Lent

I have to admit that whenever Lent came I usually missed it. This year I am actually going to be involved this year and do something. I will be giving up something for lent and I'll be going through the church fathers daily readings as prepared by The King Of Ohio. My plans for lent are:

• To eat no fast food or take out of any kind. Unless I go out to eat with someone I will only eat foods that I prepared myself. Nothing out of a can, box, etc. or any sort of carry out from buffets.
• I will get up at 6:00 AM every morning to do my readings.
• I'll spend more time in prayer and meditation.

Is anyone else doing anything? What are you giving up? If you are not participating why aren't you participating? Discuss.

RIP: Octavia Butler

When I heard Octavia Butler was coming to Philadelphia to give a reading I actually ditched spending time with my sister who was coming in from out of town to see her read. That might sound cold, but I knew I had all weekend to spend with her. While meeting Octavia Butler would be a once in a life time opportunity. I was one of the only white men in the small area where she was set up. None of us cared. We were there to celebrate a brilliant author, not just of science fiction stories, but of great literature. To hear her speak was to listen to brilliance itself which left you no wonder as to why she had gotten a Genius Grant. Thank you for your great stories Octavia. You'll be missed.

Here are the books I'd recommend:

• Lilith's Brood - A book collecting her 3 Xenogenisis novels.
• Blood Child: And Other Stories
• Kindred - this is the book to start with! Brilliant writing.
• Parable Of The Sower and Parable Of The Talents

Leave it to MTV the former Mecca of music videos to come up with a high quality program like Parental Control where well meaning parents (now referred to as the parents) over the person their son/daughter (now referred to as son/daughter) chose to date. The boyfriends are overly possessive jerks (now referred to as the jerk) with no future. The girlfriends are self-absorbed princesses (now referred to as princess) unable to pronounce any word over two syllables. In order to show their son/daughter there is more to life than the jerk/princess they are dating the parents interview several candidates (now referred to as the candidate) and each parent chooses one to go out on a blind date with the son/daughter by interviewing the candidates. For the guy candidates usually were asked about their future plans, were they ever in jail, or did they have any tattoos/piercing. The girl candidates they were asked what their favorite body part was and could they model it. Guess which parent asked that one? After the selection process the son/daughter goes out on the blind dates with the candidates while the jerk/princess sits at home with the parents watching everything happen. I admit I got a lot of pleasure watching the jerk/princess squirm while the son/daughter squeal with delight. The selection process is my favorite part of the show because it’s so embarrassing for the candidates who get denied. And jerk/princess responses are always the same, “I thought I could do better than you anyway” or “I was going to break up with you anyway” as a way of saving face. So much for leaving with dignity. One thing that struck me is how self-centered everyone on the show is. The jerk/princess and candidate (at least the guys) are in it for the competition. Get a group of guys with one girl alone in a room there’ll be more chest beating and grunting begin for a nature program. I seriously doubt they care less about this person they just want to win or keep their prize. The son/daughter is obviously looking for other options or they wouldn’t agree to be on the show. The parents are so desperate they to get their son/daughter away from what they consider to be a loser they are willing to subject their children to public humiliation. This is a reality show so the producers are doing everything in their power to paint everyone into the light they want them to be seen in. I doubt any of them actually sees the other for who they are. As I watch this show I want to ask the question my friends asked me whenever I started dating someone new, “Instead of asking what can this person do for you, do you ask how you can serve them?” The Apostle Paul says in Philippians 2:1-11 we are asked to follow the example of Christ by thinking of others more highly than ourselves. In other words, Jesus had the most reason to have everyone fall at his feet to do everything at his whim. Instead he served God and man to the point where he died on the cross an excruciating way to die. Imagine how the dynamics of the show would change if everyone asked themselves, “How can I serve this person?” Probably would be cancelled for lack of drama. No insults, no fights, and someone discovers that they may not be right for each other and are willing to sacrifice their happiness for someone else’s. Still I’ll watch routing the son/daughter will dump the jerk/princess for a far better candidate. What can I say? I’m a sucker for drama. There is another standard we can live by.

