This week I'm at the Neshoba County Fair, otherwise known as "Mississippi's Giant Houseparty."
Here's a link to the Fair website: http://www.neshobacountyfair.org/
The fair really can't be explained, it must be experienced. Just ask Sam. Basically this week I'll be trying to keep the red clay out of clothes, chasing Larry around, catching up with my dad's side of the family, and enjoying same frosty adult beverages.
On a social networking note, the new version of Facebook is appearing. It does make a better use of the space, but the transfer from my previous profile is less than satisfactory. I really don't care about the feed. I would rather see bumper stickers and movies and apps than reinforcing the fact that I have changed my status or I am listening to a Pandora station. Is there any way to get the "home" page onto your main profile instead of flipping back and forth. We'll how it goes.
RSS has got to be one of the greatest inventions ever!! Feed me worldwide web. Let me gorge on your feast of trivial, insignificant, but important information. How I love receiving hourly transfer gossip and club news from all the soccer sites and ridiculous headlines from digg.com. I could spend all day just checking my feed and I would be OK with that. Well maybe a little time off to play FIFA or watch a movie. It's good to have goals.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Tales from a Move
Our move a couple of weeks back went well, but we are still dealing with a few things.
First, we are cramped for space so we purchased a metal shed from Lowes. I spent my Saturday putting up said metal shed from Lowes. It was a pain. From the looks of one that is already set up, it seems like it would not take that long to set up the sheets of metal, put in a few screws, and presto – a standing shed. Oh, no. When the professionals at Lowes tell you to set aside 8 hours, they aren’t joking. I don’t know how many screws I put in or how many nuts and bolts I tightened. It is not a simple matter. Sure, I am enjoying the fruits of my labor – a place to store my lawnmower – but man was it more than I bargained for.
Secondly, our clothes dryer was damaged in transit. Something fell down on the timer knob and broke the knob as well as shearing off a metal pin. We went to Sears for a replacement and I made it clear the pieces I needed. The man ordered it and a few days later the knob arrived – devoid of the pin that was sheared. I went back and he said, “That’s strange – it was supposed to come with it.” No kidding. So he ordered what he thought was the right part. Unfortunately it was the casing around the pin. So I investigated some more and realized that the pin was not a separate piece but was integrated into a cylindrical piece that does the work. So I sent Carrie back because I was too pissed to do it and she got them to order another piece. Of course, Carrie mentioned that it was not cylindrical at all, but more like a cube. All of this for the low price of $130 - $50 for the plastic knob and $80 for this cylindrical piece.
In the meantime I have connected the contacts with wood clothes pins so that we can do some laundry. After all, it has been 2 weeks. Now, if this new piece is the wrong one, we are going to return the pieces and put that money towards a new dryer since we are almost half of the way there. Of course this brings up the moral quandary of wastefulness, destroying natural resources, etc. We hate to do it, but the cost of bringing out a repair man or spending any more money on it makes it not very cost effective. Herein lies the root of the problem of our disposable society. It is cheaper and easier to replace things rather than fix them. Who cares if the repercussions affect others? We sure don’t. It is a sad state of affairs. If you have any solutions I am all ears.
First, we are cramped for space so we purchased a metal shed from Lowes. I spent my Saturday putting up said metal shed from Lowes. It was a pain. From the looks of one that is already set up, it seems like it would not take that long to set up the sheets of metal, put in a few screws, and presto – a standing shed. Oh, no. When the professionals at Lowes tell you to set aside 8 hours, they aren’t joking. I don’t know how many screws I put in or how many nuts and bolts I tightened. It is not a simple matter. Sure, I am enjoying the fruits of my labor – a place to store my lawnmower – but man was it more than I bargained for.
Secondly, our clothes dryer was damaged in transit. Something fell down on the timer knob and broke the knob as well as shearing off a metal pin. We went to Sears for a replacement and I made it clear the pieces I needed. The man ordered it and a few days later the knob arrived – devoid of the pin that was sheared. I went back and he said, “That’s strange – it was supposed to come with it.” No kidding. So he ordered what he thought was the right part. Unfortunately it was the casing around the pin. So I investigated some more and realized that the pin was not a separate piece but was integrated into a cylindrical piece that does the work. So I sent Carrie back because I was too pissed to do it and she got them to order another piece. Of course, Carrie mentioned that it was not cylindrical at all, but more like a cube. All of this for the low price of $130 - $50 for the plastic knob and $80 for this cylindrical piece.
In the meantime I have connected the contacts with wood clothes pins so that we can do some laundry. After all, it has been 2 weeks. Now, if this new piece is the wrong one, we are going to return the pieces and put that money towards a new dryer since we are almost half of the way there. Of course this brings up the moral quandary of wastefulness, destroying natural resources, etc. We hate to do it, but the cost of bringing out a repair man or spending any more money on it makes it not very cost effective. Herein lies the root of the problem of our disposable society. It is cheaper and easier to replace things rather than fix them. Who cares if the repercussions affect others? We sure don’t. It is a sad state of affairs. If you have any solutions I am all ears.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Holy Goat Nipples Batman!
So my blog is basically a take off of Tom's. I could have just posted a reply but it would have been really long so I'll blog it instead. First of all:
Batman.
One thing about Batman bothers me. He not only stops the bad guys, he stops other renegades!
No one else can be a renegade? No one else can dress up like a bat and try to fight crime? What makes Batman different from any other citizen? Just because he doesn't wear hockey pants?
Oh, that's right, Bruce Wayne has more money than God. This gives him the right to act as unofficial police and then some (by "then some" I mean that he has the right to go all Rodney King on criminals). And because he has the money for toys and costumes and cars gives him rights above and beyond normal human beings.
That kind of makes me mad. Does that mean I can never be a hero? Just because I don't have money coming out of every orifice of my body means that I can't spend my time and energy helping cops do their job? Just because I might have to actually earn money to go buy crime fighting toys means I don't have the right? That's it! I'm making my own costume and running around Folsom at night protecting the streets! Just try to stop me!
The only thing I agree with Batman on is that people should get their own costumes or animal of their choice. Don't be a bat! A little originality please! Plus if you screw up you make Batman look bad. So pick a different animal or Cryptozoilogical animal (like a liger!) and go out there and kick some criminal fluffernutter! Don't let Batman tell you what you can and cannot do!
I'm going to be a screaching eel! "Do you hear that princess? Those are the screeching eels! They always get louder before they attack!" Yeah....that's awesome.
Stem Cells:
I do remember seeing something on tv about stem cell research and from what I remember all stem cell research is not illegal. They are not allowed to create any more than they already have. Stem cell research on existing stem cells was not outlawed.
I don't know how I feel about stem cell research. I think it would be easy enough to allow people donate cord blood and placenta for them to collect stem cells from so that there would not be a need to create them. I think it would clear up the whole problem. It's probably not that simple but it makes sense to me.
Now let's talk about cord blood. Currently you can save your child's cord blood for any emergencies in the future, although I bet it cost a fortune. But currently we're at the bare beginnings of this sort of technology, discovery, issue (whatever you want to call it). In the future I can see this becoming, if not madatory, then so common place that people don't even consider not saving cord blood. And since most people will be saving cord blood in specific facilities and not their refridgerator, there are going to be some issues.
How easy would it be for the government to keep a database of everyones genetic makeup when they have everyone's cordblood saved? On one hand this is great because so many more crimes would be solved in almost no time at all. On the other hand...how much information do I want the government to have about me? I'm not a huge "privacy" advocate because technically, it isn't a right provided to us by the constitution. We consider it the same as "freedom" but really it's not. You're free to do whatever you want but if you do it in public expect someone to be watching you do it. You're only privacy is really in your own home. Duh! (Assuming you don't have nosey neighbors).
Seriously, there's probably someone out there who can explain to me why the government will take information on my genetic makeup and do something evil and bad with it, but I really don't know what it is. Maybe they'll diagnose my illnesses before I'm even sick. Maybe they'll make clones of me to serve in the military. Maybe they'll find my gene that makes me 10 TIMES MORE AWESOME THAN EVERYONE! Again, I don't know. I expect all the weirdos who read this to figure out how the government is going to screw this one up.
Go at it people!
Batman.
One thing about Batman bothers me. He not only stops the bad guys, he stops other renegades!
No one else can be a renegade? No one else can dress up like a bat and try to fight crime? What makes Batman different from any other citizen? Just because he doesn't wear hockey pants?
Oh, that's right, Bruce Wayne has more money than God. This gives him the right to act as unofficial police and then some (by "then some" I mean that he has the right to go all Rodney King on criminals). And because he has the money for toys and costumes and cars gives him rights above and beyond normal human beings.
