tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72507324635054131052024-02-18T19:41:45.476-06:00Bare "Bear" BishopLife, G-d, and the open road. This is the story of my four month road trip around the US and Canada.Andrew Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431610787928432536noreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250732463505413105.post-43254999373532315942014-02-19T20:56:00.000-06:002014-02-19T20:56:00.568-06:00On Evolution and G-dI grew up in a (somewhat) conservative religious household with a scientist father and an opinionated engineer brother who was both extremely intelligent and (at the time) a fan of Christian talk radio. I grew up watching people like Ken Ham tell me that evolution was a ridiculous idea, and that it was created by people with a secret agenda to manipulate people into atheism by trying to disprove G-d. People in my social circle believed that there is a secret conspiracy among scientist to mislead the masses and disprove G-d using evolution. My scientist father held a more moderate stance, disagreeing with evolution on scientific terms.<br />
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Honestly, there was no reason for me to believe in evolution. I was taught that the evidence which supported evolution wasn't good. This was supported by the fact that the only people that I knew who believed in evolution where not knowledgeable enough to address any of the concerns or critiques of the idea that I had been taught by my dad. When "authorities" on the subject tried to teach me, they would use heuristic models such as the famous peppered moth experiment, or Darwin's finches. They would try to trick me with examples such as representing horse evolution as orthogenic (proceeding in a linear fashion) when the reality is that horse evolution proceeds in an anagenic pattern (branching) and the horse fossils that they would put in sequence were actually on different branches of the phylogenetic tree.<br />
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These well intentioned misrepresentations of evolution only confirmed my doubts. I would have continued in this fashion had I not began to study anthropology, where I was first exposed to legitimate evidence for evolution. As I studied human evolution, I began to understand the principles, forces, and theories that described how evolution could and could not work. By treating evolution as simple universal laws, which make the mechanisms of natural selection unavoidable, I began to see the truth in these arguments.<br />
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The arguments were not what I thought they were, and many of the critiques that I had did not really apply. thought time I will reveal these critiques, and address them, but first I want to learn what you think are the conflicts between evolution and Christianity. Please comment and tell me what you believe are the central inconsistencies or conflicts between evolution and religion.Andrew Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431610787928432536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250732463505413105.post-69350468286423311922014-02-12T20:30:00.000-06:002014-02-12T20:30:19.946-06:00Stages of Life<div>
!!! Disclaimer: This post is long and personal, so if you are a reader with a short attention span, you should consider reading a different post !!!</div>
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Humans share a lot in common with insects. We survive and thrive in a myriad of locations, using a myriad of different adaptations. We are capable of incredible cooperation. And we go through distinct life stages. <div>
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It is this latter similarity that I would like to expand upon. Insects, such as butterflies, moths, and bees, are known for the metamorphoses that they undergo. In the case of bees, they undergo many unique life stages, transitioning from helpless larva whose only job is to grow, into nurse bees or "helpers at the nest", into door guards, and eventually into foragers. When bees undergo these transitions, they experience morphological and hormonal changes that completely alter their behavior, with each stage clearly differentiated from the last. </div>
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For humans, the transitions are not so neat and clean. Biologically we experience infancy, childhood, adolescence, adult hood, and post-reproductive adulthood, but socially many of these stages overlap. As we move from stage to stage throughout our lives, we undergo partial metamorphoses. In some ways we are children, in other ways adults. Our physical development, patterns of behavior, and hormonal profiles change in ways that are neither uniform, nor universal. In this way, humans resemble evolving creatures more than metamorphosing insects. Rather than broad and clear suites of changes, we undergo subtle alterations, acting bit by bit to adapt us to the needs of our physical and social environment.</div>
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I have been undergoing a lot of these metamorphoses, and I would like for my blog to do the same. I would like to share a few of these with you.</div>
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In 2010 I started a photography company and began to work in a restaurant. I lived a self-centered life, focused on maximizing personal memories and experiences. My relationship with G-d suffered, just as it did during my brief relationship with "Jungle Jenny"</div>
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In 2011, I was involved in a serious long term relationship with a godly woman. I asked her to marry me, and she said yes. The experience of being engaged really taught me a lot about myself, but one of the key lessons that I learned is that I was not ready to be married. I had not yet learned to humble myself and be totally giving as Christ is for us. I was, and still am, a fallen and selfish being, unprepared to truly put others first. As my engagement dissolved, my relationship with G-d took another turn for the worst. I was, and still am, wounded. </div>
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Later in 2011, I began studying anthropology in preparation for admission to a graduate program. I had an excellent mentor and began to study human adaptation from an evolutionary perspective. </div>
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In 2012, I was admitted to a graduate program with an excellent reputation for research in human evolution. I am now studying human hunter gatherers, as a way of enhancing our understanding of human evolution. My relationship with G-d has begun to mend, and I hope that through time, the wounds that I have endured will not be like a wounded tree trunk, which admits insects and kills the tree, but rather like a pruned bush, which allows for new and more abundant growth. The return to my blog is one of the ways in which I hope to promote this new growth.</div>
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While I will continue to relate interesting stories from the field (I never intend to stop having adventure), I would like to transition this blog into a forum for exploring spiritual and religious questions and discussing the intersections of evolution, religion, and morality.</div>
Andrew Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431610787928432536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250732463505413105.post-76318475208836653652012-05-18T21:53:00.001-05:002012-05-18T21:53:37.431-05:00Memories that Matter<br />
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As I lay here in bed, laughing about
missing toe nail clips and pots of coffee on the beach, I think back
over the past week and all the amazing people I have met, and I am
amazed. “You are never alone when you travel.” My friend Lis
was given that bit of advice before she began her trip through Latin
America, and it is absolutely true. You are never alone when you
travel. You meet the most amazing people. Some of whom are smart,
and some funny, and others kind of irritating, but all of whom create
your experience.
