Tuesday, September 22, 2009
New Avett Brothers album
Probably the most highly anticipated album of the decade. The Avetts with Mr. Rick Rubin himself. My first listen was a very fine experience. You can hear it here for $0.00...
Monday, August 10, 2009
Rodney Smith's New(ish) Blog
http://rodneysmith.com/blog
I thought I'd point my half dozen readers to the blog that photographer Rodney Smith started last month. My knowledge of what makes a good photo is very limited...but, I like Rodney Smith because, to my tastes, he's a perfect blend of not-taking-yourself-to-seriously, while still helping you see the world a little differently.
The great thing about his blog is that his subtle glimpses of profundity (first use of the word profundity on this blog) come through in his writing as they do in his photography. You have a simple story about how a picture was taken or what he likes about the picture...and, inside of the story is a very thought provoking idea about creating art.
If nothing else, take a couple minutes to look at some of his photography...hopefully, you will be impressed.
Friday, May 22, 2009
15 Essential Johnny Cash Songs
Here's a good list of "essential" Johnny Cash songs:
http://www.the9513.com/the-best-of-johnny-cash-the-man-in-blacks-15-most-essential-songs
http://www.the9513.com/the-best-of-johnny-cash-the-man-in-blacks-15-most-essential-songs
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Trivial Art
I don't 100% agree with these two quotes. Actually, I think I probably only agree about 45-55% what they are saying. But, I think the sentiments are interesting. If we're properly involved in the world and staying appropriately busy in things that are important, will the need for the art house movies and certain types of more philosophical literature still be important? Or, will our breaks in ministering to those around us cause us to desire lighter fair? Does an acquired taste for higher quality art come from too much wasted time? ...I think there's some interesting thoughts floating around that neighborhood (and some unhelpful dichotomizing).
"Anyone who is currently constructing “a nine-hour exploration of ‘personality’”, it seems to me, has completely forgotten about his audience, or at least the conventional notion of an audience, full of people with jobs and worries and dependants, people who are tired after a hard working day or week. My suspicion is that the policeman and the teacher and the nurse who works in a hospice does not feel infantilised in the least by someone’s desire to keep them entertained and diverted; rather, they are grateful for it. The job of providing these diversions, however, can occasionally seem less than adult: writers sit around in jeans and old T-shirts for large parts of the average working day, eating biscuits and watching some of the funnier acts from ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ on YouTube, while their friends and contemporaries don suits, rush off to meetings, save lives, keep entire transport systems running. Perhaps inevitably, there is a desire to compensate for the lifestyle, produce plays and books and films that are no fun whatsoever in an attempt to convince the world outside our offices that a day in front of the word-processor is the equivalent of eight hours down a Siberian salt-mine."
- Nick Hornby
Doug Wilson on Fireproof:
"If I set myself to think of couples in marriages that I think would be greatly helped by watching this movie, I would run out of fingers inside of a minute. I can also think of Christians who would be offended by the schlock, but many of them would be those who know more about how a movie ought to be made than about how a woman ought to be treated. And they would rather watch a movie about a woman being abused so long as the movie was made right than to have the woman treated right in a movie that offended their refined sensibilities. So which is the altar and which is the sacrifice?"
"Anyone who is currently constructing “a nine-hour exploration of ‘personality’”, it seems to me, has completely forgotten about his audience, or at least the conventional notion of an audience, full of people with jobs and worries and dependants, people who are tired after a hard working day or week. My suspicion is that the policeman and the teacher and the nurse who works in a hospice does not feel infantilised in the least by someone’s desire to keep them entertained and diverted; rather, they are grateful for it. The job of providing these diversions, however, can occasionally seem less than adult: writers sit around in jeans and old T-shirts for large parts of the average working day, eating biscuits and watching some of the funnier acts from ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ on YouTube, while their friends and contemporaries don suits, rush off to meetings, save lives, keep entire transport systems running. Perhaps inevitably, there is a desire to compensate for the lifestyle, produce plays and books and films that are no fun whatsoever in an attempt to convince the world outside our offices that a day in front of the word-processor is the equivalent of eight hours down a Siberian salt-mine."
- Nick Hornby
Doug Wilson on Fireproof:
"If I set myself to think of couples in marriages that I think would be greatly helped by watching this movie, I would run out of fingers inside of a minute. I can also think of Christians who would be offended by the schlock, but many of them would be those who know more about how a movie ought to be made than about how a woman ought to be treated. And they would rather watch a movie about a woman being abused so long as the movie was made right than to have the woman treated right in a movie that offended their refined sensibilities. So which is the altar and which is the sacrifice?"
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Joe Pug - Hymn 101
Here's the coolest song of the week...
He's giving away his EP at: www.joepugmusic.com
and i've come to meet the legendary takers
i've only come to ask them for a lot
oh they say i come with less
than i should rightfully possess
i say the more i buy the more i'm bought
and the more i'm bought the less i cost
He's giving away his EP at: www.joepugmusic.com
and i've come to meet the legendary takers
i've only come to ask them for a lot
oh they say i come with less
than i should rightfully possess
i say the more i buy the more i'm bought
and the more i'm bought the less i cost
Sunday, April 12, 2009
If I Only Had 4 Sentences to Describe Twilight (the movie)
Twilight is a 122 minute lusty sex scene without nudity so that no one realizes that they are actually watching an 122 minute epic on lust.
I wasn't sure I'd be able to control my dry heaves after Belle spoke breathlessly for the 265th time.
There's a 100 year old vampire in love with a teenager...it doesn't get much creepier than that.
Other than that it's gripping.
Things to Like About Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire…
…contrasts the results of living for yourself vs. living for others.
…honestly presents the evils of the world in a disturbing but discrete way.
…shows that the qualities of your youth amplify themselves as you become an adult.
…commends unconditional love. If you’re feeling generous, it commends grace-filled love.
…can easily be interpreted as alluding to a God who has ‘written’ history.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
25 Perfect Songs
The last couple weeks I've been making a list of perfect songs. In my opinion, they don't make music any better than what is listed below...all these songs come pretty close to tie-ing for the number one spot.
Against my better judgement, I've also included YouTube links for all the songs. This is especially bad news if you haven't heard the song before because: A) Seeing the people singing these songs on your first listen can be distracting, and B) Some of the versions aren't as good as the album versions.
But, you have to give the people what they want...I'd I knew you'd be too lazy to do your own research for these songs. So, enjoy...argue with me...suggest other perfect songs...I love all of you...
Monday, March 30, 2009
"Two Smiles"
Nothing's better than two smiles from my daughter's lips...
...one giggle at bedtime might come close.
And, not to be picky, but smiles are better in close proximity to sleep...waking or falling...
...giggles are best on laps and changing tables.
And, if you're lucky, a kiss isn't bad...
but still...
...nothing's better than two smiles from my daughter's lips.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Bella
I finally broke my bad-movie streak. It's hard to tell for sure, but I think I had seen about 104 PG-13 romantic comedies in a row...all of them required the brain power of a green pea to get the nice moral message that when you really love someone you should make out, take off the man's shirt and then fall into a bed that is off camera...I'm assuming not much happens after that. ...but, then Bella came along. And, it reminded me that movies can feel almost perfect at times. It submits it's pro-life message artistically without preaching at people or letting the message overpower the emotions of the movie, although I would argue that the entire movie is about life (and in some ways, it's sanctity). I'm not sure how Christians decide which movies they are going to turn into sleeper hits...but, in my perfect world, I wish Bella would have drawn the lucky straw...
So, if you haven't seen it already, give it a shot. It reminds me alot of life...everywhere you look, there's sadness...but, between the sad stories there's usually some optimism in the air and redemption waiting around the corner.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
The 10 most "Christian" U2 Songs
U2. How cool is it that one of the longest-lasting, stadium-shaking, bastions of rock-and-roll greatness happens to be Christian? Or, at least religious…or, spiritual…or, something. Their new album, No Line On the Horizon, is freshly upon us and ready to provide more doses of potentially Biblical lyrics. There’s almost 30 years of U2 history floating around. In this small mound of Bono lyrics, we find religious analogies piled up on top of each other. What rises to the top? Where does Bono shine through at his most Christian…at his most “I’m spiritual, but don’t organize me”? Provided below are the ten best U2’s songs where Bono’s spiritual side comes charging through, both guns blazing, with songs that seem so heartfelt that everyone who “gets it” wholeheartedly believes that every song in the U2 catalog is about “it”. These next 10 songs should offer a glimpse of what’s so special about U2.
- I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (The Joshua Tree)
- Grace (All You Can’t Leave Behind)
- Yahweh (How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb)
- The First Time (Zooropa)
- The Wanderer (Zooropa)
- 40 (War)
- When Loves Comes to Town (Rattle & Hum)
- North & South of the River (B-Sides; 80s-90s)
- Until the End of the World (Achtung Baby)
- Drowning Man (War)
Monday, March 2, 2009
Fame, Celebrity, and Accomplishment
Our church has hit the big time with a full-fledged blog post by Mr. Andy Naselli himself. I was quite flattered...and enjoyed seeing it in my Google Reader this morning.
http://andynaselli.com/theology/crossway-milwaukee
It's not Jason's first moment of being in the spotlight...here is our church's other moment of acclaim:
Young, Restless, Reformed
...I'll finish up here...my mildly cynical tone can only hide my unhealthy pride for so long...
http://andynaselli.com/theology/crossway-milwaukee
It's not Jason's first moment of being in the spotlight...here is our church's other moment of acclaim:
Young, Restless, Reformed
...I'll finish up here...my mildly cynical tone can only hide my unhealthy pride for so long...
