For my musical friends:
Maybe you all know this guy and I’m last on the train, but if not, I “discovered” him on Moody today and wow, what an eye-opener, I mean ear-opener! His name is Dr. Jeremy Begbie – a theologian and classical pianist who has been exploring not how the arts can REPRESENT spiritual themes for that would require understanding the spiritual question first, but instead how music particularly, and the arts in general, can be a language we intuitively understand that can help us understand the Spiritual reality in the first place.
Music helps us understand God as Trinity – 3 notes occupying the same musical space working in harmony, enhancing each other, resonance filling out the sensation. I tried to find the whole original in which he goes on to talk about how he uses this technique with Atheists to great effect and how a little church orchestra in a large cathedral in England was able to “grasp” a Bible passage (John the Baptist in the wilderness with Jesus coming to be baptized) through music in ways reading the text would never have allowed – challenging and fascinating.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2u20RxqPvo
In this discussion, he uses music again to show how a throw-away, poor piece of music can become a masterpiece and analogously how a worn out, throw away life can become something of great beauty.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlR3bOsoAdA
Too incredible not to share. Thank you Lord, for the mind of this man who can reach my sometimes-hard-heart with your fresh inspiration and understanding. Praise and Glory to you.
Yours in Christ,
Brian
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Wally, the New York Times, and Dilbert
Am I REALLY supposed to take what the New York Times says seriously? Honestly? It’s not April 1st and this isn’t printed as a JOKE? I’ve read stuff far less funny in “The Onion”
This is their EDITOR’S point of view:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/opinion/08sun1.html
Let me highlight for you:
• the significant accomplishments of the last two years . . . were savagely attacked by the right and aggressively misrepresented as the hoof beats of totalitarianism
• Democrats have been failing to delineate the differences between themselves and Republicans
• President Obama has become uncharacteristically combative
• The preservation or creation of nearly three million jobs, averting Depression-level unemployment
• Democrats should aggressively counter the myth that the deficit is causing unemployment, and advocate using government in ways that might re- inspire voters
• Instead of shrinking from their accomplishments, Democrats should use their remaining time to build on them
So, the NYT says “we want more of the same” – Democrats should have done even more – facts, we don’t need no stinkin’ facts – evidence, nah, we take it on faith that spending government deficit dollars and raising taxes of all kinds exponentially produces jobs and doesn’t destroy them – it all would have worked out so much better if not for those pesky Republicans (who we conveniently neglected to tell you had absolutely no say in what we did and no power in government to slow things down much less stop them -- dwat that wascally wabbit).
If this is the view of the EDITORS, just imagine how the overall tone of the paper slants reality. Dear Lord, PLEASE let the Democratic party follow this advice to “run on its’ ‘accomplishments’”. Do these people live on the same PLANET that I do and did they receive any kind of education at all? I’m convinced they were all smoking weed in the bathroom when they should have been in class. Beyond stunning. This, my friend, is why I put very little stock in what the NYT happens to print – except as resounding examples of propaganda and ignorance at its’ worst.
I DO have one guilty pleasure with the NYT -- there are times it is my version of the comics page. In the same way that Dilbert lampoons the office environment, the NYT caricatures reality by portraying it in absurd fashion. The hilarity comes from the supposed cynical sincerity. They are like Wally when he spouts off ridiculous things like “I avoid my boss and eventually he forgets I’m supposed to be working” while poor, earnest, Asok asks in befuddlement “that WORKS?” Here I am, Dilbert, pointing out the obvious – that you can’t have a healthy bank account by spending yourself into bankruptcy while Wally the NYT tells me “I spend money until I have more of it”, “when people are unhappy with Democrat-caused catastrophes, we create more of them until they like it”, “when people accuse our President of being tone deaf, combative, and basically behaving like a donkey, we encourage him to do more of it”.
Problem is – I’m not quite as gullible as Asok – I’m not about to say “that WORKS?” I’m more like Dilbert thinking “can I please be a character in a different comic strip”.
This is their EDITOR’S point of view:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/opinion/08sun1.html
Let me highlight for you:
• the significant accomplishments of the last two years . . . were savagely attacked by the right and aggressively misrepresented as the hoof beats of totalitarianism
• Democrats have been failing to delineate the differences between themselves and Republicans
• President Obama has become uncharacteristically combative
• The preservation or creation of nearly three million jobs, averting Depression-level unemployment
• Democrats should aggressively counter the myth that the deficit is causing unemployment, and advocate using government in ways that might re- inspire voters
• Instead of shrinking from their accomplishments, Democrats should use their remaining time to build on them
So, the NYT says “we want more of the same” – Democrats should have done even more – facts, we don’t need no stinkin’ facts – evidence, nah, we take it on faith that spending government deficit dollars and raising taxes of all kinds exponentially produces jobs and doesn’t destroy them – it all would have worked out so much better if not for those pesky Republicans (who we conveniently neglected to tell you had absolutely no say in what we did and no power in government to slow things down much less stop them -- dwat that wascally wabbit).
If this is the view of the EDITORS, just imagine how the overall tone of the paper slants reality. Dear Lord, PLEASE let the Democratic party follow this advice to “run on its’ ‘accomplishments’”. Do these people live on the same PLANET that I do and did they receive any kind of education at all? I’m convinced they were all smoking weed in the bathroom when they should have been in class. Beyond stunning. This, my friend, is why I put very little stock in what the NYT happens to print – except as resounding examples of propaganda and ignorance at its’ worst.
I DO have one guilty pleasure with the NYT -- there are times it is my version of the comics page. In the same way that Dilbert lampoons the office environment, the NYT caricatures reality by portraying it in absurd fashion. The hilarity comes from the supposed cynical sincerity. They are like Wally when he spouts off ridiculous things like “I avoid my boss and eventually he forgets I’m supposed to be working” while poor, earnest, Asok asks in befuddlement “that WORKS?” Here I am, Dilbert, pointing out the obvious – that you can’t have a healthy bank account by spending yourself into bankruptcy while Wally the NYT tells me “I spend money until I have more of it”, “when people are unhappy with Democrat-caused catastrophes, we create more of them until they like it”, “when people accuse our President of being tone deaf, combative, and basically behaving like a donkey, we encourage him to do more of it”.
Problem is – I’m not quite as gullible as Asok – I’m not about to say “that WORKS?” I’m more like Dilbert thinking “can I please be a character in a different comic strip”.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)