Let's Critique before viewing....

I am referring to the publicity that the Golden Compass is currently receiving for being both too anti-Christian/religious, and not anti-religious enough. Before I get to far, here is the link to the USAToday.com article. Let's go ahead and get a quick disclaimer out there: I have not read the Golden Compass or the following sequels, but I am intrigued by the previews to the film (by intrigued, I mean I'll probably rent it when it comes out).

Apparently, the novels are fairly blatantly anti-religious. I haven't quite gotten a feel if they are full on atheistic, or just anti-church (specifically Catholic). Regardless, as noted in the article, the Roman Catholic church has denounced the movie and wants parents to avoid taking their kids to see it. On the other side, the American Atheists fret over the film being "watered down". You want to know what I love best about these two groups already commenting on the film is this line here: "Neither has yet seen the film, which opens Dec. 7."

You read correctly, they haven't seen it. However, they feel compelled to already tell people what to think about it. Unless I'm mistaken, but most people go to movies for entertainment purposes, and not for theological understanding (possibly for sermon ideas though). I have seen a lot of films, and I consider myself an open-minded, intelligent, and faithful person, and I have NEVER seen a film that has destroyed my beliefs, but I have seen movies that made me think.

The best, and likely most relevant person quoted in the article, comes from the co-founder of TeachWithMovies.com. She claims that most kids won't even focus on the religious undertones of the film/story. The best quote of all: "You can have faith and ask questions." Most definitely!! In fact, faith without questions is significantly weaker in my humble opinion. Even if the film raises questions, is that a bad thing? For questions require answers, and any kid asking these questions will eventually get around to an answer for themselves. Which may be the best thing anyway. If they come to their own conclusion on an issue, no longer will their answer for beliefs have to be, 'Because my parents taught me', but will be based on their research, and will be their beliefs.

Is the Golden Compass worth watching? Does it make you question your faith? Is it simply an atheistic teaching film? Or is it nothing more than an entertaining movie geared towards early teenagers? I can't answer those questions and nor do I pretend to know what the film says (unlike others), because I have NOT seen the movie....yet.

Nuggets v. Pacers

Last night I went to my first NBA game in several years. The only reason I really even wanted to go to the game was because the Pacers (my favorite NBA team...only for being from Indiana) were in town. The Nuggets are actually a team that I actively root against (Melo, AI, Camby, Martin, and George Karl are all on my unfavorite list...most before their arrival in Denver). So, it was pleasant to watch the Pacers play pretty good team basketball with lots of cuts to the hoop. Compared to most of the Nuggets where it was give it to AI and Melo then watch. To make matters better, the Pacers won what was actually about as good as NBA games get. I was there with some people who were locals and thereby Nuggets fans, so it was always nice to have my team beat theirs. I firmly believe this will fulfill my NBA game requirement until the playoffs, especially with college basketball now in full swing (and Butler doing well...again!).

In other basketball news, I'm playing in a community recreational league starting this Thursday. I'm looking forward to it. I haven't played in the last couple of months (due to weather getting cooler), so it'll be good. Plus, I think the team I'm on should be fun, and we are tall (shortest guy is right at 6', and tallest around 6'8"...maybe taller...I look up to him...literally). I'm sure I'll keep you posted on how it goes. Most likely I'll play defense, rebound, and occasionally shoot a trailing 3...that's generally how full-court games go for me.

Have a great day!!

Halloween '07

Ok, I promised some pictures, and you will get them. I went as a Ghostbuster and was it was a pretty big success. This continued my run of 80's pop icons (last 3 costumes: papa smurf, care bear, and now a ghostbuster). All have been cartoons of my childhood. Hmmm...to continue this trend, what will I do in a year???

Alright, I know you want to see the pics, so here they are. For purposes of anonymity, I shall not mention names of those others in the photos. Let's just say they are my friends. Here ya go...feast your eyes and remember: Who ya gonna call?....I ain't afraid of no ghost.

More Crazy Denver Weather

I previously posted about some crazy weather (click here for the refresher). Well, a very similar situation occurred again this week. Here's the gist of what happened. Very nice and warm one day, frickin' cold the next, and snow also appeared. I'm used to weather not staying constant, but this is borderline ridiculous. Granted it is the middle of November, so getting cold is expected, but not like it happened. Ok, here are the details:

Monday - a wonderful, sunny day with a high temperature around 73. My buddies and I opted to eat lunch indoors because it was too HOT outside (in the sun, it was very warm). Ah, if all November days were like this....

Tuesday - high temperature for the day was 56. Not to bad you might think...however, the high temperature occurred at 12:01 AM. The low of the day at 27 hit at 11:59 PM. Yep, that's right, the temperature dropped all day long. Oh, so cold.

