Build a Wall

I'm sadden by the insurmountable wall we've fixed in the conversation about abortion. Those on the right are not allowed to say this issue is complex because it involves the bodies and futures of real women in complex and difficult situations.

And those on the left are not allowed to give thought to what the smaller one in question might become if given enough air, water, and mac and cheese.

Frank Schaeffer sixth chapter of Sex, Mom, and God has some excellent thoughts on this phenomenon. (Including the rebuke to conservative Christians: "It takes two to start an all-consuming culture war.")

Let's class up the discussion, friends. Please.

Mister Bear

From my Tumblr.

Over a Black Guitar

"I don’t know exactly when I decided that this would be my life’s dedication; I don’t ever remember it having to be a decision. I knew from Johnny Cash—and Bob Dylan very quickly afterwards, with a thunderous clarity—that I had to live whatever life allowed me to dress like that—to wear pointy boots and glare out over a black guitar."

[From Image Journal's Conversation with Joe Henry.]

The Party

First, the original. A solid pop song about confidence, a commodity among youth made valuable because of it's scarcity.

 


 Now the poorly lip-read send up.

 


 Now the original again, so you remember the tune.

 


 Now Weird Al's critique of the espionage agencies.

 

Another Favorite Things Quiz

Favorite movie?


Today? Right this second? Somewhere in the ballpark of:


The Iron Giant
Casino Royale
The Incredibles
Casablanca
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Serenity


But with a dash of Terrence Malick or Krystof Kieslowski please.


(Are they diametrically opposed? Can the classically designed and the [for lack of a better word] art house cohabitate the same movie?)

Favorite drink?


Right now? (I should stop asking that.) A combination of:


San Pellegrino,
Beringer's Red Moscato
Cranberry Juice
Grapefruit Juice
Thornberry Hard Cider
annnnnnd
wanter
annnnnnd
Tazo's Lotus tea.


Don't literally combine these drinks. That would be gross.

Favorite city?


Portland, Oregon. You are welcome to invite me to your city to try to convince me otherwise.

Favorite store?


Right now... (I know; I'll stop after this)


Everyday Music.

Favorite food?


Pizza. I know. I have the pallet of a fifth grader. The runner up was hamburgers.

Favorite animal?


Frogs. And blue whales. And wolves. And panthers. And Siberian tigers.

Favorite word?


Love.

Favorite Restaurant?


Korean Twist food cart.

Favorite flower?


Poppies!

Three or at least two of your favorite colors? 


Green.

Favorite author? 


Mark Helprin, Fredrick Buechner.

Favorite book? 

Wow. I'm really in transition right now. All the old answers are coming to mind


Two books that are changing my heart:


Champagne For the Soul, and
Love Does.


Two books that I would kill if someone attacked (not necessarily that person, because I'm passive aggressive):


Winter's Tale, and
Gilead.

Favorite Dr. Seuss book?


I'm going to go with... How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

Favorite bible verse? 

Psalm 27:4

Favorite book of the bible?


I like Genesis.

Favorite Bible chapter/passage? 

Isaiah 61 is very nice.

And for the last question (inspired by one of my favorite shows, The Buried Life) What would you do before you died?


Well, apparently one of the things I would do is fill out this quiz.

You,

I feel so conflicted right now. Ungrateful. But not all the way. A little happy still. But I could be happier.

That's why I'm here, so I'll stop dancing. Cause I can do that all day, and I'm actually already tired of it.

That movie! I didn't know! I had heard about how good it was, but I didn't know. Thank you, Papa. That was a gift - as well as the time to watch it.

That girl. I worry a lot about her, don't I? Oh yeah, we resolved that thing yesterday. That was eye-opening. And beautiful. Thank you for how unusual that was. Thank you for the resolution and for her. The gentle beauty she brings into my life.

For the shoot last night! It fun to have created that clip. Fun to be behind the camera again. Fun to have it *look* good. Also so good to have Jeremy take over in the end.

I love you. I'm saying right now, cause I see there's more than one me, and I get to choose which one I'm giving voice to. I love you, and I'm so, so, so deeply grateful.

Thank you for all of this. Thank you.

Andrew

Blue Like Jazz

It's no slideshow with German subtitles, but it'll do.

Room 529 A Conversation With Wim Wenders from NW Film Center School of Film on Vimeo.

Held My Breath (Grateful Tuesdays #28)

For her hand it mine, mysterious, frightening, understanding, assuring. Love-bringing. True.

For waking with a smile, a sense of adventure.

For these tears.

For my companion; always leaving, always coming. I'm always lonely, always befriended. In, out. In, out. We move together. Except for when I forget how to see you, that you're there at all or that you even want to be seen.

Your thunder ravishes my being!

I ache for more!

To decide to live your needy life is to make myself very dependent on you. I'm embracing emptiness, on the off chance that you'll see fit to fill me.

For this sweater.

For a darkened room. For a teddy bear, and a blanket.

For all these images! The tiny digital squares yield and cry out. The shape of water, stone, of a woman's body cannot help but point to you.

For these new friends! First steps into a larger world...

For old friends, the hands you long ago flung around me.

For that envelope.

For getting to hold this crayon, your hand holding mine. For worlds! people! movements! that did not before exist! All these friends and echos of you surrounding me and coming from my hand.

Hold me so close. Come in so deep. I love you.

Andrew

To always grow is to always know growing pains.

To move forward is to always possibly go the wrong direction.

To make the hard call is to possibly set up for the hard apology.

Mmm... Yes please.