I assume most of my readers are Christians. I also assume that some of them are not. This post, as with most of my posts, is mainly aimed at the former group, but if you are a member of the latter, hopefully you'll enjoy this too.
This blog post was inspired by something my pastor said somewhat in passing this past Sunday. Going through the Gospel of John, he said something along the lines of, "Jesus wasn't just a cult leader." Naturally, my mind bounced to Joss Whedon.
If you don't know, Joss Whedon is the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Dollhouse and Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, along with several other excellent works that could be best described as "cult hits". He has a tremendously devoted following, says cool and quotable phrases, and consistently puts forth, at a minimum, a good product. No problem with that. My fear is that some people (including, at times, myself) view Jesus this way. As a cool guy whose work I like, and that I quote sometimes in my Tweets or Facebook status because I like this thing he said, and a lot of other people I know like him too.
Don't get me wrong; I am not writing this to tell you that you should stop following Joss Whedon. (Unless you're literally following him. Like, stalking him. That's just creepy.) What I want to say is this. If you're a Christian, and you treat Jesus like you treat Joss Whedon, then there's a problem. Jesus is infinitely more than Joss Whedon. He is not just a quotable figure or a cool guy whose work you enjoy. He is the ultimate, supreme creator of the universe who loved you enough to experience the penalty for all of your screw-ups in life. I am eternally thankful that He did love me, that He does love me, and that He will love me.
Viewing Jesus as nothing more than an icon to follow is disturbing at best. The main problem with this view is the fact that no one else we could ever hope to follow is perfect. Treating Jesus the same way we treat a celebrity is fundamentally incorrect. No matter how much you want Joss Whedon to be able to save your life, the most he would probably do is make you feel better on a bad day. This is not a statement against Joss Whedon, mind you. This is a statement against a wrong view of the savior of the world.
Joss Whedon is great. But great is too small a word to grasp God.
Three random thoughts:
1. I recently discovered the ukulele-wielding songstress named Molly Lewis. I don't know why I find her music so addicting, but I do. Maybe I'm just a sucker for ukuleles and Dylan covers.
2. I'm leaving the country in three days to go on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic. I hope to set up some auto-posts while I'm away, but don't be surprised if I don't!
3. I made a silly video about the silly video series me and my roommates decided to make, and will be continuing this fall. WARNING: Contains running.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Memories
I don't know what prompted it, but I've been thinking about memories lately... Which is a strange thing to think about, but what do you expect from me?
The earliest memory I can remember with any degree of clarity is from when my family lived in Washington state. Since I lived there until I was three, it's probably not surprising I don't remember too much of living there, but I have a clear memory of being at the end of the driveway, watching my two brothers and one of their friends playing Yoshi's Cookie on the old gray Game Boy. (This may explain some things about my gaming habit)
I'm not sure why I'm writing about this, to be honest. I've tried taking this two different ways, and I don't like either. So, I'll go for the easy way out. What's your earliest memory? How much does it have to do with who you are today?
I'll write more substantially when it doesn't feel like I have to push through sludge to write something decent.
Three random thoughts:
1. I stayed up late last night, but unlike yesterday, I did not oversleep by two hours today. Hooray!
2. In the most recent poll, I have learned that all of my readers like either green or blue. Good to know.
3. I wrote "pull" instead of "poll" just now. Sigh. One of those days.
The earliest memory I can remember with any degree of clarity is from when my family lived in Washington state. Since I lived there until I was three, it's probably not surprising I don't remember too much of living there, but I have a clear memory of being at the end of the driveway, watching my two brothers and one of their friends playing Yoshi's Cookie on the old gray Game Boy. (This may explain some things about my gaming habit)
I'm not sure why I'm writing about this, to be honest. I've tried taking this two different ways, and I don't like either. So, I'll go for the easy way out. What's your earliest memory? How much does it have to do with who you are today?
I'll write more substantially when it doesn't feel like I have to push through sludge to write something decent.
Three random thoughts:
1. I stayed up late last night, but unlike yesterday, I did not oversleep by two hours today. Hooray!
2. In the most recent poll, I have learned that all of my readers like either green or blue. Good to know.
3. I wrote "pull" instead of "poll" just now. Sigh. One of those days.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Inception
I'm going to try and write this article without including any spoilers. It won't be easy.
I saw Inception yesterday with the family. As you may know, it's about a group of people who specialize in entering dreams and stealing their target's most sensitive secrets. The main character, a man named Cobb, is given an offer that would allow him to leave this illegal business and return to his two young children in America. The offer requires him to perform an Inception - to plant an idea in someone's mind without them recognizing someone else had placed it there. The target is the heir of an energy giant's business; the idea Cobb is to plant is for the heir to break up the business instead of inheriting it all for himself. From there, Cobb assembles his team and begins preparation.
