Idée d’jour

The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, "The children are now working as if I did not exist."
— Maria Montessori, educator (1870-1952)

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Today's quote is dedicated to Pam.

Movie Review: Babe, Pig in the City

In brief: don't bother

I rented "Pig in the City" on the basis of someone saying they preferred it to the first movie.  The person in question definitely does not have the same taste as me.

I often choose which movies I’d like to watch based on teasers and previews.  If I don’t like the teaser, which is supposedly been edited and produced to display the best qualities of a movie, then odds are good I won’t like the movie.  The teasers for "Pig in the City" made it look like an episode of "Lancelot Link".

I was 15 when Lancelot Link aired. It was a spy show spoof done with chimpanzees. I think I got through a few minutes of one episode before I dismissed it as a one-note gag. Sure, there were some puns and slapstick, but the main gag seemed to be in the chimps performing human functions. The same applies to this film; the only difference is in the number and variety of animal species involved.

The story here is even more thread-bare and unbelievable than the first movie. Babe flies to a generic American city (a combination of L.A., Seattle, and others) to save the farm. She ends up a dingy hotel which accepts animals (via the backdoor). Infinite complications ensue, which include an animal taking advantage of Babe's naivité.

The film includes a pair of slapstick set pieces. The second set piece not only feels long, but seems demeaning to the actress playing Mrs. Hogget. Much of the intended humor derives from her size and weight.

In conclusion: I'm sorry I rented this movie. Hopefully, the next film in my Netflix que will make up for it.

The Russian Agent

The Russian agent stepped out
from behind the blue sky curtain.
He held the gun firmly in his hand.
The oak wardrobe stood in the corner.

Downstairs, the guests were chatting.
The prime minister was already sleeping
in the library. Champagne
and triple-aged scotch.

Stars over the patio.
Horse-shaped hedges reared
in half-moon shadow.
The senator’s wife laugh
echoed across the yard.

The Russian agent heard fireworks.
The wife heard a shot.
The hedges heard a starting pistol.
Drinks were spilled.

The oak wardrobe stood in the corner.

Idée d’jour

Think sideways!
— Edward de Bono

Mowing Music

This is what I listened to on my iPod while mowing the lawn this morning:

• Suzy Thompson, "Mean Old Bed Bug Blues" and the title track from Adam and Eve Had the Blues
  I learned of Suzy Thompson through Sing Out! magazine. Her music seems very much in the tradition of the jug band revival of the early 60s. She's got a dynamite voice, and plays a mean fiddle
• Pink, "Dear Mr. President"
  I haven't heard any of Pink's music aside from this track, which I gather is unlike most of her style. Happily, this is a topical song with a shelf life of only a few more months.
• Gnarls Barkley, "Crazy"
  I learned of this track through Entertainment Weekly's "Down-load This" feature. It combines some rap and soul elements, hearkening back to the best of Marvin Gaye.
• The Shins, "Phantom Limb"
  Another song featured in EW's "Down-load This". The tune seems to echo elements of "Power Pop" as practiced by Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello back in the 80s.
• The Bird and The Bee, "I'm a Broken Heart"
  The arrangement owes much to the Beach Boys, circa "Pet Sounds". The happiness of the melody belies the melancholy of the theme: "I try to make the best at happiness / I'm a broken heart ... / My love is bleeding..."
• The Good, The Bad, and the Queen, "Kingdom of Doom"
  A pit of dark pop that reminds me of Costello, circa Armed Forces or Imperial Bedroom
• Borne, "The Guide"
  iTunes has a weekly free tune of the week. "Kingdom of Doom" was one, this is another. It reminds me a bit of Styx; it's not awful, but it isn't great either. I don't mind keeping it on my iPod - it's OK background for mowing. But I'm not interested in hearing more.
• Amy Winehouse, "Rehab"
  I've recommended Ms. Winehouse before. She's got a real good sense of 60s soul, right there with the Supremes. She might not be in Aretha's territory, but a couple of You Tube clips of her singing with just a guitar have convinced me she's the real deal. The production on this album is great, but she shines even without the production.
• Dar Williams, "The Christians and the Pagans"
  I forget where I read about this tune, but it sounded like fun. Dar Williams has gotten a lot of press, in places I respect, as an alt-folk artist. While the song is just as much fun as I thought it would be, Dar Williams is an acquired taste I don't yet have.
• Jonathan Byrd, "The Cocaine Kid"
  A talking blues that reminds me of Dylan in the "Freewheeling Days". The words and the rhymes role out of this guy at a furious pace.
• Johnny Proctor, "All Creatures of Our God & King"
  Another Beach Boys tribute. Mr. Proctor used multi-tracking to harmonize with himself ala "In My Room". A fun and sweet take on one of my favorite hymns.
• The Sevens, Pearl O' Shaughnessy's (et al, medley)
  I think this came from a Sing Out CD. Just a bouncy medley of Irish jigs
• Marvin Gaye, "What's Going On"
  Speaking of soul, Marvin is where it's at. It wouldn't be hard to draw a line from "Rehab" to this, but "What's Going On" has more in common with Barkley's "Crazy". Both songs have some interesting production values - e.g., the party chatter at the opening of "What's Going On", the strings in "Crazy". "What's Going On" is blatantly topical - it's almost impossible to listen to the lyrics without thinking of the late 60s - but it still holds up. You can enjoy it, in other words, without a history lesson. "Crazy" may not be topical in the same way, but it can lead one to reflect on the dichotomy of sane/crazy in new ways. It could be a love song, or it could be addressed more universally.