That kind of makes me mad. Does that mean I can never be a hero? Just because I don't have money coming out of every orifice of my body means that I can't spend my time and energy helping cops do their job? Just because I might have to actually earn money to go buy crime fighting toys means I don't have the right? That's it! I'm making my own costume and running around Folsom at night protecting the streets! Just try to stop me!
The only thing I agree with Batman on is that people should get their own costumes or animal of their choice. Don't be a bat! A little originality please! Plus if you screw up you make Batman look bad. So pick a different animal or Cryptozoilogical animal (like a liger!) and go out there and kick some criminal fluffernutter! Don't let Batman tell you what you can and cannot do!
I'm going to be a screaching eel! "Do you hear that princess? Those are the screeching eels! They always get louder before they attack!" Yeah....that's awesome.
Stem Cells:
I do remember seeing something on tv about stem cell research and from what I remember all stem cell research is not illegal. They are not allowed to create any more than they already have. Stem cell research on existing stem cells was not outlawed.
I don't know how I feel about stem cell research. I think it would be easy enough to allow people donate cord blood and placenta for them to collect stem cells from so that there would not be a need to create them. I think it would clear up the whole problem. It's probably not that simple but it makes sense to me.
Now let's talk about cord blood. Currently you can save your child's cord blood for any emergencies in the future, although I bet it cost a fortune. But currently we're at the bare beginnings of this sort of technology, discovery, issue (whatever you want to call it). In the future I can see this becoming, if not madatory, then so common place that people don't even consider not saving cord blood. And since most people will be saving cord blood in specific facilities and not their refridgerator, there are going to be some issues.
How easy would it be for the government to keep a database of everyones genetic makeup when they have everyone's cordblood saved? On one hand this is great because so many more crimes would be solved in almost no time at all. On the other hand...how much information do I want the government to have about me? I'm not a huge "privacy" advocate because technically, it isn't a right provided to us by the constitution. We consider it the same as "freedom" but really it's not. You're free to do whatever you want but if you do it in public expect someone to be watching you do it. You're only privacy is really in your own home. Duh! (Assuming you don't have nosey neighbors).
Seriously, there's probably someone out there who can explain to me why the government will take information on my genetic makeup and do something evil and bad with it, but I really don't know what it is. Maybe they'll diagnose my illnesses before I'm even sick. Maybe they'll make clones of me to serve in the military. Maybe they'll find my gene that makes me 10 TIMES MORE AWESOME THAN EVERYONE! Again, I don't know. I expect all the weirdos who read this to figure out how the government is going to screw this one up.
Go at it people!
Batman's stem cells
In the new Dark Knight movie, we see a theme revisited that we have seen a few times already with Michael Keaton, and if you're a comic-book reader, countless times before that. Vengeance is the Lord's.
It's certainly not stated that way by the Batman. His refusal to terminate a homicidal maniac like the Joker is always framed as a moral line that he refuses to cross, one that would "make him like his enemies" and so cannot be touched. The issue is not presented as a right/wrong decision concerning the Joker... in a way, it's almost assumed that it would be alright for him to be killed. It's just presented as the wrong move for the Batman, one that would have consequences for him that would not justify the action.
But if WERE framed as a question of whether the Batman has the right to play judge and jury, whether he has the right to hold the Joker's life in his hands and decide what will happen to him... that's the question I think about today.
I bring it up because I've been thinking lately about my feelings on stem cell research, and by extension, the death penalty. How are the two related? Let me explain.
I'm going to assume that my readers are familiar with the basic science of embryonic stem cell research. Not because you're scientists like me, but because it's been a hot issue for a few years now and it would be hard for you to have escaped a story about it somewhere. It's been somewhat stamped down since Bush II discontinued the use of federal money for its research, which has severely hindered its progress. But the issue is sure to resurface, and will most definitely come up if Barack Obama is our next president. He will likely allow federal funding on the research once again.
What little data we have from embryonic stem cell injections into living beings, that performed on rats and rabbits, shows that it is actually working. The stem cells are replicating whatever adult cells are needed in the body, and issues like blindness and spinal injuries are being healed. There is a very real case to be made that this treatment can be successful in all manner of diseases, including terminal ones like MS, Parkinson's, and the big one, cancer. No human treatments for any of these diseases has been tried yet because the money isn't there for the testing.
Back to the Batman. Here's my question, and I want to look at it from the Christian viewpoint. By allowing the Joker to live, and by allowing the Lord's vengeance to be the only factor in the equation of when he lives or dies, the Batman makes a choice. He chooses NOT to be the one to apply that type of justice. But in a backwards way, doesn't he make that choice by also allowing the Joker to live? Isn't he then making a decision on lives that will be affected later, that the Joker will interfere with?
I'm generalizing the Christian's perspective here, because everyone of course has their opinion, but we believe that every life is valuable, and so the use of embryonic stem cells, the harvesting of those cells from a human embryo, violates that embryo's life. Regardless of whether that embryo was going to develop into a human being (because most of them aren't), we refuse to play the decision-maker on what happens with that life.
But while it is admittedly much more indirect, do we not also pronounce a decision on many of our fellow fully-grown human beings, those who have terminal diseases that could be cured with stem cells? At it's most simple presentation, we make a decision between lives that are not yet and may never be, and ones that have already developed, and matured, and loved, and experienced, and have so much yet to do.
I was asked to be a part of a delegation last year that was trying to raise more money, and especially voter support, for this type of research. Specifically, I was asked if I would like to be a part of a group that met with churches and church leaders to discuss their feelings on it. The group wanted some persons of faith on both sides of the table so that they might be able to better communicate. I declined, for two reasons. One, I'm not sure how good I would be at trying to convince someone to reverse their moral beliefs for political purposes. But two, I wasn't absolutely sure what I thought about it. I still don't. These are just the questions that ran through my head this morning, and now I put them to you, the Taproom readers.
What do you think?
It's certainly not stated that way by the Batman. His refusal to terminate a homicidal maniac like the Joker is always framed as a moral line that he refuses to cross, one that would "make him like his enemies" and so cannot be touched. The issue is not presented as a right/wrong decision concerning the Joker... in a way, it's almost assumed that it would be alright for him to be killed. It's just presented as the wrong move for the Batman, one that would have consequences for him that would not justify the action.But if WERE framed as a question of whether the Batman has the right to play judge and jury, whether he has the right to hold the Joker's life in his hands and decide what will happen to him... that's the question I think about today.
I bring it up because I've been thinking lately about my feelings on stem cell research, and by extension, the death penalty. How are the two related? Let me explain.
I'm going to assume that my readers are familiar with the basic science of embryonic stem cell research. Not because you're scientists like me, but because it's been a hot issue for a few years now and it would be hard for you to have escaped a story about it somewhere. It's been somewhat stamped down since Bush II discontinued the use of federal money for its research, which has severely hindered its progress. But the issue is sure to resurface, and will most definitely come up if Barack Obama is our next president. He will likely allow federal funding on the research once again.What little data we have from embryonic stem cell injections into living beings, that performed on rats and rabbits, shows that it is actually working. The stem cells are replicating whatever adult cells are needed in the body, and issues like blindness and spinal injuries are being healed. There is a very real case to be made that this treatment can be successful in all manner of diseases, including terminal ones like MS, Parkinson's, and the big one, cancer. No human treatments for any of these diseases has been tried yet because the money isn't there for the testing.
Back to the Batman. Here's my question, and I want to look at it from the Christian viewpoint. By allowing the Joker to live, and by allowing the Lord's vengeance to be the only factor in the equation of when he lives or dies, the Batman makes a choice. He chooses NOT to be the one to apply that type of justice. But in a backwards way, doesn't he make that choice by also allowing the Joker to live? Isn't he then making a decision on lives that will be affected later, that the Joker will interfere with?
I'm generalizing the Christian's perspective here, because everyone of course has their opinion, but we believe that every life is valuable, and so the use of embryonic stem cells, the harvesting of those cells from a human embryo, violates that embryo's life. Regardless of whether that embryo was going to develop into a human being (because most of them aren't), we refuse to play the decision-maker on what happens with that life.
But while it is admittedly much more indirect, do we not also pronounce a decision on many of our fellow fully-grown human beings, those who have terminal diseases that could be cured with stem cells? At it's most simple presentation, we make a decision between lives that are not yet and may never be, and ones that have already developed, and matured, and loved, and experienced, and have so much yet to do.
I was asked to be a part of a delegation last year that was trying to raise more money, and especially voter support, for this type of research. Specifically, I was asked if I would like to be a part of a group that met with churches and church leaders to discuss their feelings on it. The group wanted some persons of faith on both sides of the table so that they might be able to better communicate. I declined, for two reasons. One, I'm not sure how good I would be at trying to convince someone to reverse their moral beliefs for political purposes. But two, I wasn't absolutely sure what I thought about it. I still don't. These are just the questions that ran through my head this morning, and now I put them to you, the Taproom readers.
