Primal Glory

Primal. That's how Tom describes the Channel Islands. I have to agree; his description is dead on. But, that's not surprising. Tom featured the islands in one of the shows in his Adventure Highway series, which aired on the Outdoor Life Network.

These beautiful islands are located just off the coast of California near Ventura. Tom says a lot of locals don't even know the islands are there. But hordes of sea lions barking on pebble beaches, pods of dolphins smoothly rolling through the water like waves and flocks of pelicans and gulls call these exquisite islands home. Mysterious caves dot the sides of cliffs, some accessible by sea, others looming high above. I took out Tom's kayak to explore. My first cave gulped in the sea with its wide mouth, but quickly narrowed into a small tunnel that left me wondering just how far it delved. Drifting into the second cave, I watched blue-green light bouncing and shimmering off the walls like magic stardust. The lapping of my paddle echoed beyond the bend and out of sight. I crept through the caverned halls decorated in sparkling diamonds and rounded the bend to see a burst of bright sunlight illuminating the turquoise sea. Yes, these islands are primal and glorious.

There were other kayakers who led me to a small channel formed by two big boulders jutting up from the ocean; fortresses for the pelicans and gulls. They showed me how to wait and time my strokes so that I could ride a gush of waves through the rocky water.

Tom and I spent the entire day out near those islands. As we picnicked on the boat I watched the brown-green kelp swaying gently just under the surface of the water. Of course, the day wasn't complete without catching a few waves. Well, Tom did anyway. We both suited up, but I simply struggled with learning how to paddle on a board and sit on it without losing my balance. Tom rode the waves, dodging rocks covered in spiky urchins. It was a little dangerous, but Tom was "stoked" after catching some "rad" rides.

By evening we were back in the harbor ready to grab some fresh fish for dinner. That night the sea slowly rocked me to sleep and the gulls cried the lullaby as I lied below deck in the cozy bowel of the boat.

Truth Among Lies?

The whirlwind of political bs that swarms tv, radio, emails, etc around election time always discourages me. It's hard figuring out who to trust. But it looks like the St. Petersburg Times is willing to call out the liars with their pants on fire...

St. Petersburg Times and CQ Launch PolitiFact.com

New site helps voters uncover the truth in presidential campaign

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Aug. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The St. Petersburg Times of Florida and Congressional Quarterly of Washington, D.C. -- two of America's most trusted, independent newsrooms -- are launching a unique Web site to help voters separate fact from falsehood in the claims made during the 2008 presidential campaign. The official launch date is Tuesday, Sept. 4th.

The site, called PolitiFact.com, features a "truth-o-meter" that scores the truthfulness of specific claims by the presidential candidates. New findings will be published every weekday, and sources will be listed for all to see.

"Each election year, citizens across the country suffer a barrage of campaign rhetoric and lament: 'just gimme the truth'," said Neil Brown, Executive Editor and Vice President of the St. Petersburg Times. "Now we'll have a site that separates fact from fiction."

Journalists and researchers from the Times and CQ will fact-check the accuracy of many speeches, TV ads, interviews and other campaign claims and communications.

PolitiFact is bolder than previous journalistic fact-checking efforts because the editors will make a call, declaring whether a claim is True, Mostly True, Half True, Barely True, or False. There is a special category for the most ridiculous claims called "Pants on Fire."

That may seem risky to many editors, but the independence and reputation for journalistic excellence of both the St. Petersburg Times and Congressional Quarterly make this ambitious effort possible.

"PolitiFact will offer readers the choice of quick scorecards or longer stories explaining the issues and rulings," said Mike Riley, senior vice president and editor of CQ Publications. "It will be driven by an extensive database that allows users to search for candidates' records of accuracy based on their names, issues, or the rulings of the 'truth-o-meter'."

PolitiFact journalists will also publish an "attack file" -- a home for fact-checking the attacks candidates make against each other. In a world of political bloggers and "independent" political action committees, attacks don't just come from the candidates themselves. So PolitiFact will also check out many of the claims that enter the public discourse via a talk show host, a blogger, or even a fictional character in a YouTube video.

PolitiFact's lead writer and editor is Bill Adair, Washington Bureau Chief of the Times. He will work under the direction of Times government/politics editor Scott Montgomery, himself a CQ veteran. Items will be researched and written by more than a dozen members of the award-winning staffs of the Times and CQ.

The Art of Underwear Squirming

This is just funny.

Video: Jockey Urges America To Stop Squirming

New interactive campaign engages consumers in the fight against uncomfortable underwear

KENOSHA, Wis., Aug. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Jockey International, Inc., launches a humorous new web site targeting a younger audience and drawing attention to the often taboo topic of uncomfortable underwear situations. StopSquirming.com showcases the comical and sometimes outrageous ways that men and women try to alleviate discomfort caused by ill-fitting underwear that shifts, bunches or rides up, while highlighting Jockey(R) undergarments as a solution that will put an end to squirming once and for all.

StopSquirming.com features videos of common squirms caused by uncomfortable undies, such as the "Bus Change" squirm which involves burrowing your hands into your front pockets pretending to dig for change while fixing underwear that is bunching or creeping. Site visitors can upload videos of their own signature squirms, view funny squirm videos posted by other participants and vote on their favorite squirms.