One day I might arrange these songs in a different order; there are times the play list is bit jarring. But I like all but one ("The Guide") almost equally. On the whole, it is a play list that is just plain fun.

Idée d’jour

Words may express it,
Words cannot hold it:
The way of letters leaves no trace,
Yet the teaching is revealed.
— Dogen

Ideé d’jour

Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?
— T. S. Eliot (1888-1965)

Ideé d’jour

I shall allow no man to belittle my soul by making me hate him.
— Booker T. Washington (1856-1915)

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Do I belittle my own soul when I say I hate B*sh? Does the person in question qualify as a "man"? Would Will Rogers have liked him?

Friday Five: Harry Potter

This week's magical theme suggested by Reverend Mother.

1. Which Harry Potter book is your favorite and why?
   Probably the first. This is not to disparage the remaining books in the series - and I have read all but the penultimate book (The Half-Blood Prince). The first book charmingly creates a world very much like our own, and thoroughly describes a more-or-less parallel magical universe. If this book had not done its job so well, the series would not be as popular.


2. Which character do you most resemble? Which character would you most like to get to know?
   On my bad days, I resemble Harry at his fussiest (see Order of the Phoenix), with none of his positive qualities. On my good days, I think I resemble Ron: a loyal friend who is slightly less adept than the hero.
      I'd like to visit with Ron or Hermoine. I admire Hermoine's sense of justice (see Chamber of Secrets).


3. How careful are you about spoilers?
   I'd rather not know what happens, but I'm not going to commit Avada Kedavra if someone makes a slip.
      Since I've taken my own sweet time about reading the series (I have yet to begin Half-Blood Prince) spoilers must be accepted as a fact of life. But, as the first option suggested, the journey is more important than particular points along the way. I've recently learned which charecter dies in Half-Blood Prince, for example, but I don't think it will spoil my enjoyment of the book.


4. Make one prediction/share one hope about book 7.
   The good guys will win, and the bad guys will lose. Ms. Rowling has said the series is primarily about death, and has announced that two major characters will die in the final book.
      It seems safe to assume that Lord Voldemort will be one of those two people. A number of people have persuasively argued that Harry Potter will be the other character to die.
      One of the dominant themes of folk tales and myth (no question that this is a type of modern folk tale) is that death is not the end. As a rule, even if the hero dies, his or her legacy continues in some manner.
      The series has not been overtly Christian, in the same way that C.S. Lewis' Narnia series is, yet it does evoke a morality that is, at least, consistent with orthodox Christian teaching. See, for example, see Reverend Mother's two sermons inspired by the series.
      So, while Harry may not resurrect (as Aslan does in LWW), he will conquer death in some fashion. 


5. Rowling has said she's not planning any prequels or sequels, but are there characters or storylines (past or future) that you would like to see pursued?
   Hagrid's history.

