Currently Listening To...

I see these little spots on Xanga all the time, so I've added a new section on the sidebar with what I'm currently listening to. Sufjan, Springsteen, and Jack Johnson right now.

Sujan Stevens, Illinois - I have 7 of his albums, but am enjoying Illinois so very much right now that I've not yet moved on. Wrote about him more extensively in an older post.

Bruce Springsteen, Nebraska - Andy introduced me to Bruce a little while back, and I really dug his recent acoustic album "Devils and Dust". So Andy recommended an older acoustic album by Bruce, "Nebraska". There's something very Jersey about the album, and I like that. Something rural, too. Parts are very lonely and sad.

Jack Johnson, Curious George Soundtrack - I know they officially call this album something else, but it's the Curious George soundtrack to me. I've heard this movie described as a children's movie, not a family movie. It's not meant to appeal to all members, just the kids. And I like that idea. This has some very nice kids songs that are fun to sing along with. It's a very nice, innocent album.

Entry posted by byscuits at 11:09 AM | Comments (0)

My Photography at The Veritas Forum

A couple of months ago, I was asked to display some of my photography in a gallery at the Veritas Forum at Harvard under the theme "Christianity, Power, and the Powerless." After quite a bit of thought I accepted, and this Friday at 7 PM, ten pieces of my work will be on display in Ticknor Lounge of Boylston Hall at Harvard. My portion of the gallery will be several images that will never be posted to Byscuits.com, as the subject matter is of a personal family nature. There is also an online schedule (you can see my name listed down at the bottom) if you need more information, or would like to attend some of the excelent discussions. This year also features Tim Keller and Jim Wallis, of whom I am a big fan.

If you guys need more directions or any more information, just let me know. Hope to see yall there.

Entry posted by byscuits at 03:19 PM | Comments (0)

Contract Extension and New Albums

I found out from my boss today that my contract has been extended until the end of June. That's great news, and takes a big load off my mind. I can certainly handle the commute until then.

Devlin and Suzanne Get Married - Slideshow
This past Saturday I was honored to photograph Devlin and Suzanne's wedding. The ceremony and reception were elegant and simple, and a big congratulations goes out to them and their new home!

Michael stars as "The Boyfriend" - Slideshow
I also got to shoot Michael's acting debut in his 8th grade production of "The Boyfriend." Michael played the lead role, and did an amazing job. Congratulations to the cast and crew who pulled of an great show, even moreso considering their dress rehearsals were cancelled because of snow. I'm looking forward to Michael's future roles.

Entry posted by byscuits at 03:37 PM | Comments (0)

Wonderful Town and More

I added a new album today with photos from Gabe's most recent play, Wonderful Town, at Newton South High School. To make things real easy, you can check out the slideshow.

More photos should be forthcoming from Devlin and Suzanne's wedding this past Saturday. It was only my second gig as lead photographer, but I think things turned out well. I feel like I'm starting to get the hang of this wedding photography thing.

Also, you'll notice changes around the Photo Albums section. I've upgraded to a new version of Gallery, which has a much better interface. All of the older photos have not yet been transferred over, but that'll happen soon enough. If yall have any suggestions, fire away.

Entry posted by byscuits at 04:42 PM | Comments (0)

Strengths Finder

Years ago when I was at Mosaic in Los Angeles, many of us took a test given by the Gallup Organization called the "Strengths Finder". Apparently, it has been renamed, and is now called the "Strengths Quest". I think I like the original name much better...

The Strengths Finder is all about what is right with you. We in the modern world love to focus on what is wrong with others and ourselves, but the Strengths Finder is really the opposite of that. The Gallup Organization seeks to create a new language for what we are good at and help us to find how to build our life around our strengths.

Anyway, I ponied up the $25 to take the online test again, because I think I've changed quite a bit in the past several years and want to see if I get different results. So here are my new top 5 strengths, in gory detail.