What do you think?
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Formality In The Face Of Death...
I was thinking today about the subject of death.
My mortality is always something that is on my mind. I wonder how long I have left. I worry if my children will be taken care of. I think that my parents are getting older. I think of all the weddings and the funerals I've attended the last couple of years. I've officiated a couple weddings. I've never officiated a funeral. The funerals I've been to, I always remember the comfort given by the officiating pastor.
There is something comfortable in that kind of formality. It is interesting that at times when most people don't want to be around church, they also find comfort in having the formality of religion there at their most mortal moments. It made me think of the community role of the pastor. After taking this last class on public relations and marketing in the health care industry (I'm working on my Master of Arts in Health Administration), I am starting to see how the pastor is the public relations agent for God in the community. Even if the community doesn't subscribe to Jesus in their regular lives, at the points of formality and mortality, they seek an agent of God for His approval.
This got me thinking about the house churches. Has there been a funeral officiated by any of the house churches yet? I know you are mostly young adults and the churches are fairly new, so the probability is low, but I didn't know. I was just wondering how it went or how it would be handled. Would one of you officiate? Would you call in a professional from another church? Who performs the weddings? Has there been a wedding? Or, do you rely on other churches to provide that sort of service?
It also got me thinking about the opportunities for ministry and pastoral care that are missed because of a lack of dying people, seniors. I think of the amazing work that the seniors at Shannon's church accomplish and how that would never be possible in the house churches. They are a vibrant community unto themselves and accomplish so much because of their love for Jesus and their love for the congregation.
I used to scoff at that church and how old they were. I scoffed at Shannon for staying there so long to "just officiate funerals" for the dying members. I served with them one Saturday. Every other week or so about 20 of them get together and prepare food for the homeless in the inner-city of Detroit and then drive down and distribute it. They have so much joy.
I remember the amazing goodness they had in their hearts for the youth ministry in that little church. They would give of themselves beyond their capability for the chance to make a difference in the lives of the children there.
I think the funerals in that place aren't as sad as most. Shannon's had his lion's share of funeral officiating opportunities, I think. I think they would tend to be more celebrations of the lasting legacies of the great-hearted servants that they are. I can see why Shannon has stayed for so long. He is so patient in leading them. I'm really proud of him.
I miss those opportunities to be with the aging. We don't see many of them at my mega church either. They annoy me at work. They can't see or hear very well. They drive slow. They have a funny smell. But I miss them.
You know what, I just got a job posting in my email. Hospice is looking for a chaplain. Maybe I'll send them my resume.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
the dandy warhols, the watchmen and movie reviews
So I found several exciting things on the interweb in the last couple of weeks.
First, the Dandy Warhols are releasing a new album and going on tour. They will be in Chicago in September, and I am working on putting a road trip together. Sweet.
I have listened to the new album on the website, and it’s ok. Several songs are good but it’s not a strong album top to bottom like Gone Down. I’ll give it several more listens before deciding whether to buy it track by track or God forbid, buy the CD, which is so 1998.
For a sampling of their videos and music, go here: http://www.dandywarhols.com/video.php
Also, with positive reports coming back re: The Dark Knight, I have also heard there is a Watchmen trailer floating around. Here is a link to 2’ trailer—http://watchmen--trailer.blogspot.com/
In a word, amazing. Also, I found a website that breaks down the trailer frame by frame and compares it with the graphic novel. http://www.geekanerdblog.com/2008/07/watchmen-movie-trailer-dissected.html
Wow. Here’s hoping the movie is closer to Sin City (frame by frame representation of the original) than to V for Vendetta (rearranged chronology with a terrible ending).
A couple of movie reviews:
The Lookout. Interesting idea. Imagine a subdued version of Memento. The movie really builds on itself with several layers introduced throughout the film. It was ok. Worth seeing once.
The Assassination of Jesse James. What can I say? I’m not getting those almost 3 hours back. Seems like they spend a lot of time on the wrong things. The opening sequence of the bank robbery for one. Anyway, Bob Ford’s character was quite confused and I was as well. As for the final confrontation, according to Wikipedia, that’s how it went down, so it must be true. But seriously, really?
Network. What a film! I saw again last weekend, and if you have not seen it, rent it tonight. An eerie insight into contemporary media. Entertaining information and if that doesn’t work, entertainment at all costs. Whatever brings in the viewers and the advertisers. Faye Dunaway is amazing as the cutthroat bitch. Having sex and programming a TV network. Now that’s focus.
Next week I’ll be in Mississippi. I’m trying to work on my first auto post. We’ll see how that goes.
TTFN.
PS: Brandon, I have been listening to Sigur Ros on Pandora. I haven’t heard a song I like by them but the other bands on the station I like. I’ll keep listening.
First, the Dandy Warhols are releasing a new album and going on tour. They will be in Chicago in September, and I am working on putting a road trip together. Sweet.
I have listened to the new album on the website, and it’s ok. Several songs are good but it’s not a strong album top to bottom like Gone Down. I’ll give it several more listens before deciding whether to buy it track by track or God forbid, buy the CD, which is so 1998.
For a sampling of their videos and music, go here: http://www.dandywarhols.com/video.php
Also, with positive reports coming back re: The Dark Knight, I have also heard there is a Watchmen trailer floating around. Here is a link to 2’ trailer—http://watchmen--trailer.blogspot.com/
In a word, amazing. Also, I found a website that breaks down the trailer frame by frame and compares it with the graphic novel. http://www.geekanerdblog.com/2008/07/watchmen-movie-trailer-dissected.html
Wow. Here’s hoping the movie is closer to Sin City (frame by frame representation of the original) than to V for Vendetta (rearranged chronology with a terrible ending).
A couple of movie reviews:
The Lookout. Interesting idea. Imagine a subdued version of Memento. The movie really builds on itself with several layers introduced throughout the film. It was ok. Worth seeing once.
The Assassination of Jesse James. What can I say? I’m not getting those almost 3 hours back. Seems like they spend a lot of time on the wrong things. The opening sequence of the bank robbery for one. Anyway, Bob Ford’s character was quite confused and I was as well. As for the final confrontation, according to Wikipedia, that’s how it went down, so it must be true. But seriously, really?
Network. What a film! I saw again last weekend, and if you have not seen it, rent it tonight. An eerie insight into contemporary media. Entertaining information and if that doesn’t work, entertainment at all costs. Whatever brings in the viewers and the advertisers. Faye Dunaway is amazing as the cutthroat bitch. Having sex and programming a TV network. Now that’s focus.
Next week I’ll be in Mississippi. I’m trying to work on my first auto post. We’ll see how that goes.
TTFN.
PS: Brandon, I have been listening to Sigur Ros on Pandora. I haven’t heard a song I like by them but the other bands on the station I like. I’ll keep listening.
Monday, July 21, 2008
East Tennessee PSA
Sorry for my absence, but I have been following the example of Crystal and making a big move. My family has finally made the move from the mountains of East Tennessee to the rolling bluegrass covered hills of Central Kentucky. As a service to you, I thought I would pass along a few customs, mannerisms, and colloquialisms that I have picked up from this area. Perhaps if you ever find yourself in East Tennesse, this information will come in handy.
You don’t jam your finger(s) you “stove” them. I remember that I was playing basketball and jammed a finger and another player looked and me and said, “Did ya stove it?” I looked at him like he was a moron and said, “No, I jammed my finger.” He walked off unconcerned.
If you ask someone to do something, don’t be startled if they politely reply, “I wouldn’t care to.” Where I come from, that means, “No I don’t want to.” But down here it means, “I would be happy to.” We say “I don’t care for something” but that is not what “I wouldn’t care to” means. Rather, it means that the person would not mind doing whatever you are asking of them.
Just an annoying word that I have heard other places as well – the part of the house or stove that carries smoke from a fire away is called a “chimney” not a “chimley.”
Typically, if I want a light or power on, I will say, “Could you turn it on/off?” I also might substitute the verb “flip” or “switch” for turn. Well, not so down here. Most people say “cut it on/off.” At first I was annoyed by this usage. But the more I think about it, the more technically correct it is. Not every switch will involve turning. But if you want something off you must cut the power to it in whatever way the mechanical or electrical engineer sees fit.
Getting directions is always fun. Every road has 3 names, none of which is actually on a sign. The locals have different names for roads and no concept of mileage. Of course, there are no straight roads so it is a touch more difficult when things are not laid out in mile blocks. Once I was asking about the location of a restaurant and someone told me it was on “the 4-lane.” Most roads are 2 lanes, but more than one 4-lane road exists in Bristol. What I didn’t understand then was that there was 1 most important 4-lane that ran through the heart of the city.
