Most commented posts
- one deep breath: delicious autumn — 15 comments
- one deep breath: spices — 12 comments
- one deep breath: storms — 11 comments
- one deep breath: color(ful) — 11 comments
- one deep breath: breath — 10 comments
Ryan Gillespie
Author's posts
Oct 04 2006
A Wild Sheep Chase: A Novel
This was a quick easy read. Murakami’s first book published in English, it is not near as complex as his current stuff. However, there is still much to be had from this novel. The style of this book foreshadows where his style will go in his later works.
All and all, I don’t have much to say about the novel itself. While I still enjoyed it a lot, it is probably my least favorite of his novels (and the only one I have left to read, is the “sequel” to this one). This would make a great traveling book.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2006/10/a-wild-sheep-chase-a-novel/
Oct 03 2006
Love and Sin (revisited)
In this post (Love and Sin) i briefly talk about the idea of sin being a rejection of love. I was recently asked how something relatively common, such as a lie, how that would be a rejection of love. It’s an interesting question, that I’m not really sure has a right answer.
In my quote by Merton, he states that the rejection of love is “the pattern and prototype of all sin.” Before diving to far into my thoughts, I want to define some terms:
Permanent link to this article: https://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2006/10/love-and-sin-revisited/
Oct 03 2006
one deep breath: books
dreaming and loving
through ink sacrificed to page
worlds created
more sweet serenity (books) from one deep breath
Permanent link to this article: https://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2006/10/one-deep-breath-books/
Oct 03 2006
Who is This America?
The scandal developing around former US House Rep. Mark Foley just blows my mind. First of all, the breach of trust by the congressman is staggering. But perhaps even more unsettling to me is the spin being put on this by the Republican leadership. I’ve seen spin at first trying to down play the seriousness of the emails to even claiming that Foley was a “victim” of the 16 yr old boy. WTF? are you kidding me. What is even more surreal about this whole thing, is that Foley helped craft the legislation that more than likely will should land him in jail.
Here is an excellent post on some of the aspects of the Foley scandal from Glenn Greenwald’s blog Unclaimed Territory: Various Foley Scandal Items
What should be even more troubling to the administration and Republican leadership, is that it increasingly looks like this scandal could consume the upper echelons of the Republican House leadership. The current Speaker of the House and House Majority leader have both been suspected of trying to cover up the Foley matter. For details read this post from Greenwald’s blog: John Boehner = Denny Hastert plus Key Questions for Tom Reynolds. Even the conservative Washington Times is calling for Hastert to resign.
So three high ranking Republicans were at least at some level involved in a cover up. At least until the evidence was to great to overcome. Then it was on to spin city.
I really don’t know what it means to be an American right now. I’m really not sure it is something to be proud of. I wonder if it is possible to restore what we’ve lost as a country in the past six years.
Update: This is ridiculous! According to Mr. Foley’s attorney, Mr. Foley was abused by clergy as a child and is gay.
So now the spin is trying to make this a “gay” issue. As I read on another blog earlier, they are right, in one way it is a gay issue. The fact that this man had hide who he was, be ashamed of who he was, because our so called “Christian” nation looked down on him is deplorable. However, whatever may have happened to him as a child is still no justification for his actions. His actions would have been just as disgusting if they were directed to a female congressional page.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2006/10/who-is-this-america/
Oct 02 2006
T-Shirt Wisdom of the Day
Seen at lunch today sitting outside the med school cafeteria:
You can buy it here
*Sad it looks like the graphic (and t-shirt) are no longer available – 20 Aug 08
Permanent link to this article: https://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2006/10/t-shirt-wisdom-of-the-day/
Oct 02 2006
Snow
I really enjoy novels that deal with the conflict between east and west. One of my favorite contemporary novelists is Salman Rushdie, whose novels all deal with this conflict in one way or another. Up to this point, the majority of my experience with this conflict has been from India/Pakistan/Afghanistan and the West. So when my boss let me borrow this book I was definitely intrigued.
The book is set in Northeast Turkey in essentially a border town. This town has been part of Armenia, Russia and Turkey. What for me was one of the most interesting things about this novel is the conflict with secular Turkey and those wanting a religious Turkey. It was another layer to the East/West concept that isn’t touched to the same level of detail as Rushdie’s novels.
The novel is narrated by the eponymous novelist friend of the poet Ka. Orhan (the narrator) is visiting both Kars and Frankfurt trying to make sense of Ka’s murder in Germany and find a lost collection of poetry written while Ka was in Kars. In the early parts of the novel however, the narrator is only identified as a friend of Ka’s. The story is told from Ka’s point of view with the narrator occasionally foreshadowing events before Ka would know them. It isn’t until the later chapters of the book that the narrator really steps out as his own character in the book.
I really enjoyed this book. While none of the poems actually are actually in the book, the inspiration for Ka’s poems is evident. Pamuk’s description of Kars and the effect of the snow is beautiful (despite describing poverty and depression often). I also think that looking at Turkey and its culture and society is a good place for westerners to begin to understand the conflict between Islam and the west.
On another note, Orhan Pamuk is often mentioned as a leading candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature in the near future. British oddsmakers Ladbrokes has Pamuk as its favorite for the prize this year. It was also speculated that he was under serious consideration for the Prize in 2005 (eventually awarded to British playwright Harold Pinter).
