Senator Boxer's Ego is bigger than the state of California.

California Senator Barbara Boxer, in typical fine form:



As opposed to Brigadier General Michael Walsh, the commanding general of the US Army Corps of Engineers, who, you know, more or less just had his rank given to him for charm and good looks.

This woman's unfettered hubris is appalling. Again. General Walsh deserves another medal for his calm, accommodating reserve in the face of such overweening arrogance.

Yes, ma'am.

Ethiopian Mathematics

For a couple of reasons, I've been thinking about mathematics lately.

JP had a homework assignment from his Finite Mathematics class (IU/East) this past week that was really interesting. His assignment was to create an instructional video, a visual tutorial for the solving of a complicated problem incorporating ratios, matrices, chemicals, fertilizer, and marketing.

First, I marveled at the ease with which that he could solve such a tricky problem. My family's DNA is largely minus this particular gene. But my son is not only good at it, he also takes a measure of enjoyment from it's successful pursuit. The class itself is interesting in that it's emphasis is on real-world applications, not merely theoretical abstractions. Not that there is anything intrinsically wrong with theoretical abstractions, per se.

Secondly, even though he thought the whole thing was no big deal, JP was very creative in the way he assembled his tutorial video, using markers, Sharpies, digital camera, and a confident, engaging patois that made it all surprisingly interesting. No, really. His teacher is planning to use this video, and the others created by JP's classmates as the basis for a website that student's can use to learn how to solve different types of math problems. Personally, the whole thing struck me as yet another remarkable example of how technology has transformed the way we learn and communicate. However, as recently as 10 years ago, the capability of producing this kind of thing on the dining room table did not practically exist within the reach of most people. Twenty years ago, we really didn't even have the vocabulary to discuss or understand the concept.

Here is another short math video, produced by the BBC, that I found fascinating, too. It is about the strange connections between an ancient mathematical practice still in use today by Ethiopian merchants and it's connection to modern computer calculation algorithms. Check it out.



Personally, I find it a compelling argument for intelligent design and strong evidence of the creative mind of God. But I digress...

The Loaded Chicken

By popular demand, here is what a Loaded Chicken looks like.

It's not natural.

Great picture by Nancy.

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Update: Food & Think, the cool Smithsonian blog about food, did a followup piece on the photographer who authored the original "What's in Your Fridge" project.

What's In Your Fridge?

I found Good Magazine's pictorial essay of the contents of people's refrigerators fascinating. I'm not sure why, except that it is one of those slice of life exercises that the Internets seem to be good for.

The one with the rattlesnake was pretty interesting.

Here's what's in my fridge ------------------>

Obviously my snapshot is vastly inferior to the ones in the essay. And, for the sake of authenticity and personal integrity, I didn't pose any of my foodstuffs. This is them in their natural, candid state, caught unawares before the intruding lens.

The only thing that I can see here that may merit some explanation is the thing on the top shelf next to the egg carton. That is a chicken made out of wire. It's function, allegedly, is to store the eggs. My wife always tries to get me to "load the chicken," but I refuse, on philosophical grounds.

Sometimes a guy just has to put his foot down. A man needs to know where to draw the line - what battles are worth fighting and stuff like that.



h/t Mark Bittman

Skynet Wins - Goodbye Sarah Conner

I'm not big on TV blogging, but I did just find out that one of the few shows that I enjoyed has been cancelled. Ain't that the way? Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles was really a good action series.

And now, with no one to protect us, we are all doomed to destruction and enslavery at the hands of our evil robot overlords from the future. Thanks alot, Fox.



Oh, but they did renew Dollhouse. Hate that show. I'm a fan of creator/producer Joss Whedon, but that show is stupid. Not gonna watch it. Not even gonna link to it.

Rap Chop featuring Vince (Steve Porter Remix) - MBPYNHO

This edition of Music By People You've Never Heard Of features a healthy dose of laugh-out-loud hilarity as well as a slamming remix track by Steve Porter. This is crazy, but it is also wildly creative and very well done. I love what happens at about 2:58, with the guest vocal.



This makes me want to stay up late and buy crazy plastic stuff on TV in the middle of the night.

Steamed Artichokes - Learn how to do it.

Bogota, Columbia - Missions Trip

In July, Nancy and I are going to Bogota, Columbia on a week-long short-term missions trip with a group from our church. We have a sister church there, and we hope to be involved in remodeling and equipping the school there. Our church sponsors and organizes several such trips each year, some domestic, some international and we are looking forward to it with increasing anticipation for a number of reasons.