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In Montezuma, at La Luna Llena, Lis
and I met the first of our ever expanding gang. A friend of mine
says, “never trust a person who doesn't share food”. Well if
that is the criterion for trusting someone, then Jeff was a fast
friend. We met him at breakfast when he fed us toast and peanut
butter, and instigated a rousing discussion of American healthcare.
He was a very level headed guy, and funny, and pretty much easy to be
around, which is more than I could say for Lis and Sabira that
morning. They held the perspective that the American medical system
is shit, and also that private insurers should be forced to take a
financial loss through being required to insure people with
preexisting medical conditions, while still maintaining that the
medical system should not be run by the government. In general it
was quite frustrating, and made me feel like they have a general lack
of perspective (which is not at all the case), but it was still good
because it allowed us to become friends with Jeff, and to meet Shane
(female) and Amy, two fun princesses from Mass/Cali who had shushed
us from their room the night before, and complained because it wasn't
expensive/nice enough.</div>
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The next day we found Lis's friend
Sasha, another sweetheart from Australia, and spent more than 2 hours
trying to leave the hostel to hike to the waterfalls (100 ft. 50 ft.
and 10 ft.). This was a bit frustrating considering how long it took
for us to decide on a restaurant the night before, which in truth we
did not do because everything closed before we could make up our
minds (luckily for us, the pizza man had pity and made us an amazing
pizza after hours). Finally we managed to leave town and head to the
waterfall, which involved a very steep climb up a very dangerous and
high cliff side. The climb was fun, but the water was even more fun.
After several goes on the rope swing, we hiked up to a more private
pond, which was murky enough to allow me to skinny dip. While we
were in the pond, we met the lovely Caroline, a sweet and bubbly lady
from England, who would later be integrated into our group.</div>
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From Montezuma, we took an hour boat
ride to Tortuga island. I don't usually pay for tours like this, but
this one was well worth the $35 it cost. We got to go snorkeling
twice, which was absolutely amazing, we got to ride the ocean in a
boat which was beautiful, and for lunch they took us to a beautiful
beach where they prepared a fresh fruit platter, and casado plates
with potatoes, toast, chicken, rice, and beans, as well as free beer
and soda. That night, we had an amazing plate of food including the
best guacamole of my life, met up again with the lovely Caroline, and
decided to build a fire on the beach. Unfortunately for us, it
decided to rain that night, and we were caught in a sudden torrential
downpour. We sought refuge from the rain at Caroline's hostel, but
were quickly kicked out by the staff, so we decided instead to head
to the local park and have a drink. It was here that we first used
the term Pikey Strumpet to refer to Caroline, and it was also here
that Jeff decided to instigate a best fake beard competition with
leaves.
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The next day, as we made our way by
bus to Santa Teresa, Caroline decided to join us, and we also made a
new friend named Crazy Carlos. The trip was a bit confusing, and we
ended up losing Jeff for more than a day, and also we got off the bus
at the wrong spot and had to hike 2 kilometers before we found Lis.
Our time in Santa Teresa was pretty laid back, consisting mostly of
swimming in the pool, amazing food (fish tacos, burritos, and beef
kabobs on a baguette with every kind of vegetable and sauce
imaginable). I got to do a photoshoot with Kelsey, a surfing
instructor/apartment manager with a masters in mechanical engineering
and a background as a pole dancing instructor. Apart from meeting a
lovely group of spaniards, and cooking amazing pasta dishes at Don
Jon's restaurant/hostel there is not much for me to say about Santa
Teresa, except that it is wonderful and I am so grateful for the
people that I have met.</div>
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</div>Andrew Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431610787928432536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250732463505413105.post-2272851891390940032012-05-08T14:29:00.001-05:002012-05-08T14:29:22.062-05:00A Trip Down Memory River<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Some of the better Graffiti in San Jose</div>
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Lis on the left, and Rachel on the right. Lis is my new buddy from Florida, and Rachel is a cool chica from Canada who now lives in Panama. We went exploring San Jose together.</div>
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Lis noticed this.</div>
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On the right is Anita, and on the left, Anita's baby, debora, and Juan's wife Sandra.</div>
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Juan is measuring the lancha (a big boat) that was almost destroyed when it sank to the bottom of the river.</div>
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Juan Ruiz, one of my best friends, holding baby Deborah.</div>
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The first rule of Costa Rica is that plans will change. The second rule is that plans will change again. I kept this in mind when I left San Jose to visit Delta. Ana Moshenek, a crazy missionary woman that I have known for years, asked me to come by her farm so that Juan could take me out to Delta, but when I arrived I found out that Juan would not be returning to Delta for at least 4 more days. It never occurred to Ana that when I said that I wanted to go to Delta and see Juan and my neighbors, that I actually meant it. She decided that what I really meant was that I wanted to go to Palmas and spend several days working for her and visiting with Juan. Well, at least she got the part with Juan right.</div>
