This Saturday marks the 50th anniversary of one of my favorite bits of Sci-Fi. For those not as geeky as I, it's the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who. And because of Comcast taking away my BBC America On Demand and booking a photo shoot on Monday, I can't watch the 50th Anniversary special. :(
A few weeks ago I saw a post on Google+ that had a Doctor Who alphabet. I liked the idea, but the presentation left something to be desired. All the letters were associated with words that came from the newer series, and it was just words. So, after spending probably WAY too much time on it, I made my own and made a PDF booklet of it. :D
So for those who are interested, here it is! Google Drive does mad posterization to the images, unfortunately, but you can get the idea of what I was going for, without having to download the nearly 1 GB file that I originally created.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Saturday, November 16, 2013
"Those People"
I haven't posted in a while. For a couple reasons.
1) Life happened. I got busy doing other things, and neglected to write posts or ideas for posts down.
2) I had this post typed up, but since I know it's got stuff in here that will make some people I know mad, I let it sit, so I could look back over it and make sure that what I typed 2 months ago is really, truly what (and how) I wanted to say. I'm pretty sure it is, soooo....here goes.
There is something that drives me crazy. Every group of people, no matter the ideology, always seem to have another group that they love to hate. “Those people” who follow the wrong religion, believe in creation, believe in evolution, listen to the wrong music, drive the wrong brand of car, love the wrong type of person.
People having an opinion on a subject is not what bothers me. It is the human tendency to reduce groups with different ideologies into an amorphous blob of “those people.” Turning other living, breathing, hoping, dreaming, struggling human beings into a faceless entity that hate can be lobbed at. It is this tendency of the human race to de-humanize others that has helped lead to so many conflicts and so much bloodshed in the world. (the other tendency, of course, being greed)
I come from a conservative, Protestant Christian background. A group that has very vocal members saying that the “liberal media” is trying to demonize us. Meanwhile, those very vocal members turn around and demonize (roughly in this order) 1) Gays 2) Muslims 3) Liberals and Liberal media 4) Other Christian denominations 5) Other religions e.g. Sikhs, Buddhists, Spiritualists.
The first group, gays, are demonized because they are “sinners and destroying the sanctity of marriage.” First off, if you believe your Bible enough to believe that a homosexual lifestyle is not God's ideal, then you should realize that you, yourself are also most likely not living up to God's ideal and that it's not your job to point fingers and condemn. In God's eyes, all sin is sin. Gossiping and slander is as big a sin in God's eyes as gunning someone down for the thrill of it. Leave the judging to God and follow the example of Jesus. Love. Without prejudice, without ulterior motive. You'd be surprised at the change it makes in your life and the lives around you.
Second, the “sanctity” of marriage was pretty much destroyed well before there was a movement to allow men to marry men and women to marry women. Even in “Christian” circles, the divorce rate in industrialized countries hovers around 50%. According to a recent study by the Barna Group, 29% of Baptist marriages end in divorce. That is the highest rate among all religious groups. The biggest irony of the “sanctity of Marriage” debate is that the loudest, most powerful voices bemoaning the the destruction of the sanctity of marriage are politicians who have married, cheated, divorced, re-married, cheated, divorced ad nauseum.
The second group that evangelicals love to hate are Muslims. Based on fear-mongering news sources and unsubstantiated Facebook and e-mail forwards, too many people believe that all Muslims want to kill all non-Muslims and basically watch the world burn. An equivalent example for Protestant Christians would be to have all the rest of the world believe that we all believe like the Westboro Baptist Church hate mongers. It's a ridiculous over-generalization! Every group has a loud-mouthed nut-job minority that makes normal majority in the group look bad. It is absolutely no different for Muslims.