While our church is by no means huge, here in our area we happen to be one of the larger congregations and we have people who come not only from nearby Richmond, but from any of a couple of dozen small rural communities within a 60-70 mile radius, stretching into nearby eastern Ohio. Our team of approximately a dozen is made up of some people with whom we already enjoy close friendships as well as some people that we are only just now meeting and getting to know for the first time, which I really like. There is an especially interesting and highly diverse mix of ages, personalities, experience, and areas of personal skill.

Nancy and I like to travel and we are both excited about seeing a new place, experiencing a new culture, and meeting new people. I am brushing up on my Spanish, which was always merely functional, at best, and is now more marginal than ever, having lived in Indiana for the last 10 years.

It has been fun to research and learn about Colombia, too. I was astonished to learn that the Bogota metro area has over 8 million people, which puts it just under the size of Chicago and appreciably larger than Washington, D.C.

It will really be interesting to see and hear, first hand, what life is like there. In addition to participating in the work projects, I am anxious to try the local cuisine, see some of the city, and just soak up the local culture. My hope and expectation is that we'll meet new friends, learn new things, and come away with a broader perspective on life and faith. My compadre and worship leader extraordinaire, Steve Mathews, is leading our group, so we are hoping, too, that there will be some good musical interaction, too.

Cooking with Christopher Walken

Jordan Lee Pike - MBPYNHO

Yeah, I know you've probably never heard of him, but the kid's got it.
Take a listen:

http://www.myspace.com/jordanleepike

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Scallops & Asparagus

I am absolutely going to try this recipe, if only for the incredible color. But it sounds like it will taste amazing, too. Finding decent scallops in rural Indiana may be the tricky part. But we've got your asparagus.

Postcards from Hell

I get them. I am certain you do too. If you are like me, most of the time you either ignore where they come from or you minimize their significance. Occasionally, you may not even realize who sent you that Postcard, but most of the time you know.

I need to quit reading the Postcards from Hell. Sometimes I get several a day. How did That Guy get my address, anyway? Oh, yeah, now I remember. I gave it to him and he's always had it. And he sends me Postcards even though I've asked to be taken off of his mailing list. Are you on his mailing list? I bet you are.

Postcards from Hell are full of lies and bad news. Mostly just lies, and mostly lies about The News. Because The News is not really bad. The News is Good.

I need to quit reading the Postcards from Hell. Otherwise, how can a man like me remain in the light?

Trent over at Morphine Life has some excellent things to say about this, too, and a great song to share by the Wood Brothers. Check it out.

Hell, Norway
Is that train about to leave the station?
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CHINESE TRANSLATION by M. Ward

I know it's a couple of years old, but here it is anyway, my new favorite song for the next day or so:



Here's an entertaining live version from the David Letterman Show:



Did you check out that old funky desktop mic he was singing through? Don't you just love the chorus to this song? Don't you like it when I ask rhetorical questions as though you were standing right here? No?

Thanks, again, Sharon.

Nob Sugino - Lap Steel Artist - MBPYNHO

A few months back, around my birthday, I think, I purchased an album sound unheard (and sight unseen) by a Japanese lap steel guitarist named Nob Sugino. I had read his name somewhere and thought it might be interesting to hear how he played one of my favorite instruments. The album was "Wake", and you can ge it here.

The album is an eclectic and surprising blend of sounds, textures, and styles. I like it a lot. Sugino's approach to the instrument is aggressive and confident, but also nuanced and sensitive. It is a fascinating listen. I visited his website and learned more about his equipment and technique, signing up to receive updates as they became available.

Well, this morning, I received a nice personal email from Sugino, inviting me to check out three videos of new performances that he recently uploaded to YouTube. These are all really well done. Great performances on three different, unique instruments.







And check it out! He is using the Boss RC-20XL Looper Pedal! The same one that I've been playing with for the last couple of months and that I've written about here repeatedly.

Jesus Stands Corrected

- excerpt:

I've been corrected many times by Christians -- after reading (on-air) something Jesus actually said. They don't like it. I'm serious. "You know, all the commandments can be summed up with love the Lord your God with all your heart, and mind, and soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus said that, and..."

Ringing phones. "Hello?"

"You forgot one: Evangelize."

Jesus stands corrected.

From Brant Hansen. Read the whole thing.

U2's "With or Without You" by Neanderpaul - MBPYNHO

In this broadcast of Music By People You've Never Heard Of, I bring you this inspired and inspiring home-brewed version of the famous U2 anthem as performed by Neanderpaul. I'll tell you up front, this is not a great recording, even by the standards of YouTube. It won't matter, just check it out.



