Thoughts on Haiti

Amidst all the tragedies (and the news surrounding) the earthquake in Haiti, I have just a couple thoughts (who doesn't?).

Personally, I've probably read more articles in reaction to Pat Robertson's silly comments than I have about the disaster itself. That's sad; both on my part and on the media's.

Next, I wonder if it's possible for this tragedy to have occurred naturally. To many Christians (or other religious folks), an earthquake is seen as a sign from God or, at the very least, they question how God could let this happen. On the other side of the spectrum would be people citing the "blame" of this tragedy simply on natural occurrences (the country does lie on a fault line, susceptible to earthquakes). Would it be all that sacrilegious to ascribe this occurrence to science? When my car brakes down, I typically don't blame God. Maybe the spiritual and scientific explanations aren't mutually exclusive. Who knows why these things happen.

Finally, the main thing we need to remember to do is to pray, give, and be open to helping anyway we can.

The Double Life

Over the last few months, I’ve enjoyed watching the show’s Dexter’s first four seasons. Each season has a distinctive overall theme on top of its basic premise. For those of you unawares, the premise of the show involves a serial killer (Dexter) who lives by a strict code of only killing other killers. After witnessing a gruesome murder in his childhood, Dexter’s father recognizes the effect this experience has on him and directs Dexter’s dark nature to be aimed at other “bad” guys.

In addition to being a serial killer, Dexter also serves as a boyfriend, stand-in father, brother, and blood splatter specialist for the Miami Police Department. Dexter’s special hobby is not revealed to anyone.

On the surface, the premise of the show sounds like your typical “twist” in a series or movie plot line, fed to the consumer for quick digestion. But what I enjoy about the show is its focus not on big plot twists but rather on the philosophical ramifications of Dexter’s bizarre life. And that’s why I enjoy Dexter and not CSI. (A preview of season 1 is located at the bottom of this blogpost)

An example of said philosophical ramifications lies within the basic premise of the show, a killer who also lives a “normal life.” Obviously, there’s a huge dichotomy there, a dichotomy that does two main things.

First thing, it recognizes the disparity between death and life. I’m not just talking about a beating heart and a stalled one. Dexter’s killings are often followed by mornings making breakfast for the kids (or some other normal life behavior). Dexter feels at home when killing but then has to act normal in order to avoid suspicions. Over time though, Dexter finds a certain enjoyment in the “normal.” But can the two co-exist?

That leads to the second thing, the fallen nature of Dexter, something (according to Christian doctrine) we all possess. I just love how exaggerated his fallen nature is. He has a dark past that he channels in a twisted, positive way. And these gruesome murders are all done over a quirky, peppy score. Well besides being taken aback, my immediate response is: what kind of double life do I currently live? What kind of heinous crime do I keep hidden? It’s a response universal, in nature.

Universal enough that I’m going to relate it to a sermon taught from my church home (Hope Community!) this past December. My pastor, Kevin Butcher, taught on Jesus’ birth bringing light to the world. In a Christmas message dissimilar to most I’ve heard, he highlighted the effects light has on sin/darkness/etc. It eradicates it. There’s no room for the two of them. That shame often keeps us from sharing or confessing but that Jesus is bigger than shame.

Commonly, while watching Dexter, I think to myself, “why doesn’t he just confess his dark nature and get it over with!? Stop playing games! (And while you’re at it, let Jesus cover the darkness).” While that probably won’t happen anytime in season 5, I’m content that in my own life I’ve got a light that is bigger than the darkness. The double life can mysteriously turn singular.

New Year, New Look

I decided it was time for an update on the blog face.

I think I'm pleased for the time being.

I used a third-party template and even figured out how to get rid of the author's annoying Twitter ad at the top (although kept his name/link at the bottom) in the html-edit section!

Excuse any hiccups as I get settled in.

Mash-ups!

In 2004, the artist known as Danger Mouse, released a record called "The Grey Album." What he did was layer Jay-Z's rapping on top of Beatles music (and mixing Jay-Z's "Black Album" with The Beatles "White Album" to get a "Grey Album"). Although he didn't mean to cause a stir, all the copyright police got their panties in a twist while the album blew-up online. He also started a trend (or at least popularized the trend) of "mashing-up" popular songs, oftentimes between seemingly completely different genres. While "The Grey Album" is decent and some of Girl Talk's music is fun (& vulgar), most of the mash-ups produced since then have been disposable at best.

What I have been thinking about recently is the mash-up of music with outside mediums. Certain albums commonly remind me of a specific time, place, or person simply because of personal experience. But sometimes albums seem to fit so perfectly with an outside medium that it surpasses a personal "moment" and legitimately mashes up with the outside piece.

My classic example is Mario Kart 64 and The Cool Kids' "The Bake Sale."