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Fireproof
Fireproof is a bad movie. But, it has such good intentions that I can't say anything bad about it without feeling like a nasty step-father who couldn't find anything good to say about his 7th grader's school play.
At the least, I'll cut and paste a relevant quote:
"Where films are concerned, if you set out to convey some special message or thesis you will become narrow and rigid..." -Akira Kurosawa
...something similar is going on with Fireproof.
Happy Valentines Day!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Super Bowl Journal
...don't miss Springsteen's "Super Bowl Journal"
http://www.brucespringsteen.net/news/superbowljournal.html
http://www.brucespringsteen.net/news/superbowljournal.html
Friday, January 30, 2009
The Emperor's New Clothes
I like these guys. The way they observe society/culture with a dab of cynicism reminds me a little of Jerry Seinfeld. A couple of my favorites:
Monday, January 26, 2009
Working on a Dream
Wow...it's perfect.
Click here to listen to it...
Working on a Dream: "
1. Outlaw Pete - Bruce Springsteen
2. My Lucky Day - Bruce Springsteen
3. Working On A Dream - Bruce Springsteen
4. Queen of the Supermarket - Bruce Springsteen
5. What Love Can Do - Bruce Springsteen
6. This Life - Bruce Springsteen
7. Good Eye - Bruce Springsteen
8. Tomorrow Never Knows - Bruce Springsteen
9. Life Itself - Bruce Springsteen
10. Kingdom Of Days - Bruce Springsteen
11. Suprise, Suprise - Bruce Springsteen
12. The Last Carnival - Bruce Springsteen
13. The Wrestler (Bonus Track) - Bruce Springsteen"
Click here to listen to it...
Working on a Dream: "
1. Outlaw Pete - Bruce Springsteen
2. My Lucky Day - Bruce Springsteen
3. Working On A Dream - Bruce Springsteen
4. Queen of the Supermarket - Bruce Springsteen
5. What Love Can Do - Bruce Springsteen
6. This Life - Bruce Springsteen
7. Good Eye - Bruce Springsteen
8. Tomorrow Never Knows - Bruce Springsteen
9. Life Itself - Bruce Springsteen
10. Kingdom Of Days - Bruce Springsteen
11. Suprise, Suprise - Bruce Springsteen
12. The Last Carnival - Bruce Springsteen
13. The Wrestler (Bonus Track) - Bruce Springsteen"
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Teddy
I was going through some papers today and found these two quotes that I used to have taped to something...I think my computer. I did a search to see where they came from and found out that the first quote is one of the "three most requested quotes" from theodoreroosevelt.org. So, I guess I'm not unique in enjoying it...
"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
- Theodore Roosevelt
"Citizenship in a Republic,"
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910
---
Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."
- Theodore Roosevelt
"The Strenuous Life"
"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
- Theodore Roosevelt
"Citizenship in a Republic,"
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910
---
Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."
- Theodore Roosevelt
"The Strenuous Life"
Monday, December 22, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
The Avett Brothers - Emotionalism
Here's a video that make me want to pack thing up, buy a bus, and head out on tour with all my friends...
Move Avett Brothers videos
theavettbrothers.com
Move Avett Brothers videos
theavettbrothers.com
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Roger Ebert on our celebrity driven culture....
If you are interested in hearing Roger Ebert rant and rave about our celebrity culture, read this blog post, "Death to film critics! Hail to the CelebCult!". I enjoyed it. A couple exerpts:
"The CelebCult virus is eating our culture alive, and newspapers voluntarily expose themselves to it. It teaches shabby values to young people, festers unwholesome curiosity, violates privacy, and is indifferent to meaningful achievement. One of the TV celeb shows has announced it will cover the Obama family as "a Hollywood story." I want to smash something against a wall."
"The celebrity culture is infantilizing us. We are being trained not to think. It is not about the disappearance of film critics. We are the canaries. It is about the death of an intelligent and curious, readership, interested in significant things and able to think critically. It is about the failure of our educational system. It is not about dumbing-down. It is about snuffing out."
"Death to film critics! Hail to the CelebCult!"
"The CelebCult virus is eating our culture alive, and newspapers voluntarily expose themselves to it. It teaches shabby values to young people, festers unwholesome curiosity, violates privacy, and is indifferent to meaningful achievement. One of the TV celeb shows has announced it will cover the Obama family as "a Hollywood story." I want to smash something against a wall."
"The celebrity culture is infantilizing us. We are being trained not to think. It is not about the disappearance of film critics. We are the canaries. It is about the death of an intelligent and curious, readership, interested in significant things and able to think critically. It is about the failure of our educational system. It is not about dumbing-down. It is about snuffing out."
"Death to film critics! Hail to the CelebCult!"
Monday, November 24, 2008
Free Dr. Pepper - Today
Dr. Pepper...Guns-n-Roses...2008? ...it means a free Dr. Pepper.
http://www.drpepper.com/freeDrPepper
UPDATE:
I've tried about 5 times today to get my free Dr. Pepper with no luck...I guess there's lots of cheapos like me out there. Or, it's a strategic Dr. Pepper move so that they don't have to give out free drinks...conspiracy theorists, beware.
Also, you can download the new Springsteen song today for free. You can get it at iTunes or brucespringsteen.net
UPDATE II:
I'm officially registered for a free Dr. Pepper. Thank you Dr. Pepper and thank you Guns-n-Roses for releasing an album in 2008. 4 minutes and 23 seconds to spare.
http://www.drpepper.com/freeDrPepper
UPDATE:
I've tried about 5 times today to get my free Dr. Pepper with no luck...I guess there's lots of cheapos like me out there. Or, it's a strategic Dr. Pepper move so that they don't have to give out free drinks...conspiracy theorists, beware.
Also, you can download the new Springsteen song today for free. You can get it at iTunes or brucespringsteen.net
UPDATE II:
I'm officially registered for a free Dr. Pepper. Thank you Dr. Pepper and thank you Guns-n-Roses for releasing an album in 2008. 4 minutes and 23 seconds to spare.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Coldplay - Viva La Vida
This is everything I love about music...and everything I hate about music videos. Press play and minimize your screen.
Same song...better video...
...which is a spoof/tribute of/to this Depeche Mode video.
The song (not Depeche Mode) has an interesting spiritual side to it. I like what it has to say about pride. ...I could be interpreting things too straight-forward-ly, though. There may be a touch of cynicism hiding out (Wikipedia, BBC, Q Daily).
Same song...better video...
...which is a spoof/tribute of/to this Depeche Mode video.
The song (not Depeche Mode) has an interesting spiritual side to it. I like what it has to say about pride. ...I could be interpreting things too straight-forward-ly, though. There may be a touch of cynicism hiding out (Wikipedia, BBC, Q Daily).
Monday, November 10, 2008
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Politics & the Abortion Trump Card
I've always been frustrated that I've never been able to jump into the "fun" part of the political playing field. I feel like there's a fence around the field called abortion that keeps me from the more interesting discussions of big government vs. small government, tax cuts, etc. I know I fall into that stereotypical right-wing group that doesn't get it...that people are dying overseas, that we aren't taking care of our sick and our poor, that we don't care about our environment...wouldn't it be better to be part of a party that (arguably) handles these issues better?
I've flirted with this thought before...for a couple minutes I even thought Donald Miller had a pretty good argument in his post which said: "The continuation of rhetoric about being pro-life but not having a realistic plan has tired me of the Republican Party". The idea that the Democratic party (supporting a Pro-Choice ideal) will lower abortions by promoting safe-sex type of concepts makes sense and is interesting, but I don't buy it. For me it is just as "rhetorical" as what some may accuse the Republican party of in their attempts to overturn Roe vs. Wade.
In regards to this, I found Justin Taylor's blog post on the Freedom Of Choice Act helpful...he references this chart from the Guttmacher Institute that shows that the number of abortions in Maryland has increased since 1991 while the national numbers have gone down.
I've flirted with this thought before...for a couple minutes I even thought Donald Miller had a pretty good argument in his post which said: "The continuation of rhetoric about being pro-life but not having a realistic plan has tired me of the Republican Party". The idea that the Democratic party (supporting a Pro-Choice ideal) will lower abortions by promoting safe-sex type of concepts makes sense and is interesting, but I don't buy it. For me it is just as "rhetorical" as what some may accuse the Republican party of in their attempts to overturn Roe vs. Wade.
In regards to this, I found Justin Taylor's blog post on the Freedom Of Choice Act helpful...he references this chart from the Guttmacher Institute that shows that the number of abortions in Maryland has increased since 1991 while the national numbers have gone down.