There are plenty of others to be sure. This post is just a sampling of what you will encounter here in East Tennessee. It is a beautiful place and the people possess a keen understanding of how to butcher the English language. So come and visit some time. But be aware – you are a Yankee and you are on your own.
PS – don’t head down the hollers at night.
You don’t jam your finger(s) you “stove” them. I remember that I was playing basketball and jammed a finger and another player looked and me and said, “Did ya stove it?” I looked at him like he was a moron and said, “No, I jammed my finger.” He walked off unconcerned.
If you ask someone to do something, don’t be startled if they politely reply, “I wouldn’t care to.” Where I come from, that means, “No I don’t want to.” But down here it means, “I would be happy to.” We say “I don’t care for something” but that is not what “I wouldn’t care to” means. Rather, it means that the person would not mind doing whatever you are asking of them.
Just an annoying word that I have heard other places as well – the part of the house or stove that carries smoke from a fire away is called a “chimney” not a “chimley.”
Typically, if I want a light or power on, I will say, “Could you turn it on/off?” I also might substitute the verb “flip” or “switch” for turn. Well, not so down here. Most people say “cut it on/off.” At first I was annoyed by this usage. But the more I think about it, the more technically correct it is. Not every switch will involve turning. But if you want something off you must cut the power to it in whatever way the mechanical or electrical engineer sees fit.
Getting directions is always fun. Every road has 3 names, none of which is actually on a sign. The locals have different names for roads and no concept of mileage. Of course, there are no straight roads so it is a touch more difficult when things are not laid out in mile blocks. Once I was asking about the location of a restaurant and someone told me it was on “the 4-lane.” Most roads are 2 lanes, but more than one 4-lane road exists in Bristol. What I didn’t understand then was that there was 1 most important 4-lane that ran through the heart of the city.
There are plenty of others to be sure. This post is just a sampling of what you will encounter here in East Tennessee. It is a beautiful place and the people possess a keen understanding of how to butcher the English language. So come and visit some time. But be aware – you are a Yankee and you are on your own.
PS – don’t head down the hollers at night.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Everything that's Wrong with America...
I just realized that I hate almost all American humor, especially in the form of movies made by the major movie studios. Maybe not hate, it's hard to hate something so bland and unoriginal that it's easy to ignore. That would be like hating rice, I mean, it's rice, you really can't have strong feelings about rice.
So I guess I mean, I find most American comedy about as funny as rice. There's just nothing there. Last night I watched Jon Stewart go off on a tangent regarding The New Yorker illustration about Obama for about 15 minutes. I did not laugh, neigh I did not even crack a smile and as of this moment I have absolutely no recollection of what he said. That is, if comedy should be memorable, it wasn't comedy. We finally flipped to Food Network because we were both bored. That is, if comedy should not be boring, it wasn't comedy. Politics aren't funny, politics are less entertaining than rice.
Chick flicks I can't get into. I like romance so in fact I really should like chick flicks. I usually can't empathize with the heroine, cause she's normally a cute, extra smiley dillweed. She's beautiful rice. That's all that really matters if you're starring in a romantic comedy. You need to be beautiful, the end. I actually thought the premise of 27 Dresses looked interesting, the follow through left EVERYTHING to be desired. I spent the entire one hundred and eleven minutes wishing the heroine wasn't such a victim/martyr but then she wouldn't need a hero would she. Why should I root for this person! What about this person should make me want her to have happily ever after! She doesn't need a man, she needs a spine! Not funny.
Anything by National Lampoon, not funny. Disgusting perverted rice. There may have been a time when National Lampoons political irreverence (or political correctness irreverence) was funny, but that time has long past. I only made it through Van Wilder because I was crocheting a blanket and therefore not technically looking at the screen the entire time. If I had been I think I would have lasted a mere 5 minutes...maybe less. Again, I never laughed out loud. And yes, this movie was obviously geared towards guys so it's not like anyone was trying to make me personally laugh or anyone of the female gender. But hey, I like fart jokes and I STILL DIDN'T LAUGH! You can't push the poop envelope and think it's going to be funny, it's poop.
Black comedy, not funny. Ok, I'm a white girl so I'm at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to understanding black comedy. But I remember in the 80's/ early 90's Bill Cosby was funny, Whoopi Goldberg was funny. The Wayans Brothers? Not funny. Chris Rock?....sometimes funny if you can understand the words that are coming out of his mouth...which is not always true. I respect that black comedy is more realistic nitty gritty, it's just not funny. I do believe it takes a unique and original person to be able to put a new spin on themes that are totally overdone in black american comedy. (thus ends my most racest rant ever)
I could also get into the "College" flicks that are currently so popular. I know I went to a religious school so my views on college are colored by my experience. And I'm sure that for some people college really is a huge drunken frat party but give me a break! Considering the hundreds of thousands of people in college in the United States, what tiny fraction does this stereotype actually work for? And how many others are just disgusted by the sterotype Hollywood is trying to project for monetary gain?
Now, here's the real funny.
Movies
Hot Fuzz- British
Shaun of the Dead- British
Napoleon Dynamite- Independant
Web
The Retarded Policeman -Unique and original
Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show - proving that funny doesn't have to make sense
Homestarrunner - And oldy but a goody
TV
Pushing Daisies- totally original
Scrubs- multi racial man love
The Office - Stolen from a British show
30 Rock - Tina Fey raising the bar for female comedians everywhere.
TV that should have been
Arrested Development
Firefly
*This blog cut short because I forgot that the Dark Knight is now in theaters....but you get the point.
Now as Official Friday Blogger I claim rights to add to my post even though it has been Saturday morning for 1 hour and 37 minutes here in California and has long since been Saturday morning in Michigan.
Just got back from the Dark Knight which I won't ruin for anyone who hasn't seen it yet but I will say several things.
Firstly, it's a long movie, when you think it's over, it's not over.
Secondly, it's an intense movie. I am not an easily upset at movies but I was required at more than one point in the movie to close my eyes and plug my ears. Yes, INTENSE.
And thirdly, I was repeatedly saddened through the movie at the thought that this is what Heath Ledger will be remembered for. It's a great movie, and he did a great job, but I definatly don't think that I would want to be remembered for playing a homicidal maniac.
I would rather he went out on a high note.
I would rather he not have went out at all.
So I guess I mean, I find most American comedy about as funny as rice. There's just nothing there. Last night I watched Jon Stewart go off on a tangent regarding The New Yorker illustration about Obama for about 15 minutes. I did not laugh, neigh I did not even crack a smile and as of this moment I have absolutely no recollection of what he said. That is, if comedy should be memorable, it wasn't comedy. We finally flipped to Food Network because we were both bored. That is, if comedy should not be boring, it wasn't comedy. Politics aren't funny, politics are less entertaining than rice.
Chick flicks I can't get into. I like romance so in fact I really should like chick flicks. I usually can't empathize with the heroine, cause she's normally a cute, extra smiley dillweed. She's beautiful rice. That's all that really matters if you're starring in a romantic comedy. You need to be beautiful, the end. I actually thought the premise of 27 Dresses looked interesting, the follow through left EVERYTHING to be desired. I spent the entire one hundred and eleven minutes wishing the heroine wasn't such a victim/martyr but then she wouldn't need a hero would she. Why should I root for this person! What about this person should make me want her to have happily ever after! She doesn't need a man, she needs a spine! Not funny.
Anything by National Lampoon, not funny. Disgusting perverted rice. There may have been a time when National Lampoons political irreverence (or political correctness irreverence) was funny, but that time has long past. I only made it through Van Wilder because I was crocheting a blanket and therefore not technically looking at the screen the entire time. If I had been I think I would have lasted a mere 5 minutes...maybe less. Again, I never laughed out loud. And yes, this movie was obviously geared towards guys so it's not like anyone was trying to make me personally laugh or anyone of the female gender. But hey, I like fart jokes and I STILL DIDN'T LAUGH! You can't push the poop envelope and think it's going to be funny, it's poop.
Black comedy, not funny. Ok, I'm a white girl so I'm at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to understanding black comedy. But I remember in the 80's/ early 90's Bill Cosby was funny, Whoopi Goldberg was funny. The Wayans Brothers? Not funny. Chris Rock?....sometimes funny if you can understand the words that are coming out of his mouth...which is not always true. I respect that black comedy is more realistic nitty gritty, it's just not funny. I do believe it takes a unique and original person to be able to put a new spin on themes that are totally overdone in black american comedy. (thus ends my most racest rant ever)
I could also get into the "College" flicks that are currently so popular. I know I went to a religious school so my views on college are colored by my experience. And I'm sure that for some people college really is a huge drunken frat party but give me a break! Considering the hundreds of thousands of people in college in the United States, what tiny fraction does this stereotype actually work for? And how many others are just disgusted by the sterotype Hollywood is trying to project for monetary gain?
Now, here's the real funny.