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For two days, Juan and I sat side by side in Ana's boat, the "hospitalito" cleaning and rewiring a mechanism that controls the motor. This would have been a simple task except that the mechanism was full of dirt and sand, and that half of the wires had faded to the point of being an indistinguishable shade of white. Nevertheless, after two days of tinkering and fiddling and trying things out, we succeeded in fixing the control. </div>
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Apart from working, we spent quite a bit of time sitting around the comedor, an open air dining room and living space, enjoying the fancy new electric lights, and telling stories about sisimiki, the Costa Rican version of bigfoot, as well as playing with baby Debora and discussing the jaguar that came to the edge of the yard each night for a week. </div>
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All in all it was a good trip, but I am glad to be off the river. I came here on vacation, and time with Ana is never a vacation!</div>
<br />Andrew Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431610787928432536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250732463505413105.post-75320407732519838532012-05-04T12:18:00.002-05:002012-05-04T12:18:39.595-05:00AvengedAvengers plot summary: Some big bad aliens led by the crazy character from Norse mythology try to destroy the earth. Iron Man and the Hulk save everything. Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, and Hawk Eyes help. <div>
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Basically this is one of the best movies I have ever seen! And to top it all off, I got to see two guys fighting in the street on my walk home! Tomorrow morning I will begin my trip out to delta to see my old neighbors. </div>Andrew Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431610787928432536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250732463505413105.post-6093366944382402022012-05-02T23:59:00.002-05:002012-05-04T10:32:12.059-05:00Getting StartedAfter quite a bit of travel and quite a few headaches with Spirit Airlines (and one really great conversation with a young boy named Sean on the Greyhound bus), I have made it to San Jose, Costa Rica. I hardly remember how to keep a blog, but one thing that I know for sure is that today has been a good start to my adventures. <br />
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It has been four or five years since I first met my friend Meghan. As a young man, my father and I stayed with her on one of our many visits to Costa Rica. Maybe it was the way she talked about Jesus, or maybe it was her tight jeans, but probably it was how she had picked up and moved to Costa Rica to do what she felt like she should do. Whatever it was, I quickly developed a crush on her. Normally a crush like this would not be noteworthy, but this one was unique in that it allowed me time to grow. I saw Meghan just enough over several years to keep my interest, but not so much that I had time to make a move and ruin my chances as a young and immature man. This is the foundation that made it possible for me to finally ask her out to dinner at a little Italian restaurant, and ultimately begin what promises to be a rewarding and healthy summer romance. If circumstances (A.K.A. permanent addresses) were different, it would be nice if this could be more than a summer romance, but for once in my life I am trying to go slow and be realistic.<br />
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What will come of this?<br />
Maybe nothing.... but dinner and a movie tomorrow night should give us an idea.<br />
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Sincerely<br />
<br />
Mountain Man<br />
Andrew BishopAndrew Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431610787928432536noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250732463505413105.post-80019946508483439202010-12-15T11:30:00.003-06:002010-12-15T11:31:51.449-06:00Hey Everyone, I know I have not been posting regularly lately. I am going to try to narrow down my online presence and focus on just a few locations to house all of my online content. Please check out my wedding photography website: www.AndrewAndSamPhotography.comAndrew Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431610787928432536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250732463505413105.post-31448383955419877432010-10-14T11:29:00.003-05:002010-10-14T11:36:05.663-05:00A Landscape and some other stuff<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Rc8YfiJpq-l5VI8hXcJ9uwt6n3SoFhF2qQOiYIVHEkph-OfOCnHHnjXNOV5Xq3ur2TIB8wG_hfzSkoxKOmuiUGqAL9VAgSzan_A1D50xKmLHnQsHo4RkFB0SxsGn58JLwT6YFJSPKd8/s1600/20100701_3781.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Rc8YfiJpq-l5VI8hXcJ9uwt6n3SoFhF2qQOiYIVHEkph-OfOCnHHnjXNOV5Xq3ur2TIB8wG_hfzSkoxKOmuiUGqAL9VAgSzan_A1D50xKmLHnQsHo4RkFB0SxsGn58JLwT6YFJSPKd8/s400/20100701_3781.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527941258084462002" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZ1zyTpvdpbwI4NPLMeU-wwnL9HLUOBiJqeDU53lToWo1eGK7hZlCqI8WuNux1OpjffVfihYOzVTBG6zo6j3weDK660doy5SbxELRTwJyqecVRlf0YwcWUI_0yRM4KXb5DyiwB85AYvI/s1600/20100701_3753.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZ1zyTpvdpbwI4NPLMeU-wwnL9HLUOBiJqeDU53lToWo1eGK7hZlCqI8WuNux1OpjffVfihYOzVTBG6zo6j3weDK660doy5SbxELRTwJyqecVRlf0YwcWUI_0yRM4KXb5DyiwB85AYvI/s400/20100701_3753.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527941253621731330" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxGi_MpL9I8fSRy9tuNOyXBUYzcxnKihJ6PweauhSqx4wgg1fT2b_6ll2v82_7XGjfT9D1sALvaCZq7H05bj_VMHA2O2YFcyJIAqvSHdQZZ8RCdaR6ZExpvRECSVFP4RMxY60dgVhkec/s1600/20100701_3714.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxGi_MpL9I8fSRy9tuNOyXBUYzcxnKihJ6PweauhSqx4wgg1fT2b_6ll2v82_7XGjfT9D1sALvaCZq7H05bj_VMHA2O2YFcyJIAqvSHdQZZ8RCdaR6ZExpvRECSVFP4RMxY60dgVhkec/s400/20100701_3714.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527941249306994162" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcK6oh7h8CjFOUXLR9ghhJ63xJye0ZrssP-mj9a2XJub8Gk2YW0NWXeT3sqO1FLU1WvpvRjxPjhoUVe8zTLHhHuMLQOmh46MXXDp7A3RPgWV4nOw_tXCXJBUZ7yKzFsZml3vYwbqYcEs/s1600/20100701_3686.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcK6oh7h8CjFOUXLR9ghhJ63xJye0ZrssP-mj9a2XJub8Gk2YW0NWXeT3sqO1FLU1WvpvRjxPjhoUVe8zTLHhHuMLQOmh46MXXDp7A3RPgWV4nOw_tXCXJBUZ7yKzFsZml3vYwbqYcEs/s400/20100701_3686.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527941241915518626" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLb0-mt0_x6X0hO8vtNeYsn_IWMNh4QrISJn57EGnyBEUhJgKnVTWLLY3Y0J5VNzlBC0iCB8aEYjc16H_-qOUOSqosayZwzov5HfbfTDJGgorKrXBhZKwZYi75fgDHR2N1hsLM0TA5no/s1600/20090913_8405.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLb0-mt0_x6X0hO8vtNeYsn_IWMNh4QrISJn57EGnyBEUhJgKnVTWLLY3Y0J5VNzlBC0iCB8aEYjc16H_-qOUOSqosayZwzov5HfbfTDJGgorKrXBhZKwZYi75fgDHR2N1hsLM0TA5no/s400/20090913_8405.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527941238892965522" /></a>Andrew Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431610787928432536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250732463505413105.post-37523391323924219792010-09-16T16:21:00.003-05:002010-09-16T16:34:45.279-05:00Landscape a (Whenever I get around to it) Project - #9 GoldenGate Bridge<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibEYAp-uTs1MuA8j_q4PvEnRRkAKcZM2Df8oIl5AQxO_8oaWFa6_afpT2Beh55IJaJqmwmxtdH-h_jIKcZwQXrzbVJ6tGTQnQcbYvmr_wVnOQNRz8CbEb3De4vDBkcboBzion8LuyEHro/s1600/GoldenGateBridge.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibEYAp-uTs1MuA8j_q4PvEnRRkAKcZM2Df8oIl5AQxO_8oaWFa6_afpT2Beh55IJaJqmwmxtdH-h_jIKcZwQXrzbVJ6tGTQnQcbYvmr_wVnOQNRz8CbEb3De4vDBkcboBzion8LuyEHro/s400/GoldenGateBridge.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517626099338109762" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>"GoldenGate Bridge"</div><div>20" x 10"</div><div>Andrew Bishop</div>Andrew Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431610787928432536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250732463505413105.post-57203671000449454722010-09-15T16:43:00.002-05:002010-09-15T16:48:42.127-05:00Landscape a (Whenever I get around to it) Project - #8 California Coastline, Northern California<div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDeSwr59JrMYiVaPdv2SxJoygOoe6vgajmk-4PiVVC6IopZtTTueAret7mbOX1KZqNfnCLIZTWVI6-IOJYA7tKBoxsyVpgrkalIhpT7mgU35CJ3y9E_K6fo8rJKVLVCWl5_vagmW1su8/s1600/California_Coastline.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDeSwr59JrMYiVaPdv2SxJoygOoe6vgajmk-4PiVVC6IopZtTTueAret7mbOX1KZqNfnCLIZTWVI6-IOJYA7tKBoxsyVpgrkalIhpT7mgU35CJ3y9E_K6fo8rJKVLVCWl5_vagmW1su8/s400/California_Coastline.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517259912507037746" /></a><br /><div>"California Coastline"</div><div>10" x 20"</div><div>Andrew Bishop</div><div><br /></div>Andrew Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431610787928432536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250732463505413105.post-45945696786048930652010-08-14T20:51:00.002-05:002010-08-14T20:55:44.891-05:00Landscape a day Project - #7 Bridal Veil Falls, British Colombia<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiQmmOab8QRGxpOMR60l5VO9wDdanLKWI_4CQ4aECrtL7VZjQflO-i9U-_xSgaEt5macFPheK__fg7OdnO05-Ac88I0UtMIMJcZT57V1vQ5AWHfwPKw7iWgzQqZiuu4XabPuBqQQtZN0/s1600/Yosemite_blog.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiQmmOab8QRGxpOMR60l5VO9wDdanLKWI_4CQ4aECrtL7VZjQflO-i9U-_xSgaEt5macFPheK__fg7OdnO05-Ac88I0UtMIMJcZT57V1vQ5AWHfwPKw7iWgzQqZiuu4XabPuBqQQtZN0/s400/Yosemite_blog.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505448703044934146" /></a><br /><div>"Bridal Veil Falls, British Colombia"</div><div>20" x 10"</div><div>Andrew Bishop</div><div><br /></div><div>Taken in a small, little visited park on the side of the road in BC.</div>Andrew Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431610787928432536noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250732463505413105.post-84357345900003516992010-08-04T11:42:00.002-05:002010-08-04T11:46:24.209-05:00Landscape a day Project - #6 Kansas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWh6bvN2yZsWU5CNsp50psDm7Mf1Tbgc4O1pKI8cIwJb9a20iTWgC9B9EhKa3_VwYysaUcbkX22ClvcA88YQpPpWpP__g2gGb6zlakAURKeNUQUp0-E3iDE_hbaEnIkMnoN-WxtWz30M/s1600/Kansas_blog.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWh6bvN2yZsWU5CNsp50psDm7Mf1Tbgc4O1pKI8cIwJb9a20iTWgC9B9EhKa3_VwYysaUcbkX22ClvcA88YQpPpWpP__g2gGb6zlakAURKeNUQUp0-E3iDE_hbaEnIkMnoN-WxtWz30M/s400/Kansas_blog.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501596865417859426" /></a><br /><div>"Kansas"</div><div>10" x 20"</div><div>Andrew Bishop</div><div><br /></div><div>Taken from the window of my truck while driving through Kansas.</div>Andrew Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431610787928432536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250732463505413105.post-76400611914637496362010-08-03T15:35:00.001-05:002010-08-03T15:37:42.952-05:00Landscape a Day Project - #5 Valdez Shoreline<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzIlrM8xrK3JyL2QmA2_lg3o6xe9juU_pTpAgNejQbavQIU2ZEBiPxIhI9v_B-wZtk5nnOIJvpMOGiLk55UZhGC26ZIblQqAWuSThHX1rn9BuKjLsXV8duSJSvPdeMbnFcmRHf-1XEpI/s1600/Valdez_blog.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzIlrM8xrK3JyL2QmA2_lg3o6xe9juU_pTpAgNejQbavQIU2ZEBiPxIhI9v_B-wZtk5nnOIJvpMOGiLk55UZhGC26ZIblQqAWuSThHX1rn9BuKjLsXV8duSJSvPdeMbnFcmRHf-1XEpI/s400/Valdez_blog.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501285231456407410" /></a><div><br /></div><div>"Valdez Shoreline"<br /><div>10" x 20"</div><div>Andrew Bishop</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This image was shot on a trip that I made to Alaska with my father.</div>Andrew Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431610787928432536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250732463505413105.post-33520147839677175802010-08-02T16:54:00.002-05:002010-08-02T16:57:58.617-05:00Landscape a Day Project - #4 Big Bend Ranch House<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFSvMIdA5UXkoWJNmRUgajrqNE7MaAZiXWXDhIymhAeIPONh3D9FNnLlEK1gUgh13c_LSIOJHnbczh4V7nabSNYdagYZ1iGDqixmZpyKABbw_fPGuZAqT3ihE483Lli6N376K1dywxGms/s1600/BigBend_house_blog.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFSvMIdA5UXkoWJNmRUgajrqNE7MaAZiXWXDhIymhAeIPONh3D9FNnLlEK1gUgh13c_LSIOJHnbczh4V7nabSNYdagYZ1iGDqixmZpyKABbw_fPGuZAqT3ihE483Lli6N376K1dywxGms/s400/BigBend_house_blog.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500934578063482594" /></a><br /><div>"Big Bend Ranch House"<div>10" x 20"</div><div>Andrew Bishop</div><div><br /></div><div>I found this ranch house while hiking through the desert in Big Bend National Park in southwestern Texas.</div></div>Andrew Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431610787928432536noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250732463505413105.post-72012770824656741502010-07-27T19:07:00.001-05:002010-07-27T19:11:49.797-05:00Landscape a Day Project - #3 Big Bend<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0kybSNZXseKd2D2Cs4sd-Jy_O1y8SEohDmrEmMzsBcEUACA_mMF1mxIDtTxaiWDr-JB_9ry1YJ8OWaqqB8kOY1VLT29rG0SyKlknOePd6Agvf8p0k5TMnQcUliZtpuaFgJOC08RVJ4M/s1600/BigBend_blog.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0kybSNZXseKd2D2Cs4sd-Jy_O1y8SEohDmrEmMzsBcEUACA_mMF1mxIDtTxaiWDr-JB_9ry1YJ8OWaqqB8kOY1VLT29rG0SyKlknOePd6Agvf8p0k5TMnQcUliZtpuaFgJOC08RVJ4M/s400/BigBend_blog.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498742622011853938" /></a>"Big Bend"<div>Andrew Bishop</div><div>10" x 20"</div><div><br /></div><div>this image was taken from the top of a massive hill in Big Bend National Park. This is the first landscape I ever took while hiking in the buff.</div>Andrew Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431610787928432536noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250732463505413105.post-27665479714277647282010-07-26T12:29:00.002-05:002010-07-26T12:32:47.591-05:00Landscape a Day Project - #2 Mt Mckinley Southern Face<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRE44Z_lFAA0fArJyCf6Xd2npnEzSNV_C208VsXjh-CuzQ_3cuHPPCQ6VtzSJdmW3nA3KrUBc2afJeSPoZ2TBf0E5EigfhUajyroIsQgqqNU-UBUdLmALzEbEKHzB1mpbiGnK9CTR9lU/s1600/MtMckinley_blog.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRE44Z_lFAA0fArJyCf6Xd2npnEzSNV_C208VsXjh-CuzQ_3cuHPPCQ6VtzSJdmW3nA3KrUBc2afJeSPoZ2TBf0E5EigfhUajyroIsQgqqNU-UBUdLmALzEbEKHzB1mpbiGnK9CTR9lU/s400/MtMckinley_blog.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498268521013291778" /></a><br /><div>"Mt Mckinley Southern Face"</div><div>Andrew Bishop</div><div>10" x 20"</div><div><br /></div><div>A view of the southern face of Mt Mckinley. I shot this image on my road trip with my dad. I have a 60 image panorama that I will stitch together just as soon as I get access to a supercomputer.</div>Andrew Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431610787928432536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250732463505413105.post-78970625654451885142010-07-25T15:13:00.001-05:002010-07-25T15:13:37.064-05:00Landscape a Day Project - #1 Amistad<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVRIItlPW0kUZXuTpO-PBESgD83kW9JQ42vHLV75ckfNaq2oR3JswvyfrnT2XKcapiKjU5BYQy9OqeNjPFe7-CuhxZsIGYcma15bPIH1DwmN8fYE4S6TCf7pWFsJnizNE1S03xXBvlNc/s1600/amistad_1_blog.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVRIItlPW0kUZXuTpO-PBESgD83kW9JQ42vHLV75ckfNaq2oR3JswvyfrnT2XKcapiKjU5BYQy9OqeNjPFe7-CuhxZsIGYcma15bPIH1DwmN8fYE4S6TCf7pWFsJnizNE1S03xXBvlNc/s400/amistad_1_blog.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497937398807665410" /></a><br /><div>"Lake on Fire"<br /><div>Andrew Bishop</div><div>10" x 20"</div></div><div><br /></div><div>This image was shot on the Lake Amistad Reservoir on the border between west Texas and Mexico.</div>Andrew Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431610787928432536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250732463505413105.post-72248163510400298512010-07-24T18:54:00.004-05:002010-07-24T19:16:39.488-05:00After a long Hiatus<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">As you have almost certainly noticed, I took a little break from blogging for the last couple of months that I was in the Jungles of Costa Rica. Life circumstances became quite overwhelming, and my blog, sadly, got placed on a back burner. My life did not stop, though, and I have quite a lot to catch you up on. Thus I present to you:</span></span><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">The Last Few Months of Andrew's Life, Montage!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Andrew clears a pasture! Andrew's neighbor poisons the pasture. Andrew gets a ton of new farmyard animals. Several of those farmyard animals produce more farmyard animals. Andrew is overwhelmed by the cuteness of the baby chicks in his yard. Andrew goes to Panama with Yancy Reach. Andrew translates for Panamanian immigration officials. Andrew helps an African War refugee avoid jail. Andrew visits the best fair of his life, with 19 city blocks of awesome! Andrew Meets some Swedes and then hikes with Yancy 18.6 miles up and down a volcano at midnight with only one working flashlight. Andrew and Yancy see a giant jungle cat. Andrew and Yancy pray for angels to protect them from said jungle cat. Two Canadians, a Britt, and an American come cussing up the mountain. The Jungle cat magically transforms into a sheep. Andrew and Yancy sleep in a seemingly abandoned building at the top of the mountain, and are greeted by a Panamanian in the morning. Andrew and Yancy go to the best beach in the world and meet an awesome girl. Yancy misses his flight home. Andrew and Yancy are met by the same girl who joins them on a trip to the Nicoya Peninsula. Yancy finally gets home, Andrew and the girl go do missions work on the farm. The girl gets angry and leaves. Andrew is depressed and decides to give fancy water catchment systems to his neighbors with the help of Grace Church! Andrew comes home and does nothing productive for two months, except of course starting the most awesome photography company ever with his friend Samantha Nandez </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">http://www.AndrewandSamPhotography.com</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;font-size:11px;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/SamanthaNandezPhotography" style="cursor: pointer; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; ">http://www.facebook.com/SamanthaNandezPhotography</a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">http://samanthanandez.blogspot.com/</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Andrew dates a really awesome girl for a couple of weeks. She is a lesbian and freaks out after dating Andrew for just a little while, but they are cool now, just not together. Andrew does not get some jobs he applied for. Andrew scores 1460 out of 1600 on the GRE! Andrew looks in his bank account and finds nothing. Andrew gets scared and starts hunting for ways to make money fast and legally. Andrew considers becoming homeless. Andrew writes this blog post.