| |
Wed - January 3, 2007
The Rock Show Attendee's Creed
 "I
believe in Iggy,
Jimi, Chryssie, and
Joe
Strummer, the Parents Almighty, Creator of heaven on earth; I believe
in Malcolm
McClaren and Sid Vicious, His
only Son. I believe in punk, lo-fi and gangsta, indie,
post-punk,
indie-pop, rock, singer-songwriter,
and insurgent
country, conceived by Uncle Tupelo, born
of Jeff
Tweedy who suffers, as does Lou Barlow. I
believe in Squirrelbait and
Johnny Cash.
I believe in the Motor
City. I will respectfully love and fear Tad. I believe
in Superchunk
and PJ Harvey.
I believe in new bands and will never pretend to know music I have never heard,
so my mind may stay open and I will sitteth at the right hand of Mission of
Burma so I may one day ascend to heaven, where I will be greeted by
Sonic Youth,
Eazy-E, and Mike Watt. I will not
listen to rock critics, but trust my own ears. I believe in DIY, zines, Yo La Tengo, the
communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of Cobain, and rock
everlasting. Amen."My only contention
with the above is in the first line. It should include Dylan. Of course,
there are many artists missing who had a huge impact on all forms of music, but
all in all, a great creed.(If you
don't know who these people are, please, click the links. I'll just feel old if
I have to tell you.)
Fri - April 23, 2004
In Love and Spiritual Matters
After posting about love
the other day, I thought this would be an appropriate song to post. It's from
Melissa
Etheridge's new album, Lucky.
If you've got iTunes,
download it from the music
store! Is this a guy, or is this God? Only Melissa
knows.
When You Find the
One
Well
I
was
a
slick
midwestern
gal
On
a
long
hard
road
into
southern
cal
Didn't
find
any
crime
fillin'
up
all
my
time
I
had
the
devil
in
my
bones
and
an
angel
on
my
mind
and
I
drank
up
all
the
movies
and
I
searched
for
happy
endings
I
turned
love
inside
out
till
I
was
perfectly
pretending
still
I
believed
it
could
be
true
that
when
you
find
the
one
There's
no
question
in
the
silence
All
is
said
and
done
when
you
find
the
one
when
you
find
the
one
Yeah
you
could
say
that
I
was
crazy
I
was
that
kinda
girl
I
had
to
open
up
a
lot
of
oysters
before
I
found
myself
a
pearl
I
had
to
kiss
a
lot
of
frogs
to
find
my
grass
was
green
enough
had
to
be
face
down
in
the
gutter
to
see
what
is
and
isn't
love
Then
I
woke
from
all
the
dreaming
to
your
taste
and
to
your
laughter
I
cried
till
I
was
dry
and
now
live
my
ever
after
I
believe
I
always
knew
When
you
find
the
one
There's
no
question
in
the
silence
All
is
said
and
done
when
you
find
the
one
When
you
find
the
one
And
when
you
make
the
choice
to
believe
in
your
existence
with
hello
you
will
know
when
you
find
the
one
I
believe
it
could
be
true
yes
I
believe
I
always
knew
and
I
believe
it
could
be
true
and
believe
i
always
knew
when
you
find
the
one
There's
no
question
in
the
silence
All
is
said
and
done
when
you
find
the
one
And
when
you
make
the
choice
to
believe
in
your
existence
with
hello
you
will
know
when
you
find
the
one
with
hello
you
will
know
Fri - February 6, 2004
I'm Afraid I'm Not Supposed to be This Way
Well I'm afraid I'm not supposed to be like this
Like I was born in a land where no serpent
hissed
And I have waited a long time for Your
kiss
Well I have felt that they'd all
take offense at me
And so a fence I have built
to protect the seed
But all the bricks will
secure its mortality
I have been seated
in circles and stood in disgrace
At the noted
intention to be in place
And I have seen that
one man saved the human race
But it took His
life and it took His faith
I have risen
from ashes and fed on flames
But even so I
still fear I have played a game
And it seems
no one else is as sick and depraved
I
have heard that I'm not supposed to be this way
And still the stones that are lifted fall down
to stay
But I keep doubting and think one will
strike my face
He's been promising me
something more than pain
Where the cost is
grace and my loss is gain
And I have chosen
because there is no other way
I either wallow
in shame
Or humble myself and be saved
And be saved
Thu - January 15, 2004
More to Come
Yeah...I'm starting over again. It's a long
story.
But I will get back with you!!
Wed - August 21, 2002
On Writing
I realize I haven't been blogging about the books I've been reading. So I
thought I'd start with the book I am currently reading (well, one of them...I
tend to read several at a time.)
