your bed to your desk and back again, not seeing other human beings, having no work/home divide and being able to spend all day in your pants, well, these things start to eat away at your soul.

I decided enough was enough and I found a desk to rent in another company’s small office in the Tobacco Factory in Southville, Bristol. There were a couple of other freelancers there and a few employees. It was a great move and I enjoyed the change immensely. However, after a year I felt that I needed to move on to pastures new, meet more people and find further opportunities. I first discovered Spike Design when it was hosting a Bristol Jelly co-working event that I attended.

(From the website) Spike Design is a creative business incubation unit based in Spike Island, the largest of its kind in the South West. With low-cost desk space, excellent facilities and tailored support, this unique space offers the environment and opportunity for young companies to grow.

When I first moved to Spike Design in November 2010 it was quite a different place to what it is now. An agency had just folded and they had dominated the space. There was a huge vacuum where the 30+ employees had been and I happened to join at the same time as a few other individuals. Some of us decided to locate ourselves in this empty area. I think there were ten or fifteen freelancers in the whole of Spike Design at this point. Spike Island is an old tea-packing warehouse, Spike Design is just one corner of one floor of this massive building, we definitely did not make the place feel very busy. However, over the last twelve months our community has blossomed and grown and we now number nearly forty individuals. Tenants are very diverse in nature, from plant importers, product designers and editors, to photographers, script-writers, marketers and illustrators. There seems to be a slight lean towards digital with numerous designers, developers and a couple of small agencies all working in this field.

My favourite things about Spike:-

  • A Sense of Community. Although I don’t actually work with most of the people I am around every day I feel like we are part of something. I have made some good friends here, we hang out outside and inside of work, have lunch together and help each other out.
  • Business Cross-Pollination. Spike Design is, after all, a business incubation centre and I have seen the dream alive and kicking: photographers taking pictures of the product designer’s products whose websites are then built by the web developers. Editors helping with wording, marketers helping with other tenants messaging. It seems to be happening more and more in the time I have been there and it is a great example of the benefits of a place like this.
  • Scalability. The size of the space and the way the desk system works allows for easy scalability. If your business is growing and you need another desk, it’s very simple to get this extra space for a minimal fee and a month-to-month commitment. Then, if you decide you need more or you need to shrink again, it’s simple and financially painless to do so. This is a great help if you are a small business.

  • The Cafe. Spike Cafe serves coffee, pastries, cake, drinks and well-made meals. There are different specials every day and there are benches outside for when the weather is good.
  • Friday Breakfast Club. Every second Friday we get together for coffee and pastries in our glass meeting room. It’s a great way to meet new tenants and other people you don’t happen to see during your usual day-to-day activities.

  • Table Tennis. There is a table tennis table and lots of people to play of all abilities. We occasionally have a tournament in which the elusive Golden Bat is passed on from mantle to mantle. For me, table tennis is probably my favourite sport and also the ultimate work break, so this is a huge pull.

  • The Exhibition Space. Every two or three months a new exhibition takes place in the expansive Spike Island Galleries. As Spike Design tenants we receive a tour of the latest exhibition by the curator of the gallery. It’s a great way to gain some insight into the current works in the space.

So….. there you have it. It’s been a poignant year for me and I wanted to try and document this influential part of it. I hope it sheds some light on what goes on here at Spike Design and encourages you, should you be looking, to join a great co-working space in Bristol.


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Category Archives: Groovy

Parsing XML in Groovy using XmlSlurper

In my previous post I showed different ways in which we can parse XML document in Java. You must have noticed the code being too much verbose. Other JVM languages like Groovy, Scala provide much better support for parsing XML documents.

In this post I give you the code to parse the XML document in Grooy and one can compare the ease with which we can parse XML documents. I make use of XmlSlurper API in Groovy which loads the complete XML into a tree and this tree can be then navigated using Groovy’s version of XPath called GPath.

The XML document I am using is the same one used here and also the intent is to parse the XML and create a list of Employee object.

class XmlParserDemo {
  static void main(args){
    def empList = new ArrayList<Employee>();
    def emp;
    def employees =
      new XmlSlurper().parse(ClassLoader.
    employees.employee.each{ node ->
      emp = new Employee();
      emp.firstName = node.firstName
      emp.lastName = node.lastName = node.@id
      emp.location = node.location
    empList.each{ empT -> println(empT)}
class Employee{
  String firstName
  String lastName
  String id
  String location
  public String toString(){
    return "${firstName} ${lastName}(${id}) in ${location}"

The output is:

Rakesh Mishra(111) in Bangalore
John Davis(112) in Chennai
Rajesh Sharma(113) in Pune

And the XML is present in the “xml” package and is available in the classpath of the application. I am using the ClassLoader to load the XML resource.

