Heard a techno song in Church this morning. It was the words of the Lord's Prayer put to a loud drum machine and dubbed background singers. I can see the adverstisement now:
Announcer: Hey Kids!! Do you like Techno music?
Kids: (Screaming) DUH!!!!
Announcer Like the Lord's Prayer!?
Kids: (Still Screaming) Kinda!!!
Announcer: Well, now you're gonna love it!!! (Techno beat starts...doomp doomp doomp doomp.) Because Cliche Christian Records is proud to realease Raving Scriptures! We've selected all 17 of your favorite scrpture passages and put them all on this awesome cd! From the creation of the entire world to its destruction, these 17 tracks will leave you feeling like a Biblical Scholar! Except a whole lot cooler!
Kids: Yay!!! We're cool and Christian!
Random deep voice with annoying echo: Sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Information guy who talks really fast: For your copy of raving scriptures send the rest of your Christian dignity to: Cliche Christian Records, c/o P.Diddy. P.O. Box 386, New York, New York, 85736.
Announcer: Raving Scripotures! Because no one cares anymore!!
P.S: I'm finally done with my Senior Thesis and hope to have it up here soon. Til Tomorrow, Good Providence.
Monday, February 28, 2005
Saturday, February 26, 2005
The Ground Is Your Enemy
So it's sad...
This doesn't suit you now.
And me,
Fresh out of rope.
Please ignore the lisp.
I never meant to sound like this.
So take me and break me and make me strong like You.
I'll be forever grateful to this and you.
It's only You.
Beautiful.
I don't want anybody else.
If I could choose...
It's only You.
Fix me to a chain around your neck.
Wear me like a nickel.
Even new wine served in old skins cheapens the taste.
I shot the pilot.
I'm begging You to fly this for me.
I'm here for you to used...Broken
Bruised.
Do you understand?
--Jesse Lacey of Brand New- The No Seatbelt Song, from the realease Your Favorite Weapon
This band is probably my favorite group of musicians because of the lead singer's critical attention to the context of his lyrics. This song differs from a very angry and confused tone on the CD and is really a great look into their next CD, DEJA INTENDU, a truly repentant work. Pay attention to the "pilot" line. Possibly one of the best representations I've heard of willingness to lose control over life. Though it looks as if the plane is flying, it's really only falling with style. We are driving ourselves into the ground from steep altitudes everyday. The only way to regain control is to lose it. Surrender everything to God. We then not only become passengers of the plane, but the plane's instruments to bring the New Pilot many commendations for His unquestionable skill at guding the plane. He really doesn't need the instruments but chooses to use them anyway.
We went 7-9 out of the 16 matches we played in Scholar Bowl today. It was fun, but took a really long time. Good to be home and writing. My bed calls me. My joints are listening.
'
Til tomorrow, Good Providence.
This doesn't suit you now.
And me,
Fresh out of rope.
Please ignore the lisp.
I never meant to sound like this.
So take me and break me and make me strong like You.
I'll be forever grateful to this and you.
It's only You.
Beautiful.
I don't want anybody else.
If I could choose...
It's only You.
Fix me to a chain around your neck.
Wear me like a nickel.
Even new wine served in old skins cheapens the taste.
I shot the pilot.
I'm begging You to fly this for me.
I'm here for you to used...Broken
Bruised.
Do you understand?
--Jesse Lacey of Brand New- The No Seatbelt Song, from the realease Your Favorite Weapon
This band is probably my favorite group of musicians because of the lead singer's critical attention to the context of his lyrics. This song differs from a very angry and confused tone on the CD and is really a great look into their next CD, DEJA INTENDU, a truly repentant work. Pay attention to the "pilot" line. Possibly one of the best representations I've heard of willingness to lose control over life. Though it looks as if the plane is flying, it's really only falling with style. We are driving ourselves into the ground from steep altitudes everyday. The only way to regain control is to lose it. Surrender everything to God. We then not only become passengers of the plane, but the plane's instruments to bring the New Pilot many commendations for His unquestionable skill at guding the plane. He really doesn't need the instruments but chooses to use them anyway.
We went 7-9 out of the 16 matches we played in Scholar Bowl today. It was fun, but took a really long time. Good to be home and writing. My bed calls me. My joints are listening.
'
Til tomorrow, Good Providence.
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Rookie Goalies Definitely Deserve a Break
I played my first game as starting goalie tonight. I've played soccer before, but never at this position in a game. We lost 4-0 and as the goalie it's hard not to feel a little more than responsible. But to be fair to myself in three of the goals there was absolutely nothing I could have done. The ball came right down the middle of the field and beat every defender we had on two leaving me a sitting duck and the third is the kind of header that you see in magazines. It was off a corner kick and the kid was in the perfect spot and placed the ball right in the upper left hand corner of the goal. It was a thing of beauty. The other was my fault. It was a corner and I left the goal too soon and was caught too far out. Anyway we are only a 1A school and they're a 6A school. But, most of the teams we play will have the size advantage over us. We play an in town school Monday that is probably 10 times better than the one that beat us tonight. If that middle doesn't tighten up Monday, I don't know if I'll be able to hold my head up on Tuesday. I can only get better though. Tomorrow, I have a Scholar Bowl competition that I have to be at school for at 5:45 to leave at 6. The competiton starts at 8 and I'll proabably be gone all day. In case you didn't know, Scholar Bowl is basically High School Jeopardy. It's fun and funny becuase some teams really take it seriously. We don't though. We just like missing school to laugh at nerdy people. I'll report back how we did tomorrow.