I can't go much further without spoiling part of the story, and have left out a few details for fear of annoying people, but the first portion of the plot is there... Hopefully enough that my remaining comments make sense. The one other comment I have to add is that the film ends with a question that I would say is the single question left from the movie. If you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about.
And I find that refreshing about this movie. Most of the time recently, it seems to me, TV shows or movies that try to be intellectual (most of them succeed; some do not) ask a lot of questions, and being in a postmodern society, ask you to draw your own conclusions. While Inception was deliberately written to be interpreted either way, I think the writer had a specific answer he believed to be true. Once you decide about the final question, the other questions offered by the movie fall into place.
Generally, the movie was well-acted and constantly moving. The one thing that broke the illusion for me was that when the person who was designing the sedative to make sure the target and the team stayed asleep throughout the mission was explaining it, he said that he had designed it so it wouldn't disable their inner ear, allowing them to be woken up by a fall. (Waking up = a safe way out if the mission goes bad) While that may be possible, it seemed a bit silly to me. That being said, the rest of the science at least allowed me to agree with it on a peripheral level.
If you don't want to think, don't go see Inception. Otherwise, it's a good summer movie with a juicy plot. Also, it has Ellen Page. If I had to rate it, I'd probably give it a 4 out of 5. I'm not sure what would give it the fifth point, but I felt like there was a bit missing... I'm not sure what. Then again, I'm still processing it a little bit. If I figure it out, I'll let you know.
Three random thoughts:
1. School is coming up far too soon.
2. I have the basement to myself this week, since my oldest brother is out of town. This means much time on the Xbox 360.
3. "Words Drowned By Fireworks" is probably the most poetic song title I've ever heard. If you've played Final Fantasy VII, you probably agree it's appropriately titled. (Gondola Ride scene) If you haven't played it, you'd probably say, "Oh, this sounds nice."
I saw Inception yesterday with the family. As you may know, it's about a group of people who specialize in entering dreams and stealing their target's most sensitive secrets. The main character, a man named Cobb, is given an offer that would allow him to leave this illegal business and return to his two young children in America. The offer requires him to perform an Inception - to plant an idea in someone's mind without them recognizing someone else had placed it there. The target is the heir of an energy giant's business; the idea Cobb is to plant is for the heir to break up the business instead of inheriting it all for himself. From there, Cobb assembles his team and begins preparation.
I can't go much further without spoiling part of the story, and have left out a few details for fear of annoying people, but the first portion of the plot is there... Hopefully enough that my remaining comments make sense. The one other comment I have to add is that the film ends with a question that I would say is the single question left from the movie. If you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about.
And I find that refreshing about this movie. Most of the time recently, it seems to me, TV shows or movies that try to be intellectual (most of them succeed; some do not) ask a lot of questions, and being in a postmodern society, ask you to draw your own conclusions. While Inception was deliberately written to be interpreted either way, I think the writer had a specific answer he believed to be true. Once you decide about the final question, the other questions offered by the movie fall into place.
Generally, the movie was well-acted and constantly moving. The one thing that broke the illusion for me was that when the person who was designing the sedative to make sure the target and the team stayed asleep throughout the mission was explaining it, he said that he had designed it so it wouldn't disable their inner ear, allowing them to be woken up by a fall. (Waking up = a safe way out if the mission goes bad) While that may be possible, it seemed a bit silly to me. That being said, the rest of the science at least allowed me to agree with it on a peripheral level.
If you don't want to think, don't go see Inception. Otherwise, it's a good summer movie with a juicy plot. Also, it has Ellen Page. If I had to rate it, I'd probably give it a 4 out of 5. I'm not sure what would give it the fifth point, but I felt like there was a bit missing... I'm not sure what. Then again, I'm still processing it a little bit. If I figure it out, I'll let you know.
Three random thoughts:
1. School is coming up far too soon.
2. I have the basement to myself this week, since my oldest brother is out of town. This means much time on the Xbox 360.
3. "Words Drowned By Fireworks" is probably the most poetic song title I've ever heard. If you've played Final Fantasy VII, you probably agree it's appropriately titled. (Gondola Ride scene) If you haven't played it, you'd probably say, "Oh, this sounds nice."
Friday, July 23, 2010
Opportunities
OK, I've been thoughtful and stuff all this week, so I figure I can get it all out of my system and finish it with this post.
Maybe.
Opportunities are different from obligations, and are much more available. For example, you have the opportunity to read the rest of this post. (I hope you will) You also have the opportunity to write your own blog, go to sleep, have a sandwich, etc. I assume just about everyone reading this has access to at least a computer, and probably much more. In my case, I could play one of about six gaming consoles lying around the house, or watch a favorite anime that my brother has on DVD. I could take a shower, read a book, clean my room... The choices are nearly endless. Some more practical than others.