The above paragraph is only a brief example...and, perhaps too wordy for the simple point I'm making...but, with all that said...I really don't think we are going to lower the number of abortions while at the some time condoning abortion and making it easier to get abortions. I don't understand how we can tell people that abortion is not a big deal (in some ways easier than buying beer or a pack of cigarettes)...and, yet, you should be careful in your sex life because you don't want to get pregnant...? ...it doesn't make sense to me.
...so, my vote comes down to the fact that I believe abortions will increase under Obama.
Maybe I could be convinced that the Democratic party could answer some of the other problems of the world that are also offensive and moral. But, I firmly believe that there is no difference in killing a week old infant and a 40 week old "fetus" in the womb. Philosophically, if you are consistent, this is the only option. If we rewind the tape from there, I know of no term in the pregnancy where you can draw a line in the sand and state it's okay to end this life now. Simply stated...human life is on the line, the burden of proof is on the person who says life (human rights...personhood...whatever) does not begin at conception. I've never heard anything to convince me otherwise.
Woman's Rights throws an emotional difficulty into the equation, especially, when something like rape is involved. But, I still feel as though the killing a living being is of greater importance than the inconvenience of a pregnancy. I don't feel as though this emotional concept should be unfamiliar to a Pro-Choice advocate, because many of them would emotionally feel the reverse...i.e. it's a horrible thing to end the potential for life, but a woman should have these rights over her body. I think it can be a difficult (I can't quite bring myself to write "horrible") thing to carry a baby that you don't want, but the baby should have the right to live.
So, for what it's worth...I'm the guy who's tempted to consider some of Barack's promises to America...but, I just can't get past the abortion trump card. Abortion is different than slavery, anti-semitism, sexism, etc...I acknowledge that, but in my mind...in my conscience...it's of a similar caliber. No matter what a leader offers in their public policies, if slavery, anti-semitism, or sexism were part of their agenda, by conscience I would refuse to vote for them. For myself, it's the same thing when it comes to abortion.
_____
Also See:
Witherspoon Institute 1
http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/viewarticle.php?selectedarticle=2008.10.14_George_Robert_Obama
Witherspoon Institute 2 (Infanticide)
http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/viewarticle.php?selectedarticle=2008.10.16_George_Robert_Obama%20and%20Infanticide_.xml
One More From Witherspoon
http://thepublicdiscourse.com/viewarticle.php?selectedarticle=2008.10.24_New_Michael%20J._Pro-Life%20Politicians%20Have%20Made%20a%20Difference,%20Pro-Life%20Laws%20Work_.xml
Randy Alcorn on Donald Miller
http://randyalcorn.blogspot.com/2008/10/not-cool-obamas-pro-abortion-stance.html
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Akira Kurosawa Interviews
I briefly read through the Akira Kurosawa Interviews tonight (edited by Bert Cardullo). Here were some of my favorite parts.
1963 - "Nothing could be more difficult for me than to define my own style. I simply make a picture as I wish it to be or as nearly as it is within my power to do so. I have never thought of defining my style. If I tried such a thing, I would be caught within my own trap." (25)
1966 - "There are so many things which portray violence and so many films show this. Somehow, I feel tired of it. It is easy to be happy. If it is necessary to show violence in a film, it is good to avoid ugliness...There are already too many films that show sex. I do not want my films to be another vehicle for it. Besides, I do not think it should be a purpose for entertainment. Children would not be able to understand it; it will only complicate their minds, and they will not be entertained." (32)
1975 - "Where films are concerned, if you set out to convey some special message or thesis you will become narrow and rigid. I think it is true for any other creative work as well." (58)
.
1980 - "...there's a tradition in Western films that deal with cavalry battles, whereby one almost invariably fires to hit the rider. In terms of real battle strategy, however, this is entirely unrealistic because the horse is a much bigger target and if you wanted to disable the whole cavalry, you'd get rid of the horses first. But nobody has ever made a film that way. The convention is to shoot the rider and see him fall off and the response to the film comes from that. I felt that this tradition has already worn out and wanted to try something different, more effective, for the sophisticated film audiences of today--to show the final effect of the battle rather than those shootings themselves. Besides, when you have a stuntman on a horse who knows he's going to be shot, this is apparent in his whole physical attitude. The audience also knows it's going to happen, so why show them what they already know?" (72-73)
1986 - "Ideally, a film should be spherical. This is physically impossible; however, it is possible to approach such a shape. A film should appeal to sophisticated, profound-thinking people, while at the same time entertaining simplistic people. Even if a small circle of people enjoy a film, it will not do. A film should satisfy a wide range of people, all the people." (141)
1986 - "CINEASTE: Once you said that the most important thing for young people aspiring to become directors was to read world classics. Do you still believe so?
.
KUROSAWA: Definitely. To read everything is almost impossible, so you must find writers that you like. Then, to find favorite works of these writers, and read them again and again. Therefore, your understanding of the characters in these works is deepened. One's level of understanding after reading a work once, and after reading it ten times, is naturally different." (143)
.
...if I ever complain about not having any free time, feel free to slap me.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
"Theirs is a mission impossible..."
(...from Justin Taylor's blog)
"I pity satirists who might be tempted to try to tweak these segments of the evangelical world. Theirs is a mission impossible. It can no longer be done. No matter how indelicately they might exaggerate, no matter how much they might embellish to make a point, no matter how many descriptions they might offer of the tasteless things that are happening, it will most likely be met with only a yawn and a bored question: 'So...?' Nothing seems improbable. None of it, in fact, ever seems exaggerated and none of it seems improper. It has now become impossible to insult some evangelicals." (David Wells, The Courage to Be Protestant, p 24)
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Bob Dylan Links
Don't miss the free download ("Dreamin' of You") at bobdylan.com
The video is freshly posted at amazon.com
Also, finally, here is my liberal friend John Mellencamp covering "The Times They are A-Changin'" (We are both native Hoosiers, you know.)
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Ben's Brother, John Mayer, and videos that I can't embed
Here's a good video that I can't embed:
...it's Ben's Brother singing Carry On.
Also, here's John Mayer singing Free Fallin...also, I can't embed it...also, it's not funny like the Ben's Brother video:
...it's the internet, isn't all this stuff supposed to be steal-able?
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Gossip in the Grain - Ray LaMontagne
The first two tracks off Ray LaMontagne's new album, Gossip in the Grain.
Release Date: October 14, 2008
http://www.raylamontagne.com/home.php
You Are The Best Thing
Let It Be Me
Tracklisting:
1. You Are The Best Thing
2. Let It Be Me
3. Sarah
4. I Still Care For You
5. Winter Birds
6. Meg White
7. Hey Me, Hey Mama
8. Henry Nearly Killed Me (It’s A Shame)
9. A Falling Through
10. Gossip In The Grain
Release Date: October 14, 2008
http://www.raylamontagne.com/home.php
You Are The Best Thing
Let It Be Me
Tracklisting:
1. You Are The Best Thing
2. Let It Be Me
3. Sarah
4. I Still Care For You
5. Winter Birds
6. Meg White
7. Hey Me, Hey Mama
8. Henry Nearly Killed Me (It’s A Shame)
9. A Falling Through
10. Gossip In The Grain
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Evil in the Movies
I'm still thinking about the evil-in-the-movies concept I brought up a few posts ago (The Dark Knight). At the risk of implying a tidiness that I don't think exists... Which says more about our attitude toward evil...1) an explicit rendering of what is evil, or 2) a discomfort that prevents us from visualising it?
Which paints a better picture of evil...1) an explicit rendering of evil acts, or 2) an explicit rendering of the consequences of evil acts?
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Superman vs. Batman
How To Reboot the Superman Movie Franchise -- Comic Writers Chime In
"Superman was created not because America is the greatest country on earth, not because Moses came to save us from Krypton, but because a little boy lost his father,” Meltzer said. “In his first appearances, he couldn’t fly. He didn’t have X-ray vision. He was only bulletproof. So Superman’s not a character built out of strength, but out of loss.”
“When you hear that, it puts on a whole new spin on Superman and his origins,” Waid said. “The understanding was that Batman was born out of tragedy and Superman out of hope and aspiration, and it turns out that it’s about not wanting to lose your loved ones. That’s critical, and it means that we can connect with him. He’s not an untouchable character. Bad things still happen to him. His father passes away, and his powers can’t save him.”
"Superman was created not because America is the greatest country on earth, not because Moses came to save us from Krypton, but because a little boy lost his father,” Meltzer said. “In his first appearances, he couldn’t fly. He didn’t have X-ray vision. He was only bulletproof. So Superman’s not a character built out of strength, but out of loss.”
“When you hear that, it puts on a whole new spin on Superman and his origins,” Waid said. “The understanding was that Batman was born out of tragedy and Superman out of hope and aspiration, and it turns out that it’s about not wanting to lose your loved ones. That’s critical, and it means that we can connect with him. He’s not an untouchable character. Bad things still happen to him. His father passes away, and his powers can’t save him.”
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Monday, August 4, 2008
Thoughts on The Dark Knight
I think it happened again last week. Further desensitization. I remember the first time I saw Saving Private Ryan and The Passion of the Christ and soon realizing that I don’t want to see them again because they are built on the shock of their violence. If I keep watching them, they lose their punch. The first time I saw The Fellowship of the Ring I went away distressed at the clear way in which evil was visually portrayed in the orcs.