I know nothing about this guy, and I found him as I was searching for videos of artists using the Boss RC-20XL Loop Station. For those of you not hip to what the Loop Station is all about, Neanderpaul is an able demonstrator of it's considerable creative possibilities. He plays, sings, and records every sound you hear in this video in real time....this is a completely live performance.

There are a lot of folks using this kind of fun tool nowadays, and I've written about it before. In Neanderpaul's videos, though, I was especially struck by his unpretensious demeanor and his passionate approach to every performance, whether it is a cover tune like this one or an original. You get the sense that it doesn't matter who or even if anyone is listening. There is an implicit devotion to honesty, economy, and simplicity that is admirable. His commitment to the music really shines through.

I don't know the guy, but he's an artist, and I like what he's got going on. It's not about perfection, it's about passion.

Michelangelo's Pieta

A passing reference in a book I am reading reminded me today of one of the most arresting works of art that I have ever seen, Michelangelo's Pieta. We saw it last April while in Italy, celebrating our 25th anniversary.

I have seen a lot of famous art in my life, and one of the blessings of our marriage is that Nancy and I both enjoy art museums and art history, as well as creating our own art.

Yet, nothing I had ever previously seen or read or thought I knew about Michelangelo and his legendary body of work prepared me for the exceeding beauty, the grandeur, the grace, and the power of this particular statue.

Located in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, the heart of the Roman Catholic Church, this statue of Jesus' battered and lifeless body, cradled in the arms of his mother, Mary, simply must be seen to be appreciated. It is one of the few works that commands one's complete rapt attention when in it's presence. This is, of course, due in part to the solemnity of the subject and also to the majesty of its representation, hewn from stone and meticulously polished by the hand of a supremely gifted artisan. Far more than a mere religious icon, which, in Rome, number in the millions and towards which I am relatively inurred, I was taken aback by the unexpected wave of emotion and introspection that this image inspired.

Completed by Michelangelo in 1499, there are several interesting things about this statue's design. It has been noted that some of the body proportions of the two figures are not "right, " strictly speaking, due to the inherent difficulty of portraying a fully grown man splayed limply across the lap of a woman. Much like a painter, the artist seemed to understand that adjustments needed to be made so that , from the perspective of the viewer some distance away, the image would appear perfectly normal and natural. The overall shape of the sculpture is pyramidic, with the thick folds of Mary's clothing largely creating the necessary mass to balance the image and support it's overall effect.

While the subject of the Savior's mother in grief at the death of her Son was by no means unique, Michelangelo's depiction of Mary differed significantly from those that had come before. The image of Mary is clearly that of the serene, young, teenage virgin mother, not the grief-stricken, mature, 45-ish woman that she certainly was at the time of Jesus' crucifixion. There are a number of theoretical explanations for this, but the one I find the most compelling posits that Michelangelo is intentionally bridging Christ's birth to His death in this single image. The young virgin mother sees in her arms the precious little newborn baby whose selfless life will eventually lead Him to the fulfillment of prophecy at Golgotha. At the same time, we who view this scene are actually seeing the grim future, which is at once the greatest of victories, draped in sorrow and loss.



This statue has an interesting history, too, a summary of which can be read here.

Finally, if you have never travelled abroad or are intimidated by the idea or cost of going to a faraway country, I encourage you to reconsider. It is far easier and much less expensive than most people think and the rewards are incalculable. It will change forever the way you look at the world.

Btw, the top pic is mine. The bottom one is shamelesly purloined from Wikipedia.
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Leadership

"NOT ONE MEMBER HAS READ THIS BILL!"

Do you think that our nation's leaders have any idea in what low regard they are beheld by those they govern?


UPDATE: The Democrats finally made the bill's language available around 11 p.m. Thursday, approximately 10 hours before members meet Friday to consider the bill and 38 hours short of the time promised Americans to review the bill.




That our leaders cheat on their taxes, lie with impunity, and twist both the letter and spirit of the law for the sake of personal power and material gain should not surprise us.

That we allow it is the greater crime. And yet, most of them will, I daresay, be reelected.


Yeah...change we can believe in.

Action Figure Museum

I have been driving through Paul's Valley, Oklahoma for years on our semi-annual trips back and forth from Texas. This is totally worth stopping for.



If you missed the Wired mag article and pics, check it out here.

Peanut Butter and Cabbage Sandwich

This is an exhilarating post by chef and author Michael Ruhlman. Check out this picture, taken by his wife (a superb photographer), then go read about it.



I want one now.