H2others

The Public Art of Approving Graffiti

2011-06-05T22:32:00.005-04:00

On Wednesday, June 1, the Toronto Star published an article about a city-funded mural, by artist Joel Richardson, that has been erased as part of Rob Ford's aggressive anti-graffiti campaign.

The mural--several non-descript, halo-sporting businessmen inserted as variables within a complex mathematical equation--is a "commentary on the mathematics of modern finance," says Richardson.

The artist's friend, Benjamin Blais, posed as the model for the businessmen; however, according to Elyse Parker, one of Toronto's directors within the department of transportation services, a citizen suggested the businessmen referred to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, making the mural politically offensive. "There was some discussion that the mural referred to Stephen Harper," said Parker, "That’s the suggestion. That’s what it looked like to us."

Although the city granted the funding for Richardson's mural project, paying him $2,000 for his time and effort, a city-worker followed orders to erase the mural, only hours from completion.

There are two problems here: First, that policies of Toronto mayor, Rob Ford, are being carried out on gut instinct, rather than investigative inquiry, and second, that the government is interfering with the Canadian right to freedom of expression.

What are us Canadians--especially Canadian artists--to make of all this? Are we presently witnessing an erosion of this country's basic democratic freedoms? I surely hope not. Perhaps this is simply an example of frustrated citizens pushing up against the normal boundaries of a democratically principled state. On the other hand, a society in which the sound of challenging voices are erased--à la Orwell--is one doomed to perish.

But that's just what I think. I'm open to learn.

Let me know what you think of the situation in the comments below.

Read the original article here.

The star also printed two follow-up articles stating that the erasure was a hasty mistake, and that Richardson will be allowed to create another mural (ohne Harper doppelgangers, na klar!)

Returning to the conversation at hand

2011-06-05T17:48:00.003-04:00

Hello...

I often wonder if this is the best place to share my thoughts.

I, indeed, crave a larger conversation.

I know that some of us are against the idea of using these types of media as therapeutic methods, but... I don't care. I can't. I have to remain myself, and not allow the push and pull of others to pin down what I believe is the quintessential essence within that makes my body and spirit a unique being.

So, I will continue.

blogging...

2011-02-28T21:59:00.004-05:00

so... yeah. it's been a while since i've been here. I always seem to need to say that before going ahead with the post, lol.

I have a girlfriend. Her name is Faith Juma. She has won my heart. Wilco is my favourite band of the month. I'm listening to "Hate it Here". The chorus is "I hate it here when you're gone." That's exactly how I feel when Faith isn't here, or I'm not there.

I've gone through a lot of struggles since I've moved down here to the Barton St. Collective. Some of the highlights are having my laptop stolen out of my apartment, being fired from a job and quitting another, and having to take on anti-depressants. Despite these struggles, good work has been done by God's faithful servants. We've welcomed the sick, poor, and rejected into our community. I, personally, have hosted visiting believers, prostitutes, the homeless, and the abandoned. But these struggles have brought me down. They've brought me low.

Tonight, those struggles are no more.

Heb. 13:1-...something. tis good.

More for Less

2009-11-20T00:27:00.002-05:00

Man, this subject deserves a book. Sometimes I feel like I've got a book of thought inside me. One day I just want to write—no classes, no requirements, just writing.... and living. Anyway, here's what I'm thinking: The whole concept of getting "More for Less" or "More Bang for Your Buck", I think, is really a bad thing for your person. Like, really bad. Really, really bad. I know that's not creative writing (nor is the use of italics), but it's late, and this is a first draft—the only draft that every gets published here.

So why, exactly, is the concept of "More for Less" bad? I think it is bad because the slogan permeates Canadian culture. We want to have more, but we want to give less. Man, the havoc that wrecks on our spiritual lives, our relationships.

The "More" part is a reflection of how we want more. We want more things, we need more things, etc. And I think there's a very normal part to that. I mean, I may have bread today, but I'm going to eat it tomorrow, and then I'm going to need more the next day. I may have good shoes today, but eventually they will be worn out (finally the case, after 4 years) and I will need more shoes. Normal. Life is like that.

The really damaging part, I think, is the "for Less" part. When I go to No Frills grocery store, their slogan is "More for Less." This entails that I have to give less money, and less work, to get what I want. And the all invasiveness of the "for Less" mantra, I think, is what is really damaging. I mean, if it was restricted to a certain place and time, and directed to people who really needed to pay less than the "real" global cost of something because they are in a financially lower position, that would be okay. That would be something different. But that is not the case. We are told everywhere, by everyone, to give less. Give less. Get more.

What happens when that kind of mantra becomes more than economic (which is, already, twisted)? What happens when the "More for Less" philosophy crosses over into our relationships? Our marriages? Our churches and mosques and synagogues and temples? When a person allows that philosophy to invade all these important areas of our lives, I think, to some degree, that person will experience a lessening of their desire to give and work for those things. Less input. More output. That's what that person will want. And that's destructive.

There are so many reasons why that's destructive. Yeah, this would be a good book: there would be lots to write about. Maybe.

Anyway... make this connection: "More for Less," and "You Deserve it," when coupled together, are a deadly cocktail. Together they say, "You Deserve It (love, material, food, happiness, beauty, etc.) For Less." The trouble is, even if you, as a reader, and me, as a critic, consciously think about the inherent dangers of allowing these duel philosophies to have too high of a place in our society, they have, nevertheless, permeated our subconscious.

It takes some serious digging to identify the things in our subconscious. It also takes a change of messaging to change what is in our subconscious. That is why the Apostle Paul told followers of Jesus to renew their minds every day. So what kind of message can we use to replace the "More for Less" philosophy? "Less for More"? "Less is More?" "More is Less?" Or how about changing the wording entirely: "Work and be satisfied therein." "Be content with your possessions." "Give thanks for all you have." "Nurture your gifts." "Don't worry about tomorrow, today has enough troubles of its own." (Maybe that desire to have more for less [materially] comes from fearing the future.)