Wednesday - Snow!! There was white stuff all over the ground (and my car) this morning. A high temperature for the day is 28. Not even above freezing...at all today. I'm hoping that the sun alone can melt most of the snow, and the lack of humidity gets it off the roads (otherwise it just freezes, and ice is worse than snow). Also of note, I finally busted out my heavy coat for the first time.

So, 70 degrees on Monday, 30 hours later mid-20s and snow. Isn't life grand. Oh well, thus far these days are in the minority, and I can deal with 1-2" (no more of that 3-4 feet worth).

Happy Turkey Day (one day early isn't too bad).

iTunes...vol. 4

Ok, this is likely my final iTunes post. Many of my files are sound clips from movies and TV shows. I'm going to list off some my favorite quotes that I have downloaded to my computer. It's always kind of funny when between two songs, one of these gems randomly pops up. Remember, this isn't a best of list, just a sample of the quotes on my computer.

All time classic lines:

Houston, we have a problem. - Apollo 13
Go ahead, make my day. - Dirty Harry
You want answers. >I think I'm entitled. >You want answers. > I want the truth! > You can't handle the truth! - A Few Good Men
My mama always said, life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get. - Forrest Gump
Are you stupid or something? > Stupid is as stupid does, sir. - Forrest Gump
Good Morning Vietnam - Good Morning Vietnam
mmmm, what's up doc? - Looney Tunes
Bond. James Bond. - Sean Connery
I am your father. - Empire Strikes Back
No. Try not. Do or do not. There is no try. - Empire Strikes Back
Use the force, Luke. - Star Wars
Live long and prosper - Star Trek
Yippe-ki-yay, motherf@#$^*. - Die Hard

Lines from TV:

Everydays a gamble. I figure if I wake up in the morning, I'm already a winner. - Beverly Hillbillies
Canada sucks. - Family Guy
Hi-Ho neighbor. - Home Improvement
No soup for you. - Seinfeld
Computers can do that. - Simpsons
To start, press any key. Where's the any key? - Simpsons
I'm trying to think, but nothing happens. - 3 Stooges

Life advice:

My advice to you is to start drinking heavily. - Animal House
F*** it dude. Let's go bowling. - Big Lebowski
Ray, when someone asks you if you're a god, you say YES! - Ghostbusters
Idiocy is our only option. - Outbreak

Random favorites:

Insanity runs in my family. It practically gallops. - Arsenic and Old Lace
Are you telling me this sucker is nuclear? - Back to the Future
You see, we're on a mission from God. - Blues Brothers
Define irony. A bunch of idiots dancing on a plane to a song made famous by a band that died in a plane crash. - Con Air
I think we better split up. > Good idea. > Yeah, we can do more damage that way. - Ghostbusters
Did you bring me a monkey? - Multiplicity
You're mocking me, aren't you? - Toy Story

That's all for now. I'm signing off.

Bde,bde,bde, that's all folks. - Looney Tunes
You're still here. It's over. Go home. Go. - Ferris Buehler's Day Off

Itunes....vol. 3

Alright, as I promised on Monday, today is my highest rated songs. That is, of the songs I have downloaded (or uploaded) onto my computer, these I have opted to give a 5 star ranking. Mostly these are songs that I can listen to at any given time for any given reason. Now, I'm going to have to be a little selective here since I have ~70 songs rated at 5 stars. To simplify things, I'm going to eliminate all movie soundtrack songs (sorry John Williams...maybe a list all its own). I'll give the artist that had multiple entries first (more than one 5 star song should count for something), then others that make the cut.

Multiple entries (no preference in order):

1. Fortunate Son by Creedance Clearwater Revival. CCR is my all-time favorite band, and this is probably their most recognizable song. Simply awesome, even today. Also, Bad Moon Rising.

2. Layla by Derek and the Dominos (aka Eric Clapton). This is the full 7 min. version. Truly a cool song. Clapton also has Wonderful Tonight and Tears in Heaven as 5 star comers.

3. Flood by Jars of Clay. The first Jars song I heard, and still my favorite. Truly a masterpiece. Jars also has Nobody Loves Me Like You.

4. Blessed Assurance by Third Day. Definitely one of my favorite Christian bands. Personally, I wish more hymns were done by Christian rock bands. An excellent version of Blessed Assurance. Third Day also has I've Always Loved You.

5. Joy to the World by Three Dog Night. Not your typical Joy to the World (and probably not for an Christmas church services), but an excellent song. Three Dog Night had the most 5 star song ratings, including: Celebrate, Mama Told Me, Your Song, and Shambala.

