Robot "Love?"

In 2004, I went to the theater with a friend to see the movie "Stepford Wives." Even before I had seen the movie, I had some understanding of the basic story concept since my mother had seen the 1975 version of the movie.

The story, a slightly creepy dark comedy, explores several interesting ideas. What if a human being could be robotically programmed to "love" you? Would that love be rewarding if the person's will was not involved? Similar themes have been explored in other ways such as in the movie "Love Potion Number 9." What if someone loved you but only because that person was under the influence of a potion?

Sandra Bullock and Tate Donovan in "Love Potion Number 9."

"Stepford Wives" also explores another "what if." What if a human being could be robotically programmed to do all the perfect things? The person's natural weaknesses and flaws would be erased. The person would be "perfect," but the person's will is not involved. How rewarding could this arrangement be?

The Female Improvement System



Although the 2004 "Stepford Wives" movie explores the husband and wife relationship, with the wife as robot, the '70's series of movies included "Stepford Children" and "Stepford Husbands," so the same concept could be applied to artificially perfect husbands and children. If your wife or husband, son or daughter hugged you, but only because they were programmed to do so, would it be as rewarding as if it were an act of the will? Planting computer chips in human brains is a bit far-fetched for real life, but other mind control devices such as brainwashing and hypnosis are not.

Sometimes experts in hypnosis persuade people to do goofy things they wouldn't normally do for our entertainment. I personally would never volunteer for such an experiment, but at the same time, I confess I have found watching these experiments entertaining and disturbing at the same time. Below is a man hypnotising members of an audience at a state fair. Notice that one of the girls is convinced she is in love with the hypnotist and wants to hug him.



On the subject of robotics, I've been doing a bit of reading as research for some of my fiction writing. Some roboticists are interested in making robots as human-like as possible. This Japanese humanoid robot below, HRP-4C, sings and dances while imitating human-like mouth and head movements and human breathing.



The "Daily Mail" online, on June 12 of this year, had an article about this "last moment" robot below that could soothe a lonely person who is about to die in lieu of family or friends.

Eddie Wrenn of the "Daily Mail" writes:

"A smooth white robot starts gently rubbing your arm with a swing-saw motion and then, with a metallic voice, says: 'I am the Last Moment Robot. I am here to help you and guide you through your last moment on Earth. 'I am sorry that your family and friends can't be with you right now, but don't be afraid. I am here to comfort you. You are not alone, you are with me. Your family and friends love you very much, they will remember you after you are gone. ' Last moments: The robot gently swings its arm back and forth to simulate a relaxing stroke.

Is this a better way to go than dying alone? Or is it creepy? Is this kind of affection wanted when it is received by placebo, or worse, simply the pre-recorded responses from an unthinking, programmed machine?"

As fascinating as robot technology is, I don't think robots can replace humans in such a personal role, and judging from the reaction to the article, I think most people agree.

On a less creepy note, Connie Francis, in the '60's, sang a light and funny song, but suitable to the theme of this blog, "Robot Man," about how a robot's company would be more reliable than a live date. Here are some actual robots dancing to the song.



Really though, the "Stepford Wives" story plot has always made me think of a theological application. God could have created us, automatically programmed to be morally perfect and to love God as He loves us. He didn't He gave us free will.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16 To believe or not to believe is a choice of our will.

Once we believe, God works with us to morally perfect us. Romans 8:28 a"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son..."

From C.S. Lewis in "Mere Christianity:"

"God created things which had free will. That means creatures which cn either go wrong or right. Some people think they can imagine a creature which was free but had no possibility of going wrong: I can not. If a thing is free to be good, it is also free to be bad. It makes evil possible. Why then did God give us free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having. A world of automata -- of creatures that worked like machines -- would hardly be worth creating. The happiness which God designs for His higher creatures is the happiness of being freely, voluntarily united to Him and to each other in an ecstasy of love and delight compared with which the most rapturous love between a man and a woman on this earth is mere milk and water. And for that they must be free."

"Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and "Mars Needs Moms" -- What These Movies Say About Motherhood

Before I offend some female readers, I think I should preface this blog by saying that I am not opposed to all women's progress accomplished by the feminist movement. I'm glad American women have the right to vote, that we can pursue a number of interesting careers, and, especially personally, that we can write books under our own names rather than Currer Bell(Charlotte Bronte)and George Eliot(Mary Anne Evans.)I'm glad that the 19th century "Bloomers" thought it was a good idea women should have more practical clothing than skirts to our ankles for doing more active things such as riding a bicycle.

I might even agree with some of the issues supported by today's feminists such as in this partial statement from Wikipedia, "Since the 1980s, standpoint feminists have argued that the feminist movement should address global issues (such as rape, incest, and prostitution) and culturally specific issues (such as female genital mutilation in some parts of Africa and the Middle East..."

I do have a problem with ultra-feminism, where women want to be superior and not just equal to men, where motherhood and children (particularly unborn children) are devalued. That said, I will point out the anti-feminism themes I see in two movies.

I grew up listening to two Disney movie soundtracks on vinyl record. As the movies were released in the theater before I was born, I was familiar with the soundtracks long before I actually viewed the movies. One was "Mary Poppins." The other was "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang." I love both. The story of "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," as presented in the Disney movie, has so many elements that I enjoy: the Victorian setting, the folk art aesthetic, a family friendly story and an absent-minded inventor/dreamer/visionary main character. It's hard for me to fully express just what I love about this movie.