I love you. Peace.

Inspiration in Anime

2009-09-09T23:48:00.004-04:00

I love Naruto. Ever since being exposed to the show by the Hong Kong kid who stayed with us last year, I've found the show's title character enduring to the end.

Naruto, the character the show is named after, is a super hyper-active kid who's dream is to, one day, be Hokage (leader, or chief) of his village and have everyone recognize him. As a yongster he was constantly rejected by everyone around him for the terrible darkness he, unbeknownst to him, held within his own body. At one time a terrible demon threatened to destroy the entire village, but the Hokage, using special Jitsu (a type of combat based on spiritual energy) sealed the demon inside Naruto's infant body. Without parents or friends, Naruto grew up as an outcast. Despite his being rejected, he determined to fight for his own recognition in a positive way and put all of himself into achieving his goal.

Naruto lives in a world where the life of Ninja is the norm; however, the show is as much about love and meaning of existence as it is about fighting, in fact, perhaps even more so. The show follows Naruto and his three friends within whom he finds acceptance and a sense of belonging. As he fights to achieve his goal, his superiors are constantly surprised at his extraordinary display of strength and determination in moments of desperation and weakness. His hidden secret of the demon is, in fact, the source of this great strength.

I'm only half way through the series, and I'm very interested to see how it pans out. The show does a great job of surprising me almost every episode with new feats of strength. It teaches one how to be strong and about life's priorities.

I'd recommend this show to anyone that's felt like an outcast before. Naruto proves that, through determination and effort, you can overcome the stigmas people place on you, though sometimes only temporarily. He's a good inspiration, nevertheless, and continues to entertain and astound.

By the way, he's also hilarious, and while the show does deal with very serious things—matters of life and death and the like—it also has a light-hearted side which sometimes has me bursting with laughter.

Check it out:

http://www.joost.com/3a3rsom/t/Naruto

Photos from India

2009-08-22T18:18:00.003-04:00

I took a bunch of photos while I was in India. So did my friend, Brian. I posted them on Flickr a while back, and noticed some of them had a considerably higher number of views than the others, so I decided to post those winners here. If you'd like to see the rest (in my opinion the real winners are amongst the refuse) click a photo, and then click on "view as slideshow", on the right of the thumbnail. I highly recommend this.

I also highly recommend India.

Spinning wheel

2009-08-22T18:16:00.001-04:00

Spinning wheel
Originally uploaded by hendrik.vlaar

Some Biharian locals hanging out in their "front yard."

Mosque

2009-08-22T18:14:00.002-04:00

Mosque
Originally uploaded by hendrik.vlaar

The mosque found to the left of the Taj Mahal quickly became the highlight of the visit.

Bicycle Taxi

2009-08-22T18:13:00.001-04:00

Bicycle Taxi
Originally uploaded by hendrik.vlaar

This is what they used to use to transport kids to school. Now they use jeeps, which is good, on account that the roads turn to 2-foot deep mud paths during the rainy season.

Soap Sphere

2009-08-22T18:12:00.002-04:00

Soap Sphere
Originally uploaded by hendrik.vlaar

Wow. This is an interesting picture on so many levels. I love the faces, first of all. They are completely different from those we see here in North America, depending on what type of city you inhabit. I also really enjoy the different expressions. I find that shooting within cultures where photography is not common place allows for a greater level of honesty and candidness to grace the subjects' faces.

Swans

2009-08-22T18:08:00.002-04:00

Swans
Originally uploaded by hendrik.vlaar

This is really cool. All you need to spark the imaginations of school children is a few pieces of paper and a little know how. Also, this is an boost to their to horizontal learning, an extremely important point of development to all ecucational communities.

Sleep

2009-08-22T18:05:00.001-04:00

Sleep
Originally uploaded by hendrik.vlaar

You wanna know how hot it gets in India during the dry season? 50°C with the humidity... that's how hot. Lemmie tell you, these kids are troopers. Sleeping in their hostel would have been dangerous to their heath in these temperatures, so they all slept in the kindergarten school room.

I'm off to Quebec!

2009-05-06T23:10:00.003-04:00

I'm about to embark on a five-week adventure into the heartland of our dear French province of Quebec—Chicoutimi. I have fjords, headwaters, mountains, cheese, and syrup d'erable to look forward to.

I'll see ya'll later, and I'll get the blog going again afterwards. As for now... No worries!

Friendship... and stuff...

2009-05-02T00:27:00.003-04:00

Hey peeps! So, I've been thinking a lot about what it means to be a Christian lately. I was challenged by a recent "incident" with a friend which made me realize that in most relationships I just take and don't give out of love and the depths of my heart. I've come to realize that a Christian friendship should be based on a constant forgiveness of each other and a constant love for each other. We have to treat each other as kings, and ourselves as their servants.

That's all I'm sayin' for now.

2009-04-03T12:18:00.002-04:00

Chasing Wild Horses

I really appreciate the work of Robert Dutesco. His fantastic ability to capture beauty, his childlike faith in the imaginable... playfulness, wonder, appreciation—these are words that describe his work with wild horses best.

Human beings? Or human bloggings?

2009-03-27T10:17:00.004-04:00

In light of the recent jocular posts by Matt and Katrina regarding facebook, and in light of the resurgence of this blog (and the creation of a second one), I would like to posit a question. Here it is:

I want to figure out how blogging—if it is to be pursued at all—can be done in a way that keeps the love for God and the love for our neighbours at the forefront and that doesn't compromise really good tradition, and really good ways of being, that bring my community to that end.