Movies
Hot Fuzz- British
Shaun of the Dead- British
Napoleon Dynamite- Independant
Web
The Retarded Policeman -Unique and original
Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show - proving that funny doesn't have to make sense
Homestarrunner - And oldy but a goody
TV
Pushing Daisies- totally original
Scrubs- multi racial man love
The Office - Stolen from a British show
30 Rock - Tina Fey raising the bar for female comedians everywhere.
TV that should have been
Arrested Development
Firefly
*This blog cut short because I forgot that the Dark Knight is now in theaters....but you get the point.
Now as Official Friday Blogger I claim rights to add to my post even though it has been Saturday morning for 1 hour and 37 minutes here in California and has long since been Saturday morning in Michigan.
Just got back from the Dark Knight which I won't ruin for anyone who hasn't seen it yet but I will say several things.
Firstly, it's a long movie, when you think it's over, it's not over.
Secondly, it's an intense movie. I am not an easily upset at movies but I was required at more than one point in the movie to close my eyes and plug my ears. Yes, INTENSE.
And thirdly, I was repeatedly saddened through the movie at the thought that this is what Heath Ledger will be remembered for. It's a great movie, and he did a great job, but I definatly don't think that I would want to be remembered for playing a homicidal maniac.
I would rather he went out on a high note.
I would rather he not have went out at all.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Netflix, Dark Knight, and Jib Jab
I always thought that Netflix was a poor investment for me. My current strategy for watching DVD's is to buy them when they're on sale at Best Buy, for bargain prices, watch them, and then sell them on Ebay for close to the same price I bought them for. This has worked semi-successfully. But lately I've found a few flaws. The Sopranos, The Wire, and several other shows never go on sale, and even if they do, they're STILL out of my price range. And as for movies, I'm frankly just too lazy to make two trips to the video store (to pick it up, and to return it). I live in an on-demand society, and I like to keep my list of errands as short as possible.
So, here I am, about to join the legions who enjoy the benefits of mail-order DVDs. I have to believe that this industry is single-handedly bringing the postal service back from the brink of starvation. All the hand-written mail they lost when e-mail was invented? They're starting to make their cash back now that everyone is sending all of their video through the mail. And I'm happy to join the movement.
So, should I go with Blockbuster or Netflix? I've investigated the possibilities, and I think I'm settled on Netflix. My sainted mother has tried both and said that delivery times were not as good for her with Blockbuster. Plus, X-Box announced this week that Netflix's entire online library will be available THROUGH the X-Box Live service (which I already subscribe to), at no extra charge, to people who already subscribe to Netflix.
However, if any of you think that I need to be talked back from this dangerous precipice of mail-order television, or want to give me a pitch on why I should go with the Blockbuster service instead, the floor is open to you. Via the comments.
Next Subject. The Dark Knight this weekend. I'm supposed to go with friends on Saturday, but even THAT sounds a little frightening to me because I hate crowds, and I live in fear of having to watch a movie I'm eagerly anticipating from the front row of the theater. It hasn't happened for a long time. The last movie I had to watch from the front row of the theater was the second Pierce Brosnan 007 movie, whichever one that one was. But it still sucked.
I want to here recommend you some "summer reading" if you intend to truly enjoy the Batman-Joker experience. First of all, the granddaddy of them all, and the book that Heath Ledger himself professed to reading to try and grasp his role as the Joker, is "The Killing Joke" by Alan Moore. The perfect blend of sadism and insanity, and what the story truly explores is how Batman and Joker could be seen as two sides of the same coin... a couple of guys who both just lost it after having a really bad day.
Second, if you've never read Frank Miller's "Dark Knight Returns", this is probably the most terrifying Joker you'll ever read. The disrespect for human life borders on the dispassionate villains of "Wanted" (the book, NOT the movie), and Miller's futuristic tale also shows the bizarre nature of Batman and Joker's continual rivalry.
Two other books you might check out are Grant Morrison's "Batman: Arkham Asylum", the twisted thriller that built out the Joker's psychosis where Moore had left off with his origin. And "A Death In The Family", in which the Joker kills off Jason Todd, the second Robin, is the book that most heavily leaves Batman with the question of whether he should just terminate the Joker once and for all instead of consistently making the moral choice to put him back in jail instead of killing him.
I leave you with the latest JibJab entertainment, poking fun at this year's election. If you've never seen a JibJab animation, you're in for a treat.
So, here I am, about to join the legions who enjoy the benefits of mail-order DVDs. I have to believe that this industry is single-handedly bringing the postal service back from the brink of starvation. All the hand-written mail they lost when e-mail was invented? They're starting to make their cash back now that everyone is sending all of their video through the mail. And I'm happy to join the movement.
So, should I go with Blockbuster or Netflix? I've investigated the possibilities, and I think I'm settled on Netflix. My sainted mother has tried both and said that delivery times were not as good for her with Blockbuster. Plus, X-Box announced this week that Netflix's entire online library will be available THROUGH the X-Box Live service (which I already subscribe to), at no extra charge, to people who already subscribe to Netflix.
However, if any of you think that I need to be talked back from this dangerous precipice of mail-order television, or want to give me a pitch on why I should go with the Blockbuster service instead, the floor is open to you. Via the comments.
Next Subject. The Dark Knight this weekend. I'm supposed to go with friends on Saturday, but even THAT sounds a little frightening to me because I hate crowds, and I live in fear of having to watch a movie I'm eagerly anticipating from the front row of the theater. It hasn't happened for a long time. The last movie I had to watch from the front row of the theater was the second Pierce Brosnan 007 movie, whichever one that one was. But it still sucked.
I want to here recommend you some "summer reading" if you intend to truly enjoy the Batman-Joker experience. First of all, the granddaddy of them all, and the book that Heath Ledger himself professed to reading to try and grasp his role as the Joker, is "The Killing Joke" by Alan Moore. The perfect blend of sadism and insanity, and what the story truly explores is how Batman and Joker could be seen as two sides of the same coin... a couple of guys who both just lost it after having a really bad day.
Second, if you've never read Frank Miller's "Dark Knight Returns", this is probably the most terrifying Joker you'll ever read. The disrespect for human life borders on the dispassionate villains of "Wanted" (the book, NOT the movie), and Miller's futuristic tale also shows the bizarre nature of Batman and Joker's continual rivalry.
Two other books you might check out are Grant Morrison's "Batman: Arkham Asylum", the twisted thriller that built out the Joker's psychosis where Moore had left off with his origin. And "A Death In The Family", in which the Joker kills off Jason Todd, the second Robin, is the book that most heavily leaves Batman with the question of whether he should just terminate the Joker once and for all instead of consistently making the moral choice to put him back in jail instead of killing him.
I leave you with the latest JibJab entertainment, poking fun at this year's election. If you've never seen a JibJab animation, you're in for a treat.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
God, Men, and the Modern Church
Shannon sent me a link to a blog about Mark Driscoll and his idea for a modern men's movement. We were both sitting back and wondering what happened to the Promise Keepers and how they sort of derailed from a good idea to the train wreck that they are today.
I have been thinking more and more that the modern church is marketed to and sustained by women. Women get their men in the doors. Women are the reasons why their husbands attend. So why not do anything you can to appeal to women?
Well if you look around, church attendance is at an all-time low. 80% of kids who go to college who are raised in the church will defect by graduation. That is an alarming statistic (which I got from Leonard Sweet). Small churches are fading fast and denominations are fading faster.
Coming from the perspective of someone who used to be in church leadership and is now sitting comfortably in church followership, I can see something in church I never saw before. It sucks. Everything in church is for women. Even the men's groups are designed to please women.
Ever since Father's Day this has been rolling around in my mind. The service for Father's Day at Kensington Community Church seemed more like an episode of The View than a service geared toward men. The four pastor's wives all sat around talking about how bad they are to their husbands and how they can behave better. No challenges for fathers or men. What a waste!
Men get bashed a lot in the world and I think that has carried over in the church. Every man seems to be created in the image of Homer Simpson rather than the image of the Living God. As ridiculous as I can be sometimes, I'm tired of being painted as th e cartoon-like buffoons that can't do anything right. It's not a very respectful image for my kids to look up to.
Just to show you, here's Mark Driscoll's idea.
Not only is it cheesy, it's offensive. I don't think the answer to anemic effeminate churches is being rude, condescending and arrogant about being men. Driscoll's view assumes a sense of entitlement that maybe isn't deserved.
Part of the problem with men not being respected in the church is that there aren't enough GOOD men in church. I agree that being meek doesn't mean being wimpy, but it doesn't mean being an asshole. The church doesn't need more assholes.
Part of the problem with men in church is that it is supposed to be a place where men can be authentic. What happens is that we are trying so hard to be nice we end up not being authentic and this rage builds up. When the rage builds up things like GOD MEN happen. Driscoll's idea is an overreaction, but at least it is a reaction. Maybe we need the extremists to get the opposite extremes and the middle-fence-riders to move a little.