I'm reading Macbeth in my British Lit class at school. This is probably my third time reading it. Not my favorite of Shakespeare's works in the least, but a delight to read. As I read it more and more, the more I like Macbeth. He's definately a filthy human being, but who isn't? Billy's role reversal between Macbeth and the misses is seriously spectacular. Though I like Macbeth I am very drawn to Lady Macbeth. Her character is fascinating. The "unsex me" scene in Act II (I believe) is magnificently done. Lady Macbeth is wishing for a man-like strength to carry out murder. The irony is, is that she needn't look any farther than her already man-like authoritative personality. She's not one to be messed with.
Tomorrow comes in about 5 hours for me.
Til then, Good Providence.
I'm reading Macbeth in my British Lit class at school. This is probably my third time reading it. Not my favorite of Shakespeare's works in the least, but a delight to read. As I read it more and more, the more I like Macbeth. He's definately a filthy human being, but who isn't? Billy's role reversal between Macbeth and the misses is seriously spectacular. Though I like Macbeth I am very drawn to Lady Macbeth. Her character is fascinating. The "unsex me" scene in Act II (I believe) is magnificently done. Lady Macbeth is wishing for a man-like strength to carry out murder. The irony is, is that she needn't look any farther than her already man-like authoritative personality. She's not one to be messed with.
Tomorrow comes in about 5 hours for me.
Til then, Good Providence.
The Village
"The world moves for love. It kneels before it in awe."-- The Village
About an hour ago, I saw M. Night Shymalan's The Village. Regardless of what people think, I don't regard him as a suspense or horror writer. I regard him as one of the few modern day writers that get good fiction. He isn't just telling a story. He's communicating truth. He does so beautifully. Though Signs and The Village were played up as horror or suspense flicks, many discovered, there's nothing essentially scary about either movie. I have seen both and enjoyed both, but where Signs fails to get certain points across, The Village triumphs through an increased use of symbolism and word scheme. The main link in both of his films is the obvious struggle between good and evil. Both are stories where evil encroaches on good's territory and good's attempt at defending itself. (I don't want to say too much because, if you haven't seen these films I encourage you to.) But what Shymalan does so skillfully is create a layered struggle. The outer layer being good's fight with evil. The central and more important struggle in both films is the unrest inside the camp of the good. With all that is going on in day to day life while fighting off the evil, the good find themselves falling into sin and losing faith in the cause. While Signs was more of a focus on faith and the will of God, I believe The Village deals directly with the fallenness of man and the inescapability of his evil nature. Either way, I recommend both films, if not for the dialogue alone that Shymalan creates in both (the flow of the dialogue it's arrangement in The Village are extremely well done), for the cinematography and beauty of what is onscreen. And if for neither of those, just to see which one you like better. My pick is the The Village. Please respond with your thoughts on the symbols in each.
About an hour ago, I saw M. Night Shymalan's The Village. Regardless of what people think, I don't regard him as a suspense or horror writer. I regard him as one of the few modern day writers that get good fiction. He isn't just telling a story. He's communicating truth. He does so beautifully. Though Signs and The Village were played up as horror or suspense flicks, many discovered, there's nothing essentially scary about either movie. I have seen both and enjoyed both, but where Signs fails to get certain points across, The Village triumphs through an increased use of symbolism and word scheme. The main link in both of his films is the obvious struggle between good and evil. Both are stories where evil encroaches on good's territory and good's attempt at defending itself. (I don't want to say too much because, if you haven't seen these films I encourage you to.) But what Shymalan does so skillfully is create a layered struggle. The outer layer being good's fight with evil. The central and more important struggle in both films is the unrest inside the camp of the good. With all that is going on in day to day life while fighting off the evil, the good find themselves falling into sin and losing faith in the cause. While Signs was more of a focus on faith and the will of God, I believe The Village deals directly with the fallenness of man and the inescapability of his evil nature. Either way, I recommend both films, if not for the dialogue alone that Shymalan creates in both (the flow of the dialogue it's arrangement in The Village are extremely well done), for the cinematography and beauty of what is onscreen. And if for neither of those, just to see which one you like better. My pick is the The Village. Please respond with your thoughts on the symbols in each.
A New Hope?
Hi and welcome to The Fry. Yes, I did name this space the French Fry Filosophy and yes, I do know that's not how you spell philosophy. You spell it how I just did. I'm not completely out of touch. Why did I name this space what it is? I don't know. To tell you the truth I was sitting at school during lunch when I was creating this and my homeroom teacher (Mrs. Compton) was eating French fries. So there you have it. In the words of Dave Matthews, "About as creative as the Dave Matthews Band."