So then, the question is, "How can this be done?"

I think it should be carefully considered with the desire to, first, love God with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength; and, second, to love our neighbours as ourselves. I also think the answer will be multi-faceted, and complex, for the way digital communicative technology interacts with our beings is complex.

I'm indecisive...

2009-03-24T15:56:00.007-04:00

I can't decide on a particular blog style, so I'll be fiddling around with it until I settle. I think the style/layout should reflect the content, and the content, and the content should create the mood. So now I have to think about what kind of mood I want to create, and what kind of content I want to cover. It can't just be anything and everything. I have to pick a certain stream and go with it, but I'm indecisive....

Question: what kind of content would you, the co-engager, like to see in this blog?

For all the tea drinkers...

2009-03-23T02:30:00.004-04:00

What's your favourite kind of tea? Comment, and post a link.

Here's mine.

Bye-bye Jesus... Helloooo Krishna!

2009-03-22T21:30:00.010-04:00

So, the word on the street is that the PCC (Presbyterian Church of Canada) is in a debate about whether to tone down any rhetoric concerning Jesus as God and the one to save us from our sins.

The purpose? To lessen the divide between Presbyterians and people of other religions.

Hey, I'm all for multi-faith dialogue and common ground, but our differences are important, and, I believe, non-threatening when religious leaders give the concept of mutual respect high regard.

Anyway, apparently the numbers are about 70% for and 30% against. I'll be checking out the minutes from 2007 Presbyterian Council meeting, when this all started, and updating the info from mere "street chatter" to actual evidence, so stay posted.

Kids, don't forget to say your prayers. Toss up a word for your leaders.

Emotion gives meaning to my being.

2009-03-20T23:48:00.012-04:00

Praise Yahweh!

A delectable tray of delicacies... woot!

2009-03-20T23:39:00.015-04:00

Pictures & music. yum. (the site is down at the mo', but it'll be back up in a couple of days).

love: verb

2009-03-20T23:25:00.010-04:00

Sometimes, around this time of year, it makes me sad (and a little preachy) to know that I'm up here on a mountain of wealth and warmth when I know that there are cold, hungry, socially starved people down the mountain (i.e. downtown). It makes me sad that my priorities are selfish (largely)—i.e. the enlargement of my mind and ego—when new life should be driving me into the city to spread the life of Christ...

Oh Jesus!

Also, 840.00 x 18,514.00 = 15,551,760.00... think about it.

Hail Trudeau!

2007-12-02T16:03:00.000-05:00

When I was in India I came to realize that this industrialized form of consumerism the West has bought into is, on the whole, a big, fat lie. We are part of a world that is totally interconnected—and we reap great benefits from this—but we don't give back to that world, Redeemer/Paris/Congregation/Family/&c., we only take. We are the iFamine generation, using the world as our personal manufacturing plant, requiring more and more, without giving a thought to the way our greed affects the rest of the world.

People, all you really need to be happy are good friends & relationships. What is TRULY essential to our happiness is—yep, I'm about to say the "l-word"—love! And the people who love you don't like you for your new clothes, your iPod, you're snowboard, your bank account, your Mercedes, your big century home, your riding lawnmower, your "spinners", your hemi... they like you for YOU. For who you are.

My friends, don't be duped. The system requires your buying into the system to survive, and the system is a lie, so choose to live outside the prison of consumerism and materialism before it totally owns you. Be with people. Choose NOT to buy the things you don't need. Think locally.

I don't have a lot of time... I rarely do. But please, choose LIFE.

Materialism is dead.

Hendi

In a box/bubble

2007-10-25T00:32:00.000-04:00

Lately I've felt it more and more—a growing feeling of restlessness. I'm sick of the Redeemer bubble, the going-through-the-motions type of lifestyle. That is, I wish I could experience more in my life. So far this semester has just been about me and what I can get out of life, and I'm quite dissatisfied. I know that this year I wanted to step into some sort of ministry, whether that meant starting something new or getting involved where God is already working. So far, however, I've done nothing about that, and it's killing me. I truly want to step out in faith and get involved in the lives of others, but the seemingly never-ending pile of school work and readings leaves me with little time for anything but myself and my academic concerns.

As for now, I've just come through the storm of writing three exams in one day and reading break is just ahead of me, so I feel as if I'm at a bit of a crossroads. I want to succeed and do well, that is, to attain academic success, but I would also like to get involved in ways beyond my little circle of friends. With the storm of mid-terms behind me, I feel as if I have a choice to make; how am I going to step out, and what does that entail?

culture shock in my own backyard

2007-09-14T14:35:00.002-04:00

Wow, if I was taking a course in blogging I would definitely be recieving an "F" right now. I never really write out my thoughts or experiences, but I guess I'm at a point where it's difficult to move forward, so I'll work it out in cyberspace...