Idée d’jour

A flower falls, even though we love it; and a weed grows, even though we do not love it.
— Dogen

Idée d’jour

... we live in dark ages whenever we become preoccupied with power.
— Paraclete Press, in promotional material for Light in the Dark Ages by Jon M. Sweeney. The book is a "popular history" of the Middle Ages, with a focus on Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi.

If this definition be true, then we are currently living in a very dark age, indeed.

At the Movies

A correspondent recently asked what movies I've seen lately, and which ones I would recommend. With that in mind, I created the following table.

Dark Habits	Pedro Almodovar	No
Monster House	Gil Kenan	Rent
The Descent	Neil Marshall	No
3 Women	Robert Altman	NFAL
Bad Education	Pedro Almodovar	OK
United 93	Paul Greengrass	Rent
Orphic Trilogy Blood of a Poet Orpheus Testament of Orpheus	Jean Cocteau	NFAL
Into the Woods	Stephen Sondheim	Rent
Pan’s Labyrinth	Guillermo del Toro	Buy

This table lists nine movies, and one trilogy, that I have recently watched. They are, more or less, in inverse order of when I watched them. All were seen via Netflix, with the exception of Pan's Labyrinth, which I originally saw in the theater.

The rating system is fairly simple: No (don't bother), OK (neither great nor aweful), NFAL - "Not for all tastes" (I enjoyed it, but recognize the movie is not exactly commercial), Rent (definitely worth renting), and Buy (so good, you'll probably want the movie in your permanent library).

I hope to flesh out the reasons for my ratings over the next few weeks, as time permits.

I will say, by way of introduction, that watching Cocteau's Orpheus Trilogy gave me a new appreciation of the work of David Lynch, and may have prepared me for non-linear (or practically non-existent) narrative, as found in Altman's 3 Women.

Idée d’jour

The knife does not cut itself, the finger does not touch itself, the mind does not know itself, the eye does not see itself.
— Zen Saying

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This saying inspired the poem which appears immediately below.

I Am Not I

I am not I.
I am not my hazel eyes,
that change shade with the seasons.
I am not my thin hair.
I am not my gray beard.
I am not my thin mouth.

I am not that reflection.
I am not I.
I am not my voice.
I am not my thoughts.
I am not my desires.
I am not my nightmares.
I am not my dreams.

I do not see my eye.
I am not that twinkling eye.
I am not my shadow.
I am not the one you see,
or the one you think you see.
I am not I.

I am not the song.
I am not the singing.
I am not the slender fingers
on my guitar fretboard,
nor the fingers that
pluck each string.
I am not the harmonica moan.

I am not the prayer
or the pray-er.
I am not my breath.
I am not that distant figure.

The finger does not touch itself.
The eye cannot see itself.
I am not I.

Idée d’jour

What is to give light must endure burning.
— Viktor Frankl

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As a survivor of the Holocaust, Mr. Frankl perhaps had an accurate sense of what it means to "endure burning", and could count the cost.

Oakerhater VBS, Pt Two

The Oakerhater Vacation Bible School began in earnest on Wednesday. The theme this year was "Peace". This is the same theme chosen for our local church's VBS. It was chosen partly because two of our main leaders were also leaders of the local church VBS.

No question, giving young people some tools and guidelines for living in peace is important. Perhaps even more so in a small and economically depressed town like Watonga.

The curriculla was primarily designed by my friend Pam. Each day focused on a different Biblical story which illustrated a different form of peace or peace-seeking.

Pam began the time on Wednesday by asking the children to join her in some simple relaxation techniques. You can do one right now, while you read this blog entry.

First, breath in as deeply as you can. Then, breath out as slowly as you can.

If you're anything like me, or like the children at this VBS, you might have been tempted to make a sound as you breathed. There is something so satisfying and real about making a little "uhhhhh-uh" sound as you inhale, and a "whooooosh" as you exhale.

But you don't need those noises. Try it. Inhale as deeply as you can, without making a sound. Then exhale, also silently.

If you do this breathing exercise a few times in a row, you may find yourself feeling calmer – more peaceful – than you felt prior to the exercise.