Cheney

I'm sorry, but this is funny. Hat tip to Black and Right for this one.

The Friday Gallery - Andrea Edwards

Andrea's work has the violent and pronounced brush strokes much like Van Gogh's work, only hers manage to keep that feminine quality to them, making her pictures have a softer quality. She mixes bright vibrant colors with much darker ones mixing the emotions like joy and sadness. They retain their beauty, their individuality. They aren't slave to modernism nor trapped by the confines of classics.

7 Things Tag

I thought I was safe from tagging until Bean Counter had to get me.

Seven things to do before I die:

1. To see everyone I know come to Christ.
2. Get ordained, which by the time I'm done will probably happen right before I die.
3. Finish writing that poetry collection which has been sitting in my drawer forever.
4. Stress less and actually learn to express my anger and disapointment.
5. Learn to play an instrument well.
6. Visit Ireland and a few other places.
7. See the Pogues and/or Shane Macgowan perform live.

Seven Things I cannot do:

1. Grow hair.
2. Eat certain vegetables.
3. Cross my eyes.
4. Express myself verbally as well as I do through writing (I'm not as charming in person).
5. Get a tan.
6. Cry, I don't know why, I can cry at movies, but not at what's going on in life.
7. Say no to people.

Seven things that attract me to my mate:

I don't have a mate so do I have to answer this?

• The Bible
• Collected Poems of Pablo Neruda
• Dubliners, James Joyce
• Collected Stories of Rudyard
• Collected Stories of Hemingway
• Collected Stories of Faulkner
• Collected Poems 0f William Carlos Williams

Really, it changes from week to week.

Seven things I say:

• Dude!
• Uh....
• Check it, check it, check it, this one time....
• Pffft, whatever
• You so suck!
• There's my special girl! or Yo dog, how's my home boy!?

Seven Movies I've loved:

• Station Agent
• Smoke
• LOTR
• Pieces of April
• Plan 9 From Outher Space

Seven People to Tag:

• Eddo
• The Queen of Australia
• The Princess of Australia
• The Poet Laureate of The Cubisphere
• Kristi
• Kpinion
• Todd

Happy Birthday Frankie

It is the Poet Lauriet of the Cubispheres Birthday today. She turns 21 today. Happy birthday sweety. Here are some of the more important happenings on this day of your birth.

• 1632 - Galileo's Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems is published.
• 1855 - The Pennsylvania State University is founded.
• 1904 - UK recognises the South Orkney Islands as part of Argentina, in 1908 claims them again.
• 1920 - In Emeryville, California, the first dog race track to employ an imitation rabbit opens.
• 1979 - Independence of Saint Lucia from the United Kingdom.

Important Births

• 1705 - Peter Artedi, Swedish naturalist (d. 1735)
• 1819 - James Russell Lowell, American poet and essayist (d. 1891)
• 1886 - Hugo Ball, German author and poet (d. 1927)
• 1918 - Robert Wadlow, tallest person in history (d. 1940)

They also have a place for famous deaths, but isn't that a bit morbid?

Jesus - The Teen Years

I am not offended by this poster, obviously this poster was someones vision of what Jesus Teenager years were like. At least he attempts to have a sense of transendence to the work, but Jesus seems so ordinary and common. A typical teenager. Was he? Was Jesus the playa this artist makes him out to be? Did he swagger? Did he ooze cool like Miles Davis or machismo like James Dean? Christ was a man just like any other, but I'd like to think he was a little more special than just the average teenager.

Hat tip to Monastic Mumblings.

2 Poems

I think this poem speaks for itself. I came across it in an old anthology of American poets I found at a used book sale back when I was in my first try college I think. It covers the colonial days to the present. The present being the 1960's. This book is an old friend that I too often neglect for his more modern grandchildren. I forget that I have so much to learn from grandpa and should sit by his side more often, but I ignore him to go play with much younger and more exciting people. So I shove him aside to wait for my return. And when I do finally give him attention he suprises me by having so much more life than I gave him credit for.