This would probably be my first entry since I've come back home from India. It's taken me a while to work out the reverse culture shock and to be honest, I feel as if I'm going though the thick of it as I type this out. Thankfully I'm in a dorm of really great guys. I formed friendships with a couple of them last year and our dorm seems to be meshing pretty well so far. Last Thursday we all went to "HotSpot" which is an intimate worship event that begins in the evening. It was cool to be with them singing and praising God. These opportunities to come before the Lord are really valuable to me; however, lately I feel as if it's difficult to relate to God, and I feel as if it's difficult for Him to relate to me as well. I hope that doesn't sound sacreligious; I only mean to say that I really feel as if I'm stretched and pulled in different directions. Last year I really focused on my social and spiritual life... having a group of people to which I truly belonged was something I hadn't experienced before, so I took the opportunity to make friends very seriously. This year, however, I am focused more upon my academic aspirations rather than social endeavors, and changing my focus from one thing to the other has proved more difficult than I initially anticipated. Praise God, I have many friends on campus - male and female. They are a great blessing to me and a constant source of encouragement. To be honest, I don't know what I'd do without them. So, I'm definitely not saying that I wish I had less friends, or that I don't value them as I used to, or anything of that sort. The struggle I'm having is... time management, and focus. This probably has a lot to do with what I experienced in India - 24/7 servitude to Jesus and a super-tight-knit group of people that became like family to me, all within one of the (literally) poorest regions in the world. Over in India (cliche, no?) I was wishing there were more hours in the day so that I could process my experiences and just absorb the culture. Now I'm still wishing for more time, but only because I can't seem to complete all the tasks that are ahead of me. First of all, there are classes to deal with and the reading that accompanies each. After that comes ministry work... NCC (for those of you who know about it), Living Rock, and I'm thinking about getting involved in H2O or SISO. As if all that weren't enough there are social "obligations" I have to "fulfill" as well (I know that seems lame, but it's true). And today I had a bit of extra stress added to the myriad that already exists when I went to the church fair. I would really like to find a church community that I could plug into, within which I could be edified and used by God, but it's really difficult for me to make this BIG of a decision... I mean, I have enough trouble deciding what to eat for breakfast each morning. Anyway, today was a particularly difficult day... for people other than myself as well. The general consensus seems to be that there has been a fair amount of spiritual oppression occurring on the Redeemer campus. Recognizing this can be kind of unnerving... I mean, it's obvious there is a dark presence moving in Redeemer, but I know that the promise of God is that he will have the ultimate victory, and that we will join him in that victory. So, I'm not worried... about my own life or the life of the campus; this is a good place - a place where God reigns in the hearts of men and women. I'm just a little stressed and depressed... okay... make that a LOT stressed and a little depressed. I'm already behind in my reading, and the ministry that God seeded in me seems to be coming against roadblocks already. Let's just say that life is tough at the moment; but, this moment will pass, and I'm sure the sun will come up tomorrow, that there are blue skies ahead and all that. What I'm worried about most is backing out of committments, and failing if I take on too much responsibility. I think I need to find a balence... maybe delegate (but to WHOM can I delegate when so many seem to be in the same position as myself). My prayer, for now, is that God would show me a way... not a way out, but just a way to manage. I know He wants me here, and I know he loves me. I also know that his Holy Word says that he will not give us more than we can bear, so my guess is that I can handle this (through the supplementing of God's strength, of course).

Well, thanks for giving an ear to my "issues", lol. Random (but related) parting thought... You know how alcoholics and narcotic addicts and sex addicts have support groups? Well, I honestly believe that we ALL need support groups. Not just the type of support that helps us get over an addiction and then loses interest when we get back on our feet again, but the type of support that loves you unconditionally and desires to know your needs and wants and passions and aspirations and dreams and wants to see you succeed and be happy.

Parting call to action... Why don't we offer that support to each other. Let's all try to reach out and touch somebody, but not just for a moment, rather, for a lifetime.

God Bless

Jesus Loves You

Hendrik

2007-07-14T15:19:00.000-04:00

Thank you for your prayers. They're making a difference. God Bless you all, I will continue to pray for you.

2007-07-13T19:21:00.001-04:00

I'm pretty freaked out. India is about 72 into my future and I have forgotten entirely why I'm here. Worse, I'm going stir-crazy waiting for the rest of the team to arrive here at the SIM Canada guest house. Oh well, at least the girl from the States, Lauren, is cool.

Pray for me.

Clarity

2006-11-08T18:50:00.003-05:00

The Chinese symbol for "Clarity"

I've been requested to explain the meaning behind the words of my last blog. Usually, I merely allow the audience to take as much or as little "meaning" from a verse as they so desire, but usually is not always, so today I explain.

"acid pourin out the sky into the streets"

First of all, the origin of this verse is found in a lonesome and bitter afternoon. The day was clouded over and damp, and the mood was sullen. The rain falling out of the sky onto my face felt as if it was tinged with acid, while the slick, black pavement was a reflection of the hard, unforgiving consequence of reality.

"drops of water on my head show where the mind leaks"

This imagery is almost directly related with that of the first line. When the sun is out--when life is nothing but smooth sailing--those little "cracks" in our being are of no consequence. It is when life is a trial that those cracks become exposed, to ourselves and to those surrounding us.

"the mice in the attic squeak chewin through wires"

This line is purely a metaphor (as are many of my lines). The "mice" that chew through "wires" are like the little nuisances that bother us, either on a one-off occasion or on the daily. If we don't trap these nuisances, then we leave ourselves open to damage.

"cuts off the power milk's sour expired"

When life's nuisances are left unchecked, they become the cause of our "power outages". To use another metaphor: these nuisances can become like air-conditioners are in the summer months; they can draw on our power supply more than the power plant (our selves) can handle, and as such, a power outage occurs. As to the second part of this line, when the power is out the milk of life within us expires--it goes off.

"drunk by the liar and spread the the fool"

This line speaks about the way the liars in our individual and collective worlds drink up this bad milk. To be honest, I think a better metaphor would have been to say that liars drink the blood of the innocent slain (a grotesque, yet vividly accurate depiction) and then spread their lies--or the product of their lies--to the foolish, i.e. in the consumer world the liar could be manifested by the irresponsible corporate monopoly that takes advantage of cheap labour opportunities, even though it may be ethically incorrect. The mass of consumers (that is, us) could be the manifestation of the fool, blindly accepting the corporation's products without question or inquisition.

