I’m alive, really, I am. I’ve just been…er…busy.
Something to keep you occupied in the meantime.
“Garden of Your Mind” – Fred Rogers
“Happy Little Clouds” – Bob Ross
Iran talks, N. Korea missile failure, Facebook buys Instagram, US-China fiasco, Newt drops Dick Clark passes, Adam Yauch (Beastie Boys) dies from cancer. Murdoch denounced. NHL Playoffs. NBA Playoffs.
Top 10:
And the rest:
Dating Photography Pro-tip #1: Wide angle lenses make self(s?)-portraits infinitely easier. They also allow you to capture some of the setting behind you (see below for what not to do, even with the right lens). That way when you subject your friends to your photo album, they won’t claw their eyes out after the 20th identical photo.
Dating Photography Pro-tip #2: If someone else is taking your photo, be gracious and say “Please” and “Thank you”. It’s ok to give some basic directions if you want non-centered framing, but be generous when you see the results (that’s what cropping is for!). And make sure to set up your shots before asking someone to take it.
Dating Photography Pro-tip #3: If you’re not naturally photogenic, having a significant other who causes you to smile can do wonders.
VH
Romney seizes, Dallas tornadoes, hope for Burma, China power shift, Hunger Games, Obamacare before the Supreme Court, Trayvon Martin
Ooo…so close…I almost managed to pare the list down to 10. As usual, top5 and then the rest.
And one for fun: Google Tap:
As I caught the tail end of The Passion of Christ on TV on Saturday afternoon, I thought
1. “Wow, this is really gory.”
2. “Why did Mel Gibson portray the Crucifixion with so much (if historically precise) bloody detail?”
3. “What was God’s intent in making Jesus, his Son, undergo such a gruesome death anyways?”
The standard “Sunday School” answer is that Jesus had to undergo the punishment that I, as a rebel and sinner, was supposed to suffer, so that He could serve as my substitute when it was my turn to be judged by God, the Father.
Sure, that explanation, “made sense”, but it never really sat well with me. After all, why should Jesus’ physical suffering have spiritual significance? Why couldn’t Jesus just have died of “natural causes”? He’d have still lived a perfect life and been able to serve as the perfect sacrifice, no?
Then, today, an alternate (and personally more satisfying, though not theologically verified) explanation came to me. The physical pain that Jesus experienced during his trial and crucifixion WAS NOT all that he suffered. The physical torment was an outward reflection of, and served to illustrate, the spiritual agony Jesus was about to undergo: the timeless and infinite connection between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit was soon to be sundered. The Son would be a momentarily yet eternally torn from the blissful fellowship of the Trinity. He would be banished from the Light of Life, Goodness, and Hope and plunged into the Darkness of Death, Evil, and Despair. The Darkness that I was headed for, the Darkness that I deserved.
That was the price that Jesus, the Son of God, paid for my soul.
Because of His payment, I have instead been invited into to be a son of the God who made the universe, the God of Light and Life.
Jesus. Savior, Lord, and King.
Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Groom, TX
I took this picture of my balcony over the weekend. Can you tell what I found so strange about the scene? (Hint below the cut)
Romney v. Santorum slugfest, Trayvon shooting, Kony 2012, Syria strife, Iran tensions, Gas prices rising.
Top5:
And the rest:
And one for awesomeness. Coloring Bach: as played and seen by Evan Shinners, who has synesthesia
Israel v Iran, Romney v Santorum, Contraception Coverage, Olympia Snowe retires, Andrew Breitbart passes away, Farewell Berenstain, More singles, McDonald’s phases out gestation crates, Women on the front-ish lines
A top 5
And the rest
And one for fun: Pure Michigan by Mitt Romney
Now that I’ve been here for a month, here are some initial thoughts on the place I now call home.
Western Albuquerque with Sandia Mountains in the background
Taken from Petroglyph National Monument, 111119
Update: For the ladies who have suddenly realized that the crop of Asian American males with NBA-calibre ball skills is quite thin, Mr. JLin himself is still available. And to help you out, he has even publicized his selection criteria! What a considerate guy. Just be warned, the competition sounds quite fierce.
Q: How many marriage proposals have you gotten in the last two weeks?
A: (Smiles) I don’t know. It just depends — you mean including Twitter and signs and stuff? — I don’t know (chuckles).
Q: Do you have a girlfriend?
A: No.
Q: Describe your ideal mate.
A: First she would really love God and be a faithful Christian, and then after that, I think, a desire to serve other people, to help with the underprivileged, do a lot of social work . . . great personality and easy to be around. Someone that’s definitely chill, low key, low maintenance.
source: NYPost
As a Chinese American and having followed Jeremy Lin’s ups and downs (mostly downs) since he was drafted, I’m enjoying his meteoric rise* to superstardom as much as the next casual basketball fan. But I think something has been lost amongst all of hype, debates about whether his success is sustainable, and stories about his convoluted and nearly unsuccessful path to being a starter, his grad-student like living conditions, his newfound status as a stereotype shatterer, and his deep faith and humility.
He just doubled or TRIPLED the pressure on your average Asian American kid. Go to Harvard, have good character AND become an athletic superstar? I bet he’s also a musical virtuoso and speaks fluent Mandarin and Taiwanese. Growing up, all we had were Michael Chang and Kristi Yamaguchi, and there was NO WAY my parents were going to pull me out of school to pursue athletics. Now? I bet they’ll be forced to memorize SAT vocabulary words while dribbling two balls at once. While maintaining a 3/4 tempo in one hand and 4/4 in the other.
Poor kids.
Hopefully he keeps putting on enough of a show to distract them from this horrid new reality that he has brought upon them.
My favorite comment on J.Lin so far, from the Laker’s Metta World Peace
Q: Did the Lakers talk about him in the locker room?
A: Do we talk about him? Yeah, we talk about him. We think he needs a better haircut. I don’t like that style. You’re in New York, the fashion capital. Change your haircut, OK? You’re a star now. Wear some shades. Shades, OK? Put down the nerdy Harvard book glasses. Put on some black shades, OK? With some leather pants. Change your style. Fashion.
Q: Do you wear leather pants?
A: No, I won’t wear them, but he should wear leather pants. He’s the type of guy who should wear leather pants, some nice shoes and change his fashion. You’re Jeremy Lin, for godsakes. You know what I’m saying? You know? Put down that law book, stop reading the New York Times and start reading the Daily News. Newsday, that’s the one. I like that one because there’s always color in that one. What else? Wall Street Journal. Get some swag. You’re in New York City. Put your hat to the back, too. Put your hat on backwards. Come to practice with your pants sagging and just tell them, ‘I don’t feel like practicing.’ Practice? You know? Practice? And wear an Iverson jersey. You know? Come to practice with a cigar. Lit. ‘I’m Jeremy Lin.’ You know? He should change. We’re all excited to play tonight. It’s like the first time for everybody. Everybody’s excited. Kobe’s excited. He wants to get 50. He wants to welcome Jeremy Lin to his new level.”
* Ever notice how other than meteors, things hardly ever experience a “meteoric fall”?