On A Squirrel Crossing the Road, In Autumn, In New England
Richard Eberhart
It is what he does not know,
Crossing the road under the elm trees,
About the mechanism of my car,
About the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
About Mozard, India, Arcturus,

That wins my praise. I engage
At once in whirling squirrel-praise.

He obeys the orders of nature
Without knowing them.
It is what he does not know
That makes him beautiful.
Such a knot of little purposeful nature!
I who can see him as he cannot see himself
Repose in the ignorance that is his blessing.

It is what man does not know of God
Composes the visible poem of the world.

. . . Just missed him!

And here is one that I wrote.

Out of Nothing (Atlantic City, NJ)
Homeless, but not sitting on my arse
Shaking a cup. – homeless man’s sign


Homeless, but under the stars I traveled
Through galaxies burning in excess.
Out of nothing I witnessed
The worlds design. Out of nothing voices
Said my music makes the sun rise.
I play my saxophone
So out of nothing when I harmonize
With the northern lights the song makes prone
All creation. Every movement an improvisation
On a theme. At least I’m not just sitting around.
I give the sun motivation
To shake his legs over the ground.
Out of uncreation,
I saw everything begin.

Dreams

Bean Counter had a post about dream jobs, etc. and I posted how I had in certain respects lived my dreams having been able to try a lot of different things in my career. Shortly thereafter the guy who is discipling me suggested that I don't totally give up on dreaming. So I asked the faithful cube heads to send me there thoughts on dreams. Here were there responses.

The Queen Of Australia

I dream of my wedding day being beautiful, of being a good wife to Jonathan in all the ways, for example his friend, love, support, comfort etc. I want to be that person (as well as children we have) he can't wait to get home to.

I dream of being a good mother, the kind of mother my daughter (and other children that God may bless us with) can come to me and talk about anything without being afraid of my reaction, to be a good support financially, educationally and in all the aspects. To teach her how to value herself, because I find that a lack with children today.

I dream of having a happy and close family through my marriage and to be a good example to others who think of heading down that track.

Since I will be living in a new country I hope to be succesful in my next career move and to have a job that I enjoy going to every day.

And I dream of making it all work out the best way possible!


The Lutheran Zephyr

I have several dreams. How does the verse go? "Your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions." (Joel 2:28). Perhaps I demistify my dreams at times by calling them "life goals," but the truth is that they remain dreams. A "goal" is too calculated, too cerebral - it is something you list in your Franklin Planner or among your New Year's Resolutions. But a dream is emotion, it is gut, it is one part subconscious and one part conscious. A dream is a vision, a hope, a yearning. And I have several.

I dream of catching a foul ball or home run at a baseball game (picking it up off the ground or stealing it from a little kid doesn't count)

I dream of sitting in a large studio in Hollywood and hearing my name followed by "Come on down! You're the next contestant on The Price is Right!"

I dream of having regular, wonderful, family routines, such as having french toast on Saturday mornings or saying prayers before going to bed. The most routine times of my childhood were church and the 1-hour drives to my father's house as a kid of divorce. Not quite idyllic, but it's all I had, and I hope and dream for more for my kids. (Note: I'm already living into this dream with my 2 year old)

I dream of peace in the Middle East and taking my daughter there one day

I dream of being passionately in love with my wife at age 93.

I dream of an authentic church

I dream of a life lived in service to and fellowship with the poor, the suffering, the neglected.

And I believe in unabashedly, unreservedly reaching for those dreams. As are faith, life and anything else good, dreams are a gift of God, a true calling, a blessing. Go after them, seize them, claim them, run towards them and run with them. Dreams are the stuff of life.

A Change Of Mind

UPDATE: Check out what she just made. I've never been anyone's inspiration before.