What do you wimpy chicified church-going sissies think?
I have been thinking more and more that the modern church is marketed to and sustained by women. Women get their men in the doors. Women are the reasons why their husbands attend. So why not do anything you can to appeal to women?
Well if you look around, church attendance is at an all-time low. 80% of kids who go to college who are raised in the church will defect by graduation. That is an alarming statistic (which I got from Leonard Sweet). Small churches are fading fast and denominations are fading faster.
Coming from the perspective of someone who used to be in church leadership and is now sitting comfortably in church followership, I can see something in church I never saw before. It sucks. Everything in church is for women. Even the men's groups are designed to please women.
Ever since Father's Day this has been rolling around in my mind. The service for Father's Day at Kensington Community Church seemed more like an episode of The View than a service geared toward men. The four pastor's wives all sat around talking about how bad they are to their husbands and how they can behave better. No challenges for fathers or men. What a waste!
Men get bashed a lot in the world and I think that has carried over in the church. Every man seems to be created in the image of Homer Simpson rather than the image of the Living God. As ridiculous as I can be sometimes, I'm tired of being painted as th e cartoon-like buffoons that can't do anything right. It's not a very respectful image for my kids to look up to.
Just to show you, here's Mark Driscoll's idea.
Not only is it cheesy, it's offensive. I don't think the answer to anemic effeminate churches is being rude, condescending and arrogant about being men. Driscoll's view assumes a sense of entitlement that maybe isn't deserved.
Part of the problem with men not being respected in the church is that there aren't enough GOOD men in church. I agree that being meek doesn't mean being wimpy, but it doesn't mean being an asshole. The church doesn't need more assholes.
Part of the problem with men in church is that it is supposed to be a place where men can be authentic. What happens is that we are trying so hard to be nice we end up not being authentic and this rage builds up. When the rage builds up things like GOD MEN happen. Driscoll's idea is an overreaction, but at least it is a reaction. Maybe we need the extremists to get the opposite extremes and the middle-fence-riders to move a little.
What do you wimpy chicified church-going sissies think?
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Batman, BSG and RSS feeds
Yesterday I saw another trailer for The Dark Knight, and it looked awesome. One concern I have is that they have Two-Face and the Joker in the same film. Why do they do this? These are two big guns and something has to give if they are in the same film. Seems like they could do more with the story and the interaction between Batman and the character if they just focused on one at time. Imagine the Killing Joke oneshot with another big villain running around. The impact of an amazing one on one confrontation is lost. But what do I know?
I obviously don’t know anything about BSG. I finished the third season, and I have to say I have no idea what’s going on. I am pretty sure they are not going to be able to resolve the show to my satisfaction in the fourth and last season. I am trying to put my thoughts together based on the theology of the show. Hopefully I can do that later this week.
Listened to a podcast called Hardcore History. I tried the BBC History Magazine and didn’t even make through the intro. Anyway, the host has some really interesting ideas that are lost and diffused and muddled by his presentation. He’s like a bad preacher or youth convention speaker. Lots of passion in trying to get his message across but he is not as sharp as a quality public speaker that you might enjoy, so you end up thinking, yeah, but. He goes in circles and repeats himself and says “things” a lot. I say things a lot when I can’t come up with the exact word, but I’m not speaker and I don’t have a podcast. It eats away at his credibility when he can’t articulate the concepts he his trying to convey to either history buffs or laymen like me. When he makes comments like “. . . the most powerful empire in the history of powerful empires . . .”, c’mon. I’ll probably give it one more try, but I may be looking for another history podcast.
Finally, I’m not becoming a “techie”, but I am trying to broaden my horizons and abilities. Last week, I explored the world of RSS feeds. I set up feeds from my favorite blog (this one) and several soccer blogs to see how it would work. It’s awesome. Instead of visiting a bunch of sites, the information is fed to me, which is exactly what I want. The feed goes bold, I highlight, see the headline, bam, I’m informed.
My goal is to have a series of RSS feeds on the left of my browser, with only my faceboook and Pandora pages open as tabs. I want information, but I want to minimize the effort needed to get it. I am also trying to synch my hotmail (personal) and outlook (work) email accounts. The first try didn’t go so well. Any thoughts??
I obviously don’t know anything about BSG. I finished the third season, and I have to say I have no idea what’s going on. I am pretty sure they are not going to be able to resolve the show to my satisfaction in the fourth and last season. I am trying to put my thoughts together based on the theology of the show. Hopefully I can do that later this week.
Listened to a podcast called Hardcore History. I tried the BBC History Magazine and didn’t even make through the intro. Anyway, the host has some really interesting ideas that are lost and diffused and muddled by his presentation. He’s like a bad preacher or youth convention speaker. Lots of passion in trying to get his message across but he is not as sharp as a quality public speaker that you might enjoy, so you end up thinking, yeah, but. He goes in circles and repeats himself and says “things” a lot. I say things a lot when I can’t come up with the exact word, but I’m not speaker and I don’t have a podcast. It eats away at his credibility when he can’t articulate the concepts he his trying to convey to either history buffs or laymen like me. When he makes comments like “. . . the most powerful empire in the history of powerful empires . . .”, c’mon. I’ll probably give it one more try, but I may be looking for another history podcast.
Finally, I’m not becoming a “techie”, but I am trying to broaden my horizons and abilities. Last week, I explored the world of RSS feeds. I set up feeds from my favorite blog (this one) and several soccer blogs to see how it would work. It’s awesome. Instead of visiting a bunch of sites, the information is fed to me, which is exactly what I want. The feed goes bold, I highlight, see the headline, bam, I’m informed.
My goal is to have a series of RSS feeds on the left of my browser, with only my faceboook and Pandora pages open as tabs. I want information, but I want to minimize the effort needed to get it. I am also trying to synch my hotmail (personal) and outlook (work) email accounts. The first try didn’t go so well. Any thoughts??
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Be Kind
I am not sure how to preface this post. I think I should start at the beginning of my Michel Gondry experience. You have seen his movies, but his work really began as a director of music videos. Think Bjork. Think most of the White Stripes videos. Remember that Foo Fighters video where the guy had really big hands? Radiohead used him a few times. Then think of his movies. Like, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. You get the idea that this director is off his rocker.
When you watched Eternal Sunshine, you got a funny movie but it was more of a thoughtful funny than your typical Jim Carey film. The same can be said with Be Kind.
Almost everything he makes looks like a junior high film project. Low definition, lots of messes. Yet, I guess I need to say it, Genius.
Be kind rewind was just that. It was a thin story line that made almost no sense except in the genius of what it accomplished in the end.
The movie, Be Kind Rewind starring Jack Black and Mos Def was by far the weirdest movie I have seen since Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
In short, Mos Def and Jack Black end up making a bunch of Sweded movies (a joke in th e film which means they made remakes of movies with themselves as the actors and directors and rented them out to customers from their video store). Here's the thing you need to know in advance. It is not a laugh-a-minute comedy like Dumb & Dumber or Anchorman. It is an artistic movie and a visual movie that also has funny moments. It is a comedy in the Shakespearean sense rather than the Will Farrell sense.
The direction is incredible, very creative. It took a wild imagination to make this movie.
However, the movie isn't the entire treat. The website is dedicated to the whole idea of Sweding things. They even Swede the internet. It also kindly shows all the Sweded movies from the Movie itself plus a few more geniusly Sweded films as well. My personal favorite is the Sweded copy of The Lord of the Rings. I laughed hard for hours with this stuff. Check it out and let me know what your favorite Sweded movie is. This is the instant gratification funny ha ha that you may have expected from the movie.
Friday, July 11, 2008
My New Favorite Thing
There are certain things I really enjoy that I don't tend to share with other people because, let's face it, I'd totally get ripped on for it. And currently there is a tv show I enjoy but Ben hates it so much he will not stay in the same room with me while it's on.
So yeah, it's Ghost Hunters on SciFi. I love it!
It's not like a believe in ghosts so much as I've always been really intrigued by the idea of them. In addition I also really like being scared so it works on two levels. Ever since I was a little kid I've always loved ghost stories which were always in store at the old family reunion campfire time. Then, with the help of the interweb, I get about as much in the way of ghost stories, photos, and videos as I could possibly want.
And yet, I still love Ghost Hunters. I think I like the human side of it. Most of the people are not overly annoying and I like how they react to things. There's one guy who's afraid of heights and bugs, but apparently not ghosts. So they'll be walking around in the dark and he'll start jumping and cussing and it's a bug!
They try to debunk as much as they can. The two leaders are plumbers so they know that pipes tend to knock around and make noise and they know that certain sinks really can turn on by themselves and why. They also know that mold can cause paranoia and hallucinations, strong electrical fields around power boxes can make you feel like you're being watched. And yet sometimes they do come away with things they cannot explain.