First things first. A little history. I am currently 18 years old and a senior in high school. I do the learning thing at a little place I call Providence Christian School. Other people call it that too, but only because it's catchy. Providence is located in a little city in southeast Alabama called Dothan, and I live in an even smaller city outside Dothan called Midland City. I would really encourage you to find it on a map site like MapQuest. It's quite thrilling to see that there is recorded evidence of the existence of a town so small. I'm a pretty normal guy, (I am a guy by the way), I play goalie for our school soccer team, love music, love conversation, and love my GMC Jimmy. I play guitar and my friends and I fiddle around with the band idea. We just don't really have the time.
I began this blog site when I found out that I could do so for free. I have always wanted to do something like this but didn't want to pay for it. The reason I started it lies solely on one man: my old english teacher Mr. Smith. I came to Providence in 10th grade from a county public school. It was that year that Mr. Smith would open my eyes to the beauty that lies within creation. I would really accredit him with what C.S. Lewis said of one of his good friends, A.K. Hamilton Jenkin: " He continued... My education as a seeing, listening, smelling,receptive creature... [He] seemed to enjoy everything; even ugliness. I learned from him that we should attempt a total surrender to whatever atmosphere was offering itself at that moment; in a squalid town to seek out those very places where its squalor rose to grimness and almost grandeur, on a dismal and dripping wood, on a windy day to seek the windiest ridge. There was no Betjemmannic irony about it; only a serious, yet gleeful, determination to rub one's nose in the quiddity of each thing, to rejoice in its being ( so magnificently) what it was." Mr. Smith taught me what good art was. What it looked like, what it sounded like, its beautiful aroma. Most importantly he taught me how to love it. This appreciation is aesthetic sensibility. It encompasses my days and serenades me at night. I look for the art of God in all that I see. But knowing just to look is the hardest part. He got me there and I'm thankful for it. He taught me how to teach myself through looking at the lessons that surround us in all art.
So, in continuing my education of myself, I have begun this blog. Plan to expect a little bit of everything. There are times that I will attempt to tie a chain of thoughts together. Do not be disappointed if I come from left field with another. My brain clicks at a thousand RTMs (random thoughts a minute) when I'm excited about a discovery. There will be entries on all kinds of art: poems, criticisms, fiction, music, magazines, movies,etc. Along with these entries there will also be journal-type entries on my day, my own brand of social commentary and the art of love, and my own little poems and writings. This space is the battle ground where I fight to keep my brain and heart connected. When torn apart they are poison to the soul.
This space is dedicated to beauty. For without beauty we would never know the color of Truth's eyes.
First things first. A little history. I am currently 18 years old and a senior in high school. I do the learning thing at a little place I call Providence Christian School. Other people call it that too, but only because it's catchy. Providence is located in a little city in southeast Alabama called Dothan, and I live in an even smaller city outside Dothan called Midland City. I would really encourage you to find it on a map site like MapQuest. It's quite thrilling to see that there is recorded evidence of the existence of a town so small. I'm a pretty normal guy, (I am a guy by the way), I play goalie for our school soccer team, love music, love conversation, and love my GMC Jimmy. I play guitar and my friends and I fiddle around with the band idea. We just don't really have the time.
I began this blog site when I found out that I could do so for free. I have always wanted to do something like this but didn't want to pay for it. The reason I started it lies solely on one man: my old english teacher Mr. Smith. I came to Providence in 10th grade from a county public school. It was that year that Mr. Smith would open my eyes to the beauty that lies within creation. I would really accredit him with what C.S. Lewis said of one of his good friends, A.K. Hamilton Jenkin: " He continued... My education as a seeing, listening, smelling,receptive creature... [He] seemed to enjoy everything; even ugliness. I learned from him that we should attempt a total surrender to whatever atmosphere was offering itself at that moment; in a squalid town to seek out those very places where its squalor rose to grimness and almost grandeur, on a dismal and dripping wood, on a windy day to seek the windiest ridge. There was no Betjemmannic irony about it; only a serious, yet gleeful, determination to rub one's nose in the quiddity of each thing, to rejoice in its being ( so magnificently) what it was." Mr. Smith taught me what good art was. What it looked like, what it sounded like, its beautiful aroma. Most importantly he taught me how to love it. This appreciation is aesthetic sensibility. It encompasses my days and serenades me at night. I look for the art of God in all that I see. But knowing just to look is the hardest part. He got me there and I'm thankful for it. He taught me how to teach myself through looking at the lessons that surround us in all art.
So, in continuing my education of myself, I have begun this blog. Plan to expect a little bit of everything. There are times that I will attempt to tie a chain of thoughts together. Do not be disappointed if I come from left field with another. My brain clicks at a thousand RTMs (random thoughts a minute) when I'm excited about a discovery. There will be entries on all kinds of art: poems, criticisms, fiction, music, magazines, movies,etc. Along with these entries there will also be journal-type entries on my day, my own brand of social commentary and the art of love, and my own little poems and writings. This space is the battle ground where I fight to keep my brain and heart connected. When torn apart they are poison to the soul.
This space is dedicated to beauty. For without beauty we would never know the color of Truth's eyes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)