Take Your Internship and...

I haven't taken the time to figure out whether I 100% agree with this quote or not...but, I'm sure I'm 100% agree with it's sentiments. It's why I think pretty much the whole NT was written to local churches...

"We acquire habits of conduct, not by constructing a way of living upon rules or precepts learned by heart and subsequently practised, but by living with people who habitually behave in a certain manner: we acquire habits of conduct in the same way as we acquire our native language. There is no point in a child's life at which he can be said to begin to learn the language which is habitually spoken in his hearing; and there is no point in his life at which he can be said to begin to learn habits of behaviour from the people constantly about him. No doubt, in both cases, what is learnt (or some of it) can be formulated in rules and precepts; but in neither case do we, in this kind of education, learn by learning rules and precepts...If we have acquired a knowledge of the rules, this sort of command of language and behaviour is impossible until we have forgotten them as rules and are no longer tempted to turn speech and action into the applications of rules to a situation." -Michael Oakeshott, Rationalism in Politics, 1962.

Rob Thomas' Best Lyric

"Everybody's trusting in their heart, like their heart don't lie."
- Rob Thomas' (Mr. Matchbox 20, himself)

Rob Thomas is pretty lame. But, I think that's a pretty good line. Almost as good as "...it's 3 AM...I must be lonely". ...I guess they can't all be winners. Some people bat around .250, though.
Here's a good quote by a guy named John Murray to refine Rob's thoughts:

"...we must not suppose that the measure of our understanding or experience is the measure of the Spirit's working." - John Murray

Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit

I can't get enough of Belle and Sebastian's latest album The Life Pursuit. It has a more polished sound than some of their earlier albums. The "Indy" sound for the sake of being indy doesn't do much for me (not that their preceding albums totally did that)....this album has a smooth sound which makes it very easy to listen to. It also has (for lack of a better word) a groove that keeps things optimistic and peppy as they flirt with several different styles of music while still keeping their album coherent.

Best of all the album has lyrics that use quirky stories to deliver their punch. Probably best suited to the previous musical themes I've posted here is Act of the Apostle I & II, which chronicle a person who is interested in believing in God, but not quite there yet.

My favorite has to be The Blues are Still Blue which (I think) is a love song about a lazy lover who doesn't quite put enough effort into life to keep the blues away. No matter what it's about, it's a toe-tapper...

Well, look at the kid from school

He's teaching mamas and papas how to be a little cool

He's changing fashion, the way he dress

The tracksuits are old, and the hoody's way too moody

For a kid with the will to funk

He dances in secret; he's a part-time punk

Definitions

Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA): "cost per year of life saved"

Cost-benefit analysis (CBA): the bottom line of a benefit-cost ratio stated in monetary figures that express the common measurements

Quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs): "if an extra year of healthy (i.e., good quality) life-expectancy is worth one, then an extra year of unhealthy (i.e., poor quality) life-expectancy must be worth less than one." -Alan Williams

Discounted Future Earnings (DFE): determining the monetary value of lives by considering what people at risk of some disease or accident could be expected to earn if they survived

Willingness to Pay (WTP): how much individuals would be willing to pay to reduce the risks of death

- Definitions from Principles of Biomedical Ethics

Bob Dylan & Jesse James

For what it's worth, the two movies I'm currently most excited about seeing are:

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Another movie about Jesse James...this one has Brad Pitt...and, a ton of good reviews. Here are two:

http://www.emanuellevy.com/article.php?articleID=6936

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33899

...and, I'm Not There...which goes with the theme of the-more-the-merrier and offers 6 Dylans. Reviews:

http://blog.cleveland.com/top_entertainment/2007/09/toronto_international_film_fes_1.html

http://www.nwfdailynews.com/articles/FILM_BOB_DYLAN

Asubry Park Rehearsals

Check out this site to see the songs Springsteen has been working on for the new tour:

http://www.pointblankmag.com/conciertos

Chocolate Jesus: Tom Waits & Christianity

The best song written on your average, every day Christianity is Chocolate Jesus by Tom Waits. This is the best video I could find of it. Tom Waits is pretty weird, so his interpretation of it may be a little "non-palatable". His album version is a better, I think. But, I like what he does on Letterman, it's very street-corner-evangelist. Here's the song, the end has a short interview with Dave explaining the inspiration for the song. Also, I'm being serious, I think it's probably the best song on what Christianity is for most people. This line is so biting that it's perfect:

When the weather gets rough / And it's whiskey in the shade / It's best to wrap your savior / Up in cellophane

The whole song, though, is a wonderful word picture of the sacreligious way we tend to treat God. Tom Waits' word pictures are a good contrast to C.S. Lewis' images of Aslan.



artist: Tom Waits lyrics
title: Chocolate Jesus
album: Mule Variations

Don't go to church on Sunday
Don't get on my knees to pray
Don't memorize the books of the Bible
I got my own special way
But I know Jesus loves me
Maybe just a little bit more

I fall on my knees every Sunday
At Zerelda Lee's candy store

Well it's got to be a chocolate Jesus
Make me feel good inside
Got to be a chocolate Jesus
Keep me satisfied

Well I don't want no Anna Zabba
Don't want no Almond Joy
There ain't nothing better
Suitable for this boy
Well it's the only thing
That can pick me up
Better than a cup of gold
See only a chocolate Jesus
Can satisfy my soul

(Solo)
When the weather gets rough
And it's whiskey in the shade
It's best to wrap your savior
Up in cellophane
He flows like the big muddy
But that's ok
Pour him over ice cream
For a nice parfait

Well it's got to be a chocolate Jesus
Good enough for me
Got to be a chocolate Jesus
Good enough for me

Well it's got to be a chocolate Jesus
Make me feel good inside
Got to be a chocolate Jesus
Keep me satisfied

More on 3:10 To Yuma

Here's a good review of 3:10 To Yuma that offers only mild spoilers, doesn't give away the whole plot, and gives a good recap on the state of the western...also, he uses the f-word.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33898

Enjoy...

3:10 to Yuma

3:10 To Yuma is one of the 10 best westerns ever made. Maybe the thrill will leave in a couple days...maybe repeated viewings will lessen its punch. But, for now, I'm going to sleep thinking that a new movie has moved into my top five list of favorite westerns. My conscience won't allow me to give the specifics as to why I like it. ...A quick disclaimer to say that this is one of the most violent movies I've seen in a few years...with that in place, I say, go see this movie before it leaves the theater...go see it before someone spoils any of the movies subtle surprises. 3:10 To Yuma and Unforgiven are the two best westerns made in the last 20 years. If you disagree, let me know what movie I'm missing... I'll end there; hopefully, enticing you to see the movie, without setting it up to let you down.

Wild Hogs and Guaranteed Movies

Here's a tip: If you're looking for something to do on a Friday night don't rent Wild Hogs. Similarly, I would recommend never renting Wild Hogs. It has the humor of a straight-to-video Disney sequal mixed with PG-13 sexual induendos...and, you get a couple butt shots thrown in for free. It's the first movie I've turned off halfway through and returned since the Steve Martin remake of The Pink Panther.

Another tip: The video store won't refund your money if you don't like the movie. Or, in the words of the 21-year old kid at the register, "I'm sorry sir, but we don't guarantee that you'll like the movie...". I need to give him some credit because as the saying goes...you ask a stupid question, you get a stupid answer.

But, really, anywhere else...if I buy or rent something that doesn't live up to the advertised quality, I can get my money back. My theory is: if more people turned off their movies and returned them...or, walked out of the theater and requested a refund maybe there would be some glimmer of a blip forward in the quality of our art. I'd like to see the Top 10 movies at the box office and the Top 10 Refunded tickets placed side to side. However, I don't give alot of credit to the American movie goer, so these statistics may reveal absolutely nothing. After all, there were about 2 million copies of Wild Hogs on the rack, and I have a hunch they are there for a reason.

...so, I dished out another dollar or two and rented Thank You For Not Smoking and An Inconvenient Truth. Thank You For Smoking was probably one of the best movies I've seen this year. I've only watched a half hour of An Inconvenient Truth (a.k.a. - An Ode to Al Gore), and I was hoping for more...what are you going to do on a Friday night anyway? ...read a book?

David Hume Quote On Compassion

"No [com]passion of another discovers itself immediately to the mind. We are only sensible of its causes or effects. From these we infer the passion: And consequently these give rise to our sympathy." - David Hume


...lots of pronouns in that quote. What I think Hume is saying is that your not going to feel any compassion toward others until you're around others. If you're not around the hurting, the sick, the poor, you're not going to have any empathy toward them. This isn't to say that you won't have feelings of compassion and empathy...you will, but perhaps only toward the person you feel most deserves it...yourself.