New Testament scholar Ben Witherington is one of those names that I often hear highly praised by reliable sources (like J.P. Holding, who runs the excellent Tekton Apologetics Ministry) but sadly, is also someone whose writings I have not read. I have seen him on several news/documentary specials on Jesus, Paul and other New Testament issues; sadly, in this context, Witherington is usually the token conservative scholar who is allowed a soundbite or two in response to guys like Crossan (I still think this guy lives in a television studio), Spong, Pagels and the other usual suspects.
Anyway, Dr. Witherington now has a blog, and he has recently posted a series of thoughts related to I John (stemming from work on a NT commentary project he is currently writing). The most recent two have been really good. One post directly confronts the Blue Fairy's advice to "always let your conscience be your guide." The second one addresses the idea of how much weight "inspiration" should be given in determining whether something is true. The thrust of both posts is that Christians all too often allow their sincere feelings, religious experiences, enthusiasms or "spirituality" to become their final court of appeals for determining what is truth, what is God's will, etc. Witherington argues that John specifically addresses the dangers of using these criteria for evaluating truth. As the Apostle points out, our own experiences can be distorted and misinterpreted either internally (by our own weaknesses) or externally (by demonic agents of deception). Only God's Word provides the basis by which we can evaluate truth claims.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Monday, August 01, 2005
Blue Like Jazz
Kristen (among others) has plugged this book for a while. I actually first heard of Donald Miller in 2001, from a friend who also introduced me to Anne Lamott, who passed along Miller's wonderfully eclectic but now out-of-print Prayer and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance. I passed it along to Gaines, and well, the rest is history. The word is out about this guy, and he's everywhere now.
I just wanted to share this fantastic review of the book by Walter Henegar, who works at ChristChurch Pres here in ATL. (It took me until the end of the article to figure out how I knew his name. We have friends who attend CCP, and visited one Sunday when our services were cancelled due to snow.)
Anyway, read the review and then go buy the book. I almost got it at the JEI conference-- they had an amazing, mouth-watering book table (If you're ever in Dallastown, PA, go there!)-- but now I think I'm going to have to spend some graduation money and order it from Amazon. I'm itching to read it....after I finish my final grad school assignment, of course!
I just wanted to share this fantastic review of the book by Walter Henegar, who works at ChristChurch Pres here in ATL. (It took me until the end of the article to figure out how I knew his name. We have friends who attend CCP, and visited one Sunday when our services were cancelled due to snow.)
Anyway, read the review and then go buy the book. I almost got it at the JEI conference-- they had an amazing, mouth-watering book table (If you're ever in Dallastown, PA, go there!)-- but now I think I'm going to have to spend some graduation money and order it from Amazon. I'm itching to read it....after I finish my final grad school assignment, of course!
The Ecclesiology of Bulk
The iMonk has a link to an interesting blogpost on "The Ecclesiology of Bulk." It is brief but pointed assessment of the all-too-prevalent mindset that numerical growth in a congregation equals spiritual health. Sadly, this viewpoint is often accepted yet never questioned in many circles of Evangelicalism today.
Creation, Redemption, and Good Work
Back in July at the Jonothan Edwards Institute's Trinity Conference, I attended the first two parts of a seminar entitled "Callings and Vocations: In Pursuit of Coherence, Vitality, and Excellence." Dave Westervelt, an EPC teaching elder, led the discussion, focusing mainly on ideas from Nancy Pearcy's Total Truth and Niebuhr's Christ and Culture. His opening seminar centered around the false division between secular and sacred work, and the erroneous elevation of the latter. He traced the history of the idea from medieval Catholicism to the present, and discussed its Gnostic roots. He contrasted this with the Biblical narrative of Creation and Redemption, reminding us that Christians have been appointed as God's agents in the world (reminding me of Tolkien's idea of sub-creation). And, because Christ's work on the cross will ultimately redeem ALL of Creation, Christians are called to participate in redemption through our vocations, whether as a businessman, electrician, mother, artist, engineer, or teacher. All callings are sacred callings. Westervelt fleshed out his discussion with nods to Calvin and other Reformers, as well as Niebuhr's work, with the idea that we are God's agents of reform (stemming from Luther's "priesthood of all believers"). He encouraged us not just to engage but to transform culture by doing whatever it is we do excellently. I returned from this conference very refreshed and excited about beginning my new job in a few weeks-- by teaching excellent literature excellently, I will be participating in God's redemption of good books. (For more on culture, art and literature, etc. see this page and read "Why the Mona Lisa Will Be in Heaven.")
Imagine my surprise a few weeks later when the speaker at the Sunday night service at our church began a three-part series on the exact same topic! Admittedly, Tyler Thigpen (whose name always makes me think of Shultz' Pigpen) organized his talks a bit better than Westervelt, framing his ideas in the context of "Creation," "Fall" and "The Renewal of All Things." I have been delighted to listen to this entertaining youth pastor draw from Scripture and writers like Nancy Pearcy, Os Guinness, C.S. Lewis, and others (he even cited an article from N.T. Wright!). He began by addressing the first command from God to Man: "Subdue the earth and fill it" and explained how God created work to be GOOD and that Eden was created with the potential for growth, not as a static "perfect" entity.
It was extremely refreshing to hear him echo ideas that had so recently been brought to my attention, as well as include a nice good bashing of Gnostics both ancient and modern (praise ponies!) as well as what Paul Marshall calls "lifeboat theology." (The world is going to be burned up anyway so we might as well get our ticket to heaven and bring as many people as we can with us.) Instead, Tyler called for the church and individual Christians to actively engage the world and participate in the renewal of all areas of the earth, including social justice, the environment, and individual vocations: to make disciples "as we go" and draw others into the journey with us. Tyler also discussed the guilt many Christians feel when called to work in fields that are not considered "full-time ministry" (similar to Westervelt's recollections of his own journey within the business community). "You mean evangelism, gospel-sharing, winning souls for Christ, and 'getting sentences into their heads' is not the only thing Christians are supposed to pursue?! What? I can actually take pride in my work and glorify God by being an excellent lawyer or business owner or ballet dancer?" Yep.
Last night, in the concluding presentation, he examined the scriptures concerning "the renewal of all things," adding stressors on "all things." As he reminded the congregation, the New Heavens and the New Earth will not be "new" in the sense of starting over from scratch, but will be re-newed as the God revealed in Christ fulfills his eternal plan of redemption. Christ's death on the cross and His resurrection served not only to save the souls of those whom Christ calls, but also the entire Creation-- cities, trees, animals-- the whole kit and kaboodle. Yay for his emphasis on complete redemption!
Basically, the guy preached a sermon series too rarely heard in evangelical circles. I'm glad some Christians are realizing they don't have to reinvent the wheel-- these ideas have actually been around for hundreds, even thousands, of years. (Thank you Irenaeus! Thank you Protestant Reformation!)
Imagine my surprise a few weeks later when the speaker at the Sunday night service at our church began a three-part series on the exact same topic! Admittedly, Tyler Thigpen (whose name always makes me think of Shultz' Pigpen) organized his talks a bit better than Westervelt, framing his ideas in the context of "Creation," "Fall" and "The Renewal of All Things." I have been delighted to listen to this entertaining youth pastor draw from Scripture and writers like Nancy Pearcy, Os Guinness, C.S. Lewis, and others (he even cited an article from N.T. Wright!). He began by addressing the first command from God to Man: "Subdue the earth and fill it" and explained how God created work to be GOOD and that Eden was created with the potential for growth, not as a static "perfect" entity.
It was extremely refreshing to hear him echo ideas that had so recently been brought to my attention, as well as include a nice good bashing of Gnostics both ancient and modern (praise ponies!) as well as what Paul Marshall calls "lifeboat theology." (The world is going to be burned up anyway so we might as well get our ticket to heaven and bring as many people as we can with us.) Instead, Tyler called for the church and individual Christians to actively engage the world and participate in the renewal of all areas of the earth, including social justice, the environment, and individual vocations: to make disciples "as we go" and draw others into the journey with us. Tyler also discussed the guilt many Christians feel when called to work in fields that are not considered "full-time ministry" (similar to Westervelt's recollections of his own journey within the business community). "You mean evangelism, gospel-sharing, winning souls for Christ, and 'getting sentences into their heads' is not the only thing Christians are supposed to pursue?! What? I can actually take pride in my work and glorify God by being an excellent lawyer or business owner or ballet dancer?" Yep.
Last night, in the concluding presentation, he examined the scriptures concerning "the renewal of all things," adding stressors on "all things." As he reminded the congregation, the New Heavens and the New Earth will not be "new" in the sense of starting over from scratch, but will be re-newed as the God revealed in Christ fulfills his eternal plan of redemption. Christ's death on the cross and His resurrection served not only to save the souls of those whom Christ calls, but also the entire Creation-- cities, trees, animals-- the whole kit and kaboodle. Yay for his emphasis on complete redemption!
Basically, the guy preached a sermon series too rarely heard in evangelical circles. I'm glad some Christians are realizing they don't have to reinvent the wheel-- these ideas have actually been around for hundreds, even thousands, of years. (Thank you Irenaeus! Thank you Protestant Reformation!)
The Far Country (Review)
David Mackle has a brief-but-good review of Andrew Peterson's latest effort, The Far Country, to be released on August 30. Check it out!
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
"Save Ginny Weasley from the Basilisk..."
Thanks to Barlow, Gaines has downloaded some music from Harry and the Potters onto our computer and delights in singing the songs around the house. Despite the lackluster lyrics, incompetent music and my previous protestations, I can't get them out of my head! They're just too catchy! If they ever happen to come within reasonable roadtripping distance, I think I'd just have to witness this phenomenon firsthand.
Listen here.
Gaines sez: Please, please be sure to read their tour diary. These guys are funny! Why can't they come to my town, though?
Listen here.
Gaines sez: Please, please be sure to read their tour diary. These guys are funny! Why can't they come to my town, though?
To know Him and make Him known
A member over at the Thinklings has posted some great thoughts on the two-fold purpose of the church.
Living within that tension is a difficult and glorious thing which requires much prayer. And much love.
Living within that tension is a difficult and glorious thing which requires much prayer. And much love.
Carson on the New Perspective
I'm listening to a series of lectures that D.A. Carson delivered at RTS-Charlotte regarding the so-called New Perspective on Paul. Here are my amateur musings and observations on them:
Admittedly, I still have one lecture left, but I have not been thoroughly impressed so far. To be fair, Carson has attempted to lay out an overview of the NPP and the differing strands of thought to which that moniker has been assigned. Although his stated purpose is to critique the manifold problems he perceives within the NPP, his tone is less antagonistic(albeit condescending in several places) than the level of vitriol found in other discussions on the topic. And, he has stated on more than one occasion that the NPP and related authors have made worthwhile contributions in some areas. But, overall, I think Carson's overview suffers from many of the same problems as other critiques of this topic.
Although Carson makes the standard disclaimers that "there is no 'new perspective' but rather several 'new perspectives,'" he -- like many others -- tends to lump them indiscriminately together in his discussion. Although he traces academic developments from E.P. Sanders to James Dunn to N.T. Wright, he often seems to gloss over the specific differences between them. Although I have not read Sanders or Dunn, I am familiar with several places in Wright's work where he criticizes or even rejects the positions held by the other two. Carson's presentation, however, tends to iron over these distinctions. He will give a specific example or citation from a particular author, but his delivery gives one the impression that it is the uniform NPP view.
For example, Carson discusses the debated usage of God's "righteousness," both in the Hebrew and Greek. The broad NPP understanding is that this term refers to God's covenantal faithfulness, rather than an abstract moral quality. However, Carson rejects this view on the basis of Old Testament word studies which show "righteousness" most often appearing amidst references to God's justice and judgment against the wicked. But Carson has limited "covenantal faithfulness" such that it only refers to God's faithfulness in blessing His covenant people. If this limitation was accurate, then Carson has a point. I cannot speak to Sanders or Dunn, but Wright's understanding of "righteousness" is certainly not restricted in this way. Far from it. Wright's understanding of God's righteousness is not merely referring to YHWH's blessing of His people but also to His promise that the broken creation will be "put to rights" (as NTW often puts it) -- that is, God's own promise that He will undo the cosmic results of the Fall, to protect the helpless and to punish the wicked. (See, for example, Wright's description of a "righteous judge" used by the lawcourt metaphor, as shown in What Saint Paul Really Said.) With this in mind, Carson's critique seems to fall flat.
Another pervasive problem with Carson's presentation is that he (like many others) begs the question as to the meaning of justification. One interesting quote (paraphrased) from Carson: "They [the NPP] make justification a matter NOT about who is just but about who is a covenant member." I thought this statement was silly, and he actually repeated it another time or two. How can it not be about who is "just" if "justification" (however it may be defined) is in view? It reveals the recurring problem that many of Wright's Reformed critics keep slipping back into the traditional usage of terms like "justification," even when Wright's whole argument is that the traditional usage is incorrect. Again, Wright needs to be evaluated in his own terms before passing judgment.
Carson also takes issue with Wright's usage of the exile motif, drawing attention to NTW's claim that the Deuteronomic cycle of blessing and curse had not yet been fulfilled by the time of 2nd Temple Judaism. Carson claims that the Deuteronomic history (and the remainder of the Old Testament) establishes the pattern of man's utter inability to keep the Law. This, he claims, negates Wright's (alleged) indications that Israel had the potential to keep the covenant and be blessed as a result "if they tried hard enough." But this is not fair to Wright's own position. Israel's history is not merely a series of object lessons on the pervasiveness of man's sin and his need for grace (although that lesson is certainly there!). As Wright points out, Israel is a vital component in the work of redemption on many levels. The notion, offered by Carson as Wright's own, that national Israel could have somehow kept the Law and been blessed for obedience seems greatly at odds with Wright's own teaching about the "dark purposes of the Law," namely that a major purpose of the Law was to gather sin into one place so that God could deal with it, once and for all.
Actually, much of Carson's discussion of the exile motif proved frustrating. Although one could argue that perhaps Wright gets a bit too much mileage out of it, some of Carson's rebuttal was far from convincing. For instance, he takes issues with Wright's view that Second Temple Jews saw themselves as being in exile as punishment for their corporate sins. He points to Qumran as a sect believing itself to be a righteous remnant, the true and faithful Israel amidst a nation of corruption and compromise. Hence, they did not see themselves suffering under the weight of corporate guilt for the sins of the nation. But Carson himself admits that Qumran still saw themselves in a kind of exile, since the Temple and the land as a whole were under the control of corrupt leadership. So the exile motif still remains intact.
One of Carson's arguments against the exile motif that rang extremely bizarre was his discussion of the Judaizers in Galatians. If the majority of Jews saw themselves as being in exile, says Carson, then the Galatian Christians would never dream of returning to being Jews. Who in their right mind, he asks, would willingly go back into exile? But this assessment simply assumes too much. Was the problem really that the Galatian church was being tempted to return to Judaism? It seems far more likely that the Judaizers were convincing the Galatians to syncretize their Christian faith with Jewish Torah-keeping. In that case, the Judaizers could easily have believed that the death and resurrection of Jesus brought the end of the exile (per Wright) while incorrectly insisting on strict Torah observance. So Carson's whole line about the Galatians willingly returning to exile makes no sense.