And, last week I saw The Dark Knight and again left the theater wondering about evil depicted in the movies. It seems like we might be part of an un-winnable battle. We can become more and more explicit in our depictions of what is wrong…but will a generation ever hit the evil threshold and say “okay, now we’ve finally got a handle on the darkest depths of evil…we can no longer top ourselves”. Or, will we continue an infinite trip down the dark layers of our hearts?
My mind gets fuzzy every time I think about it because there are two sides of the argument. On the one hand…are we actually telling the greatest of lies when we portray evil as anything but the disturbing, pit of darkness that it is? When we pretty it up, so that it is not difficult to look at, are we actually insulting all those who have been touched by its pain?
But, then, when does the game go from artistic to pornographic? If we take The Dark Knight for example, so many times the camera takes us up to the second before death and then turns away. There’s only so much we need to see and then we are indulging in things that don’t need to be seen. A slasher movie takes you on the full ride. It takes you to the point of death and then presses forward allowing the pleasure of the removal of all curiosities.
So, we have somewhat of a dividing line. Show all the evil except for the final act of hatred. But, maybe we aren’t dealing with a very good dividing line? Maybe the mystery should begin earlier? Maybe the line of indulgement exists sooner than we think? …we might be reveling in unprofitable areas because the camera doesn’t turn away when it should.
There are no easy answers…but, if nothing else, I think it’s good to be aware of our slow slide into further realism and explicitness. There has to be consequences here, perhaps of a moral nature, so it would seem wise to be alert to the desensitizing effects surrounding us.
And, last week I saw The Dark Knight and again left the theater wondering about evil depicted in the movies. It seems like we might be part of an un-winnable battle. We can become more and more explicit in our depictions of what is wrong…but will a generation ever hit the evil threshold and say “okay, now we’ve finally got a handle on the darkest depths of evil…we can no longer top ourselves”. Or, will we continue an infinite trip down the dark layers of our hearts?
My mind gets fuzzy every time I think about it because there are two sides of the argument. On the one hand…are we actually telling the greatest of lies when we portray evil as anything but the disturbing, pit of darkness that it is? When we pretty it up, so that it is not difficult to look at, are we actually insulting all those who have been touched by its pain?
But, then, when does the game go from artistic to pornographic? If we take The Dark Knight for example, so many times the camera takes us up to the second before death and then turns away. There’s only so much we need to see and then we are indulging in things that don’t need to be seen. A slasher movie takes you on the full ride. It takes you to the point of death and then presses forward allowing the pleasure of the removal of all curiosities.
So, we have somewhat of a dividing line. Show all the evil except for the final act of hatred. But, maybe we aren’t dealing with a very good dividing line? Maybe the mystery should begin earlier? Maybe the line of indulgement exists sooner than we think? …we might be reveling in unprofitable areas because the camera doesn’t turn away when it should.
There are no easy answers…but, if nothing else, I think it’s good to be aware of our slow slide into further realism and explicitness. There has to be consequences here, perhaps of a moral nature, so it would seem wise to be alert to the desensitizing effects surrounding us.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
My Life as Seen From the Second Row at a Kenny Loggins Concert
Sometimes you find yourself hanging over the guard rail at an Extreme Home Makeover in Kansas City yelling for Ty to come out of his trailer…and, then you start talking to the person next to you and you reveal that you’ve never watched a full episode of Extreme Home Makeover…and, then, suddenly the joking stops, the smile leaves the face of your new found friend as they say “What are you doing here?”.
And, other times, due to free tickets, you find yourself in the second row…dead center…at a Kenny Loggins concert…(yes, Mr. Footloose himself)…and he says, “Okay, everyone knows the drill here”…and, as the spotlights hit the crowd he looks down at you and holds out the microphone to the crowd… …It’s amazing the thoughts that can run through your mind in the .5 seconds it takes you to think “Please, don’t make eye contact”. …Things such as: Kenny, I’m sorry. Kenny, I should have been listening you in the eighties. The crowd can’t be singing “Please, celebrate me home”. Kenny, I should have done more YouTube research before I came. If I sing “Please, celebrate me home” and those aren’t the lyrics will Kenny be able to notice? The horrible grammar of these lyrics apparently makes sense to the 5,000 people behind me. I’m glad the old guy in front of me isn’t singing. Kenny, this doesn’t mean you are a failure. We’ll never be friends after this.
Luckily, a couple songs later he sings “Your Momma Don’t Dance” to which I knew all the words.
And, other times, due to free tickets, you find yourself in the second row…dead center…at a Kenny Loggins concert…(yes, Mr. Footloose himself)…and he says, “Okay, everyone knows the drill here”…and, as the spotlights hit the crowd he looks down at you and holds out the microphone to the crowd… …It’s amazing the thoughts that can run through your mind in the .5 seconds it takes you to think “Please, don’t make eye contact”. …Things such as: Kenny, I’m sorry. Kenny, I should have been listening you in the eighties. The crowd can’t be singing “Please, celebrate me home”. Kenny, I should have done more YouTube research before I came. If I sing “Please, celebrate me home” and those aren’t the lyrics will Kenny be able to notice? The horrible grammar of these lyrics apparently makes sense to the 5,000 people behind me. I’m glad the old guy in front of me isn’t singing. Kenny, this doesn’t mean you are a failure. We’ll never be friends after this.
Luckily, a couple songs later he sings “Your Momma Don’t Dance” to which I knew all the words.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Link to D.A. Carson Interview
Here's a quick interview with D.A. Carson:
http://www.reformation21.org/articles/don-carson-talks-about-culture.php
It's in reference to Carson's latest book, Christ and Culture Revisited. It's a fairly short interview, insightful, and uses plenty of big words. Here's one question/answer that I found especially thought provoking. Enjoy...
___________________________________
DT: You mention several key issues which force us re-evaluate Christ's role in culture (secularization, democracy, freedom and power). In short compass, can you explain what you mean by this and how this helps us to understand our own (postmodern) culture?
DC: Inevitably, we in the West, not least in America, tend to adopt a host of "givens" that are part of growing up here. Most of us think freedom is a good thing. But is it always a good thing? A friend in Slovakia once told me that only three weeks after the Berlin wall came down, for the first time in his life he saw pornography sold in the street. Was the enhanced freedom an unmitigated "good" thing? I'm not denying it was good in many ways, but some of us have given "freedom" such an iconic value that we fail to see how, in the name of freedom, we may become slaves to sin. Most of us are thankful to God that we live in a democracy. But I have met Christians who live in parts of the world under one form or another of tyranny who are much less daunted by the violent "beast out of the sea" that they face than by the "beast out of the earth," the danger of deceptive teaching and materialism, that we face in the West: they pray for us that we will escape the tyranny of the seduction of easy, triumphalism, and materialism. Certainly what Paul wrote about the government of his day being appointed by God, he did not have a democracy in mind: what bearing do such differences in the structure of power have on our responsibility as citizens -- as citizens of the US, and as citizens of the new Jerusalem?
Friday, June 6, 2008
Anne Rice is a Christian?
I know this is old news...but, Anne Rice is a Christian? ...weird. If this intrigues you, as it does me, this is an interesting place to start:
"Essay On Earlier Works"
"Essay On Earlier Works"
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Tonight on the blog post...dedications...
Tonight we're turning on the love light as I send a special dedication out to the man who sits atop the maple mountain. Sentiments are dedicated, not theology... Enjoy. We can hug later.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Preaching As Concept Creation, Not Just Contextualization
Even if you disagree with his list, John Piper makes an excellent point in his first few paragraphs. ...also, the list is good.
Preaching As Concept Creation, Not Just Contextualization
Preaching As Concept Creation, Not Just Contextualization
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
CJ & Discernment
I've been wanting to post some follow-up thoughts to my last post on emergent-ness. Instead of taking the time to do that, I thought I'd pass on this link a good post C.J. Mahaney did (at his brand new blog) about pastoral discernment. He uses Rob Bell's NOOMA videos as an example. He also provides plenty of links for further thoughts on the problems of Rob Bell's theology. It's worth reading if you are interested in such things as discernment, Rob Bell, or even theology...
http://sovereigngraceministries.org/Blog/post/Rob-Bell2c-the-Pastore28099s-Task-of-Discernment2c-and-My-Heart.aspx
http://sovereigngraceministries.org/Blog/post/Rob-Bell2c-the-Pastore28099s-Task-of-Discernment2c-and-My-Heart.aspx
Friday, January 18, 2008
Ranting, Raving, and Blaming the World's Problems on the Emergent Movement
I subscribe to the Emergent Village podcast. It typically just annoys me and puts me in a bad mood...and, generally does everything that a good political debate does for my soul. For some reason I keep hitting the play button, though. Since, I've plowed through a couple episodes this week, I thought I'd share my disgruntled spirits. Maybe you'll end up thinking that the world is coming to its end as I do.
Before I get into ranting and raving, here are a couple quotes from one of the Emergent head honchos...Tony Jones***.