"imperial fist hid by democratic rule"

This is where the verse broadens and takes a slightly new direction. The line simply means this (among other things): Those who are stronger and more powerful within the social, religious, corporate, and political regions of society will often hold power over and exploit the weak. This reality of exploitation is often disguised, or "hid"den underneath, the "democratic" processes that permeate our culture.

"run out the school climb the summit of zion"

Okay, this is where things get personal. I mean, they were personal up until this point, but this is where the verse turns from looking outward to looking inward, so, because it's personal, I won't go into too much detail. This line essentially speaks of my frustration with the "school" of thought that dominates postmodern society which is constructed by the religions of humanism, consumerism, capitalism, scientism, technicism, and individualism. To "run out the school" is to refuse to allow your education to be governed by these religions. However, by rejecting the values of the postmodern education system I am not rejecting education entirely, so I "climb the summit of zion", that is, I climb out of the lies of society towards God, that I may receive truth and wisdom from Him.

"metaphysical jewel out the mouth of the lion"

This "metaphysical jewel" is the truth of God, which is a jewel to those who behold its magnificence. This jewel is truth, wisdom, justice, mercy, love, and goodness. The "lion" in this line is relating to the Lion of Judah, which is relating to God(see Revelations 5:5). It is also relating to scripture that describes Ezekiel's and Paul's visions of the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord (see Ezekiel 1 and Revelations 4:6-8).

"seek the skies for orion instead find polaris"

Line nine (9) is a bit of a stretch, and once again, personal. It speaks of looking up in the night sky (night being a time of reflection and soul searching) and wanting to be like Orion, the great Greek hunter and warrior. But instead of finding Orion, I found Polaris, which is representative of direction. This direction is that which directs my self towards the Divine and directs my life path.

"I rap to the streets while other cats are embarrassed"

"I rap to the streets" means that the verses I script are for the common people, and, more than that, for those who are downtrodden and "put out". "The streets" are not the roads of pavement, but rather they are the people that inhabit them. "Other cats are embarrassed" in a dualistic sense, and here it is important to note that the "other cats" are those who use hip-hop as a venue in which to market themselves and their destructive lifestyles. First, these cats are embarrassed when they come upon those with a higher skill level than their own. Instead of focusing upon the art form they've focused their lives upon hustling towards their own gratification, and embarrassment ensues. Second, they are embarrassed when they face judgement and face God. It is at this point they view the fruitlessness of their lives. NB: I am by no means not embarrassed before the Lord, but I am still confident because of my life hidden in that of His Son.

"still I grin and I bear it manhole covers are smokin"

The first half of this line is self-explanatory: Even though other cats are embarrassed, I grin and I bear it--what other option exists? The second half of this line has it's purpose in setting the mood of the second half of the verse: dark, mysterious, and slightly foreboding.

"mental walls imprison you to keep you spirit broken"

Here the verse takes a new direction. The verse begins by looking outward, then changes to looking inward, and then it speaks directly to the audience. This line is definitely DEEP. It's pretty obvious what I'm talking about, so I won't get too into it, but it's essentially about people being trapped by the "mental walls" that are those things which demand our attention and wear on our minds so that we cannot focus our selves upon our true passions. This imprisonment of the mind results in a broken spirit.

"now your down to your last token spend it on the prize"

"Last token" essentially speaks of an individual's "last chance". These tokens are like the decisions a person makes throughout his or her life, and so far some of these decisions have been good, and some have been bad, but none, so far, has given him or her the gift of the "prize" that is wisdom/peace/understanding, which ultimately leads to salvation.

"watch out for the beast he arrives in disguise"

I'm going to use scripture to describe this line, because it is purely biblical.
Jesus prays for his people - focus upon verse fifteen (15)
Vision of the beast
The deception of the beast
This line is a warning about the evil one. Even if a person is aligning themselves with God they are still subject to the distortion of God's creation, that manifests itself in the form of sin and disease. Though we are not totally in control of whether or not we are affected by this distortion, we are able to watch out for it's manifestation in order to avoid it's destructive power. In a sense, we are also able to watch out for the evil one (who will later come as the beast) and his ill intent for us by taking refuge under the shelter of protection provided by God. Humanity must take extra caution, however, when the beast disguises himself with great miracles and wonders. We must be careful not to get ensnared by the evil one's deceptive tricks.

"you can identify by forked tongue and snake eyes"

"Forked tongue and snake eyes" relates to the image of the evil one as a snake in the Garden of Eden. This line illustrates that even though "the beast" comes in disguise, you can still see his eyes and his tongue thought the holes of his mask, and that is what we must watch for--those identifying features that reveal his true identity.

"keep your pupils to the skies before you meet your demise"

This line is an urge directed towards the audience to keep their eyes on God and what is good throughout their lives--"before you meet your demise".

2006-10-16T21:51:00.004-04:00

another 16... read, rap, critique, bite, inspire, flow, BE

acid pourin out the sky into the streets
drops of water on my head show where the mind leaks
the mice in the attic squeak chewin through wires
cuts off the power milk's sour expired
drunk by the liar and spread to the fool
imperial fist hid by democratic rule
run out the school climb the summit of zion
metaphysical jewel out the mouth of the lion
seek the skies for orion instead find polaris
I rap to the streets while other cats are embarrassed
still I grin and I bear it manhole covers are smokin
mental walls imprison you to keep your spirit broken
now your down to your last token spend it on the prize
watch out for the beast he arrives in disguise
you can identify by forked tongue and snake eyes
keep your pupils to the skies before you meet your demise

2006-06-26T19:06:00.000-04:00

I'm heading down to New Orleans to drywall damaged houses on Monday morning. We drive to Buffalo and take a flight to Mississippi with a stop in New York... only 20 minutes though :(

If I haven't been able to get together with you in these last few days, well, this is why. I've been pretty busy between exams and trip preparation, so if you still like me by the time I get back then I PROMISE I'll make time (MAKE it, you hear me?) for you.

