come again?

My latest favorite trite saying is that sociologists are professional stereotypers. In that vein, here is a gem from an Italian dude, writing in 1895. Speaking of criminology, he was trying to explain why women, who are less evolved than men, did not commit as many crimes (for it is obviously the less evolved that commit crimes). He says that their "defects are neutralized by piety, maternity, want of passion, sexual coldness, weakness and an underdeveloped intelligence."

Oh Lombroso, I do believe you would be stoned these days... and some say starting points matter not if one has an 'open' mind.

The Bearded Goose of Blodgett

From Photostream

From Sara's Grandparent's place in OR...

~_

From Photostream

...I'm tellin' you, from where I sit, you're one of a kind...
       - griffin house

Freud's Mask

In Freud’s theory of religion, guilt and feelings of ‘sin’ are the result of failing to live up to the standards of the father figure ‘God’ and the mother figure ‘Church.’ While interesting, this does little to help us understand our life and world. While he places the question in the hands of failed expectations, it seems more pointed for it to be in the hands of the failure. Instead of dealing with the failure, he tries to mitigate the feeling of or the intensity of the failure. In missing this, he missed the place for faith in life.


So often in life we inadvertently take Freud’s approach. We know the failings stack up, but do what we can to ignore them, explain them, or normalize them. Faith on the other hand consists of a defining commitment that both gives meaning to the failings while also redefining us and pulling us out the them. It is like we are all wearing masks of some sort that we try to get used to, try to expect to see, and try to think are normal. We get so used to seeing this that it is hard to see past what is into what could or should be. Indeed, apart from faith, we cannot. It is in faith alone that the mask is removed to show who we really are and holds up the mirror that allows us to see the reality that should be. Our failings will always be, but it is faith that pulls us out of the pit of despair, the pit of willful ignorance, so that God can make us more like Christ. This is why it is a defining commitment. It doesn’t leave us where we are, but brings us to where we ought to be. In our failings it is easy to leave the mirror, forget ourselves and put our mask back on. But through a life of constant repentance, God in his grace doesn’t leave us to be lost but once again removes the mask and says, ‘go, love your neighbor.’


Instead of merely being a way to deal with struggles in life or a way of dealing with failings - Freud and our mistake - in faith we both understand the failings for what they are and are brought beyond them by being given a new identity through the removal of our mask. No mask’s silver lining is better than knowing and seeing what is beneath.

Made Fresh

From Photostream

Austin has all these little food trailers around. Alas we were never able to give one a shot... maybe next time.

Vested Interest

From Photostream

I have been looking for vests. They have a certain appeal to me and seem functional to dress things up when in an oven called Texas.

When we were in Austin we found some nice used clothing stores that I would totally buy all of my clothes at if we live closer. Often they are filled with all women's clothes with a small corner devoted to everything male. One of them we went in had a lot more male clothing, and a whole rack (!) of vests to look at.

I got two. Both wool. One tweed (above).

I wanted one with lapels, but none were to be seen. Now I just need to convince the wife that I can wear one with a bow-tie to a cocktail party coming up...

Celebratin' the 5 years + should we have moved to Austin?

In honor of our 5 year anniversary and secondary to an extended break from work (love shift work in the ER!) we headed down to Austin for a few days. Although it was still hot and humid it was refreshing....people recycle, all the coffee shops are local and unique, my honda civic fit in rather than not quite knowing what to do among the astin martins and BMW's that surround it in Dallas, we enjoyed some awesome local cuisine and just relaxed. Maybe it is because we went in with the presumption that Austin is 'cool' and a little more "northwest-ish" but it really is a great city. We took our bikes and were fairly good at navigating most places with them, although after we got back to the hotel and showered in the afternoons AC and the car were a little more appealing! Although Dallas is (sorta) growing on us, sometimes I wonder if I should have ranked the residency program in Austin over Dallas, but no regrets - Dallas is home for the next 3.83 years and I am sure we will miss it when we (hopefully!) move. :) But don't be surprised if you visit us if we end up taking you to Austin :) We didn't take that many pictures, but here are a few.

From A Step Beyond

Out on 6th street listening to some live music (figured we had to as Austin is the "live music capitol of the US", pretty happening for a Tuesday night, but I'm sure the weekends are much crazier)

From A Step Beyond

From A Step Beyond

Shopping and eating our way down Congress Ave - a street lined with good smells and good shops. There are all these little trailer food villages with all sorts of awesome food (well we didn't try any of it, but I am sure it was awesome)

From A Step Beyond

The bats! Millions of bats fly out from this bridge at dusk every night in huge clouds. But they apparently were too sleepy or full or something the night we went to watch them. All we got was a pretty sunset and then from the bridge itself blurs of them as when they decided to come out it was too dark to see...

From A Step Beyond

5 years!

From A Step Beyond

It is crazy... 5 years ago we got hitched! The time has gone by crazy fast. Lots of things have happened in the last 5 years, been a lot of places, and we have grown a lot both as individuals and as a couple. Sara became a Dr. and started to make money, I am still in school and stopped making money, left St. Louis and landed in TX... and who knows what may be next? Maybe I will finish school and start to make money again, maybe we will live in a place we choose this time (we are really, really hoping so, anyways). Who knows... One thing we have learned is that God has been deeply faithful even when we can tend to forget it.

From A Step Beyond

Hopefully He will be kind enough to usher us back to scenery like this....

From A Step Beyond

This one is just for fun... Sara looks terrified and I think you can see it in my face... deciding whether I should spin the tires or not... heard about that one half way to the reception, but it was oh so worth it, ha.

Bastille Day

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You know it is bad when you get home in the afternoon and it is 81 in the house despite the fact that the AC is set to 80.

Undeterred we set out to Oak Cliff to check out Bastille Day.  It was a small festival in a nice little area with shops and what not. There was some kind of a wine deal, which we were apparently too late for, and some kind of food deal, which it seems we were too late for as well. Its all good because by the looks of it, the choices were baguette and muscles - prepared any way you can think of.  Sara still won out by borrowing someone else's wine glass to get some sweet sangria (which I am fairly sure is Spanish...).

Yes, we did know the wine-glass-lenderer.

The picture may have been better had we known her.  We don't.