And that's where there's trouble. Sometimes, I look at all I can do and freeze up. How am I supposed to decide on just one or two things to do when there's thousands upon thousands of possibilities in front of me? What if the thing I decide to do ends up being boring or worthless? Won't someone think of the children!? (Sorry, got a little carried away)
From my perspective, yes, there are probably better things you could be doing right now than reading a blog. But those things are usually more involved than reading. If there's nothing wrong with what you're doing, there's certainly no reason to regret doing it, even if it is boring. On the other hand, if you know you should be doing something and are purposefully avoiding it... Go do it. I'll wait. (NOTE: I apologize if your computer fries in the time it takes you to do whatever you needed to do)
Sometimes a little rest and relaxation from the more stressful activities is necessary. Gunning the accelerator all the time isn't the key to driving. Of course, neither is slamming on the brakes every five feet. The key is finding a balance. Personally, I know I've been slacking a lot more than I should lately. (I'll counterbalance that come this fall) In my case, I need to get motivated to act more readily on my more practical, taxing ideas than on my passive, self-entertaining ideas. Some may need the opposite - They can't find the pause button for life. That's usually a harder situation to get out of, but in that case, the word "No" can be a close companion. "No, I can't make it to that party; have a good time, though!" "No, I won't stay up all night and watch the three Lord of the Rings Extended Editions with you, sorry!" Things like that.
Above all, whatever you choose to do, do it as well as you possibly can. If you're going to read a book, read the best book you can find. Don't spoil the moment by thinking about all the other stuff you have to do. Read that book! Immerse yourself into that book's world! (If you can literally do this, please give me a call) If you're doing the laundry, make it fun! Pretend you're Dr. Horrible or something, maybe. (Or Penny, as the case may be) Whatever you do, do it well and have fun with it.
Three random thoughts:
1. I've recently started playing Assassin's Creed 2. You can do some absurd things in that game; for example, knocking a civilian unconscious without anyone minding. Ahh, freedom in video games. You are silly.
2. I would think the phrase "Double Rainbow" would be self-explanatory.
3. Chipotle is still my favorite restaurant. As if there was any doubt.
Maybe.
Opportunities are different from obligations, and are much more available. For example, you have the opportunity to read the rest of this post. (I hope you will) You also have the opportunity to write your own blog, go to sleep, have a sandwich, etc. I assume just about everyone reading this has access to at least a computer, and probably much more. In my case, I could play one of about six gaming consoles lying around the house, or watch a favorite anime that my brother has on DVD. I could take a shower, read a book, clean my room... The choices are nearly endless. Some more practical than others.
And that's where there's trouble. Sometimes, I look at all I can do and freeze up. How am I supposed to decide on just one or two things to do when there's thousands upon thousands of possibilities in front of me? What if the thing I decide to do ends up being boring or worthless? Won't someone think of the children!? (Sorry, got a little carried away)
From my perspective, yes, there are probably better things you could be doing right now than reading a blog. But those things are usually more involved than reading. If there's nothing wrong with what you're doing, there's certainly no reason to regret doing it, even if it is boring. On the other hand, if you know you should be doing something and are purposefully avoiding it... Go do it. I'll wait. (NOTE: I apologize if your computer fries in the time it takes you to do whatever you needed to do)
Sometimes a little rest and relaxation from the more stressful activities is necessary. Gunning the accelerator all the time isn't the key to driving. Of course, neither is slamming on the brakes every five feet. The key is finding a balance. Personally, I know I've been slacking a lot more than I should lately. (I'll counterbalance that come this fall) In my case, I need to get motivated to act more readily on my more practical, taxing ideas than on my passive, self-entertaining ideas. Some may need the opposite - They can't find the pause button for life. That's usually a harder situation to get out of, but in that case, the word "No" can be a close companion. "No, I can't make it to that party; have a good time, though!" "No, I won't stay up all night and watch the three Lord of the Rings Extended Editions with you, sorry!" Things like that.
Above all, whatever you choose to do, do it as well as you possibly can. If you're going to read a book, read the best book you can find. Don't spoil the moment by thinking about all the other stuff you have to do. Read that book! Immerse yourself into that book's world! (If you can literally do this, please give me a call) If you're doing the laundry, make it fun! Pretend you're Dr. Horrible or something, maybe. (Or Penny, as the case may be) Whatever you do, do it well and have fun with it.
Three random thoughts:
1. I've recently started playing Assassin's Creed 2. You can do some absurd things in that game; for example, knocking a civilian unconscious without anyone minding. Ahh, freedom in video games. You are silly.
2. I would think the phrase "Double Rainbow" would be self-explanatory.
3. Chipotle is still my favorite restaurant. As if there was any doubt.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Obligations
Before we get any further, let me say that I'm not trying to be preachy in this post, just giving my worldview.