The launch of StopSquirming.com represents Jockey's first viral marketing campaign as the company seeks to generate buzz and build brand awareness with a new, younger consumer base. The campaign is part of a larger corporate initiative that includes marketing, branding and new product introductions designed to attract younger consumers to the brand.

"Through a funny and edgy approach, we hope to focus consumer attention on the issue of uncomfortable underwear and the solution provided by Jockey's superior fitting undergarments," said Tim Pitt, Vice President of Global Marketing and Advertising at Jockey International, Inc. "The campaign's interactive online format and highly amusing content allows Jockey to engage younger consumers in a more meaningful, relevant way."

In addition to uploading and viewing squirms, StopSquirming.com gives consumers the opportunity to protect their friends from embarrassing underwear situations by sending a "Grundy Grievance(TM)" email that alerts them to their underwear problem. Users can choose between three different wacky Grievance Counselors to deliver one of five tailored video messages about underwear offenses ranging from saggy skivvies to ugly undies.

Nice To Know It's Not Always About Prestige...

What's interesting is not that Texas A&M ranks number one, but that Washington Monthly says it doesn't let prestige influence its ranking. I like that. I'll definitely consider this guide when choosing where to go to grad school.

Washington Monthly Ranks Texas A&M Above Princeton in Annual College Rankings

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Washington Monthly magazine today releases its annual College Guide, designed as an alternative to U.S. News & World Report and similar guides. Texas A&M takes the number one spot among national universities on the Washington Monthly list, while Princeton, U.S. News's top-ranked school, comes in at 78.

UCLA and UC Berkeley place second and third respectively among national universities in the Washington Monthly rankings. Among liberal arts colleges, Presbyterian (SC), Smith (MA), and Wheaton (IL) take the top three spots respectively, far above their U.S. News rankings.

This year's guide also offers a first-of-its-kind list of America's Best Community Colleges, and reveals that these little-known two-year institutions actually offer more rigorous and successful teaching than do many four-year universities ranked in U.S. News' top tier.

The Washington Monthly's rankings come just weeks after sixty-one liberal arts college presidents announced that they will no longer participate in U.S. News's annual rankings because of what they charge is the magazine's flawed method for measuring academic excellence.

Unlike U.S. News' prestige-focused ranking system, the Washington Monthly rates individual schools based on their tangible contributions to the public interest: on the degree to which they recruit and graduate low-income students; produce PhDs and research; and encourage students to serve in ROTC, the Peace Corps and other service programs. While other guides ask, "what can colleges do for you?" The Washington Monthly asks, "what are colleges doing for the country?"

Looking for Video?

Lumerias.com searches include but are not limited to Youtube.

Video Search Engine Lumerias.com Goes Live

After Months of Development, a New Video Search-Engine Named Lumerias.com Opens its Doors

DUISBURG, Germany, August 9/PRNewswire/ -- The service offers a simple solution to search and navigate the rapidely growing amount of online video. The system behind Lumerias.com processes all major video formats, including WindowsMedia, QuickTime and the popular Flash Video format. This enables the seach engine's users to find videos from all kinds of sources and all major social video sites.

The growing variety of content on the internet pushes the search-engine market to evolve and specialize. Lumerias.com is a result of this development and focuses on video - with search results served on a simple interface that renders other services with tedious and cluttered pages obsolete.

Lumerias.com is not a meta search-engine, this means Lumerias.com is based purely on original technology developed specifically for the task of processing video data. The index is the result of continuous webcrawls and holds in its current phase over two million searchable videos.

Over the next months a number of innovations will improve the quality of search results. Lumerias.com's team is busy developing algorithms to automatically make sense of the indexed videos' image data and to transcribe their content. These techniques will then be put to use to further supplement the index which will hold over ten million videos in its next phase.

Speaking of Yahoo! Answers...

...check it out! It's a great forum for debate and discussion or for simply getting tips on things like how to keep brown sugar from hardening. Ask. Answer. Discover.

Virtually Bonkers (Pun Intended)

Okay. I'm a huge supporter of the internet, its value for information sharing and its capacity to make life more efficient. BUT, I think these benefits should be meant only to enhance reality, not replace it. I understand online communities. They enable people to connect with others throughout the world in a way that was never before possible. Yet, to have online events such as a "virtual water fight" has reached the point of absurdity. Don't people realize the inherent fun in a water fight is the hot summer day, the shocking coolness of a water balloon crashing over your steamy skin and the laughter of children lazily drifting through the muggy air?

Developing an online community for idea-sharing such as Yahoo! Answers: I get.

Developing an online community to replace your life with one lived in a chair in front of your desk: I don't get.

This is a developing topic I am interested in exploring further, but right now, I'm too busy living in the real world. In fact, I just got back from exploring the urban jungle off Lake Michigan (aka Chicago). I didn't just see the magnificent Chicago skyline from some pic or even a 3-D tour online. Instead, head up, back arched, I stared at the city's modern marvels looming above me in the flesh... and my own aspirations swelled, rising to meet these giants that live among the clouds.