I try to get out and see what is going on in the world of art, music, theater, etc. in order to share what I find with people and open their eyes, hopefully, to something they had never experienced before. I consider art to be a spiritual act, a devotional to God through words, music, or visual art, a way to try and explain the things that we wrestle with. Whenever I hear someone tell me someone is trying to explain themselves, or try to shaie their feelings, I shudder. Can you shoot any lower? Most true artists I know do it not as a way to share their feelings, but as a compulsion, trying to wrestle the demons who followed them around their entire lives. Dare I say it is an indwelling of the Holy Spirit? How else can you explain the Psalms? Twisted Soda is one such artist. I was never one to go for collage art. It never appealed to me. I've changed my mind. Her work mixes media like I mix ingredients to make soup. At the time I may not understand it entirely, but I sure can enjoy the result. I'd like to thank her for giving me permission to post a few pieces of her work.

There are a few days left to send in your guest blogs for the assignment.

Game Killer

As a single guy it is hard enough to meet people. It doesn't help when there are Game Killers out there trying to keep you from getting to know someone. I can't tell you all the times when I've been out talking to someone only to have another person come in and steal your thunder.

While I was working in a cafe a young woman and I were talking about music or something and we shared alot of the same bands in common. In the middle of the conversation another guy butts in on the conversation and dominates it to the point where I could not even find out her name.

I'm curious to check out this show.

And to show I'm not a total humbug here are my favorite valentines posts from Burr In The Burgh, Kristi, Todd, Millinerd, and KPINION.

The Newest Cube Heads: A King, A Conservative, And A Dream

It is time for more additions to the Cubisphere. Mucking around like I do at work instead of working I come across some great sights from like minded people. Others were somehow related to other blogs I already read.

1. My Irrationalities - A kindred spirit. Another writer for me to talk shop with. She has a great looking sight and updates quite frequently. More ofthen than not she talks about writing, the craft, and her experiences in the field.
2. The Lutheran Zephyr - A Philly guy, woo hoo, finally one more person from my neck of the woods. It does happen once in a while I suppose. Having been raised Catholic I have a bit of a soft spot for liturgy. And this guy definately has a unique voice in the Lutheran Community.
3. Ancient And Future Catholic Musings - The Queen of Australia is going to be having her king soon. Intellectually stimulating without being too heady. He doesn't have a problem straying away from the intellectual path and having a few yucks in the process.
4. Southern Conservative - Is the hubby of Dorkside, and he gives new meaning to compassionate neo-con. A fun loving cat who loves the smell of mud huts (don't ask) and dancing in the rain.
5. My Path On This Thing Called Life - KrisT is to blogging, what Lisa Loeb is to music. Her posts are well thought out and have a gentle meditative quality to them. Everything she writes is well thought out and considered. She asks questions and tries to understand them, not just answer them.

Welcome to the world of the Cube Head with all the rights, priveleges, and sanctions attatched thereto.

Don't forget the deadline for the guest blog assignment is the 17th.

Sex

This was the week of the sex post. Where ever I turned there was another post on gender and sexuality. I am no exception. To make matters more interesting someone sent me a little test to tell whether you can pick out the female from the shemale. I'd comment some more, but I think I'll let the articles speak for themselves.

Is Millinerd a feminist?

Eddo speaks his mind.

And a college student takes on shallowness.

How You Life Your Life

You tend to deprive yourself of things you crave, for your own good.You're laid back and chill, but sometimes you care too much about what others think.You prefer a variety of friends and tend to change friends quickly.You tend to dream big, but you worry that your dreams aren't attainable.

How Do You Live Your Life?

update: I got it off the Blogthings sight, but cannot find it. Sorry, there was an error in the code. There are tons of great stuff there.

Guest Blog, update

If you are still interested in sending me a guest blog on the assignment of dreams I'll be accepting submissions up until next friday the 17th.

Picture Post

Instructions: Use the picture you like best from the first (no clicking around for 44 pages) page of the search results on Google Image.

