The Empire State Building is going green tonight to commemorate the Eid festival that marks the end of Ramadan.
Y'know, if I were a rabble-rousing talk radio host, I could dine out on this for the rest of the week!
September 2008 Archives
Wilson Bryan Key argued that advertisers embed skulls and other imagery of death in marketing because images of death grab our attention.
If he had stopped writing books on subliminal ads and gone into marketing skull designs, he would not be a footnote in ad criticism history. He'd be one of the wealthiest people on Earth.
Via Skull-A-Day.
"Don't trust politicians."--Psalm 146:3.
Image: Crooked politicians in the Virgin de Carmen parade, Peru.
This issue of Gospel Today has been pulled from the shelves at Lifeway Christian Bookstores.
Not because of what the women are wearing, but because of what they do.
They're pastors.
Gospel Today, the Fayetteville-published magazine, was pulled off the racks by the bookstores’ owner, the Southern Baptist Convention. The problem? The five smiling women on the cover are women of the cloth — church pastors.
Southern Baptist polity says that’s a role reserved for men.
So much for breaking the glass ceiling.
A meeting at Dreamworks had to be scheduled around Rosh Hashanah. Clearly this cannot stand, as this leaked email indicates:
Pasties meet political satire in this devilish performance at Oakland's Uptown Hubba Hubba. More about Lady Satan at her MySpace--including, of course, charitable benefits!
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From this collection of pics taken at the New York Burlesque Festival. The transformation of burlesque into alt-art reflects how time change perception of once popular media.
From Hijab Style, which is taking a break until after Eid:
This photo is of an Iranian actress, and it looks like she has a black turban or bonnet cap on, pinned or tucked into a turtle neck, with the hat on top. What I first thought when I saw this, was how suitable it would be for Muslimahs who live in areas where it's dangerous (or downright illegal) to wear hijab.
If you enjoy the BofG, you'll likely enjoy this story. Read the whole thing, including the photo of the letter--it's wonderful.
Via kottke.org.
The Christian Twitter knockoff Gospelr has been making the rounds. The reactions in this Gawker comment thread illustrate the fun folks are having with it.
Among other things, it highlights an uncomfortable fact about contemporary Christian culture--namely, its penchant for copying secular products and memes. Which naturally raised the question: what if Christians ripped off LOLCats?
Search around the web long enough and you'll find the answer.
Or--sorry about that--the Answer.
LOLTheist is a blog with religious-themed LOLCats. LOLXTIANS offers a few more.
UPDATE: Just to clarify, since the question has been raised: LOLTheist is not a Christian group; I was merely suggesting--with tongue firmly in cheek--that this is what Christian LOLCats might look like!
The ketchup and pickles are particularly festive. Via A Hamburger Today:
For the final game at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees allowed fans to walk the warning track in the outfield. TV footage just highlighted a fascinating scene: an outfield wall covered with the fans' handprints.
And so connection to a baseball team connects us to our past.
Bazaar Ramadhan at the United Nations yields a variant on the Malaysian Ramly Burger. Fortunately for those who missed, the Malaysian Mission may offer another bazaar for the Eid Festival.
Is Oprah the manifestation of the satanic Lilith? Is Obama the Antichrist?
Blacks Against Obama claims to have proof.
Looking at the symbols in the above image, I'd say the movement could kill at least a couple weeks in a comparative religion in America seminar.
Via Journalista!, a scene from Grayson & Jimenez' Parade.
The Grand Central Partnership is a nonprofit business improvement district, responsible for revitalizing the terminal and surrounding area. Today, however, it has been in the news because of this lawsuit filed by the EEOC on behalf of four security guards who claim to have been discriminated against because of their Rastafarian dreadlocks.
As AltReligion explains, in Rastafarianism dreadlocks are more than just stylized hair.
The uncut/unstyled hair typically clumps together in long ropes, which are considered a sign of faith, connecting the believer to the people of the Old Testament. The name "dreadlocks" refers to one who is "dread," a God-fearing believer.
Authentic Rasta dreadlocks are not to be confused with salon-created or "intentional" dreadlocks, which do not conform to Ratafarian teachings. Rasta doctrine dictates that dreadlocks form naturally in the hair when it is allowed to grow without interference.
The origin of the dreadlocks doctrine comes from the emulation of biblical "Nazarites," Old Testament prophets who did not cut their hair. Biblical justification for the practice comes from the Old Testament Book of Numbers.
As the complaint below relates, the hair had become so dense and unwieldy that it was unable to fit under the caps required to be worn by GCP. As diverse religious hairstyles, jewelry, clothing and other practices become more visible in a society where extension of the self is the new norm, expect cases like this to proliferate.
Animal NY has the goods on Sarah Palin's proclamation of Prince Hall Masonic Week in Alaska. It's the sort of thing that governors rubber stamp all the time, and yet . . .
If you've ever been immersed in the netherworlds of Christian conspiracy theory, you know that there's obviously much more to it. Like, say, a century-old conspiracy in which the Freemasons used the Pentecostal speaking-in-tongues movement to corrupt the true biblical faith. You see, it's all part of the great political charade--a puppet show in which the Freemason Obama, the Freemason Palin and McCain, the son of a leading Freemason, are laughing at our blindness.
Of course, that's just speculation. I know nothing . . .
Sex and spirituality sell tara magazine.