(It was interesting to see that Carson admits to engaging in a fair amount of historical speculation on his own part. His view of Galatians, for example, has the "certain men from James" in chapter two as being unconverted Jews sent from Jerusalem to Antioch.)
One other annoyance: Carson again referenced the now-apocryphal story about Wright being questioned about what he would tell a person on their death-bed about how they might be saved. The story goes that Wright's answer was "I'll have to think about it." Interestingly enough, Wright specifically addressed this story at the Auburn Conference back in January. Not only did he deny that the alleged story ever took place, he also explained that he would have no pat response, because every situation is different. What kind of person are we talking about? A non-Christian? A baptized church goer? etc. Personally, this answer seems pretty sensible to me, but I'm sure some will see it as a cop-out. Carson even made a quip that, since the story has been making the rounds for awhile, Wright undoubtedly has whipped up a clever answer. (One interesting tidbit that came out, though: Carson himself admitted that this story comes second-hand from another colleague and not from his own experience.)
So, all in all, the lectures have proven somewhat frustrating. Carson does make the good point that the evidence shows a spectrum of diversity amidst Jews of the Second Temple Period. As such, there is always a danger of painting with too broad a brush. And Carson even admits that his critique of the NPP should not be perceived as advocating an uncritical return to the traditional "old perspective." Too many questions have been raised that cannot be properly answered under the old paradigm. Unfortunately, Carson's review often appears guilty of arguing against positions that are not actually held by the men he is discussing. Until these discussions can be framed in ways such that each side is actually addressing the other, it looks like the miscommunication will continue.
Admittedly, I still have one lecture left, but I have not been thoroughly impressed so far. To be fair, Carson has attempted to lay out an overview of the NPP and the differing strands of thought to which that moniker has been assigned. Although his stated purpose is to critique the manifold problems he perceives within the NPP, his tone is less antagonistic(albeit condescending in several places) than the level of vitriol found in other discussions on the topic. And, he has stated on more than one occasion that the NPP and related authors have made worthwhile contributions in some areas. But, overall, I think Carson's overview suffers from many of the same problems as other critiques of this topic.
Although Carson makes the standard disclaimers that "there is no 'new perspective' but rather several 'new perspectives,'" he -- like many others -- tends to lump them indiscriminately together in his discussion. Although he traces academic developments from E.P. Sanders to James Dunn to N.T. Wright, he often seems to gloss over the specific differences between them. Although I have not read Sanders or Dunn, I am familiar with several places in Wright's work where he criticizes or even rejects the positions held by the other two. Carson's presentation, however, tends to iron over these distinctions. He will give a specific example or citation from a particular author, but his delivery gives one the impression that it is the uniform NPP view.
For example, Carson discusses the debated usage of God's "righteousness," both in the Hebrew and Greek. The broad NPP understanding is that this term refers to God's covenantal faithfulness, rather than an abstract moral quality. However, Carson rejects this view on the basis of Old Testament word studies which show "righteousness" most often appearing amidst references to God's justice and judgment against the wicked. But Carson has limited "covenantal faithfulness" such that it only refers to God's faithfulness in blessing His covenant people. If this limitation was accurate, then Carson has a point. I cannot speak to Sanders or Dunn, but Wright's understanding of "righteousness" is certainly not restricted in this way. Far from it. Wright's understanding of God's righteousness is not merely referring to YHWH's blessing of His people but also to His promise that the broken creation will be "put to rights" (as NTW often puts it) -- that is, God's own promise that He will undo the cosmic results of the Fall, to protect the helpless and to punish the wicked. (See, for example, Wright's description of a "righteous judge" used by the lawcourt metaphor, as shown in What Saint Paul Really Said.) With this in mind, Carson's critique seems to fall flat.
Another pervasive problem with Carson's presentation is that he (like many others) begs the question as to the meaning of justification. One interesting quote (paraphrased) from Carson: "They [the NPP] make justification a matter NOT about who is just but about who is a covenant member." I thought this statement was silly, and he actually repeated it another time or two. How can it not be about who is "just" if "justification" (however it may be defined) is in view? It reveals the recurring problem that many of Wright's Reformed critics keep slipping back into the traditional usage of terms like "justification," even when Wright's whole argument is that the traditional usage is incorrect. Again, Wright needs to be evaluated in his own terms before passing judgment.
Carson also takes issue with Wright's usage of the exile motif, drawing attention to NTW's claim that the Deuteronomic cycle of blessing and curse had not yet been fulfilled by the time of 2nd Temple Judaism. Carson claims that the Deuteronomic history (and the remainder of the Old Testament) establishes the pattern of man's utter inability to keep the Law. This, he claims, negates Wright's (alleged) indications that Israel had the potential to keep the covenant and be blessed as a result "if they tried hard enough." But this is not fair to Wright's own position. Israel's history is not merely a series of object lessons on the pervasiveness of man's sin and his need for grace (although that lesson is certainly there!). As Wright points out, Israel is a vital component in the work of redemption on many levels. The notion, offered by Carson as Wright's own, that national Israel could have somehow kept the Law and been blessed for obedience seems greatly at odds with Wright's own teaching about the "dark purposes of the Law," namely that a major purpose of the Law was to gather sin into one place so that God could deal with it, once and for all.
Actually, much of Carson's discussion of the exile motif proved frustrating. Although one could argue that perhaps Wright gets a bit too much mileage out of it, some of Carson's rebuttal was far from convincing. For instance, he takes issues with Wright's view that Second Temple Jews saw themselves as being in exile as punishment for their corporate sins. He points to Qumran as a sect believing itself to be a righteous remnant, the true and faithful Israel amidst a nation of corruption and compromise. Hence, they did not see themselves suffering under the weight of corporate guilt for the sins of the nation. But Carson himself admits that Qumran still saw themselves in a kind of exile, since the Temple and the land as a whole were under the control of corrupt leadership. So the exile motif still remains intact.
One of Carson's arguments against the exile motif that rang extremely bizarre was his discussion of the Judaizers in Galatians. If the majority of Jews saw themselves as being in exile, says Carson, then the Galatian Christians would never dream of returning to being Jews. Who in their right mind, he asks, would willingly go back into exile? But this assessment simply assumes too much. Was the problem really that the Galatian church was being tempted to return to Judaism? It seems far more likely that the Judaizers were convincing the Galatians to syncretize their Christian faith with Jewish Torah-keeping. In that case, the Judaizers could easily have believed that the death and resurrection of Jesus brought the end of the exile (per Wright) while incorrectly insisting on strict Torah observance. So Carson's whole line about the Galatians willingly returning to exile makes no sense.
(It was interesting to see that Carson admits to engaging in a fair amount of historical speculation on his own part. His view of Galatians, for example, has the "certain men from James" in chapter two as being unconverted Jews sent from Jerusalem to Antioch.)
One other annoyance: Carson again referenced the now-apocryphal story about Wright being questioned about what he would tell a person on their death-bed about how they might be saved. The story goes that Wright's answer was "I'll have to think about it." Interestingly enough, Wright specifically addressed this story at the Auburn Conference back in January. Not only did he deny that the alleged story ever took place, he also explained that he would have no pat response, because every situation is different. What kind of person are we talking about? A non-Christian? A baptized church goer? etc. Personally, this answer seems pretty sensible to me, but I'm sure some will see it as a cop-out. Carson even made a quip that, since the story has been making the rounds for awhile, Wright undoubtedly has whipped up a clever answer. (One interesting tidbit that came out, though: Carson himself admitted that this story comes second-hand from another colleague and not from his own experience.)
So, all in all, the lectures have proven somewhat frustrating. Carson does make the good point that the evidence shows a spectrum of diversity amidst Jews of the Second Temple Period. As such, there is always a danger of painting with too broad a brush. And Carson even admits that his critique of the NPP should not be perceived as advocating an uncritical return to the traditional "old perspective." Too many questions have been raised that cannot be properly answered under the old paradigm. Unfortunately, Carson's review often appears guilty of arguing against positions that are not actually held by the men he is discussing. Until these discussions can be framed in ways such that each side is actually addressing the other, it looks like the miscommunication will continue.
Monday, July 25, 2005
A Case of the Mon(k)days
The iMonk has some good stuff this morning, so I figured I'd link them for future memory (and to share the love).
Two links:
"The Problem With Church Discipline is Jesus" offers the iMonk's thoughts on church discipline, as spurred by Mark Dever's contribution to an ongoing Christianity Today discussion on the subject. Spencer's thoughts are really good, especially in light of the evangelical trend towards either downplaying or completely jettisoning church membership and discipline altogether.
IMonk also has a link to a fascinating article by Tim Challies on "Purposeful Interference." It's an interesting look at the marketing strategy employed to create the blockbuster success of books like The Purpose-Driven Life. The marketing strategy itself is pretty eye-opening, but more troublesome is the fact that a book explaining the strategy and its success (in mostly positive terms, to boot) has been inexplicably delayed from being published. Very interesting.
Two links:
"The Problem With Church Discipline is Jesus" offers the iMonk's thoughts on church discipline, as spurred by Mark Dever's contribution to an ongoing Christianity Today discussion on the subject. Spencer's thoughts are really good, especially in light of the evangelical trend towards either downplaying or completely jettisoning church membership and discipline altogether.
IMonk also has a link to a fascinating article by Tim Challies on "Purposeful Interference." It's an interesting look at the marketing strategy employed to create the blockbuster success of books like The Purpose-Driven Life. The marketing strategy itself is pretty eye-opening, but more troublesome is the fact that a book explaining the strategy and its success (in mostly positive terms, to boot) has been inexplicably delayed from being published. Very interesting.
Simpson-tastic
From a (highly spoiler-filled-- I warned you!) interview with J.K. Rowling on mugglenet.com (see Part 2):
Rowling has good taste in American television.
I wonder if she ever pictures Voldemort saying "Excellent" in a Burns-ish way?
MA: Let the record note that she has drummed her fingers on her Coke can in a very Mr. Burns-like way.
[Laughter.]
JKR: Oh, I love Mr. Burns.
Rowling has good taste in American television.
I wonder if she ever pictures Voldemort saying "Excellent" in a Burns-ish way?
Finis
We finally finished Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince over the weekend. Last week was an unusually busy week for us, so most of our reading time occurred in the later hours of the evening (and wee hours of the morning on more than one occasion!), so I'm still a little bleary-eyed today.
We really enjoyed Book Six. I'm not yet sure where it ranks in the Potter corpus, but it probably rises into the top tier. I will confess: I don't really have time to edit the blog template to enable those fancy expandable (i.e., "Read More") entries that will protect spoiler-phobes from sensitive information. So I'll keep the comments brief for the meanwhile.
As I said, we really enjoyed the book. Rowling did a great job of weaving the multiple story arcs together. One of the most captivating aspects, I thought, was the backstory of Tom Riddle, the future Lord Voldemort, especially in highlighting both the similarities and dissimilarities he shares with Harry. The interaction between Harry and Dumbledore was also very compelling and even touching at times. I thought Dumbledore's discussion regarding "the prophecy" revealed some interesting insights on "Fate," and I might find some time to revisit the subject. And then there's the ever-ambiguous Professor Snape, whose loyalties are still not clear-cut by the book's end. Rowling is going to have a lot of things to sort through and clear up by the end of Book Seven!
John Granger at Hogwarts Professor has updated the site with his own thoughts on HBP, including a breakdown on how his predictions panned out. It's worth reading, and I tend to think he's right on one of the major lingering questions. (However, I have strong disagreement with some others.)
Now I get to go read all those spoiler-filled articles and discussions I've been avoiding for the past week!
We really enjoyed Book Six. I'm not yet sure where it ranks in the Potter corpus, but it probably rises into the top tier. I will confess: I don't really have time to edit the blog template to enable those fancy expandable (i.e., "Read More") entries that will protect spoiler-phobes from sensitive information. So I'll keep the comments brief for the meanwhile.
As I said, we really enjoyed the book. Rowling did a great job of weaving the multiple story arcs together. One of the most captivating aspects, I thought, was the backstory of Tom Riddle, the future Lord Voldemort, especially in highlighting both the similarities and dissimilarities he shares with Harry. The interaction between Harry and Dumbledore was also very compelling and even touching at times. I thought Dumbledore's discussion regarding "the prophecy" revealed some interesting insights on "Fate," and I might find some time to revisit the subject. And then there's the ever-ambiguous Professor Snape, whose loyalties are still not clear-cut by the book's end. Rowling is going to have a lot of things to sort through and clear up by the end of Book Seven!
John Granger at Hogwarts Professor has updated the site with his own thoughts on HBP, including a breakdown on how his predictions panned out. It's worth reading, and I tend to think he's right on one of the major lingering questions. (However, I have strong disagreement with some others.)
Now I get to go read all those spoiler-filled articles and discussions I've been avoiding for the past week!
Friday, July 22, 2005
Clean Up Day!!
It's office cleaning day, so everyone is sorting and filing and cleaning and such. But at least they let us wear blue jeans today. Yahoo!
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
To Wear or Not to Wear
This may be old news for some, but today in class we were discussing appropriate dress in school settings (uniforms, etc.) and someone metioned that some of the members of a college championship women's lacrosse team recently wore flip-flops to meet the President.
The title: "You Wore Flip-Flops to the WHITE HOUSE?!" echoes my reaction. Of course, the females in our class immediately had to explain the difference between "dressy" and "casual" flip-flops to the males, but even with that distinction, I was shocked at this revelation and felt the action was highly inappropriate, especially once I viewed the photograph. Out of the nine girls pictured on the front row, four were wearing flat, relatively inexpensive flip-flops.
Though I wear flip-flops often during the summer (in fact, I am wearing a $2.50 pair of Old Navy flip-flops at this very moment), and have been even been known to *gasp* wear a pair to church paired with a skirt, I find the fact that the girls wore them to such an important event appalling.
Perhaps this is just my Southern "no white shoes after Labor Day" breeding? Many of the girls in the article gave the excuse that "everyone else was doing it" and "it matched my outfit, so I thought it was okay." It didn't even cross their minds that this might be a breach of some sort of fashion code. However, the comments by various etiquette masters and even parents and other relatives of the girls revealed the audacity of their fashion faux-pas. So my question is-- what do you think?
I think this ties in with the blatant disregard for respect for formal occasions in our society. I know the trend has long been for "casual Fridays" at work, but I have been sad to see the trend extend into Sundays in the past decades. Not that I'm advocating hose and heels every Sunday (especially in Hotlanta, which gets its nickname for multiple reasons), but I do think attire reflects an attitude of proper respect and reverence during corporate worship.
I believe this casual trend in evangelical circles is a direct reflection of the casual approach to worship. Denying the gnostic tendency to separate the spiritual from the physical, I believe that our appearance on Sunday mornings both affects and reflects our attitudes about corporate worship. I am NOT saying that only the rich or well-dressed can attend on Sundays, I am just pointing out that the way we dress is connected to our beliefs about how best to honor the Lord in His house. (The casual attitude comes to bear in substance and format choices for corporate worship services as well, but that is another topic for another post.)