Gaia Online Hosts World's Largest Virtual Water Fight

Millions of Gaians Participate in Gaia's First Summer Festival With Water Fights, Pool Parties and the First Gaia Online Trilogy Film

SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Gaia Online, the fastest growing online hangout for teens, today announced its first annual virtual Summer Festival. More than two million teens and their custom avatars will have the chance to participate in the world's largest virtual water balloon fight in addition to shooting squirt guns at each other, swimming in a new community pool, relaxing in the hot tub, and witnessing the first ever Gaia Online animated short film. Before school starts, this is a chance for teens to truly savor the last moments of summer in true Gaia fashion.

Gaia Online's hosting of the largest virtual water fight allows users to receive free water balloons through out the site simply by inviting their friends to join, participating in various games, and hanging out in the towns. Over 350,000 users have already been granted virtual water balloons in pre-festival activities. Gaians are actually able to take their water balloons, enter towns, and throw them at other users. In addition to this, they are able to engage in an intense and exciting water war between four of the cities in Gaia. First, users have the ability to decide which city they would like to ally with, and then receive points on behalf of their city by throwing water balloons at alternate enemy city members. Gaians who choose to participate in these exclusive events are constantly accumulating points towards receiving a special limited edition item that will only be released during this year's Summer Festival.

"We are so excited to launch the first Gaia Summer Festival as it gives our users a truly unique way to interact and enjoy the latest features that they had a huge part in implementing. We will be continuing to add virtual events like this in the future due to the overwhelming positive response from new and old members alike," Gaia CEO Craig Sherman said.

After taking part in the world's largest online water fight, users can visit Gaia's towns, where they can jump right into a swimming pool or stay warm in a hot tub. New Summer Festival emotes and toys range from traditional water guns and water balloons to the ability to pee in the pool and place candy bars in the pool as well. These options are available to Gaians in an effort to further enhance their interaction with other users.

Another Summer Festival addition to Gaia Online is the release of the first film in the Gaia Online Trilogy. Over the years, Gaia has introduced a number of fun and entertaining characters who have been shown and portrayed through a series of Gaia comics. This first film is viewable solely by Summer Festival participants and will continue to follow the lives of Gaia's characters with action scenes and moments never previously seen.

About Gaia Online

Founded in 2003, Gaia Online is the fastest-growing hangout on the web. Millions of teens come to Gaia every month to make friends, play games, watch movies in Gaia's virtual theaters, and participate in the world's most active online community. Gaia provides a fun, social environment that inspires individuality and creativity. With everything from art contests to discussion forums on poetry, politics, celebrities and more, to fully customizable profiles, digital characters and cars, Gaia is a place where teens can create their own space and express their individual style.

Kudos for Katrina Volunteers

Positive stories on television are still the exception to the rule, but I do think the focus on "good news" is expanding. Here's an example of the latest "good news" outlet:

Non-profit Launches TV Series to Tell Volunteer Stories of Post-Katrina Recovery

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Aug. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On August 29, 2007, TravelTelevision.org, a Montgomery County, Maryland-based non-profit corporation commemorates the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with the launch of a television series and a website, ProjectKatrinaVolunteers.net. The television series, airing on the Dish Network and public access channels around the country will share stories of volunteers who have devoted so much time and strength to rebuilding the disaster region. The website provides a unique forum in which volunteers can share their stories and encourage others to spend time rebuilding the Gulf Coast region through discussions, videos and photographs, and blogs written by volunteers.

After the sirens were quiet, and the insurance adjusters and news crews left the area, the devastation remained throughout New Orleans and vicinity. Many people across the United States asked themselves what they could do to help, and the answer came in the way of a decision to volunteer their vacation time and provide hands-on help wherever and however they were needed. This patchwork quilt of individuals and organizations has no central location or vehicle for debriefing, planning, and sharing their stories. Despite the lack of one centralized organization, groups, such as Habitat for Humanity, Common Ground, and KaBoom, have successfully drawn 600,000 volunteers to the Gulf Coast in the last two years. However, volunteer efforts are diminishing, but the need has not; volunteers will be needed to help rebuild for at least another decade. The goal of TravelTelevision.org's website and television series is to use the stories of those who have volunteered to encourage others to plan their vacations accordingly.

"We thought that there would be a need to discuss the experiences volunteers had in the Gulf Coast," explained project director Steve Friedman, "but we did not expect the range of emotion and passion that volunteers brought back from their trips." Sensing their wish to describe their experiences and call upon their fellow citizens to volunteer similarly, the website and television program were designed to meet the needs and objectives of the former and continuing volunteers, who have ranged from private citizens, faith and school groups, international tourists, and corporate officers. "The loudest message we've heard from the returning volunteers is that there is room for everyone, and everyone is welcome."

Online Videos by Veoh.com

So We're Draining Lakes Now...

Great Lakes Losing 2.5 Billion Gallons Per Day Due to Manmade Drain Hole Near Detroit

New Research Finds St. Clair River Draining Water from Lakes Huron, Michigan at Triple Rate Originally Thought

PARIS, ONTARIO, Canada, Aug. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two years after specialists first linked declining water levels in Lakes Michigan and Huron to U.S. and Canadian navigation dredging, riverbed mining and shoreline alteration projects near Port Huron and Sarnia, research released Tuesday finds that the river "drain hole" is sucking away triple the amount of water previously estimated--causing widespread ecological harm throughout the middle Great Lakes.

