Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Maybe I'm Not the Only One
After reading TS O'Rama's account of a minor league game he recently attended, I was reminded of a belief I've held for a long time. Falling asleep is highly frowned upon, but shouldn't falling into a happy slumber be seen as a sign of high approval? If it's all about the performer's needs, then obviously they want you up and responsive. However, if it's about meeting the needs of the audience, then you need to realize that those needs vary. Some people just want relaxation, kind of like a massage. Others want to bond with other people. Some simply want someone to lay down beats so they can groove. Maybe the audience just wants to bask in the (temporal) glory of a Bono, Maya Angelou, or Michael Vick. The performer is being paid big bucks/attention because of a perceived ability on their part to meet the needs of their audience. It doesn't take fans long to learn whether the performer is there for them or if they're there for their performer (sorry, couldn't resist the trifecta just there).
This blog? Some of each. I like feedback, as it helps me learn, but I'm more interested in simply throwing out my ideas and seeing if people can use them and build on them. I think I fill the future-teacher Mid-Atlantic young adult male conservative unReformed non-denominational semi-Protestant Christian niche pretty well.
Random aside: I saw American Idol tonight for the first time this season (I really wish they'd change the name, though). Bo was by far the best tonight, though VonZell and Carrie did well, too. The Ukrainian teenager did okay, but wasn't a standout. He also came across a little weird, wanting for weeks to cover a Celine Dion song. Poor everyman Scott's getting booted this week. I dislike Constantine. He mugs for the camera, and his version of Nickelback's "This is How You Remind Me" was too clean for a song that's meant to be grungy and emotional. He kind of came across as a Bo-wannabe. I think it'll come down to Bo and VonZell, with VonZell winning due to greater pop appeal. If his band and songs are quality, though, I'd seriously consider buying one of Bo's albums.
Yes, the doctors diagnosed me as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, why do you...hey, a bicycle!
After reading TS O'Rama's account of a minor league game he recently attended, I was reminded of a belief I've held for a long time. Falling asleep is highly frowned upon, but shouldn't falling into a happy slumber be seen as a sign of high approval? If it's all about the performer's needs, then obviously they want you up and responsive. However, if it's about meeting the needs of the audience, then you need to realize that those needs vary. Some people just want relaxation, kind of like a massage. Others want to bond with other people. Some simply want someone to lay down beats so they can groove. Maybe the audience just wants to bask in the (temporal) glory of a Bono, Maya Angelou, or Michael Vick. The performer is being paid big bucks/attention because of a perceived ability on their part to meet the needs of their audience. It doesn't take fans long to learn whether the performer is there for them or if they're there for their performer (sorry, couldn't resist the trifecta just there).
This blog? Some of each. I like feedback, as it helps me learn, but I'm more interested in simply throwing out my ideas and seeing if people can use them and build on them. I think I fill the future-teacher Mid-Atlantic young adult male conservative unReformed non-denominational semi-Protestant Christian niche pretty well.
Random aside: I saw American Idol tonight for the first time this season (I really wish they'd change the name, though). Bo was by far the best tonight, though VonZell and Carrie did well, too. The Ukrainian teenager did okay, but wasn't a standout. He also came across a little weird, wanting for weeks to cover a Celine Dion song. Poor everyman Scott's getting booted this week. I dislike Constantine. He mugs for the camera, and his version of Nickelback's "This is How You Remind Me" was too clean for a song that's meant to be grungy and emotional. He kind of came across as a Bo-wannabe. I think it'll come down to Bo and VonZell, with VonZell winning due to greater pop appeal. If his band and songs are quality, though, I'd seriously consider buying one of Bo's albums.
Yes, the doctors diagnosed me as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, why do you...hey, a bicycle!
Almost a Month
That's how long it's been since my last post. In the meantime, I've read The Ragamuffin Gospel and am in the middle of The Weight of Glory. I've also got three papers and several small assignments due this week, which is bad. Except for a small window in May, I'll also be gone all summer, too. I've been thinking a lot, and that's good. The problem is that it's hard to really crystallize it. Whenever I'm about to come up with something good, I start to get a feeling as though things are almost literally swirling around in my mind. I've had that feeling for several weeks now, but they're still swirling, and the orbits are only decreasing slightly. Once I've got something more, I'll add it here. I think I'd really do better in an environment where I could post maybe once a week with something relatively deep, rather than trying to come up with something more regularly. C'est la vie.
In the meantime, I leave you with this thought:
I don't think that we as Christians should desire social justice. We should want social mercy.
That's how long it's been since my last post. In the meantime, I've read The Ragamuffin Gospel and am in the middle of The Weight of Glory. I've also got three papers and several small assignments due this week, which is bad. Except for a small window in May, I'll also be gone all summer, too. I've been thinking a lot, and that's good. The problem is that it's hard to really crystallize it. Whenever I'm about to come up with something good, I start to get a feeling as though things are almost literally swirling around in my mind. I've had that feeling for several weeks now, but they're still swirling, and the orbits are only decreasing slightly. Once I've got something more, I'll add it here. I think I'd really do better in an environment where I could post maybe once a week with something relatively deep, rather than trying to come up with something more regularly. C'est la vie.
In the meantime, I leave you with this thought:
I don't think that we as Christians should desire social justice. We should want social mercy.
Friday, April 01, 2005
Reading List
I've been on something of a theology kick lately, and that's reflected in my upcoming list of books to read (or re-read).
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship
Oswald Chambers, If You Will Ask
Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest
GK Chesterton, Orthodoxy
CS Lewis, The Great Divorce
CS Lewis, Mere Christianity
Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel
John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life
I've been on something of a theology kick lately, and that's reflected in my upcoming list of books to read (or re-read).
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship
Oswald Chambers, If You Will Ask
Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest
GK Chesterton, Orthodoxy
CS Lewis, The Great Divorce
CS Lewis, Mere Christianity
Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel
John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life
