I live in North Bend, WA, in the mountains east of Seattle. I work as a software engineer, photographer, writer, teacher, spiritual director and social media consultant.
Pat Loughery's blog at the intersection of culture, spirituality and technology
“I want creation to penetrate you with so much admiration that wherever you go, the least plant may bring you the clear remembrance of the Creator. …One blade of grass or
one speck of dust is enough to occupy your entire mind in beholding the art with which it has been made. … The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. O God, enlarge within us the sense of fellowship with all living things, even our brothers, the animals, to whom Thou gavest the earth as their home in common with us. … - St. Basil the Great (329-379)
A couple of days ago I started reading Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. One of the sections of the book is a brief interview with Adam McHugh, author of the FANTASTIC Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture
I'm only a couple of chapters into Quiet, but one of the themes in the second chapter is excellent. A few highlights:
America had shifted from what the influential cultural historian Warren Susman called a Culture of Character to a Culture of Personality—and opened up a Pandora’s Box of personal anxieties from which we would never quite recover[...].But when they embraced the Culture of Personality, Americans started to focus on how others perceived them. They became captivated by people who were bold and entertaining. “The social role demanded of all in the new Culture of Personality was that of a performer,” Susman famously wrote. “Every American was to become a performing self.”
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/ockhamsrazor/distillation/3809530
Henderson, Jim. The Resignation of Eve: What If Adam’s Rib Is No Longer Willing To Be the Church’s Backbone? Barna. Feb. 2012. c.284p. ISBN 9781414337302. pap. $14.99. REL
Henderson (Jim and Casper Go to Church: Frank Conversation about Faith, Churches, and Well-Meaning Christians) tells the stories here of many women who, despite their predominance in the life, membership, and mission of most churches and denominations, are routinely rebuked and squashed, if not worse. Henderson’s crucial insight is that the central feature of Christianity is—ought to be—“giving power away, particularly to those who lack it,” not craving or needing power or keeping it from women. VERDICT Insightful and moving, Henderson’s book is a mirror of what Christian spirituality ought to be; good for church groups and pastors as well as individual readers.
I'm very much looking forward to reading this book. Preordered it - you should too!!
This will be a very short diary. It will not contain any links or any scholarly references. It is about a very narrow topic, from a very personal, subjective perspective.
The topic at hand is what Martin Luther King actually did, what it was that he actually accomplished.
The reason I'm posting this is because there were dueling diaries over the weekend about Dr. King's legacy, and there is a diary up now (not on the rec list but on the recent list) entitled, "Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Dream Not Yet Realized." I'm sure the diarist means well as did the others. But what most people who reference Dr. King seem not to know is how Dr. King actually changed the subjective experience of life in the United States for African Americans. And yeah, I said for African Americans, not for Americans, because his main impact was his effect on the lives of African Americans, not on Americans in general. His main impact was not to make white people nicer or fairer. That's why some of us who are African Americans get a bit possessive about his legacy. Dr. Martin Luther King's legacy, despite what our civil religion tells us, is not color blind.
Read the whole thing.
The good news: Governor Gregoire’s $3.6 billion transportation plan includes a small increase in the oil barrel fee to help pay for maintenance of existing state transportation facilities.
The bad news: The plan does not even mention biking and walking, let alone provide funding for Safe Routes to School and other programs that encourage active alternatives to driving.
Going into the legislative session, it’s up to our representatives to make sure the needs of all Washington residents are met no matter how they get around, and to ensure our state also takes positive steps towards a healthier, safer and more economically and environmentally sustainable future.
Washington State’s largest employment and economic center has the second highest bicycle commuting rate in the country (in fact, 15 percent of people who work in downtown Seattle walk or bike there, and only 34 percent of drive alone). At minimum, the state should fund transportation needs proportionally to how the people of Washington move themselves and their goods today. That means tens of millions of dollars from this plan should go to projects that keep people biking and walking. Anything beyond that would be a wise investment in the future.
And it is an investment that would pay off. Increased walking and biking can save the state an enormous amount of money in healthcare costs, and walking and biking projects create more jobs per dollar spent than highway projects. Given that the state is already juggling a handful of multibillion-dollar car-centric projects (deep bore tunnel, Columbia River Crossing, 520 Bridge I-405 expansion, etc), it is simply unacceptable to leave biking and walking out of this funding plan.
