Happy Halloween!

Creepy Eyes in the windows, watching you...
Kitty-cat vampire
A stake through the heart
and glowing pumpkins... it must be Halloween!

There's a red tree surrounded
by green. I watch this tree carefully
now. In the morning it stands orange;
in the evening gold vermilion.
I ask myself,
why burn a deeper shade
for the coming night?
Everyday I walk under this tree,
but only now do I think:
it doesn't stand out in the spring,
summer, or winter. It's a fall tree
because its leaves
die the most beautifully.

Sorry Helen Andelin

Feminists (and their men) have more fun: Relationship study contradicts negative stereotypes about strong women.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21364055/

My husband loves Halloween

Every now and then I hear J.D. randomly chuckle. We put giant cat's eyes in our windows last night, and some poor girl screamed when she suddenly saw the eyes staring at her. Hence, J.D.'s giggling. We also bought some pumpkins but haven't had time to carve them yet.

A dream

Last night I saw the Universe flying apart. My dream opened with these words in red block text with the stars as a background:

ACCELERATING UNIVERSE

The words themselves divided unequally:


A .... C ... C .... E ... L .... E .... R A

....... T I N G .... U N I V ...

..................... ............... ....... .... E ... R S E........


Then I watched as the stars enacted what the words had. Seemingly stable points of light quivered and then dashed from their places. They ran like rain drops away from the event-horizon. The sky grew dark as all the stars disappeared. It was terrifying but also very beautiful. A rare, sublime dream.

Which Bus Drivers Don't Like Me?

In The Know: Is The Government Spying On Paranoid Schizophrenics Enough?

Creation Stories and Genesis

In my paper I'm considering the cosmologies that humanity has created to explain our purpose and place in this world. People seldom realize that Genesis chapters 1 and 2 in the Bible combine two different creation narratives.

We're taught in Sunday school to read these stories as a literal, complete story. There is a brief "transition" that suggests the creation story continues, but the second story actually describes a different creation process than the first. Additionally, the styles and messages vary, and even God's name is different in the two versions.

In Genesis 1 God's name is Elohim. God creates the world with the power of the Word or Logos: "And God said, 'Let there be light'" (Gen. 1:3). The first act of creation here is to speak light into existence. The Elohim story was written around 397 B.C.E. and scholars refer to it as the "P" Source or "Priestly" text (Hamilton 152). This text cares a lot about the authority and transcendent, omnipresent nature of the divine. God is always a voice in this story; God commands it, and it happens.

In Genesis 1 the order of creation is as follows:

Light
A firmament to divide water from water (the sky "Heaven" Gen. 1:8)
Dry land
Vegetation
Lights in the firmament (stars, sun, moon)
Moving creatures in the sea and sky (fish and fowl)
Living creatures and creeping things (cattle, beasts of the earth Gen. 1:24-25)
Humanity

"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea...." (Gen. 1:26). Important to notice here is that humanity comes last in creation. And the "man" used here is "human," both male and female. It is plural in the original Hebrew and refers to humankind in general. This is further supported by the plural "them" as captured in the English translation. The story even goes into explicit detail that this includes males and females in verse 27: "male and female created he them."

In verse 29, God also gives the humans "every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree." There are no exceptions here. There is no forbidden fruit. The Elohim story is about the majesty and mysterious beauty of creation. It is about a world full of wonderful things that humanity is provided and given to be guardian over.

The second story begins in Genesis 2:5. In this version God's name is Yahweh. Older translations do a poor job capturing the Hebrew meaning here because they are trying to blend the two stories together. In the original Hebrew it says "in the day that the LORD GOD (Yahweh) made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the field had yet sprung up--... then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground" (Gen. 2:5-6 NRSV). In this creation story Yahweh makes man on the same "day" as the heavens and earth.

In this story God makes man (specifically) from the dust of the ground. In Hebrew "adam" means red earth (Gen. 2: 7). God does not "pronounce" human beings into existence but shapes adam and breaths life into his clay form. This vision of God is far more anthropomorphic. Here also man (adamah) is one of the first living creations of LORD God. He exists before there are any animals, in sharp contrast to Genesis 1's order of creation. By Gen. 2:18, Yahweh decides that man needs a companion. So Yahweh "out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them" (KJV Gen. 2:18).

