npr, the space shuttle, and educating the poor

they're proposing a new skyscraper in chicago. i'm fairly fond of its architecture, but that's not the point. on npr this evening several people were giving their opinions of said building - and one gal stated "man's made so many things... now is the time to spend some of that money learning to get along & take care of each other, not on another building." (excuse the quotes, i'm sure those weren't her exact words.) that tidbit was followed by a conversation between my mother and i comparing the billions of dollars spent to research the unknown world of space & the massive impact that money could have if spent here on our known poverty and needs. that conversation was followed by my poking about on xanga and finding that jamie did a numbers post today that blew my mind. need a sampling before you go read it? try this "Basic education for every child in the world would barely exceed $6 billion dollars a year.....sounds like a lot until you know we spend $8 billion dollars on cosmetics in the United States alone. We spend the world's future on make-up."

that's right... we spend the world's future on make-up.

summer storms, at last

there's an itch for change

i feel a re-design coming on. i have yet to get a photography page working in this layout. if i'm going to figure that out, i may as well start fresh. this was meant to be a transition from the month of a thousand photographs anyway. meant to be filler. never an intention to have meaty posts here. just fluff. and that's what's been given. t-shirts, cds and burritos. lots of photographs. perhaps i should move to a word-less website. pure photography, with the viewer left to guess what's going on in my life, my mind, my heart. i've never been a big one for soul-baring anyhow. even less now than before, it seems... but there was never a lot. of late i've done my best to keep my mind filled with clutter. the next big project, the most recent explosion at the office. the busier i can keep my mind, the less room for guilt over not spending enough time in prayer. the less room for sorting out questions and longings and convictions. stay busy, time goes by quickly that way. and before long all that was important has become forgeign. and i'm never sure where the turning point really was. i deny that to make things right, i need to do all the things i used to do... but do them harder. as if somewhere along the line i had things all straightened out, but i just wasn't determined enough. i wasn't dedicated enough. i didn't desire it enough. perhaps if i put forth just a little more effort...

but there is never effort enough. no amount of dedication, determination or desire is enough. there are things that cannot be earned. cannot be bought. cannot be won through hard work and persistence.

and in that, i find rest and relief.

mmm ... blueberries ...

soon to become blueberry pound cake, and blueberry cheesecake, and blueberry smoothies, and blueberry pie, and blueberry icecream sauce...

and i got a sunburn to boot.

cornerstone

april and i road tripped out to bushnell for a day at cornerstone. a trip through the art gallery, a viewing of the cardboard sculpture-in-progress, a walk through the merch tent, and a couple of shows at the main stage. all in all, not a bad time. a different view of the festival than i'm used to seeing. we were on the grounds for about 6 hours, at most. we stayed in a hotel that night. and not once did we use the johnny on the spots. i did, however, secure myself a giant cherry freezie - no longer sold for a quarter. i left feeling that perhaps one does not become too old for cornerstone. even if you don't know most of the bands performing. even if you don't camp with a group of people committed to filling that kiddie pool with water, 5 gallons at a time. even if you don't have pink flamingos flanking the camp site. even if your brother isn't wearing a gas mask and playing his accordian in the street... it is always a good night to be at cornerstone.

big excitement at work

some fellow came in yesterday and bought 800 copies of the paper. 800 copies. eight. hundred. copies. that $400 bought him $420,000,000 of millionaire money. if he wins a car, he will say it was $400 well spent. should he be outbid by a fellow buying 801 copies, however, i wonder how he will look at his purchase.

spot-free rinse

i am tuckered out.

updates coming soon

i have some back-blogging to do. things to update you on. for now, you get a list of the top ten sayings i'd like to have on t-shirts. :)

- my mom rocks
- painfully uncool
- craft nerd
- art5y.com
- rock is dead. long live paper and scissors.

okay, that was five... any ideas from the peanut gallery?