...So I guess I am being preachy. But I'm trying not to be overly preachy.
Monday, I posted about Expectations. Today, I'll post about Obligations. From a Christian perspective, I believe that I have a great number of obligations and, at the same time, very few. On the one hand, I am commanded to go and make disciples, to love my neighbor as myself, to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, and mind. That's a lofty order. On the other hand, I am told that I do all things through Christ who strengthens me (One of the verses in the Bible that is most frequently quoted improperly ... Not always taken out of context, but often) and that to be saved, I must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. How do these two prevalent truths of Scripture come together to agreement?
C.J. Mahaney, a brilliant speaker, gave a talk on this topic at the NEXT conference this year, but rather than spending two or three minutes digging up my notes, I'll see what I remember about it. First, let's look at our part. To put it simply, our part is not that big. We're supposed to obey. To serve God. And, most importantly, submit to God. The easiest thing to do is the hardest thing for me, because I want to be the most important person in my life. This may seem intuitive; of course I should want to be in control! I'm responsible, right? (Sometimes?) Unfortunately, we're not talking about being responsible or irresponsible; we're talking about good and evil.
That sounds rather intimidating, doesn't it? But if there is none righteous, no, not one (When something's repeated in the Bible, it's important), then how am I supposed to believe myself to be the one to set the standards for my life? The obvious answer is I'm not. So, who am I supposed to trust in? Again, the answer is apparent. God. He has done His part, He is doing His part, and He will do His part. Going back to Mahaney's talk, it's not as if we're doing our little part, and God is doing His big part; we're doing our part exclusively through God's power, for God's glory. Only in doing this can we find true, eternal joy, because only God can provide goodness. (For a further explanation of why doing things for God's glory is worthwhile, read John Piper's book Desiring God)
So, what is my obligation? To serve God, however He would use me, relying completely on His power. Easy to say, hard to do, but infinitely and eternally worthwhile. And it is a daily, hourly, minute-to-minute and second-to-second struggle, but it is good to know that we are not alone in the struggle. Whatever I do, whether I work, sleep, eat, act, blog, play video games... It can and should all be done through God, for God.
Any questions? Leave me a comment!
Three random thoughts:
1. I did some pen-and-paper role-playing tonight. Er, yesterday, technically. I got to karate chop someone.
2. I'm becoming more and more aware of how eclectic my music tastes are.
3. Me and a friend had a really bad run of matches on Halo 3 earlier. I think we won one out of seven or eight matches. That's why there's tomorrow, though.
...So I guess I am being preachy. But I'm trying not to be overly preachy.
Monday, I posted about Expectations. Today, I'll post about Obligations. From a Christian perspective, I believe that I have a great number of obligations and, at the same time, very few. On the one hand, I am commanded to go and make disciples, to love my neighbor as myself, to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, and mind. That's a lofty order. On the other hand, I am told that I do all things through Christ who strengthens me (One of the verses in the Bible that is most frequently quoted improperly ... Not always taken out of context, but often) and that to be saved, I must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. How do these two prevalent truths of Scripture come together to agreement?
C.J. Mahaney, a brilliant speaker, gave a talk on this topic at the NEXT conference this year, but rather than spending two or three minutes digging up my notes, I'll see what I remember about it. First, let's look at our part. To put it simply, our part is not that big. We're supposed to obey. To serve God. And, most importantly, submit to God. The easiest thing to do is the hardest thing for me, because I want to be the most important person in my life. This may seem intuitive; of course I should want to be in control! I'm responsible, right? (Sometimes?) Unfortunately, we're not talking about being responsible or irresponsible; we're talking about good and evil.
That sounds rather intimidating, doesn't it? But if there is none righteous, no, not one (When something's repeated in the Bible, it's important), then how am I supposed to believe myself to be the one to set the standards for my life? The obvious answer is I'm not. So, who am I supposed to trust in? Again, the answer is apparent. God. He has done His part, He is doing His part, and He will do His part. Going back to Mahaney's talk, it's not as if we're doing our little part, and God is doing His big part; we're doing our part exclusively through God's power, for God's glory. Only in doing this can we find true, eternal joy, because only God can provide goodness. (For a further explanation of why doing things for God's glory is worthwhile, read John Piper's book Desiring God)
So, what is my obligation? To serve God, however He would use me, relying completely on His power. Easy to say, hard to do, but infinitely and eternally worthwhile. And it is a daily, hourly, minute-to-minute and second-to-second struggle, but it is good to know that we are not alone in the struggle. Whatever I do, whether I work, sleep, eat, act, blog, play video games... It can and should all be done through God, for God.
Any questions? Leave me a comment!