The updated findings released by the Georgian Bay Association (GBA) show that the drain hole in the St. Clair River is causing the Michigan-Huron system to hemorrhage 2.5 billion gallons of water a day--more than triple the 845 million gallons documented two years ago by a consulting firm studying the impact of the U.S. Army Corps's dredging in the river.

Those billions of gallons of lake water lost down the drain each day--more water than what's used by all Chicagoland households in a day--translate to rapidly declining water levels, which negatively affect water quality, boating, fishing, and commercial shipping.

"This new report reveals that the problem is far more serious than first thought and underscores the need to fix the problem immediately," said Mary Muter, local Georgian Baykeeper for the national Waterkeeper Alliance and Chair of GBA's Environment Committee. "The longer we wait for mitigation measures to be put in place, the worse it will get. It's time to stand up for the millions of boaters, shippers, anglers, property owners, and beach-goers who rely on these lakes and stop the water loss now. We can't afford to wait."

"The historic changes and dredging of the St. Clair River over the years has resulted in changes to the riverbed that has increased the amount of water going down the river, carrying more and more water out of Michigan and Huron, through the lower Lakes, and out to the ocean. This water is irreplaceable," explains Roger Gauthier, Lead Hydrologist for the Great Lakes Commission. "It has reached a point where the damage is profound. It is now threatening the hydrological integrity of the entire upper Lakes."

Since 1970, the drainage hole, which continues to grow larger, has resulted in an overall water level decline of nearly two feet, or 60 centimeters, in Lakes Michigan and Huron and Georgian Bay. If put together in one place, that two foot loss would be the size of a block of water one mile high and four miles long by four miles wide.

"We're seeing drastic sustained decline in the Michigan-Huron system at the same time that Lake Erie is rising," said Bill Bialkowski, the Engineer who conducted the new GBA research. "This is indicative of water loss independent of naturally occurring fluctuations or those due to global warming. Research is showing us that this is a persistent, unprecedented water loss."

These alarming findings come as the International Joint Commission (IJC) prepares to begin its Upper Great Lakes Study, which will examine the St. Clair drain hole and other possible causes to the water level crisis. The study has met with some criticism and controversy among advocates, as it is being led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Environment Canada, which are failing to acknowledge the danger of the situation.

IJC studies of this nature often take more than six years, which advocates and scientists insist is too long to wait. According to engineers, Lakes Huron and Michigan will lose another 12 centimeters, or about four inches, if the water loss is allowed to continue for more than five years.

"Water level deficits over the past two seasons have had major negative effects in the shipping industry," said William Hryb, general manager, Lakehead Shipping Company Limited. "Additional trips by vessels because of lighter payloads lead to higher production costs. This is an enormous economic burden few ship owners and operators can afford."

The new GBA research uses water level data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association's Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab that extends through February 2007--data that was not available when the original Baird Report was released. According to the original 2005 Baird Report, the rapid water loss is due to a number of factors, with bottom erosion of the St. Clair River being the major factor. Much of this erosion is a consequence of navigation dredging conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that took place in the river during the 1960s. The Corps designed structures to remediate anticipated adverse impacts of this dredging at that time, but the project was never completed.

Environmental warning signs including dried up wetlands, less fish spawning, and unusually shallow waterways have begun to surface in Lakes Huron and Michigan as well, leading many to fear for the overall health of the region. There are several factors that have converged to cause low water levels in the Middle Great Lakes, but the erosion in the St. Clair River stands out among these problems as a man-made issue that can be corrected fairly easily and within a relatively short timetable.

"Great Lakes water is far too precious to squander away through an increasing hole in the channel," said Joel Brammeier, associate director of the Alliance for the Great Lakes. "With lake levels nearing record lows, all hands on deck should be focused on plugging a gap we've known about for years."

La Llaga

There is rusty metal wall in Tijuana that not only marks the border between Mexico and the U.S., but visually defines the sharp division between the two countries. Large portions of that wall, on the Mexican side, are canvassed with crosses, coffins, memorials, even altars honoring those who have died by simply trying to cross it. Los Tijuaneses know the wall as La Llaga, or "the festering wound." And behind that wall, there is another. The other wall is taller, stronger, sterile. It is guarded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

One of our hosts, Fr. Tom, brought us to the border, to the walls. Walls that represent a horrifying amount of suffering and loss. As we simply drove by it, I couldn't help but feel oppressed by it, taunted by it. I wanted to cross it just because it's very presence was telling me not to. But I can cross it. Freely. And those that can't cross it... or those that must risk everything to cross it... have a real reason to try. They risk losing their lives... so they can have a chance at living.

When we visited that wall we saw names; names just like those honored on the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington D.C. And these weren't just the names of men. I also saw the names of women, children, infants. Yet, what's most disturbing... is this is a living memorial. More and more names belong on it each day. As we drove away from one part, we witnessed a group of Mexicans jumping over the wall in the very spot we were standing just minutes before. Seconds later they came scrambling back. But we were assured these men would have went for it if they had seen a real opportunity. Our group was baffled. Why there? Why risk it? It seems so secure.

Fr. Tom shared more of the realities of the border with us. I have some great audio but apparently blogger doesn't offer audio hosting. I am still trying to figure out how to get audio up on this site... and I'm getting frustrated because I really want to share his comments with you.

