'Toon Trouble

After my recent death threats I turned to Jesus for guidance. He quickly sat me down and had me watch on of his shows, 'Toon Trouble. Needless to say I was enlightened, "Right Jesus?"

Death Threats

Well, I don't often like to cause political uprisings here on the Sea of Steve but that decision of mine to publish a cartoon stirred a lot of resentment and reminded Muslims of the Danish political cartoons. It seems that they believed that I was depicting the prophet Mohammad without his turbin. My drawing meant no harm and I didn't think anything of it until I started to receive strange phone calls and emails. Most of the phone calls I received I passed off as wrong numbers. One call was in broken English and I thought he was trying to sell me some sort of dye salt for mohawks. It made no sense so I hung up, passing it off as a telemarketing scam. It wasn't until I sat down and watched CNN that all this became clear. I'm getting death threats! OH MY! It wasn't dye salt for mohawks at all but, "Die for insulting Mohammad!"

I cannot believe that a cartoon can cause all these protests for Muslims. Now no one can tell me that artists don't wield any power because heck we can start protests and don't you mess with me because I will draw you in a lewd manner and start war!

I believe the reason people are protesting against the Danish cartoons is just their scape goat for wanting to blow things up. I don't believe Christians would blow things up, set fire to buildings and burn flags in protest if Jesus were depicted in a lewd way. Maybe it's because Christians already depict Jesus in cartoons that we have become desensitized to it or maybe it's our core moral values that we wouldn't commit such acts. I surely cannot imagine a group of Christians marching down Broadway throwing molatov cocktails and setting fire to objects while chanting, "Down with those Muslim cartoons and the Middle East for depicting Jesus with (insert mean noun here)!" Islam get over it seriously.

Note: If I don't post in awhile please send a search party and call the FBI Counter Terrorism Number or the Office of Homeland Security.

In all reality folks, I do not agree with making fun of other religions (Om Steve you just did up there. Shoot! I guess I did, didn't I? Dang it! Well crap.... Go Dannish cartoon makers! Keep up the work of freedom of expression. Shut up Steve and tell the Islamic activists you're sorry. Oh alrighty then.) So to all the Islamic activists and Muslims out there that I may have offended with this post, I extend my deepest regrets and may I ask where you guys received those Sea of Steve flags, because I could really use one?

Real Note: I don't want to offend anyone as this is just a joke but weren't the Danish cartoons also jokes? So if anyone out there wants to protest and set fire in the name of Sea of Steve well then go right ahead. I actually look forward to it. Just make sure that when you do that you get my url www.seaofsteve.blogspot.com correct because I could use the extra visitors.

I'm no athlete

Tonight I twisted my ankle playing trying to play the sport of getting a stupid orange ball to go through a hoop. I wasn't pushed or shoved nor was anyone near me....

I thought this would be a good time to give life to one of my mostest grandest absolutely awesomest quote.

I'm not an athlete with balls

referring to my incredible atheletism with the round objects.

The Gopher saw his shadow

Father Winter must've remembered he still had a job to complete.

These images are from my window during last night's snow storm.

The flakes begin to fall.

I changed some settings on my camera and took this. I thought it was unique

but nothing like this....

It may look like a lot of snow but I just used the flash. Look at the cool lens flares!

Qi Qiao Jie

In preparing my Valentine's Day themed title, (View it here), I searched and plundered google for how to say Happy Valentine's Day in Japanese because the picture I use for my title, The Great Wave Off of Kanagawa,
is taken from one of the prints from the 24(36) Views of My Fuji by Hokusai and I wanted to try to integrate a Valentine's Day part of their culture into my my title or at least to change the Japanese characters on the right side of the print to say Happy Valentine's Day in Japanese. Anyway, while searching and searching, did I mention that I was searching?... I happened to come across a great story of Qi Qiao Jie. This story is not Japanese but Chinese, go figure, but at least from Google I easily found out how to say Happy Valentine's Day in Chinese.

If you look at my title closer I ended up using these Chinese characters.

(If you're Japanese or can communicate in Japanese, I'd love to know how to actually say Happy Valentine's Day in Japanese. I'm talking to you, my sweet Japanese speaking cousin Erin!)