The title: "You Wore Flip-Flops to the WHITE HOUSE?!" echoes my reaction. Of course, the females in our class immediately had to explain the difference between "dressy" and "casual" flip-flops to the males, but even with that distinction, I was shocked at this revelation and felt the action was highly inappropriate, especially once I viewed the photograph. Out of the nine girls pictured on the front row, four were wearing flat, relatively inexpensive flip-flops.
Though I wear flip-flops often during the summer (in fact, I am wearing a $2.50 pair of Old Navy flip-flops at this very moment), and have been even been known to *gasp* wear a pair to church paired with a skirt, I find the fact that the girls wore them to such an important event appalling.
Perhaps this is just my Southern "no white shoes after Labor Day" breeding? Many of the girls in the article gave the excuse that "everyone else was doing it" and "it matched my outfit, so I thought it was okay." It didn't even cross their minds that this might be a breach of some sort of fashion code. However, the comments by various etiquette masters and even parents and other relatives of the girls revealed the audacity of their fashion faux-pas. So my question is-- what do you think?
I think this ties in with the blatant disregard for respect for formal occasions in our society. I know the trend has long been for "casual Fridays" at work, but I have been sad to see the trend extend into Sundays in the past decades. Not that I'm advocating hose and heels every Sunday (especially in Hotlanta, which gets its nickname for multiple reasons), but I do think attire reflects an attitude of proper respect and reverence during corporate worship.
I believe this casual trend in evangelical circles is a direct reflection of the casual approach to worship. Denying the gnostic tendency to separate the spiritual from the physical, I believe that our appearance on Sunday mornings both affects and reflects our attitudes about corporate worship. I am NOT saying that only the rich or well-dressed can attend on Sundays, I am just pointing out that the way we dress is connected to our beliefs about how best to honor the Lord in His house. (The casual attitude comes to bear in substance and format choices for corporate worship services as well, but that is another topic for another post.)
Tom Wright on Worship
To enjoy worship for its own sake, or simply out of a cultural appreciation of the "performance," would be like Moses coming upon a burning bush and deciding to cook his lunch on it.- For All God's Worth
Monday, July 18, 2005
hrmph
Why must work (and school, in Allison's case) get in the way of reading Harry Potter? I sure do wish I had a few of those Skiving Snackboxes.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
The Challenge Revoked
I officially give up on any attempt to re-read all five Harry Potter novels before Saturday. I'm on the third one, but after coming in from visiting some friends in the hospital last night, reading for one hour and falling asleep on the sofa, I know I'm doomed. I was silly to think I could read them anyway, since I'm taking classes and still doing Apartment Life stuff. If I had a REAL summer vacation (not to be seen ever again in my lifetime), like the kind in elementary school when you don't have to even think about what to eat or who will do the laundy, then MAYBE I could read the last two books in two days. But that's impossible.
ONLY TWO MORE DAYS until Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince releases. I'm still amazingly excited.
ONLY TWO MORE DAYS until Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince releases. I'm still amazingly excited.
Just the BAD ol' boys?
I can't say that I'm shocked, but the forthcoming "Dukes of Hazzard" movie has drawn some serious flack from at least one star from the classic TV show. Ben Jones, who played Cooter the mechanic on the show (and who later became a Georgia congressman), is now urging fans of the show to avoid the big screen version. After reading the script, Jones published his opinion on the upcoming film. A sampling of his thoughts on the level of sleazy and crude humor in the film:
"It's one thing to do whatever movie they want to do, but to take a classic family show and do that is like taking 'I Love Lucy' and making her a crackhead or something."
"It's one thing to do whatever movie they want to do, but to take a classic family show and do that is like taking 'I Love Lucy' and making her a crackhead or something."
Monday, July 11, 2005
Weekend Update
Here's the rundown:
Friday:
In the evening, we attended a Matthew Perryman Jones concert in Conyers with a group of friends from church. It was my first MPJ show, and I was surprised to see him with a band-- well, a drummer and bassist. It was definitely a rockin' experience, though he did have some acoustic sets mixed in. The church, Rockbridge Community, has been putting on a fantastic summer concert series-- it's the same place we went to see Andy P. and Randall.
Saturday:
In the morning, we hosted another one of our Waffle Breakfasts for the residents of our apartment complex-- but had an unusually low turnout. However, we did have enough cinnamon rolls, fruit, and breakfast casserole leftover to share with our fellow church-goers the next morning, so at least some folks enjoyed the bounty.
During most of the day, we were thwarted in our efforts to get ANYWHERE around Atlanta due to the high volume of construction projects that encircle the city this summer. We eventually reached all of our destinations-- from Slope's in Roswell for lunch, downtown Atlanta in the afternoon, to Decatur for dinner, and then back to Doraville-- but not without a few detours and U-turns. No wonder we put so many miles on our car each year!
In the afternoon, we miraculously found free parking in downtown Atlanta at the CNN Center. Two friends, who have both been out of town (or the country) for about a year, wanted to meet at the busiest place in the city. Becky has been teaching as a missionary in Romania and is going to Cornell in the fall to get a degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language, while Carmela is working with Campus Outreach through Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis. Their original plans of playing in the Centennial Fountains were overruled by the afternoon rains, but just getting to sit and chat with them was enough of a treat for me!
In the evening, we spent some time with Becky and other friends at the Brick Store. It was my inaugural trip, and I think it really is an experience everyone should enjoy. We evetually were able to snag room for 10 folks upstairs among the cozy, rough wooden benches and tables. They have an eclectic and extensive selection of almost every brew imaginable, and the pub food is fantastic. (Well, don't try the Chicken Salad Melt, but the chips (fries) are great with some malt vinegar and salt!) I hadn't had chips 'n vinegar since my summer in England a few years ago--it's definitely an acquired taste-- but I crave it now. Next time, I'm getting their acclaimed fish 'n chips!
Sunday:
We celebrated potluck after the morning church service, and even with a small summer attnedance the fish and loaves multiplied so that everyone was satisfied. Some of the older folks in our church were not able to make it, though, due to health reasons, and their absence was strongly felt. One couple in particular has watched over all of us "youngsters" like adopted grandparents, inviting us for home-cooked dinners and fiercly competitive games of dominoes. They are missed.
In the evening, (after the obligatory Lord's Day nap!) we drove to the nearby Brunswick Zone for a bowling party with our residents. As a promotional event, the alley provided free games, shoes, snacks, and a hour and a half of games for as many folks as we could get to attend! About 7 families showed up for the festivities, and we ended up with 3 bumper lanes because there were so many young kids. We all had a blast. I'll be honest, I'm not usally much of a bowler. Case in point-- we went bowling with a group of other Apartment Life CARES Teams a few weeks ago and I didn't break 55 in either of the two games. However, last night, perhaps because the bumper lanes gave me confidence or I knew I wouldn't get to finish a full game, when I joined in on one group's lane, I scared two strikes, two spares, and a score of 120 before they shut down the computers. 120! For all you professional bowlers, that's nothing, but for me, it's incredibly rare! I *might* have done that once before, back in high school, but I honestly can't remember. I felt horrible because I had told them all I was a terrible bowler at the start of the evening, but by the end, the little girls were jumping around saying "Mrs. Allison is the winner!" *sheesh*
We made it home just before the Dennis deluge. It rained the entire night and into this morning. My parents, thankfully, were not affected by flooding though there was a power outage in South Alabama for a while. I'm just praying for all the folks from Apalachicola to the Gulf Shores/Pensacola area who've been hit twice this year with hurricanes-- they restoration efforts were just getting into full swing this summer.
Now, it's back to a busy week of graduate school and work and carpools downtown and evening meetings and late night reading for Team Redd. I'm preparing for the latest Harry Potter release by attempting to re-read all 5 previous books before Saturday. One down, four to go...
Friday:
In the evening, we attended a Matthew Perryman Jones concert in Conyers with a group of friends from church. It was my first MPJ show, and I was surprised to see him with a band-- well, a drummer and bassist. It was definitely a rockin' experience, though he did have some acoustic sets mixed in. The church, Rockbridge Community, has been putting on a fantastic summer concert series-- it's the same place we went to see Andy P. and Randall.
Saturday:
In the morning, we hosted another one of our Waffle Breakfasts for the residents of our apartment complex-- but had an unusually low turnout. However, we did have enough cinnamon rolls, fruit, and breakfast casserole leftover to share with our fellow church-goers the next morning, so at least some folks enjoyed the bounty.
During most of the day, we were thwarted in our efforts to get ANYWHERE around Atlanta due to the high volume of construction projects that encircle the city this summer. We eventually reached all of our destinations-- from Slope's in Roswell for lunch, downtown Atlanta in the afternoon, to Decatur for dinner, and then back to Doraville-- but not without a few detours and U-turns. No wonder we put so many miles on our car each year!
In the afternoon, we miraculously found free parking in downtown Atlanta at the CNN Center. Two friends, who have both been out of town (or the country) for about a year, wanted to meet at the busiest place in the city. Becky has been teaching as a missionary in Romania and is going to Cornell in the fall to get a degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language, while Carmela is working with Campus Outreach through Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis. Their original plans of playing in the Centennial Fountains were overruled by the afternoon rains, but just getting to sit and chat with them was enough of a treat for me!
In the evening, we spent some time with Becky and other friends at the Brick Store. It was my inaugural trip, and I think it really is an experience everyone should enjoy. We evetually were able to snag room for 10 folks upstairs among the cozy, rough wooden benches and tables. They have an eclectic and extensive selection of almost every brew imaginable, and the pub food is fantastic. (Well, don't try the Chicken Salad Melt, but the chips (fries) are great with some malt vinegar and salt!) I hadn't had chips 'n vinegar since my summer in England a few years ago--it's definitely an acquired taste-- but I crave it now. Next time, I'm getting their acclaimed fish 'n chips!
Sunday:
We celebrated potluck after the morning church service, and even with a small summer attnedance the fish and loaves multiplied so that everyone was satisfied. Some of the older folks in our church were not able to make it, though, due to health reasons, and their absence was strongly felt. One couple in particular has watched over all of us "youngsters" like adopted grandparents, inviting us for home-cooked dinners and fiercly competitive games of dominoes. They are missed.
In the evening, (after the obligatory Lord's Day nap!) we drove to the nearby Brunswick Zone for a bowling party with our residents. As a promotional event, the alley provided free games, shoes, snacks, and a hour and a half of games for as many folks as we could get to attend! About 7 families showed up for the festivities, and we ended up with 3 bumper lanes because there were so many young kids. We all had a blast. I'll be honest, I'm not usally much of a bowler. Case in point-- we went bowling with a group of other Apartment Life CARES Teams a few weeks ago and I didn't break 55 in either of the two games. However, last night, perhaps because the bumper lanes gave me confidence or I knew I wouldn't get to finish a full game, when I joined in on one group's lane, I scared two strikes, two spares, and a score of 120 before they shut down the computers. 120! For all you professional bowlers, that's nothing, but for me, it's incredibly rare! I *might* have done that once before, back in high school, but I honestly can't remember. I felt horrible because I had told them all I was a terrible bowler at the start of the evening, but by the end, the little girls were jumping around saying "Mrs. Allison is the winner!" *sheesh*
We made it home just before the Dennis deluge. It rained the entire night and into this morning. My parents, thankfully, were not affected by flooding though there was a power outage in South Alabama for a while. I'm just praying for all the folks from Apalachicola to the Gulf Shores/Pensacola area who've been hit twice this year with hurricanes-- they restoration efforts were just getting into full swing this summer.
Now, it's back to a busy week of graduate school and work and carpools downtown and evening meetings and late night reading for Team Redd. I'm preparing for the latest Harry Potter release by attempting to re-read all 5 previous books before Saturday. One down, four to go...
The Lion's Eye
As Allison mentioned, we got to see Pierce Pettis while we were up in NC. Pierce is always a treat to see live. In addition to being a terrific songwriter and musician, he has quite a scatterbrained stage personality and an often-bizarre sense of humor, both of which serve to greatly magnify the level of enjoyment for concerts.
He played a fair share of songs from his last two albums, as well as some older ones thrown in for good measure (including "Chase the Buffalo," a fantastic song which he rarely plays in concerts anymore). He also played a couple of newer/as-yet-unrecorded ones. The best of the new songs, by far, was "The Lion's Eye," a song inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia. To be honest, I expect a glut of Narnia-related songs to appear as the December release of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe film approaches. Andrew Peterson has written a song inspired by the Narnia books, and Randall Goodgame wrote a LWW-related song at the request of those putting together the soundtrack and "Inspirational" albums released for the film. Both of these songs are fantastic. Phenomenal, even. That being said, Pierce's song blows them out of the water. It's hard to believe, but it's true. I need to get my hands on the lyrics, somehow.
It does not appear that any of these songs will make the final cut for the movie soundtrack stuff. The "Christian Music Inspirational" soundtrack album releases in September, and looks to be comprised of acts like Steven Curtis Chapman, Newsboys, Rebecca St. James and the like. Although Jars of Clay is slated to have a track, I don't think this album will be one that I'll be picking up. Interestingly enough, there will be a "Secular/Pop" soundtrack album released in October. Artist information isn't available yet, although I'm curious who will show up. Maybe if Pierce could get someone to cover his song? Here's to wishful thinking!
He played a fair share of songs from his last two albums, as well as some older ones thrown in for good measure (including "Chase the Buffalo," a fantastic song which he rarely plays in concerts anymore). He also played a couple of newer/as-yet-unrecorded ones. The best of the new songs, by far, was "The Lion's Eye," a song inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia. To be honest, I expect a glut of Narnia-related songs to appear as the December release of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe film approaches. Andrew Peterson has written a song inspired by the Narnia books, and Randall Goodgame wrote a LWW-related song at the request of those putting together the soundtrack and "Inspirational" albums released for the film. Both of these songs are fantastic. Phenomenal, even. That being said, Pierce's song blows them out of the water. It's hard to believe, but it's true. I need to get my hands on the lyrics, somehow.
It does not appear that any of these songs will make the final cut for the movie soundtrack stuff. The "Christian Music Inspirational" soundtrack album releases in September, and looks to be comprised of acts like Steven Curtis Chapman, Newsboys, Rebecca St. James and the like. Although Jars of Clay is slated to have a track, I don't think this album will be one that I'll be picking up. Interestingly enough, there will be a "Secular/Pop" soundtrack album released in October. Artist information isn't available yet, although I'm curious who will show up. Maybe if Pierce could get someone to cover his song? Here's to wishful thinking!
Friday, July 08, 2005
N.T. Wright's Opening AAPC 2005 Lecture
The N.T. Wright Page has uploaded Bishop Wright's opening lecture from the Auburn Avenue conference back in January. In the lecture, Wright lays down the general contour of his Pauline studies, especially as they relate to the solas of the Reformation. This, I believe is valuable, because Wright affirms a great amount of consensus with the Reformers, while noting where his high commitment to Scripture has lead him to different conclusions in several areas.