Stephen King's On Writing came out in
paperback recently, so I picked up a copy and dove right in. The first part of
the book is stories about his growing up, mainly surrounding his discovery of
writing and the process through which he learns to write. Since I have been a
Stephen King fan most of my life (sorry, Steve...I know that makes you feel
old,) I really enjoyed that section.
The second part of the book
is his advice about writing. It is aimed mainly at fiction writing, or at least
book writing, and I don't reallly aspire to write books (I really don't think I
have the talent and I doubt you think I do, either,) there is good advice on
writing in general. I won't spoil the book by telling you what the advice is,
just that it is good.
If you are interested in writing at all, or
just interested in Stevie, pick up a copy and support his writing
habit.
Thu - August 15, 2002
Fight Club
It pains me to post something that will move The Matrix post down and eventually
off this screen. Never fear, however, you can always click on the link to the
right and get to it!
First of all, let me say that my favorite guys
name is Jack, so this Fight Club had a point for it right from the beginning.
And I usually like Brad Pitt, so that's another 1/2 point (hey, I don't always
like him!) But this was definately a movie you had to hang with for a scene or
two. I mean, what the heck is going on?!
But as the movie rolls
and you relax and join Jack's world, things start to make sense. I mean, this is
a guy whose life is falling apart for reasons we don't really know but can
guess, who is being brainwashed by this other guy, Tyler, who is pretty wacko
but also pretty cool. OK. Mostly he's wacko. But I love the punch line, which I
won't ruin here, even though I've warned you to watch the movie before you read
this. (Do you ever do as you're told?)
Of course, the psychology
of the movie is quite interesting. First of all, the way Tyler brainwashes the
men who have come to trust him. The way he abuses them and they come back for
more...he gives them hope of becoming enlightened and they allow him to form
them into whatever army he desires. Only Jack seems to notice that this stuff
isn't healthy or good, but he seems to feel that there is nothing he can do
about it. Until the punch line, of course. A movie about truly knowing yourself
and allowing yourself to grow and change, giving yourself permission to be a
little loony in the process. Yeah, that's an extreme simplification, but you
really should analyze this movie for yourself, you know. What it means to me
might not be what it means to you. But my point of view is still valid. And
yours could be wrong.
The dialogue in this movie is great. The
monologues have the appropriate affect of giving you a glimpse into Tyler's
motives and Jack's frustrations as well as provide a great commentary on our
culture. The Martha Stewart line is the my favorite.
One thing he
says, "We’re the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We
have no Great War…no Great Depression. Our Great War’s a spiritual
war. Our Great Depression is our lives," is something I've heard about our
generation (at least those of us on the cusp of boomer & X)
is that
we don't hane anything to fight, so we fight ourselves. We turn in on our own
culture and society because we need a way to identify ourselves somehow. I don't
know how true this is, but it sure seems to hold true to some degree. I mean,
after Sept. 9th, didn't people ban together and put aside their petty
differences for a while? We found a common enemy, so we also found a common
friend? The world became a little kinder and gentler for a while. Even New
Yorkers had to be pleasant to each other. I see some truth here in what Tyler is
saying.
Of course, there is truth in almost everything Tyler says.
It's just his solutions that we aren't sure about. Well, we're sure about them,
actually...sure that they aren't solutions. But Tyler is who he is, so what can
you do?
I must admit, though...seeing Brad Pitt deliver those
lines is one thing. Imagining Edward Norton saying them...well, I can't imagine
him getting those guys to follow him the same way. I don't know why. I
mean...who ever heard of a cult leader named 'Ed?' Of course, 'Brad' doesn't
really do it for me, either. I guess 'Jack' really is the best name. 'Jack' can
be anybody.
Hmmmm...but can anybody be Jack?
Tue - July 2, 2002
The Matrix
Woah. This movie has altered my life perspectives. It has made me rethink my
paradigms, delve deeper into scripture, and covet black dusters. There is far
too much to say about this movie to do it here. I will summarize as best I can
then leave you with a few links that will keep you tumbling down the rabbit
hole.
The cast for the movie is amazing. Someone to
emulate, someone to draw wisdom from and someone to dream about. You pick which
ones do what for you. This movie had the action, the lighting, the intelligence,
the acting, the music, and some of the most quotable lines. But you know all
this.
The philosophies...what a superb job of interweaving western
and eastern philosophies without trampling either too badly. After all, a
parable can only go so far. This movie manages to take them pretty far, though,
and yet it is done so masterfully that you don't have to feel badly about
missing any or all of them. The layers peel like paint on a hundred year old
house, but from a distance you see just the top layer.