The third group, Liberals and the media, only talks bad about so-called Christians because we have a tendency to make ourselves easy targets through being thoughtless, hypocritical and overall poor examples of the Man who's name we use to describe ourselves. If we all lived an above-board life, modeled after the life of Christ, the media wouldn't have gripes about us. Some Liberal causes would be completely unnecessary if God's people had, through the ages, done exactly as He instructed. If we had been good stewards of this planet, there wouldn't be a need for a Green initiative, nor fear of global warming. If we had been good citizens and neighbors, there would be no need for welfare or health care reform.
The fourth group, other Christian denominations, is counterintuitive to what Christianity should be. Instead of actually following Jesus, we like to sit back and say “They're doing it wrong. They're believing wrong. We've got it right, but we'll just sit here and point fingers instead of doing the work Jesus tasked us with.” It's lazy, petty, and turns people away from Christianity. How can we expect non-Christians to accord us any respect, if we can't even respect our brothers and sisters in Christ?
The last group, other religious groups, is the saddest. Christians are commanded to tell the world what we believe and why. But we tend to be so wrapped up in having it “right” that we look down on other religious groups for having it “wrong”, neglecting the things we have in common, the things that they're getting right, and the things we're getting wrong.
I read another blog post recently that boiled all of what I said down to this. Too many Christians are “unless” Christians. The type of Christian who, through either words or actions, says to the rest of the world; “I'm a Christian, unless you dress in a way I deem wrong, believe in a way I deem wrong, live or love in a way I deem wrong.” As Christians, the way we live our lives shouldn't come with the clause of “unless.” Like Jesus, we should love the saints AND the sinners. The house-wives AND the prostitutes. The preachers AND the convicts. The gays, the Muslims, the Liberals, the hippies, the addicts, the tree-huggers, the victims, the winners, the losers, the happy, the sad, the apathetic, and the just pathetic. Every. Single. Person. on this planet is LOVED, beyond comprehension, by God. So maybe we should try a little harder to love everyone, not just the people who are like us.
1) Life happened. I got busy doing other things, and neglected to write posts or ideas for posts down.
2) I had this post typed up, but since I know it's got stuff in here that will make some people I know mad, I let it sit, so I could look back over it and make sure that what I typed 2 months ago is really, truly what (and how) I wanted to say. I'm pretty sure it is, soooo....here goes.
There is something that drives me crazy. Every group of people, no matter the ideology, always seem to have another group that they love to hate. “Those people” who follow the wrong religion, believe in creation, believe in evolution, listen to the wrong music, drive the wrong brand of car, love the wrong type of person.
People having an opinion on a subject is not what bothers me. It is the human tendency to reduce groups with different ideologies into an amorphous blob of “those people.” Turning other living, breathing, hoping, dreaming, struggling human beings into a faceless entity that hate can be lobbed at. It is this tendency of the human race to de-humanize others that has helped lead to so many conflicts and so much bloodshed in the world. (the other tendency, of course, being greed)
I come from a conservative, Protestant Christian background. A group that has very vocal members saying that the “liberal media” is trying to demonize us. Meanwhile, those very vocal members turn around and demonize (roughly in this order) 1) Gays 2) Muslims 3) Liberals and Liberal media 4) Other Christian denominations 5) Other religions e.g. Sikhs, Buddhists, Spiritualists.
The first group, gays, are demonized because they are “sinners and destroying the sanctity of marriage.” First off, if you believe your Bible enough to believe that a homosexual lifestyle is not God's ideal, then you should realize that you, yourself are also most likely not living up to God's ideal and that it's not your job to point fingers and condemn. In God's eyes, all sin is sin. Gossiping and slander is as big a sin in God's eyes as gunning someone down for the thrill of it. Leave the judging to God and follow the example of Jesus. Love. Without prejudice, without ulterior motive. You'd be surprised at the change it makes in your life and the lives around you.
Second, the “sanctity” of marriage was pretty much destroyed well before there was a movement to allow men to marry men and women to marry women. Even in “Christian” circles, the divorce rate in industrialized countries hovers around 50%. According to a recent study by the Barna Group, 29% of Baptist marriages end in divorce. That is the highest rate among all religious groups. The biggest irony of the “sanctity of Marriage” debate is that the loudest, most powerful voices bemoaning the the destruction of the sanctity of marriage are politicians who have married, cheated, divorced, re-married, cheated, divorced ad nauseum.