1. Strategic - The Strategic theme enables you to sort through the clutter and find the best route. It is not a skill that can be taught. It is a distinct way of thinking, a special perspective on the world at large. This perspective allows you to see patterns where others simply see complexity. Mindful of these patterns, you play out alternative scenarios, always asking, "What if this happened? Okay, well what if this happened?" This recurring question helps you see around the next corner. There you can evaluate accurately the potential obstacles. Guided by where you see each path leading, you start to make selections. You discard the paths that lead nowhere. You discard the paths that lead straight into resistance. You discard the paths that lead into a fog of confusion. You cull and make selections until you arrive at the chosen path-your strategy. Armed with your strategy, you strike forward. This is your Strategic theme at work: "What if?" Select. Strike.
2. Context - You look back. You look back because that is where the answers lie. You look back to understand the present. From your vantage point the present is unstable, a confusing clamor of competing voices. It is only by casting your mind back to an earlier time, a time when the plans were being drawn up, that the present regains its stability. The earlier time was a simpler time. It was a time of blueprints. As you look back, you begin to see these blueprints emerge. You realize what the initial intentions were. These blueprints or intentions have since become so embellished that they are almost unrecognizable, but now this Context theme reveals them again. This understanding brings you confidence. No longer disoriented, you make better decisions because you sense the underlying structure. You become a better partner because you understand how your colleagues came to be who they are. And counterintuitively you become wiser about the future because you saw its seeds being sown in the past. Faced with new people and new situations, it will take you a little time to orient yourself, but you must give yourself this time. You must discipline yourself to ask the questions and allow the blueprints to emerge because no matter what the situation, if you haven't seen the blueprints, you will have less confidence in your decisions.
3. Adaptability - You live in the moment. You don't see the future as a fixed destination. Instead, you see it as a place that you create out of the choices that you make right now. And so you discover your future one choice at a time. This doesn't mean that you don't have plans. You probably do. But this theme of Adaptability does enable you to respond willingly to the demands of the moment even if they pull you away from your plans. Unlike some, you don't resent sudden requests or unforeseen detours. You expect them. They are inevitable. Indeed, on some level you actually look forward to them. You are, at heart, a very flexible person who can stay productive when the demands of work are pulling you in many different directions at once.
4. Individualization - Your Individualization theme leads you to be intrigued by the unique qualities of each person. You are impatient with generalizations or "types" because you don't want to obscure what is special and distinct about each person. Instead, you focus on the differences between individuals. You instinctively observe each person's style, each person's motivation, how each thinks, and how each builds relationships. You hear the one-of-a-kind stories in each person's life. This theme explains why you pick your friends just the right birthday gift, why you know that one person prefers praise in public and another detests it, and why you tailor your teaching style to accommodate one person's need to be shown and another's desire to "figure it out as I go." Because you are such a keen observer of other people's strengths, you can draw out the best in each person. This Individualization theme also helps you build productive teams. While some search around for the perfect team "structure" or "process," you know instinctively that the secret to great teams is casting by individual strengths so that everyone can do a lot of what they do well.
5. Maximizer - Excellence, not average, is your measure. Taking something from below average to slightly above average takes a great deal of effort and in your opinion is not very rewarding. Transforming something strong into something superb takes just as much effort but is much more thrilling. Strengths, whether yours or someone else's, fascinate you. Like a diver after pearls, you search them out, watching for the telltale signs of a strength. A glimpse of untutored excellence, rapid learning, a skill mastered without recourse to steps-all these are clues that a strength may be in play. And having found a strength, you feel compelled to nurture it, refine it, and stretch it toward excellence. You polish the pearl until it shines. This natural sorting of strengths means that others see you as discriminating. You choose to spend time with people who appreciate your particular strengths. Likewise, you are attracted to others who seem to have found and cultivated their own strengths. You tend to avoid those who want to fix you and make you well rounded. You don't want to spend your life bemoaning what you lack. Rather, you want to capitalize on the gifts with which you are blessed. It's more fun. It's more productive. And, counterintuitively, it is more demanding.

And here are my original top 5:

1. Competition
2. Context
3. Strategic
4. Command
5. Relator

I can't recommend the test highly enough. I've made many decisions over the years in an attempt to play to my strengths, not just try to fix what's wrong with me. But then again, maybe that's what's already inside me and just a result of learning about the Strengths Finder.