In recent years, as an adult, I read the original "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" book by Ian Fleming, who is more famous for his James Bond stories. I was disappointed that, aside from the main characters and their ridiculous names like Truly Scrumptious and Caractacus Potts (perhaps to imply Cracked Pot) and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the flying car, the book had absolutely no resemblance to the movie whatsoever. The plot is entirely different. There is no trip to Vulgaria, no Baron and Baroness Bomburst and no children banned to the underground. I have to confess I like the Disney movie plot better.

As an adult, however, I see something different in the movie than I saw as a youth. Children are outlawed in Vulgaria. The baroness who rules the land recoils from children as if they were mice or vermin.

This makes me think of China where there is a two child limit per household, and children are aborted to keep the number under this quota. But it also makes me think of the selfish ultra-feminist who devalues children as an inconvenience, who treats the unborn child as an extension of the mother's body, a lump of unfeeling flesh to be disposed of if it's inconvenient. She has the right to abort, because "It's my body" as if aborting a baby was something like trimming hair or nails. Clearly, there are two bodies involved.

A sixteen-week-old baby in utero

I have some past experience as a child care worker, and I saw an ugly side to motherhood there too, as did the writers of "The Nanny Diaries," a selfish motherhood that puts career above all else, where children are shuffled from one program to the next, to before-care, then school, then after-care to ballet or karate class. I cared for affection-starved children who wanted me to hug and cuddle them and asked me, "Pretend you're my mom."

The fact that the child-hating baroness is the villain, and the story is in favor of the children, seems to me to have a parallel to a pro-life and pro-children message, whether or not that was the intention of the Disney writers.

The other more recent movie where I saw a subtle anti-feminist message was in "Mars Needs Moms." Other reviewers saw just the opposite, but since this female-dominated world (on Mars) is presented in a negative not positive light, I see it as taking a different stance. Although perhaps it could be stated that children viewing the movie might not be able to see the subtlety.

In the female-dominated world of Mars, young girls are raised by nanny-bots, not mothers, and young boys are thrown into the trash heap where they are raised by the "hairy tribe guys." I have to think that the script writers are making a point about ultra-feminism and not a positive one.

In the end, they discover a cave painting that shows "two parents," showing that in the past Mars had a family structure more similar to that on Earth. They had forgotten about a mother's care and love for her children and the need for children to have two parents. One critical reviewer disliked the fact that the word "father" is never mentioned specifically in the movie. I can understand that, but perhaps the point was that this society had degraded to such a point they no longer understood what "father" was. However, the point of the movie seems to be that two parents is a good thing rather than otherwise.

The fact that the young boys are treated so differently than girls in the Mars society is, of course, disturbing. I remember (not verbatim) the disdainful line that the villainous matriarch of the society makes about young boys, "always laughing and playing." There does seem to be a similar prejudice in our modern society about active and excitable young boys.

I was talking some months ago to a female friend of mine who is the mother of two teenaged boys. She mentioned a female educator who unfairly made things difficult for her sons on a number of occasions and had the nerve to announce during a public ceremony that she "hated boys." Really? It reminded me of stories my own mother has told me about when my oldest brother was in elementary school. My poor brother who was a quiet, well-behaved boy who was far from being hyper was getting stomach aches from the stress his teacher put on him and the boys in his class in general. She screamed and yelled in a paranoid way even when they were behaved, and one time, my mother caught her in the act and understood my brother's stress.

Why are so many children, especially boys, labelled ADD and ADHD? It may not be natural to every boy (or girl,)especially at a young age, to sit quietly in school for hours on end. I tend to think, and this is just my opinion, that these levels of energy are more basic and normal human differences. Why is the active child "abnormal" and needs a label and a prescription for Ritalin? If these children are so abnormal, why are there so many of them? There may be some cases where medication is needed, where the problem has some root in some neurological abnormality, but I don't believe it's a good thing to label a child because he exhibits some unwanted traits or to give out Ritalin as a panacea.

The throwaway children in both movies, the underground children in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and the trash heap boys in "Mars Needs Moms", makes me think of another social problem that is not a direct result of feminism, street children in Peru. The problem comes as a result of the breakdown of the family, as much from problematic fathers as problematic mothers, but the boys in the trash heap of Mars make me think of the boys in the trash heaps of Peru. My pastor has written a book, Habitations of Cruelty, about this very problem and other problems affecting the world's children. There are, I believe a preponderance of street children in other nations as well, but my church in particular has concerned itself with the street boys of Peru, supporting an organization called Centro Shama.

From the Centro Shama website,

"Only in Lima it is calculated that approximately 1500 to 2000 boys, girls and adolescents, with the age among 6 to 17 years, are living in the street. This phenomenon is consequence of the family crisis that we experience, the increment of disfunctioning families, extreme poverty, migration to Lima, that during the last two decades ascended to exorbitant percentages, the crisis of values that our society experience and the infantile abuse, that every day is increasing. All this causes, that every day a boy escapes from his house."

I'm so happy that my church supports the shelter, care and rehabilitation of these children at Centro Shama.

Women's Beauty, Photoshop and the Pursuit of an Ideal

Here is Keira Knightly in a poster for the movie "King Arthur" before and after Photoshopping. In the Photoshopped poster, her waist shrunk and her bust grew. According to an article by Dana Macario on MSNBC News online, "Concerned that the perfect images of celebrities we see every day are affecting kids' self-esteem, the Brits are fighting back. As part of a Body Confidence campaign, the government is urging parents to teach their kids about altered images." The British government is apparently providing youth with downloadable pamphlets showing images altered with Photoshop, concerned these ideal images would be damaging to self esteem and put girls under extraordinary pressure to measure up.

There are some videos I've seen put out by Dove, the soap company, that show similar transformations of models going through the entire process of beauty, make-up, photos and then all of the Photoshop retouching to the photos. They are astonishing to watch. This model, prior to this rigorous routine, actually seems to look much more like an every day "ordinary" woman.



