tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86665758303571907582024-03-07T23:23:18.864-08:00Reflexive Thoughts From a Reflective ThinkerAnd by thinker I mean High School studentChris.Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05837635642278284578noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666575830357190758.post-54885161263482401642010-06-13T10:10:00.000-07:002010-06-13T17:06:46.268-07:00The Worst (but at least funny) Graduation Speech Ever<div><span style="color: #57585b; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"></span><br />
<div style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 11px 0px;"><span style="color: #57585b; font-size: small;">Hello Principal Diamond, faculty, teachers, students, parents, grandparents, my girlfriend Sara who is in college, my cousin Sarah who is not my girlfriend and has an H in her name, our school janitor Boris, and also, to my favorite part of our school, hello vending machines. I will miss getting Starbursts from you.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 11px 0px;"><span style="color: #57585b; font-size: small;">My name is Alex Simpson and this is a graduation speech. I’m giving a graduation speech because we’re graduating. This is nice, right? I love giving graduation speeches. I wish I’d done this more in high school. Right now, you’re probably wondering why I was chosen to give the graduation speech. It’s not because I am the valedictorian. It’s not because I am abnormally good-looking, although, as you can see, I certainly am. It’s because my father’s company gave a large donation to the school. This speech is sponsored by your local Simpson’s Toyota dealer. Come on down and get your hands on some recently recalled vehicles with 0% APR financing. Ask for Alexander Simpson Senior.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 11px 0px;"></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 11px 0px;"><span style="color: #57585b; font-size: small;">So, I’ve been told that graduation is a time for inspiration and reflection. I think reflection is difficult because it requires us to think.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 11px 0px;"><span style="color: #57585b; font-size: small;">Thinking is hard. This is a nugget of wisdom I want you to take away and remember forever. My dad told me that in order to make a speech to be effective, you have to repeat things more than once, so again, let me say, thinking is hard.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 11px 0px;"><span style="color: #57585b; font-size: small;">That’s one of the reasons I’m glad to be graduating from Mount Pleasant High School. I won’t have to think all that much, because when I go to college, I plan on having my father make donations there too. No more reflection for me. The only kind of reflection I like is the one I see the mirror. You like it too, right?</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 11px 0px;"><span style="color: #57585b; font-size: small;">Even though I didn’t want to do that much thinking, I wanted everyone in the Class of 2010 to feel like this speech was really one of the best speeches they’ve ever heard, right on par with the Gettysburg address, the “ I Have a Dream Speech,” or my personal favorite, “The Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television.” That’s some life-changing stuff, right? Right, people?</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 11px 0px;"><span style="color: #57585b; font-size: small;"><leo_highlight id="leoHighlights_Underline_0" leohighlights_keywords="barack%20obama" leohighlights_underline="true" leohighlights_url_bottom="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsBottom.jsp?keywords%3Dbarack%2520obama%26domain%3Ddraft.blogger.com" leohighlights_url_top="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsTop.jsp?keywords%3Dbarack%2520obama%26domain%3Ddraft.blogger.com" onclick="leoHighlightsHandleClick('leoHighlights_Underline_0')" onmouseout="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOut('leoHighlights_Underline_0')" onmouseover="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOver('leoHighlights_Underline_0')" style="-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-size: auto auto; background-attachment: scroll; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat; border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(255, 255, 150); cursor: pointer; display: inline;">Barack Obama</leo_highlight> is a very good speaker. He gives great speeches too. That’s why we are talking about him. I like him because he’s good at basketball and because yes, I do in fact have a crush on Sasha. One thing Barack does in his speeches is repeat phrases. Which I did before too, remember? He also says, yes we can.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 11px 0px;"><span style="color: #57585b; font-size: small;">So that is what I am saying to you, Class of 2010. Yes we can. Yes we can graduate school. Yes we can get accepted into colleges because our dads are powerful businessmen. Yes we can now forget the elements in the periodic tables. Yes we can live in dorms and hang up posters to make people think we are interesting and <leo_highlight id="leoHighlights_Underline_1" leohighlights_keywords="smart" leohighlights_underline="true" leohighlights_url_bottom="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsBottom.jsp?keywords%3Dsmart%26domain%3Ddraft.blogger.com" leohighlights_url_top="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsTop.jsp?keywords%3Dsmart%26domain%3Ddraft.blogger.com" onclick="leoHighlightsHandleClick('leoHighlights_Underline_1')" onmouseout="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOut('leoHighlights_Underline_1')" onmouseover="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOver('leoHighlights_Underline_1')" style="-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-size: auto auto; background-attachment: scroll; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat; border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(255, 255, 150); cursor: pointer; display: inline;">smart</leo_highlight>. Yes we can forget how to forge our doctor’s signatures to get out of gym. Yes we can flunk Spanish and still graduate. Yes we can enjoy our summers, and if you’re me or one of my three friends, you can enjoy the summer at my lake house sipping on virgin daiquiris, but pretending to be drunk.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 11px 0px;"><span style="color: #57585b; font-size: small;">That part of the speech was called the “Yes We Can Reprise.” Now is the part of the speech where I ask: Does anybody have a sandwich?</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 11px 0px;"><span style="color: #57585b; font-size: small;">In the event that no one stands up to offer me a sandwich, I have alerted my friend Daniel to stand up and bring me some Subway I purchased this morning. Though it is a few hours old and a bit soggy, I still want Danny to bring it to me. Danny?</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 11px 0px;"><span style="color: #57585b; font-size: small;">This is the part of the speech where I take a bite of the sandwich. I was going to say something about how Mount Pleasant High School is kind of like a sandwich. We too are made up of a lot of different ingredients—athletes, gangsters, people who read. Together, we make up one really tasty thing. Also, our school cafeteria has awesome pokie sticks and Subway has really good bread, so in my mind that’s similar too. I was going to say more, but I've decided I want to end early. My parents are throwing me a graduation party at the Simpson Toyota dealer. It’s just up the road. There will be hotdogs, hamburgers and virgin daiquiris, but no Subway sandwiches. Please pretend you’re drunk and that my speech changed your life. And remember, thinking is hard.</span></div><span style="color: #57585b; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"></span></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><br />
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<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><!--Session data--><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><div id="refHTML"></div>Chris.Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05837635642278284578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666575830357190758.post-89532858182805579202010-05-30T10:21:00.000-07:002010-05-30T10:21:19.939-07:00My Final Term PaperThis is my final draft of my final term paper. Hope you like it, I'm rather proud of it myself. :)<br />
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Just a note: In the paragraph that cites Vanauken, the long quote is meant to be a block quote, but I couldn't format it as such in the blogger format. Just a heads up. <br />
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We sing about it at Christmas time, hear about it from our pastors, and read about it in the Bible, but do we honestly know what it means? The true meaning of joy is a matter that has left many perplexed and mistaken. In their attempts to define the term, many have equated joy with the emotions that follow it, typically happiness, making it a cliché term. Undoubtedly, there is a distinct connection between joy and happiness. This affiliation is universally accepted. Joy frequently results in happiness as well as other similar emotions. Although many believe joy to be an extreme form of happiness, joy is actually a meaningful acceleration in the rhythm of our relationship with God and our understanding of Him and His character, because such a rhythmic acceleration is confirmed by both Scripture and vicarious experiences.<br />