The second group that evangelicals love to hate are Muslims. Based on fear-mongering news sources and unsubstantiated Facebook and e-mail forwards, too many people believe that all Muslims want to kill all non-Muslims and basically watch the world burn. An equivalent example for Protestant Christians would be to have all the rest of the world believe that we all believe like the Westboro Baptist Church hate mongers. It's a ridiculous over-generalization! Every group has a loud-mouthed nut-job minority that makes normal majority in the group look bad. It is absolutely no different for Muslims.
The third group, Liberals and the media, only talks bad about so-called Christians because we have a tendency to make ourselves easy targets through being thoughtless, hypocritical and overall poor examples of the Man who's name we use to describe ourselves. If we all lived an above-board life, modeled after the life of Christ, the media wouldn't have gripes about us. Some Liberal causes would be completely unnecessary if God's people had, through the ages, done exactly as He instructed. If we had been good stewards of this planet, there wouldn't be a need for a Green initiative, nor fear of global warming. If we had been good citizens and neighbors, there would be no need for welfare or health care reform.
The fourth group, other Christian denominations, is counterintuitive to what Christianity should be. Instead of actually following Jesus, we like to sit back and say “They're doing it wrong. They're believing wrong. We've got it right, but we'll just sit here and point fingers instead of doing the work Jesus tasked us with.” It's lazy, petty, and turns people away from Christianity. How can we expect non-Christians to accord us any respect, if we can't even respect our brothers and sisters in Christ?
The last group, other religious groups, is the saddest. Christians are commanded to tell the world what we believe and why. But we tend to be so wrapped up in having it “right” that we look down on other religious groups for having it “wrong”, neglecting the things we have in common, the things that they're getting right, and the things we're getting wrong.
I read another blog post recently that boiled all of what I said down to this. Too many Christians are “unless” Christians. The type of Christian who, through either words or actions, says to the rest of the world; “I'm a Christian, unless you dress in a way I deem wrong, believe in a way I deem wrong, live or love in a way I deem wrong.” As Christians, the way we live our lives shouldn't come with the clause of “unless.” Like Jesus, we should love the saints AND the sinners. The house-wives AND the prostitutes. The preachers AND the convicts. The gays, the Muslims, the Liberals, the hippies, the addicts, the tree-huggers, the victims, the winners, the losers, the happy, the sad, the apathetic, and the just pathetic. Every. Single. Person. on this planet is LOVED, beyond comprehension, by God. So maybe we should try a little harder to love everyone, not just the people who are like us.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Immune
Anyone who knows me knows that I have a rather weak stomach. It's the reason I ultimately decided not to go into nursing. And it was definitely a factor in never wanting kids. An old pastor joked that I was not a fan of the “5 P's”; poop, pee, puke, puss and phlegm. And that is so very true, with one exception.
My daughter. I have had diapers explode in my lap, have been peed on, lost count of the times I've been spit up on, and just last week, was, once again, a human Kleenex. Not a gag, not a wretch. I am, thus far, immune to the bodily functions of my baby.
I always thought people who told me that when I had my own kid I'd be just fine with all this stuff were liars. I thought there was no way that I would be able to handle the messes associated with a baby. I'm not sure how it works, but it's true. The smells, messes etc. just don't faze me. Everything else that makes me nauseous still does though. Go figure.
My daughter. I have had diapers explode in my lap, have been peed on, lost count of the times I've been spit up on, and just last week, was, once again, a human Kleenex. Not a gag, not a wretch. I am, thus far, immune to the bodily functions of my baby.