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I hope you enjoyed the last several months of my life as much as I did! Besides hunting for ways to make a quick buck, I am currently processing images from my travels and trying to put together a body of work. for the next month and a half, I hope to upload one finished landscape a day for your viewing pleasure. All of these landscapes are for sale, so shoot me an email if one strikes your fancy!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Bare Bishop</span></div>Andrew Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431610787928432536noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250732463505413105.post-16141048985256342652010-04-18T09:55:00.000-05:002010-04-18T09:55:00.045-05:00A Bump on the RumpJust in case you ever though of buying cattle, Don’t. They very quickly become a pain in the neck when they start jumping fences to get into your front yard, but they are especially bad when you have to transport them along a half mile jungle trail to get them home from the north pasture. The problem is that cattle have this curious character flaw that compels them to take any possible side trail that they can find, regardless of whether or not that trail leads straight into deep jungle and swamp. It seems like the only important characteristic that I cow uses in selecting which trail to walk down, is whether or not you want them to walk down that trail. The only way I was finally able to get my cattle home was to bribe them with salt, which meant that for the entire half mile hike, I had the constant companion of a hungry bull head butting me in an attempt to get my bowl of salt.Andrew Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431610787928432536noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250732463505413105.post-33096582631249774972010-04-18T09:50:00.000-05:002010-04-18T09:50:00.332-05:00There are few jobs that I hate more in life than hauling lumber, especially freshly cut, heavy, wet, tropical lumber. For that reason, I guess today is my lucky day. <br /><br />For my whole life I have been ashamed of my inability to play team sports. I have tried to compensate for this important gap in my life as a man by being good at other things such as spear throwing, shooting, running, hiking, and other manly outdoor sports, but try as I might, I cannot move past the shame that I feel every time someone is watching a football game and I don’t know what is going on. I have been so ashamed by my lack of knowledge, that I have been unwilling to risk the humiliation involved in trying to actually learn a sport at my advanced age. At least, that was the case until I came to Costa Rica. <br /><br />For the past month I have been playing soccer regularly with my neighbors. I have gotten better to the point that I am no longer ashamed, and I have even scored a few goals. It is extremely difficult to play in the slippery mud, so I invested in a cheap pair of soccer cleats, which improved my playing tremendously. There is only one catch. The cleats have moved me out of the world of slipping and falling every 5 minutes, into the world of too much traction and sprained ankles.<br /><br />Yesterday, I was trying to steal the ball from a particularly agile opponent named Daniel, when my foot planted the wrong way, and with a loud “Pop!” I was on the ground, holding my ankle and trying not to cuss. It was a very respectable sprain, one that merited me limping off the field for all of ten minutes, before returning to play stationary defense in front of the goal. <br /><br />I managed to walk the half mile home that evening, but I woke about 10 times during the night because of the pain, and then this morning I found myself almost unable to walk. Pain killers and working with the joint have helped to improve the situation so that I can now walk around the house and yard (which is good considering that I am here by myself while Juan is with his family), but luckily I am not well enough to haul the lumber that we are cutting for the corral. I guess today really is my lucky day!Andrew Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431610787928432536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250732463505413105.post-6927288166140865892010-04-14T09:47:00.000-05:002010-04-14T09:47:00.457-05:00As a child, I wanted to believe that if I was a Christian and served God, my life would be happy all the time. I thought that life was about making yourself as happy as possible and protecting yourself from as much pain as you could. I no longer believe that. Now I see God and life on earth as something to be cherished and appreciated, but not as something that will always be happy. Part of growing is learning to cherish even the sad parts of life. One line from Stranger in a Strange Land says that the Martians would spend several thousand years Grokking (knowing and understanding) Earth and Humans, and then, once they had properly Grokked and Cherished and hated Earth, they would destroy it. I don’t necessarily agree with the Martian attitude toward Cherishing, but I do think that it paints a powerful picture.<br /><br />Juan is going through one of those painful times in life at this moment. We just received word from the police that his grandfather has passed away in San Jose. The death was not unexpected (should death ever be unexpected?), but nevertheless, it is painful to have someone die. The typle evangelical attitude toward death is that, in theory at least, we should be happy and rejoice at funerals, and those times should be used to preach the Gospel. I definitely agree with some of the theory behind this attitude. A funeral is a great way to preach the Gospel, and we should both rejoice in the life of our loved ones, and in the new life that a believer now has for eternity. I don’t, however, believe in trying to make family members of the deceased feel happy at funerals. <br /><br />I tend to agree more with the Jewish approach toward death, which involves a short time of symbolic death (mourning, uncomforted and unbothered by the need to be a part of the living world), followed by an extended and gradual period of being comforted and gradually reentering the world of the living. When our loved ones die, we die with them, and I believe that it is important to recognize that.