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Many people believe that the meaning of the term “joy” is an extreme form of happiness. A leading dictionary definition of joy is as follows: Joy is the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires. As this definition suggests, those who hold this view of joy treat it as if it were an emotion. By treating joy as an emotion, it becomes possible for joy to be administered by everyone, rather than just God. Those who hold this view argue for its validity by quoting Jesus’ example which he gives to his disciples about joy. Jesus says, while trying to comfort His disciples, “Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world” (New American Standard Bible, John. 16.21). Those who believe that joy is an emotion would interpret this passage to mean that other people, a newborn baby in this specific instance, can administer joy. The recognition of who can and cannot administer joy is essential to understanding what it actually is because, if joy is directly connected to God and His character, joy can only be instituted by God, whereas if joy were an emotion, it could be brought about by anyone or anything.<br />
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Moreover, joy is not something with a simple definition, as some might believe, but rather, it is something with a complex meaning and spiritual implications. As stated before, there is a blatant connection between joy and happiness. Joy typically results in happiness and other parallel emotions, such as pleasure and contentment. However, this correlation between joy and happiness does not in any way equate the two. Those who support the idea that joy is directly linked to happiness argue that because Jesus used an example in which joy is administered by someone other than God, it is, therefore, an emotion. However, Jesus says in the very next verse, “No one will take your joy away from you” (John. 16.22). If joy is something that is interminable, it cannot be an emotion in and of itself because emotions are fickle and short-lived by their very nature. Additionally, Scripture references joy on multiple occasions, but it is ambiguous about its actual meaning. Therefore, joy has a meaning that is not succinctly defined in Scripture, and clearly consists of spiritual connotations.<br />
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Joy, to be specific, is the acceleration in the rhythm of one’s relationship with God and understanding of Him. Joy is an experience of God’s character which allows us to further our knowledge of Him and our relationship with Him. This is substantiated through both Scripture vicarious experiences. Because joy can only be experienced through God, He is therefore the source of it. Thus, the deepening of man’s relationship with God provokes the experience of joy. Jesus says in his metaphor of the vine and the branches, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full” (John. 15. 11-12). In this passage, the term abide indicates a union and intimate relationship with Christ, not merely the knowledge of Him. Additionally, the imagery of the branches growing out from the Vine, which represents Christ, suggests that life is derived from Christ. Moreover, Lewis says in Mere Christianity, “Those who are united with God in eternity share His splendor and power and joy” (137). Here, Lewis is saying essentially the same thing as the passages from John, that is, it is through only unity with God that His joy is shared. Therefore, our personal experiences that are derived from our life in Christ and model His nature result in the experience of joy.<br />
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Furthermore, the observation of vicarious actions can prove instrumental in the understanding of joy. In Charles Williams’ Descent Into Hell, the actions and results of those actions of the character Pauline illustrates this concept well. Pauline experiences joy when she takes on her ancestor’s fear and carries his burden for him (Williams, Descent 166-172). Here, it is through virtuous actions that joy is experienced. Joy is experienced through virtuous actions because, in this example, they are parallel with one’s relationship with God. However, virtuous actions on their own do not result in joy, because they do not in of themselves indicate a healthy relationship with God. Virtuous actions, even those completed by Christians, are sometimes carried out in selfish spirit. However, as illustrated in the metaphor of the Vine and the branches, it is only through an intimate relationship and total engrossment in Christ that joy can be experienced. Virtuous actions are typically the result of such a relationship, but they do not in and of themselves provoke the experience of joy. Through the experience of Pauline and her ancestor, it is clear that virtuous actions, only while coupled with an abiding relationship with God, can lead to joy.<br />
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Moreover, the experiences of Sheldon and Davy Vanauken, as documented in A Severe Mercy can be observed as an illustration of the joy experienced when unity with God is present. Shortly before Davy’s death, Sheldon and Davy focus their relationship entirely on God. They go about this by trusting completely in His will, even if His plan brings about death for Davy (Vanauken, Severe, 158-160). This act of trusting that God’s will is the perfect plan and will ultimately result in good brings about joy, because Sheldon and Davy are both unified with God. Sheldon writes, in retrospect:<br />
It seems strange to say it, but these were the most purely happy days… For this one brief period, the awareness of death was lifted from her [Davy]. And I was filled with a wild hope that, somehow, God might make me His instrument to save her, pour His strength through me into her. There was a sort of joy between us (Severe, 170). <br />
Here, it is through unity with Christ that joy is experienced. In addition to the experience of joy, Sheldon’s unity with Christ also produces virtuous actions, as he makes it clear that his hope is that God will use him somehow to help save his wife from her illness. So then, it is palpable from the teachings of Scripture and vicarious examples that joy is experienced only when one Christian is in unity with Christ.<br />
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Furthermore, the antithesis of joy can be used as a subsidiary to the discernment of the full meaning of joy. According to Lewis and Williams, the antithesis of joy is the rejection of reality, which, in turn, leads to Hell. In The Great Divorce, the ghosts live a completely apathetic lifestyle in the apocryphal “Grey town,” but when they travel to heaven, which is depicted as reality, they shun joy as if it were the real evil (Lewis, 9-16, 39, 70-71, 129). The narrator’s guide says to Lewis [the narrator] about the ghosts, “There is always something they insist of keeping even at the price of misery. There is always something they prefer to joy-that is, to reality” (Divorce, 71). Additionally, in Descent Into Hell, Wentworth imagines a phantom Adela to fulfill his lusts, however, due to his rejection of reality, anger towards friends and colleagues, and his increasing dependence on his phantasm, Wentworth ultimately descends into hell (Williams, 82, 214-222). In both of these examples, the rejection of reality leads to hell, a place where God, and therefore joy, cannot be experienced. This confirms the assertion that joy only results from unity with God, as joy can certainly not be experienced when those are in severance from Christ.<br />
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Additionally, T.S. Eliot illustrates a similar concept in his poem, “The Hollow Men.” Through the imagery of his poem, he asserts that a lack of God’s presence results in apathy. In his poem, Eliot depicts the hollow men as living in a dead and desolate land, in which the “eyes,” representing God, are not present (“Hollow,” 4.1-4.3). Eliot depicts the hollow men as “sightless unless/the eyes reappear… …the only hope/of empty men” (“Hollow,” 4.10-4.11, 4.15-4.16). It is made clear by Eliot that the eyes, which, again, represent God, are not only absent in the dead land but are also the only hope of the empty men. In conjunction with discussing God’s lack of presence in the dead land, Eliot describes the land as a desolate and terribly apathetic place. Eliot portrays it as having an obvious apathetic mood, describing it by saying, “This is the dead land/This is the cactus land” (“Hollow,” 3.1-3.2). So then, through the imagery of Eliot’s poetry, an important concept is illustrated. That concept being, a lack of God’s presence results in apathy.<br />