I always thought people who told me that when I had my own kid I'd be just fine with all this stuff were liars. I thought there was no way that I would be able to handle the messes associated with a baby. I'm not sure how it works, but it's true. The smells, messes etc. just don't faze me. Everything else that makes me nauseous still does though. Go figure.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Adventures in DIY
In my post-baby quest to live a more frugal, healthful life, I have become a bit of a Pinterest junky. I have pinned & tried several different DIY cleaning and household products. Some have been great successes (laundry detergent), others, miserable failures (dish soap).
I've made 2 different batches of laundry detergent, but the one I prefer is the one I made out of a bar of Ivory soap, 1 cup borax, 1 cup washing soda, 1 cup of OxiClean and a few drops of lavender essential oil. It gets clothes nice and clean with just a tablespoon of detergent per load, and I don't have to worry about using it on the baby's clothes. I put some vinegar in my Downy ball to clear any remaining soap residue off the clothes before I dry them, and they consistently end up nice, clean and soft.
The dish soap was a complete and utter disaster. The washing soda spilled out of the box and overflowed the measuring cup into the pan I was dissolving the bar soap in. The final product was a congealed, lumpy white mess that didn't foam at all, and left a weird white film on the dishes. We quickly returned to using Dawn!
I made a batch of homemade hair spray. It was SUPER simple to make, and incredibly cheap. All it took was 1 cup of hot water, 1.5 tablespoons of sugar and a few drops of essential oil for a pleasant scent. It completely filled my recently emptied hair spray bottle and only took about 5 minutes to make.
And it works AWESOME! The hold is just as good, if not a little better, than the store bought stuff I just finished using.
Other DIY projects I've tried are bug spray and homemade shampoo/conditioner. The DIY bug spray also seems to work well. The only problem I have is remembering to apply it! I don't know yet how the shampoo/conditioner work yet. I'm still finishing up the last little bit of old product. I am still debating on whether to make DIY deodorant and shaving cream...
I've made 2 different batches of laundry detergent, but the one I prefer is the one I made out of a bar of Ivory soap, 1 cup borax, 1 cup washing soda, 1 cup of OxiClean and a few drops of lavender essential oil. It gets clothes nice and clean with just a tablespoon of detergent per load, and I don't have to worry about using it on the baby's clothes. I put some vinegar in my Downy ball to clear any remaining soap residue off the clothes before I dry them, and they consistently end up nice, clean and soft.
The dish soap was a complete and utter disaster. The washing soda spilled out of the box and overflowed the measuring cup into the pan I was dissolving the bar soap in. The final product was a congealed, lumpy white mess that didn't foam at all, and left a weird white film on the dishes. We quickly returned to using Dawn!
I made a batch of homemade hair spray. It was SUPER simple to make, and incredibly cheap. All it took was 1 cup of hot water, 1.5 tablespoons of sugar and a few drops of essential oil for a pleasant scent. It completely filled my recently emptied hair spray bottle and only took about 5 minutes to make.
And it works AWESOME! The hold is just as good, if not a little better, than the store bought stuff I just finished using.
Other DIY projects I've tried are bug spray and homemade shampoo/conditioner. The DIY bug spray also seems to work well. The only problem I have is remembering to apply it! I don't know yet how the shampoo/conditioner work yet. I'm still finishing up the last little bit of old product. I am still debating on whether to make DIY deodorant and shaving cream...
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Why Art is Important
In case there was any confusion in my last post about what the subject was, it was NOT about trying to make nudity socially acceptable. It was about art, and that art, even art depicting nudity, is important to society and shouldn't be censored just because some people are too cowardly to explain things to their kids.
Art is important, in all it's forms. Whether it is painting, sculpture, photography, quilting, music or any other type of art, it is important. Art, in it's various forms, can teach, can inspire, can cause controversy, lead to discussion, depict reality, offer escapism, invigorate, relax.
Art, in all the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly, speaks to us in ways that words often can't.
Art is important, in all it's forms. Whether it is painting, sculpture, photography, quilting, music or any other type of art, it is important. Art, in it's various forms, can teach, can inspire, can cause controversy, lead to discussion, depict reality, offer escapism, invigorate, relax.