1. The city and province of the town where you grew up, no quotation marks.

2. The town where you currently reside.

3. Your name, first and last, but no quotes.

4. Your grandmother's name.

5. Your favorite food.

6. Your favorite drink.

7. Your favorite smell.

8. Your favorite song.

Hat tip to Searching For Order....

I Am A Huge Nerd

I was not always the cool guy you have come to know and love. Back in the day I spent my weekends watching Doctor Who and playing Dungeons and dragons. My after school activities included marching band and drama club and made extra money working in a video store. I ran with a pretty hip crowd. As I got older a lot of things I enjoyed like comic books, punk music, and video games, which resulted in my becoming cool…. To 15 year olds. My peers still consider me a huge nerd. Over the years I tried to keep my interests on the down low. With the exception of a few sci-fi posters and my extensive library that can be written off as the guilty pleasures everyone enjoys. Over the past few months several roommates moved in chipping away at the outer shell of cool that I built around me to reveal the nerd beneath. My world of coolness is quickly unravelling. I am running a nerd half-way house of guys who all work in video game stores and who own:

1, 2

3, 4

5 video game systems!

a room with 2 computers

And the nail in the coffin....

...an x-box door matt!

So reluctantly come out of the closet as the huge nerd that I am. In fact, I feel like there is a huge weight that has come off my shoulders. This is how God made me and how I shall remain for the rest of my life. It ain't a bad thing.

And don't forget the guest blog assignment. I'm interested in your imput.

UPDATE:

To innaugurate my coming out as a nerd and because so many people hated the picture of me I'd like to introduce you to Ingus, the monkey nerd and my new picture. Enjoy. Hat tip to Lutherpunk for introducing me to the world of wierd monkeys.

Amen, Art and Faith

Granted this is about conservatives and art it can also be said about Christians and art.

Guest Blogger Assignment: Share Your Dreams

The guy who disciples me encouraged me to be realistic, but not stop dreaming. Interesting advice. Usually people tell you either to keep your head on straight or to shoot for the stars. Not a mixture of the two. Sometimes life can come upon us suddenly and take us in directions we never really planned. Look at the apostles. They were sitting around fishing when Jesus lead them down a path that they probably never expected. What are your view on dreams, following dreams, are your dreams, etc.?

Send all responses to cubicle.reverend@gmail.com

The 32 Year Old Virgin Responds To The 40 Year Old Virgin

I have finally gotten around to see this movie. I kept putting it off because I wasn't sure how they were going to treat Steve Carell's character. Was he going to be a decent human being or such a huge dork to make him a dateless wonder? Was the movie going entirely mock his decision at celebacy or give him credit for it? As a person in his 30's and still a virgin I hate to talk about it because it can easily become your identity. You become "The Virgin". To hollywoods credit they did an ok job on the subject. Once the cat came out of the bag Carell became so identified with the fact that he's a virgin that everyone around him felt it was their duty to try and help him. This happened to me with some people I have know, but not to the extreme in the movie. Yet he was the one who was most content and happy with his life than the guys who were getting some. Though the morality got a little muddied in the movie it pleased me that they treated the subject with some humor. His bumbling and stumbling with trying to date, how he reacts very candidly to the people around him how he doesn't have the problem, and ultimately his marriage to someone special. I enjoyed the movie, it was funny, and I can relate big time to Carell in the movie. Though I don't have all the action figures.

Ask Me Any Question: Part 2

Logan asked, What is the biggest flaw that you see in Christians Today? If you could be any famous person who would you be and why?

Disingenuosness. We do not open up to each other and really share what is going on in our lives. Whatever our struggles and fears are we tend to keep them to ourselves. And many christians I know struggle in silence and it's a shame. And I'd want to be William Carlos Williams an incredible poet who lived in NJ and was the father of modern 20th century. A great mind.

• Logan, I pass the same question back to you.