So Happy Qi Qiao Jie. Well. . . actually that won't be for a few more months because it is not Valentine's Day (February 14th). Qi Qiao Jie is another day of love very similiar to the idea behind Valentine's Day. This Chinese holiday falls on the seventh day of the lunar month seven on the Chinese calendar and thus its meaning, The Night of Sevens. Okay enough already and on with the story. There are actually quite a few different versions, one of my favorites is this one.

It is said that the seven daughters of the Goddess of Heaven, on one of their visits to earth, caught the eye of a Cowherd, Niu Lang. As the daughters were bathing in a river they were observed by the Cowherder who decided to have a bit of fun by running off with their clothing. To get their clothing back, the sisters decided that the prettiest daughter, Zhi Nu (the seventh daughter), would ask the Cowherd to return their clothes.

Of course, since Niu Lang had seen the daughter, Zhi Nu, naked, they had to be married. The couple lived happily for several years. Eventually however, the Goddess of Heaven became fed up with her daughter's absence, and ordered her to return to heaven. However, the mother took pity on the couple and allowed them to be reunited once a year. Legend has it that on the seventh night of the seventh moon, magpies form a bridge with their wings for Zhi Nu to cross to meet her husband.



In another story, Niu Lang and Zhi Nu were fairies living on opposite sides of the Milky Way. Feeling sorry for the two lonely sprites, the Jade Emperor of Heaven actively tried to bring them together. Unfortunately, he succeeded too well - Niu Lang and Zhi Nu became so enraptured with each other that they neglected their work. Annoyed, the Jade Emperor decreed that from that point on, the couple could only meet once a year - on the seventh night of the seventh moon.

Today, star gazers celebrate Qi Qiao Jie by gazing up at the star Vega, east of the Milky Way which represents Zhi Nu, and at the constellation Aquila, on the west side of the Milky Way, where Niu Lang waits for his lover to join him.

Happy Valentine's Day all

(Love), Steve

Walking to Class

Sometimes I just take pictures for no reason except that the mood strikes me. I thought this was an interesting shot with the criss-crossing angles of the shadows from trees across the sidewalk and standing trees holding together the composition. The colors are nice too.

P is for Palestine I for Israel and boom is the sound of a nuke

I don't normally post about news stories but our world is changing and the recent election in Palestine, which has given the Hamas a majority 76 seats to Fatah's 43 in a 132 member legislature frightens me.

Watch How the Hamas' victory affects Americans
2:50

According to Wikipedia: Hamas, acronym of Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya (Arabic: حركة المقاومة الاسلامية, literally "Islamic Resistance Movement" and Arabic for 'zeal'), is a Palestinian Islamist movement and political party.

The Hamas are viewed as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States and other European powers and are bent on the total annihilation of Israel.

An incoming Hamas leader, Mahmoud Zahar, had this to say about Israel, “Why we are going to recognize Israel? Why? Is Israel ready to recognize the right of return for Palestinian people? Is Israel ready to recognize an independent (Palestinian) state, including Jerusalem? We (will) not recognize anybody on the expense of our national interest.”

What does the Hamas's victory in Palestine's parliamentary elections mean for the world in general? My opinion is that a Palestine under Hamas rule puts an end to the already hopeless road map for peace, this election will perpetuate the conflict, and reshape it from an Israeli-Palestinian conflict to a greater Jewish-Arab one, and I think it could be argued of a Western-Muslim one. Such a conflict, backed by the jihad movement and Iran, has neither a solution nor an end.

Iran congratulated Hamas for its election victory and praised voters for choosing “to continue the struggle and resistance against occupation.”

The United States has already taken precedence in attacking nations harboring terrorists. Tensions exist between us and Iran and much of the Middle East. With the United States trying to spread democracy in the Middle East, our nation has to respect the Hamas victory in Palestine or risk losing all progress in the promotion of democratic policies. Since our nation is already heavily involved in the conflict between Israel and Palestine we're going to be thrust into another a very stressful time. Whatever our nation does is going to be viewed or construed by others as the Americans trying to impose their beliefs and ideals on people that don't share those values.

Sources from which I read:
A Hamas leader says the group has no plans to recognize Israel
Hamas win sets precedent for Arab democracy
Iran Cooler on Russian nuclear proposal
Thousands of Fatah Members Protest in Gaza
Furious protesters demand Abbas quit
Video: The impact of Hamas