I'm not suggesting women "let themselves go." I'm all in favor of women doing all they can within reasonable means to look their personal best which may include proper diet, exercise, makeup, choosing clothes that are flattering and so forth. Clearly though, some women, and young teen girls especially, go through turmoil in their pursuit of perfection and develop self-harmful behaviors like anorexia and bulimia. I also believe that plastic surgery, except for cases such as in correcting a birth defect or damage from an accident, is also going to harmful extremes in the pursuit of beauty.

Women have been distorting and crippling their bodies throughout history in the pursuit of a beauty considered ideal by the culture of the time. There was the practice of foot binding that took place in China up until the early 20th century. It stunted foot growth and caused women to hobble. I apologize for this painful photo below.

Some would say today's high heeled shoes and pointy toed shoes for women are also potentially damaging to the feet.

From Stylite.com on January 25 of this year, "In results published last week in 'The Journal of Applied Physiology,' the scientists found that heel wearers moved with shorter, more forceful strides than the control group, their feet perpetually in a flexed, toes-pointed position. This movement pattern continued even when the women kicked off their heels and walked barefoot. As a result, the fibers in their calf muscles had shortened and they put much greater mechanical strain on their calf muscles than the control group did." This information, by the way, has not prevented me from wearing heels, but neither do I wear them every day and for every occasion.

In Victorian times, bustles and corsets were used to enhance and create an unnatural silhouette. Look at this "Gibson girl" with her corseted waist. Does this not look painful? No wonder the women in Victorian novels are prone to fainting.

Much of what we see in Hollywood today is "fake" or artificially enhanced beauty, as so many celebrity women, the ones that are considered "bombshells," received their unnatural proportions through surgical enhancement. As harmful as this is to young girls, I think it may also be just as harmful to men. Even men who choose to avoid pornography -- it's easy enough to stumble across it accidentally on the Internet -- could be more subtly influenced by the media in unrealistic expectations of female beauty.

Assorted Thoughts on Reading Inspired by C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis is a personal hero of mine for his imaginative writing and his theological writing, spiritual insights, deep thinking, studious nature and many other reasons. He was also a voracious reader all his life, starting in childhood.

"You could never get a cup of tea large enough or a book large enough to suit me."

I can relate to this, can you? I am continuously reading. I constantly desire to enrich my mind and learn and explore new things or just appreciate the beauty of language and storytelling. Now that I have a Kindle, I can carry a large library with me everywhere. Some evenings, I go from my office to restaurants for dinner and then to municipal meetings at night.(I'm a reporter.)So, my Kindle is my companion when I eat solo or when I have a waiting period before the meeting starts or when the municipal council goes into a closed session. Council people will approach me and ask in a friendly way, "What are you reading today?"

I've heard many people say they prefer traditional books made from paper to the Kindle or the Nook, and I can understand those feelings somewhat. I would never want these contraptions to completely replace traditional books. However, it is much easier to carry around a "large book" such as Lewis liked around on a Kindle than tote around, say, "War and Peace" to read on your lunch break (which I actually did at a former job.)Toting "War and Peace" might be just as much exercise for the body as for the mind.

I only half-agree with Lewis on the tea part though. I'm an American but have a bit of the Anglophile about me. I adore pretty tea cups and teapots, and I do drink tea fairly often. My favorites are Darjeeling and Earl Grey. This said, I prefer coffee. So, this mug with a similar quote is perhaps more personally suitable.

I remember how inspired I was after reading Lewis's autobiography, "Surprised by Joy," reading just how voraciously Lewis read growing up. I remember reading how his family never borrowed books from libraries but always bought them and how they did not put any limitations on what books he could read. He did some pretty ambitious reading at a young age. Books were stashed in odd places throughout the house, even stacked on the stairs. This photograph I found on Pinterest reminded me of it.

I don't recommend this book storage system. I don't have a husband, but I think this would drive a husband berserk. As a single, I would still want friends and guests, and this, I would imagine, would drive your friends and guests berserk too. As much as I love books, I love people more. Still, it makes quite an interesting visual.

I've made such a hero of Lewis that, when I read about the books that inspired him, I have a desire to read those same writers and books. So, in recent years, I have explored George MacDonald and G.K.Chesterton like the books listed below.

I also have an interest in reading books written by the other Inklings, Lewis's writing friends, such as Tolkien.

I don't read these writers exclusively, but Lewis's example to me has inspired me to read more, to read more books of great quality and to keep book lists of the works I read each year.

This brings me to another quote of his.

One of my goals is to read more.

1) Read more good books.

2)Write good books. Finish what you start. Publish to Kindle.

3)Exercise more.

4)Lose weight.

5)Work on my weaknesses. Develop, with God's help, those positive traits that don't come naturally to my personality type. I am, by the way, a phlegmatic.

What are your goals?

Primitive Art and Child Art -- Miro vs. Olmstead

A friend of mine recently talked to me about surrealist artist Joan Miro and said, "It looked like something a five-year-old would draw." Looking at this one, the painting "Sonnens" above, I tend to agree with my friend. It certainly looks like something a five-year-old would do. Actually, come to think of it, it reminds me somewhat of Wall-E from the Pixar movie, only Wall-E was much more skillfully rendered. It hardly took the skill to make this painting as it did for Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel or sculpt the "David," so it does make you wonder how this is just as museum worthy as Michelangelo.

Anyone else see a resemblance?



