Where in the world is t-hype?!?

I was here.

I'll be here.

I just bought one of these.

And two of these.

I know. I know. That doesn't really justify my absence but it at least offers some explanation as to why I'm too distracted to post these days...

Whatever happened to this guy?

Looks like one of the girls found him a cowboy hat. Only in Texas. I tried so hard too...

I'm liberated!

Boy have I been absent from blogging!
I'd like to say I have some unusually interesting changes to share but not so. Instead of watching more 'phillums', I've gotten sidetracked by Chinese study, screenwriting/production, and actually reading...books...on paper. *gasp!*

Until this evening, nothing's been of enough interest for me to bother writing about.
This weekend, my church hosted a regional conference for Exodus International. Exodus is basically a clearinghouse of information for churches (and synagogues for that matter) who minister to people leaving a homosexual lifestyle.

This conference was my second Exodus event and I'm glad I was there. There's something so amazing about being surrounded by people who are chasing after what God has for them. Praise and worship is always super intense because for a lot of folks who come to the conferences, it's not only a 'safe place' but the first time they've realized wholeness in Christ doesn't equate with stereotypical gender norms. I love what one of the leaders said, "The opposite of homosexuality isn't heterosexuality---it's holiness." Word.

I met a guy at the annual conference I went to who was a post-operative MtF transsexual who worked as a stripper for a few years to save up for his surgeries. I met him a few months after he'd had his breasts removed so he wouldn't be called "ma'am" quite so often. On first sight, I thought, "That guy's really gay" but after having shared a meal with him and being priviledged to hear the circumstances of his life and his transformation process, I'm thoroughly convinced he's one of God's great showpieces. After spending all of his young adulthood living as a woman, (and a fairly cute one--I saw photos!), he decided to call it quits. His transformation was a long arduous process, still yet to be completed, but his hunger for God's truth despite the trappings of his physical body is an inspiration to me time and time again.

I was thinking about all of this driving home this evening when the song Liberator by my friend Jason Eskridge came up on my mp3 player. I couldn't help but think how absolutely perfect a theme song it is for some of the folks I've met through Exodus and what a theme song it's been for my life.



[*If you like the song, you can download it from Jason's MySpace for free. Just drop him a message and let him know I sent you! :)]
your hand of freedom
reached into my situation
breaking my binding chains
and granting me liberation

‘cause I once was bound to myself
the worst of penalties
I couldn’t escape from my sin
until you rescued me

you are my liberator
your love set me free
you are my emancipator
with your blood you bought me
now I am free
free

and I’m not going back
to that place again
where my mind and body
are enslaved to sin

through your life and your death
and your life again
you’ve taken this dead man
made me breathe again

you are my liberator
your love set me free
you are my emancipator
with your blood you bought me

you are my liberator
your love set me free
you are my emancipator
with your blood you bought me
now I am free

I’m set free
I’m set free

This is scary

Prisons Purging Books on Faith from Libraries

I don't even have the energy to write a proper response.

Why are people afraid to admit that radical Islam is dangerous rather than dumping on every belief system under the sun?

*sigh*

How we get down

WTH?!

I absolutely could NOT hold in my laughter when I saw this image!
It seems a church in Chandler, Arizona is "Bringing Sexy Back" for the next three weeks.

In truth, I have no problem with the church at large addressing sex BUT it does give me tramatic flashbacks to every half-hearted attempt I've had to sit through in the past. Even more frightenting, I'm reminded of my high school sex ed teacher insisting that she should demonstrate how to use a condom with a banana as the model. [NONE of us were up for that level of excitement during the school day.] Oh the trauma!!!

Read the story here or just visit the series website: HowSexyAmI.com.
[There's a 'sexy quiz' on there. You know you want to!]

On campus with Mr. Fair & Handsome

[This is part II in the "Mini Khan Visits Nashville" series. Part I is here.]

M.K. and I rolled by Fisk University one day after work. I made sure he had a good view of Jubilee Hall which is on a ton of historic registries and was the very first permanent building on campus, completed in 1875, just 10 years after the Civil War ended.

I was sharing this bit of history with M.K. adding how Jubilee Hall was built after the Ku Klux Klan had burnt down the military barracks that originally housed the students.

"The spire on the building was used as a watch tower to give warning in case the Klan tried to raid the---"

"Everyone here is so dark!" M.K. interrupted.

"Um, Fisk is a black university M.K."

"Why do black people need their own university? I think what they need is Fair an--"

*enter angry mob*
"THAT'S THE GUY FROM THE COMMERCIAL!"

Suddenly, our campus trip was going downhill. Who knew there was a "Colorism Across Cultures" workshop this week?! It seems a few students were aware of our hero's insensitivity to the darker skinned among us. The result:

No, I did not kick him while he was down! I was stepping in to stop the violence. You know, "Guests are as gods" and all that.

On the way home I told Shahrukh that if he needed money or something, all he had to do was ask. Geez. There's no good reason why a guy like him should be endorsing such insulting products.

[reposted here]

Suprise, suprise!

So, I'm halfway through a fairly craptacular week--'loose bowel' syndrome anyone?--and lo & behold! I arrive home this evening to see my roommate had left this in the hallway:

Shhh!!! He's still sleeping.

Oh, the places we'll go...

[Need context? Check out bollywoodbloggers.com.]

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

Apparently, that's the motto of Hollywood moneymongers these days when it comes to Bollywood.

Unbeknownst to me, prior to the reading of today's NYTimes, Sanjay Leela Bhansali will hereafter have the distinction of directing the first Bollywood film produced by a Hollywood studio. Sony Pictures is footing most of the bill for Bhansali's next flick Saawariya.

That's serious business. Studios are notoriously risk adverse. I guess they figure there's enough people in India that if even 20% of the population checks the film out they'll be ok? Naturally, if everything goes as planned, more studios will probably jump on the Bollywood bandwagon. I have only two words for that: HRITHIK ROSHAN. Recognize.

As for Saawariya, it features everyone's favorite stalker boyfriend, Salman Khan, and the smoky-voiced Rani Mukerji. If nothing else, judging by Sanjay's previous work, I expect fabulously indulgent cinematography, more than enough reason to see the film without bothering with the storyline. ; )

Talk amongst yourselves.
[Click the photo to go to the NYTimes article.]

Monday Madness - Tokyo Breakfast

Funny or not funny?

(My thoughts are in the comments.)

Oh snap!

I don't think any coincidental amalgamation has been this serendipitous since Pink Floyd & The Wizard of Oz!

Presenting Unk's Walk it Out courtesy of the great American theater choreographer Bob Fosse:
(At least fast forward 2/3 of the way through. I sware they're doing the Bankhead Bounce!)

[via]