Anyway, don't forget to keep me in your prayers (whoever it is you pray to), and if you don't pray, then keep me in your thoughts.

Peace love ya'll...

Hen

2006-06-19T23:28:00.002-04:00

Hot H2O News Report

Somebody just SLAMMED Hip-hop! (and you know that's what I'm about)...

This "Cream of Beats" rant is a must read. If you are connected to hip-hop in ANY way whatsoever, you need to read this.

Note well: The rant is not my own! It is the sole work of "Cream of Beats", the Detroitian producer/keepin it real guy.

And Cream of Beats spoke, saying, "...

PLEASE STOP!!!!
Current mood: aggravated

Why is rap music so negative?? Why do folks take pictures with guns, have the middle finger stuck out, and try to look all mean and shit?? Some of you don't even realize what your doing. You don't realize that there is someone out here is may be influenced by what your doing, especially the kids. Why is it cool to be a part of the problem? How many of you talk like you rap in front of your mothers? Are you in this simply to make money, or do you really enjoy being on the devils side? Do you like the fact that more kids are dropping out of school? More kids are fathers/mothers, and carriers of diseases? Are you proud that some of your local homless folk are under 20'? Music is power, it can make you drive faster, relax, get hype.... you artists better realize what your doing. Don't help [screw] up this planet because you want a few dollars in your pocket.. ohh, and lets be real in this situation.. How many of us is REALLY going to be a star? Not many, so don't help [screw] up the planet when you and I both know your probably not going to be shit with your "kill a nigga entertainment" record labels!
If your not part of the solution, then what is the purpose of your existance??
All I got to say is [screw] all you cats that's on some bullshit. You are the main reason why I hate this rap shit! "

Become aware and be the visible difference.

Speak Your Mind

2006-06-19T16:03:00.000-04:00

Don't forget to leave comments!

Your comments help to make this site more enjoyable and and are a contributor to it's content.

A really long essay (by an amateur)

2006-06-19T09:46:00.003-04:00

The Human Condition: Questions and Answers
Hendrik Vlaar

September 1, 1939 Poland. June 6, 1944, Normandy. August 6 and 9, 1945, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 1994, Rwanda. April 19, 1995, Oklahoma. September 11, 2001, New York City. These are the dates and times of events that exemplify the cruelty, brutality and evil nature of humanity. These events did not occur out of the ordinary, but rather, they were the premeditated actions of individuals and organizations within our world.

Many people ask questions like, "If God is good then why does he let bad things happen?" They like to point the finger at God, blaming him for the evil they experience in their lives. When they try to answer questions like, "Where was God during the holocaust?" they will always come up empty handed because they are trying to blame God and he is not to blame. For man (NB: The term "man" is used interchangeably with the terms "humanity" and "the individual" in this paper) to truly discover the reasons behind the evil that exists—the evil that he experiences every day—he must look within himself. If he does so, then he will truly see that humanity, in it’s natural state, is evil. He will then realize that if a society is to succeed, then it must centre itself on that which is good. If he then seeks out the source of goodness, finds it, and looks further into the state of man and society within the entire context of man’s total existence, his understanding will culminate to a very important, yet little understood, truth, which is this: the strength, success and longevity of a society, including the individual person, is dependent upon whether or not it is centered upon God.

To attain a basic understanding of human nature, one needs only to pick up a daily newspaper. Here, the question of whether humanity is naturally "good" or "evil", that is, whether or not humanity naturally lives in adherence to righteousness, can be answered. If the daily global and local occurrences of human-on-human terrorism, violence, maliciousness and cruelty wasn not convincing enough, one could take a look back in history to one of the most famous "case studies" on the nature of humanity, also known as the communist Soviet Union. Whereas the goal of communism in the Soviet Union was to maintain equality among all members of society, it quickly degenerated into a system of corruption as those in leadership positions used their power to achieve their own means and amass to themselves a great sum of financial wealth, leaving the general population in poverty. If man were naturally good, rather than evil, then the Soviet Union would have been one of history’s greatest success stories as a triumph of man, everlasting as an example for all societies to follow. However, such was not the case. The failure of the Soviet Union is a perfect example of the inherent evil nature of humanity.

However, one could argue that the causes for the fall of the Soviet Union were amoral and beyond those of human nature—that they were political, economical and sociological, but what is important to note is that the Soviet Union education system was free of religious or moral teachings. The communist system was humanistically centered upon man, as if he would be the great doer of all good things. The assumption was made that man would be concerned with how their actions affected the interests of other men, and that as such, that society would benefit from itself. If the rulers of the Soviet Union had understood the inherent nature of humanity, they would have probably reconsidered creating a society that depended upon man’s "goodness" to triumph over its counterpart, which is evil. To give further proof to this point, consider the historical minister of education of the Ukraine. While the Soviet Union was intact, many churches became puppet institutions for the communist party, and, as such, were subject to strict governmental control. The church was therefore used not for moral instruction, but rather for the propagation of a political agenda. Also, where religion was formerly a cornerstone of the Ukrainian education system, it was diminished to the point of irrelevancy under the rule of communism. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Ukrainian Minister of Education cried out that the education construct must contain teachings concerning morality and the first book used in the schools to teach this subject was the Bible.