According to Wikipedia,"Earning international acclaim, his work has been interpreted as Surrealism, a sandbox for the subconscious mind, a re-creation of the childlike, and a manifestation of Catalan pride. In numerous interviews dating from the 1930s onwards, Miró expressed contempt for conventional painting methods as a way of supporting bourgeois society, and famously declared an 'assassination of painting' in favor of upsetting the visual elements of established painting." So, "childlike" is actually mentioned in one of the opening paragraphs of the article. Obviously, my friend and I are not the only ones who've made such an observation.

Just like not all Picasso's paintings were cubist and some had more realism, for example, "The Old Man with Guitar," so Miro does have a few paintings that show a little bit more realism. I can't say the painting below, "Painting of Toledo" looks like something a five-year-old would do. It is a bit of a surrealist landscape with the unnatural colors and wavy lines in the foreground, and even the more realistic building is only semi-realistic, but I don't mind it quite so much. As a whole, it makes me think of some of the Post-Impressionists like Van Gogh or Cezanne. I can see it as a stylistic sort of illustration for, say, a fantasy story of some sort. When my focus is on the foreground, I'm reminded more of psychedelic art.



Many of Miro's paintings I've observed are more similar to the one below, "The Red Sun," an abstract and odd assortment of peculiar shapes with a lot of use of primary colors. His paintings may show a sense of balance and a use of vibrating color, but there is not an incredible amount of skill involved that is different or superior than what a lot of other artists could easily do. According to www.joanmiro.com, "Joan Miro had a very eccentric style that is the embodiment of his unique approach to his artwork." I suppose that's what is unique about him, that he defined his own style, one that may be as difficult to imitate convincingly as some individual's quirky handwriting. I wonder if anyone has tried to forge an "undiscovered" Miro? His quirky style is, however, not something I prefer. Much of the modern art in museums seem more like philosophical statements, in his case maybe the "assassination of art," than works of superior skill.



Recently, I have read about a six-year-old abstract artist, Maria Olmstead, who is selling her paintings for big bucks. When it comes to Miro vs. Olmstead, I prefer the actual child paintings to the childlike Miro paintings.

This is not something the average six-year-old paints. For instance,I remember a painting my nephew Bill created as a child where colors were swirled together and turned into a muddy puddle. No offense to Bill. His skills lie elsewhere, in math and in computer programming. :) Olmstead's painting style may not be realistic, and it may be somewhat random, but it is also a very pleasing pattern of texture and color. There is, I think, a place for that in the world of art and design. Below is her painting "Lollipop House."


I do realize that artistic preferences are somewhat subjective. "Lollipop House" is not likely a painting I would love to have framed on my wall, because my preference for wall art is more representational than abstract. It is something that I feel would be a great design for any number of textiles or fabrics, rugs, scarves, etc., where the design is repeated over a large surface. What is your preference, child artist Olmstead or childlike artist Miro?

My Mystery Novel "Soundtrack" Playlist

I am writing a mystery story currently called "More Than Meets the Eye: A Jack Donegal Novella." I hope to finish it and publish directly to Kindle soon. My hero, Jack Donegal, a quirky but lovable toy inventor, stumbles into a mystery when he purchases an antique teddy bear at auction with his marketing assistant, Andy Westin. There are dangers, comical misadventures, lots of techno gadgetry and even spy intrigue.



I was surprised by how many songs I mentioned in the context of the story. Often, when I write fiction, I have a soundtrack in my mind to go along with it, as if my story, in written form, was a movie.

But, in my current story, almost all of the playlist songs are mentioned by name in the context of the story. At times, they play an actual part in the plot! But, at other times, they are merely mentioned in passing by the story's narrator, Andy Westin. So, on Youtube, I made a "soundtrack" for my mystery story thus far. Who knows? Maybe, there will be more songs woven into my story by the time I am done.

The songs mentioned are basically all over the musical map, I mean really, very widely varied. Part of the reason for that is that my musical interests are very widely varied, and another reason is that several of them are mentioned in comical contexts. It is, after all, a comedy mystery.

Song #1) "If You're Going To San Francisco" by Scott McKenzie -- The beginning of the story is set in San Francisco, and well, yes, it is mentioned in a comical context. Trust me. :) I know it was never meant to be comical, but this song just makes me laugh anyway.

Song #2)"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" by the Beatles.(I used the Bono version in my playlist.) I hate the reference to LSD in this song, but, here, it is used in reference to someone with "kaleidoscope eyes."

Song #3)"Mission Impossible Theme" Jack and Andy are on a mission impossible!

Song #4)"The Major General Song" from "Pirates of Penzance." I can't give all my secrets away, but it is fitting (and funny.)I told you we were all over the musical map.

Song #5)"Bad Boys" by Bob Marley. Jack and Andy are after some bad boys! Whether the bad boys are coming after Jack and Andy or Jack and Andy are coming after them is the question.

Song #6)"Hit Me With Your Best Shot" by Pat Benatar, "One Way or Another" by Blondie. In my playlist, the two are combined in a medley by Glee.

Song #7)"What's the Matter with Kids Today?" from "Bye Bye Birdie." It is just mentioned in passing.

Song #8)"Three Little Birds" by Connie Talbot (cover of Bob Marley song.) I actually had this in a spot where my male heroes were comforting their female friend, Ellen, encouraging her not to worry, but I switched it for another song. I kept it in the Youtube playlist though.

Song #9)"Watermelon Man" by Herbie Hancock. I love this one. :)

Song #10)"Smooth Criminal" by 2Cellos (cover of Michael Jackson song.) Jack would rather be a slightly inept superhero than a smooth criminal.

Song #11)"Escher's World" by Chagall Guevara. Escher (and some other artists) have some importance in the story.

Song #12)"The Last of the Secret Agents" by Nancy Sinatra. Cute song. Funny lyrics. I like the part, "I never had to slap his face," as my gentle hero is, by no means, any kind of a James Bond womanizer.

