March 17, 2004

It's Not Easy Being Green

Well, it's Dead Dad Day--I mean St. Patrick's Day--again. I don't feel like writing about it this year, this day that sneaks up on everyone else each year as they look for the obnoxious green sweater stashed in the bottom drawer of some out-of-the-way dresser.

I've lived this day every day for the last 36 years, between moments and among seconds that carry me forward. And of course, many of you have lived it with me, in so many posts, on any given day, a random Tuesday perhaps, when the sun insists on jabbing me between the ribs, urging me to just be happy, come on, will ya? it's a nice day out here.

Some wounds need no medical attention because there is no remedy--they simply become part of your constitution.

03/17/02

03/17/03

Father

School of the Dead - Orientation

School of the Dead 1

School of the Dead 2

School of the Dead 3

School of the Dead 4

School of the Dead 5

School of the Dead 6

Children's Grief

The Living Dead

I Hear You Hear Me

Nina June

Panic Remembered

The Revelation

March Madness

Being Dad, Being Mom

You Don't Have to Die to Live Up to His Image

The Piano

Attention Defecit

The Body Bears the Burden

Freeze Frame

Grieving

What I Don't Remember








March 15, 2004

RageBoy Got Engaged!

Or so says Eric.

Cracking the Egg

In other DeanNews, Dean Landsman wonders a.) if there would have been weblogs if not for Dave Winer's initial vision and product push, and b.) what the purpose is for the blog chicks session at the upcoming conbloggercon.

I'm glad that Lisa and team are doing the women and blogs roundtable at bloggercon, specifically because it's bloggercon, and if you know those who float around the meniscus of bloggercon, you too would be glad women have a foothold there.

The point for me isn't to question whether or not there's a women and weblogs session at bloggercon. It's to question why we insist on capturing and locking weblogging up inside our stupid old business-as-usual rituals, like conferences, which blogging is really an antidote for. By joining us together through conversation in a space that is anything but physical, blogging is different. Why can't we just let that be so?

No one (except maybe the product folks) grabbed on to blogging because they thought one day they might get to sit on a panel of influential business people. We grabbed onto weblogging because it was the answer to the kind of back-patting traditional snoresville we'd had to suffer in business.

That's not to say I don't think bloggercon will be fun. I know it will be--for crying out loud--you have bloggers there! What's not to be fun about that! Stealth discoing and stuff. That's funny. I dig that.

But I continue to fight the trend I see for us to get a little too carried away with our bad selves, ladies and gentleman.

Happy Birthday, Dean!

DeanLand.WebLogs.Com : BIRTHDAY 52

Orkut told me--It's Dean's birthday today! Happy b-day Dean!

The Passion of the Bin Laden

How many evengelical Christians would have flocked to see The Passion if the actor playing Christ looked more like Osama Bin Laden than a Vietnam Vet? I'll tell you how many. Lots less.

How many would have had to look into their own souls a little bit harder after seeing the selfless suffering of a man of color and compassion realizing that he is indeed their Lord and Savior, but he isn't from Plymouth Rock? Too many, that's how many.

Too many for the movie to make an impact on the RIGHT people. Too many for the movie to make millions (and counting).

The truth about Gibson's The Passion is that it is little more than a white lie.

March 14, 2004

Panel on Being White in Dull Colors--Don't Miss It!

This SXSW (south by so white) panel is apparently addressing the emergent trend of white people to dress in dull colors.

I hear Halley may fly out there in her fucia sweater to demonstrate how white people can effectively add color to any outfit. She will be bringing one of Shelley's brilliant flowers with her to share as a best practice in color mapping.

As for adding any real color to these conferences, well, that'd be interesting.

Power to the People

In a fit of conference cluelessness dejour, the attendees of SXSW were required to pay $90 to hook up to power. But all's well now since the bloggers there asked, WTF SXSW? I hear cameras are also prohibited, but that hasn't stopped some folks.

Good. Conference freaks, rockon. We'll save you a place on the phone, where you are allowed to tape, take pictures, and plug into your household outlets (cordless only).

Burningbird: Magic of Orchids

Shelley's Burningbird: photos of flowers are nothing short of erotic. Look. The insides unfold in curls, welcoming the fuzz and stingers of bees. What you're looking at, sweetness unfurling, flower tongues, and open arms.

It's rare to see the shere joy, magic, and poignence of nature captured in a shutter-click, an ordinary flower on an ordinary day evoking extraordinary emotions.

No one does this like Shelley.