Three random thoughts:
1. I did some pen-and-paper role-playing tonight. Er, yesterday, technically. I got to karate chop someone.
2. I'm becoming more and more aware of how eclectic my music tastes are.
3. Me and a friend had a really bad run of matches on Halo 3 earlier. I think we won one out of seven or eight matches. That's why there's tomorrow, though.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Expectations
Picture, if you will, a cafeteria at a college during any given meal. A student finds a seat with some of his friends and notices there are some unfamiliar faces at the table. He introduces himself, of course. "What's your major?" One of them asks. A harmless question, usually. "Math." He answers. "Oh yeah? What's 274 times 1823? You can do that in your head, right?"
I'm not sure this specific scenario has ever actually played out in my experience, but I have dealt with similar expectations several times. The idea that someone can perform such equations is not unreasonable, but the question I ask is, do they want to? Especially when they're sitting down for a meal, possibly directly before or after a class. Of course, this unfair demand is not exclusive to the math major; the history major may be asked who was president in a given year; a theatre major asked to recite an obscure piece of Shakespeare; A kinesiology major asked to... Umm... Hmm. Nothing comes to mind. (Just kidding! I love you, kines majors!)
The problem isn't limited to college, either. We (Yes, I'm guilty of this on occasion too) expect that people are more than willing to entertain us with the knowledge they've gleaned from their jobs or hobbies. Truth be told, while some hobbies are amusing to share with groups, several times this is the last thing they want to do. There's nothing wrong with sharing your hobbies, mind you, but expecting someone to perform on demand is, in a word, rude.
So, why am I posting about this? Partially because I like complaining. But! Also because it's something I believe should be addressed. This is a specific instance of a general occurrence - unfair expectations being placed on an individual. Instead of these expectations, we should explore each other's interests and talents, without forcing someone into becoming a performer to suit your needs.
So, there's a somewhat serious post. What do you think? More of this kind of thing? Less? More cowbell? Let me know.
Three random thoughts:
1. I'm still sick. This is disappointing to me.
2. Church was fantastic yesterday.
3. The internet can be a scary, scary place. This is a good and bad thing.
I'm not sure this specific scenario has ever actually played out in my experience, but I have dealt with similar expectations several times. The idea that someone can perform such equations is not unreasonable, but the question I ask is, do they want to? Especially when they're sitting down for a meal, possibly directly before or after a class. Of course, this unfair demand is not exclusive to the math major; the history major may be asked who was president in a given year; a theatre major asked to recite an obscure piece of Shakespeare; A kinesiology major asked to... Umm... Hmm. Nothing comes to mind. (Just kidding! I love you, kines majors!)
The problem isn't limited to college, either. We (Yes, I'm guilty of this on occasion too) expect that people are more than willing to entertain us with the knowledge they've gleaned from their jobs or hobbies. Truth be told, while some hobbies are amusing to share with groups, several times this is the last thing they want to do. There's nothing wrong with sharing your hobbies, mind you, but expecting someone to perform on demand is, in a word, rude.
So, why am I posting about this? Partially because I like complaining. But! Also because it's something I believe should be addressed. This is a specific instance of a general occurrence - unfair expectations being placed on an individual. Instead of these expectations, we should explore each other's interests and talents, without forcing someone into becoming a performer to suit your needs.
So, there's a somewhat serious post. What do you think? More of this kind of thing? Less? More cowbell? Let me know.
Three random thoughts:
1. I'm still sick. This is disappointing to me.
2. Church was fantastic yesterday.
3. The internet can be a scary, scary place. This is a good and bad thing.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
A Decision
Rather than a "Posting-When-I-Feel-Like-It" schedule, I've decided to go for a Monday-Wednesday-Friday posting schedule.
We now return you to your normally scheduled programming.
(No random thoughts today. Very specific thoughts only.)
We now return you to your normally scheduled programming.
(No random thoughts today. Very specific thoughts only.)
Friday, July 16, 2010
The Obligatory Music Blog Post
Looking at my polls, the unanimous request from my (three) responders is for a post about music. So, here it is.
Looking at my iTunes "Top 25 Most Played", I have seven different artists. Seven of the songs are Japanese, ten are sung by Reese Roper (Lead singer of Five Iron Frenzy and Brave Saint Saturn, two excellent bands), and only one song that I would have any chance of hearing if I flipped on the radio (Don't Stop Believin' - Journey).
But my favorite song on my top 25 Most Played, at the moment at least, is Invictus by Brave Saint Saturn. It's a song I forget about for a few weeks, then listen to again and remember why I like it so much. Reese Roper's voice, for better or for worse, is raw. Which suits this song perfectly. In Invictus, the singer recognizes his own brokenness in his attempts to earn God's love, then praises God's redemption and eternal love, regardless of our actions.