6. Last Dance with Mary Jane by Tom Petty. Nice catchy song that I really like. Also appearing, You Don't Know How it Feels.

7. Stairway to Heaven by Led Zepplin. No best of list involving music can be complete without an appearance by Stairway to Heaven. One of the most popular songs ever. Zepplin also had Ramble On making a 5 star appearance.

Other comers (in order of preference).

1. Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum. A one hit wonder that may be one of the best songs of all time. Catchy tune and great lyrics. I know one place where this is a must play...

2. Grace Like Rain by Todd Agnew. One of the best versions of Amazing Grace (my favorite hymn). If you ever need some uplifting, listen to this song.

3. I Swear by All-4-One. I was a big time All-4-One fan as a youngster, and this was my favorite song by them. Still an excellent song and perfect for anyone after walking down the aisle.

4. Bring Me to Life by Evanescence. This one gets the blood flowing. Excellent rock song.

5. Cat's in the Cradle - Harry Chapin. Sad story, but great song. New dads should listen and catch the point.

Order again unimportant...
6. Bombs Away by Virgin Millionaires (local Indy area band); 7. Kokomo by Beach Boys (ahh, my childhood); 8. Turn, Turn, Turn by the Byrds (Ecclesiastes , tough to understand, great for song); 9. Trading My Sorrows by Darrell Evans (favorite praise song, excellent base beat); 10. Rebel Rouser by Duane Eddy (run Forrest run); 11. The Middle by Jimmy Eat World; 12. Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong; 13. Sweet Home Alabama by Lynryd Skynryd (simply a classic); 14. The Saga Begins by Weird Al Yankovich (higher rated than the song he parodies, American Pie); 15. Johnny B Good by Chuck Berry; 16. Hurt by Johnny Cash (far superior to the Nine Inch Nails original); 17. Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson (her best song); 18. Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne (All Aboard...).

Alrighty, there you go. 25 of my top rated songs on my iTunes. Hopefully you enjoyed reading. I'm not sure if I'll continue my iTunes trip or not. I might give you one more, Best Movie quote clips...that could be fun.

Enjoy your weekend.

Itunes....vol 2

I now return to my regularly planned Itunes series (if my "return" confuses you, read last week's post and you'll see the interruption). Two posts ago (and one week) I started my Itunes series with my Most Played songs. This week we are going opposite and looking at my least played songs. Something to keep in mind is that Itunes only counts a song as played if it reaches the end of the song and moves on to the next file. So, it is possible that some of these I've listened to more, but then skipped to the next song before the very end came around. Also of import, I am leaving off the TranSiberian Orchestra songs since I got those last Christmas and skip them on the regular (they will get some play starting in a couple of weeks ...post-Thanksgiving, the only acceptable time to start playing Christmas music). Without further ado....my Least played songs on Itunes.

1. Lady (live) by Styx - not a bad song, but I prefer the studio version.
2. Lullaby by Shawn Mullins - not that great, and on my computer since 5/06, but no full play throughs yet.
3. Luck be a Lady by Frank Sinatra - Show tune, so no surprise it has 0 plays.
4. Roll Me Away by Bob Seger - I like Seger, but this isn't his best.
5. I've Had the Time of My Life by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes - the theme from Dirty Dancing...why is this even here?
6. Cryin' by Aerosmith - I'm guessing I just skip after about half of this song.
7. Walken by Wilco - free download from Itunes, apparently I kept it, and only played it once.
8. At Least that's What You Said by Wilco - same as above
9. Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N Roses - I actually like this song, not sure why it hasn't received more action.
10. Heartbreaker by Pat Benatar - full on classic 80s...enough said.

I have a slew of other played only once songs, but these were my least played by sorting via least played tab. I think coming up next will be my top rated songs. These will all be 5 star songs in my book. I know you can't wait.

Hypocrisy Abounds...

Ok, here is what I am referring to, Pat Robertson (of 700 Club "fame") officially endorses Rudy Guiliani for President. Here's the USAToday story. I'm sorry that this interrupts my promised Itunes series, but this really rubs me the wrong way and I must rant about this. Before I get going, let me get a disclaimer out there: I do NOT agree with, nor particularly like, Pat Robertson on pretty much anything. And I am a Christian.

Alright, here's the reason for my claim of hypocrisy. Pat Robertson is well on record of condemning Bill Clinton, especially after he had his affair with Monica Lewinsky. Now, however, he is supporting a candidate that publicly admitted to having an affair with another woman. Remember this was the reason that Giuliani backed out of his Senate run (that would have put him up against Hillary Clinton). So, while Bill Clinton is the worst President ever in the mind of Robertson, he is willing to support someone guilty of the exact same "crime." Hypocritical?