Art, in all the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly, speaks to us in ways that words often can't.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Of Course You Realize, This Means WAR! (slightly NSFW)
There's a war a-brewin' in suburban Kansas City. Depending on who you ask, determines what the war is about. According to the American Family Association of Kansas and Missouri it is a war on family values and decency. According to a contributor to the Kansas City Star it's a war on artistic expression and free speech.
The cause for this brouhaha? A statue in a botanical garden. This statue, to be precise.
There are signs warning parents of statues “depicting the human form” in the garden, but that's apparently not good enough for the AFA.
According to the artist, Yu Chang, the statue “symbolizes our loss of identity when we only take pictures of bits and pieces for people to see.” Basically, a symbol of the human tendency to dehumanize others and make judgements based on incomplete information. All this fuss seems to prove the point the artist was trying to make!
The AFA is trying to claim that the statue is in violation of Kansas anti-obscenity laws and are trying to get signatures on a petition to take to court to get the statue removed. The same thing happened a while back, and failed, so I'm not sure what they are trying to accomplish by doing the exact thing again, considering the court threw the suit out. I made a cursory review of Kansas' anti-obscenity law, and as far as I can see, there is no violation.
All of this makes me wonder, what makes this statue so much more obscene than, say, that super famous statue of David? You know, the one with his teeny little manhood hanging out. Is it because there is *gasp* a nipple? Or is it because it's “modern” art instead of “classical” or “Renaissance” art?
I have to conclude that the AFA group has not spent very much time outside of whatever little sheltered circle they call home. The Kansas City metro area has many statues and fountains that are just as, if not more so, “risque” than the one in the botanical garden. On the Plaza alone, in plain view of the public, with no signs warning parents, there are multiple fountains and statues depicting various states of nudity.
According to the artist, Yu Chang, the statue “symbolizes our loss of identity when we only take pictures of bits and pieces for people to see.” Basically, a symbol of the human tendency to dehumanize others and make judgements based on incomplete information. All this fuss seems to prove the point the artist was trying to make!
The AFA is trying to claim that the statue is in violation of Kansas anti-obscenity laws and are trying to get signatures on a petition to take to court to get the statue removed. The same thing happened a while back, and failed, so I'm not sure what they are trying to accomplish by doing the exact thing again, considering the court threw the suit out. I made a cursory review of Kansas' anti-obscenity law, and as far as I can see, there is no violation.
All of this makes me wonder, what makes this statue so much more obscene than, say, that super famous statue of David? You know, the one with his teeny little manhood hanging out. Is it because there is *gasp* a nipple? Or is it because it's “modern” art instead of “classical” or “Renaissance” art?
I have to conclude that the AFA group has not spent very much time outside of whatever little sheltered circle they call home. The Kansas City metro area has many statues and fountains that are just as, if not more so, “risque” than the one in the botanical garden. On the Plaza alone, in plain view of the public, with no signs warning parents, there are multiple fountains and statues depicting various states of nudity.
There is the Pomona fountain, which happens to be on a corner at an intersection, with her boobs & butt hanging out. There's the fountain by Starbucks with a frog spitting water on to a little naked boy's crotch. And those are just two of the fountains on the Plaza with nudity. Is that some how less offensive to the AFA, or do they not care because it's in Missouri?
And then, of course, there's the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, a place where children go on field trips, that is packed to the gills with nudity!
There is this
on the outside of the building.
This statue
is on prominent display in middle of the museum.
An entire exhibit is dedicated to sketches of nude figures with no parental guidance suggested.
And, let us not forget, the tribal fertility statues or the Roman and the Renaissance nudes.
Pretty much since the beginning of art, the human form, in all it's glory and imperfection, has been depicted in various mediums. I find it depressing that so many people in the Midwest, instead of appreciating art, and the beauty and variety of humanity that it can depict, automatically jump to the “Sex, porn, indecent and obscene” mindset when they see a sculpted boob.
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