Listening to Fr. Tom speak, I become less hopeful, more disturbed. But then Donna Eisenbath, the leader of this trip, reminded us "that walls do come down. The Berlin Wall did."

30 Minutes to a New, But Somewhat Familiar World

Thirty minutes. That's about how long it takes to get from the border of the U.S. to Tijuana. That's how long it takes to suddenly find yourself in the midst of a Feed the Children commercial. You know, those commercials that feature mangy children, dirt streaked across their faces, swollen bellies. The poverty of Tijuana was evident immediately. As we rounded the corner to the street of the oblates' house where we would be staying, I glimpsed a mother watching her pequeño muchacho, clothed in a just a t-shirt and diaper, rummaging through the trash.

But when I looked again, and really looked instead of merely glancing, I found the beauty of Tijuana to be just as evident as its poverty. I wandered around the grounds inside the gates of the oblates' house and found treasure after treasure. And as I wandered, I overheard one of our hosts, Fr. Salvador Gonzalez (endearingly known as Chava), inform us that our neighborhood is considered middle-class, “When I first moved here, this neighborhood didn’t have electricity,” he explained. “Now they have electricity.”

Tijuana is just hills and valleys and every inch of ground is covered with houses. Some are sturdy, others are just shacks thrown together for some sort of shelter. Some are more impressive than most houses of affluence in the U.S. And those can be found amidst a cluster of shacks. I gaze up at the hills, where it seems houses and shacks are practically built one upon the other, and I can’t help thinking one big downpour could easily wash away everything these people own. A sentiment most of those in my group share. Their wealth, or lack there of, seems to be at the utmost mercy of the weather.

There is so much to tell. So much that I've seen and learned in just two and a half days. My days are full. What time I can spare, I share with the muchachos; the kids who already greet me with hugs so full of love and excitement that they match those of my sister, Serena.

We must carefully watch the amount of water we use. We are advised not to flush any toilet paper. The cost of draining septic tanks, something I have never even thought about until now, is a large expense for the residents of Tijuana. The city is growing rapidly, at times entire neighborhoods popping up literally overnight. The city's water system cannot support this rampant growth, so all drinkable water is shipped in from outside sources. No one drinks the tap water here.

The first night I spotted some ninos playing futbol (aka soccer). Of course, I had to go join them. And for my simple interest in playing futbol with the muchachos, I am now rewarded with big, warm hugs every time I step outside or return to the house. Those pictured with me are Adrian, Lupita and Toni. Adrian is so sweet and lovable. Lupita has a contagious laugh. Pequena Toni simply stares at us all with a huge grin, darting into our games every so often and darting back out just as quickly.

But that is just one stitch in the tapestry of life here. Forgive me for using such a cliche, but I'm tired and don't have the energy to be creative with my writing right now.

I can't wait to share more about our work at the oblates' Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe, hearing testimony from Mother Antonia - the mother of the prisoners, serving food at the Missionaires of Charity soup kitchen - where I also clipped an old man's fingernails, munching on street-side tacos... and more.

Roosters crow at three in the morning... but their calls merely work seamlessly into my dreams.

Speaking of... time for me to go dream.

Filmmaking

Films are dominating my consciousness right now. Before my oh-so-profound revelation with the story of A Little Princess, I had spent my entire ride home from Columbia two days prior gushing with a friend about the desires we share in making documentaries. Then, when I got home I spotted the Get Out publication on the counter. A few seconds of flipping through it revealed that as part of a showcase of local filmmakers, there would be free seminars with various successful filmmakers tackling just about every issue of the biz. My afore-mentioned friend and I took advantage of the opportunity and went. Heard some great things. One filmmaker I particularly related to. Aj Schnack is a Mizzou broadcast journalism alum just like me. And just like me, by the time he graduated, he knew he didn't want to do the local tv... just like me. So he bounced around trying to figure out where he fit in the media medium... just like I am now. Unlike me, he now has a largely-acclaimed docu out "Kurt Cobain: About a Boy." I spoke with Aj briefly after his seminar. He invited my friend and I to go out for some drinks with him and the rest of the filmmakers if we planned on being around after the showing of his film tomorrow night (technically it's tomorrow right now). Needless to say, I'm not passing this up... even though I have to be at the airport at 7:30 in the a.m. for the real tomorrow. Hopefully I'll get some last minute tips before I go shoot in Mexico. So many exciting things going on!

Fairy Tales and Romance

"Take my heart, take my heart..." The sweet words drift on the sweet sound of a child-princess's voice at the end of the movie, A Little Princess. From an early age, that movie spoke to my heart... and I had forgotten about the little treasure of a film years ago... until I just recently stumbled upon it in our movie cubbord at the home where I grew up. Of course, next chance I got, I had to pop the film in the old VCR. And, just as before, the film provoked a strong wave of emotions to swell up inside me. Yes, ALittle Princess actually makes me cry. What am I crying for?

For me, the film grasps at longings lodged deep in my heart, and, I believe, in all of our hearts. Longings for love... innocence... generosity without restraints... magic... a return to grandness. Longings that are ignored, or worse, forgotten.