I have not yet re-read it, but I understand that the print version of the lecture contains some material that was omitted due to time constraints at the conference. So I have something to look forward to.
I have not yet re-read it, but I understand that the print version of the lecture contains some material that was omitted due to time constraints at the conference. So I have something to look forward to.
Got Me a College Girl
Last week, I joined a weblog devoted to promoting "a formal college education for women in the twenty-first century." Nine women have joined so far, and we all come from varying backgrounds and are at different places in life, but it is refreshing to see how much we share in common through our college experiences.
If you are interested in a discussion about why Christian women benefit from higher education, please check out Got Me a College Girl.
Thanks, Kristen, for tipping me off to this.
If you are interested in a discussion about why Christian women benefit from higher education, please check out Got Me a College Girl.
Thanks, Kristen, for tipping me off to this.
Views from the Road
Over the weekend, we broke the 11-hour drive from Atlanta to Annapolis into two days. On Wednesday, we made it all the way home in one fell swoop.
Since Gaines likes to drive me around, and we had almost our entire CD collection coursing through the iPod, I had plenty of time to ponder the view from the passenger seat and our highlights on the hallmark event of summer-- the great American road trip. With a cooler full of drinks and hearts lightened by the thought of five days without the modern inconveniences of telephones, computers, and television, we traversed five states and many, many miles. Here's the journey as best as I can remember it.
GA-- I for one couldn't wait to leave. Hot, humid, muggy summers in downtown Atlanta make Allison a dull girl. I need trees. One more reason to escape: the rest area north of Atlanta on I-85 (me and my miniscule female bladder!) smelled "like the zoo," according to Gaines. I agreed.
SC -- The rest stop here surprised me-- it had actual wood paneled ceilings and a huge skylight. A welcome relief. However, SC has way too many billboards advertising adult-only entertainment. Ew.
NC -- Like a breath of fresh air, the interstates, highways, and byways of NC are lined with the most beautiful collections of wildflowers, as well as the occaisional planned patch of botanical goodness. Whenever I see these, I think of my talented horticulturally-inclined aunt who makes her living by making backyards beautiful. I always like to see the efforts of those who take dominion over growing things.
We spent the first night in the Triangle, and went to a Pierce Pettis show at the Six String Cafe. The people who run that place are AWESOME. If you get a chance, go there. Buy some Bass Ale. Try the Greek salad or the melt-in-your-mouth panini sandwiches. Enjoy the music. You won't be disappointed.
I could love living in NC. Whenever I used to play M.A.S.H. in elementary school (and on up), I always put NC as one of the choices of places to live. And the housing costs are so reasonable. I've been in Atlanta too long!
VA -- Beautiful, especially once we were on the highway instead of the interstate. The little roadside stands scream "You're in the real South, now." The welcome center reminded me of Monticello. A nice lady there informed us of a better route to Annapolis via 301. Thank you nice lady!
MD -- Is there construction on every road here or what? Goodness. On the way in, we noticed a sign for a stadium that was attempting to break the world record for the most people sitting on whoopee cushions on July 4th! I wonder if they met their goal?
We eventually arrived in downtown Annapolis and thoroughly enjoyed the conference and our time there with friends. (More about that later.) For now, check out the informative city website. It really is the most beautiful, charming, and historic American city I've ever visited. We didn't even have to get back into the car until we left yesterday, since everything was a short walk from our hotel--the entire place is meant to be pedestrian-friendly. There was usually a nice breeze off the water, and I adored the huge flower-filled pots and hanging baskets the dotted the streets -- the city reminded me of a Southern Living cover page gone crazy. I wish I'd had a camera. I also appreciated the abundance of sweet tea in every restaurant-- that's how you know you're still in Dixie. On our way out of the city, I noticed too many places we didn't get to visit during our stay, and hope we return next year and stay longer.
On the trip home, I thought the $3.00 toll to cross back over the Potomac was a bit steep, but I suppose Maryland is close enough to New England that exhorbitant toll roads are to be expected.
VA -- Not much of consequence to mention the second time around. I slept through most of the trip through the state, and therefore, have nothing more to say. It is just as beautiful as NC, though.
NC -- By the time we reached NC Wednesday evening, we were getting hungry. In order to save time, we wanted to wait and stop to get gas and food all in one stop. Just when we didn't think we were going to see anything other than McDonald's, we spotted a sign for Zaxby's and enjoyed some de-lish chicken fingers. Though the chain is all over Georgia (it started in Athens), we rarely eat there just 'cause there's not one near our apartment. My cousins are friends with the guys who started Zaxby's and now own and manage two restaurants in Pensacola and Gulf Breeze. I like it, but I still think Guthrie's wins for best secret family recipe sauce.
Also in NC, I spotted a billboard for Skirt. I had completely forgotten about it! It reminds me of a less home-oriented, artsy Real Simple. About 10 years ago, as a teenager, I picked up an inaugural copy of the indie women's magazine while visiting SC. I used to dream of moving to Charleston and writing for Skirt when I grew up. I have no idea if I'd even like it anymore. Anyone out there heard of this or read it?
SC -- Once we got here, it was raining. And I slept some more.
GA -- The remnants of tropical storm Cindy made the last leg of our trip slow. I'm glad I kept my eyes closed through most of it, 'cause I absolutely hate driving in heavy rain. I'm always scared of hydroplaning and don't even want to see all that water in the road. The storm certainly caused it's share of troubles around Atlanta. I'm just glad we live in the northeast part. And we made it safely home somewhere around 1:00 a.m. The end...
Since Gaines likes to drive me around, and we had almost our entire CD collection coursing through the iPod, I had plenty of time to ponder the view from the passenger seat and our highlights on the hallmark event of summer-- the great American road trip. With a cooler full of drinks and hearts lightened by the thought of five days without the modern inconveniences of telephones, computers, and television, we traversed five states and many, many miles. Here's the journey as best as I can remember it.
GA-- I for one couldn't wait to leave. Hot, humid, muggy summers in downtown Atlanta make Allison a dull girl. I need trees. One more reason to escape: the rest area north of Atlanta on I-85 (me and my miniscule female bladder!) smelled "like the zoo," according to Gaines. I agreed.
SC -- The rest stop here surprised me-- it had actual wood paneled ceilings and a huge skylight. A welcome relief. However, SC has way too many billboards advertising adult-only entertainment. Ew.
NC -- Like a breath of fresh air, the interstates, highways, and byways of NC are lined with the most beautiful collections of wildflowers, as well as the occaisional planned patch of botanical goodness. Whenever I see these, I think of my talented horticulturally-inclined aunt who makes her living by making backyards beautiful. I always like to see the efforts of those who take dominion over growing things.
We spent the first night in the Triangle, and went to a Pierce Pettis show at the Six String Cafe. The people who run that place are AWESOME. If you get a chance, go there. Buy some Bass Ale. Try the Greek salad or the melt-in-your-mouth panini sandwiches. Enjoy the music. You won't be disappointed.
I could love living in NC. Whenever I used to play M.A.S.H. in elementary school (and on up), I always put NC as one of the choices of places to live. And the housing costs are so reasonable. I've been in Atlanta too long!
VA -- Beautiful, especially once we were on the highway instead of the interstate. The little roadside stands scream "You're in the real South, now." The welcome center reminded me of Monticello. A nice lady there informed us of a better route to Annapolis via 301. Thank you nice lady!
MD -- Is there construction on every road here or what? Goodness. On the way in, we noticed a sign for a stadium that was attempting to break the world record for the most people sitting on whoopee cushions on July 4th! I wonder if they met their goal?
We eventually arrived in downtown Annapolis and thoroughly enjoyed the conference and our time there with friends. (More about that later.) For now, check out the informative city website. It really is the most beautiful, charming, and historic American city I've ever visited. We didn't even have to get back into the car until we left yesterday, since everything was a short walk from our hotel--the entire place is meant to be pedestrian-friendly. There was usually a nice breeze off the water, and I adored the huge flower-filled pots and hanging baskets the dotted the streets -- the city reminded me of a Southern Living cover page gone crazy. I wish I'd had a camera. I also appreciated the abundance of sweet tea in every restaurant-- that's how you know you're still in Dixie. On our way out of the city, I noticed too many places we didn't get to visit during our stay, and hope we return next year and stay longer.
On the trip home, I thought the $3.00 toll to cross back over the Potomac was a bit steep, but I suppose Maryland is close enough to New England that exhorbitant toll roads are to be expected.
VA -- Not much of consequence to mention the second time around. I slept through most of the trip through the state, and therefore, have nothing more to say. It is just as beautiful as NC, though.
NC -- By the time we reached NC Wednesday evening, we were getting hungry. In order to save time, we wanted to wait and stop to get gas and food all in one stop. Just when we didn't think we were going to see anything other than McDonald's, we spotted a sign for Zaxby's and enjoyed some de-lish chicken fingers. Though the chain is all over Georgia (it started in Athens), we rarely eat there just 'cause there's not one near our apartment. My cousins are friends with the guys who started Zaxby's and now own and manage two restaurants in Pensacola and Gulf Breeze. I like it, but I still think Guthrie's wins for best secret family recipe sauce.
Also in NC, I spotted a billboard for Skirt. I had completely forgotten about it! It reminds me of a less home-oriented, artsy Real Simple. About 10 years ago, as a teenager, I picked up an inaugural copy of the indie women's magazine while visiting SC. I used to dream of moving to Charleston and writing for Skirt when I grew up. I have no idea if I'd even like it anymore. Anyone out there heard of this or read it?
SC -- Once we got here, it was raining. And I slept some more.
GA -- The remnants of tropical storm Cindy made the last leg of our trip slow. I'm glad I kept my eyes closed through most of it, 'cause I absolutely hate driving in heavy rain. I'm always scared of hydroplaning and don't even want to see all that water in the road. The storm certainly caused it's share of troubles around Atlanta. I'm just glad we live in the northeast part. And we made it safely home somewhere around 1:00 a.m. The end...
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Decoding Da Vinci
Tom Wright offers some thoughts on the Da Vinci Code and its popularity. His article starts on page 22.
(Courtesy of the Wrightsaid mailing list.)
(Courtesy of the Wrightsaid mailing list.)
Saturday, July 02, 2005
Vacation!
We're headed out the door to meet up with some friends at the 2005 Annual Conference of the Jonathan Edwards Institute in Annapolis, Maryland. It should be a good conference (our friends' pastor is the Executive Director of the JEI), as well as a fun time spent with friends. Plus, we're managing to sneak in a Pierce Pettis concert on the way up. :)
So, we'll be incommunicado for a few days. That means I won't get to tell you how awesome a Randall Goodgame concert is, or how disgusting the aftermath of an attempted gallon-of-milk-drinking can look. (But, you probably already knew about both of those!)
Happy 4th of July weekend!
So, we'll be incommunicado for a few days. That means I won't get to tell you how awesome a Randall Goodgame concert is, or how disgusting the aftermath of an attempted gallon-of-milk-drinking can look. (But, you probably already knew about both of those!)
Happy 4th of July weekend!
Friday, July 01, 2005
The Bible and the Future
I've been following along with the Thinklings Book Club as they have read through Anthony Hoekema's The Bible and the Future, and the last book club installment is now available. Even though I've mostly lurked, it has been good to read through their discussions as I followed along with the readings.
Overall, the book is a pretty good read, laying out an amillennial position on eschatology. Hoekema does a great job laying out the concepts of "inaugurated eschatology" and the "already/not yet" tension. The sections on the afterlife, especially on the intermediate state, were a breath of fresh air in contrast to the quasi-gnosticism that infiltrates much Evangelical discussion on "heaven." Hoekema very capably argues that the Scriptures anchor our hopes towards future resurrection, not an ethereal, disembodied existence. The whole of creation is groaning for a future total redemption, a new heaven and a new earth. God's plan is to redeem the fallen creation, not to scrap it in favor of "Plan B."
In discussing other eschatological positions, Hoekema focuses most heavily on premillennialism (particularly of the dispensational variety), which he ably critiques. Although the book was written in the 1970's, the criticisms of dispensationalism are just as applicable today and are especially valuable as this viewpoint has become the majority report in modern Evangelicalism. I think one of the book's main strengths is its critical assessment of this popular view.
One disappointment, though, is that the book dismisses the postmillennial view with only a few pages of discussion. In addition to only briefly looking at the specifics of postmillennialism, Hoekema spends little time establishing his view of the so-called "time-texts" (the Olivet discourse concerning "this generation," etc.) which are often employed by preterist/postmillennial commentators. I think preterists have made some very convincing arguments concerning these time-texts, and it would have been good to see Hoekema interact with the texts to a greater extent. However, to be fair, Hoekema is addressing older versions of postmillennialism, since his book predates the work of guys like Kenneth Gentry.
Overall, a good read and a good overview of amillennial eschatology.
Overall, the book is a pretty good read, laying out an amillennial position on eschatology. Hoekema does a great job laying out the concepts of "inaugurated eschatology" and the "already/not yet" tension. The sections on the afterlife, especially on the intermediate state, were a breath of fresh air in contrast to the quasi-gnosticism that infiltrates much Evangelical discussion on "heaven." Hoekema very capably argues that the Scriptures anchor our hopes towards future resurrection, not an ethereal, disembodied existence. The whole of creation is groaning for a future total redemption, a new heaven and a new earth. God's plan is to redeem the fallen creation, not to scrap it in favor of "Plan B."
In discussing other eschatological positions, Hoekema focuses most heavily on premillennialism (particularly of the dispensational variety), which he ably critiques. Although the book was written in the 1970's, the criticisms of dispensationalism are just as applicable today and are especially valuable as this viewpoint has become the majority report in modern Evangelicalism. I think one of the book's main strengths is its critical assessment of this popular view.
One disappointment, though, is that the book dismisses the postmillennial view with only a few pages of discussion. In addition to only briefly looking at the specifics of postmillennialism, Hoekema spends little time establishing his view of the so-called "time-texts" (the Olivet discourse concerning "this generation," etc.) which are often employed by preterist/postmillennial commentators. I think preterists have made some very convincing arguments concerning these time-texts, and it would have been good to see Hoekema interact with the texts to a greater extent. However, to be fair, Hoekema is addressing older versions of postmillennialism, since his book predates the work of guys like Kenneth Gentry.
Overall, a good read and a good overview of amillennial eschatology.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
William Willimon
Boy, am I behind. While looking around for some friends from my alma mater, (which is connected with the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church) I discovered that William Willimon was ordained as the new Bishop last September. They have a collection of his weekly messages on the conference website. I've heard only good things about him while he was Dean of the Chapel at Duke-- and I've seen him described as "paleo-orthodox" along with the likes of Packer and others, as well as a proponent of "narrative theology." I'm interested in reading some of his books-- I've had the one on Baptism on my wish list for over a year.
Anyway, this quote from the sermon he preached last fall at his ordination knocks my socks off:
And this, from a message dated May 9th of this year:
I never thought I'd hear any of that from a Methodist. Maybe some of Willimon's beliefs will rub off on BSC's chaplain. Despite some of the Chaplain's inclusivist tendencies (enhanced after 9/11) and his love of some pretty awful cheesy 60's type-praise songs, I am very thankful for the liturgic chapel services with regular communion and the ecumenical Bible study, both of which he and the former chaplain helped lead while I was there. Their broader perspective helped me develop my stance on Scripture and theology. And I will admit, they did introduce me to David Wilcox's music, which is pretty cool.