One of Reese Roper's continued themes is that of the incomparable love and grace of God for us, when we deserve absolutely none of it. (See... Er, hear also Dandelions by Five Iron Frenzy) Invictus, the final song on Brave Saint Saturn's most recent album, caps the Saturn Five trilogy (Yes, a trilogy of albums) by recognizing this grace and responding with thankfulness and awe.
If you haven't heard the song, and are too cheap to buy it, I'm sure it's on YouTube somewhere... Not that I would ever approve of such illicit practices as listening to music on YouTube.
So there you go. That's a post about music.
Three random thoughts:
1. This actually wasn't one of the ideas I had stewing in my mind last night. Go figure.
2. Don't you hate it when you think you're over being sick, and you aren't?
3. I've been having some weird dreams lately. Not "Whoa, reality is gone!" dreams, but "What was I thinking that prompted that?" dreams. Maybe I'll tell you about some of them... If I ever remember them well enough to put into writing.
Looking at my iTunes "Top 25 Most Played", I have seven different artists. Seven of the songs are Japanese, ten are sung by Reese Roper (Lead singer of Five Iron Frenzy and Brave Saint Saturn, two excellent bands), and only one song that I would have any chance of hearing if I flipped on the radio (Don't Stop Believin' - Journey).
But my favorite song on my top 25 Most Played, at the moment at least, is Invictus by Brave Saint Saturn. It's a song I forget about for a few weeks, then listen to again and remember why I like it so much. Reese Roper's voice, for better or for worse, is raw. Which suits this song perfectly. In Invictus, the singer recognizes his own brokenness in his attempts to earn God's love, then praises God's redemption and eternal love, regardless of our actions.
One of Reese Roper's continued themes is that of the incomparable love and grace of God for us, when we deserve absolutely none of it. (See... Er, hear also Dandelions by Five Iron Frenzy) Invictus, the final song on Brave Saint Saturn's most recent album, caps the Saturn Five trilogy (Yes, a trilogy of albums) by recognizing this grace and responding with thankfulness and awe.
If you haven't heard the song, and are too cheap to buy it, I'm sure it's on YouTube somewhere... Not that I would ever approve of such illicit practices as listening to music on YouTube.
So there you go. That's a post about music.
Three random thoughts:
1. This actually wasn't one of the ideas I had stewing in my mind last night. Go figure.
2. Don't you hate it when you think you're over being sick, and you aren't?
3. I've been having some weird dreams lately. Not "Whoa, reality is gone!" dreams, but "What was I thinking that prompted that?" dreams. Maybe I'll tell you about some of them... If I ever remember them well enough to put into writing.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
A Slow, Long Day
Today, I've spent the most of the my time accomplishing the Endless Setlist 2 from Rock Band 2, playing Guitar on Expert difficulty. After playing 84 songs, I'm rather exhausted. Therefore, I don't have much of a desire to write. That being said, I do have several ideas for blogs stewing in my mind... I simply lack the spark at the moment. I may write tomorrow, though.
Look forward to it!
Three random thoughts:
1. My absolute least favorite song on Rock Band 2 is "Visions" by Abnormality. Not so much for the difficulty (Although it is obnoxiously hard), but because of its lack of redeeming quality as music.
2. I thought I was done being sick yesterday morning. I was wrong. Thankfully, I think I'm almost recovered.
3. Part of the returning sickness might be due to the fact I spent over an hour trying to fall asleep last night. And... That's all I have to say about that.
Look forward to it!
Three random thoughts:
1. My absolute least favorite song on Rock Band 2 is "Visions" by Abnormality. Not so much for the difficulty (Although it is obnoxiously hard), but because of its lack of redeeming quality as music.
2. I thought I was done being sick yesterday morning. I was wrong. Thankfully, I think I'm almost recovered.
3. Part of the returning sickness might be due to the fact I spent over an hour trying to fall asleep last night. And... That's all I have to say about that.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Ponyo Wants Ham!
I finally watched Ponyo last night. (Technically this morning, but that's another matter) I had wanted to see it since it came out, but I was in college at the time of its release, and Marshall, Texas is not exactly a cultural hub. I remember hearing many negative reviews at the time, primarily bemoaning its childish nature. Now that I've seen it, I can give my opinion.
The story is loosely based on The Little Mermaid: Fish-girl (Ponyo) runs away from home; boy (Sosuke) finds Ponyo (who discovers ham); Ponyo's father reclaims Ponyo, but Ponyo wants to be with Sosuke; Ponyo escapes, and... Well, that's where some differentiation comes in. I'll let you watch it to find out.
I watched the dub, rather than the subtitled version, since Ghibli usually gets a good cast. This time was no exception. If I have an issue with the voices, it's that Liam Neeson's voice is so distinct, I had trouble separating him from his character. The alternative version of the ending song in the American version, however, was... Distressing, I would say. Let it suffice that it is titled "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (Remix)". (I'm not going to take the time to look it up. If you want to hear it, I'm sure you can find it somewhere) However, all things considered, a good dub.