<br /><br />Please pray for Juan and his family. Even though you will not read this till long after the death of his Grandfather, I do not believe that G-d is any more bound by the time of our prayers than he is by the walls of our church.Andrew Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431610787928432536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250732463505413105.post-13066760950864762782010-04-10T09:46:00.000-05:002010-04-10T09:46:00.731-05:00Beware of AlligatorOne of the first rules of being a teenage boy is that Manliness is next to G-dliness. I grew up beneath the iron fisted tyranny of this law, and I was not alone. It is practically impossible for a teenage boy to walk past a mirror without stopping to repeat this mantra while doing his best impersonation of a Michelangelo sculpture. Even in the animal kingdom I can see this law being observed on a regular basis in the form of the 17 young bulls that are constantly butting heads in attempt to establish their dominance over our small heard. <br /><br />My teenage neighbors are no exception to this law. It is hard for me to recall a single afternoon spent with 14 year old Alfredo that did not involve some form of bloody knuckles, pushups, arm wrestling, boxing, racing, or some other type of competition. Thus, I was not terribly surprised the other day when Alfredo invited me for a friendly swim. I believe his exact words were, “Vamos a cruzar el rio para ver quien llegara primero.” Which can be roughly translated as, “Lets go swim across the river to see who can get to the other side first.”<br /><br />After many comments about alligators smelling blood in the water, we had stripped off the majority of our clothes and were swimming with all our strength to see who would be the first to cross the hundred yards of swift currents and deadly wildlife. A small convoy of canoes trailed close behind us in the case of an emergency. <br /><br />I swam with all the strength I could muster, trying hard to regulate my breathing and push my body through the water with the best possible technique. I managed to maintain a short lead over Alfredo for most of the crossing, but as we got within 20 yards of the finish, I saw a miracle take place. Suddenly Alfredo was swimming faster, and his head was high out of the water! At first I was shocked, until the finger tips of my left hand brushed the sand bar beneath me. Our swim had turned into a foot race. Amidst cries of cheater, and splashes of water, I raced with Alfredo to the muddy banks of the shallow river. <br /><br />As I collapsed into the canoe, I was satisfied, knowing that I had once again proven that I was manlier than a 14 year old boy. Oh, sweet victory.Andrew Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431610787928432536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250732463505413105.post-85320994263725020732010-04-07T09:42:00.000-05:002010-04-07T09:42:00.704-05:00It is hard for me to write out here in Delta. It feels like I am always busy, but nothing ever happens here. There is a weird time distortion that takes place on the river. Nobody is in a hurry, and time passes slowly. The most exciting events in my recent life have been the planting of a small garden, baking, and repairing a damaged board in the kitchen floor. I have been studying for the GRE, and I am mildly excited about the prospect of graduate school. I have also been thinking about doing freelance photography, and I am more excited about that. The thing that has me the most excited is, as usual, relational. I cannot wait to see certain people back home. <br /><br />I finished Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert Heinland, a couple of days ago. I was most impressed by the character of Jubal Harshaw, a cranky old man who is said to be the only human who can grok (understand) without speaking Martian. This character is even more interesting to me than ****Mr. Universe**** in The Watchmen. <br /><br />In a discussion toward the end of the book, Jubal defines love as “a state of being in which ones own wellbeing is directly tied to the wellbeing of another.” While I do not accept this definition as final, nor would I completely accept any definition of love that came from a human, I do consider it to be one of the better attempts to define an indefinable word that I have come across. After reading this, I spent a while considering all of my relationships and trying to determine who I really loved according to this definition. I was surprised at how neatly the results coincided with the people that I already believed that I love. The most valuable insight that I gained from this was the realization that my mother loves me, my dad, and my siblings (and strangers) more than anyone else that I have ever seen. Her well being is so intimately tied up in our own that it is impossible for any of us to suffer without her suffering, or be happy without her being happy (she has somehow learned to be happy and suffer at the same time, which is an impressive feat).<br /><br />I was amazed to think about how deeply I am known by my mom, and how little that is in comparison to how I am known by G-d. I want to know, and I want to be known. I believe that this is fundamental to how and why G-d made me.Andrew Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431610787928432536noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250732463505413105.post-8247044635110210742010-04-04T09:38:00.000-05:002010-04-04T09:38:00.301-05:00<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CANDREW%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">“Dreams are a way for your mind to process potential reactions to various scenarios (or fears), so that when the scenario actually takes place, you will know how, or how not, to react.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">About a week ago, I had a dream that my father had decided to become an orthodox Jew.<span style=""> </span>I found the idea extremely upsetting for some reason.<span style=""> </span>I particularly remember being upset when I realized that my mom would have to buy two new complete sets of dishes and cookware, one for dairy products, and one for meat.