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Dear Vox,
So while I had great hopes for our "Brain Candy" blog, its life never really took off. I was passionate for a while: your fancy colors, large neighborhood and cool ability to conect me with music, books and movies in a single click. But blogelationships can't be build on flash alone, we must actually have some people who read us. So I am sorry, i think it would be best if we parted ways, at least for a while.
Don't cry, it's not you, it's me. Another blog, no, of course not, I would NEVER do that to you ;-|.
So . . . I must listen to my heart and move on, well sorta. I guess, what I really want is a break, a chance for us to see other blogs and bloggers, to grow. And who knows, maybe someday if the blog-gods wish it to be, we will meet up again and be reunited. Until then . . . farewell.
If this has hit you of guard, I am sorry, I am a dawg. Just know it is nothing personal and I still love you, just not THAT way.
If we can still be friends, I would invite you over to:
- www.reyes-chow.com - Where I usually blog;
- www.yelp.com - Where I review stuff;
- www.claimid.com - Where my eIdentity is kept;
Bruce
To set the context, I then didn't even give it my full attention. With three kids and a ton of work I actually started it in thinking that I could work in one room and keep an ear and eye open on the other . . . BOBO multitasking at its finest.
Some random thoughts . . .
- GO ASIAN-AMERICAN film people: directors, actors and viewers. No matter what people say or how secure I am in who I am it is ALWAYS great to see Asian-Am faces on screen. Maybe I secretly want to be a rock-star, but whatever the reason . . .
- It was intruging enough to get me offline. Was it the sex? What is the contact, "What's going on?" sounding off in my head? Not sure, but I actually did try and watch it with all of my attention. But . . . still couldn't really tell what it was about. I will fully admit I am about as artistically deep as a San Francisco rain-puddle when it comes to things like this, but it was just a little too artsy for me. I felt like it was trying REALLY hard to be something larger than simply telling a story of the complexities of life and relationships. Again . . . please do explain and know that the first half hour was seen with 50% attention, so again, it is probably totally my fault.
- I actually liked the actors. Acting wasn't superfantabulous, but still . . .
I'm sitting here at church just hanging out doing a little work and listening to a great album, getting in touch with my sensitive side. "Child of Mine" nearly made me weep . . . like that is any hard feat ;-)
If it does come to your town, be sure to see if there is going to be an "Adult" version of the show. Friggin' hi-larious! You need to see the "Clean" show first.
If you want to bring the kiddos, it is pretty good though there are a few cuss words and one song about a certain anatomical problem with one of the boys that caused him to lose concentration. I would wait until middle school to be safe.
Okay . . . so I am REALLY drippy, but come on if you watch "The Office" you gotta feel bad for Jim. So sad. And before any of you cynics tease me for buying into the network's use of YouTube . . . shuddup ;-)
The ole' iPod has been playing two songs as of late that have me asking some questions about today's level and nature of political activism. Back in my day (Do I sound old, or what?) we protested, we chanted, we fought, we passionate, etc. Now i am not saying that that is the case these days, but I wonder sometimes how powerless we may be, might feel are really are. I have no answers to this, but two popular songs these days definitely have differing views on how folks are perceiving political action these days.
If you have not heard either of these songs, "Not Ready to Make Nice" by the Dixie Chicks in response to comments made about Prez Bush and John Mayer's, "Waiting on the World to Change" I have included some key lyrics as well as the videos, courtesy of YouTube.com.
As you listen to the messages in these songs, one must wonder about those age old questions, "Does art imitate life?" or "Does life imitate art?" in this case I think songs offer a valid perception of society and a generation who on one hand feels frustrated and angry, and on the other, is cognoscente and cynical about the ability to change anything.
The Dixie Chicks capture this idea, tat just getting along is not always the best thing That sometime we must stand up for what we believe and that "Righteous Anger" in the face of injustice or oppression is not only justified, but demanded of us.
At the same time John Mayer is also right in this idea, that folks are not in a posture of pure 80's cynicism and "I'm gonna get mine" mentality, but rather, a realistic understanding of the nature of institutional and systematic social change. Sure, this can turn to apathy, but it can also be a wise way to conserve energy and build up real power for transformation . . . when the time is right.
In the end, real change, systematic, political, culture can not happen without both. Those who scream, yell, build barricades and otherwise make sure the injustice is made public are needed so we don;t forget. These are folks on the front lines making sure that people know that most issues worth caring about are not just theoretical exercise, but are about people. Those who wait then, when the time is right can work amidst a system to truly bring about sustainable change.
[full lyrics]
I'm not ready to make nice,
I'm not ready to back down,
I'm still mad as hell
And I don't have time
To go round and round and round
It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
Cause I'm mad as hell
Can't bring myself to do what it is
You think I should
[full lyrics]
me and all my friends
we're all misunderstood
they say we stand for nothing and
there's no way we ever could
now we see everything that's going wrong
with the world and those who lead it
we just feel like we don't have the means
to rise above and beat it
so we keep waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change
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return to Bruce's [MAIN BLOG]
MBCC September Book Study Group*
Friday, September 29th
6:00-9:00 at my place w/Dinner
TO RSVP eMail Me or leave a comment.
You can order your book by clicking on the picture to the left or picking on up at the church for $12.50.
This is a great book and one that gets at the heart of being a faithful Christian in the midst of an increasingly chaotic world. Previous approaches to this kind of ambiguity was to hunker down and circle the wagons of dogma and rigidity. McClaren goes the other way and offers a reflection expanding our world view in order to better understand and strengthen our faith.
From the Back Cover:
Why
I am a missional, evangelical, post/protestant, liberal/conservative,
mystical/poetic, biblical, charismatic/contemplative,
fundamentalist/Calvinist, Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, catholic,
green, incarnational, depressed- yet hopeful, emergent, unfinished
Christian.
A confession and manifesto from a senior leader in the
emerging church movement. A Generous Orthodoxy calls for a radical,
Christ-centered orthodoxy of faith and practice in a missional,
generous spirit. Brian McLaren argues for a post-liberal,
post-conservative, post-protestant convergence, which will stimulate
lively interest and global conversation among thoughtful Christians
from all traditions.
In a sweeping exploration of belief, author
Brian McLaren takes us across the landscape of faith, envisioning an
orthodoxy that aims for Jesus, is driven by love, and is defined by
missional intent. A Generous Orthodoxy rediscovers the mysterious and
compelling ways that Jesus can be embraced across the entire Christian
horizon. Rather than establishing what is and is not “orthodox,”
McLaren walks through the many traditions of faith, bringing to the
center a way of life that draws us closer to Christ and to each other.
Whether you find yourself inside, outside, or somewhere on the fringe
of Christianity, A Generous Orthodoxy draws you toward a way of living
that looks beyond the “us/them” paradigm to the blessed and ancient
paradox of “we.”
Hope you can join us in reading and discussion this book.
*This Study is part of the on-going Small Group Ministry of Mission Bay Community Church in San Francisco.
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