Sample application using JavaFX 2.0 beta and the after thoughts

This sample uses- TabPane, GridView and Bindings in javafx 2.0.

I had quite sometime back played around with JavaFX and had good and bad experiences using the language. With the JavaFX 2.0 beta being released I thought of giving it a try. Here I developed a simple Geocoding application which will take the address and provide the latitude-longitude values for that location- using Google Geocoding API. Continue reading

Parsing XML is fun again- thanks to Groovy

I happened to work on Groovy while I was developing using Gaelyk and I found Groovy lot easier to write- I never thought of the types and this really helped me to make my codeGroov simpler and easier to write. And when you are dealing with RESTful APIs- you ought to be parsing XML,JSON and what not. As a Java programmer- I never enjoyed it. But Groovy really made parsing xml fun again. Continue reading

Selection Sort: Brute Force approach to sorting with example in Groovy

In Selection sort technique the list is scanned to find the smallest element and it is then exchanged with the first element, putting the smallest element in its final position i.e at the beginning. Then the list is scanned starting from the second element to find the smallest among the remaining n-1 elements and exchange it with the second element to put the second smallest element in its final position. In general in the ith pass the algorithm searches for the smallest number from the n-i elements and swaps it with the element in the ith position i.e Ai. The list is sorted after n-1 passes. Continue reading


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Indian Detours Then and Now

Indian Detours were the idea of the legendary Fred Harvey Company, renowned in part for their chain of ‘eating houses’ hosted by Harvey Girls along the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad between 1876 and 1968. In response to economic hardships of the early 1900s, the Harvey Company developed a unique collaboration with the Native American pueblos throughout the Southwest that permanently changed the traveler’s experience.

Indian Detour Brochure cover with Taos Pueblo

Indian Detour Brochure cover of Taos Pueblo

Initially, Harvey’s famous eating houses helped boost rail travel in the late 1800s. His inspiration came from working as a mobile mail clerk on the railroad during the civil war, enduring bad food and service. In 1876, Harvey began his first lunchroom in the AT&SF train depot in Topeka, Kansas. Harvey’s trained staff provided good, wholesome dishes, and polite, professional service to passengers, earning him the name “Civilizer of the West.”

Fred Harvey. Image: Kansas State Historical Society.

Fred Harvey. Image: Kansas State Historical Society.

By 1891, the booming business had expanded to 15 Harvey House restaurants. At the time of his death in 1901, the Fred Harvey empire had spread to 12 states, with 45 restaurants and 20 dining cars. Harvey was 65 years old when he died from cancer. His son Ford took over.

In 1902, train travel and Southwest tourism was waning.  To help rejuvenate enthusiasm, the Harvey Company created an “Indian Department”, which commissioned artists, photographers and ethnographers to depict the Southwest’s unique “Indian” lifestyle and culture. Images portraying the “romance and mystique of the Southwest” appeared on brochures, pamphlets, menus and postcards.

Arrow Maker: Harvey House menu cover.

Arrow Maker: Harvey House menu cover. Santa Fe Dining Car – Houston

1920 California Ltd in Apache Canyon, N.M. Image: Palace of the Governors Photo Archives.

1920 Postcard of The California Ltd in Apache Canyon. Image: Palace of the Governors Photo Archives.

During this time, they built the first Harvey Indian Building and Museum in Albuquerque at the El Alvarado Hotel Harvey House (neither of which exist today).

Fred Harvey Indian Building. Albuquerque.

Fred Harvey Indian Building. Albuquerque. Rail travelers buying Indian arts as souvenirs.

The Indian Building exhibited Native American arts, crafts, cultures and people. During a one-to-two-hour respite, travelers were invited to wander through the extensive displays of art, and “live exhibits” that included Native Americans from many tribes around New Mexico – Navajo, Isleta, San Ildefonso and Santa Clara to name a few. Indians would be in traditional dress and often situated working on arts and crafts that were available for sale, such as pottery, weavings, and beading.