From: http://www.emergentvillage.com/podcast/aar-panel-part-1
"This is a message problem, this is not a method problem. The gospel has been gotten wrong and we need to start trying to get the gospel right."
"Listen...this is a thorough-going reconsideration of the gospel in America. This is about whole new ways of thinking. This is about epistemology...How do we reconsider the gospel and everything that goes along with it?"
"We were of the minds that everything should be up for consideration."
And, because I'm old fashioned a Bible verse:
Galatians 1:9
"As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed (anathema)."
I'm not going to try to tackle the argument that Tony Jones is preaching a different gospel than the one preached in the Bible. I'm merely going back to the point I made last time I harped on the emergent movement...hopefully with more clarity this time. And, if I can boil things down to one question, I think it would be:
"Is the emergent conversation characterized by wisdom?" I think there are some red flags that many are paying little attention to.
For example, when the Bible is so clear about the consequences of tampering with the gospel...wouldn't wisdom lead a person to be cautious with statements such as "we've gotten the gospel wrong...thorough reconsideration of the gospel in America...everything should be up for consideration". I suppose there are some instances where these statements can be said legitimately...but, in my mind there are so few instances...that I cringe when I hear someone say these things without disclaimers.
But, as much as I'd like to give Tony the benefit of the doubt...it does seem as though the emergent troops are questioning everything. For example, inerrancy of the Bible, the doctrine of hell, penal substitution...virgin birth. It's no wonder that people argue that emergent is just a reworked liberalism.
One of the problems is that the "conversation" is packaged in a cleverly appealing way to evangelical minds. I'm quite comfortable agreeing with the emergent folks that most Christian grew up in fairly pathetic churches. It's easy to take pot-shots at these churches and get a reaction...and feel a commonality with someone. But, it's easy in the way that a dirty joke is easy...anybody can do it. Simply bonding over a shared problem isn't a guarantee that together you can beat the odds and find a better way.
More caution flags show up in the hyper-individualism of the relationship-friendly emergent church. As a good Protestant, I'm pretty individualistic myself...but, again, I think "wisdom" tells us to forsake tradition with great hesitancy and last resort. What's ironic about emergent is that the tradition from 100 years ago is meaningful to them...and the traditions of our parents are the death of the church. Along these lines, I think a small army of bloggers thinking together can form a very deceptive community in which you think you truly understand things...when in reality you are simply dumbing down Christianity in the same non-scholastic way that old-time fundamentalists are accused of doing. There is something to say for academic scholarship.
More red flags...lack of cultural diversity. A person can argue that most churches are racially segregated...and, they are, to their detriment. However, my church is still preaching the same gospel as the Korean church down the road...and the Afro-American church next to it. We have this is common.
...also, my least judgemental criticism of the emergent church is probably the inherent temporariness of it. Can a movement perpetually be in the process of moving/emerging/complaining about the entity that is inspiring their movement? Are they emerging into the very thing that they will emerge from again down the road? What's the goal? Where are they headed? Are these questions still fair in a postmodern's mind? If everything is up for grabs...then, where's the urgency stemming from?
It's only fair that I add my own disclaimer...the emergent/emerging church is growing (I have a hunch it's currently at its peak, I could be wrong, though). And, with the breadth of the movement I can't lump everyone who considers themselves to be emergent or emerging into the Tony Jones variety. There are some voices that I would find myself agreeing with for the most part. But, in an overarching sense, emergent is not something I would want to be associated with. It's good to ask questions and think things through, but there's a wise way to do it and a foolish way. ...it's my opinion that much of the emergent movement is heading about things in a foolish manner.
*** Tony Jones
Before I get into ranting and raving, here are a couple quotes from one of the Emergent head honchos...Tony Jones***.
From: http://www.emergentvillage.com/podcast/aar-panel-part-1
"This is a message problem, this is not a method problem. The gospel has been gotten wrong and we need to start trying to get the gospel right."
"Listen...this is a thorough-going reconsideration of the gospel in America. This is about whole new ways of thinking. This is about epistemology...How do we reconsider the gospel and everything that goes along with it?"
"We were of the minds that everything should be up for consideration."
And, because I'm old fashioned a Bible verse:
Galatians 1:9
"As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed (anathema)."
I'm not going to try to tackle the argument that Tony Jones is preaching a different gospel than the one preached in the Bible. I'm merely going back to the point I made last time I harped on the emergent movement...hopefully with more clarity this time. And, if I can boil things down to one question, I think it would be:
"Is the emergent conversation characterized by wisdom?" I think there are some red flags that many are paying little attention to.
For example, when the Bible is so clear about the consequences of tampering with the gospel...wouldn't wisdom lead a person to be cautious with statements such as "we've gotten the gospel wrong...thorough reconsideration of the gospel in America...everything should be up for consideration". I suppose there are some instances where these statements can be said legitimately...but, in my mind there are so few instances...that I cringe when I hear someone say these things without disclaimers.
But, as much as I'd like to give Tony the benefit of the doubt...it does seem as though the emergent troops are questioning everything. For example, inerrancy of the Bible, the doctrine of hell, penal substitution...virgin birth. It's no wonder that people argue that emergent is just a reworked liberalism.
One of the problems is that the "conversation" is packaged in a cleverly appealing way to evangelical minds. I'm quite comfortable agreeing with the emergent folks that most Christian grew up in fairly pathetic churches. It's easy to take pot-shots at these churches and get a reaction...and feel a commonality with someone. But, it's easy in the way that a dirty joke is easy...anybody can do it. Simply bonding over a shared problem isn't a guarantee that together you can beat the odds and find a better way.
More caution flags show up in the hyper-individualism of the relationship-friendly emergent church. As a good Protestant, I'm pretty individualistic myself...but, again, I think "wisdom" tells us to forsake tradition with great hesitancy and last resort. What's ironic about emergent is that the tradition from 100 years ago is meaningful to them...and the traditions of our parents are the death of the church. Along these lines, I think a small army of bloggers thinking together can form a very deceptive community in which you think you truly understand things...when in reality you are simply dumbing down Christianity in the same non-scholastic way that old-time fundamentalists are accused of doing. There is something to say for academic scholarship.
More red flags...lack of cultural diversity. A person can argue that most churches are racially segregated...and, they are, to their detriment. However, my church is still preaching the same gospel as the Korean church down the road...and the Afro-American church next to it. We have this is common.
...also, my least judgemental criticism of the emergent church is probably the inherent temporariness of it. Can a movement perpetually be in the process of moving/emerging/complaining about the entity that is inspiring their movement? Are they emerging into the very thing that they will emerge from again down the road? What's the goal? Where are they headed? Are these questions still fair in a postmodern's mind? If everything is up for grabs...then, where's the urgency stemming from?
It's only fair that I add my own disclaimer...the emergent/emerging church is growing (I have a hunch it's currently at its peak, I could be wrong, though). And, with the breadth of the movement I can't lump everyone who considers themselves to be emergent or emerging into the Tony Jones variety. There are some voices that I would find myself agreeing with for the most part. But, in an overarching sense, emergent is not something I would want to be associated with. It's good to ask questions and think things through, but there's a wise way to do it and a foolish way. ...it's my opinion that much of the emergent movement is heading about things in a foolish manner.
*** Tony Jones
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Sewer Mains
"...longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate..." (Luke 15:16)
”And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11)
“...apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5).
”And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11)
“...apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5).
Newsprint Boats
I ain't never been to Vegas but I gambled up my life
Building newsprint boats I raced to sewer mains
Was trying to find me something but I wasn't sure just what
Funny how they say that some things never change
- Ryan Adams, "Oh, My Sweet Carolina"
Building newsprint boats I raced to sewer mains
Was trying to find me something but I wasn't sure just what
Funny how they say that some things never change
- Ryan Adams, "Oh, My Sweet Carolina"
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Worship
Here's a quote from Mr. D.A. Carson from the book he edited called Worship by the Book. In talking about corporate worship he says, "...however much we seek to be contemporary for the sake of evangelistic outreach, there must also be a drive in us to align ourselves with the whole church in some deeply rooted and tangible ways. What it means to be the church was not invented in the last twenty years. The demands of corporate rootedness must be melded with the demands of living faithfully and bearing witness in a particular culture and age." (pg 45)
I think I used to picture an incredible corporate worship experience as a moment when I became so lost in the words and music of what I was singing that I lost all reference of those around me and just felt close to God...just me and Him. I don't want to downplay that idea too much, but there does seem to be something about it that defeats the purpose of being together corporately. I think corporate worship might be as difficult and as rewarding as pretty much everything else in my life that is both difficult and rewarding. It's difficult because I'm doing several things at once. I've focused on my attention toward God and the words that point me to him...but, I'm also aware of the people I'm encouraging with my participation...I'm aware of the people encouraging me...I'm aware of the church through history...I'm aware of the persecuted church of today...other cultures worshiping Christ...and, all of this...this accumulation of fellow worshipers causes me to further my awe of God and this time of worship becomes even deeper.
I'm sure this is simplistic. But, it's a side of the coin I haven't thought much about until lately.
I think I used to picture an incredible corporate worship experience as a moment when I became so lost in the words and music of what I was singing that I lost all reference of those around me and just felt close to God...just me and Him. I don't want to downplay that idea too much, but there does seem to be something about it that defeats the purpose of being together corporately. I think corporate worship might be as difficult and as rewarding as pretty much everything else in my life that is both difficult and rewarding. It's difficult because I'm doing several things at once. I've focused on my attention toward God and the words that point me to him...but, I'm also aware of the people I'm encouraging with my participation...I'm aware of the people encouraging me...I'm aware of the church through history...I'm aware of the persecuted church of today...other cultures worshiping Christ...and, all of this...this accumulation of fellow worshipers causes me to further my awe of God and this time of worship becomes even deeper.
I'm sure this is simplistic. But, it's a side of the coin I haven't thought much about until lately.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Good tunes
Here are three of my favorite songs of the last couple weeks:
Coconut Skins - Damien Rice
- I can't say I'm positive that I know what this song is about, but that's the way some of the best of them are. I think it's about doing something with your life...that's how I take it, anyway. In the words of Stephen King: Get busy livin' or get busy dyin'.
Keep Fishin' - Weezer
- I heard this song for the first time a week or two ago. It's been pretty much my favorite Weezer song ever since. I've obviously been caught posing as Weezer fan...obviously, I'm embarrassed...but, I'm ready to right my wrongs and pay more attention to their Maladroit album. Also, this has to one of their coolest music videos, but with the last few sentences in mind, I may not be an expert.
When That Evening Sun Goes Down - Van Morrison
- ...no video for this one, but the whole Tupelo Honey album has gotten more airplay in my old fashioned CD player than anything has since the new Bruce Springsteen album. The whole CD is incredibly optimistic and upbeat. It's what you would get if you striped a summer popcorn-flick away of all of its cliches (theoretically...something could possibly be left over). When That Evening Sun Goes Down is my current favorite on the album.
Once last thing...Martin Sexton's Camp Holiday Christmas album kicks the pants off the high (and pretentious) octaves of Josh Groban's new album Noel (...sorry, I couldn't figure out how to do the fancy "e").
Coconut Skins - Damien Rice
- I can't say I'm positive that I know what this song is about, but that's the way some of the best of them are. I think it's about doing something with your life...that's how I take it, anyway. In the words of Stephen King: Get busy livin' or get busy dyin'.
Keep Fishin' - Weezer
- I heard this song for the first time a week or two ago. It's been pretty much my favorite Weezer song ever since. I've obviously been caught posing as Weezer fan...obviously, I'm embarrassed...but, I'm ready to right my wrongs and pay more attention to their Maladroit album. Also, this has to one of their coolest music videos, but with the last few sentences in mind, I may not be an expert.
When That Evening Sun Goes Down - Van Morrison
- ...no video for this one, but the whole Tupelo Honey album has gotten more airplay in my old fashioned CD player than anything has since the new Bruce Springsteen album. The whole CD is incredibly optimistic and upbeat. It's what you would get if you striped a summer popcorn-flick away of all of its cliches (theoretically...something could possibly be left over). When That Evening Sun Goes Down is my current favorite on the album.
Once last thing...Martin Sexton's Camp Holiday Christmas album kicks the pants off the high (and pretentious) octaves of Josh Groban's new album Noel (...sorry, I couldn't figure out how to do the fancy "e").
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Luke 23 & the God we want
Here's something I noticed in the crucifixion story in Luke today. Luke 2 is more appropriate for the season...but, what can you do...
Verse 35 - "...the rulers scoffed at him, saying, 'He saved other; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!'"
Verse 39 - "One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, 'Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!'"
Verse 40 - But the other rebuked him, saying, 'Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?'"
Two people (the rulers & the criminal) thought they had Jesus figured out according to what made sense to them...therefore, it made sense to them to kill him, after all, if Jesus was God, he should be able to get himself off the cross.
The proper response seems to be the "other" criminal who fears God. I think it's easy to fall into an attitude of God-should-do-this/God-should-do-that...because it makes sense to us. The better response seems to be a fear of God. "Fear of God" can be sort-of a vague term, but I think something that has to be understood with that phrase is 'awe'. Maybe it's a little like reading about DNA or the human genome project...Scientists have a map of the human genome...they study it and are constantly finding out more about it. But, no scientist is going to claim that they comprehend it or that they understand how all the proteins and chemicals work. Our genes our too complex for us to understand at this point. If God is real, I have a hunch that he is much bigger than DNA or genomes...our awe/fear of God should be a significant part of our life.
I think its fair to infer from this passage in Luke that a false understanding of how God works (stemming from pride) is part of what allowed these people to justify the killing of Jesus. I suppose a good question to ask ourselves is "In what ways are we 'killing' God in our lives due to our false (proud) understanding of Him?" It's also interesting to note that the fear of God that this criminal had led him into a deeper relationship with God...I think we would typically assume that the opposite would happen.
I read a Patrick Morley quote in college that has stuck with me. His idea was similar to this: "Are we serving the God we want...or are we serving the God who is?". I think it's a healthy question to ask.
Verse 35 - "...the rulers scoffed at him, saying, 'He saved other; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!'"
Verse 39 - "One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, 'Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!'"
Verse 40 - But the other rebuked him, saying, 'Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?'"
Two people (the rulers & the criminal) thought they had Jesus figured out according to what made sense to them...therefore, it made sense to them to kill him, after all, if Jesus was God, he should be able to get himself off the cross.
The proper response seems to be the "other" criminal who fears God. I think it's easy to fall into an attitude of God-should-do-this/God-should-do-that...because it makes sense to us. The better response seems to be a fear of God. "Fear of God" can be sort-of a vague term, but I think something that has to be understood with that phrase is 'awe'. Maybe it's a little like reading about DNA or the human genome project...Scientists have a map of the human genome...they study it and are constantly finding out more about it. But, no scientist is going to claim that they comprehend it or that they understand how all the proteins and chemicals work. Our genes our too complex for us to understand at this point. If God is real, I have a hunch that he is much bigger than DNA or genomes...our awe/fear of God should be a significant part of our life.
I think its fair to infer from this passage in Luke that a false understanding of how God works (stemming from pride) is part of what allowed these people to justify the killing of Jesus. I suppose a good question to ask ourselves is "In what ways are we 'killing' God in our lives due to our false (proud) understanding of Him?" It's also interesting to note that the fear of God that this criminal had led him into a deeper relationship with God...I think we would typically assume that the opposite would happen.
I read a Patrick Morley quote in college that has stuck with me. His idea was similar to this: "Are we serving the God we want...or are we serving the God who is?". I think it's a healthy question to ask.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
The End of Embryonic Cloning?
Although it definitely won't get as much press as Dolly the sheep received, one of the key figures in embryonic cloning (and creator of Dolly) appears to be abandoning the embryonic method of cloning. This is good news, because it means that perhaps the use of embryos for stem cell research will decrease in popularity...if other scientists follow his lead. It also points to the ridiculousness of the whole idea from the very beginning...even if it worked...and was morally unproblematic, where would all the eggs come from to create the embryos for the cloning?
Here's an article about Ian Wilmut's change in research:
Dolly Creator Prof Ian Wilmut Shuns Cloning
Here's an article about Ian Wilmut's change in research:
Dolly Creator Prof Ian Wilmut Shuns Cloning
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Dedication..."The Neon Bible"
I'd like to dedicate this song to Joel Osteen and his new best-seller. Also, don't forget to check out The Arcade Fire . They are Canadian...and quite good.A vial of hope and a vial of pain,
In the light they both looked the same.
Poured them out on into the world,
On every boy and every girl.
It's in the Neon Bible, the Neon Bible
Not much chance for survival,
If the Neon Bible is right.
Take the poison of your age,
Don’t lick your fingers when you turn the page,
What I know is what you know is right,
In the city it's the only light.
It's the Neon Bible, the Neon Bible
Not much chance for survival,
If the Neon Bible is right.
Oh God! well look at you now!
Oh! you lost it, but you don’t know how!
In the light of a golden calf,
Oh God! I had to laugh!
Take the poison of your age,
Don’t lick your fingers when you turn the page,
It was wrong but you said it was right,
In the future I will read at night.
In the Neon Bible, the Neon Bible
Not much chance for survival,
If the Neon Bible is true
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Emerging Info
I'm proud to say that my last post stirred up a little controversy...both here and at another page. I wish I had the time to interact with some of the discussions and debates before they become old news (Mike...don't argue with librarians...dictionaries don't lie). But, instead of attempting anything constructive, I thought I'd point out two resources that I think are helpful in understanding the emerging church. The first one (pdf) is emergent friendly, the second one (mp3) is not...I'm trying to be balanced.
Scot McKnight - What Is the Emerging Church?
Mark Driscoll - 2007 Convergent Conference (Driscoll's talk is Session 3)
Scot McKnight - What Is the Emerging Church?
Mark Driscoll - 2007 Convergent Conference (Driscoll's talk is Session 3)
Friday, November 9, 2007
"...often against people who are really onto something."