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Despite the fact that many view joy and happiness to be equal, joy is actually an increase in one's relationship with God and understanding of Him, as illustrated through Scripture and the experiences of others. Those who equate joy and happiness argue that others apart from God can administer joy; however, this belief is contrary to Scripture. In opposition to the belief that joy and happiness are equal is the understanding that joy is an acceleration in the rhythm of one’s relationship with God. This belief is substantiated through two things, firstly, Scripture, and secondly, vicarious experiences. In conclusion, joy has become a cliché term due to the overuse of its improper meaning; however, it actually has a much deeper meaning with strong spiritual implications. In application, the next time you read in your Bible about joy, hear about it from your pastor, or sing about it in a Christmas carol, don’t be confused by it’s cliché interpretation, but instead, remember the true meaning of joy.Chris.Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05837635642278284578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666575830357190758.post-89723756494108234882010-05-17T23:25:00.000-07:002010-05-17T23:25:30.948-07:00Robin Hood Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.slashfilm.com/wp/wp-content/images/robin_hood_header-550x343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="http://www.slashfilm.com/wp/wp-content/images/robin_hood_header-550x343.jpg" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">**Spoiler Alert**</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Just a heads up :)</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">lthough benefiting from stunning visuals that beautifully capture rural England, as well as a few intense action scenes, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0955308/">Robin Hood</a> is brought down by a plot that changes even other more loose adaptions so much that the newest installment to the folklore tale "series" can hardly be called "Robin Hood" in good conscience. Additionally, Robin Hood, which attempts to recreate Russell Crowe's well known epic <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0172495/">Gladiator</a>, fails to do so because of the lack of the adventure thrill Gladiator had. With that being said, Robin Hood is undoubtedly an intense and entertaining action flick, yet it does not rival Gladiator due to it's lack of thrill. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">However, it's more than just the lack of thrill that doesn't make Robin Hood a great movie, it's the plot that hardly deserves to call itself by the name of Robin Hood because of it's total lack of resemblance to any other movie or TV adaption of the folklore tale. The very fact that I had to put a spoiler warning for seemingly such a well known story confirms the fact that the plot to Robin Hood is so dissimilar to other adaptions. In fact, it's more than just dissimilar. It's the complete opposite. Literally, the plot to Robin Hood undermines the entire spirit and nature of the whole tale by producing a movie with a plot practically opposite to any other adaption. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The primary change in the plot is the relationship of Robin Hood and King John. In the movie, Robin Hood and King John, two bitter enimies in all other adaptions, actually fight alongside each other. King John, although implementing a heavy tax on peasants in the beginning, promises to lift the tax for his subjects' support in the defense of Englad from a French invasion. It is not until the very end of the movie that King John actually declares Robin Hood to be an outlaw, and even still, it is done abruptly and without explanation- almost as if it were done to make screenwriter Brian Helgeland feel better about himself for completely changing the plot of Robin Hood from the traditional adaptions. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">But it's more than just the relationship of Robin Hood and King John that is completely changed in the newest adaption of the tale, it's also the feel and spirit of the tale that is lost. This feel and spirit that I'm referring to is the defining principle of Robin Hood: "stealing from the rich and giving to the poor." Despite it's central role in the tale, the principle of stealing from the rich to give to the poor is not at all made the focus of the movie, and is actually only portrayed in one scene. The principle is introduced again, however, it is at the very end of the movie and is portrayed very briefly as more of refuge or aid for peasants rather than the stealing of food and money from aristocrat landlords, as Robin Hood is typically portrayed as doing. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;">Now despite all it's plot changes and lack of the tale's spirit, Robin Hood benefits greatly from good performances from Russel Crowe (Robin Hood) and Mark Strong (Sir Godfrey), the main protagonist and antagonist in the movie. As always, Russel Crowe brings a sort of excitement and epicness (even though I hate sounding like a middle schooler) to his characters. Mark Strong, on the other hand, portrays well a bitter, heartless, and power-hungry military leader who ultimately betrays John and turns to the French to aid them in their invasion. But it's no surprise- Strong always plays the antagonist well, as illustrated in Sherlock Holmes and Kick-Ass. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;">Additionally, Robin Hood benefits from amazing visuals and intense battle scenes that make the movie undoubtedly entertaining and one definitely worth seeing in theaters. The film's sweeping wide angles capture beautifully the lushness of England's forests and countries, as well as the castles scattered across such a landscape. Furthermore, the film is benefited from intense action scenes propelled by Russel Crowe and Kevin Durand's (Little John) performances. While Crowe delivers his usual intensity to battle scenes, Durand, along with other characters from Nottingham, bring a sort of comedic presence to bits of the film, particularly in action scenes. For example, when Nottingham is being overtaken by Godfrey's men in the name of the King's tax enforcement, Friar Took (Mark Addy) sneaks out of the church where he was subdued and returns with several bee hives which he throws at the French soldiers. This subtle comedic presence balances out well the intensity Crowe presents in battle scenes. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;">In conclusion, Robin Hood is certainly an entertaining film with many good characteristics- good preformances from Crowe and Strong, excellent visuals, and intense battle scenes-, however, it lacks completely the traditional feel of the tale and changes the plot so much other adaptions that it hardly deserves to call itself Robin Hood. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;">*** Out of *****</span><br />
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</span>Chris.Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05837635642278284578noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666575830357190758.post-12525768187217496332010-04-30T23:54:00.000-07:002010-05-01T09:49:42.532-07:00Whole Lotta Stuff... In One PostMy apologies if the changes to the layout and name of the blog got to you... I think it's for good this time. :-P<br /><br />Anyway, saw a lot of movies, so many that I'll probably leave out a few, but I'm just gonna run down the list of which ones I do remember and give a short take on each one.<br /><br />Casino Royale- Honestly, I think Craig pulled off the best Bond yet. His performance, coupled with a wonderfully done emotional approach to the Bond films that is unique to the series' previous installments earns Casino Royale a high position on my favorite movies list.<br /><br />Quantum of Solace- More of the same emotional material from Craig, with some more action than Casino Royale. However, it is simply not done nearly as well Craig's first success as Bond.<br /><br />The Departed- What can I say, but wow. The Departed features a dream cast, heck, even Mark Walburg was good, and I pretty much hate every movie he's ever acted in. All it's leads, Nicholson, Damon, and DiCaprio deliver incredible performances. I can't say it's Scorsese's best, because unfortunately I haven't seen as much of his films as I've liked, but I can honestly say this is now one of my new favorite films.<br /><br /><br />I know there's a few more that I'm not remembering, but I can't right now, even though I've tried remembering for a while. lol But here's my list to see next:<br /><br />- I'm Not There <-- I've procrastinated far too long on seeing this one<br />- <style>BODY { MARGIN: 8px}.LW-yrriRe { FONT: x-small arial} </style>The Godfather films <-- I know, I'm terrible for not having seen these, but I honestly can't wait until I do<br />- Inglorious Bastards <-- Heard good and bad things about this movie, but I love Tarrantino, so I wanna find out for myself<br /><br />Any other suggestions?<br /><br />************<br /><br />Summer Playlist: coming along. Got a rough draft of it one day, and haven't touched it since. haha I'm currently looking for stuff outside my iTunes library. Hopefully have an update/somewhat finalized songlist soon.<br /><br />************<br /><br />Me: Been pretty busy with school lately. When it's due, which will probably be in like two weeks or so, I'll post my final term paper, written on the subject of joy. I'm rather proud of it. : ) Also, gotten back into photography again. It's sorta taking up the extra time that tennis used to fill. I still kinda suck, but I'd like to think I'm getting better. Might be posting some of my recent stuff on here.