Each day, Pam would tell a version of a Bible story which exemplified or illustrated peace. The story for Wednesday was the story of creation. Just the way Pam told the story helped me feel peaceful. The final day – the Sabbath, the day of rest – was also a gift; a day devoted to being peaceful.

The story on Thursday was the Parable of the Mustard Seed.

Quote d’jour

...I am not a Buddhist. And the Buddha would not have minded this in the least. He would have been happy to hear it. He was not, himself, a Buddhist. He was the thing itself: an enlightened being. Just as Jesus Christ was not a Christian, but a Christ, an enlightened being.
— Alice Walker, "Suffering Too Insignificant for the Majority to See", Shambhala Sun, May 2007, 55.

Extraordinary Event

Received via e-mail:
Something quite extraordinary happened at The White House [on Monday, June 25]. It was covered in the news, but barely. The lack of media attention doesn’t diminish the uniqueness of the occurrence however.

Yesterday, the 2007 Presidential Scholars were received and welcomed at the White House. It’s quite a remarkable collection of young adults. Each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico were represented by one male and one female high school senior selected for this honor. It would have been quite a brain trust assembled to be addressed by the President of the United States at the event. But that’s not what was extraordinary.

Although it was not officially part of the ceremony, one of the Presidential Scholars handed George W. Bush a letter. The letter was brief, to the point, and criticized our continued involvement in Bush’s needless war. The letter encouraged him to realize his policies were failing and bring an end to the quagmire he helped create. The letter was signed by the individual who presented it to Bush. The letter was also signed... by every single 2007 Presidential Scholar! George W. Bush paused to read the letter, set it aside, and went on with his pre-scripted speech.

The 2007 Presidential Scholars were there representing blue states and red states. We can only assume some were Democrats, some Independents, and certainly some Republicans. The 100% consensus of the entire group was detailed in the letter to the president. Perhaps it can have some impact in providing George W. Bush with a dose of reality outside of his bubble. If so, we’ll have a group of teenagers, a remarkable group of teenagers, to thank for it.

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Correction: according to this article, the letter requested that Guantanamo detainees be treated humanely.

Oakerhater Vacation Bible School, Pt One

Nine of us went to Watonga, in western Oklahoma, to offer a Vacation Bible School. Most of us arrived a little after 6 Tuesday evening. After checking in to our motel, we immediately went to the site where we were offering the VBS in order to get things set up.

A group from our church has been going to Watonga for the past seven years, I've been told, and this is the fourth year I've been involved.

We go to Watonga because it is where St. David Pendleton Oakerhater based his ministry to his fellow Native Americans in Oklahoma. This small town remains the home of our church's ministry to Native Americans.

We started setting things up between 6:30 and 7. People worked together very well, and were assertive about asking for help as needed. When it was suggested that we accomplish just one more task before we ate supper, I became assertive. My blood sugar was low, and protein and some carbs were required - stat!

We went out for pizza, which definitely balanced out my blood sugar. As we were eating, the restaurant's TV began running severe weather alerts for the area. A major system seemed to be moving towards us; in fact, we could see extremely black clouds through the restaurant's north-facing windows.

Most of us had finished eating by this point, and returned to the motel, which was just a short walk away.

I decided to sit on the hood of my car and watch the system as long as possible. As I was sitting there, a young man approached and started visiting with me.

The young man appeared to be of Native American heritage. He was in town, it turned out, for the wheat harvest. He was originally from Iowa, but now lives in northwestern Kansas. He follows the harvest circuit from Kansas through Oklahoma to Texas and back north to the Dakotas.

We watched the storm clouds to the north. I saw a lightning flash as we visited. The young man reported that the harvest in the Watonga area was not good - the rains had come too late.

He mentioned that he preferred his new home in Kansas to his home town in Iowa. When I asked him why, he said the people in Kansas seemed more down to earth. Then I asked him for an example.

He looked directly ahead, at the ever-darkening clouds. "It's like this," he said, "A couple years ago, I went back to spend Christmas with my family. My dad wanted me to attend Midnight Mass with him. I stopped having any use for church a long time ago, but I agreed to go, in order to please him."

The young man had dark hair that reached to the bottom of his collar. His muscles and upper body made clear he did hard manual labor for a living, but his clothes and appearance were clean.