LORD God brings all the animals to adam to see if he will select an appropriate mate: how about this one, it's a chicken; how about a whale; how about a dog; how about a pigeon?.. etc. There is comedy here in the original story. In the end though, none of the animals are found suitable: "for Adam there was not found an help meet for him" (KJV Gen. 2:20). Since none of the animals LORD God made out of the dirt are appropriate, finally LORD God gets the bright idea to create woman, so he makes her from the rib of the man.

The second creation story here is called the "J" Source or Yahwist source. It focuses much more on humanity's creation and is based on the mythology of ancient Israel from approximately the ninth century B.C.E. (Hamilton 125). The Elohim story is a version of Babylonian myth from the Enuma elish where Tiamat is the watery, chaotic void that must be split in half by Marduk as creator of the world. After Marduk slays Tiamat it describes his separating of her body much like Elohim's separation of firmaments:

"Turning back to cold Tiamat, Marduk raised one half of her on high. He made it the heavens. Then he surveyed the Apsu of Ea, his father, and the deep waters. The other half of dead Tiamat he made the Earth, as a great abode above the Apsu" (Hamilton 84). Marduk also speaks creation into existence. The Elohim or "P" Source writer was transforming and subverting the Tiamat creation story.

In the end, both Genesis creation stories capture something about the human spirit and our desire to articulate our origins. Both look for God, in the skies or in the clay of the human frame. I prefer the Elohist for its emphasis on language and the equal creation of men and women. But what's most important is to see the different themes, language, and processes involved in these stories. Two creation stories can give us an indication that understanding our purpose on earth and our "creation" is not a matter of getting it "literally" correct... it's a matter of understanding our role in the world and acting as worthy participants in this beautiful place. Neither of them are stories of literal "facts"; they are stories of our spiritual connection to the cosmos.

Work Cited-- Hamilton, Virginia. In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1988.

Marley

I needed a fun day yesterday and a distraction from work, so I went with J.D. to the Mills. He had a "Blood Bowl" game against someone, and I went scrapbooking. I have lots of pictures and projects I could finish, but it's more fun to do Marley pages right now. I printed out about 50 pictures too, mostly of Marley. When they were printing, a little boy (about 3) came up and enjoyed telling everyone what the pictures were. "Look Mommy, a kitty!" "Look, another one." "Another kitty." "Another one." "Another cat." "He's asleep." "He's awake." "He's mad." "Another one!" "Another kitty!"

Meanwhile, his little sister, about 2, kept saying "meow" to each cat picture.

Yes, I treat my cat like a child and make scrapbook pages of him. But in all fairness, Marley is a really special cat.

Alma Mater

My "nouishing mother" of higher education is changing her name (again). I just found out today that ACI, Albertson College of Idaho, will now go back to their former name of College of Idaho.

No more jokes about graduating with a B.A. in bagging or stocking.

Foreign Films

From Ikiru

So, anyone who knows me, knows that I like foreign movies. J.D. got his share of 1950 and 1960s Japanese films this weekend. Both were directed by Akira Kurosawa: The Bad Sleep Well and Ikiru . Both have to do with either the incompetence or corruption of government. I liked Ikiru more, especially the scene where the main character is sitting on a child's swing in the snow. That was a lovely moment. Ikiru is also about facing one's mortality.

Today's audience, glutted on explosions and constant action, probably won't find enough in these movies to hold their attention. Then again, most of these people are idiots anyway. These are the same people who think that Transformers was "the best movie ever." Storytelling evolves, true, and editing might be more important today then it was in the past, but as long as the story has something to say... I'm willing to listen and watch.

It just seems that old movies and foreign films are the only ones that usually contain something to think about.

Before my Japanese spree, I went on a German movie spree: Gloomy Sunday, 1999, and Nowhere in Africa, 2001. Gloomy Sunday is a take on the controversy that surrounded The Sorrows of Young Werther, except with a song that keeps causing people to commit suicide. But it's primarily about different types of love and the Shoah. Nowhere in Africa is also a story about the Shoah but from the perspective of a family that escaped to Africa and is struggling to survive emotionally. I liked both of them, but then again, I like reading subtitles.