The two are inseparably linked. Go ahead, try it.

Or, try Jose Gonzalez's "Veneer" with Waking Up in the Morning

Once again, try it out.

The "mash-up" experience also happens to me while reading or driving or (fill in the blank). There's a moment where I stop and think, these two were made for each other.

Ever experience that? Examples welcomed.

Movie Cliches

In movies/television, I feel like there are two cliches that rise above the rest (feel free to offer alternatives):
1. A character getting hit by a bus
2. The catching of a bad person by recording them saying something incriminating with a hidden tape recorder.

Examples of the bus: (spoilers ahead)
Mean Girls (the jerk girl gets hit by a school bus)
LOST (I forget who... but it happens... maybe Juliet's sister?)
Closer (Natalie Portman)
Matt & Kim's music video for "Lessons Learned"
Ghost Town (Greg Kinnear)
Meet Joe Black (Brad Pitt)

Examples of the tape recorder:
Michael Clayton (George Clooney)
Green Street Hooligans (Elijah Wood)
The Informant! (Matt Damon)

Now I know there are more examples of both, I just can't think of them.

I wonder if when writing a movie/show/etc, the writer thinks to him/herself, "... and then I could have this person get hit by a bus!" or "... and the bad guy will finally get caught when he opens his stupid mouth and the protagonist tapes him!"? Don't they know they've both been done way too many times before to be legitimately surprising?

I suppose the tape recorder is the more believable of the two. In real life, I'm sure there are more people recorder than hit by buses.

Then again, the "hit by the bus" cliche can used as a comedic device (i.e. Mean Girls) where its aware of its cliche-ness and thus, awesome.

Does this annoy anyone else? Does one rub you the wrong way more than the other? Are there other more cliche, cliches?

Size Matters

What I've been watching... rated according to size
(click on image to enlarge)

SONGSof09

With my "Favorite Album" list, my top 2 albums were probably my 2 favorite albums but beyond that, it was all just a collection of albums that I thoroughly enjoyed and, somewhat randomly, gave a placing. So with my favorite songs (a first for me), I'm just going to post my favorite tracks in a random order. Making lists out of musicians' art seems kind of wrong anyhow...

Animal Collective - My Girls
A perfect song about contentment in a time of recession. Prophetically released before the market "really crashed." I know I just said making lists seems kind of silly but this takes home the trophy for my favorite track of the year.

Matt & Kim - Daylight
A carefree song with perhaps the most infectious beat I've heard all year. This song could not be any funner.

Phoenix - 1901
On an album full of singles, 1901 stood out a little bit more. If you're not listening to this band yet, then shame on you because you are not as happy as you could be.

Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks
I couldn't quite get into Grizzly Bear's whole album (acclaimed Veckatimest) but this song is beautiful and lovable on the first listen.

Yo la Tengo - Gentle Hour
Maybe my favorite song on the Dark Was the Night compilation. Beautiful and swirling with lyrics like: It's such a pleasure to touch your skin / To touch your skin / It's such a pleasure to touch your heart / To touch your heart / I can hardly wait.

Neko Case - This Tornado Loves You
Neko has been on my "respected but not really enjoyed" list for a while but her album Middle Cyclone released a few fantastic tracks including this one about a destructive act of nature who can't help but sing about it's love.

Bon Iver - Blood Bank
I love Justin Vernon and his Bon Iver project/band. This song is classic Bon Iver.

Regina Spektor - Laughing With
Regina is great. And I respect it when a non-CCM musician sings about a higher power (a la Kanye's Jesus Walks) with tact and earnest intent.

Wilco - Wilco (the Song)
I think Wilco will be remembered decades from now. This self-referential track moves beyond cheesy and moves straight to awesome.

Andrew Bird - Anoanimal
This song is just so cool. Andrew Bird continues to make creative, unique music that he performs all by himself. And the "coolness" of his solo performance is only "cool" because he actually makes good music.

Vampire Weekend - Horchata
Vampire Weekend is fun. This track points to a sophomore release just as fun as the first.

Discovery - Osaka Loop Line
Gotta love a collaboration between Ra Ra Riot and Vampire weekend members. And I love the crashing distortion.

The Avett Brothers - The Perfect Space
Manchester Orchestra's Where Have You Been might be my favorite song, period. What I love about that song is that is mixes hard and soft moments so well. The Avett Brothers' The Perfect Space does the same on this song with some fabulous lyrics to go along.

Noah and the Whale - Blue Skies
It's hard to take any song from NatW's new album apart from the complete album but this song does a decent job summing up the entire album. Following up a poppy, feel good album, this album, The First Days of Spring, mournfully details the aftermath of a break-up with the hope of spring and blue skies somewhere beneath the outer layer.