Kristi asked, Is there something that your parents did that you swore you would never do, and now you find yourself doing it? What is it?

Five words, "What is wrong with you?" my parents used to say that to me all the time and it iritated me. Now I find myself saying it all the time. Felt a tad demeaning, like there was something wrong with me.

• Kristi, what is the one thing someone could call you to really set you off?
  

Shenna asked, What was your most embarrassing moment in life?

This is something I have never, ever shared with people. There are a few who know and either they were there or some how found out by someone other than me. It isn't flattering because it was during a time of my life where I became so withdrawn that I was socially awkward. Never dated, had maybe one real friend, never really went out, etc. I met a woman and asked her out, she said ok, but was busy. I called her up again she said ok again, but was busy. This went on for some time until someone I know came to me and told me how she wasn't really interested and didn't want to hurt my feelings, but I was bothering her and didn't know what to do about it and wished I'd stop calling. It almost caused some problems. I couldn't understand why she didn't just tell me until letting it go on as long as it had. Fortunately it got settled. Haven't talked to her or seen her since. I literally never told anyone this, even people who ask I refuse to tell them. Fortunately I've come out of my shell since then.

• What was your most embarrasing moment?

Eddo asked, Why did you start blogging and how did you hear about it for the first time?

I first heard about it through Millinerd who was a friend from high school. His sister was in my class and we had our high school reunion and she told me about Matt's blog. So I started checking it out and seeing how you could really use it to spread information. I am a writer and thought it'd be a great way to get my writing out there and share about the things I enjoy and my faith.

• If you could have your dream job, what would it be?

TB Vick asked, If you could choose only one of these virtues to define who you are as a person, which one would you choose?Truthfulness, Faithfulness, Benevolence, or Nonmaleficence

I'd take Benevolence because it seems to have the qualities in the fruits of the spirit. Which are considered to be the highest virtues a christian can attain. They are all encompassing, because if you are benevolent wouldn't you be truthful and faithful as well? The first two are just aspects of benevolence.

• Since there are two T Vicks on this blog, do you think we should have a T Vick off to see who is the true T vick?

Natalie asked, If you met the 18yr-old version of yourself on the street and went out to coffee, what would you talk about?

I'd tell him to be patient, that it will get hard for a long while, but it will get better later on. To not be so scared or allow others opinions of him affect him so much. To not take his loved ones for granted for they won't be around forever. To seek God more honestly. To not take myself so seriously. And to start shaving my head at 18 instead of waiting until I was in my mid 20's.

• You are with the 35 year old version of yourself, what would you talk about?

David W asked, If you met Jesus in person what question would you ask him?

Did I waste my time on a lot of worthless crap? Am I even close to getting it right?

• If you could go back to any period of time in your life what would you change or not change and why?

Top 5 Friday: Characters That You Relate To

Ever find a character(s) in a book or movie which makes you think the writer was crawling around in your head when he wrote it? Or you feel like you know that person or wish you did? Here are some of my favorites.

1. Finbar McBride - The Station Agent - An outsider who wishes he could just blend in or not be seen as anything special. He wishes that people would realize that he is just an average, boring individual.
2. Darryl Karrigan - The Castle - He is the type of guy you want as your friend. He'll think the best of you even when your best isn't all that high on the ladder. He's the drinking buddy you want to have around when things aren't going so well for you. Rich or poor he sees everyone as a part of the family.
3. Auggie Wren - Smoke - Life didn't turn out for him as planned, but he still has an ear for those who need to let off a load. But isn't afraid to show that temper of his.
4. April - Pieces of April - My female alter ego. The child that didn't have the closest relationship with her parents, but ultimately grows to become a loving daughter.
5. Scout - To Kill A Mockingbird - Not happy with the trappings of society they tend to more confuse her and make her feel confined and trapped.

Ask Me Any Question

The deadline for asking me any question is coming up on 2/3/2006 so you still have time to send me your questions.

cubicle.reverend@gmail.com

Original Post

Part One