John Eldredge's book The Sacred Romance elaborates on that longing for a return to grandness in particular:

"Yes, we are not what we were meant to be, and we know it... We sense that our real self is ruined, and we fear to be seen. But think for a moment [of]... ancient sites like the Parthenon, the Colosseum, and the Pyramids. Though ravaged by time, the elements, and vandals through the ages, mere shadows of their former glory, these ruins still awe and inspire. Though fallen, their glory cannot be fully extinguished. There is something at once sad and grand about them. And such we are... 'glorious ruins.'"

Eldredge also speaks of our forgetfullness of such glorious quality:

"The fact that we don't see our own glory is part of the tragedy of the Fall; a sort of spiritual amnesia has taken all of us."

An amnesia that Eldredge explains is further compounded by modern culture. He constrasts the Middle Ages with the current Post-Modern Era. Speaking first of living in anno domini, the year of our Lord:

"It wasn't football season, it was Advent. Your role models were the saints, whose feast days were regular reminders of a drama greater than yourself. The architecture of the cathedral, the music, literature, and sculpture all gave you a vision of transcendence, reminding you of the central elements of that great story. Even the everyday language reflected the Christian understanding of life's story, expressions like "God be with you," "upon my soul," and "by Christ's blood." Birht and death, love and loss - all of your personal experiences would be shaped by that larger story.

But you don't live in the Middle Ages, you live in the Post-modern Era. For hundreds of years our culture has been losing its story."

That essence, that ruined essence - ruined but not "fully extinguished" - is the precise essence that called to me when I first watched A Little Princess in my younger childhood. And Eldredge points out that sacred essence continually calls to us through a romance, a Sacred Romance. A romance that is evident "in the golden fall of the Rockies and in the windswept sea grasses and whitecaps of bay and ocean on the Atlantic; in a quiet moment of sunlight orchestrated into parallel rays of warmth on my shoulder as I read a good book; in the eyes of certain women and the strength of certain men; in the joy of my five-year-old son turning cartwheels during a soccer game, oblivious to the demands of winning; and in rare occurrences of kindness, courage, and sacrifice by men and women [known and unknown]... Someone or something has romanced us from the beginning with creek-side singers and pastel sunsets, with the austere majesty of snowcapped mountains and the poignant flames of autumn colors telling us of something - or someone- leaving, with a promise to return. These things can, in an ungaurded moment, bring us to our knees with longing for this something or someone who is lost."

Things like the scene in the A Little Princess where the girl, who went from riches to rags and is holed up in a cold, damp attic... dances in circles with arms thrown up in the gust of snow-frosted wind that abruptly throws open the doors to her musty room. A Little Princess brings me to my knees everytime. As I child, I didn't recognize why I was on my knees. I just simply knew that the film stirred something in me that hurt and felt glorious all at once. Eldredge eloquently explains the extent of my understanding then:

"We find ourselves in a story that is sometimes wonderful, sometimes awful, often a confusing mixture of both, and we haven't the slightest clue how to make sense of it all..."

And though in college I had long forgotten the film, I hadn't forgotten about that deep emotion that can bring you to your knees. Though I can't remember what affecting series of experiences preceded it, I once wrote: "Whether it is a shiver of sadness, horror, or excitement, I know I have found something remarkable when I feel it." What I didn't know was that something remarkable was the Sacred Romance. Those "shivers" of poignant emotion moments when I'm feeling the Sacred Romance.

And Eldredge writes, the Sacred Romance is a part of the grandest fairy tale of them all:

"Frederick Buechner reminds us in his wonderful book Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy and Fairy Tale, the world of the gospel is the world of fairy tale, with one notable exception:

'It is a world of magic and mystery, of deep darkness and flickering starlight. It is a world whree terrible things happen and wonderful things too. It is a world where goodness is pitted against evil, love against hate, order against chaos, in a great struggle where often it is hard to be sure who belongs to which side because appearances are endlessly deceptive. Yet for all its confusion and wildness, it is a world where the battle goes ultimately to the good, who live happily ever after, and where in the long run everybody, good and evil alike, becomes known by his true name... That is the fairy tale of the Gospel, with, of course, one crucial difference from all other fairy tales, which is that the claim made for it is that it is true, that it not only happened once upon a time but has kept happening ever since and is happening still.'"

How logical it is then, that a fairy tale, A Little Princess, should speak to my heart. What's even more amusing is the fairy tale itself relies on fairy tales to bring its characters through terrible hardship, loss and longing. That very structure in A Little Princess, telling fairy tales to speak of a living fairy tale, is simply modeled after the a book I had grown up with, but have not given nearly enough attention to: the Bible.

Eldredge points out that Elie Wiesel recognized that quality of the Bible and about the role of humanity when he wrote: "God created man because he loves stories."

And as Buechner says, we are a living fary tale. The best news? We've met our prince charming... and it's just a matter of time before our reunion with him and our restoration to the glory we were meant for.

Adventure in the Kitchen

I just wanted to share that two nights ago I was up until two in the morning stuffing rigatoni noodles with ground chicken and herbs. It was fun cooking with my temp roomie and a friend though!

A Simple Compliment...

...can go a long way. One of the latest people to step into my life and enrich it offered me this compliment:

"you are truly a warrior goddess"

I like that description.