As a somewhat-related aside, I heard a fellow IV/BSC alumni is starting an RUF chapter there, though he's met some opposition and will only be on campus half-time. It's a start! And he's using the rest of his time to develop an RUF ministry at UAB. Praise God!
Anyway, this quote from the sermon he preached last fall at his ordination knocks my socks off:
Sometimes, in popular, American, evangelical Christianity, we get this wrong. We say things like, “Since I took Jesus into my heart…,” or “Since I gave my life to Jesus…,” or “Since I decided to follow Christ….” That’s not the story! The story – Moses, Samuel, Mary, Paul, Peter, you and me – is more that you don’t take Jesus anywhere – he takes you places. You can’t “give you life to Christ.” He takes it! It’s not all that important that you decided to follow Christ; the Bible says that in Jesus Christ God has decided for you!
And this, from a message dated May 9th of this year:
Give me The Lutheran Hymnal any day over most of those tasteless “praise choruses” of some of my evangelicals.
I never thought I'd hear any of that from a Methodist. Maybe some of Willimon's beliefs will rub off on BSC's chaplain. Despite some of the Chaplain's inclusivist tendencies (enhanced after 9/11) and his love of some pretty awful cheesy 60's type-praise songs, I am very thankful for the liturgic chapel services with regular communion and the ecumenical Bible study, both of which he and the former chaplain helped lead while I was there. Their broader perspective helped me develop my stance on Scripture and theology. And I will admit, they did introduce me to David Wilcox's music, which is pretty cool.
As a somewhat-related aside, I heard a fellow IV/BSC alumni is starting an RUF chapter there, though he's met some opposition and will only be on campus half-time. It's a start! And he's using the rest of his time to develop an RUF ministry at UAB. Praise God!
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Flame Warriors
This site is really funny.
Via Jason, via the Derek Webb Message Board (the main arena for some of these warriors, I think).
Via Jason, via the Derek Webb Message Board (the main arena for some of these warriors, I think).
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Does this guy know how to party or what?
Recently, I learned that contemporary Reformed theology icon R.C. Sproul plays golf with shock-rocker/semi-recent Christian convert Alice Cooper.
Tonight, I noticed that Dr. Sproul is listed in the liner note "Thanks To" section of Van Halen 3 (which is, sad to say, one of their most disappointing albums).
To top it off, I remembered hearing that Sproul is quoted by some philosophizing vampires in the arthouse horror film The Addiction.
So my question is, does R.C. have a crazy side that not many people know about? That'd be kind of cool, I guess.
Tonight, I noticed that Dr. Sproul is listed in the liner note "Thanks To" section of Van Halen 3 (which is, sad to say, one of their most disappointing albums).
To top it off, I remembered hearing that Sproul is quoted by some philosophizing vampires in the arthouse horror film The Addiction.
So my question is, does R.C. have a crazy side that not many people know about? That'd be kind of cool, I guess.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Breakfast on the Go
I used to make strange breakfast concoctions in high school and college. I guess technically I'm still in that stage, since I'm finishing up grad school, but lately I've been skipping breakfast altogether in the mornings (bad!) or just eating yogurt (not as filling as you'd think). So, this morning I broke out an old favorite-- quick, portable, semi-healthy, and tasty homemade fast food.
If you have them, and this might be preferred, add blueberries or sliced strawberries instead of syrup. It's more nutitious, and the cream cheese keeps the berries from falling out. I was out of fruit this morning. I wonder how bananas would taste?
I usually wash it down with a nice cup of OJ for extra fiber and vitamin C. The nutri-grain adds fiber and carbs, and the cream cheese has some protein. (Of course, substituting cottage cheese would be much better nutritionally, but not taste-wise. If you like that stuff, though, you could just eat a cup of cottage cheese and berries, but then you lose the portability and ease of handling factors.)
Well, none of this holds a candle to the homemade Belgian waffles we make for our residents one Saturday morning a month. I'm getting hungry just thinking about them. "Mmmm... Fattening..."
Eggo Sandwich
2 Low-Fat NutriGrain Whole Wheat Eggo waffles
1-2 tbsp. low-fat cream cheese
syrup or assorted berries
Toast the waffles. Spread the cream cheese over the waffles. Add some syrup. Smash together like a sandwich (with the cream cheese in the middle), wrap in a paper towel, and enjoy during the morning commute.
If you have them, and this might be preferred, add blueberries or sliced strawberries instead of syrup. It's more nutitious, and the cream cheese keeps the berries from falling out. I was out of fruit this morning. I wonder how bananas would taste?
I usually wash it down with a nice cup of OJ for extra fiber and vitamin C. The nutri-grain adds fiber and carbs, and the cream cheese has some protein. (Of course, substituting cottage cheese would be much better nutritionally, but not taste-wise. If you like that stuff, though, you could just eat a cup of cottage cheese and berries, but then you lose the portability and ease of handling factors.)
Well, none of this holds a candle to the homemade Belgian waffles we make for our residents one Saturday morning a month. I'm getting hungry just thinking about them. "Mmmm... Fattening..."
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
License Plates
I always get a laugh out of vanity license plates, although sometimes I'm actually laughing AT them and their owners. Here are a couple of good ones:
1. My sister was telling me about her co-worker who loves the Dave Matthews Band. Additionally, the co-worker has recently become a mom, so she decided to get a vanity plate that combines the two: DMB MOM
Unfortunately, many people misinterpret it as "Dumb Mom." D'oh!
(Amy, feel free to correct any mistaken details on that one.)
2. The best one I've seen recently was a litte red sportscar with the license plate PRIME 8. That alone might be amusing, but it was greatly accentuated by the fact that the driver had a real live monkey (a rhesus monkey or something similar) sitting on his lap! I did a double take. I thought it was pretty awesome -- until I realized that the guy and his monkey were taking advantage of the HOV (i.e., carpool) lane! That just doesn't seem right.
1. My sister was telling me about her co-worker who loves the Dave Matthews Band. Additionally, the co-worker has recently become a mom, so she decided to get a vanity plate that combines the two: DMB MOM
Unfortunately, many people misinterpret it as "Dumb Mom." D'oh!
(Amy, feel free to correct any mistaken details on that one.)
2. The best one I've seen recently was a litte red sportscar with the license plate PRIME 8. That alone might be amusing, but it was greatly accentuated by the fact that the driver had a real live monkey (a rhesus monkey or something similar) sitting on his lap! I did a double take. I thought it was pretty awesome -- until I realized that the guy and his monkey were taking advantage of the HOV (i.e., carpool) lane! That just doesn't seem right.
Monday, June 20, 2005
An Eight-Part Test
Good thoughts from Challies.com about evaluating songs for use in worship services.
Birthdays, Batman, and Bruster's
June must be the month for birthdays in our local church family-- in the last week alone there were five other folks (besides me) who celebrated the day they emerged into the world.
Celebrations were multifaceted and took place over two days:
1. On Friday afternoon, a few of the girls with June birthdays (including the sweetest 78-year old lady in our church) went to All Fired Up to paint pottery and eat homemade butter pecan cake. Yummy and relaxing! I painted a 6" by 6" tile to match my fun yellow/blue/green "tree" plates from TJ Maxx. I painted it freehand, from memory, and was worried about the resemblance, but a friend reminded me that it would be "my artistic representation" of the design and therefore even more original. It'll be back from the kiln on Tuesday, so hopefully we'll get to see how it matches up.
2. Later that evening, a huge group of over 16 of our friends from church (both past and present incarnations of our church family) met at one of the best Chinese restaurants on Buford Highway (and that's saying a lot!)-- Little Schezuan. It's one of my favorite places to go with groups because they serve the food family style and it ends up being a lot cheaper that way. With tax and tip I think our table's meal came out to $9 a person, and that included potstickers, two kinds of soup, and our choice of four entrees. It was delicious.
3. Most of the folks from the dinner group (plus a few newcomers) traveled up to the Mall of Georgia to watch Batman: Begins -- the IMAX experience. Whatever anyone might think of the other incarnations of the winged crime-fighter in film, this blows it all away. Especially with the overwheling sensory experience of watching it on an eight-story IMAX screen. The story itself was fascinatingly captured in Christopher Nolan's gritty style-- he rendered the journey from man to legend, from boy to batman in a completely realistic fashion. One almost expects Batman to emerge from one of our modern metropolises in the near future. I think this is the best comic book character I've ever seen realized in film.
Some other things I appreciated about Batman: Begins:
The sequence and pacing was so well done that I don't think I took my eyes off the screen for the entire 2 and a half hours we were in the theater-- I actually found myself wanting the film to continue just because it was so much darn fun. Also, there was no noticeable language, and the film was devoid of the "Batman as sex object" motif that permeated the others. Of course, I've admired Christian Bale for years, and he did a superb job showing the appropriate "masked" personalities-- with the addition of a much-needed sense of humor! More importantly, Nolan made the character of Batman frightening, downright scary-- as he should be. As Gaines commented after the film, it was never supposed to be about a man in a batsuit fighting crime, it was always about the fear the very presence of Batman instilled in his enemies.
If this is the only time Nolan/Bale team up to portray the Batman series, it will be enough. I came from the film completely satisfied that I had experienced the power of myth. Someone should sit George Lucas down and say, "See? This is what a real film should be." It had none of the drawbacks of some other films in this comic/fantasty/sci-fi genre-- the dialogue was never too cheesy, the special effects were done without all that crazy overdone CGI stuff, and the villains were never too over-the-top. It also set up the city of Gotham, the later villians, and the "Batman" figure in a way that one longs to see where Nolan might take the series in the future. I, having only seen the earlier films when forced, knew just enough details to see where Nolan was alluding in his references to characters and what they would become. Overall, I give this my highest reccommendation. However, I would probably not take any kids under 12 to see this, because it definitely was an intense film, but I also thought the violence was not as gory or brutal as I have seen elsewhere or in others rated PG-13. Also, Batman refuses to kill outright.
4. And you thought that was the end of our adventures? Not so-- Saturday was my actual 25th birthday, and my parents stopped by for lunch. We ate with a large group at Slope's BBQ (you always know it's good if there is a cannibalistic pig with knife and fork on the restaurant sign) and then returned to our apartment so I could open presents and cards from family. I received mostly gift cards and money for shopping-- which is just what I needed. I can't wait to improve and organized our apartment with my gift cards from Target and the Container Store!
5. The rest of my birthday was extremely relaxing. Days where we sleep past 7 a.m. and don't have an Apartment Life event later in the day are very rare in the Redd household, so it was an especially nice treat to have a clear calendar. After all the social outings we enjoyed just staying home and doing nothing. After my parents left, Gaines and I watched To Kill a Mockingbird. Then we topped off our day with a trip to Bruster's ice cream. In the spirit of celebration, I got a waffle cone with chocolate chip cookie dough AND birthday cake ice cream. Mmmmmmm. Ice cream, cookie dough, and icing. The perfect sweet end to a perfectly sweet birthday weekend.
Celebrations were multifaceted and took place over two days:
1. On Friday afternoon, a few of the girls with June birthdays (including the sweetest 78-year old lady in our church) went to All Fired Up to paint pottery and eat homemade butter pecan cake. Yummy and relaxing! I painted a 6" by 6" tile to match my fun yellow/blue/green "tree" plates from TJ Maxx. I painted it freehand, from memory, and was worried about the resemblance, but a friend reminded me that it would be "my artistic representation" of the design and therefore even more original. It'll be back from the kiln on Tuesday, so hopefully we'll get to see how it matches up.
2. Later that evening, a huge group of over 16 of our friends from church (both past and present incarnations of our church family) met at one of the best Chinese restaurants on Buford Highway (and that's saying a lot!)-- Little Schezuan. It's one of my favorite places to go with groups because they serve the food family style and it ends up being a lot cheaper that way. With tax and tip I think our table's meal came out to $9 a person, and that included potstickers, two kinds of soup, and our choice of four entrees. It was delicious.
3. Most of the folks from the dinner group (plus a few newcomers) traveled up to the Mall of Georgia to watch Batman: Begins -- the IMAX experience. Whatever anyone might think of the other incarnations of the winged crime-fighter in film, this blows it all away. Especially with the overwheling sensory experience of watching it on an eight-story IMAX screen. The story itself was fascinatingly captured in Christopher Nolan's gritty style-- he rendered the journey from man to legend, from boy to batman in a completely realistic fashion. One almost expects Batman to emerge from one of our modern metropolises in the near future. I think this is the best comic book character I've ever seen realized in film.
Some other things I appreciated about Batman: Begins:
The sequence and pacing was so well done that I don't think I took my eyes off the screen for the entire 2 and a half hours we were in the theater-- I actually found myself wanting the film to continue just because it was so much darn fun. Also, there was no noticeable language, and the film was devoid of the "Batman as sex object" motif that permeated the others. Of course, I've admired Christian Bale for years, and he did a superb job showing the appropriate "masked" personalities-- with the addition of a much-needed sense of humor! More importantly, Nolan made the character of Batman frightening, downright scary-- as he should be. As Gaines commented after the film, it was never supposed to be about a man in a batsuit fighting crime, it was always about the fear the very presence of Batman instilled in his enemies.
If this is the only time Nolan/Bale team up to portray the Batman series, it will be enough. I came from the film completely satisfied that I had experienced the power of myth. Someone should sit George Lucas down and say, "See? This is what a real film should be." It had none of the drawbacks of some other films in this comic/fantasty/sci-fi genre-- the dialogue was never too cheesy, the special effects were done without all that crazy overdone CGI stuff, and the villains were never too over-the-top. It also set up the city of Gotham, the later villians, and the "Batman" figure in a way that one longs to see where Nolan might take the series in the future. I, having only seen the earlier films when forced, knew just enough details to see where Nolan was alluding in his references to characters and what they would become. Overall, I give this my highest reccommendation. However, I would probably not take any kids under 12 to see this, because it definitely was an intense film, but I also thought the violence was not as gory or brutal as I have seen elsewhere or in others rated PG-13. Also, Batman refuses to kill outright.
4. And you thought that was the end of our adventures? Not so-- Saturday was my actual 25th birthday, and my parents stopped by for lunch. We ate with a large group at Slope's BBQ (you always know it's good if there is a cannibalistic pig with knife and fork on the restaurant sign) and then returned to our apartment so I could open presents and cards from family. I received mostly gift cards and money for shopping-- which is just what I needed. I can't wait to improve and organized our apartment with my gift cards from Target and the Container Store!
5. The rest of my birthday was extremely relaxing. Days where we sleep past 7 a.m. and don't have an Apartment Life event later in the day are very rare in the Redd household, so it was an especially nice treat to have a clear calendar. After all the social outings we enjoyed just staying home and doing nothing. After my parents left, Gaines and I watched To Kill a Mockingbird. Then we topped off our day with a trip to Bruster's ice cream. In the spirit of celebration, I got a waffle cone with chocolate chip cookie dough AND birthday cake ice cream. Mmmmmmm. Ice cream, cookie dough, and icing. The perfect sweet end to a perfectly sweet birthday weekend.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Exegeting the Stop Sign
Wow. Someone posted this on the Wrightsaid list, and I thought it was pretty funny!