The playlist is embedded here. You should be able to flip from one song to the next. A few seem not to work in the playlist, but you should be able to skip to the next one on the list. I may replace the few that don't play at a future time.

Pride, Prejudice and Penitence

One summer not too long ago, I was walking along the boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey, getting acquainted with a new friend. We had traveled with a mutual friend. He asked me a deep question, what from my past did I regret the most. I had a hard time thinking of something at first. I think my friend was expecting I might have a terrible story of rebellion in my youth, but really, I don't have any such stories. I've never been drunk. I've never experimented with drugs. I've maintained my purity. After a time, I did think of something in my childhood that I regretted. It was not something that continuously nagged at me -- I believe God has forgiven me -- but it is something that I remember with pain when I recall it. At times, I want to travel back in a time machine to replay the scenario a different way. It has to do with how, in my easygoing and people-pleasing nature, I was sometimes manipulated into doing things I wouldn't normally get involved in.



In the community where I grew up, I had almost no exposure to people of color. My first exposure to black people was probably through television, through shows like "The Jeffersons," "Sanford and Son," "What's Happenin'," "Good Times" and maybe even Bill Cosby's "Fat Albert." In some of the neighboring towns that abut my own, the demographics would have been quite a bit different, but in my grade school, there were no black students whatsoever. Later, when I moved to the next neighboring town at age twelve, out of a class of 100 seventh grade students, there was one black boy. My first significant black friend was a boy I met in the eighth grade through a parachurch Bible study group. He was from the Dominican Republic and liked me very much. He would have liked to date me if I was able, but I was young, younger then he was by three or four years,and not allowed to date.

But further back in my childhood, when I was perhaps eight or nine years old, for a short while, there was a black girl my own age who lived in my neighborhood. I never saw her in school, since she attended a private Catholic school in town; however, she lived just around the block from me. A school friend, whose backyard was adjacent to mine, had befriended her, and there was one occasion when the three of us played together. The other two, my backyard friend and this girl, got into a fight at some point. I no longer have any recollection of what started it or what the cause of the conflict was.

What I do remember was that I was somehow manipulated into taking the role of the middle man, delivering hateful messages from one girl to the other. Each stayed in her own yard, and I walked back and forth carrying messages. One girl would tell me, "I'm not talking to her, but tell her (blank) for me." One of the messages to our black friend included the use of the "n" word...nigger. I remember qualifying it by saying, "This isn't me saying this, but she says..." And, I'll admit that I was an equal opportunity insulter, that is, I was being diplomatic in delivering the insulting messages from both sides.

Why would I participate in this? I'm not sure. Maybe, initially, I thought I might be able to play the peacemaker, but, of course, it worked out quite differently. It afflicted my conscience at the time, especially the use of the "n" word, even repeating it as the neutral messenger. Most likely my cooperation was due to the fact that the nature of my friendship to my backyard friend was a strange one. You might even call it an abusive relationship. She would take advantage of my placid nature by manipulation and sometimes made threats or became violent when I did not cooperate with her. Still, I wish now I'd had the backbone to stay out of it, or if I did interfere, to use more of a peacemaking effort rather than repeating the words like some sort of messenger parrot. I was being a pushover. So, this is one regret that brings me pain when I remember it.

On a different note, I remember when my nephew, Micah, who grew up in Maine, saw his first black person while on a family trip with us to the Statue of Liberty.



Like my early childhood, Micah did not see any black people where he lived. He was only two or three years old, and as he was too young to understand rules of etiquette or that it's impolite to stare, he stood gazing at this man with wide eyes as if to say "I've never seen someone who looked like you before!" My brother, Micah's father, was beginning to feel embarrassed. Happily, the man who was the object of his stares was not at all embarrassed and chatted with my little nephew in a friendly manner. My brother was pleased that this first experience for Micah was a positive one that did not instill in him any negative feelings of awkwardness.

The best book I've ever read on race or racisim is "One Blood." I read it while I was writing my novel, "And the Violin Cried," which deals with anti-Semitism. It is the opinion of the authors that there is no such thing, scientifically speaking, as race. There is only the human race. The whole concept of race, and, in fact, racism, by implying that different races evolved from different types of monkeys at different rates, is influenced by Darwinism and evolutionary theory. It is this evolutionary theory that inspired Hitler to feel as he did towards the Jews and the blacks. The Bible has a much more favorable view on humankind.

The Mystery of the Cross

(I'm republishing a book review I wrote in 2009, so the book is no longer a recent release.)

I was one of those strange people that liked my freshman requirement humanities class at Cedarville University, in spite of numerous warnings from other students. Later, as a Gibbs College student, art history was again a subject of interest. So, when author, Judith Couchman, was looking for blog reviewers for her new book, “The Mystery of the Cross: Bringing Ancient Christian Images to Life,” the idea intrigued me and I volunteered.

Couchman is the author of many Bible study books, including several my girlfriends and I have studied together from the “Women of Faith” series: ones on Mary (mother of Jesus,) Deborah, Esther and Ruth. She is also a part-time art history professor at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. Her new book explores the history of Christian art, specifically cross images.

Certainly, the book could appeal to anyone interested in art, but it would not be quite right to say it was simply an art history book. “The Mystery of the Cross” could be a lesson in Christian church history, a Bible study book and a devotional book as well.

Her writing style is interesting and descriptive; you will not get the feeling of reading a dry textbook. Although it relates to art and several specific pieces are mentioned, it is not full of color images but there are plenty of black and white sketches and photos throughout. The book is divided into seven major sections with several short chapters organized under each. Each of these chapters focuses on a specific art object, explores its historical context, and from this, Couchman draws illustrations for an aspect of the Christian life, sharing Scripture verses.

