Wow, this is getting ridiculous

Nope, I can't do it. I can't quite let go of this little blog page, and now that I have figured out how to associate it with my main Google account (I'm hoping to learn how to tie my shoes soon - stay tuned), I have fewer reasons not to be here, wasting as much of my time as possible attempting to waste yours.

No, four years have NOT passed since my last post as jokingly suggested (to apparently no one), but sadly enough, better than ONE year has passed, and I'm not any better at keeping up with it. Okay, I think I shall have to employ a little more creativity to remind people that it is here. I'll start with linking to my facebook page, as a good many of you have not yet tired of that forum. After that, not to be un-embracing of the next and newest, I shall link to it on my Google+ page.

Temptations galore.

These seem like to two great swings at getting the ball of self-promotion-and-importance rolling. But don't worry, I will endeavor to earn your begrudging patronage with pleasantries, rhapsodies, curiosities, and the occasional rant. And if at any time, I do not live up your expectations for things deemed "worthy of your online minute", then by all means delete any subsequent bookmarks and get on with your life, with my best wishes.

I do actually have some thought processes that could use the benefit of virtual open-air, and I will be bringing them to you soon. Very soon.

No, this time, I'm serious.

Is Three-and-a-half Years long enough?

Ahh, this crazy internet thing. It makes sure that we have plenty to keep us occupied and supplies us a myriad reasons not to go outside. And, if we're paying attention, it allows us to realize that we are all ultimately like three-year-olds; drifting in the direction of any new shiny thing that comes across our field of vision. Just the way the creators of web content intended.

But we're not paying attention.

In the 42-or-so months since my last blog, I have taken part in the herd mentality that has seen most of my friends and associates fade from Blogger (which I just found out Google owns now -- who knew?), led them to create and decorate like Christmas trees from hell and subsequently delete accounts on myspace, and carried them into the waiting, seemingly-secure-but-not-really arms of facebook. And it is there that I too spend an increasing amount of my dwindling stationary time.

So that's where I've been, and I know you know this, because you've been right there with me. But there's something appealing about this format dedicated to stringing more than a glib comment's worth of words together, and I may spend more time here again. Myspace we can all live without, but hopefully, we're not ready to lay aside the possibility of actually sharing what's on our hearts and minds. At least, I hope not.

See you in four years. "I hope not" applies to that also.

What I learned from programming my VCR last night . . .

Four things.

1. Always check to see when the band you wanted to tape is actually performing.
2. Make sure the clock on the VCR, which is supposed to set itself, is actually set correctly.
3. Never trust a VCR to do anything right.
4. In fact, just throw out your VCR.

Jen's Ugly Picture Challange

Who says I can't get more Marshmallow Mateys in my mouth?

Back in Black

Hey, we've been out for a bit, but we're still out here. Are you? Let me know.

The Jay Speight band, for which I play drums, did a video shoot this past Sunday, soon to be available online and for promotional use. A photographer and producer friend of Jay's named John Albani took some great stills of the day. Feel free to check these out. WARNING: He took HUNDREDS of pics, so get a drink and go potty first.

Way Overdue

Time at last for a new post of deep spiritual and philosophical importance.

Or not.

MySpace is fun. I have, like, four different pages set up for various uses. Starting with this one.

My Da Vinci Coda

If you are like me, and I'm sorry if you are, you've been receiving a deluge of e-mail from Christians expressing everything from concern to to anger to outright panic regarding The Da Vinci Code, both the film and the book. I have not yet seen or read either, but I've read a good deal about the premise. Having had enough of the "doomsday-ish" characterization of this work, I responded to a mass e-mailing with the following.

It seems that Dan Brown has released a modern myth, a reworking of old heresy, that caters to our culture's lust to debunk all things that are accepted as history, all things that are generally held as reliable and authoritative. This state of our culture is demonstrated in the fact that this book has become the best-selling fictional hard-back of all time. But although it (ironically) sets itself up as authoritative, let us not forget where this book is found - squarely in the fiction aisle.

A similar ruckus was raised at the release of The Last Temptation of Christ, now hard to find in most video stores, using at least parts of the misinformation used in the Da Vinci Code. It shouldn't surprise anyone that mankind perpetually tries to free itself of any responsibility to a perfect God by trying to deny and/or belittle His existance through the arts. The real tragedy is not that these books/movies get made and released with massive promotional budgets (telling mankind "what their itching ears want to hear"), but that we who claim to be believers in Christ are completely unable to engage in rational conversations on the topic because we are woefully uneducated ourselves about the history of our faith. I offer for your consideration this imbedded lecture on the matter by N.T. Wright, the Bishop of Durham, a renowned historian and Christian apologist. Scholars who know anything about the history of the church will tell you that Mr. Brown's novel does not hold water as an accurate representation of history.

But read the lecture before continuing.

There are two pieces of really good news in this. First, the truth of our sovreign God will stand on it's own, regardless of how He is attacked. One day every knee will bow and every tongue will bear witness to this. Secondly, our God is a redeemer in everything He does. He is always using things that were meant for evil to accopmlish good. Suddenly our spiritually passive culture finds fascination with the prime question of life: "Who was Jesus, really?" What a great oportunity awaits those of us who are willing and ABLE to point to the true Christ! This is a challenge for all who claim the name of Christ, to know why we believe the way we do, and to BE READY in season and out to bear witness to the hope we have. I am doing everything I can to be ready to answer the questions that are coming in the wake of this pop-culture phenomenon, and I hope you will endeavor to do the same.

In the mean time, I'm not worried about the film - I may even see it, as Mr. Hanks and Mr. Howard are both exceptional at what they do, and I believe their gifts are from God - but that's another topic.

Peace be with you (relax).