The $25 also comes with a PDF version of the book that helps you to understand Strengths. You can pay an extra $10 for a hard copy of the book in the mail. Me, I'm a geek. Me likey the PDF.

Entry posted by byscuits at 12:11 PM | Comments (0)

Get Fresh Byscuits

I've just installed and tested a new emailing list, that allows me to send updates for anything that's new on the site. In the past, updates have only gone out for new blog postings, but now I'll be sending out new albums as well.

It also allows folks to subscribe and unsubscribe on their own, meaning new folks can add themselves and old folks can remove themselves when they feel like it. :)

The subscription box is on the right hand side at the top of the sidebar. Yeah, it's the one that says "Get fresh byscuits." Let me know if you have any issues.

Entry posted by byscuits at 02:30 PM | Comments (2)

John Wayne Gacy, Jr.

Still listening quite a bit to the Sufjan Stevens Album Illinois. I really don't know what to say about it, except listen to it. I can't explain it any other way. Give it at least a couple of times through, and if you're not hooked, I'll give you your money back. I'm not kidding (okay, I am a little bit).

The album Illinois is the second part of Sufjan's 50 states project, where he aims to make an album for every state in the Union. It's a very interesting concept, full of historical references and Sufjan's own experiences.

There are two songs that I'm especially enamored with at the moment. Casimir Pulaski Day and John Wayne Gacy, Jr. It is the lyrics of the latter that strike me with the most force.

Sufjan Stevens, John Wayne Gacy, Jr.
The neighbors they adored him
For his humor and his conversation
Look underneath the house there
Find the few living things, rotting fast, in their sleep
Oh the dead
27 people
Even more, they were boys, with their cars, summer jobs
Oh my God
Are you one of them?

John Wayne Gacy was a serial killer from Illinois in the 1970's, and this song is a quiet reflection on this man and the situation. Gacy was very well liked by his neighbors, even dressing up like a clown for the neighborhood block parties.

And in my best behavior
I am really just like him
Look beneath the floor boards
For the secrets I have hid

These last lines are it. The whole point of the song. So much of a relationship with Christ is based off this realization, that we are all just as dark and terrible as the worst of serial killers. It's not just the factual bit of dogma that we are all "sinners", but a real understanding of the blackness of my own heart. I may not have killed anyone, but I know that given the wrong circumstances, the potential for murder is not that far away. On the flipside, neither is the best I've ever seen of myself. There is really not much distance between the best and the worst of humanity.

It turns out Sufjan is what every gimmicky artist tries to be -- he is unique.

Entry posted by byscuits at 11:16 AM | Comments (2)

Sufjan Stevens

Based on a recommendation from a few people on my trip down to Philly this past weekend, I picked up the Sufjan Stevens album "Illinoise". I've been listening through the songs today, and I thought the style was familiar, somewhat eccentric. And I had a hunch he was Christian based on some of the lyrics. So I looked him up. Turns out, in 1999 he started playing with the musical family known as the Danielson Famile. I bought an album of theirs about 5 years ago at a Christian book store on a trip back to Missouri. They had a very odd sound, but something very distinct, something VERY different from the usual Christain music drivel. I lost the album somewhere along the way, and have been looking for it since. The style wasn't quite ready for mainstream, but it was very unique. Here's an interview on Pitchfork Media.

Funny how some things come full circle many years later.

Entry posted by byscuits at 04:40 PM | Comments (2)

Photos from Philly

This past weekend, I went down to Philly to see Sarah. We walked around Old Town, staying away from the completely touristy places, and took a few photos. The middle photo with the blue background was taken at Elfreth's Alley, the oldest residential street in America. Click the links for the rest of the photos to see where they were taken.

Philadelphia, PA - View the slideshow
 

 

Older cities in America have such character. There aren't too many completely distinct cities in the US, but I think Philadelphia is one of them, like Boston and New York. It'll be fun to go back.

Entry posted by byscuits at 11:47 AM | Comments (0)