Couchman’s first chapter even discusses the cross image in pre-Christian times. Counchman thoughtfully states, “Some skeptics claim this ancient sign of the cross disproves Christianity. Because this image recurred in early divergent cultures, they claim Christ’s story wasn’t true; that the first Christians borrowed ‘the cross myth; and its sign from pre-existing religions. But couldn’t the God who oversees the universe and its events have etched the cross image into humanity’s soul before Christ appeared? Could this early sign have prophesied our need for a savior? Perhaps, when the pagan ancients created their own gods and religious signs, they unwittingly patterned the way of Christ.”



Tied in with this thought is something gained from a second book, “The Real Meaning of the Zodiac” by Dr. James Kennedy, Ph.D, in which Kennedy says, “Therefore from the very beginning, God has given a story of His salvation from which have come most of the ancient mythologies and ancient traditions.” Kennedy claims that the constellations have Christian meaning, quoting a verse in Genesis, “And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years…” This is truly a strange thought for someone who has long been taught that the study of astrology is evil. Kennedy doesn’t argue that point, quoting Bible verses that support this idea, but believes that astrology and predicting the future by the stars is a corruption of their original meaning.

The Southern Cross is a decan or minor sign which is sometimes seen and sometimes not seen in the sky at different times and centuries. Kennedy wrote of this, “It is interesting that this constellation, though it is now far to the south from the latitude of Jerusalem, had been seen there for many centuries, but disappeared from view at almost exactly the same time that Christ, the real Sacrifice, died on the cross. It has not been seen there since!”

Reading either book is recommended. Reading Couchman’s book, you will be sure to discover things you never knew or pondered about before. She easily weaves one thought in with another, leading you on a tour of the world’s Christian art treasures and yet bringing to thought Bible lessons and Christian applications for your personal life.

Hobcaw Cafe

Today, I dropped by the Hobcaw Cafe at 20 Grove Street in Verona, New Jersey. Hobcaw Cafe is a unique little spot with a pleasant atmosphere. I sat at a small table facing the self-serve coffee area with an assortment of novelty tea pots on display. On the wall behind me, there is a mural of a lovely beach with pieces of driftwood. When I was a patron for the first time, someone explained to me that the name Hobcaw Cafe comes from Hobcaw Barony in South Carolina, a favorite spot of the owners. They do all their own baking on the premises and serve a nice selection of gourmet sandwiches. But, today, I went for brunch.



I asked for the tea menu. They have a wide selection of gourmet teas and herbal teas available. I asked my server, Kim, for her recommendation. She recommended the toasted coconut apple tea which I had iced. The menu described it as an Indonesian black tea with coconut and apple flavors. My iced tea was lovely, not too sweet and with a recognizable coconut flavor.

From the brunch menu, I selected the black and white French toast. Three thick slices of French toast were arranged on my plate, one black (chocolate,) one white, and another black. I ate my slices in that order. I told the server later that it was a nice combination, that there was one vanilla with the two chocolate, to cut the richness.

My black slice was topped with powdered sugar and mini chocolate chips that were quickly melting. As I cut into it, I was surprised to see how it squashed down into a seeming puddle of chocolate. I forgot that I had read on the menu that it was made with chocolate bread. Someone from the kitchen later informed me that there were large pieces of chocolate baked inside the bread. It must have been these melted chunks that made my bread seem like a pool of chocolate. The richness was, however, not overwhelming. Otherwise, it has a spongy bread texture with chocolate flavor.

The white slice was also enjoyable, between these two richer offerings. It was made with brioche, coated with powdered sugar and had a spongy texture. I could taste more of the egg coating and real vanilla.

If you're local to northern New Jersey, give Hobcaw Cafe a try. It's special and unique, and the service is friendly.

"Brave," Movies and Romance

I went to see "Brave" last night on its opening night. I won't share any "spoilers," but I will share some of my thoughts that sprang from watching the movie. The basic plot, which you might have picked up from commercials or trailers, is that Merida, the princess, must be betrothed. The fiance-to-be must win her hand in an archery contest. There is a running theme of "choosing your own fate," as most of Merida's decisions are made for her in her regimented life as a princess. Without sharing too many plot details, eventually, Merida's mother decides that she should break tradition and let her daughter find love in her own time.

 During the archery scene, there is a lot of silliness with the various suitors showing off, flexing muscles and sometimes acting more clumsy than skilled. Fathers brag on their sons and their supposed macho and military feats. Of course, Merida is not impressed by their braggadocio or bravado.

Strangely enough, this made me think of modern dating in our modern culture. Watching this movie, we somehow sense that this scene, and this method of selecting a mate, is silly. But some modern people's concepts are equally silly, and sometimes, it is mature singles (at least in terms of age) who have silly junior high concepts that we can select a mate just by scanning a sea of faces and picking out the prettiest one.

Why is this? Modern people should have grown up hearing that it's wrong to be shallow and expressions like "Beauty is only skin deep," right? But we've also grown up with movies that glorify the idea of infatuation and promote it as true love, that promote the idea that love is something that will slap us silly some day, that we can't control and that we "fall into."

"Some enchanted evening, you will see a stranger across a crowded room, and somehow you'll know, you'll know even then, somehow you will see her again and again." from "South Pacific"

 I admit I like the "South Pacific" movie for the beautiful music, but some of the romantic concepts are faulty. Even worse than the "across a crowded room" idea with Nellie and Emile is the scene with Lieutenant Joe Cable and the Polynesian Liat. These two do not speak the same language. On first meeting her, Cable says to Liat, "Avez-vous peur?" which is, "Are you afraid?" in French. The next moment, she has thrown herself on him, demonstrating just how unafraid of him she is, and they make out, and, it is implied...they go further. The greater theme in "South Pacific" is overcoming prejudices of various kinds, which I do appreciate. Many of the more recent romance movies are even worse in their depiction of infatuation and shallow relationships, showing people passionate about each other who just barely met.

