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This is one of the coolest things I’ve seen. A site that enables you to make microloans to a specific entrepreneur in the developing world.
Learned about this artist from a tweet by jonray. His stuff is amazing. He’s evidently quite intelligent…and quite busy.
From his bio…
Combining elements of computer science, anthropology, visual art and storytelling, Jonathan Harris designs systems to explore and explain the human world.
Be sure to click the link “work” at the top of the page. Also, make sure to check out a specific piece called “Universe.”
Who is Shaye? That’s hard to answer. She’s either a surreal character created by an avant-garde filmaker. Or, she’s just Shaye. But whatever she is, she amuses me. I’m sure most people would find her scary, disturbing, or altogether disgusting. But if you’re a fan of David Lynch, Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, or William Burroughs, you may like Shaye.
One of my favorite quotes, from Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.
Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then, for a second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire.
There are a number of movies that I have seen that either as a whole, or in part, exemplify incredible love. And I plan to post many of them in this blog. And each of these movies highlight one or many of love’s manifestations, whether it be simple affection and regard by one individual for another, or courageous love in action, sometimes at the risk of losing one’s own life.
The documentary, Hiding and Seeking, showcases the latter.
In short, a father takes his sons to Poland, with the hope of finding the rescuers that hid the sons’ grandfather (the father’s father-in-law) during the Holocaust.
SPOILER ALERT:
Well, they do. The husband and wife that hid them are dead, but their daughter and son-in-law were still alive. And the daughter (now quite old, but sharp as a tack) turned out to be the one who brought the grandfather (and his brothers) his meals.
One of the highlights of the film is when she is asked why she and her family did this. She answers, simply, “Out of pity.” The other is the powerful and sincere speech given by Israel’s ambassador to Poland when the Polish family was officially declared as “Righteous Amongst the Nations.”
END OF SPOILER
To see humanity at its finest, amidst humanity at its worst, I recommend checking this out.
Check out this great video piece by Bill Moyers, about the community that was shattered by the school shooting in 2006. Their reaction of sincere and immediate forgiveness is a testament to their faith, and their culture.
And you can find the book here.