Navajo Weaver. Image: The Harvey Library

Navajo Weaver. Image: The Harvey Library

In 1925, up against the slump of business caused by the increasing popularity of automobile, and airplane travel, the Harvey Company began developing the idea of “Indian Detours” at their Southwest hotel locations, from the Grand Canyon to Santa Fe. The specialized tours by car were to divert passengers from the train for 1 to 3 days and drive them through the “wilderness panoramas” of Northern New Mexico to Indian ruin sites, and living pueblos.  Cars were bought, and drivers and couriers were educated by field trips and up to four months of in-depth study on the area. In May, 1926, the Indian Detours officially began.

1929 Cadillac Harvey Indian Detour Car outside La Fonda, Santa Fe. Image: Palace of the Governors photo archives

1929 Cadillac Harvey Indian Detour Car outside La Fonda, Santa Fe. Image: Palace of the Governors photo archives

The fleet of “Harveycars” included Packards, Franklins, Cadillacs and White Motor Co. Buses. They whisked “detourists” or “dudes” (as they became known) away into the heart of the rugged New Mexico terrain in style. Harvey Drivers were always men, wearing a western, cowboy-style outfit. The tricky effects of New Mexico’s steep dirt roads on those big, beautiful cars called for each driver to have at least four years experience as a mechanic. Cars were inspected regularly, cleaned thoroughly after every tour, and replaced every other year.

The success of the Harvey Girls in the dining rooms and hotels across the country inspired the continuation of hiring only women for the role of tour guides or “couriers.” Harvey Couriers were dressed in “Navajo-style” costumes, which included velveteen skirts, concha belts, and squash blossom necklaces.

Harveycar Courier.

Harveycar Courier. Image from Indian Detour Brochure. Caption says: In 1926, there were three of us. Now we are many more.

By the 1930s, a one-day tour cost $14 per person, two days was $30, and three days was about $40 (ahh! The good ol’ days). Keep in mind, $14 dollars was equal to about $190 today, and $40 would be about $550 now. These rates didn’t include meals, but did include the hotel stay and any fees that were required to enter the pueblos. And a tip for packing your suitcase was:

Suitable Clothing

Clip from Indian Detour Brochure

Tours included stops at the pueblos such as San Ildefonso, Santa Clara, and Taos. The three-day detour was the “most comprehensive.” Guests were driven from Santa Fe to Frijoles Canyon, Puye Cliffs, Taos and back. They often included a drive through the Spanish land grant villages on the road now known as The Scenic High Road to Taos, with a stop in Truchas. Travelers would “stroll about” the various ruin sites and pueblos and often bought Native art as souvenirs.

San Ildefonso Pueblo. Image: Harvey Indian Detour Brochure.

San Ildefonso Pueblo. Image: Harvey Indian Detour Brochure.

Sometimes there was a partial dance performed in authentic ceremonial dress. The full ceremonies were not then open to outsiders.

Image: Harvey Detour Brochure

Image: Harvey Detour Brochure

The Harvey Indian Detours were the most successful tours being offered at the time. And telling of the times, the interaction between detourists and pueblo people was limited. The experience was like being a museum patron observing live exhibits, with Harvey brochures and couriers providing detailed information, as seen from the Harvey perspective. A Harvey brochure sets a scene of an ancient culture caught in time as the fancy car zooms by on the way to Puye Cliffs: On the broad highway modernity flashes past horse-back Indians and tiny burros packing firewood to Santa Fe just as they did three centuries ago…Everywhere on the open upland above are evidences of the Forgotten People.

Detourists at Puye Cliffs. Image: Harvey Indian Detours Brochure

Detourists at Puye Cliffs. Image: Harvey Indian Detours Brochure

The Great Depression of the 1930s brought fewer and fewer travelers to the area. After WWII, many roads in New Mexico were improved and travelers preferred to drive their own vehicles.

By the late 1930s, Harvey Indian Detours were verging on obsolete, but not without having radically changed tourism in the Southwest. The tours had brought outsider awareness to the distinct, complex societies of the agrarian, pueblo-dwelling Indians of the area. With this awareness came an appreciation for the unique art and traditions that remain a source of income for Native artists, and are valued by travelers, collectors, ethnographers, artists and photographers to this day.

Image of Pueblo woman and child. Harvey Indian Detours brochure.

1920-30s Image of Pueblo woman and child. Harvey Indian Detours brochure.

Attempts were made to revive the Indian Detours in the late 1940s, and early 50s, but by then, times were very different and they dwindled. Fred Harvey’s sons and grandsons ran the business until 1968 when it was sold to a hospitality business based in Hawaii.