 Once, while on a dating site, I had a man chatting with me who wanted to meet me right away. I'm pleased to say that I did not agree to meet him. He kept carrying on about how I was "his type," judging from my photo. As surprised as I was that I could be anyone's physical type, I was not impressed by this flattery. I'd rather have someone look at my profile and take this approach, "Hey, I see you like (insert interest here.) So do I!" rather than "Gee, yer perty!" He was also convinced we were made for each other when he found out we both listened to one of the same radio stations, but this is also a bit of a silly conclusion, after talking to someone for only five minutes.

I perused match.com several years ago. I don't think I was ever an official member. I was astonished by one man's profile that included a two paragraph long description of his ideal mate. She had to be Italian and wear her hair a certain way and wear lots of lip gloss. His very long description was purely physical with no listing of personality, values or other inner qualifications. I thought to myself, "How can he expect that such a person, if he finds her, will 1) be attracted to him and 2) be a decent person who shares some compatibility?" This may not be kind, but I hoped he would find such a woman, and she would be his own punishment for having such a foolish idea. A person's looks alone tells you almost nothing of importance. It might tell you something about the person's neatness habits or fitness, but that's all.

I've been reading in "The World's Greatest Love Letters." In one of these historical letters, one man wrote to his wife, "Love is only friendship in a more exalted form." I wish I could recall who wrote that one! (I'll comment later if I can find it.) That, I think, is the best idea, romantic love that has a friendship basis. We can hope that Merida finds love in her own time in this manner. But, how can infatuation be "friendship in an exalted form?" Perhaps, in some cases, if infatuation settles down and matures, it could transform that way.

"Leonardo" Notebooks

I was inspired recently to start a project with a friend, to share a Leonardo-style notebook. Here is my first entry from that shared notebook.

Today, I hatched a crazy idea that will help us both develop our creativity and our writing as well as help us bond.

I've been reading a book called "How to Think Like Leonardo DaVinci" by Michael J. Gelb. DaVinci is a fascinating person to me. He was not only a great artist but a great inventor and a talented genius in all sorts of areas, the reason why, today, a multi-talented person is called a "Renaissance man."

 The concept behind the book I'm reading is not that anybody can learn to be a genius on DaVinci's level but that everybody can learn from DaVinci's approach to learning and creativity. The book makes suggestions for exercises and one of those suggestions is to keep a notebook like DaVinci. You may have seen replicas of his drawings, sketches for his inventions and writings

This reminds me of the time when I read "The Journals of Rachel Scott" years ago. Rachel Scott was one of the teen girls who was killed in the Columbine shooting. Like Cassie Bernall, Rachel Scott was a devout Christian, and her journals illustrate her faith. The published journals we direct replicas of the original, showing both her handwriting and all the doodles and sketches with which she illustrated them. At the time, I also learned that Rachel Scott shared journals with several of her friends. She'd make an entry, exchange the journal with a friend who would write her piece and back and forth. This actually inspired me when I wrote about two female friends in my novel, "And the Violin Cried." The two friends share a journal that is a combination of a journal, sketchbook and scrapbook.

The back cover of one of Rachel Scott's last journals



My youth novel


So, my suggestion is that we combine these ideas and share a Leonardo notebook, Rachel Scott style! We can exchange the notebook every time we see each other and make at least a small entry each day we have it in our keeping.

Like Leonardo's notebook, the notebook should have both textual and visual elements.

Ideas for textual elements: a letter to one another, random thoughts, a poem, a story idea or the beginnings of one, a journal entry about happenings in the day, quotes from a song, Scripture or anything inspirational, slice-of-life writing (Look up Wikipedia article on slice-of-life writing or the lyrics to "Tom's Diner" by Suzanne Vega, an example of slice-of-life writing) or basically anything.

Ideas for visual elements: sketches and doodles (They don't have to super artistic,) a comic strip, a candy wrapper, ticket stubs, a short article clipping, pictures cut from catalogs or magazines...endless possibilities.

Spiritual Thoughts Drawn from "The Avengers"

I went to see "The Avengers" a week or so ago with a female friend. I have to admit that I rarely watch movies featuring comic book characters. It was a strange choice for me, because I barely understand who these characters are, with the exception of the Hulk, since I remember watching the old TV show with the Hulk growing up. I have watched a few of the Spider Man movies and enjoyed those,probably because of the romance in the plot. Yeah...I'm a girl.

My friend and I decided to go for two reasons. One,we simply wanted to watch a movie showing that particular weekend, and this one interested us the most. Secondly, several women we know, who are as girly as we are, had recommended it. I had also read a good review of the movie in "World Net Daily."

In spite of this introduction, and admitting to having no expertise in the area of comic books, I did make some interesting observations in the movie and saw what I thought to be spiritual parallels.

The reviewer for "World Net Daily" pointed out that the movie seemed to be in favor of one God. There is one scene where Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) states, concerning Loki and Thor, "These guys come from legend, Captain. They're basically gods."

Steve Rogers (Captain America) responds,"There's only one God, Ma'am," and then, comically,"And I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that."

There's another scene where Loki demands "worship" from the Hulk. Loki orates, "You are, all of you are beneath me! I am a god, you dull creature,and I shall not be bullied..." Then there is a brief gratifying scene where the Hulk picks up Loki like a rag doll and and whips him around, smashing him into the ground. It's strange to say that I would enjoy this violence, but after such a comment, the audience enjoys seeing the villain put in his proper place. After this, Hulk tells him, "Puny god."