Hermeneutics in Everyday Life
I thought this one was pretty good:
"A scholar from Jesus seminar concludes that the passage "STOP" undoubtedly was never uttered by Jesus himself, but belongs entirely to stage III of the gospel tradition, when the church was first confronted by traffic in its parking lot."
Hermeneutics in Everyday Life
I thought this one was pretty good:
"A scholar from Jesus seminar concludes that the passage "STOP" undoubtedly was never uttered by Jesus himself, but belongs entirely to stage III of the gospel tradition, when the church was first confronted by traffic in its parking lot."
Weekend Adventures
This past Sunday we drove through lots of rain to Birmingham for Gaines' family reunion (on his mom's side). It's always a good chance to see extended family, including some that we run into only rarely from lands to the north (i.e. above Kentucky). On the second Sunday every year, this group of relatives descended from four Civil War-era brothers gathers at the family cemetery (well, across the street) for a service and celebration-- which in the South, of course, means lots of good home-cooked food! Thankfully, this year the sun came out just long enough for us to sit outside and enjoy fried chicken, potato salad, caramel cake, and all the other yummy treats cooked up just for the occasion. I still haven't decided if it is beneficial or not that all of the important gatherings in our lives involve food.
Here's a fantastic picture from the '91 reunion. I'm so thankful fashions change. (To be fair, I should probably post a picture from a family reunion of mine from about the same time-- Mary Lou Retton had nothing on my haircut back then. If I find it, I will post it someday.)
On the way back, we stopped at a new theater in Birmingham to watch Episode III in all its digital glory. We both enjoyed the movie even more the second time, perhaps due to the fact that it was a matinee and not midnight on opening day.
Here's a fantastic picture from the '91 reunion. I'm so thankful fashions change. (To be fair, I should probably post a picture from a family reunion of mine from about the same time-- Mary Lou Retton had nothing on my haircut back then. If I find it, I will post it someday.)
On the way back, we stopped at a new theater in Birmingham to watch Episode III in all its digital glory. We both enjoyed the movie even more the second time, perhaps due to the fact that it was a matinee and not midnight on opening day.
Monday, June 13, 2005
It's funny because it's true
Entire Napoleon Dynamite Plot Pieced Together Through Friend's Quotes
(Thanks to Mike for the heads up!)
(Thanks to Mike for the heads up!)
Hello, old friend
I noticed that I have been squinting a lot this morning, especially while driving and walking outside. Then it dawned on me that there has been a strange illumination today that has not been present for the past couple of weeks (especially amidst the constant precipitation).
I call it: THE SUN.
I call it: THE SUN.
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
The Soundtrack of My Life?
Recently, my friend Peter was telling me that Japanese scientists and engineers are performing serious studies on the way that "chi" interacts with technology. That is, they are trying to find a correlation between people's moods/mental states and functionality of machines and devices. It sounds kind of crazy, but then again, I'm sure we can all think of anecdotal evidence of a car that would only crank for its owner, or maybe that copier at work that always seems to jam when you use it (although no one else in the office seems to have any problems). Maybe it's just imagined. Or maybe there's some latent resistentialism. I guess we'll have to wait until they finish those studies. (Hopefully it will distract them from trying to disturb the peaceful existence of our underwater ally.)
Anyway, I have dinner with some guys from church on Monday nights. During the course of last night's dinner, someone mentioned "summer nights," and I made a reference to the old-school Van Halen song by that name. Later in the conversation, a John Mayer song came up, and someone else made reference to the fact that his song lyrics often demonstrate his Atlanta roots.
What does this have to do with anything? After dinner, I got in the car to drive home, and I selected "Shuffle" on my iPod. What were the very first two songs that it played (out of the 2000+ that I've loaded onto it)?
"Summer Nights" - Van Halen
"Why Georgia" - John Mayer
Creepy.
Anyway, I have dinner with some guys from church on Monday nights. During the course of last night's dinner, someone mentioned "summer nights," and I made a reference to the old-school Van Halen song by that name. Later in the conversation, a John Mayer song came up, and someone else made reference to the fact that his song lyrics often demonstrate his Atlanta roots.
What does this have to do with anything? After dinner, I got in the car to drive home, and I selected "Shuffle" on my iPod. What were the very first two songs that it played (out of the 2000+ that I've loaded onto it)?
"Summer Nights" - Van Halen
"Why Georgia" - John Mayer
Creepy.
Monday, June 06, 2005
mmm, nachos
We had a great time seeing Andrew Peterson in concert on Friday night. As with all AP shows, it was a mixture of wonderful songs, excellent musicians and hearty laughter (sometimes caused by forgotten lyrics). Picking a single highlight would be quite a feat, especially since Andy and gang played a few songs from his forthcoming album (due out in August). But if I had to narrow it down, one of the shining moments would be Andy's ode to his favorite Mexican restaurant. (Unless you've heard it before, you'll have to imagine that he is singing in a really high voice for the italicized parts. If you have heard it, then tap into your memory banks.)
ALIEN CONSPIRACY
There is a reason, you see
That I’m thicker in the middle
I could blame it on a bad knee
Maybe just a little
I could blame it on my blue jeans
Or that my wife is such a fine chef
My metabolism’s changing
But I haven’t told you why yet
It’s a magical, mysterious
Hispanically ambiguous glaze
Chorus
What is that white stuff on my nachos?
It’s too thick for melted cheese
It’s too thin to be just milk so
Won’t somebody tell me please
What is that white stuff I’m consuming
Beause it’s so consuming me
You know they’ll never tell you
‘Cause then they’d have to kill you
There’s a mother lode of cheese juice
They found at Maccu Picchu
In the temple of the Incas
There’s a fountain flowing cheese dip
And they smuggle it to Texas
And they trick us with the free chips
It’s mind control in a salsa bowl
Well, I’m not even sure I remember how I got here
Chorus
So this is sort of a love song
It’s a kind of confession
As for me, you see I’m long gone
So consider this a lesson
They wanna make us into zombies
Lurching to La Hacienda
To gobble up the chimichangis
That isn’t how you wanna end up
I can tell you that Mexico remembers the Alamo
And the ghost of Montezuma’s on the move
Chorus
He’s taking over with the white stuff on my nachos
It’s too thin for melted cheese
It’s too thick to be just milk
In its sublime consistency
What is that white stuff I’m consuming
Because it’s so consuming me
What is that white stuff, won’t somebody tell me please
What is that white stuff? I don’t care, just pass the cheese
ALIEN CONSPIRACY
There is a reason, you see
That I’m thicker in the middle
I could blame it on a bad knee
Maybe just a little
I could blame it on my blue jeans
Or that my wife is such a fine chef
My metabolism’s changing
But I haven’t told you why yet
It’s a magical, mysterious
Hispanically ambiguous glaze
Chorus
What is that white stuff on my nachos?
It’s too thick for melted cheese
It’s too thin to be just milk so
Won’t somebody tell me please
What is that white stuff I’m consuming
Beause it’s so consuming me
You know they’ll never tell you
‘Cause then they’d have to kill you
There’s a mother lode of cheese juice
They found at Maccu Picchu
In the temple of the Incas
There’s a fountain flowing cheese dip
And they smuggle it to Texas
And they trick us with the free chips
It’s mind control in a salsa bowl
Well, I’m not even sure I remember how I got here
Chorus
So this is sort of a love song
It’s a kind of confession
As for me, you see I’m long gone
So consider this a lesson
They wanna make us into zombies
Lurching to La Hacienda
To gobble up the chimichangis
That isn’t how you wanna end up
I can tell you that Mexico remembers the Alamo
And the ghost of Montezuma’s on the move
Chorus
He’s taking over with the white stuff on my nachos
It’s too thin for melted cheese
It’s too thick to be just milk
In its sublime consistency
What is that white stuff I’m consuming
Because it’s so consuming me
What is that white stuff, won’t somebody tell me please
What is that white stuff? I don’t care, just pass the cheese
Friday, June 03, 2005
There I Am!
This past Sunday, our pastor used an analogy that ties in very nicely with some of the issues raised by Marva Dawn in Unfettered Hope (which I will one day finish reviewing!). Dawn notes that one instance of how the church is negatively impacted by misplaced cultural "values" occurs in how Christians approach the Bible. Rather than being those who read the Bible for all its worth, many Christians have been shaped by our society into being "consumerist readers" -- that is, they read the Bible solely to pluck out principles, lessons or applications that apply directly to them and their situation (a practice which often results in reading their own lives and situations into the text).
Our pastor, describing how we often ignore the bigger picture of the Bible in favor of such self-focused readings, used the analogy of our typical reaction to our grade school yearbooks. What did we typically do first when we received our yearbooks each year? We usually spent our initial look scanning the pages in search of ourselves.
Our pastor, describing how we often ignore the bigger picture of the Bible in favor of such self-focused readings, used the analogy of our typical reaction to our grade school yearbooks. What did we typically do first when we received our yearbooks each year? We usually spent our initial look scanning the pages in search of ourselves.
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Ugly Calvinism
Phil Johnson's blog post on "Quick-And-Dirty Calvinism" is a pretty good read, with a number of great observations. I think he is very much correct in noting that much of the backlash against Calvinism, especially from those who have in previous times embraced that label, is actually directed against a certain species of "Internet Calvinism" and not against actual, historic Calvinism. His closing advice is pretty apt:
And meanwhile, my advice to young Calvinists is to learn your theology from the historic mainstream Calvinist authors, not from blogs and discussion forums on the Internet. Some of the forums may be helpful in pointing you to helpful resources. But if you think of them as a surrogate for seminary, you're probably going to become an ugly Calvinist—and if you get hit in the face with a rotten egg, you probably deserve it.
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Props
Reading over two recent reviews from Decent Films, I noticed a spot-on ability of the author to duplicate the tone and feel of the books (from which the films are based) in his writing.
For example, this introduction from his review of the Lemony Snicket movie:
And this, a charming example from his review of Hitchiker's Guide:
Although I appreciate most of his comments on both films, I entirely disagree with his thoughts on the literary quality of Harry Potter vs. the Lemony Snicket series, despite his creative attempt at Snicket mimcry (see this book for some of my reasons why):
All that to say, it's nice to read film reviews from someone who appears to actually enjoy his job.
For example, this introduction from his review of the Lemony Snicket movie:
If you prefer movie reviews about pleasant and uplifting films in which goodness is suitably rewarded, evil is suitably punished, and children are not placed in excessive peril or disagreeable circumstances, you may wish to read some other review.
While it is my duty to review Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, loosely based on the first three volumes of the best-selling series of books for intermediate readers, you might be happier not reading this review and never learning about the dreadful events that befall the three Baudelaire children — very quickly the Baudelaire orphans — in this film.
And this, a charming example from his review of Hitchiker's Guide:
Likewise, one of the film’s more inventive images involves a literally slapstick sequence in which Arthur, Ford and Zaphod must run a punishing gauntlet of thought-sensitive booby traps. It’s the kind of thing Adams might have come up with, but in the books he would have told us (a) who built the traps and why, (b) how they work, (c) what unforeseen consequences their deployment has had, and, most crucially, (d) what thought-suppressing expedient ultimately enabled Arthur, Ford and/or Zaphod to thwart them (a constant stream of small talk? singing sitcom theme songs? listening to broadcast presidential debates?).
Although I appreciate most of his comments on both films, I entirely disagree with his thoughts on the literary quality of Harry Potter vs. the Lemony Snicket series, despite his creative attempt at Snicket mimcry (see this book for some of my reasons why):
Still, it can easily be said that these books are far superior literarily to that other wildly popular series of dark-themed stories for young readers, the Harry Potter stories. And, with eleven of a projected thirteen volumes published so far, each thirteen chapters long and none more than double the length of the 175-page first entry, A Series of Unfortunate Events also exhibits commendable consistency and literary self-discipline. This also is in marked contrast to the Harry Potter books, which over time have become alarmingly tumid — the word “tumid” is related to “tumor,” and here means “swollen” or “bloated,” as well as “badly in need of editing.”
All that to say, it's nice to read film reviews from someone who appears to actually enjoy his job.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
old made new
Red Mountain Church, an urban PCA plant in Birmingham, AL, has been continuing the tradition of setting ancient hymns to contemporary music. Today I discovered they have put out a third album, The Gadsby Project, and also have a website devoted just to these collections. I'm not sure how the latest addition sounds, but after browing the online materials, it appears they have mined some rich hymnody. I'm looking forward to ordering this at some point in the near future.
Memorial Daze
The holiday weekend was rainy and cool, so we didn't do too much. Which made for quite a relaxing weekend. Allison spent a good deal of time studying and working through school assignments, and we both tackled various sorting and cleaning tasks around the apartment. But overall, it was nice and quiet.
We watched Primer 2.5 times (including half with the director commentary on), and will probably buy it if we can find it cheap. What a great film. First-time filmmaker Shane Carruth has delivered a remarkable and engaging film. I guess you could call it a "science fiction" movie, but this film does not rely on spectacular special effects or technological gimmicks (since it cost ~$7000 to make). Rather, the film tells the story of two friends and part-time inventors who stumble upon some unexpected capabilities of their latest invention. Initially driven by curiosity and later carried by obsession, they quickly learn that their best planning and calculations cannot prepare them for the unexpected consequences of their actions. And despite the engrossing and disorienting plot, the film is really driven by the characters, their relationships, and their reactions to their situations. That being said, the plot is pretty crazy to follow. One should be prepared to invest time in multiple viewings. However, even with the low-budget production values, the film is captivating enough to instill the desire to repeatedly watch it.
We also watched several episodes of Sledge Hammer! - Season One, a great television police-show parody from the mid-80's, now available on DVD. I will be honest: the show isn't as awesomely funny as I remembered. But, it is still very entertaining (in a dumb, over-the-top way), and I plan to finish watching all episodes of both seasons. (In the spirit of full disclosure, I must state for the record that I have been enjoying this show MUCH more than Allison has.)
We also finished reading The Austere Academy, the fifth installment of the Lemony Snicket books. We have enjoyed reading these books, for numerous reasons. This one was the best so far, especially since it (and four, to a lesser degree) diverged from the formulaic plot structure of the first three.
One funny occurrence: we were watching television one evening and I looked out on our porch to see a squirrel attempting to pilfer from our birdfeeder. Because we live in a third floor apartment, with the closest trees twenty yards away, we've never had any issues with squirrels. But, this wayward fellow somehow managed to get up to our porch. It was amusing to watch him perched precariously, as he made it atop the feeder, which is attached by a single chain to the ceiling. The little guy looked pretty scared, since he was a bit too big to be on the feeder, which wobbled and swayed with even the slightest movement of the squirrel. Finally, I decided to open the sliding door and scare him off. When I did so, the startled squirrel jumped/fell backwards -- falling all three stories down to the ground level. He seemed to be alright, though, and scurried into the woods behind the apartment. I wonder if he'll be brave enough to return ...
