Day 847: ‘Slings & Arrows’

Okay, so while I’m recommending things for your Netflix queue, you have to check out ‘Slings & Arrows’.  I may have mentioned it a while back, but I found the original trainer on YouTube.  It’s a little choppy, but it gives me goose bumps.

Day 846: Movie Review - Once

Have you seen the movie ‘Once’?  If not, then you need too.  It’s remarkable stunning and breathtakingly simple. 

It’s an Irish independent film about a chance meeting between two unknown musicians.  The film itself is intimate and rejects all Hollywood storytelling clichés… it simply depicts a riveting slice of life and two lovable characters that you root for from beginning to end. 

Accenting the movies commitment to being relevant, rather than flashy, the movie stars two unknown musicians rather than established actors.  Bewteen Glen Hansard, the front man and guitarist of the Irish band ‘The Frames’, and Markéta Irglová, a 17 year old Czech songwriter, only Glen has acted previously.  He played a supporting guitar player in ‘The Commitments’ back in 1991.  Spectacular.

Trust me… you’ll thank me for recommending it.

So, why am I telling you to see a movie that won the Oscar for ‘Best Original Song’ three years ago?  Well… three years later I found myself whistling a song from the movie completely out of the blue.  And that’s the sign of a good movie.

Day 845: Birth of Baha'u'llah

When it comes to Abrahamic religions do you ever think Baha’i, the fourth largest with almost 8 million followers worldwide, ever feel jealous of their big brothers Judaism, Christianity, or Islam?  It’s unlikely, because the Baha’i believe God is powerful enough to manifest himself/herself/itself is multiple human forms giving legitimacy to all three… not to mention some Indian and Far Eastern religions as well.  If Rodney King was a religion… he’d be Baha’i.

Baha’i is actually the 9^th largest world religion in the world… but if that doesn’t sound very impressive I should note that Judaism the 7^th largest.

Anyway, Baha’i seems to be a very interesting experiment in faith.  It’s almost seems like a faith based on a comparative religions class, except with a prophet, not unlike Jesus or Mohammad.   They believe that all world religions share a common thread, the same God, and believe that one day all religions will become one.  Not by means of conversion, but by focusing on what we all have in common rather than our differences.  And by focusing on what we have in common we’ll be able to let go of these differences and become one community.

In the idealistic way of accepting your fellow man, I adore the Baha’i faith.  These cats have it right.  But… in the actually practice of religion I was raised in the Catholic tradition… and if the Baha’i are right… then it shouldn’t matter which tradition I practice… as long as I accept and treat all as my equal, right?

Anyway, today is the Birth of Baha’u’llah.  According to the Baha’i faith, Baha’u’llah is the latest human/prophet manifestation of God.  In short, he’s the one that finally connected all the dots.  Essentially, this is their Christmas.

But, don’t take my word for it… here’s a video from Baha’i World TV.  The production value is quite low (especially the first three minutes), however the information is quite good.

 

Day 844: Veteran’s Day

Let’s keep it simple and focused today:

Day 843: Not So Pure Michigan

I stumbled across this site the other day and died laughing.  Apparently the Michigan Department of Tourism has recently begun a new ad campaign entitles, ‘Pure Michigan’… and well… it’s didn’t take long before a few very witty people began parodying the campaign and started the website http://www.notsopuremichigan.com/.


The following video is hilarious… 

Day 842: Young Readers Day

As you all know, on this blog I love to observe holidays AND brag on my kids… well, today I get to do both because it is ‘Young Readers Day’!!! 

In a previous post I shared how Serena has started Grayson on the Hooked on Phonics series… and he’s been progressing amazingly.  Sometimes in the evenings when we Skype Gray will read me the latest book in his series.  I just love watching him sound out all the letters individually… then all the sounds together… and then his excitement as he realizes the word as he shouts ‘MAT!  The word is MAT!  The cat sat on the mat!  Okay dad?  The cat sat on the mat, okay?’

‘That’s perfect buddy.’

And then we turn to the next page and do it all over again.  He’s able to make it through most pages without any help.  I am very proud.

Well, Serena sent me this picture just in time for ‘Young Readers Day’.  While waiting for the arrival of Secretary Clinton to the meet and greet (where yesterdays picture was taken), Serena gave Grayson a pen and a pad of paper to keep him busy.  She didn’t monitor him or use the time as a lesson… she just let him do his own thing.  Well, a few days later she was looking through the note pad and found a couple pages of interest.  He’s only 4 years old and he did this without any supervision:

Seriously… four years old and he tried to spell Octopus!?!  He got five of the seven letters AND had then in the correct order!  He’s a much better speller than I will ever be!

Keep up the good work buddy!  I’ll be home soon!

Day 841: Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton

Who’s that tussling my son’s hair?  Oh yeah… Secretary of State (Check), Vice President (Check)… hmmm… Mr. President?  Could I have a moment of your time?