<br /><br />************<br /><br />In the news:<br /><br />-- Noah's art found?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/04/27/noahs-ark-found-turkey-ararat/">The original FOX Article </a>(of course, they're the main source covering this story)<br /><br />But even FOX has big doubts about the claim that Chinese and Turkish evangelist explorers made-- <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/04/30/noahs-ark-hoax-claim-doesnt-deter-believers/">See this article</a><br />Honestly, judging by the recent actions of some people claiming to be Christians, I don't think it's for real. It really is sad when an evangelist claiming to be from your religion makes such a bold assertion and you can't even trust them. Perhaps I'm being unrealistic, or perhaps it is just the significance of the discovering of Noah's ark that sheds the most doubt on the evangelists' claim. Any thoughts?<br /><br /><br /><br />--ChrisB<br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden"><br /><div id="refHTML"></div>Chris.Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05837635642278284578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666575830357190758.post-87047230131524202902010-04-05T12:04:00.000-07:002010-04-05T12:05:40.564-07:00Summer Playlist-- suggestions?I'm currently working on a summer playlist for... um.. the summer? I know it's Spring, but it feels like summer, especially after a blistering cold winter with record low temperatures. Anyway, I'm still working on it, but if you have any suggestions, please comment. I'm mostly going for classic rock (CCR, The Beatles, and The Stones are just a few examples), just because it captures the persona of summer well, I think, but there's also a decent amount of newer stuff (MGMT, The Killers, Kasbian) that I plan on putting on. Please just lemme know whatever you think would fit. : )Chris.Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05837635642278284578noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666575830357190758.post-17997949381781616212010-03-22T21:04:00.000-07:002010-03-23T05:40:36.481-07:003 Notable Musicians/GroupsThis is just a short list of a few guitarists/artists/musicians which I think are noteworthy.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">1. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Dispatch">Chad Urmstead/Dispatch</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3277/2701817792_42f9cfba9d.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 242px; height: 364px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3277/2701817792_42f9cfba9d.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Props to you if you actually know who this guy is. If you don't know, he's the lead guitarist for the indie band Dispatch. Essentially, the reason he's on this list is because of his ability to combine genres of music. In "The General," he combines folk with a sort of balladsy rock. All throughout Dispatch's music there can be strong traces of genres ranging from reggae to folk to rock to hip hop to even some Spanish roots. They can play it all. And do it really good too. The reason, I think, for their ability to do this is Dispatch's members can play such a wide variety of instruments. Look 'em up, check 'em out. They're awesome.<br /><br /><br /><br />2. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Sigur+R%C3%B3s"><span class="fn">Jón Þór Birgisson/Sigur </span><span class="fn org">Rós </span></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.gibson.com/Files/aaFeaturesImages/sigurros.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 306px; height: 324px;" src="http://www.gibson.com/Files/aaFeaturesImages/sigurros.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Just by looking at this picture you can get an idea of why.... Jon (I'm just gonna call him that for right now) is mentioned here. He plays the guitar with a Cello bow. I mean, c'mon, how boss is that? But seriously, Jon and his band are on here because their experiments with different instruments have yielded a unique post-rock sound that differs from other groups. Take Jon's use of a bow, for example. This has given them, not a drastically different sound, but a subtly changed one that allows them to emphasize on the classical sound of their music. Just another thing that I found cool about this band is the fact that they sing in Icelandic, which makes sense because their from Iceland. It allows them to sing about things that would sound terrible in English, but make it sound beautiful because they're singing in Icelandic. In their song, "Heysatan," (which actually means hay stack in Icelandic) one line of their song goes, "And I slipped... fuck." In English, that would just sound terrible, but in Icelandic, it sounds as beautiful as any other line in the song.<br /><br /><br /><br />3. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Joanna+Newsom">Joanna Newsom</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://austinist.com/attachments/austinist_maguire/229395888_98cdfe366b_b.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 374px; height: 237px;" src="http://austinist.com/attachments/austinist_maguire/229395888_98cdfe366b_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />This picture also sorta gives it away, but at least in this case the uniqueness is not <span style="font-style: italic;">how</span> Joanna plays the harp, but rather the mere fact that she does, and is amazing at it. Not only is she incredibly good at harp (I would know, I listen to it for an hour or two every day =P), but she has the ability to combine it with other instruments to create a very unique sound. You might, however, find some of her earlier stuff hard to listen to, just because her voice was honestly atrocious. And it's not just one of those acquired tastes, like Billy Corgan or Mark Kozelek. If it were I'd have acquired it by now-I listen to a lot of her stuff, new and old. She has, thank God, recently developed her once incredibly annoying voice into a set of decent pipes. Apart from being a harpist, she also plays keyboards for the San Fransisco indie rock band The Pleased.<br /><br /></div>Chris.Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05837635642278284578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666575830357190758.post-52774043535171510982010-03-20T19:42:00.000-07:002010-03-20T21:43:20.800-07:00Alice in Wonderland... ...Wait, who?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/92/l_32517f8a4782442cb9af1b2bfef230d9.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/92/l_32517f8a4782442cb9af1b2bfef230d9.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Jonny Depp and Tim Burton have an amazing actor/director relationship, one that typically produces good results, as seen through Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, and Sweeny Todd. However, in Burton’s new film Alice in Wonderland, Jonny Depp’s role as the mad hatter takes too much of the film’s focus. The over-focus on the Depp as well as plot changes to the books the movie is based on (Lewis Carol’s Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass) adds to the loss of character and mood of the original books.<br /><br />To be blunt, Tim Burton’s changes to the mood and tone of the story don’t do the books justice. Now, granted, whatever source material you give Burton he will turn into a weird and dark movie. And this is the same in the case of Alice in Wonderland. This would be fine, if the books had a similar tone to them. They don’t, however, and the mood that Burton gives to the movies is therefore incompatible with the books. An example of such a change in mood (spooiler alllert!) is the portrayal of Alice as solely a warrior, rather than a judge as she is portrayed in Alice in Wonderland (the book, I know this could get confusing). I’m not saying the movie was an action flick, nor am I saying that it was trying to be, but my point is this: the many little changes, coupled with Burton’s style in general make for a film that doesn’t fit the mood of its source material.<br /><br />Burton’s deviance to the original books is only further illustrated through the over-focus of Jonny Depp’s character of the mad hatter. Now, I know Tim Burton loves Jonny Depp’s ability to play eccentric and unorthodox roles, and the mad hatter allowed Depp to do just that, but compared to the mad hatter’s appearances in the books, some may find Depp’s character to be largely over-played.<br /><br />Despite the fact that Burton makes changes to the movie that deviate from the mood of the books, Alice in Wonderland benefits from stunning visuals. The setting of the movie itself, a somewhat vaguely illustrated world, allowed much room for creativity to be implemented, and the filmmakers capitalized on this. They created a world that glowed with creativity as well as accuracy to whatever descriptions are offered in the book.<br /><br />In conclusion, Alice in Wonderland is a movie that, honestly, can only be truly enjoyed by those who appreciate Burton’s style, but also benefits from a brilliantly creative “Wonderland” that is a true visual treat.<br /><br />*** Out of *****Chris.Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05837635642278284578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666575830357190758.post-23657306287225047522010-03-13T10:51:00.000-08:002010-03-13T11:26:26.681-08:00Top 10 Favorite AlbumsSo, just a disclaimer, this is not a top ten best list, it's just my current favorites. Right now I don't exactly have the time to write ten little snippits about each one, so I'm just gonna give them in a list.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">1. Absolution by Muse<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b4/Muse_-_Absolution_Cover_UK.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b4/Muse_-_Absolution_Cover_UK.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />2. The Bends by Radiohead<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8b/Radiohead.bends.albumart.jpg/200px-Radiohead.bends.albumart.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8b/Radiohead.bends.albumart.jpg/200px-Radiohead.bends.albumart.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">3. The Joshua Tree by U2<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/89/The_Joshua_Tree_re-issue.png/200px-The_Joshua_Tree_re-issue.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/89/The_Joshua_Tree_re-issue.png/200px-The_Joshua_Tree_re-issue.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />4. Elephant by The White Stripes<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/11/Elephant%2C_The_White_Stripes.png/200px-Elephant%2C_The_White_Stripes.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/11/Elephant%2C_The_White_Stripes.png/200px-Elephant%2C_The_White_Stripes.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />5. Is This It by The Strokes<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8d/IsthisitUS.jpg/200px-IsthisitUS.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8d/IsthisitUS.jpg/200px-IsthisitUS.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/ad/Highway_61_Revisited.jpg/200px-Highway_61_Revisited.jpg"><br /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">6. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme by Simon and Garfunkel<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/32/ParsleySage.jpg/200px-ParsleySage.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/32/ParsleySage.jpg/200px-ParsleySage.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><br />7. All That You Can't Leave Behind by U2<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c2/U2_atyclb.png/200px-U2_atyclb.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c2/U2_atyclb.png/200px-U2_atyclb.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />8. Abbey Road by The Beatles<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/42/Beatles_-_Abbey_Road.jpg/200px-Beatles_-_Abbey_Road.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/42/Beatles_-_Abbey_Road.jpg/200px-Beatles_-_Abbey_Road.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />9. Z by My Morning Jacket<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/fe/MMJZ.jpg/200px-MMJZ.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/fe/MMJZ.jpg/200px-MMJZ.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />10. Neon Bible by The Arcade Fire<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/ea/Arcade_Fire_-_Neon_Bible.jpg/200px-Arcade_Fire_-_Neon_Bible.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/ea/Arcade_Fire_-_Neon_Bible.jpg/200px-Arcade_Fire_-_Neon_Bible.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div>Chris.Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05837635642278284578noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666575830357190758.post-10590539290674632232010-03-10T17:44:00.000-08:002010-03-10T17:48:04.090-08:00Going to see Alice in Wonderland this Saturday. Look for a review soon!<br /><br />And yes, I have been entirely engrossed in school. Well, not really... what time I do have left I either spend working, procrastinating, or reading my new favorite site, failbooking.Chris.Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05837635642278284578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666575830357190758.post-27916307950388463892010-02-16T19:08:00.000-08:002010-02-16T19:32:21.414-08:00Sigh...My apologies for not posting in a while. School is absolutely ridiculous. Mock trial and my nameless teammates' over the top enthusiasm are driving me crazy. At this point, I could care less how well we do at regionals, I just want it to freaking be over... ...JSA and winter congress coming up-something I'm definitely looking forward to, but still alot of work and research. Got a précis for a book I hated due tomorrow, and after that, a term paper. My starting question is "What is joy?", but I'm still in the process of compiling resorces and coming up with a thesis. I might post it on here when it's finished, but it depends on how optimistic I'm feeling that day. <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0pt; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0pt; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <br /><br />Music is al so pretty crazy. My amazing teacher has decided to torture all her violists during the month of February with the excuse of it being the "Forth Finger Festival". Needless to say, my pinkie is about to fall off and I've developed what used to be a love-hate relationship with Kreutzer #9 into just a hate relationship.<br /><br />The "Forth Finger Festival" is actually not the end of it however. I'm working really hard on preparing most of Bach's first Cello Suite to preform at a benefit concert for Mr. Sweet, a father who recently passed away leaving a family of five behind. The concert is sometime in early April at my church. I know there's a fixed date, but I'm just not sure what it is.<br /><br /><br /><br />Anyway, saw Up in the Air and Kill Bill Vol. 1. Two totally different movies, but I loved them both. I had seen most of Kill Bill before, but it was a while ago and honestly I had forgottten how bad ass that movie really is. Up in the Air was really good too-good directing and three very strong lead preformances.<br /><br /><br />Anyway, this whole post is the result of my procrastination. Got a couple posts coming if my school allows. We'll see about the weekend.<br /><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Chris.Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05837635642278284578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666575830357190758.post-75682630849813171772010-01-26T13:26:00.000-08:002010-01-26T13:29:43.350-08:00...For some reason, blogger decided to put my list of top 5 rock musicians after my post of Thomas Aquinas' prayer.... weird. Just a heads up. <div><br /></div><div>Also: considering a review of Saints and Soldiers. I have semester break this week which means I have the time, but it also means I'm sleeping in late and am too lazy to do it. We'll see how it plays out. </div>Chris.Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05837635642278284578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666575830357190758.post-28908920844770744702010-01-17T13:33:00.000-08:002010-01-17T13:35:41.980-08:00A prayer before study<div>Ineffable Creator, Who, from the treasures of Your wisdom,</div><div>has established three hierarchies of angels, has arrayed them in marvelous order</div><div>Above the fiery heavens and has marshaled the regions of the universe with such artful skill,</div> <div><br /></div><div>You are proclaimed the true font of light and wisdom, and the primal origin raised high beyond all things.</div><div>Pour forth a ray of Your brightness into the darkened places of my mind;</div><div>Disperse from my soul the twofold darkness into which I was born: sin and ignorance.</div> <div><br /></div><div>You make eloquent the tongues of infants. Refine my speech and pour forth upon my lips the goodness of Your blessing.</div><div>Grant to me keenness of mind, capacity to remember, skill in learning, subtlety to interpret, and eloquence in speech.</div> <div><br /></div><div>May You guide the beginning of my work, direct its progress, and bring it to completion.</div><div>You Who are true God and true Man, Who live and reign, world without end.</div><div>Amen<br /><br />--Thomas Aquinas<br /><br />**************<br /><br />Also: Don't miss the Golden Globes tonight at 8 on NBC. Ricky Gervais is hosting!<br /></div>Chris.Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05837635642278284578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666575830357190758.post-53049415166247646562010-01-01T17:39:00.000-08:002010-01-26T13:25:33.166-08:00Top 5 Rock Musicians<div>It's pretty hard to name only the top 5, but this is my crack at it. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>1. David Bowie<div><div><br /></div><div>This guy literally plays more instruments than everyone on this list combined. Although he might not be exceptional at any one of them, the variety of the instruments-string to percussion to winds- speaks for itself about his incredible musical talent. </div><div><br /></div><div>2. Matthew Bellamy</div><div><br /></div><div>He's not on here because Muse is my favorite band, he definitely deserves to be on this list. Not only is Bellamy an incredible guitarist and pianist, he is also an amazing songwriter and composer. His versatility as a writer is exemplified by his full length, three part symphony that appeared on Muse's latest album, the Resistance. </div><div><br /></div><div>3. Jack White</div><div><br /></div><div>As a child growing up in Detroit, White stuffed his already small bedroom so full of instruments that he slept on the floor because his bed was taken out to make room for one of his two drum sets. Since those days, he has succeeded as the frontman of the blues-rock duo The White Stripes, as well as work with The Raconteur<span style="font-size:100%;">s</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:17;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; white-space: normal;font-family:Georgia,serif;font-size:16;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">and The Dead Weather. He is a strong believer in the blues and is known for his combination of blues and rock. </span></span></span>And he has amazing hair. </div><div><br /></div><div>4. Thom Yorke</div><div><br /></div><div>Arguably the best vocalist ever, Thom Yorke has been the frontman for Radiohead (probably the best band ever) since it's formation in 1985. Yorke is also an excellent guitarist as well as an extremely talented multi-instrumentalist. Yorke has awesome hair too, but it's not as awesome as Jack White's hair.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>5. Prince</div><div><br /></div><div>Like Bowie, Prince can play a large variety of instruments, however, they don't have the variety of styles like Bowie has. Besides his variety of instruments, he can dance and sing almost as good as MJ. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>::Note::</div><div><br /></div><div>I was considering Dave Grohl for number 5, so if you were wondering where he was, I was definitely considering him, along with many others. </div><div><br /></div></div>Chris.Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05837635642278284578noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666575830357190758.post-89634968452429992612009-12-29T09:45:00.000-08:002010-01-05T15:15:12.508-08:00One for the Environmentalists<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/files/2009/12/avatar1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 460px; height: 288px;" src="http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/files/2009/12/avatar1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><br />It's been quite a while since James Cameron (Titanic, Aliens) has put out anything new. Thankfully, he hasn't lost any creativity. Avatar reaffirms Cameron's imagination, but is brought down by the completely over-exaggerated propaganda of the environmentalist theme.<br /><br />Avatar features the futuristic world of 2154, in which the RDA Corporation is mining on the planet of Pandora for unobtanium, a rare and valuable resource. The corporation discovers an enormous unobtanium deposit under a huge tree known as “home tree” that is center of the Na’vi people’s civilization. To get the Na’vi people to abandon their tree peacefully and mine the deposit under it, the RDA Corporation develops replica bodies of the natives known as “Avatars” and invents a way to transfer the mind of a human into the body of a Na’vi replica. The corporation decides on Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a marine who has recently lost his legs in battle, to use the avatar and diplomatically convince the Na’vi to leave home tree. Throughout the movie, Jake becomes attached to the Na’vi’s nature-centered way of life and eventually turns against the humans as they try to destroy home tree.<br /><br />The civilization of the Na’vi people is one that is totally centered around nature. So much so, that they worship Eywa, the goddess of nature. Not only that, but to communicate with animals, the Na’vi have a special strand of hair that they can “plug” in to similar strands on animals. They can even use this mechanism with special spirit trees to listen to their ancestors past. This is a central aspect of the environmentalist propaganda- the idea of being “one” with nature. Everything you could possibly imagine about the Na’vi civilization is linked in some way to nature. This isn’t in of itself bad, but what’s behind the whole propaganda is the idea that the Na’vi way of life is superior to humanity’s destructive nature.<br /><br />There are two aspects to the way Avatar portrays this superiority, firstly, the movie’s exaggerated portrayal of humanity’s ruthlessness and brutality, and secondly, the idea that humanity, in all it’s brutality, is wrong and the Na’vi lifestyle is ideal. A prime example of the exaggeration of humanity’s destructive nature is the military officer in command of the RDA’s work on Pandora. The commander, Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang) has leg sized arms, a large scar on his face, and is literally always frowning. However, there is much more than just his “G.I. Joe” appearance. His military decisions are unrealistically heartless. Without question, he commands for the destruction of home tree, knowing that the entire Na’vi civilization peacefully lives inside of it. Not only does he destroy the home of the Na’vi, but he sets out to their last place of shelter to exterminate their race completely. What I find most convincing about the unreality of all this is the fact that Quaritch loves his work. This is just one example of quite a few.<br /><br />The second aspect to the movie’s propaganda is the suggestion that the Na’vi lifestyle, the one focused totally around nature, is ideal. Avatar accomplishes this primarily through the main character, Jake Sully. During his time in the avatar, Jake grows in his liking of the Na’vi culture and sees the “faults” with humanity’s nature. In the end, he bonds with the culture so much that he turns on the humans, and eventually ends up leading the Na’vi into battle. As he prays to Ewya before the final battle, he says, as a human, “I know we’ve gone wrong”. And then of course, contrary to what he is told, Eywa sides with the “preservers of nature” and aids the Na’vi in the final battle.<br /><br />So pretty much, in simple terms, the whole propaganda aspect of Avatar comes down to this: it’s totally exaggerated.<br /><br />Despite all this propaganda, the movie benefits from a creative plot devised by James Cameron and incredible special effects. I like the describe the plot of Avatar as a combination of Kevin Costner’s Dances with Wolves and John Woo’s Face Off with the addition of James Cameron’s creative touch. Who else could’ve thought up ten-foot blue aliens, giant floating mountains, a tree taller than anything you could imagine, and all the incredible animals to which Pandora is home? Not only did he come up with all these things and work them all into one movie, but he added an amazing plot which reflects his skill and ingenuity as a writer. Avatar’s plot has it all- sci-fi action, dialog, and even some romance.<br /><br />In summary, Avatar is definitely one worth seeing in theaters for its special effects, visuals, and creative plot, but only if you don’t mind a huge propaganda theme all throughout.<br /><br />***1/2 Out of *****Chris.Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05837635642278284578noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666575830357190758.post-40684821980673800772009-12-24T19:54:00.000-08:002009-12-24T20:01:53.141-08:00ChristmasI know every Christian hears this so much around Christmas time, but regardless, it's so true. So Instead of repeating what everyone is saying, I'd like to post a few lines from one of my favorite hymns that really sums up my thoughts. The hymn is God Rest Ye Merry Gentlmen and I think these lines really capture, in beautiful words, what so many people are reminding everyone of this time of year.<br /><br /><br />Remember, Christ, our Savior<br />Was born on Christmas day<br />To save us all from Satan's power<br />When we were gone astray<br /><br /><br />Not to bore you with this very repetative reminder, but it is very true. Lets not get caught up too much in the holiday that we forget it.<br /><br /><br />Merry Christmas!Chris.Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05837635642278284578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666575830357190758.post-38482470412883254692009-12-18T22:35:00.000-08:002009-12-18T23:03:44.953-08:00So, I changed the name of my blog, because, honestly, my last title really sucked. I don't even know how I thought it up, or what's worse, I don't know why I thought It'd be cool. I got something that's kinda plain, but at least reflects somewhat what's in my blog ( e.i. pretty much everything is opinionated).<br /><br />Anyway, I think I'm going to see Avatar with my brothers, and we're planning on renting It Might Get Loud when it comes out on DVD this Tuesday. I'll Probably have a review of at least one of them, maybe even two since I'm on break and will have the extra time.<br /><br />Oh, and I saw Desperado last night. I'm not gonna review it, but just wanna say that movie was really awesome. It was like the boondock saints except it was set in Mexico, wasn't over the top violent, and starred Antonio Banderas. The plot was original, but had an interesting spin on it that makes it worth while.<br /><br /><br /><br />One last thing:<br />Right after I posted this the first time, I noticed that my time is set to Pacific. Anyone know how to change that? Thx.Chris.Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05837635642278284578noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666575830357190758.post-30357118282103355042009-12-09T12:24:00.000-08:002009-12-10T20:11:29.335-08:00The Blind Side Review<a href="http://www.thegrio.com/assets_c/2009/11/the-blind-side-an-obvious-appeal-to-white-guilt-thumb-400xauto-5071.