Visually, the film is amazing, as one would expect from Miyazaki. Like his other films (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, etc.), it's easy to see the love and detail put into the animation. As for the story, I found it enjoyable, if a bit simplistic. My main problem was that there were several side-stories that could have been far more fleshed out, but never reached their potential. At the same time, there were a few moments that felt rather unnecessary. However, bearing in mind that the film is intended for children, I'm willing to let this slide.
All in all, it was definitely worth my time; not Miyazaki's best work, but well done and certainly better than I might have feared from some of the reviews I had read. If you have enjoyed Miyazaki's other works, I would recommend it. If you haven't seen his other films, it might be better to watch one of his other films first. Then again, there's nothing to prevent you from enjoying it on its own, except perhaps the level of Eastern influence. In other words, Ponyo probably won't make you into an anime lover, but it would be at home in any otaku's collection.
Three random thoughts:
1. It's been raining off and on since around 6 PM. This is a very good thing, since we're in a drought here in Northern Virginia.
2. I went to Dixie Bones earlier, also known as the home of the greatest barbecue stuffed potatoes known to man. Yes, their other food is good, but a chicken stuffed potato with the white sauce is fantastic.
3. I've been sick, but fortunately, it's manifested as little more than a very runny nose and a bit of a sore throat. Hopefully this will not change for the worse.
The story is loosely based on The Little Mermaid: Fish-girl (Ponyo) runs away from home; boy (Sosuke) finds Ponyo (who discovers ham); Ponyo's father reclaims Ponyo, but Ponyo wants to be with Sosuke; Ponyo escapes, and... Well, that's where some differentiation comes in. I'll let you watch it to find out.
I watched the dub, rather than the subtitled version, since Ghibli usually gets a good cast. This time was no exception. If I have an issue with the voices, it's that Liam Neeson's voice is so distinct, I had trouble separating him from his character. The alternative version of the ending song in the American version, however, was... Distressing, I would say. Let it suffice that it is titled "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (Remix)". (I'm not going to take the time to look it up. If you want to hear it, I'm sure you can find it somewhere) However, all things considered, a good dub.
Visually, the film is amazing, as one would expect from Miyazaki. Like his other films (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, etc.), it's easy to see the love and detail put into the animation. As for the story, I found it enjoyable, if a bit simplistic. My main problem was that there were several side-stories that could have been far more fleshed out, but never reached their potential. At the same time, there were a few moments that felt rather unnecessary. However, bearing in mind that the film is intended for children, I'm willing to let this slide.
All in all, it was definitely worth my time; not Miyazaki's best work, but well done and certainly better than I might have feared from some of the reviews I had read. If you have enjoyed Miyazaki's other works, I would recommend it. If you haven't seen his other films, it might be better to watch one of his other films first. Then again, there's nothing to prevent you from enjoying it on its own, except perhaps the level of Eastern influence. In other words, Ponyo probably won't make you into an anime lover, but it would be at home in any otaku's collection.
Three random thoughts:
1. It's been raining off and on since around 6 PM. This is a very good thing, since we're in a drought here in Northern Virginia.
2. I went to Dixie Bones earlier, also known as the home of the greatest barbecue stuffed potatoes known to man. Yes, their other food is good, but a chicken stuffed potato with the white sauce is fantastic.
3. I've been sick, but fortunately, it's manifested as little more than a very runny nose and a bit of a sore throat. Hopefully this will not change for the worse.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
I Have A Ph.D. In Horribleness
How do you expect to make it into the Evil League of Evil without a memorable laugh?
Sorry, I watched Dr. Horrible for about the twentieth time last night. It was just as good as ever, of course.
Today is my brother's birthday. We celebrated with Carrabba's and a Birthday Cookie. (Not to be confused with a birthday cake. Our family is not overly fond of cake, you see.) Other than that and church, the day passed with little consequence. No complaints from me, mind you. Cookies and Carrabba's is quite enough consequence for me.
...I thought I had a good post topic brewing in my mind, but it slipped away. Instead, I'll talk about Dr. Horrible some more, or at least what I know of it. Okay? OK.
During the Writer's Strike (remember the Writer's Strike? Ahh, memories), Joss Whedon of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame decided to create a low-budget musical webseries to be initially released completely free of charge or advertising. He pulled together some of his closest cohorts, including Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day leading the cast. The whole affair is wonderfully written and performed, especially considering the circumstances. But that's not the important thing.
Joss proved that it's possible to produce low-budget content for the internet and, after releasing it for free, monetize it effectively. While others had done this before him, none had done it so effectively, or with such a high quality product. This series of three fifteen-minute acts set a precedent. If Joss can do it, we can do it. Granted, we don't have the resources Mr. Whedon has, and we certainly don't have the rabid fanbase (Not yet, anyway), but the guy who had his two most recent shows canceled within the first two seasons due to low ratings managed to create waves that still haven't settled.