I feel like
the main theme of the movie is faith...faith in absolute truth without physical
evidence. Morpheus asks, "What is reality? How do you define reality?" But I
think you could use the word 'truth' here and have the same meaning for the
movie. Neo is asked to 'free his mind' from the constraints of the physical
world that he understands and accept the 'truth' that he can bend reality, that
he is, when in the construct, able to bend or break many physical laws. Parallel
that to putting your faith in God, whom you don't see and whose power is beyond
comprehension. Great parallel, huh? There is so much more, though. Are you
beginning to believe?
Further paralleling Christian scripture, you
have a death and resurrection scene, (actually, there are three, 2 of them
include a baptism,) disciples who don't really know what to think, John the
Baptist, prophesies, a lesson in sacrificial love, demons, Judas Iscariat, three
temptations in the desert, a reference to the 2 lives we live, one physical the
other not, and oh so much more.
Now, what's really going to bake
your noodle is that the movie is so loaded with spiritual references, a majority
of them Judeo/Christian themes, that finding them all is nearly impossible.
There is Neo ('the one' who is to save us), Trinity, the Nebuchadnezzar
(literally, "Nebo, protect the crown"...Nebo was the Babylonian God of Wisdom
who later acknowledged God's power and goodness. There is more, but, not here.)
These are but a few of the obvious things. There is so much more that theses
have been composed. Very good ones, too. My two favorites are The
Matrix: Cyberpunk Parable? and Generation Exile and Neo
Restoration: A Study of Messianic Hope in The Matrix. There are many
others, but these are the most comprehensive and well
thought-out.
If you're interested, I have the DVD
script in html form. I also have put together an 86 page document that
includes Cyberpunk Parable along with my own comments...this one is nice because
it is in the order of the movie, so you can follow along with the DVD and catch
the references as they happen. I also added things like what names mean, what
each characters part in the parable is, tidbits about the making of the movie,
etc. If you're interested, let me
know. I'm working on combining them with the script, but it will take
me a while. Remember, I can only show you the door. You will have to go through
that door and see make up your own mind.
Wed - June 26, 2002
I See Live People
I just finished watching The Others on recommendation from several people. It
wasn't quite what I expected...I thought the story lacked something that I
haven't quite put my finger on, yet.
But the lighting amazed me. It lent a historic
or an other worldy feel...often you felt the scene had been shot with sepia film
and a few items colorized by hand, like an old photograph. Other times people
went from being very alive and full of color to pale and ghostly while the
camera never left their face. They also paid a great deal of attention to
makeup, going so far as to make people's eyes appear bright or dead, sometimes
glassy, sometimes sparkling. Some of the shots were very artful as well and did
a good job of adding to the suspense and eeriness of the plot.
I
did think Nicole Kidman choose a fine role...she is at her best when in a temper
and she got to spend quite a bit of time slamming doors, sweeping her skirts,
grandly entering or exiting a room. I like Ms. Kidman's acting a great deal,
whether she is firey or subdued, but she is one of the best firey actresses on
screen right now.
The plot left something to be desired, in my
opinion. The movie had a 'made for tv' feel that I expect came across even on
the big screen. Lots of inuendos, but not enough true suspense in some of the
characters to carry their weight in the plot. I never really got the feel anyone
was in danger, ghosts or no ghosts. I thought Alakina Mann who plays Anne did
the finest jpb of being drawing out the suspense and drama of her scenes. For a
while I expected her to turn out to be the 'evil' element of the story.
It wasn't a truly thought provoking movie, however. And since that
is what I am primarily interested in as of late, I don't have much else to say
about it. I didn't think the film was, overall, up to par for Ms. Kidman. I
applaud her willingness to take risks, though...so many actors and actresses
find what works for them and stick to it so long that you know exactly what will
happen in the movie the moment you see the credits on the poster. Perhaps that
is why she left Tom...he was too predictable. In any case, I am glad I waited
for The Others to come out on video. But the best thing about it, for me, was
definately the cinematography.
Fri - June 21, 2002
Moulin Rouge
What a hoot! I loved the way they combined songs and used lyrics as dialogue.
Just a fun movie!
I'm sure there are some Christian meanings in
there.. I mean, 'Christian' and 'Satine"...sounds like 'Satan' to me...she
brings him down into a horrible relationship that could never have worked,
promising him things she could never give him, leaving him broken hearted and
alone. But you really have to
stretch things to make that work. It's really just a fun, fun movie that should
be watched witht the volume up loud and plenty of floor
space.Be sure to check out the
official site...Moulin
Rouge
|
|
|
|
|
|
list!