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px; display: block; height: 300px;" alt="" src="http://www.thegrio.com/assets_c/2009/11/the-blind-side-an-obvious-appeal-to-white-guilt-thumb-400xauto-5071.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />“Here’s the deal: I don’t need y’all to approve of my choices, but I do ask that you respect them”. This quote from a scene in “The Blind Side” accurately sums up the demanding attitude of the Southern Republican mother and home designer Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock). However, the tenaciously confident mother and die hard Ole Miss fan has another side, one that is driven by compassion for a homeless young black boy who comes from a broken and gang ridden neighborhood. As an instinctively compassionate and charitable person, Leigh Anne took it upon herself to take in and eventually become a legal guardian of young Mike Oher, a teenager who comes from a broken family with a troubled past.<br /><br />If there was anyone who could have portrayed the colorful and difficult role of Leigh Anne Tuohy, it was Sandra Bullock. Her performance as Mrs. Tuohy not only added to the emotional aspect of the film, but also became, for many, the highlight of the movie. Bullock nails everything practically perfectly- the Memphis accent, the arrogant over confidence, the sympathetic emotion towards Michael, and the die-hard Ole’ Miss obsession.<br /><br />Despite Bullock’s outstanding performance, the movie has one decisive downside. The plot of the movie moves along at a very fast pace, which makes it somewhat hard to follow. When the movie begins, Michael is forced to stop staying at his friend’s home and is left homeless, and at the end, Michael begins his first semester at Ole Miss. In the middle, which lasts approximately an hour and a half there are various subplots- Michael’s crashing of his new car, his declining grades at school, and the NCAA questioning his college choice. This is, of course, not to mention the main plot.<br /><br />In conclusion, “The Blind Side” retells the true story of Michael Oher’s high school years and offers an emotional drama which is largely defined by Sandra Bullock’s outstanding performance as Leigh Anne Tuoghy, however, many may find it's plot as too pat.<br /><br /><br />***1/2 out of *****Chris.Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05837635642278284578noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666575830357190758.post-66547435591653957162009-11-20T10:56:00.001-08:002009-11-21T03:52:31.500-08:00Mock Trial Update 3So.... been a while since I posted one of these. Needless to say, alot has happened since then. We're all getting ready for dress rehearsals and then scrimmages will start. More importantly, the bar foundation made one of the most wild and insane clarifications ever.<br /><br />The bar foundations announced a couple weeks ago that the witness KC Perry is being replaced with Mikey Skogan! KC was the wife of Loren, who is the defendent. KC's testimony was practically useless, especially because she suffered from a rare brain tumor that prevented her from remembering any relevant information. Additionally, her testimony doesn't make sense at all because her very being contradicts the facts of the case. According to doctor's life expectancy projections, her brain tumor was supposed to kill KC at least a year and a half ago from the time of the trials.<br /><br />The bar foundation obviously made a mistake by making KC a witness in the case, but replacing her with a whole nother witness is even worse. Mikey Skogan is a total jerk college student. His main point in the case is to counter Peyton's testimony. Apart from that and the fact that he found Bailey in the hotel room, he is no more useful than KC was as a witness. After some controversy as to whether to keep the students playing each witness the same, Mrs. Worgess decided to have the roles stay the same, which means Kelsey and Amy, who were playing KC, are now playing Mikey. Talk about fustrating... What's worse is that this was clarified the week before the KCs were supposed to finish memorizing the second longest witness statement in the case... ...and now they have a whole new one to memorize from scratch.<br /><br /><br />Anyway... It <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> quarter to 7 and I'm only up this early because I'm leaving for Fall State at quarter after, so this is obviously where I end. Until the next update...Chris.Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05837635642278284578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666575830357190758.post-76197466444553278702009-11-11T15:23:00.000-08:002009-11-11T15:26:09.314-08:00<span style="font-family: georgia;">Review of Switchfoot's new album Hello Hurricane pending. I've got a precis and a debate case to write though. Hopefully I'll get around to it before Fall State next weekend.<br /></span>Chris.Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05837635642278284578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666575830357190758.post-55135774049767801282009-10-27T18:55:00.000-07:002009-10-27T18:59:49.893-07:00Reflection EssaySo I've been going crazy over school, and I haven't had the time to blog at all. Since I've been really occupied with school, I figured I'd post an essay I wrote. This is a Reflection Essay on <span style="font-style:italic;">Mere Christianity </span><span>and it's from </span>my Inklings Class.<br /><br /><i>Mere Christianity </i><br /><br />Reflect on what Dualism is and why C. S. Lewis believes it is an inferior point of view to Christianity.<br /><br />According to Lewis, Dualism and Christianity are the only two religions that “face all the facts” (42). When Lewis refers to the facts that Dualism and Christianity face, he is referring to the traits of reality. Lewis states that reality is never simple, but it is in fact complicated and odd and that all other religions besides Dualism and Christianity fail to meet these criteria (40-42). He goes on to describes the Christian viewpoint by stating “that this is a good world that has gone wrong, but [the Christian view] still retains the memory of what it [the world] ought to have been”, and defines Dualism as “the belief that there are two equal and independent powers at the back of everything, one of them good and the other bad” (42). The topic posed has two parts to it. What is Dualism? And why does Lewis believe it is an inferior belief when compared to Christianity?<br />In Mere Christianity Lewis only defines Dualism as a belief in which there are equal and opposite good and bad powers, but he does not explain why Dualism is not a simple religion, and why it “faces all the facts” (42-43). Lewis does go on to describe the two powers by saying that the opposing powers are independent, that one did not create the other, that nothing created them, and that each of them thinks it is good and the other is bad (42). By Lewis’ definition, Dualism seems like a simple religion, as does Christianity for that matter, yet, with closer and deeper consideration of the particular doctrines of both religions, they become complicated and odd. Complication and peculiarity are both defined by Lewis as traits of reality (41). If these two ideologies face all the facts and comply with reality’s standard of complication, which one is correct?<br />This question ties in with the second portion of the topic, why does Lewis believe that Dualism is inferior compared to Christianity? The fallacy in Dualism begins with the simple act of calling one of these two powers good, and the other bad. Lewis says, “the moment you say that [that one force is good and the other bad], you are putting into the universe a third thing in addition to the two Powers: some law or standard or rule of good by which one of the powers conforms to and the other fails to conform to” (43). Because the two powers are judged by this standard, it suddenly makes this law or the Someone who made the law higher up than these two original powers; and then you come to the conclusion that this Someone is a God, and before you know it, the very basis for Dualism crumbles (43). This then begs the question: does Christianity cope with this standard of behavior and the Someone behind it that Dualism cannot explain? The answer is, of course, yes. This Someone behind the law is the very basis for the Christian faith.Chris.Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05837635642278284578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666575830357190758.post-16056084232793349782009-10-02T17:21:00.000-07:002009-10-28T14:55:56.435-07:00Top 25 Guitarists of All TimeSo... I was pretty horrified with RS's list of top 100 guitarist of all time, so I thought I'd make my own little list, except minimize it to 25. So here goes...<br /><br /><br />1. Jimi Hendrix<br /><br />2. BB King<br /><br />3. Eric Clapton<br /><br />4. Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones<br /><br />5. Jimmy Paige of Led Zepplin<br /><br />6. Kirk Hammett of Metallica<br /><br />7. Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band<br /><br />8. Chuck Berry<br /><br />9. Stevie Ray Vaughn<br /><br />10. Steve Vai<br /><br />11. Yngwie Malmsteen<br /><br />12. Herman Li of Dragonforce<br /><br />13. Eddie Van Halen of Van Halen<br /><br />14. Kurt Cobain of Nirvana<br /><br />15. John Frusciante of The Red Hot Chili Peppers<br /><br />16. Tom Morrello of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave<br /><br />17. George Harrison of The Beatles<br /><br />18. Les Paul<br /><br />19. Brian May of Queen<br /><br />20. Joe Perry of Aerosmith<br /><br />21. Pete Townshend of The Who<br /><br />22. Jonathan Cain of Journey<br /><br />23. Angus Young of AC/DC<br /><br />24. David Gilmore of Pink Floyd<br /><br />25. Orianthi - This one is a surprise, but amazing guitarists are not limited to guys<br /><br /><br />So there you have it. I probably missed a couple, or mixed them up, but I've gone over it a couple times, so if I have missed someone plz lemme know.Chris.Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05837635642278284578noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666575830357190758.post-48063435520923311642009-09-22T19:07:00.000-07:002009-11-09T05:44:59.994-08:00Mock Trial Update 2Another update on Mock Trial. These probably won't be so close together, but since it's the beginning of the year, there's alot happening. Namely, the witness roles got auditioned for and decided on this past meeting. Here's the roster:<br /><br />Prosecution<br />Ryan Reynolds: Josh Pomerantz and me<br />Devin Walsh (expert): Joe Barakat and Hazel Peralta<br />Peyton Bralow: Elliot Taylor and Julie Dinkler<br /><br />Defense a.k.a. guilty ppl<br />Loren Perry: Mark Barakat and Daniel Margulis<br />Jordan Nathanson(sp?) (expert): Aaron Pomerantz and Cassie Dinkler<br />KC Perry: Amy Hulehan and Kelsey Worgess<br /><br />That's all for now. Now I gotta do a ton of math and go finish a precis, which is all due by tomorrow morning/afternoon respectively.<br /><br />Duty calls...Chris.Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05837635642278284578noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666575830357190758.post-66328432897227816532009-09-20T23:07:00.000-07:002009-12-18T22:35:13.143-08:00Skillet Awake Review<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/95/Skilletawake2009albumart.jpg/200px-Skilletawake2009albumart.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/95/Skilletawake2009albumart.jpg/200px-Skilletawake2009albumart.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Man oh man, Skillet has come a long way, or should I say gone. Unfortunately, I can’t truthfully say that I think the old Skillet was, or the new Skillet is, a good group. Both musical styles have something good in them, but lack something essential to make it “good music.” The two main things I find totally different in the old and new group are the lyrical content and the musical style. To explore these in depth, let’s compare the “old Skillet” to Skillet’s newly released album, Awake.<br /><br />Awake was greatly anticipated by fans, due to Skillet’s previously released Grammy-nominated album Comatose. This brings me to my first point, the lyrical content of Skillet’s Awake compared to the “older” Skillet. To be honest, I was surprised after hearing one of the most popular songs off the album, Monster. I wasn’t surprised at any appallingly bad written lyrics, but rather how dark and similar the lyrics and music sounded to Three Days Grace’s song, Animal I have Become. Don’t get me wrong, I am in no way defending Three Days Grace’s song any more than Skillet’s, but after hearing the rest of the album, I was very surprised about how similar the ideas in many songs off Awake were so… well…dark and emo, a quality that at least I think definitely reflects 3DG’s style and lyrics. The songs that blatantly follow this lyrical pattern are Sometimes, Monster, Should’ve when you could’ve, and It’s not me It’s you.<br /><br />How do these song lyrics differ from their previous style? Skillet has deviated from Christian themes more and more with each album for popularity purposes, but even Awake is a huge jump from the lyrics of Comatose. This is surprising, because when I refer to the “new Skillet” I refer to Comatose and Awake, yet the lyrics from Awake were surprisingly dark compared to Comatose. There is not one specific reference to God in the new album, and there’s only one song with a possible reference to God. Of course it’s only in the form or a “hero who saves people just in time” that they go about doing this. No reference to God, and probably none intended, just a vague description of someone, a "hero" who saves people just like God. It's not the lack of reference to God that bothers me, it's the fact that if you didn’t know they were a Christian band before listening to Awake, you wouldn't think they were anything close to a Christian band, and maybe even something opposite.<br /><br />This brings me to my second point, the musical style of Awake. Despite my derogatory comments about their lyrics, I was actually quite entertained by Skillet’s new instrumental approach to their music. This style wasn’t developed in Awake however, it started in Comatose, and was probably the main reason it received its Grammy Nomination. Skillet does however deviate slightly from that style in a few songs, diverting to a more metal/hard rock tone which I personally find incredibly ugly and hard to listen to with John Cooper’s voice singing.<br /><br />In terms of musical appreciation, John’s voice was the only big problem I had with Awake's musical qualities. I'm not saying the rest of the music was anything spectacular- it wasn't, But it wasn't bad either. John's voice went so well with Skillet's old style of music, and, although it wasn’t as good as the older style, it still went pretty well with the instrumental approach of Comatose. But now that Skillet has introduced this harder, more metalish tone, it doesn’t mix AT ALL. Its like... trying to eat something tough like steak, with something much more mellow (not saying his voice is mellow, just saying it’s more mellow than a real metal singer’s), like... milk. Try eating steak, dipped in milk. Yeah, it doesn’t work. Sorry for the stupid analogy, but you get the point. If you don’t, just listen to Sometimes from Awake, and you should know what I’m talking about.<br /><br />In conclusion, I personally, was surprised at Skillet’s new album. I anticipated something almost identical to Comatose musically, and, I didn’t really expect anything different lyrically. When you got a good thing going, you don't wanna blow it huh? I believe the purpose of Awake was to produce an album with some remeniscence of Comatoses' instrumental fame, while at the same time tweaking it and adding some darker and more emo themes, for popularity purpose of course. They got carried away with the popularity issue, and would’ve gotten better results if they stuck with the style that made Comatose so popular. Instead of tweaking that instrumental acompaniment into a harder style, Skillet would've gotten better results with a softer approach, or at the most something just a little harder than Comatose.<br /><br /><br />**Out of *****Chris.Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05837635642278284578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666575830357190758.post-36342156270789796972009-09-18T19:36:00.001-07:002009-09-18T19:47:04.802-07:00Music NewsI found this bit on ultimate guitar's homepage, gotta love their music news updates. Anyway, Smashing Pumpkins is giving away their entire new record, Teargarden By Kaleidyscope, for free. According to the update given on their website by Billy, they will release each song individually for free, starting around Halloween until they've released all 44. Here's the two links.<br /><br />http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/upcoming_releases/smashing_pumpkins_to_release_44-track_album_digitally.html<br /><br />and<br /><br />http://www.smashingpumpkins.com/pages/news/announcement-from-billy-corgan-about-new-smashing-pumpkins-albumChris.Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05837635642278284578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666575830357190758.post-12203856407692124042009-09-14T20:32:00.000-07:002009-09-14T20:42:28.065-07:00Mock Trial Update 1So, I thought I'd just give some updates every once in a while about how Mock Trial is coming along, just to give me something consistent to post about...<br /><br />To start off, we had our first official MT meeting tonight besides the parents meeting. The case was finally released this past Friday, which was pretty annoying since last year it came out in early August. The case this year is criminal, and deals with kidnapping. Needless to say, it's complicated... but awesome at the same time. Tonight I auditioned for two roles, the babysitter who was sitting at the time of the kidnapping, and the father of the kidnapped child. I'm not really sure what role I'm going to end up with, but I know that I'm one of the few that tried out for the babysitter, mainly because it's probably the hardest role in the case. We'll just have to wait it out and see...<br /><br />Also, if anyone cares, here's the link to the case. (it's mega long, 6 witness statements... 3-4 pages each, yeah...)<br /><br />http://www.njsbf.org/images/content/1/1/11325.pdf<br /><br />That's all for the first update of (hopefully) many.<br /><br />~ChrisChris.Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05837635642278284578noreply@blogger.com0