Is Dr. Horrible the finest film ever produced? Probably not. Is it historically significant for the world of film? I would guess so. While there was already web-based content from several major television shows, the quality was typically lacking, or was simply outtakes of what they didn't have time to air. Now, creating original, innovative content specifically for a web audience is not only possible, it's practical.
"So what?" You may be asking. Well. Allow me to encourage you to act upon your dreams, whatever they may be. Apply for that job. Talk to that certain someone you're interested in. Start a blog. Whatever it is, try it. What's the worst that could happen? You fail, and try something even better next time? They don't have to be your biggest dreams. We all have little dreams that could turn into something big, right?
Three random thoughts:
1. This didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would. Hopefully that doesn't say anything negative about its quality...
2. If you haven't seen Toy Story 3 yet, you are missing out.
3. If you haven't seen Toy Story 1 or 2 yet, you may not be welcome back here.
Sorry, I watched Dr. Horrible for about the twentieth time last night. It was just as good as ever, of course.
Today is my brother's birthday. We celebrated with Carrabba's and a Birthday Cookie. (Not to be confused with a birthday cake. Our family is not overly fond of cake, you see.) Other than that and church, the day passed with little consequence. No complaints from me, mind you. Cookies and Carrabba's is quite enough consequence for me.
...I thought I had a good post topic brewing in my mind, but it slipped away. Instead, I'll talk about Dr. Horrible some more, or at least what I know of it. Okay? OK.
During the Writer's Strike (remember the Writer's Strike? Ahh, memories), Joss Whedon of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame decided to create a low-budget musical webseries to be initially released completely free of charge or advertising. He pulled together some of his closest cohorts, including Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day leading the cast. The whole affair is wonderfully written and performed, especially considering the circumstances. But that's not the important thing.
Joss proved that it's possible to produce low-budget content for the internet and, after releasing it for free, monetize it effectively. While others had done this before him, none had done it so effectively, or with such a high quality product. This series of three fifteen-minute acts set a precedent. If Joss can do it, we can do it. Granted, we don't have the resources Mr. Whedon has, and we certainly don't have the rabid fanbase (Not yet, anyway), but the guy who had his two most recent shows canceled within the first two seasons due to low ratings managed to create waves that still haven't settled.
Is Dr. Horrible the finest film ever produced? Probably not. Is it historically significant for the world of film? I would guess so. While there was already web-based content from several major television shows, the quality was typically lacking, or was simply outtakes of what they didn't have time to air. Now, creating original, innovative content specifically for a web audience is not only possible, it's practical.
"So what?" You may be asking. Well. Allow me to encourage you to act upon your dreams, whatever they may be. Apply for that job. Talk to that certain someone you're interested in. Start a blog. Whatever it is, try it. What's the worst that could happen? You fail, and try something even better next time? They don't have to be your biggest dreams. We all have little dreams that could turn into something big, right?
Three random thoughts:
1. This didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would. Hopefully that doesn't say anything negative about its quality...
2. If you haven't seen Toy Story 3 yet, you are missing out.
3. If you haven't seen Toy Story 1 or 2 yet, you may not be welcome back here.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Beginnings
Welcome to the wild world of Livin' The Stereotype!
That was more for my own benefit than yours. Sorry.
I've wanted to start a blog for a while, and even tried it once. And didn't tell anyone. Oops. This time I'll actually tell people I'm doing it. (In case you're wondering, I only ever posted about three things, then deleted it, so no, I won't link to it) That being said, I'll actually have to post somewhat frequently to get people to read. Two to three times a week at first, maybe. We'll see where it goes from there.
Future posts will be more substantial; being an introduction, I only have so much to say right now.
I'll close with three random thoughts.
1. I'm watching House as I write this, and it's one of the few consistently good shows in recent memory.
2. I shaved earlier. I think I've only cut myself once while shaving. which I'm quite proud of.
3. What would happen if they handed out vuvuzelas at weddings?
That was more for my own benefit than yours. Sorry.
I've wanted to start a blog for a while, and even tried it once. And didn't tell anyone. Oops. This time I'll actually tell people I'm doing it. (In case you're wondering, I only ever posted about three things, then deleted it, so no, I won't link to it) That being said, I'll actually have to post somewhat frequently to get people to read. Two to three times a week at first, maybe. We'll see where it goes from there.
Future posts will be more substantial; being an introduction, I only have so much to say right now.
I'll close with three random thoughts.
1. I'm watching House as I write this, and it's one of the few consistently good shows in recent memory.
2. I shaved earlier. I think I've only cut myself once while shaving. which I'm quite proud of.
3. What would happen if they handed out vuvuzelas at weddings?
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