Tell It Like It Is

Say it say it say it Tell it like it is
Say it say it say it Tell it like it is

What breaks your heart
What keeps you awake at night
What makes you want to breakdown and cry

But say you'll never turn your back
Say you'll never harden to the world
Say you'll never try to still the rhythms in your breast
Say you'll never look at the evil among us and try to forget
Say you'll tell it like it is

Say it say it say it
So everyone can hear
Say it say it say it tell it like it is

What breaks your hear
What keeps you awake at night
How your anger and grief
Make you want to cry out
And tell it like it is

But say you'll never close your eyes
Or pretend that it's a rosy world
Say you'll never try to paint
What is rotten with a sugarcoat
Say you'll talk about the horrors you've seen and the torment you know
And tell it like it is

Say it say it say it
So no one can forget
Say it say it say it Tell it like it is

What breaks your heart
What keeps you awake at night
What makes you want to break the ties that silence and bind
And tell it like it is

Say you'll never cover your ears and close your mouth
And live in a silent world
Say you'll only run as far or as fast as you need to be secure
Say that then you'll tell the truth
When a lie could cross your lips
And tell it like it is

Say it say it say it, Say it say it say it
Say it say it say it, Say it say it say it
Say it say it say it, Say it say it say it
Say it say it say it, Say it say it say it

~Tracy Chapman

The Promise

If you wait for me
then I'll come for you
Although I've traveled far
I always hold a place for you in my heart

If you think of me
If you miss me once in awhile
Then I'll return to you
I'll return and fill that space in your heart

Remembering
Your touch
Your kiss
Your warm embrace
I'll find my way back to you
If you'll be waiting

If you dream of me
L like I dream of you
In a place that's warm and dark
In a place where I can feel the beating of your heart

Remembering
Your touch
Your kiss
Your warm embrace
I'll find my way back to you
If you'll be waiting

I've longed for you
A and I have desired
To see your face your smile
To be with you wherever you are

Remembering
Your touch
Your kiss
Your warm embrace
I'll find my way back to you
Please say you'll be waiting

Together again
It would feel so good to be
In your arms
Where all my journeys end
If you can make a promise
If it's one that you can keep
I vow to come for you
If you wait for me

And say you'll hold
A place for me
I in your heart.

Across the Universe

Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup,
They slither while they pass they slip away across the universe.
Pools of sorrow, waves of joy are drifting through my open mind,
Possessing and caressing me.
Jai guru deva om.

Nothing's gonna change my world,
Nothing's gonna change my world,
Nothing's gonna change my world,
Nothing's gonna change my world.

Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes,
and call me on and on across the universe.
Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letter box,
They stumble blindly as they make their way across the universe.
Jai guru deva om.

Nothing's gonna change my world,
Nothing's gonna change my world,
Nothing's gonna change my world,
Nothing's gonna change my world.

Sounds of laughter shades of love are ringing through my open mind,
Inciting and inviting me.
Limitless undying love which shines around me like a million suns,
It calls me on and on across the universe.
Jai guru deva om.

Nothing's gonna change my world (8X)


Jai guru deva,
Jai guru deva,
Jai guru deva,
Jai guru deva...

Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk

cigarettes and chocolate milk
these are just a couple of my cravings
everything it seems i like's a little bit stronger
a little bit thicker
a little bit harmful for me

if i should buy jellybeans
have to eat them all in just one sitting
everything it seems i like's a little bit sweeter
a little bit fatter
a little bit harmful for me

and then there's those other things
which for several reasons we won't mention
everything about them is a little bit stranger
a little bit harder
a little bit deadly

it isn't very smart
tends to make one part so broken-hearted

sitting here remembering me
always been a shoe made for the city
go ahead, accuse me of just singing about places
with scrappy boys faces
have general run of the town
playing with prodigal songs
takes a lot of sentimental valiums
can't expect the world to be your raggedy andy
while running on empty
you little old doll with a frown

you got to keep in the game
maintaining mystique while facing forward
i suggest a reading of 'a lesson in tightropes'
or 'surfing your high hopes' or 'adios kansas'

it isn't very smart
tends to make one part so broken-hearted

still there's not a show on my back
holes or a friendly intervention
i'm just a little bit heiress, a little bit irish
a little bit tower of pisa whenever i see you
so please be kind if i'm a mess
cigarettes and chocolate milk

Change

If you knew that you would die today,
Saw the face of God and love,
Would you change?
Would you change?

If you knew that love can break your heart
When you're down so low you cannot fall
Would you change?
Would you change?

How bad, how good does it need to get?
How many losses? How much regret?
What chain reaction would cause an effect?
Makes you turn around,
Makes you try to explain,
Makes you forgive and forget,
Makes you change?
Makes you change?

If you knew that you would be alone,
Knowing right, being wrong,
Would you change?
Would you change?

If you knew that you would find a truth
That brings up pain that can't be soothed
Would you change?
Would you change?

How bad, how good does it need to get?
How many losses? How much regret?
What chain reaction would cause an effect?
Makes you turn around,
Makes you try to explain,
Makes you forgive and forget,
Makes you change?
Makes you change?

Are you so upright you can't be bent?
If it comes to blows are you so sure you won't be crawling?
If not for the good, why risk falling?
Why risk falling?

If everything you think you know,
Makes your life unbearable,
Would you change?
Would you change?

If you'd broken every rule and vow,
And hard times come to bring you down,
Would you change?
Would you change?