Maybe a little Bollywood would lighten things up for next time... (no exploding couples though like in Dil Se).

Conceptual Terror

I really love this Onion article.

"'Your outdated ideas of what terrorism is have been challenged,' an unidentified, disembodied voice announces following the video's first 45 minutes of random imagery set to minimalist techno music. 'It is not your simple bourgeois notion of destructive explosions and weaponized biochemical agents. True terror lies in the futility of human existence.'"

"Though officials said they didn't know if any of those involved in carrying out the plot were still in Chicago, several dozen local performance artists and interpretive dancers have been brought in for questioning."

Conceptual Terrorists Encase Sears Tower In Jell-O

CHICAGO—The attackers made it clear America's outdated notion of terrorism has been challenged, and that true terror lies in the futility of human existence.

Tiger Balm...grrrr

A little embarrassing story:

So, since I hurt my knee about a month ago, I've been wearing something called "Tiger Balm" -- it's a Chinese version of Bengay. (I hope it doesn't have too much lead in it). "Officially" it's a combination of camphor and menthol.

Anyway, I wore some of it to school. I was making photocopies and two girls came in the small room. One girl said, "Does it smell like cleaning supplies in here?" At first I had no idea what she was talking about. I said, "I don't smell anything." Then the other one said, "Yeah, I smell it too." And I thought... crap... it's my "Tiger Balm."

First girl: "I feel like I'm getting high off it."

Me thinking: "oh Great."

Second girl: "Yeah, it's really an herbal kind of smell; I wonder if we are getting high."

First one: "Maybe it's me."

Second one: "No, I don't think so."

Me thinking (rolling my eyes): "Good lord. So, I smell like herbal cleaning supplies! Deal with it!"

Chilly evening

Yesterday was the first real chill. It's nice to bake pumpkin bread, enjoy a warm cup of tea, and curl up in a blanket. But I forgot one thing that I don't like about the colder weather... my fingers freeze as I'm trying to type. That's not good, especially when trying to write a major paper. Yesterday I had to wear my leather gloves for awhile at the computer. Needless to say, it didn't work so well.

This evening I went for a long walk. I was listening to the part in Ulysses where Stephen's mother comes back from the dead and asks him to pray. He wouldn't pray with her on her deathbed, so her ghost haunts him. Ghosts are psychological creatures.

While walking, the sun went down. I continued in circles through the gated community and then around my block over and over. Laughing children played in an open area. Giant rose bushes and other plants hid them, and I could just see their faces above and through the leaves. Their parents grouped together talking. The orange street lamps glowed on the roses and children. Autumn is a lonely time. I walk by all the houses with kids playing out front or neighbors walking dogs. They have pumpkins on their steps and everything inside seems cozy from the well-lit rooms. The smoke in the air curls out of fireplaces and taunts "hearth," "home," "warm." These people have their families. They don't wander around in the dark like a ghost sensing the lights and lives of others.

Warm Autumn

What I did today:

Cleaned house.
Baked pumpkin bread... yum.
Ate lunch with J.D.
Walked to the library and checked out some books.
Researched articles.

It was sunny today. The leaves haven't changed yet, but they probably will soon. We're supposed to get a chill in the next couple of nights. I like October in St. Louis.

On an entertaining note, yesterday I went to the dissertation meeting. When I walked in, I heard Jessica M. say the words "still around?" She was facing away from the door and didn't see me. Then James W., who saw me remarked: "speak of the devil." So, I smiled at Jessica M. and proclaimed: "I'm still around! Here I am in the flesh!" She spun around and looked surprised and rather sheepish. Jessica H. smiled at me. It was good timing. Another highlight of the evening occurred when the presenter thanked Jessica M. for "pointing out the blatantly obvious omission" in his text... oh, what a good laugh.
Well, I think I'm going to have a nice cup of tea and curl up with an article about ghosts. Maybe later this week J.D. and I can do something that I think sounds delightful... go to a bar!