We watched Primer 2.5 times (including half with the director commentary on), and will probably buy it if we can find it cheap. What a great film. First-time filmmaker Shane Carruth has delivered a remarkable and engaging film. I guess you could call it a "science fiction" movie, but this film does not rely on spectacular special effects or technological gimmicks (since it cost ~$7000 to make). Rather, the film tells the story of two friends and part-time inventors who stumble upon some unexpected capabilities of their latest invention. Initially driven by curiosity and later carried by obsession, they quickly learn that their best planning and calculations cannot prepare them for the unexpected consequences of their actions. And despite the engrossing and disorienting plot, the film is really driven by the characters, their relationships, and their reactions to their situations. That being said, the plot is pretty crazy to follow. One should be prepared to invest time in multiple viewings. However, even with the low-budget production values, the film is captivating enough to instill the desire to repeatedly watch it.
We also watched several episodes of Sledge Hammer! - Season One, a great television police-show parody from the mid-80's, now available on DVD. I will be honest: the show isn't as awesomely funny as I remembered. But, it is still very entertaining (in a dumb, over-the-top way), and I plan to finish watching all episodes of both seasons. (In the spirit of full disclosure, I must state for the record that I have been enjoying this show MUCH more than Allison has.)
We also finished reading The Austere Academy, the fifth installment of the Lemony Snicket books. We have enjoyed reading these books, for numerous reasons. This one was the best so far, especially since it (and four, to a lesser degree) diverged from the formulaic plot structure of the first three.
One funny occurrence: we were watching television one evening and I looked out on our porch to see a squirrel attempting to pilfer from our birdfeeder. Because we live in a third floor apartment, with the closest trees twenty yards away, we've never had any issues with squirrels. But, this wayward fellow somehow managed to get up to our porch. It was amusing to watch him perched precariously, as he made it atop the feeder, which is attached by a single chain to the ceiling. The little guy looked pretty scared, since he was a bit too big to be on the feeder, which wobbled and swayed with even the slightest movement of the squirrel. Finally, I decided to open the sliding door and scare him off. When I did so, the startled squirrel jumped/fell backwards -- falling all three stories down to the ground level. He seemed to be alright, though, and scurried into the woods behind the apartment. I wonder if he'll be brave enough to return ...
Friday, May 27, 2005
Did DaVinci get Left Behind?
Ok, so in the midst of my intense three-week MayMester on 20th Century American Poetry, I took a "mind break" and read The DaVinci Code over the course of the last three nights. Besides all of the historical inaccuracies and sickening references to rituals and goddess worship (the last page almost made me want to throw up), I wondered if Dan Brown learned how to write a bestseller at the feet of Jerry B. Jenkins?
With hundreds of cliched phrases peppered through the novel--- memorable examples include someone who "cut through traffic like a knife" and descriptions of a chapel with "doves cooing in the eaves"-- he had to have taken some pointers from Mr. Cheesy Thriller himself. Not to mention the "cool technology" incorporated into the book-- as soon as they got into the Land Rover, visions of Buck fleeing from the Tribulation danced in my head. Let's see, what other similarities arose-- there's a daughter of an important figure in the book who becomes the love interest of an investigative skeptic, a powerful (surprise!) bad guy with world-wide connections, and of course, references to the "End of Days." I want to know what in the world qualifies Dan Brown as "One of the most intelligent and dynamic authors in the genre"? Is it because of his knowledge of the art history and secret societies? He probably just got the idea from his wife. Most likely it is his alternative history scenario, and that alone, that accrues any sort of accolades or media interest. Surely they cannot compliment his writing?
Sadly, I kept thinking that despite the aberrant theology and blatant disregard of the Catholic Church (or perhaps because of it), and though the anti-Christian bias should create intense cognitive dissonance, I believe that some of the same people who gobble down the Left Behind series might also be suckered into thinking this stuff is good. At least, it would encourage the same types of readers: those who enjoy reading about people who decipher obscure references in ancient art/texts and apply them to some version of world events. Of course, one thing I can say for Brown is that at least he understands the concept of figurative language.
With hundreds of cliched phrases peppered through the novel--- memorable examples include someone who "cut through traffic like a knife" and descriptions of a chapel with "doves cooing in the eaves"-- he had to have taken some pointers from Mr. Cheesy Thriller himself. Not to mention the "cool technology" incorporated into the book-- as soon as they got into the Land Rover, visions of Buck fleeing from the Tribulation danced in my head. Let's see, what other similarities arose-- there's a daughter of an important figure in the book who becomes the love interest of an investigative skeptic, a powerful (surprise!) bad guy with world-wide connections, and of course, references to the "End of Days." I want to know what in the world qualifies Dan Brown as "One of the most intelligent and dynamic authors in the genre"? Is it because of his knowledge of the art history and secret societies? He probably just got the idea from his wife. Most likely it is his alternative history scenario, and that alone, that accrues any sort of accolades or media interest. Surely they cannot compliment his writing?
Sadly, I kept thinking that despite the aberrant theology and blatant disregard of the Catholic Church (or perhaps because of it), and though the anti-Christian bias should create intense cognitive dissonance, I believe that some of the same people who gobble down the Left Behind series might also be suckered into thinking this stuff is good. At least, it would encourage the same types of readers: those who enjoy reading about people who decipher obscure references in ancient art/texts and apply them to some version of world events. Of course, one thing I can say for Brown is that at least he understands the concept of figurative language.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Thank You, Decent Films
Yes, Episode III has it's glaring errors. Yes, the dialogue is bad in places. Yes, Lucas's love scenes between Padme and Anakin are not convincing. But I still liked it. A lot. This is the first reviewer I've read who captured what I was trying to say below:
What makes the failure of the first two films so glaring, now, is that with Revenge of the Sith Lucas has finally again tapped into the inspiration of the original trilogy, and created the mythic precursor that he first conceived decades ago. Perhaps he really only had one real Star Wars prequel in him, and didn’t know how to properly set it up with the first two episodes. ...
Yet, crippled as he is by the decisions of the first two films, Lucas still manages to invest the final chapter of his sprawling space opera with the grandly operatic spirit of the original trilogy. It’s still cornball, yes, and with all the usual weaknesses. But Episode III at last has heart.
Revenge of the Sith is the first of the prequels that echoes elements in the original trilogy in such a way as to enhance the original films.
What makes the failure of the first two films so glaring, now, is that with Revenge of the Sith Lucas has finally again tapped into the inspiration of the original trilogy, and created the mythic precursor that he first conceived decades ago. Perhaps he really only had one real Star Wars prequel in him, and didn’t know how to properly set it up with the first two episodes. ...
Yet, crippled as he is by the decisions of the first two films, Lucas still manages to invest the final chapter of his sprawling space opera with the grandly operatic spirit of the original trilogy. It’s still cornball, yes, and with all the usual weaknesses. But Episode III at last has heart.
Revenge of the Sith is the first of the prequels that echoes elements in the original trilogy in such a way as to enhance the original films.
Tradition and Modern Hymnody
In T.S. Eliot's critical essay "Tradition and the Individual Talent," the author touches upon some ideas I think would be beneficial if applied to contemporary church music. Those who take it upon themselves to write new "songs, hymns, and spiritual songs," I think, should be traditionalists according to Eliot's definition.
In this, he encouages any new artist to realize their place among the entire literary (or, perhaps, musical) canon. And I think that too many songwriters have fogotten this notion. Being a traditional artist does not mean mindlessly repeating what has gone before, nor does it mean merely passing down work from the previous generation. (The whole of creative Christian music and song did not begin in the late nineteenth century.) According to Eliot, his view of writing encompasses all of history. And, I would add for hymnody, that it would include works created in all places at all times, so that the church of the entire world would be included, not just our Western sensibilities.
(emphasis mine)
In this, he encouages any new artist to realize their place among the entire literary (or, perhaps, musical) canon. And I think that too many songwriters have fogotten this notion. Being a traditional artist does not mean mindlessly repeating what has gone before, nor does it mean merely passing down work from the previous generation. (The whole of creative Christian music and song did not begin in the late nineteenth century.) According to Eliot, his view of writing encompasses all of history. And, I would add for hymnody, that it would include works created in all places at all times, so that the church of the entire world would be included, not just our Western sensibilities.
Yet if the only form of tradition, of handing down, consisted in following the ways of the immediate generation before us in a blind or timid adherence to its successes, "tradition" should positively be discouraged. ...Tradition is a matter of much wider significance. It cannot be inherited, and if you want it you must obtain it by great labour. It involves, in the first place, the historical sense, which we may call nearly indispensable to anyone who would continue to be a poet beyond his twenty-fifth year; and the historical sense involves a perception, not only of the pastness of the past, but of its presence; the historical sense compels a man to write not merely with his own generation in his bones, but with a feeling that the whole of the literature of Europe from Homer and within it the whole of the literature of his own country has a simultaneous existence and composes a simultaneous order. This historical sense, which is a sense of the timeless as well as of the temporal and of the timeless and of the temporal together, is what makes a writer traditional. And it is at the same time what makes a writer most acutely conscious of his place in time, of his contemporaneity.
No poet, no artist of any art, has his complete meaning alone. His significance, his appreciation is the appreciation of his relation to the dead poets and artists. You cannot value him alone; you must set him, for contrast and comparison, among the dead. I mean this as a principle of æsthetic, not merely historical, criticism. The necessity that he shall conform, that he shall cohere, is not one-sided; what happens when a new work of art is created is something that happens simultaneously to all the works of art which preceded it. The existing monuments form an ideal order among themselves, which is modified by the introduction of the new (the really new) work of art among them. The existing order is complete before the new work arrives; for order to persist after the supervention of novelty, the whole existing order must be, if ever so slightly, altered; and so the relations, proportions, values of each work of art toward the whole are readjusted; and this is conformity between the old and the new. Whoever has approved this idea of order, of the form of European, of English literature, will not find it preposterous that the past should be altered by the present as much as the present is directed by the past. And the poet who is aware of this will be aware of great difficulties and responsibilities.
(emphasis mine)
Programming Note
Errol Morris' Vernon, Florida - cult classic and perennial favorite of Team Redd - is finally being released on DVD, on July 26. This documentary about life in small town, panhandle Florida defies attempts at description. So mark your calendars and check it out.
This film can also be purchased as part of The Errol Morris DVD Collection, which also includes Gates of Heaven (a charming look at the pet cemetery business) and The Thin Blue Line (which we have not seen, but the film apparently helped free a man wrongly-convicted of murder).
This film can also be purchased as part of The Errol Morris DVD Collection, which also includes Gates of Heaven (a charming look at the pet cemetery business) and The Thin Blue Line (which we have not seen, but the film apparently helped free a man wrongly-convicted of murder).
Friday, May 20, 2005
My lack of faith was disturbing ...
I wanted to do more of a write-up for Episode III, but I'm still recuperating. Man, am I sorry that I sat next to this guy!
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Cosmic Clashes
My succinct review (Gaines, I'm sure, will be forthcoming with further details of our late-night adventures):
In my opinion, Episode III re-establishes George Lucas as a mythmaker. There is now a richer, fuller story that undergirds the saga, and consequently, the original three films will take on new meaning. Star Wars has returned.
In my opinion, Episode III re-establishes George Lucas as a mythmaker. There is now a richer, fuller story that undergirds the saga, and consequently, the original three films will take on new meaning. Star Wars has returned.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Creative Gift Ideas
(I'm attempting to keep up the "C" trend.)
My 25th birthday is exactly one month away (June 18th), and in a shameless, selfish attempt to receive presents, I wanted to list some of the things I would like to have. (Perhaps, though, it is more of a considerate gesture: so that my family and friends who read this blog won't have to wonder where to go shopping!)
1. Target gift card(s)
2. Cash for clothes (or a gift card from Old Navy, Petite Sophisticate, or J. Jill)
3. Amazon.com gift certificate or anything off of my Wish List
4. A compact ESV Bible. (I'm scared of the glow-in-the-dark ones, but I like leather. Or even leather-like. I really like this one, but it won't be out for a while. That's ok. Perhaps, though, metal would be good for a compact since I have a habit of dropping things...)
5. A purse like the one Erin got for graduation (It's so fun!)
So, um, feel free to pass these along.... ;)
My 25th birthday is exactly one month away (June 18th), and in a shameless, selfish attempt to receive presents, I wanted to list some of the things I would like to have. (Perhaps, though, it is more of a considerate gesture: so that my family and friends who read this blog won't have to wonder where to go shopping!)
1. Target gift card(s)
2. Cash for clothes (or a gift card from Old Navy, Petite Sophisticate, or J. Jill)
3. Amazon.com gift certificate or anything off of my Wish List
4. A compact ESV Bible. (I'm scared of the glow-in-the-dark ones, but I like leather. Or even leather-like. I really like this one, but it won't be out for a while. That's ok. Perhaps, though, metal would be good for a compact since I have a habit of dropping things...)
5. A purse like the one Erin got for graduation (It's so fun!)
So, um, feel free to pass these along.... ;)
Confessions
I must confess my utter irresponsibility: despite having work/school tomorrow, we are seeing Episode III at 12:01 AM tonight, er, tomorrow morning.
Although I will not be wearing a costume, I must confess that I will be proudly toting my Yoda hand puppet (just as I did for Ep. II). I must confess that some of the folks in our group will be in costume.
I must also confess that I'm pretty excited about this film. George Lucas, please don't break my heart (again).
Although I will not be wearing a costume, I must confess that I will be proudly toting my Yoda hand puppet (just as I did for Ep. II). I must confess that some of the folks in our group will be in costume.
I must also confess that I'm pretty excited about this film. George Lucas, please don't break my heart (again).
Congrats
Congratulations to my sister Erin, who graduated from High School last night. Woo hoo! Erin and I actually graduated from the same academic magnet program, although it was located at a different high school in my day. So I guess that makes us step-alumni? It was interesting seeing some of my old teachers at the ceremony ...
By the way: when did graduates start flipping their tassels to the left immediately after receiving their diplomas (i.e., while walking off-stage)? I distinctly remember, at both my HS and college graduations, flipping tassels in unison as a class after the last diploma was awarded.
By the way: when did graduates start flipping their tassels to the left immediately after receiving their diplomas (i.e., while walking off-stage)? I distinctly remember, at both my HS and college graduations, flipping tassels in unison as a class after the last diploma was awarded.
Monday, May 16, 2005
Critical Criticism
As mentioned, books were read and movies were watched during our week off. Just in case you were wondering, here's a recap:
Leave It to Psmith: Why did I wait so long to discover P.G. Wodehouse? The delay was definitely my loss. Quite an enjoyable read, and I think I started to annoy Allison with my frequent chuckling. Plus, dash it all, I think I have subconciously imported a bunch of new slang. Apparently, my friend Paul has some Wodehouse on his bookshelf. Not for long! Mwah hah hah.