In a modern western society where the general school of thought categorizes humanity as inherently good, the idea of humanity being inherently evil may be met with a certain amount of offence. However, these ideas about human nature are neither new nor revolutionary (though adherence to such teaching may be the spark needed to ignite a global revolution of ethics and morality). They are merely the regurgitates of one of the world’s most influential political and anthological philosophers, Thomas Hobbes. In his culminating work, Leviathan, he claimed that, by nature, people are self-seeking, egoistic, aggressive and pleasure-seeking (Paquette, Philosophy 396). These views seemed to arise from Hobbes’ observations of man during the French Revolution, a time of turmoil and discontent. He argues that society exists as a way to protect the individual members of society from each other. Another philosopher, the ancient Chinese sage, Xun-Zi, wrote that the proof of man’s evil nature lies within his own discontentment with his self. If man were naturally good, he would be content with himself, but he is not naturally good and therefore he seeks to attain the goodness he lacks from sources outside of himself. This search for good is simplified by man into a search for character traits or attributes that he lacks, but wishes to attain (Paquette, Philosophy, 33). From these coherent philosophies of Hobbes and Xun-Zi, the conclusion can be drawn that man is inherently evil, but that he wishes he were good.

However, wishing to be something and actually being something are two entirely different things altogether. Though man’s initial desire can often lead to action, man will cease to act once he has met too many barriers and will subsequently fail to achieve his goal and, unfortunately, there are many difficult barriers to overcome if one wishes to be a truly good person, the most difficult of which is to do more good than evil. But therein lies a problem, for goodness, by human standards, is relative. Is it possible for man to measure himself against the rest of humanity? The answer, of course, is that such measurement is impossible, for measurement by any unfixed standard is redundant; it is impossible for man to measure his own goodness. Therefore, if humanity is to have an understanding of whether or not it is good or evil, it must seek a perfectly good outside, untainted source, which is truth, by which it could then compare itself. This truth by which man is measurable is found in God.

Before the reader becomes consumed with an unwillingness to accept that God is truth, let it be clearly understood that such stubbornness ought to be overcome by reason, logic, and a willingness to accept that man is finite in his understanding. Several authors have, over the centuries, taken it upon themselves to logically and historically present evidence validating the recorded life of Christ and his ressurection from the dead; this subject is in no need of further discussion or explanation. Some highly recommended titles on the subject of God are The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel and Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. However, that which is in need of explanation is the trueness of God. If God is a true God, that is, if there is coherence between what God says about himself in his Holy Word and his actions, and if his rules about how to live are shown to be positively consequential when obeyed and negatively consequential when disobeyed, then where is the hard, fast proof? Though loophole-seekers can argue against man’s personal experience with God, that which cannot be denied is the physical, everlasting evidence. Such evidence is found within the Jewish nation—that is, God’s chosen people. Now, what is extremely interesting to note about the Jewish people is that they are the only people in the world that have undergone such vicious persecution while simultaneously maintaining such a strong sense of integrity since the beginning of recorded history. Despite the numerous hardships suffered by the Israelites—slavery in Egypt, captivity in Babylon, persecution by the Roman Empire and genocide by the Nazis—they have remained a strong and powerful nation, but more than that, they have persevered as a people with an identity. What is even more interesting is that the Jewish nation possesses an understanding of Israel as being God’s chosen people. This understanding comes from the ancient theological covenant between God and Abraham, the ancient father of the Israelites, in which God is the father of the Jewish nation. Because of this understanding, the Jewish nation is God-centered, and such adherence to an all-powerful God has maintained the Jewish nation throughout the centuries. This continuation of Israel despite a level of persecution that would surely wipe out any other people is proof that God is a true God. The Jews are God-centered, and as such they have remained, from the beginning of history, to the present time, a strong and successful nation.

But what about the individual? The benefits of societal God-centeredness have been proven (on a grand scale, admittedly), but how is the individual to benefit from a God-centered life? This question is very important and deserves answering, but before that question is addressed, another question must first be answered, which is this: what are the needs of man?

Ever since the beginning of philosophy, the question of man’s needs has been debated. One of the great philosophical grandfathers, Socrates, held to the belief that man, in a state of nature, desires human interaction. This—besides the essentials—is how Socrates believed man could achieve satisfaction. His student, Plato, argued that what man really desires is happiness. Teacher and student were divided upon the subject of man’s great desire, but what they failed to realize is that both philosophies can be sensibly combined as follows: man desires happiness and receives this happiness through the means of human interaction. This combination would subjugate the philosophy of Socrates to that of Plato, as a prerequisite for happiness is human interaction; man uses human interaction to achieve happiness but does not use happiness to achieve human interaction. Still, though, this combination of philosophies does not address the gaping question of "why". Why does man use human interaction to receive happiness? To answer this final question concerning man’s great desire one must turn to author Donald Miller. In his most recent book, Searching for God Knows What, Miller addresses the human condition. From a lifetime of observations, Miller has concluded that humanity is driven by the need to be valued—to be important. Using the concept of an alien arriving anew on planet earth, he proposed that the alien would question the competitive nature of man along with his tendency to compare himself against others. In his writings the alien concluded that humans are a "beautiful people with a terrible problem" (Miller 92). Miller also used his experiences in elementary school to explain the way children strive to be more importantly valued than the other children, and how, in order to maintain their position of value within the invisible school ground hierarchy, these children attack or act passively towards those individuals who were "less valued" (in order to in order to prevent those of lesser value from taking over their position), and defend themselves against those who were "more valued" (in fear of an attack which could lessen their value). Further proof of Miller’s philosophy can be found in humanity’s daily search for love, power, wealth and prestige. Man seeks all of these things in the attempt that when he has attained them, that he will become a "valuable member of society". Man wants to be wanted, needed and loved, and the easiest way for man to achieve this is through positive human interaction.