"P.S. to Manny: The Ten Commandments religious medal and chain and my wedding ring--I wish you to present to our children as a token of our undying love."
There's a lot more Bronner's Christmas wack goodness on Jezebel.
More about performer and activist Kirk Read at his personal site & Madison Young:
This is the Thing is Kirk Read's multi media performance which explores his apocalyptic fantasies and sex work. Kirk's performances are always innovative, compelling and keep me captivated from the moment he walks onto stage to the moment he exits. His gentleness and honesty and ability to love and open his self up to the audience with in his stories is truly beautiful. He delves into his history as an evangelist and goes into a story regarding a protest outside of the Sex Workers Art Show. Crowds of press and mobs surrounding the venue in which they were about to perform. Evangelists were singing and lighting candles and Kirk decides to join them in song. It was really touching and beautiful.
Only 3 left, available on Etsy.
The Roman Catholic Church in the U.S. has banned spoken references to Yahweh in songs and prayers. Ostensibly it's out of respect for the sensibilities of observant Jews, who, now that the word "Yahweh" won't be uttered aloud, will presumably be cool with all the references to Jesus and the Trinity.
My guess is the crackdown is more likely a subtle way of targeting post-Vatican II worship songs and prayers, which are more likely to use the term.
Still, it's kind of funny--Catholic leaders have been rather vocal about God's removal from the public square, yet here they are, with a similar appeal to pluralism, taking God out of the Church!
Photo: Yahweh tattoo from Check Out My Ink!
The 9/11 comment of the day:
Man, it feels so far away but whenever it gets to this day I remember my boss who died in 9/11 and 4 of my coworkers. Even though I was an intern and did not know them very long it's still very sad. Sometimes I think about the small things that's why I also mourn the loss of my gym clothes that I lost in 9/11. I think about them sometimes. One day I'm wearing them for spin class at NYSC and the next they are in the rubble of the biggest tragedy to hit US Soil ever. They were of that futuristic micromesh breathable material too. Goddamn You Taliban and George Bush.
Gothamist has the details on this annual NYC ritual:
Starting at 6 p.m. (on the south side of Pier 40) lanterns will be prepared, with messages and the names of loved one's. This will be followed by music, meditation and prayer by religious leaders. At 7:45 p.m. the lanterns, lit up, will start floating down the Hudson River, as Sutra Chanting is led by Rev. TK Nakagaki, of the NY Buddhist Church.
The church notes that the "ancient custom of Floating lighted Lanterns in the waterways is a symbolic way of respecting the lives that have gone before us. It can represent a light of hope for peace and harmony."
A new lingerie line from Agent Provocateur, via Violet Blue (who has lots more links, including some NSFW).
Today, when transgression is the the new normal, this isn't as outre as it might have been a few years ago. But when Agent Provocateur debuts a line based on Mormon garments . . .
Via Racked, this account of two philosophically significant promotional stunts for Fashion Week:
This morning outside the tents, some fifteen to twenty models in Grecian white dresses were lined up facing the library steps. One had the word "Dolita" printed on her front, leading us to believe this had something to do with the Italian line. Suddenly, they all turned on their heels and walked away, followed by three nearly-naked ladies in bikinis covered in a thick layer of Dead Sea mud. These were representatives of the Israeli skincare line Ahava, which kindly e-mailed us this morning to explain that mud women would be "on display handing out brochures and product samples to fashion show guests and passersby."
Animal explains:
The dancing custom has pre-Hispanic roots and is steeped in Aztec imagery, but as the role of Christianity expanded, the garb eventually adapted to include Catholic elements and icons. These elaborate costumes you see in these photos came later in the mid 19th century as a way to mock he the Spaniards and later European occupiers while staying anonymous: "The elaborate dress, gloved hands, uptilted beard and arrogant stance makes a mockery of the salon dancing so beloved of the upper classes during the period of the French intervention (1864 - 1867) under the hapless Hapsburg Emperor Maximilian and his Empress Carlotta."
The title of the photo is "jealous." A commenter objects with an appeal to the emotional state of rocks:
jealous ? Why do you think they would be jealous oh her ? Preciouce diamonds are always kept away from theifs eyes. But cheap stones are thrown on the sides of the road to be seen and overwalked by anyone.Have you ever seen a diamond feel jealous from a stone ?
Abstinence jewelry was the talk of last night's MTV Video Music Awards. When comedian Russell Brand tweaks the Jonas Brothers' promise rings, Jordin Sparks calls out the sluts who don't wear them:
A great example of a communications medium transcending the intent of its users: New York's union rat, a form of protest designed to intimidate & embarrass non-union businesses, becomes a fun tourist attraction--especially among visitors from China, currently marking the year of the rat.
From Canada:
I saw this walking home from the train station after I was at the Speakeasy Illustration show in Toronto. The crosswalk box thing made this shadow on the ground and someone drew a most perfect Batman face on it!
Click through for the source of the pertinent data.
From Dylan Horrocks' The Pornography of Everyday Life
New York's indie fashion sensation has an opening reception at its new Lower East Side store tonight.
Long before Madonna popularized the red string as the symbol of Kabbalic mysticism, the toy company Transogram marketed ka-bala, a game with at best attenuated roots in Jewish spirituality. Taro cards, The Eye of Zohar and a roulette wheel promised to reveal the future of children with faith in the game's powers, and as you can see, ka-bala had quite the vision of how the role of women would evolve in the decades after 1966:
