Month: January 2007

If only……

findingr Art, Fundamentalism, Funny Stuff, Music 13 Comments

……there was one single award so big that we could give it to the best song, band, website, and movie of each year. It would be like a grammy and an oscar all rolled into one and then some. We could only award it to one person or group per year. I’ve never really felt this was a necessity until I experienced the genius of Evening Service. Evening Service has it all; the great song, movie, website, and life-changing message. Once you’ve received the gift of Evening Service, it pretty much eliminates your need for any other kind of art experience for the rest of the year. It is THAT good!

First we have to start with their song and video for their song “The Bible Says”. The look, the powerful vocals, the costume design, the lighting, the mustache, the real-life “in the studio” vibe….it has it all. I think the Academy Awards might want to reconsider their most recent nominations because if this isn’t powerful cinema, then I don’t know what is.

Then we have to consider their incredible website where we learn not only about Evening Service’s much needed message about how God hates homosexuals, but we also come to know about lots of other bands and whether or not they are a “safe” band or a “gay” band. For instance, Cindi Lauper’s “Time After Time” isn’t gay but somehow Nickleback and Motorhead are both “gay” (you have to read these lists). All I can say is that I’m so grateful for this information because how else would we be able to distinguish between safe and gay music without the expertise of someone who used to be gay! I’ll have to wait to see where Mr. Davies lands on whether Morissey is REALLY gay or not. Right now he has him on the “gay” list, but is “questionable”. But at least I can have some clarity on Elton John because on this gay list he’s considered “really gay”. I guess no more “Rocket Man” or “Your Song”.

Anyway, please do yourself the favor and take a moment to just soak in the genius of Evening Service. You’ll be so glad you did.

Senator Webb’s Response to the SOTU

findingr Politics, War 2 Comments

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“With respect to foreign policy, this country has patiently endured a mismanaged war for nearly four years. Many, including myself, warned even before the war began that it was unnecessary, that it would take our energy and attention away from the larger war against terrorism, and that invading and occupying Iraq would leave us strategically vulnerable in the most violent and turbulent corner of the world.

Like so many other Americans, today and throughout our history, we serve and have served, not for political reasons, but because we love our country. On the political issues — those matters of war and peace, and in some cases of life and death — we trusted the judgment of our national leaders. We hoped that they would be right, that they would measure with accuracy the value of our lives against the enormity of the national interest that might call upon us to go into harm‘s way.

The president took us into this war recklessly. He disregarded warnings from the national security adviser during the first Gulf War , the chief of staff of the Army, two former commanding generals of the Central Command, whose jurisdiction includes Iraq, the director of operations on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and many, many others with great integrity and long experience in national security affairs. We are now, as a nation, held hostage to the predictable — and predicted — disarray that has followed.”

–an excerpt of Senator Jim Webb’s Democratic response to the SOTU. Senator Webb is one of the few, if not the only member of the Senate with a son or daughter currently serving in the Iraq War.

You can watch Webb’s full response here. Usually I’m just as bummed with the Democratic response as I am with the SOTU, but I felt Senator Webb response was powerful and effective. Hopefully the rest of the Democratic leadership was listening.

Surge

findingr Politics, War 2 Comments

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While we anticipate the Presidents new Iraq Strategy that he will unveil tonight, I point you to a post by Fred at Slacktivist. His well-articulated thoughts on the subject are, as always, powerful and compelling.

As for what we will hear tonight, more troops will be sent into harms way, more troops who are already serving in Iraq will have their tours of duty extended, more billions will be spent. All this in order to “win”. We will hear about this new plan through the same teeth we heard the words “Mission Accomplished” in 2003. It is difficult to accept a new direction from leadership that has not been rooted in reality. It is difficult to accept a new direction that flies in the face of the recommendations made by of the entire Joint Chiefs of Staff and the bipartisan Iraq Study Group.