Through the combined philosophies of Socrates, Plato and Miller the human condition has been recognized. Man’s happiness depends upon his level of value, and this value can greatly be increased through the means of human interaction. However, once again a problem presents itself and that is the problem of man’s evil nature. This evil nature does not allow for man to feel valued all of the time. Often, it is man’s own selfish desires that prevent him from interacting with others in a positive, uplifting manner, causing those he treats poorly to feel undervalued. When an individual recognizes the cruelness of man and loses confidence in humanity, they will often seek a sense of self-value through means other than human interaction. For example, a goal for many people is to attain a great sum of wealth, as they believe that the monetary value of their bank accounts will be attributed to their personal value. Others believe that their personal achievements—whether they be in sports, politics, music or anything else—will give them value. These achievements or their products may, for a short time, be deemed valuable, but the individual could still feel as if they were worth nothing.

When one gets to the heart of the matter—the matter, of course, being humanity’s need for a sense of value—and when one thoroughly searches for that which can completely fulfill that need, it ultimately becomes clear that there is nothing on this earth could possibly satisfy such a need. It is at such a point where man turns to religion.

Now, it is quite noteworthy that man turns, first, to religion, and not to God, for reasons that will, upon further reading, become apparent. The reason man turns to religion is because all forms of religion are systems of belief which are based upon the actions of man, a system that is much easier for man to understand rather than a system based around God. Religion recognizes the existence of God, the evil nature of man, and the need for redemption; however, religion’s great flaw is that it requires man to earn redemption, which is impossible, because man is naturally evil. Man’s pride, unfortunately, easily deceives him into thinking that such salvation is earnable, and as such, he can spend his whole life toiling for that which he will never receive.

A good example of this man-centered system of earning salvation is found within the Islamic religion, Islam meaning "submission to God". In order for a member of Islam to receive salvation he focuses on the fiver pillars of Islam, which are: Salat (prayer), Swam (fasting), Zaket (giving alms), Hajj (pilgrimage) and Shahahada (the testament). The Islamic belief is that Allah—God—will judge each person according to whether or not they have lived in adherence to the Five Pillars of Islam and according to whether they have done more good in their life than evil. God is not viewed as loving or merciful, but as a judge. As man has no standard against which to measure his goodness, he is, even within the system of religion, lost and unsatisfied. Man’s goal, within religion, is not to become valued, but rather to avoid punishment. It is fear of death and suffering and the use of scare tactics that cause people to believe that they are living purposeful lives. Every single religion that exists—from Hinduism, to Catholicism to Animism—is man-centered. Though man works to earn his redemption and salvation, he cannot be satisfied, for he will always retain his evil nature and he will always, therefore, remain undervalued.

Now that the basic groundwork has been laid regarding the human condition and religion’s inability to satisfy man’s greatest need—self-value—the original question can once again be asked, "How is the individual to benefit from living a God-centered life?" Before this question is answered in it’s fullness it is important that the consequences of living a man-centered life are fully understood. A man-centered life, as has been proven, is unfulfilling, subject to evil, and painful. A life centered upon man is a life plagued by evil, and there is no way in which a man can earn his way, through works, to righteousness. The Apostle Paul writes about this in the book of Romans saying, "So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me....What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" (New International Version, Rom. 7:21, 24) Every religion in the world On the other hand, by living a God-centered life, one receives freedom from the burden of feeling unvalued and unfulfilled. As the book of Psalms says, "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun." (Psalm 37:4-6)

A simple faith in the loving, gracious God gives one the assurance that he is valued, not merely by other men, but by God, his Creator. Not only does man receive an everlasting sense of self-value, but he would also be freed from his sin, for God came to earth and suffered on a cross so that man would not have to suffer the consequences of his evil. This holds great significance for man, for when he recognizes his evil nature he naturally feels that he must attain forgiveness—that he must become righteous—through the process of works, the process by which he believes he will regain his value. For a man to accept his inability to redeem himself from evil is, admittedly, against his natural instinct, for man continually assures himself of his greatness. Therefore, it is merely his own pride that man must overcome in order to receive the free-flowing mercy of God, and this is often the greatest obstacle of them all. If one can do this, that is, if one can not only recognize the evil within himself, but can also recognize their need for God’s grace, then God will be gracious and a God-human relationship can then be formed. Through this relationship, they will then, truly, become a fulfilled person.

In this world, the need for God is undeniably real. Though man wishes to attain a relationship with God through his own set of works, such a relationship remains impossible, as an evil man cannot remain in the presence of a perfect God. North American society is rushing fast towards decline and is in desperate need of salvation. Where other generations, other cultures and other religions have failed, this generation can succeed. All that is necessary is for man to simply turn away from himself, and turn towards God—to turn from death to life. Only then can the pieces begin fall into place.

Works Cited/Conslulted
Greenslade, Ivor. Personal Interview. Brantford. 2006.
The Holy Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984.
Miller, Donald. Searching for God Knows What. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Inc., 2004.
Paquette, Paul, and others. Philosophy: Questions and Theories. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2003

From back in my hip hop days

2006-06-17T18:03:00.002-04:00

16 Bars...

Vivaciously envisioning a volume of viscosity
Philosophy has got to be an amoral dichotomy
You follow me B? How much sh!t you gonna swallow? See
When it comes to government pills, you take the whole bottle
It’s a model of equality for unequals
New Orleans was like a Holocaust sequel
No God to save America, starin out their peepholes, kid
The water’s runnin up over your lid now the
Steeples respond, money from the government
Tanks, guns and bombs. Is that the way they runnin it?
Quick! Turn it on! The CIA is dumb as sh!t
Terrorize the public while the Devil is lovin it, Angels
Drummin it, peace over a powerful rhythm
It’s wisdom, vibrating and waking within God’s
Dominion, we runnin round like his little minions
Captured by his Spirit and the liquid of the crimson

property of Hendrik Vlaar. Don't steal it

2006-06-15T21:23:00.000-04:00

This is me... That's about it.