Until my dying day, I will deny that those are real vampires.
Not afraid of sunlight? Not repelled by crucifixes or holy water or garlic? Casting shadows and appearing in mirrors? Not sleeping in coffins? Being "sparkly"? No fangs at all?!?
"Vampires" my butt. Those are, at most, people with severe eating disorders.
Found this on Facebook and it was too good not to share...
Just more proof that if you study the Bible hard enough, if you want to find something, you can find sanctioning for just about ANYTHING in it!
Okay, in all seriousness: I know and would dare say most everyone else knows that the Bible does not condone sexual immorality or drug abuse. But scriptures can... and indeed have... been twisted by selectively choosing out of context and inane literalism to create beliefs and doctrines that have no merit and indeed do not exist from study of the Bible as a whole.
No matter where you're coming from though, that graphic is still funny :-)
And it is not without some sadness that in the modern era, most of them have fallen into disuse. Once they hummed with hard work and a handsome payoff. Now, no more. But the barns still stand: a testimony to times gone by and a tradition that many families maintained for generations.
For those reasons and more (not the least of which is the gorgeous cinematography and editing by Stewart Pittman) I can't recommend enough that y'all check out this Buckley Report story by WGHP Fox 8 reporter Bob Buckley. Buckley and Pittman deserve an Emmy for this, easily...
Special thanks to good friend Mark Childrey for being the first to spot this and passing it along!
(Along with props to historian extraordinaire Bob Carter for a great exposition about tobacco farming :-)
Go see it. Now. Trust Chris. And trust Chris's girlfriend too.
Let's just say this: I loved Casino Royale. I enjoyed Quantum of Solace. BUT...
Skyfall is what those first two movies were building up to. Daniel Craig has been James Bond for the better part of a decade. And now with Skyfall his James Bond is at last, now and forever, 007.
If you've seen it already then you understand. If you haven't yet well... you are in for a hella wild and 'splosive ride!!
Best. Bond. Movie. Ever. I have to see it again!!
The following year, Gordon Lightfoot recorded what is almost certainly his best-known song. It's also one of my personal favorites, and when I found this on YouTube I had to post it here too.
Accompanied by video and photos from her construction on through her tragic end and beyond, here is "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"...
You can read more about the Edmund Fitzgerald at its Wikipedia entry.
And some years ago, on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the disater, I wrote a retrospective about the ship and its good crew.
In fact, it couldn't sincerely be said that much of anything changed at all.
This country, this world even, is not made by the grace of a single man or woman. An individual can render it grievous harm however.
But in the end, America - and every other country for that matter - is the result of the diligence of her entire people. And I tend to believe she is only as good as the lengths her people will go to admit that they are not wise enough to govern this land with mere human reasoning.
Acknowledging that much is the beginning of the enlightenment that the Founders prayed we might have. We've lost sight of that, and that has to be said regardless of what "party" we might belong to.
I'm going to have more to say about this election in the coming days. Including some things that may not be very popular, but I think they need to be said anyway.
In the meantime, congratulations to everyone who won his or her respective election.
Not a joke: that is a real ballot a friend turned in this afternoon. I doubt I'll win but hey, at least someone thinks I'm more qualified for the job than Roseanne Barr. That's... something, I suppose!
As for my own vote for President:
There it is. That's it. The space on my ballot for President was left unmarked. Untouched. Unsoiled. As virgin as the wind-driven snow.
I had thought of writing in "Rufus T. Firefly". Until a wise friend convinced me today that a write-in vote for a fictitious character or anything like that would have been just as waste of a vote as those who blindly vote straight-ticket. That a much more morally powerful vote would be to choose not to participate in that particular madness at all.
Wanna know what most led me to not vote for anyone at all?
I believe in the sanctity and preciousness of human life. I believe that nothing has done more irreparable damage to our value of the soul than abortion. It is as Mother Teresa of Calcutta said: "The greatest destroyer of peace is abortion... And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another?" and "Any country that accepts abortion, is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what it wants."
I cannot vote for Barack Obama because of his steadfast belief that innocent human life can be destroyed out of "choice".
Nor could I vote for Mitt Romney because he has gone on record many, MANY times as likewise believing that abortion should be upheld and even protected. Enough times in fact that I can not and do not trust his very convenient "conversion" on the issue prior to running for President. "Pro-life" George W. Bush had a "pro-life" Congress to work with... and they did NOTHING about abortion but token gestures!
I brook no doubt that Romney will/would be doing just as much.
And I am not entirely comfortable with Gary Johnson's position on the matter either.
So this afternoon, since were no candidates who I could feel confident enough about trusting my vote with, voted for no one for President.
My hands are clean and tonight my conscience is absolutely clear.
It can not be said that I "wasted" my vote.
And neither can it be said that I lent my consent toward this country's being apparently hellbent toward colossal ruin.
But I'm still honored that in the state of Florida, however miniscule it might be, that someone was willing to put their faith in me as President :-)
Congratulations producers of The Walking Dead: you finally brought television its most gruesome and disturbing birth scene since Robin's delivery in V: The Final Battle all the way back in 1984:
Yeah. It was sicker than that even.
"Killer Within" raised the stakes. Dropped jaws. And most of all, broke our hearts.
Due to peculiar circumstances at the moment I'm not catching The Walking Dead until the day after it airs (well I could if I wanted to, but I'm an honorable boyfriend who can only experience this story together with his girlfriend :-) and when Facebook and Twitter went berzerk about this episode last night, well... it was a long 20 hours to wait. But that was a hella thing to be patient for. I'm gonna be numb all night after watching that.
Anyone else wanna argue that The Walking Dead is not the best show on television right now? Let's hear about something else. 'Cuz if there is, I wanna watch it too.
In the meantime, so looking forward to next week's episode! And speaking of The Walking Dead and my girlfriend: Kristen and I applied to attend this year's Butt-Numb-A-Thon film festival next month in Austin, Texas. I went to the ninth one in 2007 and we were hoping that this could be an "ultimate movie date night" for us, but we didn't get on the attendance list (with 170 being picked out of 3000+ it was gonna be tough no matter what). Anyhoo, Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News and the founder/emcee of the festival gave applicants the option of making a video: their interpretation of a scene from their favorite movie. Kristen came up with a crazy awesome idea and we filmed it two weeks ago. I thought it'd be fun to share it here :-)
So here is Kristen and her spin on a well-known scene from Love Actually:
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So who was Samuel Seymour? He was the last surviving witness of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.
And Mr. Seymour lived long enough to talk about it on national television (sharing a stage with Lucille Ball, among others).
From February 9 1956, here is Samuel Seymour's appearance on I've Got a Secret:
Pause for a moment, and consider: Samuel Seymour was five years old when he heard the gunshot in Ford's Theater and saw John Wilkes Booth jump down to the stage after shooting Lincoln in the back of the head. Seymour was 96 when he passed away two months after being on I've Got a Secret.
No doubt there are many still living today who watched Samuel Seymour tell his story on television.
A century and a half seems such a long time... until we consider how few lifetimes fit within it.
There are photographs existing today of veterans of the Revolutionary War, posing in their uniforms. Photography was invented in 1826: the same year that Thomas Jefferson and John Adams passed away. It was within the realm of possibility (though it never happened) that we could have had real pictures of either or both men before they died.
A relative of mine passed away ten years ago this month. He witnessed the Hindenburg explode. I got to hear him tell me about it from his own lips.
On the scale of history a hundred years is nothing. A thousand years is nothing. Between now and the time of Christ, there have been a mere twenty lifetimes.
Think about that. I certainly do.
Nothing. Not a damned frazzling thing.
We will still be taxed too much.
Abortion will still go on.
TSA will still be molesting children and elderly people.
We will continue to be over-extended militarily.
Companies will keep relocating their production overseas.
Children in our schools will continue to be taught to obey and not question instead of encouraged to think for themselves.
Government power over us will continue to increase instead of diminishing.
Our economy won't stop being based around fiat currency.
The Constitution will continue to be ignored by lawmakers and the judiciary and the White House.
NOTHING will change after Tuesday... except perhaps a different set of faces upon which we'll blame for the folly that we ourselves allowed to happen. Because we didn't want to buck the status quo.
Some call that "being comfortable". I call that "being enslaved".
All we'll be doing on Tuesday so far as higher offices go is choosing a new overseer for the plantation. The funny thing is: we can choose to walk off of it any damned time we want.
So why aren't we?
When it caught my eye that Stephen had written a book, well... that certainly piqued my attention. Especially when the title of it is Cars and Christianity.
But Cars and Christianity is, however, a very thoughtful lil' tome of reflections upon the grace of God and the seeking after Him for guidance and wisdom. One that will be readily accessible and enjoyable to anyone.
Cars and Christianity presents the walk with Christ as an auto restoration project (much like the one Shumate undertook with his '73 Corvette shown on the cover). The life of the believer is one that begins as a banged-up embarrassment of rusted chrome and Bondo-filled panels: one that MAACO wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. Yet the Master Mechanic that is Christ is more than sufficient to repair "every single dent and scratch", as Shumate puts it. So it is that in the beginning, the Christian's car is made better than sparkling new.
And yet, as Shumate notes, far too many Christians are content to leave their cars sitting in the garage: accumulating dust and quietly rotting under the hood. And that's not what our spiritual vehicles are intended to be! Our cars are supposed to be driven hard and fast on God's highway, trusting Him to guide us even amidst smoke, snow and any other adverse condition. No life should be left idly in park. Indeed, that isn't much of life at all. But to hit the road as a believer in Christ is to have a more action-packed adventure than possibly anything depicted in Easy Rider or Thelma and Louise. All we have to do is be willing to put the key into the ignition.