Let me reiterate one more time, I don't really believe in ghost as much as I'm intrigued with the idea, as a spiritual person I can honestly say that something is out there, which leaves some room to hypothesize. Not that anyone will ever prove the existence of ghosts, all one can hope for is to disprove as much as you can and whatever is left is up for evaluation and conjecture. I'm ok with that.
And it's just fun! I like to be scared, I like to use my imagination, I like to think that there is something more out there than what can be seen and touched and heard. There's also a little place in my heart for Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster.
So hey, I don't make fun of you for all your sports and politics, you don't need to make fun of me.
So yeah, it's Ghost Hunters on SciFi. I love it!
It's not like a believe in ghosts so much as I've always been really intrigued by the idea of them. In addition I also really like being scared so it works on two levels. Ever since I was a little kid I've always loved ghost stories which were always in store at the old family reunion campfire time. Then, with the help of the interweb, I get about as much in the way of ghost stories, photos, and videos as I could possibly want.
And yet, I still love Ghost Hunters. I think I like the human side of it. Most of the people are not overly annoying and I like how they react to things. There's one guy who's afraid of heights and bugs, but apparently not ghosts. So they'll be walking around in the dark and he'll start jumping and cussing and it's a bug!
They try to debunk as much as they can. The two leaders are plumbers so they know that pipes tend to knock around and make noise and they know that certain sinks really can turn on by themselves and why. They also know that mold can cause paranoia and hallucinations, strong electrical fields around power boxes can make you feel like you're being watched. And yet sometimes they do come away with things they cannot explain.
Let me reiterate one more time, I don't really believe in ghost as much as I'm intrigued with the idea, as a spiritual person I can honestly say that something is out there, which leaves some room to hypothesize. Not that anyone will ever prove the existence of ghosts, all one can hope for is to disprove as much as you can and whatever is left is up for evaluation and conjecture. I'm ok with that.
And it's just fun! I like to be scared, I like to use my imagination, I like to think that there is something more out there than what can be seen and touched and heard. There's also a little place in my heart for Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster.
So hey, I don't make fun of you for all your sports and politics, you don't need to make fun of me.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
can i add flair to my posts? here we go . . .
The fourth of July has come and gone. Ho hum. I’m not a big fireworks guy. Loud, annoying, not very dynamic. I took Larry to watch the Sharp Park fireworks because he wanted to. He ended up “not wanting to watch them” and after several attempts at discipline, I picked him up and left. I went because of him and if he doesn’t want to watch, then it’s night night time.
I was confronted with the fact that maybe I’m missing a summer strand of the American DNA. I don’t like fireworks, I don’t like swimming, I can tolerate hot dogs, I try to avoid the sun at all costs. El sol is not my friend. Maybe I have some mutant strain that will prove either impervious or highly vulnerable to the changing world of the next 25 years. Only time will tell.
I checked out a recent Underworld album from library last week. I think I have found my new favorite ambient song, “Best Mamgu Ever”. It’s right up there with Halcyon and on and on from Orbital and Children by Robert Miles. Right in my chill out wheel house. Find it on limewire or rhapsody or tell me how to insert into a post.
Speaking of inserting media into a post, I have tried to insert an Onion News Network video podcast into this week’s post.
How great is that? It’s perfect for me. I’m totally following every single piece of advice.
This weekend I made a pretty heavy bet (20 cents) on Roger Federer to win the Men’s, excuse me, Gentlemen’s Title at Wimbledon. I figured he’s the king of grass, he’s had Nadal’s number in the past, and even though Nadal is closing the gap, Federer should hang on. Of course, what happens? There is no thing as a sure bet and Nadal won in 5 sets over 7 hours. Thank God this is free, because I suck at gambling, and if it was real I’d probably be in the bottom of some river courtesy of the bookies.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Remind me why I do this?
Tonight I discovered that getting to know new people shows me how truly boring and self-centered I am.
Like when people find out I'm a librarian they always ask me what books I like to read. That's always a bad question because, in all earnestness, I like to read romance and fluff. I like regency fantasy romance, and if that isn't a genre then I'm going to start writing it. I don't read to bone up on non-fiction, that's what the internet is for. And I don't read to discuss it with other people, I personally don't care what other people think of books. I read to escape my own drama.
And when people talk about current events, I know only the bare minimum. I know 1) Obama vs. McCain, 2) Wild fires in Napa, 3) Soaring gas prices, 4) ....crap, I was really stretching for three. I don't keep up with current events because they're depressing. I don't follow the minutia of politics for the same reason I hated middle school. I don't keep up with the war in Iraq because the same crap has been happening for 6 years now. And I don't care that the Olympics are in China. I only read the news at msnbc.com for "news of the weird" and "wonderful world" the least depressing of all news stories.
Let's move on. "What do you do for a living?". Um, a whole lot of nothing. Nothing to talk about there. "What do you do with your time?". I read a lot of books. Oh crap! And then we're back to the beginning.
"What kind of TV do you like to watch". Part of me is really embarrased but here's the list. Jon and Kate Plus Eight, What Not to Wear, 10 Years Younger, and Ghost Hunters. And I'll watch some History Channel when they have stuff on UFO's or monsters. And I like TLC when they have documentaries on really crazy diseases or midgets. Movies are pretty much the same. I really don't like drama of any sort or anything with any educational or moral value.
So anyway, I'm getting to know people and they're getting to know me, whether or not they like me has yet to be seen.
In other news today was kinda cool. We cycled down to Negro Bar, yes, it's really called that. There are huge flat rocks in the water. People just swim out and find a nice flat place and chill. It was fun. The water is super clear compared to Michigan and even though it was cold, the sun was so hot it makes it all equal out. And a fun day was had by all.
Like when people find out I'm a librarian they always ask me what books I like to read. That's always a bad question because, in all earnestness, I like to read romance and fluff. I like regency fantasy romance, and if that isn't a genre then I'm going to start writing it. I don't read to bone up on non-fiction, that's what the internet is for. And I don't read to discuss it with other people, I personally don't care what other people think of books. I read to escape my own drama.
And when people talk about current events, I know only the bare minimum. I know 1) Obama vs. McCain, 2) Wild fires in Napa, 3) Soaring gas prices, 4) ....crap, I was really stretching for three. I don't keep up with current events because they're depressing. I don't follow the minutia of politics for the same reason I hated middle school. I don't keep up with the war in Iraq because the same crap has been happening for 6 years now. And I don't care that the Olympics are in China. I only read the news at msnbc.com for "news of the weird" and "wonderful world" the least depressing of all news stories.
Let's move on. "What do you do for a living?". Um, a whole lot of nothing. Nothing to talk about there. "What do you do with your time?". I read a lot of books. Oh crap! And then we're back to the beginning.
"What kind of TV do you like to watch". Part of me is really embarrased but here's the list. Jon and Kate Plus Eight, What Not to Wear, 10 Years Younger, and Ghost Hunters. And I'll watch some History Channel when they have stuff on UFO's or monsters. And I like TLC when they have documentaries on really crazy diseases or midgets. Movies are pretty much the same. I really don't like drama of any sort or anything with any educational or moral value.
So anyway, I'm getting to know people and they're getting to know me, whether or not they like me has yet to be seen.
In other news today was kinda cool. We cycled down to Negro Bar, yes, it's really called that. There are huge flat rocks in the water. People just swim out and find a nice flat place and chill. It was fun. The water is super clear compared to Michigan and even though it was cold, the sun was so hot it makes it all equal out. And a fun day was had by all.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
A Celebration of Ben
This post is dedicated to my friend Ben Brown, who prestigiously encounters another birthday today, in order to properly celebrate his lust for life.
Ben moved to California a couple months ago, taking with him his wife Crystal (a Friday contributor to this blog), his dog (really more hers than his), his bike, his station wagon (but not the Lumina), his Nintendo Wii, and a host of personal virtues that I have been trying for what seems like forever to emulate.
Ben is like the leisurely weekend that you look forward to for months, the relaxing TV show at the end of a really long day. He can always be counted on to be there, and to keep things together no matter what is swirling around him. He is easy to spend time with and has so many points of common interest with so many people. You may do nothing with Ben but sit around the house for an hour, but when you leave, it always feels like time that was completely spent to its fullest.
Ben is one of those great personalities who can become as frustrated or annoyed as easily as anyone else, but VERY rarely will ever raise his voice. The most animated he will get when angry is usually much later, when he is re-telling you the story and recalling his inner turmoil. When he gets flustered, he doesn't throw the project down into the dirt with disgust, he fixes it, polishes it, and by the time you get another look at it you'd have a hard time believing there was ever anything wrong with it.