The Cupcake Bar!
http://www.jillyscupcakebar.com/Cupcakes.html

It's new in town and sounds like a lot of sinful, delicious fun.

Queen for a Day

Recently U-city high school elected a male Homecoming Queen. On the news it showed the Homecoming King and Queen, and they both seemed very happy... so congratulations and have fun. Some parents went berserk and booed the mother of the Homecoming Queen when she defended her son. Honestly, who cares. The students elected him. J.D. and I laughed that it's probably just the parents of the "princesses" who wanted to win Homecoming Queen that are the most upset.

Isn't there anything else in the world to worry about... war, health care, crime, poverty...? People sit back and relax while their civil liberties die, but they get up-in-arms about a guy wearing a tiara?

Don't read if you're sensitive

Wow, Ahmadinejad sounds a lot like Bill O'Reilly trying to sound like black people!

"Motherf**ker, I want some more iced tea!"

http://www.indecision2008.com/blog.jhtml
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Story: O'Reilly ate at Sylvia's in New York. He was amazed: “I couldn't get over the fact that there was no difference between Sylvia’s restaurant and any other restaurant in New York City. I mean, it was exactly the same, even though it’s run by blacks, primarily black patronship.” And in a discussion with NPR about his experience he said: “There wasn't one person in Sylvia’s who was screaming, ‘M-Fer, I want more iced tea.’ You know, I mean, everybody was — it was like going into an Italian restaurant in an all-white suburb in the sense of people were sitting there, and they were ordering and having fun. And there wasn't any kind of craziness at all.”

http://mediamatters.org/items/200709210007

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On yet another note, the reference to NPR got me thinking about this audio clip that we heard Friday. Robert Siegel challenges what White House counselor Ed Gillespie claims is the content of the SCHIP bill and the reason Bush vetoed it. (The end where Siegel comes on with the actual wording in the bill is really great).

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15046448

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Finally, this clip of the Daily Show on SCHIP is entertaining, especially the follow-up report from 19th century London.

http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_daily_show/index.jhtml

Mile High Pie

Lately J.D. and I have been driving across the river to Illinois for "home cooking." Last Sunday we drove to Mascoutah and ate fried chicken and prime rib at Tony's. Today we went for pie at Blue Springs, more commonly known as Mile High Pie. J.D. had the chocolate pie and coconut cream. I had a slice of apple. (No one had rhubarb). We thought of the times we had fun going for pie with Catherine and Michael. And fortunately, there were no flies in the beets... although we didn't eat any. Associations can be a powerful thing. Still, the pie was pretty good. I saw on a billboard that technically they call it "Foot High Pie," but "Mile" is far more aesthetically pleasing in both sound and image.

The quest for pie continues...

P.S. Then we went to the Mills for Halloween stuff. We bought some decorations, and I did something very silly and bought Marley a vampire cape outfit... we'll see how that goes over. I'm guessing not well, but it's fun asking him every time he meows at me if he wants to try on his costume.

Well, we're proctoring tomorrow, so goodnight.

Delmar?

This was on the news tonight. Evidently Delmar was on the list of "10 Great American Streets" this year. True, it has its good points. It's great if you don't want to retain ownership of your bicycle or green Saturn.

2007 GREAT STREETS
Bull StreetSavannah, Georgia
Canyon RoadSanta Fe, New Mexico
Delmar LoopUniversity City and St. Louis, Missouri
Main StreetNorthampton, Massachusetts
Monument AvenueRichmond, Virginia
North Michigan AvenueChicago, Illinois
Ocean DriveMiami Beach, Florida
125th StreetNew York, New York
St. Charles AvenueNew Orleans, Louisiana
South Temple StreetSalt Lake City, Utah

http://www.planning.org/greatplaces/

Now that's a Pizza

Friday we had a great time seeing Angela, Ryan, Riley, and Abby. We ordered the Dinosaur Pizza for fun. The people who make it will pay $500 to any two people, if they can eat it in an hour. There was 6 of us, and we still had 3 containers full of left-overs... and we're still eating pizza!





It was so large that J.D. couldn't fit it through the door of the apartment without slanting the box!