If you knew that you would die today,
If you saw the face of God and love,
Would you change?
Would you change?
Would you change?
Would you change?

If you saw the face of God and love
If you saw the face of God and love
Would you change?
Would you change?

Mystery of Love

The city gates at twilight
And a red ship sinking
Behind winters grey wall
Ice in the wind
But a fire in the embers
Of my heart
As darkness falls
In a candlelit room
Where your eyes are laughing
Smoking in the red chair
And nothing in the world
'cept the beating of my heart
Against the nerves of the air
And I know there's a light
At the end of a the tunnel
Cos I taste it on your lips
And I feel a weight
That can bend me double
You lift it with your fingertips
So often it happens
That words prove useless
In the face of how it feels
So it as the mystery of love
Keeps growing
The more my heart reveals
Temptations endless whispers
Try to keep it in perspective
So much to distract
Walking on a wire
While your juggling desire
It�s all part of this balancing act
And it gets hard to know
Just what you believe
As the argument rages on
But for all of the talk
Its only true to say
That if you have no hope
There is none
A tangle of tongues
Flesh flowers and thistles
Of conscience, spittle and skin
We can't change the past
So we'll raise this cup to our lips
And drink it all in
And meantime back in civilisation
The rain is cold as steel
But the mystery of love
It just keeps growing
The more my heart reveals
As sure as the rose
The bright day blooms
As surely still it fades
And the night kindles stars
On empty winds
And ghosts along the collonades
And slow but sure
The sands are falling
As the bridge burns
Beneath the wheel
And the mystery of love
It just keeps growing
The more my heart reveals
The more my heart reveals

~ David Gray

Everything

You're a falling star, You're the get away car.
You're the line in the sand when I go too far.
You're the swimming pool, on an August day.
And you're the perfect thing to say.

And you play you're coy, but it's kinda cute.
Ah, When you smile at me you know exactly what you do.
Baby don't pretend, that you don't know it's true.
Cause you can see it when I look at you.

[Chorus:]
And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, You make me sing.
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.

You're a carousel, you're a wishing well,
And you light me up, when you ring my bell.
You're a mystery, you're from outer space,
You're every minute of my everyday.

And I can't believe, that I'm your man,
And I get to kiss you baby just because I can.
Whatever comes our way, ah we'll see it through,
And you know that's what our love can do.

[Chorus:]
And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, You make me sing
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.

So, La, La, La, La, La, La, La
So, La, La, La, La, La, La, La

[Chorus:]
And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, You make me sing.
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.
You're every song, and I sing along.
'Cause you're my everything.
Yeah, yeah

So, La, La, La, La, La, La, La
So, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La

~Michael Buble

All Good Things

Honestly what will become of me
don't like reality
It's way too clear to me
But really life is daily
We are what we don't see
Missed everything daydreaming

[Chorus]
Flames to dust
Lovers to friends
Why do all good things come to an end
Flames to dust
Lovers to friends
Why do all good things come to an end
come to an end come to an
Why do all good things come to end?
come to an end come to an
Why do all good things come to an end?

Traveling I only stop at exits
Wondering if I'll stay
Young and restless
Living this way I stress less
I want to pull away when the dream dies
The pain sets in and I don't cry
I only feel gravity and I wonder why

Flames to dust
Lovers to friends
Why do all good things come to an end
Flames to dust
Lovers to friends
Why do all good things come to an end
come to an end come to an
Why do all good things come to end?
come to an end come to an
Why do all good things come to an end?

Well the dogs were whistling a new tune
Barking at the new moon
Hoping it would come soon so that they could
Dogs were whistling a new tune
Barking at the new moon
Hoping it would come soon so that they could
Die die die die die

Flames to dust
Lovers to friends
Why do all good things come to an end
Flames to dust
Lovers to friends
Why do all good things come to an end
come to an end come to an
Why do all good things come to end?
come to an end come to an
Why do all good things come to an end?

Well the dogs were barking at a new moon
Whistling a new tune
Hoping it would come soon
And the sun was wondering if it should stay away for a day til the feeling went away
And the sky was falling on the clouds were dropping and
the rain forgot how to bring salvation
the dogs were barking at the new moon
Whistling a new tune
Hoping it would come soon so that they could die.

~Nelly Furtado

thank God

thank God for the look
that spoke of a momentous connection

thank God for the words
that sung of a momentous affection

thank God for the hearts
that drove a momentous intersection

thank God for the desire
that birthed a momentous erection

thank God for the love
that dreamed of a momentous perfection

thank God for the morals
that invoked a momentous reflection

thank God for the faith
that begged for a momentous ressurection

thank God for its paramount inception
thank God for its exquisitly alluring tide
thank God for its critical consumation
thank God for all of it

Five

Five deep breaths
tight, sharp pain in my chest
I don't want it to end
But to continue means to embrace the worst End
and forsake my Saviour

Five soft touches
and I'm within his clutches
I have known no sweeter caress
Only in my dreams will I again find such caress
I cannot forsake my Saviour

Five hungry kisses
that turn to bittersweet reminisces
a forbidden taste of forbidden fruit
We are the Adam and the Eve that ate of this fruit
and I forsake my Saviour

Five fateful infidelities
We say it's love's complexities
But no, love should be pure
And there is too much filth with this love so pure
and I beseech my Saviour