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">A few days later, I had a dream that I was on a family vacation at a tropical beach.<span style=""> </span>My brother in Law was there.<span style=""> </span>He had everything so orchestrated and planned out, that it left no time for me to actually hang out with him and enjoy his company.<span style=""> </span>Every attempt I made to get him to deviate from his plan and actually hang out with me was met with cheerfully obstinate refusal.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The third dream that I had was different from the first two.<span style=""> </span>The first two dreams seemed to be my mind processing extreme versions of fears that I have with respect to some of my closest relationships.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In my third dream, I was dating a girl that I care about greatly.<span style=""> </span>This dream was not about dealing with fear.<span style=""> </span>This dream was about finally gaining a new understanding of my friend.<span style=""> </span>For so long, I have held this friend on a very high pedestal.<span style=""> </span>When I think of this girl, I think of beauty and romance.<span style=""> </span>I have always thought of her as having a pure life, at least a form of a pure life.<span style=""> </span>In my mind, she is on a never-ending quest for beauty, a quest that in my opinion can only have one end (or one beginning).<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Through this dream, I felt peace in our relationship.<span style=""> </span>Rather than thinking of her as this inhuman work of art, I was finally able to look at her and honestly say, “I know that you are just a person, but you are an extraordinary person.”<span style=""> </span>This realization has brought me some peace that I did not know that I lacked.<span style=""> </span>She is just a person, like you and like me.<span style=""> </span>She is an extraordinary person.<span style=""> </span>I appreciate her.<span style=""> </span></p> Andrew Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431610787928432536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250732463505413105.post-57655666509368579312010-04-01T09:02:00.000-05:002010-04-01T09:02:00.191-05:00Looks Like Rain<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8QchLOlB5BGVs81cIXLBjKrtQEK8V2PQXOZHFz5Y6KNmEhy-IM6WsksLHVRq9efTN5nqVmwdodv1sUJgT7-vLlwzfwkOLpTJoz0hd2ueD3ondeikQ-g5_bc6JSwRuKN8dqWoSUtm0Sw0/s1600/20100112_2317.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8QchLOlB5BGVs81cIXLBjKrtQEK8V2PQXOZHFz5Y6KNmEhy-IM6WsksLHVRq9efTN5nqVmwdodv1sUJgT7-vLlwzfwkOLpTJoz0hd2ueD3ondeikQ-g5_bc6JSwRuKN8dqWoSUtm0Sw0/s400/20100112_2317.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453322859965699570" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJ5b-zS_-0Yyb9oeaenzIenZDoR6tFVmcGnKQAp-VSkEL3JelxK3tVLDDEoUkQQ0A3v3HicUwuX6CaZmfP-5OyiObvFfzSVDQOXq2u6RQsk__QGQx_6T6Pf5aTETNZN4QyZIAPJ9xPQs/s1600/20100112_2302.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJ5b-zS_-0Yyb9oeaenzIenZDoR6tFVmcGnKQAp-VSkEL3JelxK3tVLDDEoUkQQ0A3v3HicUwuX6CaZmfP-5OyiObvFfzSVDQOXq2u6RQsk__QGQx_6T6Pf5aTETNZN4QyZIAPJ9xPQs/s400/20100112_2302.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453322850159437938" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHY1LZOIYh2Mlte15kp0SVNXc_kty-I14Wb1ZkiSn3kxeDoB61cAsG7DHuDMy7uWJvCsobU31yqF8EOYCAYuDt4VFdKfk-I9FsDkzs-za-6aLs4NA5twsG1-bwGPtWPoQb2OrrYxV7dg/s1600/20100112_2257.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHY1LZOIYh2Mlte15kp0SVNXc_kty-I14Wb1ZkiSn3kxeDoB61cAsG7DHuDMy7uWJvCsobU31yqF8EOYCAYuDt4VFdKfk-I9FsDkzs-za-6aLs4NA5twsG1-bwGPtWPoQb2OrrYxV7dg/s400/20100112_2257.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453322842408656962" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgjw34H0KVi2uT6ZSiHtoY-t6EtZUC8iksXVcp9AhTQFLenVchKcgjzfyT0QaQfN_o4Ci2-7rwgmqHL0BjMSK5OdOYKZksnDvzmiJTvnnySqwamR_4n1uCqHou0_VWeCdstUW1J5G5vQ/s1600/20100112_2180.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgjw34H0KVi2uT6ZSiHtoY-t6EtZUC8iksXVcp9AhTQFLenVchKcgjzfyT0QaQfN_o4Ci2-7rwgmqHL0BjMSK5OdOYKZksnDvzmiJTvnnySqwamR_4n1uCqHou0_VWeCdstUW1J5G5vQ/s400/20100112_2180.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453322832065828962" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63yka1yDLutTmBk2dr-8yvKIYyApj_J8nKdDmLzLc_XFca61vSPxUbvHXnXFoBG8SPzDNwYJiculpBRCnp12hNAT81pePgYYx5Mh_CNF2uUMcltcr1hyt3RJLQmLk_t56m9_QXNX2rmE/s1600/20100112_2164.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63yka1yDLutTmBk2dr-8yvKIYyApj_J8nKdDmLzLc_XFca61vSPxUbvHXnXFoBG8SPzDNwYJiculpBRCnp12hNAT81pePgYYx5Mh_CNF2uUMcltcr1hyt3RJLQmLk_t56m9_QXNX2rmE/s400/20100112_2164.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453322825723532754" border="0" /></a><br />It was cold this morning. It has been cold and windy here since the floods came. In a lot of ways, the floods in Delta are like snow in Alabama. One morning you just wake up and your yard is unexpectedly full of thousands of gallons of water. Everything is much prettier during the flood, and we all get a vacation from work. Instead of trying to work in all of this water, we do fun things like hunt, visit with neighbors, and hike through a foot and a half of water. The main difference is that the floods aren’t crystalline, and last a lot longer than snow in Alabama. <br /><br />Joshua, our resident Canadian, really wanted to finish his canoe quickly so that he can travel to San Juan on the 15th, and hopefully make it all the way to the Rama, a Nicaraguan indigenous group, where he hopes to spend the rest of the time working. To finish his canoe, he needs a sander so that he can smooth the wood and fiberglass before adding paint. Our neighbor has agreed to loan us his sander if we can just come and get it.<br /><br />The problem is that between our house and the neighbor’s house there is a 1000 meter path that crosses one really deep and fast moving creek, and about 5 smaller but still fast and powerful creeks. Almost the entire trail between here and there is completely covered in water. There is really no good way to describe the adventure that ensued, so I will try and let pictures do my talking.Andrew Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431610787928432536noreply@blogger.com1