Stitching Lotus

Da Vinci, The Grail, and Me

Posted on February 18, 2007 by Heather

Last night, quanta and I watched The Da Vinci Code. While it was quanta’s first experience with the story (beyond watching bits and pieces of a few Da Vinci Code inspired documentaries), I was intimately familiar with it. Firstly, I had read the book about two years ago, and was neither impressed or disappointed. But the idea of Christ’s bloodline was something I knew about from some reading my father had done years ago. And, I was also aware of the story/myth/what-have-you because of my family’s history–Roslyn Chapel was built by one of my direct ancestors. The Da Vinci Cod

For those of you who haven’t read the book or don’t know exactly how the story ends, I won’t spoil it other then to say, if the theory is true, I’m feeling a little ripped off. Seriously though, I believe that Jesus almost certainly did have children, and that there are likely millions of people walking around with his blood in their veins. I also believe Jesus was not the literal son of God, but rather His figurative son. Meaning that Jesus was a very special man who was very aware of the divine, and did his best to let others know what he knew. Sadly, things probably haven’t turn out as well as he would have hoped, I’m sure.

But what about those people who may carry Jesus’s blood? Well, I don’t think they are (or would be) any more or less special then anyone else. I believe that we all carry the divine within ourselves, but some of us are more aware of it then others. I know that I am special and loved by the divine, but I also know that I can’t walk on water or turn water into wine.

For some fun, try creating your own Dan Brown novel synopsis. Or read about the Da Vinci Code at Wikipedia.

The image is from a card published by Recycled Paper Greetings in 2004/2005.

Comments Off | Posted in Media & Politics, The Outside World |

Little Mosque

Posted on February 13, 2007 by Heather

I’m not really one to watch to sit-coms, but the CBC’s new show Little Mosque on the Prairie is really fun to watch. In a nut shell, the show is about a small Muslim community in a rural town somewhere in the middle of Canada. The regular cast consists of some of the Muslim community members, their Imam, a local priest (who hosts the mosque in his church hall), the mayor, and the local shock joke (played by Neil Crone, who you might know from Canadian television, Pushing Tin or Hollywoodland).

Being a Canadian TV show, the production values are a little lacking. But, overall, the show is very well done. The actors are funny (if occasionally awkward), and the situations are fairly realistic. In the most recent episode, a couple of the women try to get a female lifeguard hired for the local pool so they can take swimming classes without having to wear a Muslim bathing suit. Of course, hilarity ensues when the shock jock learns about it.

When the show was announced, there was some controversy about the CBC making fun of Muslims, mainly from overseas news outlets. (CNN, I’m looking at you.) The show has been very well received in Canada, and present Muslims, and other Canadians, in a funny and friendly light.

Keep reading to see a clip of the show and a clip of part of an open-minded CNN segment about it.

Continue reading →

1 Comment | Posted in Media & Politics |

Around the World and At Home

Posted on February 10, 2007 by Heather

It has been a full week, both personally and in the world at large.

Personally, I am still dealing with a good deal of pain. I think it was better when I thought it was a sinus infection that was going to go away soon. Knowing that it may stick around for a while makes it much harder to ignore. (Yes, whinge, whinge.) I am coping better, thought, and feeling much happier. I’m enjoying playing with the Wii. It is loads of fun, and worth every penny, especially since the funny games are helping to lift my spirits.

Work is work, but that’s nothing new. On Friday we visited the new campus where part of the company is based and where most of the rest of it will be shortly. I got a chance to sit it on some call centre calls. (I thought retail sucked, but call centre is even worse.) We also were able to learn a little bit about what other sections of the company are working. Overall, it was very interesting, and I really enjoyed myself. Hopefully, in a few weeks we will get to visit another company location where more of the nuts and bolts sort of operations are handled.

In the world at large, Anna Nicole Smith died, which is something that came completely out of left field. When famous people are older, it isn’t so unexpected when they die. But Anna Nicole Smith is only 10 years older then me, and so much larger then life. I hope that the legal battle over her daughter and her former husband’s wealthy don’t end up causing too many problems for the poor little girl that has been left behind.

And then there was the nasty political ads that our current ruling party is running on TV. They are bashing Liberal leader Stephan Dion, for no particular reason that I can figure out. There is no election expected soon… or least, not as of today. The ads are mean and insulting to Canadians, I think.

The Pickton trial continues in B.C., and the Libby trial goes on in the States. Bird flu has come to Britain, and Canadians are told not to travel to Mexico. An astronaut went crazy, and a child porn ring was broken. So, I suppose, nothing really unusual happened this week. Thank goodness.

Comments Off | Posted in Media & Politics, My Life, The Outside World |

Fortune Cookie Pond

Posted on February 3, 2007 by Heather

The world is full of interesting natural features. Google Sightseeing is a website that is devoted to showing off some of the more interesting things that are visable on Google Maps. My favourite? The Sphinx and the Great Pyramids, of course.

The other day, while scouting out the area near a building I was trying to locate, I came across this:

It’s a pond shaped like a fortune cookie, located in Etobicoke’s Centennial Park. How cute.

Comments Off | Posted in The Outside World |

Have You Tried Blowing In It?

Posted on February 2, 2007 by Heather

Last night I managed to snag myself a Wii after five days of searching and losing out on them twice due to Best Buy’s crappy shopping cart system and Verified by VISA’s slow servers. Where was I… Oh, yeah. Anyway, the Wii is my first Nintendo console since the Super Nintendo way back in high school. (I’ve kept up with the Nintendo handhelds however. I love my DS.) I’m very excited to be able to try the motion sensing controller. It will be interesting to see how it works. The DS touch screen has allowed for some interesting ways to interact with games, and I have high hopes that the Wii will surpass it.

In honour of my purchase (which hasn’t shipped yet, whaa!), here is some Nintendo humour from xkcd.

For those interested, I am feeling better about my health problems. Although I cried when I realized that I will need to give up carrots and apples, among other things, at least for the time being. I cried over carrots… Amazing.

Comments Off | Posted in Gaming |

TMJ Spells Pain

Posted on January 31, 2007 by Heather

My problems with stress have finally resulted in a physical problem that isn’t going to go away. Apparenlty I have TMJ syndrome. Essentially, I’ve worn away my jaw joint because I clench my teeth when I am stressed. Likely, based on other problems I’ve had and talks with other specialists, my joints are slightly predisposed to damage, making the problem even worse.

So, the solutions are pain killers (which do not work thanks to my high tolerance), a dental appliance that helps with the grinding of teeth (which I don’t do), toughing it out (which I am), Botox injection in the joint (never!) and surgery (which I will avoid until my face is ready to fall off). Looks like a diet of soft food for me, and even less talk then I already do.

Honestly, I am completely crushed by this. I spend a year and a half going to a physiotherapist for my knees so that I would not have to live the rest of my life in pain. And today, I find out that my sinus infection is actually TMJ syndrome, which means pain. Life, sometimes, is very unfair.

Comments Off | Posted in My Life |

Winter Has Arrived

Posted on January 15, 2007 by Heather

After weeks and weeks of lovely (almost) Spring-like weather, winter has hit Southern Ontario hard. Yesterday we were treated to a small taste: some snow, and a chaser of freezing rain. Today we got the whole main course–ice pellets, snow, freezing rain, slush falling from the sky. Needless to say, the public transportation system was packed (and unpleasant) as nervous drivers wisely chose to leave their cars at home.

I’m glad that winter has finally started. The warm weather made the holiday season less enjoyable, I thought. And, well, I actually sort of like snow. Which is a good thing, since it just might snow all week.