Blake Trask of the Bicycle Alliance of Washington expressed similar concerns with Publicola:
“The [operations and maintenance money] is great, but we’re hoping it can be improved to include some of those active transportation options.” Currently, he said, “This package does not include anything for safe routes to school, anything for bike and pedestrian safety and mobility, anything for active transportation, period.”
Here’s is Cascade Bicycle Club’s response:
Today, Governor Chris Gregoire proposed a $3.6 billion package of transportation investments funded through a suite of fees. Building on the recommendations of the Connecting Washington task force, the proposed package prioritizes operations and maintenance while providing cities and counties with additional options to raise revenue for maintenance and transit.
“We commend Governor Gregoire for proposing a transportation package that prioritizes preserving and extending the life of our current transportation system,” said Chuck Ayers, Executive Director of Cascade Bicycle Club (Cascade). “We also commend the governor for proposing a revenue source that helps reduce our dependence on oil and for providing local jurisdictions with additional revenue options for supplementary improvements. We strongly agree with the governor that Washington needs to ‘build a transportation system that’s better than the other guys’; but that means we must do more than repair the crumbling relics of the past. Across America and around the world, cities, states and countries are investing in and prioritizing their bicycle, pedestrian and transit networks because they are the key to prosperity in the economy of the future; Washington must do the same.”
“Especially during these challenging economic times, if we are going to spend billions of limited taxpayer dollars on our transportation system, we must do more than tread water and maintain the status quo,” said Craig M. Benjamin, Policy and Government Affairs Manager for Cascade. “We should make smart, cost-effective investments that maximize the movement of people and goods in Washington state. Bicycle, pedestrian and transit projects reduce congestion and our dependence on oil, create more jobs than highway construction, improve public health, provide Washingtonians with more options to safely get where they need to go and prepare our state for the future. We thank Gov. Gregoire for starting this important conversation and look forward to working with the legislature and the governor to balance this package with adequate funding for the Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety, Safe Routes to School, Complete Streets & Main Street Highways and Regional Mobility grant programs.”
For more on the plan, see the stories at Seattle Transit Blog and the Seattle Times.
Below is the governor’s transportation plan brief (note that there is literally no mention of walking or biking in this document about the state’s “critical needs”):
More on the plan:
connectwa
Original Page: http://seattlebikeblog.com/2012/01/11/governor%e2%80%99s-3-6-billion-transpo-plan-makes-no-mention-of-walking-and-biking/
Ebert writes pretty accurately about why movie theatres are losing revenues.
We used to have a GREAT low-priced theatre in the small town I live in. New owners took over, raised prices to near-"big city" levels, and told its audience to deal with it. We're going far less often as a result.
Here are my favorite album releases from 2011. I'm keeping this list short, because there are heads-and-shoulders winners here.
5. The Roots - Undun
I liked this one at first, but the more I relisten the more I get out of it. Undun is The Great Hip-Hop Opera, a concept album with a deep story. This one will be on a lot of favorites lists 10+ years from now.
Spin did a great interview with drummer/bandleader ?uestlove about the album and the band's approach.
4. Wilco - The Whole Love
Wilco's albums are love-or-leave. Because Wilco has been so many bands over its lifespan, and because they aim high, their fans can find a lot to fault in the band's continuing stylistic changes. I love the shift to a more electronic and less rock-story Wilco in this album. That's mostly because genius guitarist Nels Cline shines in the opening track, "The Art of Almost", and his influence on the band is growing. He's truly impressive as a musician, and I say that as somebody who tends not to like free jazz, which is Cline's home. (Bonus listen, though - explore the Nels Cline Singers' Initiate
And Jeff Tweedy's lyrics are as good as ever and perhaps more positive than they've been for quite a while.
3. Dawes - Nothing is Wrong
I ran into Dawes in several end-of-year lists and have been crazy in love with their sound. One such list was this one from American Songwriter, which in addition to Jason Isbell also named Wilco and Drive-By Truckers to their Top 10, and count those folks as fine songwriters also. So I paid attention finally.
Writers call Dawes' vibe "that Laurel Canyon sound", reminiscent of The Band, the Byrds, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young. I can hear some of that in the warm flow, but mostly I hear earnest roots rock with good vocals, nice lyrics and a great sounding Telecaster.
I'm told that Dawes is a better live band than they are on the album. I'm looking forward to finding out.
2. Drive-By Truckers - Go-Go Boots
Three-guitar, three-songwriter Southern Rock lives!
As a good intro to this album, listen to the track "Used To Be A Cop". If you like that song - the lyrical story, the powerful aggression, the groove - you'll love the Truckers. Or listen to the title track, or recently-departed bassist Shonna Tucker's haunting take on Eddie Hinton's "Where's Eddie", or laconic crooner/guitarist Mike Cooley's sly wit in "Cartoon Gold". It's not DBT's best album by a long shot, but it's a darn fine one.
Here's a video of Used to Be a Cop:
and Cooley doing a pre-recorded Cartoon Gold:
See this band live if you have the chance. Bring earplugs.
1. Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit - Here We Rest
The new album by Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit came released on the same day as Alison Krauss & Union Station's album. I'm a huge fan of AKUS, but I think I've listened to their new album a few times all year, and Here We Rest is by far my favorite album of '11.
Jason Isbell may be tagged as "formerly of the Drive-By Truckers", but this new band stands powerfully on its own. Isbell is the best songwriter on the scene today, standing out in a year that saw releases by Drive-By Truckers, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Lucinda Williams and Wilco, all of whom are giants in their genres. Isbell writes lyrics that stick with you (and the songs grow well.
Here's the opening stanza of the album's opening track, Alabama Pines:
I moved into this room, if you could call it that, a week ago.
I never do what I'm supposed to do.
I hardly even know my name anymore.
When no one calls it out, it kinda vanishes away.
Like his former bandmates in the Drive-By Truckers, Isbell can tell a heck of a story in song lyrics. Heck, just go read the lyrics, and then listen.
The band came to Seattle (twice, but I caught them the first time through). I photographed the band and posted images here. http://www.ishootyoulive.com/Music/Live/Jasn-Isbell-and-400-Unit/
Very honorable mention: Damien Jurado
Seattle alt-folk genius Damien Jurado is finishing up an album that will release in 2012. That's good news, but the amazing preview of the first track from that album is my favorite tease of things to come. Treat yourself and download "Nothing is the News" from the upcoming Maraqopa here.
Preview of Things to Come: Pickwick
I can't stop talking about these guys. Partly because they're friends of mine, but mostly because 2011 has been the Year of Pickwick in Seattle indie music. Half of the photos at my photo site are of Pickwick, including this set from their sold-out show at the Neptune Theatre: http://www.ishootyoulive.com/Music/Live/Pickwick-12-8-2011-Neptune/
Local music blog Sound on the Sound recorded a video at the beginning of what was a rocket year for the band - and they've grown a lot since. But this will give you a sense of who they are:
http://www.soundonthesound.com/2011/01/19/live-from-the-basement-pickwick/
SotS ended the year with this great description:
Pickwick simply puts on a hell of a show. They defy expectation with their sound, their Star Wars-centered banter, by getting Ballard Ave (and beyond) to dance, and the pipes on Galen Disston. Dark doo-wop and call-and-response songs about death and destruction both physical and spiritual, often inspired by musical heroes of the band (Sam Cooke, Michael Jackson, Richard Swift) — Pickwick writes smart songs and put on performances that manage to appeal to my two month old niece, my nearly 70 year old parents, Seattle’s alt-weeklies and the managers from all over the country who clamored to sign them this summer. On the strength of these shows, hooks for miles, and the broadness of that appeal, Pickwick has gone from opening shows to 30 people to being asked to summer festivals and headlining a sold-out 1,000 person Neptune Theater, in just a year. In 2012, with their first major tours on the horizon and their debut full length to be released (likely on whatever label is lucky enough to be chosen by the band), I foresee the same pattern playing out all over the country … only skipping that whole playing to 30 people in towns they’ve never visited and it happening much, much faster. (abbey)
They've gotten love from indie music powerhouse KEXP.org, just finished recording their first full-length LP with Richard Swift, and they'll be showing up at festivals near you in 2012. I can't wait.
https://www.facebook.com/music/playlist/Pats-Top-5-Albums-of-2011/10151092400...
I live in North Bend, WA, in the mountains east of Seattle. I work as a software engineer, photographer, writer, teacher, spiritual director and social media consultant.
I live in North Bend, WA, in the mountains east of Seattle. I work as a software engineer, photographer, writer, teacher, spiritual director and social media consultant.
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