Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Today I finished another book!! I read the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I was hesitant when the book came out, there was so much excitement around it, same with the movie. But several people recommended it, and if I was really honest with myself, the movie sounded awesome. I have to say, I was not disappointed. The book was good, interesting story line, easy to read, nice character development. Overall I give it a thumbs up.

Now onto finish one of my half read books.....

Weekly Reading List [1.28.12]

1. KENYAN SOMALI ISLAMIST RADICALISATION - The International Crisis group gives a great overview of how the insecurity in Somalia is trickling into Kenya.

2. CAN VENTURE CAPITAL SAVE THE WORLD - This article follows Jacqueline Novogratz, CEO of Acumen Fund, as she meets with investees around the world. Acumen Fund is a non-profit, investing money in organizations in low-income communities enabling them to find sustainable solutions to their own struggles with poverty. Also check out her book, "The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World."

3. HOW THE U.S. LOST OUT ON iPHONE WORK & IN CHINA, HUMAN COSTS ARE BUILT INTO AN iPAD & TIM COOK RESPONDS TO CLAIMS OF FACTORY WORKER MISTREATMENT- Apple has been getting a lot of press this week particularly around labor ethics. These are a few articles that are worth the read. Also, definitely check out the podcast from This American Life.

4. WHY WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT SYRIA & IT'S TIME TO THINK SERIOUSLY ABOUT INTERVENING IN SYRIA & NO MILITARY OPTION IN SYRIA - What is happening in Syria right now breaks my heart (as I have posted before). Here are some great foreign policy op-eds addressing this complex issue and the many pro's and con's for involvement.

5. Some entertainment for your Saturday.

Bill Maher - Irritable Bowl Syndrome from Fraser Davidson on Vimeo.

Grim Colberty Tales with Maurice Sendak [video]

Steven Colbert did an interview with Maurice Sendak (author of Where the Wild Things Are, In the Night Kitchen and BUMBLE-ARDY). It is AMAZING. Check it out (part 1; part 2).

Dreams = Reality

Anyone who reads fantasy books has dreamed of a place where dragons are real. Check out these photos, maybe dreams do come true.

[original post http://livefastmag.com/2012/01/tiny-flying-dragon-in-indonesia/]

...the Suffering Syrian Christians...

Recently, I have been overwhelmed with the tragedy occurring in Syria. The U.N. estimates the death toll in Syria at 5,000; and estimates of detainees run from 15,000 to over 40,000. My heart breaks. THEN (as if the story can get worse) I got an email from The Jubilee Campaign, sharing how in the midst of this great tragedy Christians are being singled out. It is definitely worth a read...

Pray For the Suffering Syrian Christians

When the revolutionary movements known as the Arab Spring began, Jubilee Campaign knew that the odds were firmly against successful transition to genuine democracy in most if not all of these countries. Yet we held out hope that the nascent democratic movements in the Arab world might bear fruit. Now after a full year of violence, bloodshed, and horror we know that the Arab Winter is just beginning and throughout the Middle East the frozen lack of religious freedom is killing our brothers and sisters in Christ.

We saw the pattern in Iraq, where at least half of Iraq's 1.4 million Christians have fled the country or died. Our government has finally realized its error in Egypt, but after the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafists won the election the damage was done. Yet our government still supports the revolutionary movement in Syria and call for the resignation of Al-Assad at all costs.

Unfortunately, Jubilee Campaign's sources tell us that the peaceful protestors in Syria are not so peaceful toward their Christian minority. The culmination of these protests end in raids on Christian communities to take women from their homes and families and rape them.

Yet even this is not enough for certain Muslim extremists. Sheik Adnan Al-Arour commonly appears on Syrian TV to urge Muslims to kill, not kidnap Christian women. He even goes so far as to give quotas for specific Christian communities as he incites his followers to rape and murder. Such is the nature of Syria's Arab Spring.

Another community particularly victimized by the sectarian violence are the Iraqi Christian refugees many of whom fled to Syria to escape this same process in Iraq. The Iraqi refugees are easy prey, and far softer targets than the regime's military forces.

Despite the bleakness of the situation, our contacts tell us that the Syrian church is experiencing a revival and an outpouring of God's Spirit like nothing their churches have known in hundreds of years. Throughout Syria Christians are sharing their faith, and the Gospel is doing a mighty work.

Jubilee Campaign asks you to pray for the Church in Syria, which constitutes roughly 10% of the population. In human terms, the situation is dire. Even if the U.S. government ceases pandering to extremists there is very little it can do to positively affect the situation. While we cannot in good conscience wish for the corrupt, unjust regime of Al-Assad to continue, the Islamist government which replaces it will likely be worse, far worse in the case of the Christians.

Now it is time for us to pray that God will protect his people in Syria. Winter is upon them.

Why The President Should Speak Out Against Religious Persecution

The Middle East Forum released an excellent article encouraging the President to speak up against religious persecution. Please read and share!

Dealing...

Psalm 62.6-14 [from Sunday's liturgy]

My soul in silence waits for God;

I hope in God alone;

My rock and health, I shall not be

Shaken or overthrown.

In God, my refuge and strong rock

My true salvation lies;

Pour out your hearts and trust in the One

In whom our refuge lies.

The great are but a fleeting breath,

Trust in the lowly fails;

They are all lighter than a breath

When tested on the scales.

Trust not in wrong, in robbery

Do not take empty pride;

Although your riches may increase,

Let them not be your guide.

Once has God spoken, twice I heard

That power is God's alone,

And steadfast love is yours, O Lord,

To whom all deeds are known.

This year, I wanted to come up with a word for 2012. I'm sure in hindsight, I'll look at this and laugh at the audacity of coming up with one word to describe a year that hasn't happened yet. BUT I did come up with a word: "contentment"

It already is a struggle and it shouldn't be. I want to be content when things are going swimmingly, and when they seem to be off kilter. Right now they seem to be off kilter. It is my hope that I can trust God to take care of us Ferguson's, he has before, but I feel so much anxiety over things I have zero control over. Seems lame, such a waste of my energy, right? I know it won't change things, it won't make waiting easier (makes it worse actually) but I sometimes feel incapable of resting in the knowledge that I will be cared for. [By way of explanation, there's nothing wrong here at our house, I'm just job hunting and obviously feeling a little lost...]

As Steve reminded us in his sermon on Sunday, Jesus is the leader, we follow Him. While the journey may feel aimless, unknown and dark, each day puts me closer to His Kingdom. "My soul in silence waits for God..."

While we're on the topic of books...part 2

...QUOTES...

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

“...simplicity is the ultimate sophistication...”

“...the journey is the reward...”

“...'memento mori': Remember you will die..."

The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson

"...lost in the meditation of labor..."

"...intellect has no real mettle, you see, and at the first threat, into a hole it scuttles. But love is divine. It comes from the realm of the infinite, and is entrusted to the heart as a gift from God. Love has no calculation in it. ‘God loves you’ is the only possible sentence! So it’s love you must follow to the heart of your father-in-law. Love is the pearl of an oyster living in the ocean, and intellect lives on the shore and cannot swim..."

"...love is the king that must rescue his coward slave..."

The Theology of the Book of Revelation by Richard Bauckham

"...John (and thereby his readers with him) is taken up into heaven in order to see the world from the heavenly perspective..."

"...Revelation counters that false view of reality by opening the world to divine transcendence..."

"...the point is not to predict a sequence of events. The point is to evoke and to explore the meaning of the divine judgment which is impending on the sinful world..."

While we're on the topic of books...

While I love all books, I really love physical books. There's something special about holding one physically in your hands, the feel of the paper, the ink on the pages. Especially old books. BUT, there is a necessary and growing momentum for ebooks. (I'm guilty; kindle owner) IDEO several months ago came out with some great thoughts on the Future of the Book. They identified three new opportunities with ebooks new narratives, social reading with richer content, and providing tools for critical thinking.

I know that education was something close to Steve Job's heart, mostly because he saw the system crumbling and no one stopping the inevitable disintegration. In light of that, it's cool to see Apple's announcement yesterday. They have plans to reinvent the educational textbook market and the technology that underpins them. It plans to enable "all sorts of dramatic interactivity with rich media e-textbooks" and empower authors to circumvent publishing companies that are attempting to maintain status quo in the industry.

It's awesome to see someone dreaming the way forward for books and education.

Obsession

"Books are both our luxuries and our daily bread."

~Henry Stevens, as cited in The Literary World

My friends know I LOVE BOOKS. Three years ago (when I was snowed in, in DC) I took inventory of my books. There were 200+. As 2012 kicked off, I decided this was the year to finish many half read books (check out my list of half-read books), and start many more!

2012 read book list (1.19.12)

1. The Inheritance Series by Christopher Paolini

-Eragon

-Eldest

-Brisingr

-Inheritance

2. Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life by Brendan Brazier

3. Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets by Sudhir Venkatesh

4. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

and I just started #5 - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson

What are you reading in 2012?