The original Harvey Indian Detours sign still hangs in the La Fonda lobby by the Concierge desk.

For more memorabilia and history on the Fred Harvey Company in Santa Fe, visit the New Mexico History Museum’s long term exhibit: Telling New Mexico: Stories from Then and Now.

With nineteen pueblos in New Mexico, eight in the northern territory, there are numerous villages to visit. Today, travelers prefer to gain an insider perspective of other cultures and make more meaningful connections — I know I do. But it can still be difficult, unless you connect with someone they know.

Thanks to Robbie O’Neill’s Cultural Treasures Tours and her personal connections at many northern pueblos, I recently had the pleasure of meeting Andrew Garcia, an important elder at the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo just north of Santa Fe. He is a Storyteller and educator, teaching of his people’s ancient customs, dances and songs. Since 1974, he has travelled the world with his dance troupe, Tewa Dancers From The North. “We’ve performed in India, Singapore, Columbia, Brazil, Canada, Spain, Mexico and all over the U.S. It’s important to share cultures.” Andy says.  “We performed the Buffalo and Eagle Dances for a quarter of a million people in the Washington Monument Mall at President Bill Clinton’s Inauguration.”

Andy Garcia showing a ceremonial feather head dress.

Andy Garcia showing a ceremonial feather head dress.

In his pueblo home, Andy showed us some of the ceremonial costumes, many of which he and his family have made. Andy has been pivotal in keeping the knowledge of his pueblo’s ancient dances and songs alive, sharing with other cultures, and ensuring it is passed down through further generations.

Me with a heavy white Buffalo Head dress.

Me with a heavy White Buffalo head dress. Hard to imagine dancing in this all day.

One of the many dances at the Ohkay Owingeh pueblo is the Annual Feast Day on June 24th. They celebrate with the Buffalo and Comanche Dances. An interesting insight I learned from Andy is that the Comanche Dances and songs were created by the Pueblo people, probably around the mid-1800s (when more Comanche were in the area, and raids were a regular occurrence.) “It was a sign of respect for them,” explains Andy. “Not all Comanches were bad. Some were, but some were peaceful. It depended on the tribe. When they went to war or performed ceremonies, their outfits, body paint and regalia were very impressive. The Comanche Dance is a way to show admiration for their culture’.”

One of Andy's grandsons in Comanche regalia.

Taken from a photo of one of Andy’s grandsons in Comanche regalia.

Part of the Cultural Treasures tour included a home-cooked lunch at another friend’s home, this time at the San Ildefonso Pueblo. The traditional meal included beans, squash and Indian Tea made from plants picked from the land. To learn more about Cultural Treasures Tours, go to:  You can also call (505) 231-0855, or email:

Throughout the year, many pueblos are open to visitors, except on certain holidays. There are Ceremonials and Feast Days that visitors are welcome to watch, but not always allowed to photograph (see here for a complete calendar). The Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo does welcome visitors to photograph and video most of their dances, once you’ve paid a nominal fee for a permit. (See below for June 24th Annual Feast Day Info.)

Researching this article, I saw so many images of the area’s ruins and sites taken in the 1920s. It was comforting to see that many places have changed little since then. One of the great things about New Mexico is that there are still many areas that feel untouched by “modernity” today. Being an incurable romantic with a nostalgia for the “good ol’ days,” I’m in the right place.

Among their many custom tour options, Sue and Georges of Santa Fe Walkabouts offer fun trips to Puye Cliffs, Frijoles Canyon, Bandelier, and Taos Pueblo.  They also have a terrific Pinzgauer off-road vehicle that makes light work of any rugged terrain and is a lot of fun. Call (505) 231-9161) or email:

Outspire Hiking and Snowshoeing includes tours to Bandelier National Monument, Frijoles Canyon, and many other wonderful known and little-known ruins and wild nature spots around northern New Mexico. They are also well versed in the area’s geology and flora and fauna. Call Karen Denison at (505)660-0394, or email:

June 24th Ohkay Owingeh Annual Feast Day : The dancers will perform in the Pueblo’s plaza from around 10.30 a.m till around 5.30 or 6 p.m. It’s free to the public. There’s only a nominal fee, usually around $10 – $20 if you want to photograph or video. You can find an official, who’ll be in the pueblo’s plaza area, and ask them for a permit. (Click here for map to San Juan/Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo north of Santa Fe approximately 25 miles.)

For more tour options or to book your tour call: (505) 470-2991.

Thank you for reading my blog. Please sign up to receive my monthly articles via email by going to Subscribe. Thanks, Maria.


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Archive | April 2012

You are browsing the site archives by date.

A Breakthrough at Cockatoo

Back in December 2010 I started this blog with the whole premise of finding a style that I was happy with, or to see if I had a style at all. I was testing myself on all levels – landscape drawing, still life, different mediums, participating in online projects like Urban Sketches, Sketchbook Project, Everyday […]

Already April

I cannot believe we are four months into the new year – it’s ridiculous. It’s been awhile since I did some Urban Sketching, admittedly I never felt motivated too, but once I did one I wanted to keep going. I also drew my first “ghost” stop – which is a bus stop that is no […]


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#NERDVEMBER Favorites and Bonus Winners!

The #NERDVEMBER fun isn’t quite over yet! We wanted to devote a separate post to some of our favorite looks some of you created, as well as announce some bonus winners!

That’s right, bonus winners.

Lindz and I never expected participation to increase by 600%, and we were thrilled to see so many people eager to try out #NERDVEMBER for themselves. Not everyone quite adhered to the spirit of the challenge as much as we might have wished, but that’s something we’ll work on perfecting next year. But some of you really wowed us with your looks and the effort you put in. I know some of you even planned out a week’s worth of outfits at a time over your weekends. Way to go!

So, given that the main #NERDVEMBER winners were chosen at random, we felt the need to add a few more winners that were hand-picked by Lindz and myself. Now, there were quite a few of you that impressed us, and it was a very hard decision to make (which is why we love a random draw, no stress!), but we felt these three participants showed some of the best examples of geek chic fashion, and who perfectly exemplified the goal and challenge of #NERDVEMBER.

Bonus Winner #1: sharksandsonnets

Prize: Espionage Cosmetics Makeup/Nail Wrap Bundle

Bonus Winner #2: catherine

Prize: $50 Black Milk Gift Card

Bonus Winner #3: onepunchxmickey

Prize: TBD

That’s right, we had some men ask to participate in #NERDVEMBER! And, while we are first and foremost a geek fashion blog for women, we’re certainly not exclusionary and loved that men wanted to show off their geek style.

Congratulations to our bonus winners! We’ll be in touch with you regarding the details of your prizes.

In addition to our bonus winners, we wanted to use this post to highlight a few other great outfits we saw from some of you!

10632444_298409557024224_1528816945_nwyckedphoenix in her brilliantly inspired Hades ensemble from Disney’s Hercules.

10735059_386253724864476_1729558072_nemmafyffe in a trendy Thor themed outfit.

10755909_963646153662790_2012619818_ncutenotkawaii in an adorably inspired Iron Man look.

928743_313485872181099_898904049_nridiculisa in a well coordinated head-to-toe Batman ensemble.

10810064_572607506173024_1784945929_nakangaru in a chic Exploding Tardis outfit.

That officially wraps up this year’s #NERDVEMBER! Thank you all SO much for your participation. We hoped the challenge inspired you, and we’re looking forward to all of you joining us in the challenge again next year!

6 comments on “#NERDVEMBER Favorites and Bonus Winners!

  1. Crystal says:

    sharksandsonnets – found her due to this contest and I ADORED her outfits!

  2. Ah! Thanks for the feature; I think you ladies liked the Exploding TARDIS skirt outfit I had last year too, lol. Thanks for hosting Nerdvember again. I enjoyed it even more this year!

    Congrats to the winners and bonus winners!!!

  3. Jennifer (WyckedPhoenix) says:

    Oh my goodness, thank you ladies so much for the feature! I had so much fun planning and participating in Nerdvember, I met some great girls through this event. I really can’t wait to do this again next year!

  4. Vanessa says:

    Thank you so much for featuring my Iron Man! I’m glad you liked it! I had an amazingly fun time with #Nerdvember and I can’t WAIT to do it again. I’m even doing geek chic outfits every Wednesday now because of you ladies (#pretendsday)!

  5. […] Seeing others participate in Nerdvember has made me realize that my personal style is a lot less cute and feminine, and a lot more hard edged and “serious” than many of the people who do nerd influenced fashion well. I don’t mean that as a dig at others, or a dig at myself, but just as an observation. Most of the Nerdvember outfits I saw that I thought were particularly well done were pretty far outside the confines of my personal style.  […]

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