I was so excited this year when the Michigan DMV awarded me a new license plate that began with the letters "BEN". Even though I had paraded around the same tired, white-letters-on-navy-blue-background plate since I first drove a black Ford Escort in high school, I was pleased to have a new plate that shared a name with one of my closest friends. To my chagrin, the "BEN" plate was not unique, as I find myself constantly surrounded by an army of BEN drivers in Michigan, erratic malcontents who have no idea of the prestige behind the initials they bear on their rear bumper.
The greatest of Ben's attributes, though, in my view, is his never-ending thirst for knowledge. And not just any knowledge. Not just biblical, or technical, or practical, or conversational. Anything and everything. Ben can find and become fascinated by the minutia in any subject, and the greatest thing is that he won't simply nod his head and accept the scraps of knowledge available when he and that subject are introduced. He must know more, and he'll explore Wikipedia, IMDB, libraries, and whatever other sources are available until he feels he has a proper grasp on the topic. This makes Ben THE person to turn to at any event for any random information that you may desire, to the never-ending exasperation (but, I believe, the private adoration) of his wife.
Ben has taught me that there is always more to know, and that there is never much of a downside to knowing more. He taught me that such knowledge is the key to truly enjoying the in-betweens of life, instead of just quickly turning past them like the foreword of a novel, the part of the book you want to get by so that you can "get to the good stuff". Ben knows where the good stuff is and how to get the most out of it.
Thanks, Ben! Happy birthday!
To read more from the Mind of Ben, bookmark his blog: http://mindbenderblog.wordpress.com/
Ben moved to California a couple months ago, taking with him his wife Crystal (a Friday contributor to this blog), his dog (really more hers than his), his bike, his station wagon (but not the Lumina), his Nintendo Wii, and a host of personal virtues that I have been trying for what seems like forever to emulate.
Ben is like the leisurely weekend that you look forward to for months, the relaxing TV show at the end of a really long day. He can always be counted on to be there, and to keep things together no matter what is swirling around him. He is easy to spend time with and has so many points of common interest with so many people. You may do nothing with Ben but sit around the house for an hour, but when you leave, it always feels like time that was completely spent to its fullest.Ben is one of those great personalities who can become as frustrated or annoyed as easily as anyone else, but VERY rarely will ever raise his voice. The most animated he will get when angry is usually much later, when he is re-telling you the story and recalling his inner turmoil. When he gets flustered, he doesn't throw the project down into the dirt with disgust, he fixes it, polishes it, and by the time you get another look at it you'd have a hard time believing there was ever anything wrong with it.
I was so excited this year when the Michigan DMV awarded me a new license plate that began with the letters "BEN". Even though I had paraded around the same tired, white-letters-on-navy-blue-background plate since I first drove a black Ford Escort in high school, I was pleased to have a new plate that shared a name with one of my closest friends. To my chagrin, the "BEN" plate was not unique, as I find myself constantly surrounded by an army of BEN drivers in Michigan, erratic malcontents who have no idea of the prestige behind the initials they bear on their rear bumper.
The greatest of Ben's attributes, though, in my view, is his never-ending thirst for knowledge. And not just any knowledge. Not just biblical, or technical, or practical, or conversational. Anything and everything. Ben can find and become fascinated by the minutia in any subject, and the greatest thing is that he won't simply nod his head and accept the scraps of knowledge available when he and that subject are introduced. He must know more, and he'll explore Wikipedia, IMDB, libraries, and whatever other sources are available until he feels he has a proper grasp on the topic. This makes Ben THE person to turn to at any event for any random information that you may desire, to the never-ending exasperation (but, I believe, the private adoration) of his wife.
Ben has taught me that there is always more to know, and that there is never much of a downside to knowing more. He taught me that such knowledge is the key to truly enjoying the in-betweens of life, instead of just quickly turning past them like the foreword of a novel, the part of the book you want to get by so that you can "get to the good stuff". Ben knows where the good stuff is and how to get the most out of it.
Thanks, Ben! Happy birthday!
To read more from the Mind of Ben, bookmark his blog: http://mindbenderblog.wordpress.com/
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
what now?
Euro 2008 is over. I know that you don’t care but I do. There’s always a let down after a big tournament, and after 3 weeks of really great games, there will be an even bigger drop than usual. I’m glad Spain won on a lot of levels. Not the greatest final but it did demonstrate the gulf in class between the two teams. For greater insight into the final read these two articles from Soccernet.com contributors:
Spain
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=552825&sec=euro2008&root=euro2008&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos1&cc=5901
Germany
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=552769&sec=euro2008&root=euro2008&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos2&cc=5901
There is another gap in my life as well. The Tony Kornheiser show is on hiatus as TK Stack Money goes on vacation and prepares for Monday Night Football. His show via podcast is truly one of the highlights of my day. I’ll have to wait until January for more craptastic entertainment.
In lieu of that, I went podcast hunting. Here’s what I found:
Smodcast. Kevin Smith’s podcast with cohort Scott Mosier. The first one I downloaded was absolutely dreadful. It was Kevin and his daughter doing a special Father’s Day edition. UGH!!! I went back and got an older one, which was a little better. I’m going to give next week’s a shot and go from there. I’m on the fence on this one.
Diggnation. This video podcast focuses on articles from digg.com. Funny funny funny. The hosts drinking beer during the show adds a fantastic element to the show. Kevin Rose reminds me a lot of Jim from the Office.
A sister video podcast of Diggnation is the Totally Rad Show. I’m about halfway through my first one. It’s OK. Review of movies and gaming and tech culture. The hosts are almost dorky cool, but don’t quite pull it off. I’m going to give this another try. A lot of the stuff I’m not even familiar with so that might be an issue.
Finally, I watched the Onion video podcast. I almost peed my pants it was so funny. That one I’ll definitely get into.
Other ones I will be checking out, Ask a Ninja, Attack of the Show, and Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History.
My ipod nano is sweet. The video quality is quite remarkable. Yes it’s tiny but amazing nonetheless. I can sit on the porch while Larry plays and be responsible while being entertained. I’m planning to load it up for my drive to Mississippi later this month. Erin is going to be a lot of driving.
Finally, I’ve started BSG season 3. The human insurgency thread was interesting in that the question is raised, What will you do for freedom? The humans wanted to be freed from the Cylon occupation and the envelope kept getting pushed until suicide bombing became a real option. Everyone is against terrorism these days, and I am too, but I also realize that part of the foundation of this country is a group that rose up against those that they deemed to be the oppressors, used a mix of standard and guerilla tactics and pushed the colonizers out. Just something to keep in mind.
And on that pleasant note, I gotta go.
Spain
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=552825&sec=euro2008&root=euro2008&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos1&cc=5901
Germany
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=552769&sec=euro2008&root=euro2008&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos2&cc=5901
There is another gap in my life as well. The Tony Kornheiser show is on hiatus as TK Stack Money goes on vacation and prepares for Monday Night Football. His show via podcast is truly one of the highlights of my day. I’ll have to wait until January for more craptastic entertainment.
In lieu of that, I went podcast hunting. Here’s what I found:
Smodcast. Kevin Smith’s podcast with cohort Scott Mosier. The first one I downloaded was absolutely dreadful. It was Kevin and his daughter doing a special Father’s Day edition. UGH!!! I went back and got an older one, which was a little better. I’m going to give next week’s a shot and go from there. I’m on the fence on this one.
Diggnation. This video podcast focuses on articles from digg.com. Funny funny funny. The hosts drinking beer during the show adds a fantastic element to the show. Kevin Rose reminds me a lot of Jim from the Office.
A sister video podcast of Diggnation is the Totally Rad Show. I’m about halfway through my first one. It’s OK. Review of movies and gaming and tech culture. The hosts are almost dorky cool, but don’t quite pull it off. I’m going to give this another try. A lot of the stuff I’m not even familiar with so that might be an issue.
Finally, I watched the Onion video podcast. I almost peed my pants it was so funny. That one I’ll definitely get into.
Other ones I will be checking out, Ask a Ninja, Attack of the Show, and Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History.
My ipod nano is sweet. The video quality is quite remarkable. Yes it’s tiny but amazing nonetheless. I can sit on the porch while Larry plays and be responsible while being entertained. I’m planning to load it up for my drive to Mississippi later this month. Erin is going to be a lot of driving.
Finally, I’ve started BSG season 3. The human insurgency thread was interesting in that the question is raised, What will you do for freedom? The humans wanted to be freed from the Cylon occupation and the envelope kept getting pushed until suicide bombing became a real option. Everyone is against terrorism these days, and I am too, but I also realize that part of the foundation of this country is a group that rose up against those that they deemed to be the oppressors, used a mix of standard and guerilla tactics and pushed the colonizers out. Just something to keep in mind.
And on that pleasant note, I gotta go.
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