"After the service, the preacher came up to me and chewed me out for being poorly dressed for the service. I told him, 'Look, I didn't come here for you. I came here to make my dad happy.' My dad was behind me; he was talking about me to all his friends. You could tell from his expression that he was proud of me.

"'See,' I said, 'I came here for him.'"

We had never exchanged names. I felt honored that he had shared this personal story with me. He didn't know I was in town for a church-related activity. He probably didn't notice the Episcopal shield – which includes a cross – on my rear window. He trusted me with his story. There was only one true response to the story:

"Good for you!"

Friday Five: Gifts and Talents

This week's theme suggested by Sally.

1. Personality tests; love them or hate them?
   I like them. Many on-line personality tests, such as "What poet are you", are pleasant pass-times, but reveal little of one's personality.
      I find the Jungian personality types helpful (introverted, judging, etc), and have taken various versions of the Meyers-Briggs. For it's worth, though, I can never remember all four of the letters.


2. Would you describe yourself as practical, creative, intellectual or a mixture?
   I would say creative and intellectual. Practical — not so much. Imagine if I found practical applications for my creative and intellectual abilities/talents! Imagine if I could be even a little organized in the use of these abilities! Might be in a different place. Speaking of which...


3. It is said that everyone has their 15 minutes of fame; have you had your yet? If so what was it, if not dream away what would you like it to be?
   I've been on local TV four times, and was a radio DJ for about five years.
      The first two times I was on local TV was as a child, on the Foreman Scotty Show (a kids' program).
       The next two times were on the news, in my guise as a musician. The first was a performance at the wedding of two of the survivors of the Edmond Post Office massacre. The other was as a musician at a peace march.
      I also directed a cable-access program, and appeared on it at least once.
      My radio work was on a local NPR-affiliate. I hosted and produced "Ambient Morning Music," which aired Saturday and Sunday mornings from 5 - 7. I also hosted jazz programing many evenings, and occasionally subbed on other locally-produced shows.


4. If you were given a 2 year sabatical ( oh the dream of it) to create something would it be music, literature, art.....something completely different...share your dream with us...
   Would you believe .... All of the above? I've become a great believer in "following my muse". Right now, my muse seems to be more related to music than art or writing. A month from now, it might be focused on photography (which I consider an art form). Let the spirit lead!


5. Describe a talent you would like to develop, but that seems completely beyond you.
   I am a serviceable guitarist, but there's much room for improvement. I keep hoping I can develop some serious "Finger-style" skills. The talent which seems to be beyond me is playing the piano.

Bonus question: Back to the church — what does every member ministry mean to you? Is it truly possible to encourage/ implement?
Although this is not a buzz term I've heard before, I suspect the meaning is similar to "the priesthood of all believers", the phrase sometimes used in my denomination.
   Historically, the congregation has looked to the people at the front of the church to serve multiple functions. These specially ordained people have been expected to be many things — administrator, theologian, counselor, cheer leader, etc. They are also expected to be all things to all people. So, the first hurdle to overcome is the notion that a person requires seminary training to minister. Special training may be required for parish adminstration (incidentally, only a recent addition to some seminary curricilla), or for counselling, but there's no reason lay people couldn't serve these functions.
   Next, ordained clergy must be willing to delegate and allow lay people to function with limited interference. I have often experienced a situation where a clergy person claims he or she supports lay ministry, and delegates responsibility to a person or group, then promptly reclaim control of the project. Lay people should be allowed to follow the course the Spirit leads them in, so long as it is not contrary to church teaching or polity. The ordained clergy may not always agree with the methods, or even the goals, but must allow the project to succeed or fail with limited interference. This seems to me to absolutely necessary for an effective lay ministry.
   Finally, everyone concerned must accept the reality that some in the congregation are simply uninterested in being ministers, or in being recognized as ministers. Some people come to church just to be fed, and have little interest in feeding others in any overt way. I think the reality is that these people may minister by their presence, and many minister through their financial contributions. I am mindful that Jesus appears as the person needing ministry, as well as the person serving as minister. In other words, accepting the help of others can be as much a "ministry" as offering that help.