Read Tony Jones' post...in which (as in all emergent dialog) there a good vibe overpowered by an over-all sense of "something's not quite right here"...
http://tonyj.net/2007/11/06/daddy-whats-a-heretic
And, to quote Tony's blog...What is a heretic?
“It’s what someone says,” Mike told her, “when they’re trying to hurt and silence someone else. It’s been used a lot in history, and often against people who are really onto something.” (That’s a paraphrase. Mike said it better.)
Perhaps, "Mike" is on to something...maybe heretic isn't a bad word. Maybe gnosticism is a good thing, maybe Christ wasn't God...maybe the whole Trinity thing is a farce...perhaps Mary wasn't a virgin when she conceived Jesus. Or, maybe the word heretic is a sobering word...maybe a person should use the opportunity of being called a heretic to see if there's any chance that they've wandered into dangerous waters?
And, just to formalize my feelings...I think I'm officially tired of all things emergent. So what if they've given evangelicals some good questions that we've been missing over the years... I'm tired of them saying "I wonder what would happen if the Bible wasn't inspired" and then saying "I never said the Bible wasn't inspired". "I wonder...what if Mary wasn't a virgin?"..."Oh, I actually never said that Mary wasn't a virgin." This would potentially be tolerable if it wasn't followed up with "Why is everyone picking on me? I didn't do anything...look at these evangelicals...all they want to do is fight...join the emergent side...we're actually not a side, we're just the misunderstood folks who everyone is picking on."
I'm sure emergent-ism will pass soon...not soon enough for me, though.
Hebrews 5:11-14
About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
http://tonyj.net/2007/11/06/daddy-whats-a-heretic
And, to quote Tony's blog...What is a heretic?
“It’s what someone says,” Mike told her, “when they’re trying to hurt and silence someone else. It’s been used a lot in history, and often against people who are really onto something.” (That’s a paraphrase. Mike said it better.)
Perhaps, "Mike" is on to something...maybe heretic isn't a bad word. Maybe gnosticism is a good thing, maybe Christ wasn't God...maybe the whole Trinity thing is a farce...perhaps Mary wasn't a virgin when she conceived Jesus. Or, maybe the word heretic is a sobering word...maybe a person should use the opportunity of being called a heretic to see if there's any chance that they've wandered into dangerous waters?
And, just to formalize my feelings...I think I'm officially tired of all things emergent. So what if they've given evangelicals some good questions that we've been missing over the years... I'm tired of them saying "I wonder what would happen if the Bible wasn't inspired" and then saying "I never said the Bible wasn't inspired". "I wonder...what if Mary wasn't a virgin?"..."Oh, I actually never said that Mary wasn't a virgin." This would potentially be tolerable if it wasn't followed up with "Why is everyone picking on me? I didn't do anything...look at these evangelicals...all they want to do is fight...join the emergent side...we're actually not a side, we're just the misunderstood folks who everyone is picking on."
I'm sure emergent-ism will pass soon...not soon enough for me, though.
Hebrews 5:11-14
About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Jason Schwartzman's band "Coconut Records"
Jason Schwartzman has an album out...and, it's pretty good. Jason is famous in Wes Anderson circles for Rushmore...and, now The Darjeeling Limited. When you bought the album you used to get a Polaroid taken by Jason himself, but now you don't.
Check out this link for a sweet Jason Schwartzman interview...
http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/pmcc/view/jason_schwartzman_coconut_records_and_more
Also, his MySpace site has a good interview with Jimmy Kimmel...
http://www.myspace.com/coconutrecords
Check out this link for a sweet Jason Schwartzman interview...
http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/pmcc/view/jason_schwartzman_coconut_records_and_more
Also, his MySpace site has a good interview with Jimmy Kimmel...
http://www.myspace.com/coconutrecords
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Need Help With "The Pianist"
Somebody's going to have to help me out with The Pianist. It's been on my need-to-watch list for a while, so I realize I'm having this discussion a little late in the game.
It conveyed that the Nazis were bad...but, I've seen that before. It was mostly about this guy locked up in apartments, being alone. But, it didn't have that I'm-alone sense that Castaway had. Maybe it was about how music can bring even enemies together? But, there was only really one scene that pointed to that. It seems with all the buzz that came along with the movie that there must be some underlying theme that passed me by.
It conveyed that the Nazis were bad...but, I've seen that before. It was mostly about this guy locked up in apartments, being alone. But, it didn't have that I'm-alone sense that Castaway had. Maybe it was about how music can bring even enemies together? But, there was only really one scene that pointed to that. It seems with all the buzz that came along with the movie that there must be some underlying theme that passed me by.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Why I Pretty Much Hated "The Devil Wears Prada"
There was a moment at the end of The Devil Wears Prada when I felt as though the whole movie might have been redeemed. The movie is about the allure of power...success...and, I suppose fashion fits in as well. The young novice character (Anne Hathaway) gets a job working for a super-influential clothing designer. Guess what? Our novice knows nothing about clothes, nor does she give a rat's patootie for fashion. Guess what else? By the end of the movie her rags turn to riches (cliches seem appropriate here) and she becomes one of "them"... By "them", you know what I mean...those rich folks in the high rises, snooty, consumed with their jobs and absolutely nothing else. (To be fair at this point, I should point out that Meryl Streep does a good job with her character.) The good guys are Hathaway's friends at the bar, the bad guys are the ones making money. So, our rookie fashion character is slowly pulled to the dark side...and, there's this scene where Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway are in the car together and Meryl Streep tells her devoted protege that they are quite similar...they're made out of the same material, if you will. It's at this moment that I thought the movie was coming together. If the last 1.5 hours of light-hearted display of transformation into a snooty fashion figure were for a purpose...and, if this purpose was to show how easy it is to be sucked into a vice....then, we were on to something good. What if Meryl Streep had used her cunning to trap Anne Hathaway into a situation she really could not get out of? What if Anne Hathaway at this moment discovered that she did love her career and her power and her new wardrobe more than everything else in the world...and she decided to continue down this road?Because it is easy to get trapped in a situation that is pretty horrible because a bunch of little slippery steps have caused you to slide into this spot you never thought you'd end up in. And, in a movie depicting this, I can see how this process could be displayed as it was in The Devil Wears Prada. So, at this moment of the movie, I was hoping for a little severity. I was hoping that she was stuck in the bed she had made...I was hoping that she discovered that she was just like Meryl Streep's character...I was hoping for a little of Al Pacino / Keanu Reeves in The Devil's Advocate and less of what I'd been fed up to this point.
Well, Anne Hathaway gets out of the car, tosses her cell phone in the fountain, and gets a regular job of her dreams. ...There are basically no repercussions to her actions over the course of the movie. She gets what she wants and all is good in the world. In my mind this ruins what was shaping up to be merely an average movie anyway. How bad is a situation that has no repercussions? I mean, really, are we concerned at all about realism if you can screw your friends and your family, work yourself to death and then pause and go back to normal. If the non-repercussion part of the movie is real, then, the rest of the movie that portrays Anne Hathaway as heading for trouble is a lie. I don't see how both can be true.Like I said, it wasn't that great of a movie to begin with. And, as always, I'm reading too much into this little popcorn flick. But, as an easily annoyed person, this one bugged me with its basic lie and its flippant ending.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Vegetative States - Jesse Ramirez
This isn't exactly unbiased reporting...but, it makes you think.
Awakenings: The Schiavo case revisited
(...it's not really about the Schiavo case)
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Sherwin Williams - Fix the Environment with...Paint
In this world of political correctness, where all things environmentally friendly, green, and organic are all the rage...it's quite amusing to see someone who just doesn't get it.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Romantica - America
If you want to hear some good music, you can hear Romantica's latest album here:
http://www.romanticamusic.com/music.html
I give it an A+.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
"The wakeup call of my adult life"
Have you seen this Bill Hybels lecture on how Willow Creek's strategy for maturing Christians has been wrong all these years? It's a great discovery...but, the video disturbed me a little.
http://revealnow.com/story.asp?storyid=49
I'll start with the Greg Hawkins interview (the pastor who discovered this problem at Willow Creek). Here's a quote:
"And I sit there Sunday after Sunday and I wonder, are we spending those folks money in the right way? Really...would they feel great about how we're investing their resources?"
I understand the need to be good steward of the money God trusts us with. But, really, the standard here seems a little fishy to me. I know I'm bordering on judgmentalness and over-analysing a single two and a half sentences...isn't there a bit of an overemphasis on the people in the pew? Should our motivation stem from the fact that we're misusing money...or, even better/worse...because people wouldn't "feel great" about how we're spending their money? Something seems awry here...shouldn't a church be wondering: How does God feel about how we're spending His money? What does the Bible indicate I should do with the money? These are oversimplistic questions...but, I don't get the vibe that Greg Hawkins started with anything except wondering how he could give people more bang for their buck.
Here's what I like, though. I like a big church admitting that they made a big mistake...I like the fact that they aren't trying to hide anything. I like the fact that the crowd applauds when he says: "...we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become self-feeders."