Sufjan Stevens - Movement III & IV
I was ready to dislike Sufjan's "soundtrack to a highway" album (an all instrumental album tagging alongside a film about New York's BQE highway system). Somehow, I ended up loving it. Movements III and IV showcase a transition from a happy, looping song straight into a heavy electronic piece that makes me love music.

Dirty Projectors - Stillness is the Move
This song is only making it onto my list thanks to other "year-end" lists (yeah you, Dauthan). Regardless, the guitar riff, the vocals, the pounding beat ..... perfect.

That's it folks. Happy listening. I'm sure I've forgotten a few of my favorites but that's why blogs are great (always edit-able).

2009 in Music

OK, so the album covers didn't come out like I wanted... the Facebook album has better quality pictures if you are so inclined for better resolution.

I listened to a lot of music this year. Enough to actually make a top 10 list a difficult choice (and putting a lot of good albums on the "honorable mention list"). Anyhow, here are my favorite albums of the year:

Other albums that got a lot of play:

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Come, O Spirit! – Bifrost Arts (Various)

Blood Bank – Bon Iver

Daisy – Brand New

LP – Discovery

Veckatimest - Grizzly Bear

Grand – Matt & Kim

Monsters of Folk – Monsters of Folk

The First Days of Spring – Noah and the Whale

Manners – Passion Pit

Intuit – Ramona Falls

Far – Regina Spektor

The BQE - Sufjan Stevens

Unmap - Volcano Choir

Wilco (the album) – Wilco

Worldviews, Literature, Truth

I learned something in college. All truth is God's truth. After hearing this phrase countless times, it stuck. And I think it's true.

It transformed the way I took in pretty much all media. There's a lot of fantastic, weird, beautiful, inspirational, memorable things out there. The process of finding God's truth amidst His creations' creations is one worth going through.

I stopped judging whatever I was taking in based solely on a "morality scale" a while ago. I reasoned it more important to get the whole picture than to simply be offended with specifics.* I'm OK with looking at a rough, dirty wall if I have the chance to catch glimpses of light coming in through the cracks.

So anyways, I read a couple of books this year. I haven't much else to do.

The first is Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead. I loved this story. It was forever long. It went super in-depth on a number of characters. She used her characters as archetypes, but the characters evoked empathy. She made architecture seem interesting. Basically, in my opinion, it was a well written story. That's the truth I found in this book. Our God created the whole idea of "stories" and I think her presentation of one was spot on. Unfortunately, I wasn't really down with her general thesis of the greatness of the individual man. Although there are those individuals who occasionally do great things, I think we need each other.

In comes the second book: Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. I've already blogged about this book a little bit but it agrees with The Fountainhead in that humanity has a lot of potential. It differs by proposing that we all need each other. Despite the harm that can come from a lot of human constructs, we are also the answer to much of the harm. And this is where I agree/disagree.

I certainly agree that we, as humans, can do a lot of good for each other. But (here's where I may disagree) at the core of every person, we are in need of a savior. I'm not certain of Steinbeck's exact theology, but his story is chockfull of beautiful examples of a redeemed society that looks out for each other; I'm just not sure where he finds redemption.

Those are my recent truth findings.


*That is, until the issue of pornography comes into play. And, if you were wondering, some examples would be the glorification of violence in movies like 300 or the crude jokes in most Judd Apatow movies.

Andrew Marin's Response: A Review

The Book: Love is an Orientation: Elevating the Conversation with the GLBT Community
The Author: Andrew Marin
The Set-up: Three of Andrew's best friends came out to him in three successive months. Coming from a mid-western, conservative, evangelical background, this shook things up for him.
His Reaction: spend as much time with the GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, Transgender) community as possible, learning what he could. He eventually started an organization focused on building ties between Christians and the GLBT community.

It's no secret that the "Christian sub-culture" and the "GLBT sub-culture" haven't really gotten along in the last 20 years. Both sides have done some pretty outrageous things. As "sub-cultures," both probably have some sort of agenda for the other group. Marin wisely responds that both sides of the gay ‘debate’ are fighting for their ‘ideal situation’ where the other group will admit defeat and change… that time is not coming soon.

For those looking for a conclusive answer to the Christian morality of homosexual behavior, this book will disappoint. Instead, Marin focuses on creating ties between the two groups. Marin says,

“I was making it my deal, making it my baggage and making it my worry, and I didn’t have to do any of that. When did I become God? When did I have to figure it all out? … I am allowed the ability to just trust in the faithfulness of my living Father to fill in the gaps that I can never understand.”

Instead of focusing on changing people's behavior, Marin focuses on connecting people with God. He doesn't feel the need to prove the eternal destiny of a massive and complex group.

It's a refreshing thought. One most Christians (me) need to hear.