Further hypocrisy comes in the social (aka "moral") issues. Giuliani is clearly on record as being moderate to liberal....ok moderate...on gay rights and abortion rights. Robertson is clearly on record as being anti-gay rights and anti-abortion (note: NOT pro-life...he supports the Presidents war in Iraq, where people are dying...NOT pro-life, but anti-abortion). Anyway, how can someone who constantly preaches moral superiority support someone who doesn't have the same view on these areas? Again, the hypocrisy amazes me.

I have this distinct feeling that Pat Robertson has thrown his hat behind Giuliani for one reason. Publicity. The die-hard conservative candidates aren't getting near the publicity that Giuliani is. Rudy is leading most national polls, and Robertson wants in on that spotlight.

I may not agree with Robertson on much of anything. I may not agree with Giuliani on foreign and domestic policies, but his social policies are better. But, I guess I could always respect someone for sticking to their beliefs, regardless of my agreement with them. However, Robertson has thrown that out the window.

Before people start popping off (not that anyone who reads this ever pops off), I have watched the 700 club (mostly out of confused fascination that people believe this stuff), and am not completely uninformed on Robertson.

Bottom line: Pat Robertson apparently doesn't believe his own preaching if a Republican opposes it. Never would Robertson back a Democrat with the same ideologies as Giuliani.

Hypocrisy abounds...and Robertson is at the forefront.

Itunes...vol. 1

I was waiting patiently (and still am) on obtaining pictures from Halloween. Once pictures are obtained, I have every intention of making that a post. Since I don't own a camera (not a complaint, just a fact), I rely on the kindness of others to give me pictures. I'll get them, and then you can see the coolness that was Halloween.

In the meantime, I've decided to have some fun with my Itunes, and make a few posts about it. The things Itunes shows you is pretty cool, most popular (by rating), most played, etc etc. I've opted to give some lists about songs that I have on Itunes. Here are the basic facts to get you started:

Files: 1419...songs, comedy stand up, and movie quotes
Time: 3.8 days worth of audio entertainment (or 91.2 hours or 5472 minutes)
Size: 5.09 GB on my hard drive (and my 30 GB Ipod is nowhere close to full)

For this first installment, I've decided to talk about my Most Played songs (songs only, not movie quotes or other files). Keep in mind that I generally use the Party shuffle (randomly plays songs from my library) function when listening from my computer (which is my most common method of use) or on random from my library from my Ipod (second most common). Rarely do I queue up a specific song or album. Ok, without further ado, in descending order of plays (from 15 down to 12).

1. Frankenstein by the Edgar Winter Group - an instrumental only classic rock awesome song, really if you don't know it, look it up and listen to it.

2. Inside Out by Eve 6 - really catchy tune that I've enjoyed since first hearing it (pop/rock from lat 90s)

3. Flood by Jars of Clay - one of my favorite Christian songs ever...I've been rocking this one since its release in the mid-90s

4. Johnny B. Good by Chuck Berry - one of the best guitar songs ever. This oldie but goodie (most famous from Back to the Future) is just sweet.

5. Next Year by Foo Fighters - easy listening tune that was the theme song for the TV show Ed (one of the coolest shows ever).

6. Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson - the original American Idol (and the best) actually has several songs that I really enjoy, but this is arguably her best.

7. Heaven on Their Minds from Jesus Christ SuperStar - the opening song (following the musical prelude) from the best rock opera (and musical) of all time. I can listen to JCSS at any time, really awesome music.

8. Call and Answer by Barenaked Ladies - One of the better songs from the best Barenaked Ladies album ever (Stunt). Slow, but catchy.

9. Living in Your Letters by Dashboard Confessional - an alternative band that I really like, although this really isn't their best...but it gets played more apparently.

10. DOA by Foo Fighters - a much faster, harder sound than the previous Foo Fighters entry. Two appearance by the Foo Fighters despite only having 3 songs total in my library.

Well, Itunes gives you the top 25 most played, but I won't individually talk about the rest, only list them for you.

11. Sweet Home Alabama by Lynryd Skynryd; 12. White Room by Cream (aka Eric Clapton); 13. Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton; 14. Bring Me to Life by Evanescence; 15. 100 years by Five for Fighting; 16. Crazy by Gnarls Barkley; 17. Pretty Vegas by INXS; 18. Walk by Faith by Jeremy Camp; 19. Behind These Hazel Eyes by Kelly Clarkson.

The remainder of the top 25 was movie quotes. Best movie quotes, top rated songs, most songs by an artists, as well as bottom/least played music are all still to come. Stay tuned and plugged in.