The DaVinci Code: If the two books above were the good, Dan Brown's blockbuster serves as both the bad and the ugly. Even though I already knew a fair amount about the book, I always like to read things first-hand. I will give Brown credit for being able to weave a story in a way that keeps you hooked until the very end. But after finishing the book, one looks back and wonders, "I read all 400+ pages for what?" The characters are pretty bland, although Brown adds "depth" by making one an albino and one a cripple, as well as by punctuating the book with smatterings of untranslated French and Latin. It falls well within the parameters for a "beach book" -- that is, a page-turner that makes few intellectual demands on the reader and is suitable for reading by the beach/pool/etc during vacation. Except, the "historical basis" for the book is presented as uncontested fact. I had to aggressively suppress the cognitive dissonance experienced during many of the presentations of "historical fact" throughout the book. Fortunately, the chapters averaged about 2-3 pages each, so I could quickly move along. (The Tektonics web site has a pretty good review of the book that addresses many of the related issues of historical scholarship and what not.)
National Treasure: Mindless fun! Granted, much of the story is pretty far-fetched. But once your disbelief is suspended, it was pretty fun watching Nicholas Cage and pals steal the Declaration of Independence and try to decipher the treasure map hidden on the back. I still have some reservations about Cage as an action hero (actually, as a superstar in general), but not enough to ruin the movie. Although, between this and The DaVinci Code, I've had my fill of secret codes, treasure hunts and Knights Templar to last me for a loooong time.
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events: We opted not to see this film right when it was released, because we wanted to read the books first. After reading the first few books, we were afraid that the film wouldn't meet our expectations. It was very similar to Hitchhiker's, actually, since the Snicket books are heavily driven by the oft-bizarre narrations by the title character, the unseen chronicler of the miseries that have befallen the poor Baudelaire orphans. The film combines (roughly) the plots of the first three books, although not completely in sequence. Despite some of the changes, the film stays true to the spirit (depressed as it is) of the books. Snicket, voiced by Jude Law, provides some great instances of the trademark offbeat narration. Although the casting of the Baudelaires wasn't what I expected (Klaus shouldn't have been so thin!), Jim Carrey does a tremendous job as the evil Count Olaf. Hmm. A character who is a terribly bad actor. What a stretch! Actually, Carrey's performances as Olaf's disguised personae are hysterical. Overall, the film was a fun adaptation of a fun series of books, and the film was well-made (the visuals were very good, and the musical score did a great job of setting the tone -- dark yet whimsical).
Anyway, that's it from my end of the Critics' Corner. Allison read some books, too, including an enormous Tom Wolfe tome. But I'll let her share about that. Now that vacation is over, it will probably be quite a while before I unleash such a flurry of reviews within such a short time! Alas. (Although, I do hope to finally finish that Marva Dawn review. Eventually.)
Books
Paul For Everyone: Romans Part 1: Okay, this may be cheating, since I finished 3/4 of the book before vacation started. But I just wanted to plug Tom Wright's For Everyone books, since this was my first foray into the series. As the name implies, these books are intended for laypersons; however, they still give the basic shape of Wright's theology and approach to the Scriptures. Wright has the ability to vigorously engage in dialogue at the highest levels of academia, yet he is still able to communicate directly, clearly and pastorally to those without the benefit of years of theological training. He writes both to the head and to the heart. This combination is, unfortunately, all too lacking in many discussions of the Scriptures. Of course, as a lay-level guide, the book does not address everything I'd like to see. So, after finishing Part Two, I guess it's time to take a crack at his big Romans commentary.Leave It to Psmith: Why did I wait so long to discover P.G. Wodehouse? The delay was definitely my loss. Quite an enjoyable read, and I think I started to annoy Allison with my frequent chuckling. Plus, dash it all, I think I have subconciously imported a bunch of new slang. Apparently, my friend Paul has some Wodehouse on his bookshelf. Not for long! Mwah hah hah.
The DaVinci Code: If the two books above were the good, Dan Brown's blockbuster serves as both the bad and the ugly. Even though I already knew a fair amount about the book, I always like to read things first-hand. I will give Brown credit for being able to weave a story in a way that keeps you hooked until the very end. But after finishing the book, one looks back and wonders, "I read all 400+ pages for what?" The characters are pretty bland, although Brown adds "depth" by making one an albino and one a cripple, as well as by punctuating the book with smatterings of untranslated French and Latin. It falls well within the parameters for a "beach book" -- that is, a page-turner that makes few intellectual demands on the reader and is suitable for reading by the beach/pool/etc during vacation. Except, the "historical basis" for the book is presented as uncontested fact. I had to aggressively suppress the cognitive dissonance experienced during many of the presentations of "historical fact" throughout the book. Fortunately, the chapters averaged about 2-3 pages each, so I could quickly move along. (The Tektonics web site has a pretty good review of the book that addresses many of the related issues of historical scholarship and what not.)
Films
The Alamo: Better-than-average tale of the defense of the ill-fated Spanish mission. Although the film seemed to lag in several places, the cast (particularly Dennis Quaid, Jason Patric and even Billy Bob Thornton) really shone throughout. Unlike some previous films about the Alamo, this version highlighted the bravery of the defenders while portraying them realistically as flawed (often deeply) men. This is notably seen when Davy Crockett secretly confesses that he had considered fleeing in the night -- but he realized that his stature among the men and his corresponding responsibility made that notion impossible to entertain. Similarly, many of the Mexicans are portrayed humanely (instead of as soul-less killers), with several of the generals attempting unsuccessfully to temper Santa Anna's megalomaniacal ambitions.National Treasure: Mindless fun! Granted, much of the story is pretty far-fetched. But once your disbelief is suspended, it was pretty fun watching Nicholas Cage and pals steal the Declaration of Independence and try to decipher the treasure map hidden on the back. I still have some reservations about Cage as an action hero (actually, as a superstar in general), but not enough to ruin the movie. Although, between this and The DaVinci Code, I've had my fill of secret codes, treasure hunts and Knights Templar to last me for a loooong time.
Films ... From Books
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: This is a film that I had been both anxiously awaiting and nervously dreading for quite some time. On the one hand, the Hitchhiker's trilogy is a series of books I have enjoyed immensely. On the other hand, there's plenty of potential to mess it up. Then again, author Douglas Adams did work on the screenplay. Then again (again), he died before it was completed. Fortunately, the end product is quite an enjoyable movie. My biggest concern going into the film: much of the humor in the series comes out of the narrative, and narrators in films don't always work. But in this case, it worked out pretty well. Although the film made use of big budget effects, it still preserves the offbeat humor which permeates Adams' works, notably in the frequent references from the title guidebook.Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events: We opted not to see this film right when it was released, because we wanted to read the books first. After reading the first few books, we were afraid that the film wouldn't meet our expectations. It was very similar to Hitchhiker's, actually, since the Snicket books are heavily driven by the oft-bizarre narrations by the title character, the unseen chronicler of the miseries that have befallen the poor Baudelaire orphans. The film combines (roughly) the plots of the first three books, although not completely in sequence. Despite some of the changes, the film stays true to the spirit (depressed as it is) of the books. Snicket, voiced by Jude Law, provides some great instances of the trademark offbeat narration. Although the casting of the Baudelaires wasn't what I expected (Klaus shouldn't have been so thin!), Jim Carrey does a tremendous job as the evil Count Olaf. Hmm. A character who is a terribly bad actor. What a stretch! Actually, Carrey's performances as Olaf's disguised personae are hysterical. Overall, the film was a fun adaptation of a fun series of books, and the film was well-made (the visuals were very good, and the musical score did a great job of setting the tone -- dark yet whimsical).
Anyway, that's it from my end of the Critics' Corner. Allison read some books, too, including an enormous Tom Wolfe tome. But I'll let her share about that. Now that vacation is over, it will probably be quite a while before I unleash such a flurry of reviews within such a short time! Alas. (Although, I do hope to finally finish that Marva Dawn review. Eventually.)
Goings and Doings
As mentioned, our week off was fantastically relaxing. I'll avoid the blow-by-blow recap, but the basic contour was:
Spent a couple of days (including Mothers Day) with my family in Montgomery. With sister Amy recently getting engaged, and sister Erin preparing to graduate high school (tomorrow!) and head off to college in the Fall, there is quite a bit of excitement at the Redd homestead. Spent a few days with Allison's family in Geneva (Alabama, that is), and also visited friends in nearby Dothan. We made one of our periodic raids on the wedding present treasure trove that Allison's folks (the Lees) have kindly stored for us these last few years (due to our apartment's limited storage capacity). Spent a few days at the Lees' place at Lake Martin. Did a whole lot of nothing. It was great! Returned to the ATL for our Friday after-school program with the kids at our complex. Made a return trip to Montgomery for Amy's engagement party, which excelled in both food and fun.
Even though there were several stops along the way, they were spaced out enough to allow for much rest and relaxation. Plus, the driving allowed us to give the iPod its first road test, and all was well. We managed to do a lot of leisure reading and movie watching throughout the week. More on that anon.
Even though there were several stops along the way, they were spaced out enough to allow for much rest and relaxation. Plus, the driving allowed us to give the iPod its first road test, and all was well. We managed to do a lot of leisure reading and movie watching throughout the week. More on that anon.
Friday, May 13, 2005
All we ever wanted
I'm finally back at a familiar keyboard after Team Redd's well-deserved vacation. After visiting family (on both sides) for several days, we spent a few days at the lake. It was wonderfully relaxing, and will perhaps generate some movie and book reviews.
But not today.
But not today.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Man Down!
At work, I sit in a row of three cubicles directly outside the Senior Vice President's office. This row is affectionately dubbed "The Firewall," because it stands between the SVP and rest of the world. To be honest, we're not really sure in which direction the firewall operates. Of the three, I am the lowest on the totem pole in terms of "firewall activity" -- I'm the back-up to the back-up.
Unfortunately, my cube neighbor is moving down the hall today. I guess I had better start wearing my Nomex pants.
Unfortunately, my cube neighbor is moving down the hall today. I guess I had better start wearing my Nomex pants.
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Slugs and Bugs and Lullabys
Woo-hoo! Archmusicgroup just sent out a newsletter with some exciting tidings:
Two of our favorite artist-friends, Andrew Peterson and Randall Goodgame, are collaborating on a new project this summer. Just from the prospective album title, I can tell this is going to be FANTASTIC.
Two of our favorite artist-friends, Andrew Peterson and Randall Goodgame, are collaborating on a new project this summer. Just from the prospective album title, I can tell this is going to be FANTASTIC.
Randall to Record Children's Record
04/28/05
Randall will partner up with fellow singer/songwriter Andrew Peterson for a children's record to be recorded Summer of 2005. "I've written a lot of songs for my kids, and Andy's done the same thing, so we decided to put them together and let others here them. Our kids love them so we hope other kids do as well. Not only that we are hoping that as experienced songwriters, we can craft songs that sonically are enjoyable for parents as well."
The project, still in its early stages, is tentatively titled: Slugs and Bugs and Lullaby's: Waking & Sleeping"
With 11 or 12 in the works, half the songs will be about the the time to wake up and play, and the rest songs when it's time to sleep. Some of the songs you'll see on the project are:
"Who's Got The Ball", "The Post Office Song", "Most Beautiful Girl", and "Grizzly's Bears".
Apart from the creative and musical experience, Goodgame looks forward to recording for other reasons. "Andrew is one of my best buddies, and I think it will be a great chance to spend time and working with each other for a purpose. This project has allowed us opportunites to catch up."
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Found!
One Secondary English Education graduate student, age twenty-four.
If you lost your wife under a pile of educational literature, two-page single-spaced narrative essays, twenty-three artifacts from a year's worth of graduate work, a twenty-page case study of an English language learner, and two very large three-ring binders, please be advised that she has emerged unscathed.
Finally, I'm done! Today I completed my HUGE portfolio for my graduate program exit requirement and certification. I swear, when I took the thing down to GSU today, it must've weighed at least 15 pounds. I also should've gone for the 4-inch binder-- mine was bursting at the seams with all the documents I had to include. Graduation is on the horizon-- only four more classes to go!
This year, they didn't require us to submit it electronically as a website (for which I am extrememly grateful-- I'm such a perfectionist that formatting everything would've taken me FOREVER), so I can't give you a link to everything I've been working on for the past week.
However, if you're really curious to see something I created, I included the final version of my Online Learning Environment for my Instructional Technolgy class as one of my artifacts supporting the following standard: "Candidates have knowledge and understanding of a wide range of insructional practices, approaches, methods, and curriculum materials (including nonprint media and technological tools) to support writing instruction and the teaching of literature."
I'd like to publicly acknowledge how awesome Gaines has been throughout this entire year. There were too many nights where he we go to bed while I was still working on the computer and he would get up and... I'd still be working on the computer. I imagine he's just happy now to say he has a wife again. For a while it seemed I'd disappeared off the face of the earth. Thanks, dear, for "holding up my arms" by little things like helping me battle the laundry monster or cleaning the kitchen. You rock!
More like pre-ow!
A timely new e-mail from homestarrunner.com coincides with the successful community Yard Sale we organized this weekend.
Originally scheduled for Saturday, the crazy-craze lightning and thunderstorms that rolled through Atlanta that morning pushed it back to Sunday. Participating residents requested a morning start time, so I helped them set up the tables before going to church services. (Gaines, despite what the previous sentence may imply, was not skipping out on helping OR going to church. He goes to West Merritts super-early every week to practice the morning's worship songs.)
Apparently, as was recounted to me afterward, the yard sale was so successful that the police had to come out and run off all the customers because there were too many cars parked along the road in front of our apartment complex. I'm *almost* sorry we missed it.
Originally scheduled for Saturday, the crazy-craze lightning and thunderstorms that rolled through Atlanta that morning pushed it back to Sunday. Participating residents requested a morning start time, so I helped them set up the tables before going to church services. (Gaines, despite what the previous sentence may imply, was not skipping out on helping OR going to church. He goes to West Merritts super-early every week to practice the morning's worship songs.)
Apparently, as was recounted to me afterward, the yard sale was so successful that the police had to come out and run off all the customers because there were too many cars parked along the road in front of our apartment complex. I'm *almost* sorry we missed it.
Monday, May 02, 2005
I Still Love Technology
Technology has a knack for being both a blessing and a curse. A relevant example is our new iPod. On the one hand, it is a pretty sweet piece of electronic magic. Plus, it was free. But there is a downside: our current PC is running Windows 98, which will not support iTunes, and my computer hacking skills are not up to the task of configuring it for that OS. For the last couple of weeks, I've been weighing the benefits of upgrading to XP against building a brand new system. Well, last week, the Lord saw fit to grace us with an unexpected gift: Apartment Life, the ministry with which we work, decided to provide a sizeable monetary gift to current teams who have been operating for two or more years (in September, Allison and I will have been running the program at our complex for three years). I had been putting off any computer upgrades for budgetary reasons, but our current PC is almost five years old and has seen a great amount of wear and tear in those years. Needless to say, this gift provided the means to purchase a new system -- which arrived this weekend, and is now waiting to be assembled. God is good!
(PS I'm looking to get a good external hard drive. Anyone have any recommendations, or any bad experiences with certain brands?)
(PS I'm looking to get a good external hard drive. Anyone have any recommendations, or any bad experiences with certain brands?)
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