I'd like to be optimistic because I think Hybels hits the nail on the head with the problem...people are relying on the church too much and not learning how to grow on their own. But, the solution to the problem - a health club style discipleship program? - seems like more of the same to me.
http://revealnow.com/story.asp?storyid=49
I'll start with the Greg Hawkins interview (the pastor who discovered this problem at Willow Creek). Here's a quote:
"And I sit there Sunday after Sunday and I wonder, are we spending those folks money in the right way? Really...would they feel great about how we're investing their resources?"
I understand the need to be good steward of the money God trusts us with. But, really, the standard here seems a little fishy to me. I know I'm bordering on judgmentalness and over-analysing a single two and a half sentences...isn't there a bit of an overemphasis on the people in the pew? Should our motivation stem from the fact that we're misusing money...or, even better/worse...because people wouldn't "feel great" about how we're spending their money? Something seems awry here...shouldn't a church be wondering: How does God feel about how we're spending His money? What does the Bible indicate I should do with the money? These are oversimplistic questions...but, I don't get the vibe that Greg Hawkins started with anything except wondering how he could give people more bang for their buck.
Here's what I like, though. I like a big church admitting that they made a big mistake...I like the fact that they aren't trying to hide anything. I like the fact that the crowd applauds when he says: "...we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become self-feeders."
I'd like to be optimistic because I think Hybels hits the nail on the head with the problem...people are relying on the church too much and not learning how to grow on their own. But, the solution to the problem - a health club style discipleship program? - seems like more of the same to me.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Lee Strobel dot com
Here's a resourse worth spending a few minutes at:
http://www.leestrobel.com/
Think YouTube...apologetics...and evangelicalism.
http://www.leestrobel.com/
Think YouTube...apologetics...and evangelicalism.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Little Miss Sunshine Revisited
So, I got two comments and a taunting Email from my last post. Naturally, I’m thinking Little Miss Sunshine is really bringing in the hits to my blog, so I better give the fans more of what they want. So, here’s a snippet into my mind where I overanalyze the movie and life in general.
I’m pretty sure society is extremely wicked, screwed up, troubling, sinful…pick your adjective and/or verb. But, I have a hunch that in some sense it’s about a gazillion times worse than what we think it is. The reason it’s worse is because people show you what they think they want you to see. They pretty up their problems and misery so that they can keep up with the “prettiness” their neighbor has created in their own life. If the dressed up version is as bad as some of the dressed-up-versions are, I have a hunch that there’s a lot of crap going on behind people’s doors. Verbal abuse, physical abuse, internet porn of all shapes and sizes, prejudice, hatred…
But, what if people didn’t hide how depraved and flawed they really are? Think about it for a second.. Let’s imagine a church setting. What if the guy next to you in church told you that he looked at porn for two hours the night before? What if the lady next to told you that she beat up her husband with a frying pan the night before? …I think the cringe factor that I feel as I type those things is symbolic of the problem. We don’t want to know about it…probably for the same reason we don’t want to be part of a big brother program in the community or volunteer at the hospital or ask the family with the handicapped kid over for dinner. It’s inconvenient, it’s uncomfortable, it takes investment and follow up…etc.
…here Little Miss Sunshine enters into the equation. It’s a movie that shows a screwed up, “potty mouth” family coming to grips with who they are. Then, instead of prettying up who they are they celebrate their discovery. The reason I love the ending is that in about 5 minutes it tells the whole story of the movie in an allegory. I’m not going to argue that it doesn’t step over the line a little…but, I wouldn’t argue too much that it does, either. The reason why is that a naïve girl who has been taught an awful dance by her dirty grandfather is sort of what’s going on with us. It’s my belief that we’re made to be God-glorifiers…typically when we stumble into sinful actions in our life we do so naively…and, then we look as out of place as that girl did on stage. The comedy of the scene…the unusualness of seeing someone who isn’t pretending in that setting…the dark streak that goes through it all…there’s so many things going on all at once…this tension is what feels good and (for lack of a better word) “real” about the scene.
I think this brings us back to where I left off with my explaining-what’s-wrong-with-the-world paragraphs. Admitting the problem isn’t only part of the answer. Little Miss Sunshine ends with a celebration of the freedom of admitting your problems. If everyone went around admitting their problems all the time without doing anything about it, I think the digression may be exponential. But, I think part of the beauty of really expressing what’s wrong with you is that this release looks so ugly that we want to take care of it. Taking care of it appropriately is what Little Miss Sunshine is missing. Problems and ugliness appear too much like a yellow Volkswagen van that doesn’t run properly...if everyone pitches in together, then a community of people makes a bad situation not as bad and, in fact, the bonding experience of going down together is the beauty of it all.
…and, I think that’s all I have to say for the moment on Little Miss Sunshine. Be careful in the comment section, 3 comments and an Email might point toward more needless ramblings and run on sentences.
I’m pretty sure society is extremely wicked, screwed up, troubling, sinful…pick your adjective and/or verb. But, I have a hunch that in some sense it’s about a gazillion times worse than what we think it is. The reason it’s worse is because people show you what they think they want you to see. They pretty up their problems and misery so that they can keep up with the “prettiness” their neighbor has created in their own life. If the dressed up version is as bad as some of the dressed-up-versions are, I have a hunch that there’s a lot of crap going on behind people’s doors. Verbal abuse, physical abuse, internet porn of all shapes and sizes, prejudice, hatred…
But, what if people didn’t hide how depraved and flawed they really are? Think about it for a second.. Let’s imagine a church setting. What if the guy next to you in church told you that he looked at porn for two hours the night before? What if the lady next to told you that she beat up her husband with a frying pan the night before? …I think the cringe factor that I feel as I type those things is symbolic of the problem. We don’t want to know about it…probably for the same reason we don’t want to be part of a big brother program in the community or volunteer at the hospital or ask the family with the handicapped kid over for dinner. It’s inconvenient, it’s uncomfortable, it takes investment and follow up…etc.
…here Little Miss Sunshine enters into the equation. It’s a movie that shows a screwed up, “potty mouth” family coming to grips with who they are. Then, instead of prettying up who they are they celebrate their discovery. The reason I love the ending is that in about 5 minutes it tells the whole story of the movie in an allegory. I’m not going to argue that it doesn’t step over the line a little…but, I wouldn’t argue too much that it does, either. The reason why is that a naïve girl who has been taught an awful dance by her dirty grandfather is sort of what’s going on with us. It’s my belief that we’re made to be God-glorifiers…typically when we stumble into sinful actions in our life we do so naively…and, then we look as out of place as that girl did on stage. The comedy of the scene…the unusualness of seeing someone who isn’t pretending in that setting…the dark streak that goes through it all…there’s so many things going on all at once…this tension is what feels good and (for lack of a better word) “real” about the scene.
I think this brings us back to where I left off with my explaining-what’s-wrong-with-the-world paragraphs. Admitting the problem isn’t only part of the answer. Little Miss Sunshine ends with a celebration of the freedom of admitting your problems. If everyone went around admitting their problems all the time without doing anything about it, I think the digression may be exponential. But, I think part of the beauty of really expressing what’s wrong with you is that this release looks so ugly that we want to take care of it. Taking care of it appropriately is what Little Miss Sunshine is missing. Problems and ugliness appear too much like a yellow Volkswagen van that doesn’t run properly...if everyone pitches in together, then a community of people makes a bad situation not as bad and, in fact, the bonding experience of going down together is the beauty of it all.
…and, I think that’s all I have to say for the moment on Little Miss Sunshine. Be careful in the comment section, 3 comments and an Email might point toward more needless ramblings and run on sentences.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Little Miss Sunshine
We watched Little Miss Sunshine last night. I love (for the most part) the message of this movie. My take...feel free to provide your take...is that the movie is saying that most people's lives are like a child beauty pageant. We take our lives and dress them up with our screwed-up, self-centered ideas of perfection...and, in essence, create some sort of a freak show. In reality, we ought to be real about our problem filled lives, because everybody's lives are full of problems. The movie's answer to this issue seems to be that we should celebrate our troubled lives, without any emphasis on fixing the trouble. I think they're on to something...our lives are filled with hypocrisy and fraud (I was reminded of this just a few hours ago as my wife and I had a mini-fight in the back yard and all I could think of is "be quiet, so the neighbors don't hear")...however, there are answers to our problems. And, while we shouldn't pretend that we're perfect we should continue to address the problems.
Also, the second half of this movie is hilarious...the last scene of the movie is one of the funniest endings I've seen in a very long time. And, for those interested, this one definately deserves its R rating.
Also, the second half of this movie is hilarious...the last scene of the movie is one of the funniest endings I've seen in a very long time. And, for those interested, this one definately deserves its R rating.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
"Living in the Future"
This is disturbing...
"A UK couple has received approval from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to have their IVF embryos screened for early onset Alzheimer’s disease (EOAD). "
(...full article)
(Also see this article)
For some reason, I thought the world couldn't get any more screwed up... The sci-fi world you see in movies like Gattica is probably prophetic of what is to come.
"A UK couple has received approval from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to have their IVF embryos screened for early onset Alzheimer’s disease (EOAD). "
(...full article)
(Also see this article)
For some reason, I thought the world couldn't get any more screwed up... The sci-fi world you see in movies like Gattica is probably prophetic of what is to come.
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