The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The Road by Cormac McCarthy may be one of the scariest books I have ever read. Not in the monster jumping out of the closet kind of scary but more of the this really might could happen scary. McCarthy also wrote the novel No Country for Old Men recently adapted to film and directed by the Coen Brothers.

The Road involves a father and son traveling on the road, (of course) in a post-apocalyptic America, sometime in the not too distant future. The story follows the survival of these two people. The father tries to instill a high regard for human life (think a society filled with cannibalism!) into the boy. "We're one of the good guys...right?" The boy continually asks his father. They live in a burnt-out, ash covered world with no vegetation and no animals. On the run, they're trying to make it to the coast, not sure of what they'll find. They meet up with various characters on the way.

The book, extremely well written uses...sparse but poignant dialogue. It is painfully real at times, funny and extremely sad. The book is not graphic in it's description of some of the brutal things that take place, however it is disturbing nonetheless. I give it 5 stars out of 5. Destined to become a classic!

President Bush-Channeling George Orwell

“I just want you to know that, when we talk about war, we’re really talking about peace.” — President Bush, June 18, 2002.

(was that quote from 1984...? No it came from 2002!)

Jumping Youngs-Color Stage 2

I worked on faces.

Taxes Americans Pay

Today, Americans work 185 days to pay taxes and comply with the regulatory costs of government at the federal, state and local levels. In other words, the cost of government consumes 50.4 percent of national income.

This year, Americans will work:
• 84 days to pay for all federal spending
• 43 days to pay all state and local spending
• 37 days to pay the costs of federal regulations
• 23 days to pay the costs of state regulations

(Study taken from Americans for Tax Reform)

D A Carson on the Self Sufficiency of God

"Paul (in Acts 17) actually has the cheek to say that God does not need you. It is not as if God needs you. You see, that is so different than paganism. In paganism the gods and human beings have a kind of reciprocal relationship. The gods have their needs, we have our needs. You scratch their backs, they scratch your back. You give them the right to sacrifice, and they give you the right blessing. They are like suped up human beings with their fears their loves and their lusts and their hates, and then you make them happy and the gods make you happy, you see?

Thus, they have their needs. But God…doesn’t need us. Now it is important to keep saying that in our generation. Because we are so in danger of so psychologizing God that we are in danger of thinking of him as sort of up in heaven as really unhappy unless we get our praise choruses right.

Do you see? Dear old God is really unhappy unless we live holy lives, [God is] miserable, miserable.

Now do not misunderstand, I do not want to make God so withdrawn that he does not care about what happens. Or there is no place for his love or his wrath or his response to us. God is a personal God. But it is not as if God is a being larded with a whole lot of psychological needs, which only we can meet. So that in eternity past, dear old God was really quite lonely up there and decided to do something about it.

It is just not the way the God of the Bible is presented, you see?" -D A Carson

Phish- Guelah Papyrus

Listen and be Amazed! (What exactly is a rhinothropic micro-gaze?)

Jumping Youngs-Color Stage 1

I have glazed the first layer of color onto the painting and re-established shadows. At this stage it looks somewhat like an old timey tinted photograph...that's what I'm aiming for. With each subsequent layer the colors will become more and more brilliant and lifelike, (hopefully). Stay tuned!

Koran Shooting by US Soldier

A big item in the news today is a young American soldier stationed in Iraq used a copy of the Koran for target practice. According to the BBC, President Bush said the man will be brought to trial before the U.S. military court, (that means Court Martial). Mr. Bush also issued a personal apology to the Prime Minister of Iraq. Mr. Bush said he was acting as a personal representative (which he is) of the American people by making this apology. Granted this was not the wisest thing for any American to do on foreign soil, after all the soldier represents us too.

My question is Do the American people really hold the Koran to such a high esteem that we're willing for our President to make a personal apology for this action? I am also curious if the President would have made the same kind of apology to Christians if that same soldier had been taking shots at the Bible?

Calvin Quotes

My friend Sophie has some fantabulous funny quotes from her 4 year old son Calvin. Calvin is not only skilled in verbal judo, but is a VERY snappy dresser!

Click here to see quotes from Calvin. Donna Reed Experiment

Jumping Youngs-Grisaille Stage 10

This is the FINAL stage of the grisaille (greyscale) picture. I have had two people tell me that I should leave this painting the way it is and not add color. Mr. Bill Martin over at Wet Canvas says this is your clue to let you know you've achieved the affect you want in a grisaille. It is the tonal map.

My next task will be to gradually glaze thin layers of color over what you see here. Stay tuned!