Wonderfully laden with insight and humor, Cars and Christianity invokes everything from NASCAR racing to the quirks of GPS. My only complaint about it is that I was left wanting more. But as a first-time book, it is a terrific work of analogies and applications for long-time Christians and new believers alike. I certainly came away from reading it feeling that it was time well spent... and time leading to deeper reflection upon my own faith.
Cars and Christianity is available as softcover printed book and one of those new-fangled Kindle readers (and it can also be used on an iPad with the free Kindle app). BUT READERS OF THIS BLOG are getting the book for just $5.00! Simply head on over to this page that Stephen has set up for you nice folks and enter B7NY3ZL8 as the discount code. So you're getting a fun and edifying book, putting money into Stephen's pocket AND saving some coin for yourself all at the same time! Is that a great deal or what?!
Anyhoo however you get it, Cars and Christianity gets this blogger's seal of approval. And I hope that this is only the first of many, many books still to come from Stephen Shumate :-)
And now, after listening to A Warrior's Odyssey a bunch of times... I can't honestly claim that I have skill enough to write about how magnificent an album this is!
Kouneva is no stranger to dramatic composition. She has previously collaborated with other artists, including Steve Jablonsky on the soundtracks for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Gears of War 3, as well as contributing to The Matrix Revolutions and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. With A Warrior's Odyssey however, Kouneva is relying on the music itself to convey a sense of experience of - and very personal evolution ensuing from - the brutal realm of modern battle. There are no visuals playing on the screen or in your head to juxtapose this album with.
And it doesn't need them, either. A Warrior's Odyssey is a flowing work of eighteen tracks making up a triptych of movements. They beautifully convey drama in all its buildup and resolution, without a typically requisite plot to steer it with. But Kouneva arouses emotion with such skill and thoughtfulness with A Warrior's Odyssey that it stands beautifully as a work unto itself, without needing a commercial story behind it.
And really, music like this can evoke thoughts and images better than any soundtrack could. "Waiting for Dawn to Break" brings to mind the fleeting night and anticipation of the combat to come. The next several tracks take us quickly into the fray of battle, interspersed with moments of personal conflict, with Track 4 - also titled "A Warrior's Odyssey" - the masterpiece of the tapestry's first part.
It's onward from "Forgotten Steeples", the eighth track, that A Warrior's Odyssey really takes off from a glorious opening round. These are the moments of introspection: all-too-brief and desperately grasped moments of reflection, doubt, wonder.
The individual focus is washed away again in the deluge of war with the album's third section. And here is where Kouneva flexes all her considerable talent, masterfully interweaving the album's previous forays into both personal emotion and the brutality of battle. I found my three favorite tracks from this part to be "Fading Fortitude/The Battle Must Go On" and "Pilot Bombardier and Dogfights" (each of which has been nominated for industry awards) and "Airplane Bound for the Skies": the album's grand finale.
Penka Kouneva has enjoyed an already stellar career in Hollywood, but I have a strong feeling that A Warrior's Odyssey will prove to be her real breakout album. One that will put her in high demand as both a commercial composer and originator of the highest caliber of classical style. So it is that A Warrior's Odyssey gets this blogger's highest recommendation for your music library! Click here to find it at Amazon.com. Or head on over to iTunes and purchase it there if you can't wait for a nice shiny disc. However it is that you buy it, you won't regret that you did!
But a wedding is always a good thing to celebrate!
So to great friends Jerel and Grace: congratulations on your nuptials! You guys had a beautiful ceremony and I am thankful to have been there to see the two of you off on your adventure through life together.
ITS FINALLY SINKING IN THAT WE ARE GETTING NEW STAR WARS MOVIES!!! A WHOLE NEW STAR WARS TRILOGY OF 7 8 AND 9 AND MORE NEW MOVIES AFTER THAT!!! MORE STAR WARS IS COMING PEOPLE!!! I DON'T GIVE A FLYING RAT'S ASS WHO WINS THAT DAMN ELECTION NEXT WEEK!!! WHO THE HELL CARES ABOUT THAT F-CKING ELECTION??!!?? THE UNITED STATES POLITICAL SYSTEM CAN GO TO SH-T NEXT WEEK AND I DON'T GIVE A DAMN BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING NEW STAR WARS MOVIES!!!!! STAR WARS BAY-BEEE!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!A few years from now, Lord willing, Kristen and I will get to take our first child to see a new Star Wars movie. I will get to see all of our children see new Star Wars movies. If God is kind enough, I will get to see my grandchildren seeing new Star Wars movies.STAR WARS!! STAR WARS!! STAR WARS!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS, I DON'T CARE!!!!!!!!!! STAR WARS FOREVER BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And I will be right there with them, enjoying every moment of it.
What a time to be alive :-)