My friend and I were sufficiently creeped out by Loki, which is, of course, how we were supposed to feel, as he is the villain. We were creeped out by his appearance and manner. At one point during the movie, my friend turned to whisper to me and said, "He's like a demon."

I thought there was something to that. Satan, who started out as an angel of God, was thrown from heaven for the sin of pride. Even today,he would like to think of himself as equal to God or a god and demand our worship. So, for me, there was another sense in which he was "like a demon" besides his creepiness.

There is another "worship" type scene in which I saw more of a political implication, which was, perhaps, the intention of the script writers. The scene is in Stuttgart, Germany, and Loki is in front of a crowd.

"Kneel before me," I said. "Kneel! Is this not simpler? Is this not your natural state? The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joys in a mad scramble for power. For identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel."
An old German man stands and says, "Not to men like you."

"There are no men like me," says Loki.

The German man says, "There are always men like you." Of course, I don't think it was coincidental that Captain America is the hero that swoops down at the appropriate moment to save this man.

The Stuttgart setting, I think, is intended to bring Hitler to mind as well as the rest of the political dictators who may have a similar attitude as Loki. So, it was interesting that the hero was Captain America, which seemed to symbolize some American patriotism and the American idea of political freedom.

But there was another scene from which I drew a spiritual parallel. This is the scene where Loki is taunting Black Widow.

Loki asks her, "What is it that you want?"

"It's really not that complicated," she says. "I've got red in my ledger, and I want to wipe it out."

Loki taunts her,"Can you? Can you wipe out that much red?" And later,"Your ledger is dripping, it's gushing red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change that?"

That, again, seems demonic in the sense that Loki is trying to point out her own weakness and her own inability to save herself, to redeem herself by doing enough virtuous deeds to wipe out the evil ones. But this is where the spiritual parallel ends, at least, a theologically correct one.

It's a popular religious misconception that God weighs our good deeds versus our evil deeds to determine if we are worthy of heaven. But,I'm glad God is merciful, knows my weaknesses and knows I can't earn heaven by outweighing my evil deeds with good ones. In Romans 3:10, "As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one." And Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

The solution is much easier."For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV).

"Big Bang" with Less Bangs

  Okay, so I am starting to watch "Big Bang Theory" a bit. I like the idea of a show all about scientific nerds. I don't think all intelligent scientists have all of the particular quirks of this group, but many of the great minds of the past, real inventors, have had their social quirks, and it's a good premise for humor. Plus, each of these guys is an individual, not one exact nerdy stereotype. Now that I am writing about a fictional scientific nerd type, I am enjoying the show (but not plagiarizing.) :)

I just watched the episode where Howard makes the pretense of being a Goth, so that he can pick up a date in a bar. I'm not a fan of the Goth look, and I don't like Howard's ordinary look which I would describe as being very colorful, somewhat incongruous and a little bit of a flashback to the '70's. What I do like about him is that he's his own man and determines his own sense of style. In spite of all this, I thought Howard looked a little more handsome as a Goth than he does usually on the show.

I spent a good deal of the show trying to determine why that was. I think it was because the height in his hair and less hair on his forehead did something complementary for his facial features. I don't like the look of heavy bangs on a woman -- and I had them myself in my childhood -- and I guess I don't like a similar look in a man either. It was very funny to me that I should like a Goth look at all, even in a roundabout sort of way.

I do appreciate the idea that the current fashion trends don't have to determine what everyone wears. In recent times, I think there is more appreciation for a variation of looks and personal expression. If I could no longer find any clothes in stores that I enjoyed wearing, I think I'd learn to sew or commission a tailor.

"My Cousin Vinnie" Panini Sandwich

Yesterday, I dropped by the Saddle Brook Diner on Market Street in Saddle Brook, New Jersey. Usually, the Greek host greets me with a smile that shows he recognizes me and says something friendly in his charming accent. This time, it was a lady who led me to my table for one in the rear.

 The retro atmosphere in the diner is fun. "Navy Blue" by Diane Renay pumped through the sound system as I sat at my table and reviewed the menu. Just behind me, a teddy bear in Harley gear rode a bright red tricycle. Black and white photos of the Rat Pack grace the walls in the opposite corner. As I entered this room, I passed under a curious mural that shows stars like Marilyn Monroe, Elvis and James Dean in blurry form, as if they were there in spirit.

The lunch and dinner specials change daily, and I'm surprised by how exhaustive the menu is. I played "Eenie Meenie Miney Mo" with four selections before finally choosing the "My Cousin Vinnie" panini. I do remember watching the movie by that title some time ago and finding it amusing. Today, I'd have to watch it again to remind myself of the plot. The panini, however, did have a wonderful combination of Italian flavors as suggested by its creative name.

 It featured mozzarella cheese, broccoli rabe, roasted garlic, juicy slices of Italian sausage and pieces of roasted red pepper. I understood the pepper at first to be red pepper flakes, maybe because of a reference in the menu to "sprinkling." The broccoli rabe made it too difficult to pick up and eat. It was more of a knife and fork sandwich. The slight bitterness of the broccoli rabe is wonderfully combined with the savory sausage and cheese and mild sweetness of the roasted garlic.

The lunch special came with a soup or salad option and a dessert option of Jell-O, pudding or ice cream. In spite of the nearly 100 degree weather, I chose the matzoh ball soup. I love how one matzoh ball just about occupies all available space in the cup and is soaked up with the broth flavor. A small cup of chocolate ice cream was a smart choice concerning the weather to end my meal. My sandwich was also accompanied by fries, the skinny kind not steak fries, at the desired level of crispiness.