Permanent link to this article: https://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2006/10/snow/
Sep 29 2006
Mashup Fun
from Aurgasm:
Justin Timberlake vs. Corey Hart – I Wear My SexyBack at Night (Cheekyboy Edit)
and the scary thing is…its kinda cool, in a completely cheesy kinda way
Permanent link to this article: https://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2006/09/mashup-fun/
Sep 28 2006
We’ve lost all credibility…
As a nation, we continue down a road of insignificance. Yesterday the House of Representatives passed HR 6166. This resolution allows the following things: (from the sidebar of this CNN Article)
- Requires that a defendant being tried by military commission have access to any evidence given to a jury.
- Drops a section of the administration’s previous proposal that stated an existing ban on cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment satisfies the nation’s obligations under the Geneva Conventions.
- Prohibits “grave breaches” of the Geneva Conventions. Defines grave breaches as acts such as torture, rape, biological experiments and cruel and inhuman treatment.
- Notes the president has the authority to interpret “the meaning and application” of the Geneva Conventions.
- Allows hearsay evidence.
- Allows coerced testimony if the statement was acquired before a 2005 ban on cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and a judge finds it to be reliable. Bans coerced statements taken after the 2005 ban went into effect if it violates constitutional definitions of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
- Bars individuals from protesting violations of Geneva Conventions standards in court.
(Bullet points from the Associated Press)
We are flaunting years of international agreements. We are damaging America’s reputation with the rest of the world. We are endangering our soldiers in future conflicts. And for a country that is supposably “Christian,” we are not acting like it. We will not be able to undo this legislation. Even if the Democrats try to change it after the mid-term elections, they will not have enough votes to over rule a Presidential veto. Plus 34 Democrats voted for this resolution (names and states represented below the cut). More than likely the Senate will pass this as well today and Bush will quickly sign it into law.
Why doesn’t American care? What can we do? Are we going to see a theocratic American in my lifetime? These are my fears. Its almost as if some of the “Christian right” are trying to speed along the rapture.
US Senator Russ Feingold’s statement In Opposition to the Military Commissions Act
US Senator John Kerry speaks out as well as reported on The Democratic Daily.
US Senator Hillary Clinton speaks as reported on Crooks and Liars.
US Senator Barak Obama speaks as reported on Eschaton.
Update: The Bill passes the Senate 65-34.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2006/09/weve-lost-all-credibility/
Sep 27 2006
A Definition of Cowardice
On Monday’s edition of Countdown, Keith Olbermann chimes in with another Special Comment. The subject of this comment, Fox News interview of former President Bill Clinton. [View Transcript (video is also available on the MSNBC site)] I’ll quote a highlight below:
Bill Clinton did what almost none of us have done in five years.
He has spoken the truth about 9/11, and the current presidential administration.
“At least I tried,” he said of his own efforts to capture or kill Osama bin Laden. “That’s the difference in me and some, including all of the right-wingers who are attacking me now. They had eight months to try; they did not try. I tried.”
Thus in his supposed emeritus years has Mr. Clinton taken forceful and triumphant action for honesty, and for us; action as vital and as courageous as any of his presidency; action as startling and as liberating, as any, by any one, in these last five long years.
The Bush Administration did not try to get Osama bin Laden before 9/11.
The Bush Administration ignored all the evidence gathered by its predecessors.
The Bush Administration did not understand the Daily Briefing entitled “Bin Laden Determined To Strike in U.S.”
The Bush Administration did not try.
Moreover, for the last five years one month and two weeks, the current administration, and in particular the President, has been given the greatest “pass” for incompetence and malfeasance in American history!
President Roosevelt was rightly blamed for ignoring the warning signs–some of them, 17 years old–before Pearl Harbor.
President Hoover was correctly blamed for–if not the Great Depression itself–then the disastrous economic steps he took in the immediate aftermath of the Stock Market Crash.
Even President Lincoln assumed some measure of responsibility for the Civil War–though talk of Southern secession had begun as early as 1832.
But not this president.
For me this is a scary thing. The current administration seems to have no concept of humility. As a country we have a huge responsibility to act as true leaders in the world. We have done that in the past. We are not doing it anymore. If unchecked, we are heading to an authoritarian style of government. Slowly our supposed “freedoms” are being whittled away in the name of “security.” But are we safer from the actions of the current administration? I would say in fact that we are moving further away from a world were some sort of peace is possible. A place where instead of dividing, we as a world would be coming together.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2006/09/a-definition-of-cowardice/
Sep 27 2006
The Seven Storey Mountain (pt 2)
For my review of Part 1 of The Seven Storey Mountain click here.
Parts 2 & 3 of The Seven Storey Mountain were much more enjoyable for me. And as a result, I got a lot more out of these sections of the book. I think in the end I had the expectation of the later Merton who was much more open to non-Catholics. The harshness of the young Merton (and Father Louis) was a little unsettling for me.
The things that stuck most for me in this section were nuggets of wisdom about discernment and vocation. Merton’s journey from conversion to the monastery was fascinating for me as well. My reading of this book has been timely for me. This was of course a purposeful reading on my part. With the hiatus of my path to seminary it has been a time to rediscover aspects of my faith. My faith hasn’t been something I’ve questioned, however I have let it coast somewhat recently. Its time for me to get my hands a little dirty with my spiritual life again.
I’m going to take a weekend retreat at Our Lady of Guadalupe Trappist Abbey next month. I’m really looking forward to this time to really focus on my faith life. There are also a few sections of The Seven Storey Mountain that I plan to meditate over the next month or so. I’ll probably post on a few of those later on this blog.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.rhinoblues.com/thoughts/2006/09/the-seven-storey-mountain-pt-2/
