Friendship

Melvyn Bragg wrote:

In Greek and Roman times, friendship was thought of as being an essential constituent of both a good society and a good life; a good society because it lay at the heart of participative civic democracy; a good life because it nurtured wisdom and happiness. It is this period which gives us the texts on friendship which, to this day, are arguably the most important of their kind. Amongst their authors is Aristotle, who engaged in one of the great philosophical discussions on the subject. For Aristotle, friendship could fall into three categories: it could be based on utility, pleasure or goodness. In its latter state, Aristotle described it as being 'a single soul dwelling in two bodies'.

So how did the Ancients establish the parameters of the true nature of friendship in the literature and philosophy that followed? How have different forms of friendship helped or hindered creativity and intellectual pursuit? What has been the apparent relationship between friendship and power? And what of the darker aspects of friendship - jealousy, envy and exploitation?

If you have a spare hour to listen to this particular intellectual m*s*u*b*t*o* it's here.

I think our friendship has utility element to it, well the info comes my way anyway :-) But also a lot of pleasure and a lot of goodness. My apologies for being remiss in my blogging, I am fighting with d(a)emons at the moment, and not just the WebSphere ones ! I'll be in Palisades and Poughkeepsie next week also.

What Smarts Are

"Is there a universally held agreement of what attributes an 'intelligent person' is considered to possess?"

I doubt it. There does seem to be a general agreement on certain things, as suggested by tests like the Mensa stuff. But I'm not 100% convinced that's a good measure. I've known people who do well on those who seem ... well ... not too smart in a more general sense. And there are people who don't test well on those but seem wonderfully gifted in other ways.

Is there such a thing as "emotional intelligence" and what might it be.

I think so. But I can't define it. But I've read something about this recently. I guess researchers are starting to think there is a different set of "intelligence" metrics. Wikipedia has an interesting article on it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_%28trait%29

All I know is I've encountered people who are "traditionally" smart that I don't respect, mostly because of their attitude and demeanor (your attributes of prudence and honesty). And others who have intangible gifts and good sense that I admire.

It's a rare person who possesses traditional intelligence, intangible gifts and good grace. You, good sir, are one of those people. Truly.

Which may be why -- 8 years hence -- you and I are still exchanging e-mails, chats, and this blog. Think about that ... a chance crossing on that Net-Dot product way back when and here we still are.

Intelligence

Is there a universally held (well on Earth anyway so "Earth held") agreement of what attributes an "intelligent person" is considered to possess? And if so what are the most important of those, some thoughts are:

1. Good memory
2. Pattern recognition
3. Making connections between sets of data (intuition, cognitive stuff here)
4. Prudence
5. Honesty

Is there such a thing as "emotional intelligence" and what might it be. Is the richest man in the world the most intelligent man in the world? Is someone who relies on factual recreatable evidence more intelligent than someone who goes on faith?

And has 5, "honesty" got anything at all to do with "intelligence"?

Additional Insight

Thank you for your prayers. I wasn't that close to Dennis (who died), but I'm close to Doug his brother. He owns the cottage just below mine up on the island in Canada.

* * *
I was reaching for an expression of something deeper than emotions. The words in the Bible serve not only to instruct on our human level, but also to be used as a vehicle for additional insights as part of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. There have been many times where, when reading Scripture carefully, I had an awareness of a deeper understanding of something. It wasn't like a startling revelation; rather it was as if a connection was made at some level beyond words.

This, incidentally, is one of the reasons why the Christian faith can't be fully understood simply with words. A good portion of it can, but the truly effective understanding that occurs is due to God himself. That's the case for you, that's the case for me. And it's a life-long process.

* * *
I sit in Tucson airport waiting to depart for G'burg. I am flying first class -- I didn't request first class; American Airlines decided that I was due it, I guess, given my status with them. Well ... okay and thank you! But there's the thing ... the newest version of the TEA application flags it as an exception. (It can "see" the class of the ticket.) The ticket is "lowest fare within policy," so I'm not outside that set of parameters. But I still have to satisfy the needs/wants/demands of the TEA application. So now I have to justify why I'm flying first class. And my TEA will be flagged as an "exception."

It's a small thing ... and it pales in comparison to dealing with the loss of a brother or son.

Death and Poetry

I'm sorry to hear of your loss, and that of your aunt and cousin. I think that in a sense we are all living on borrowed time, perhaps the greatest gift the creator gives us is just that -- the actual time of our lives. My prayers of comfort go with you and your extended family and especially your aunt. I hope she goes forwards and starts to enjoy life again as soon as possible. And I hope that your cousin's brother had a good 12 years - those years that medical science gave him that he woud otherwise not have had.

+++

You talk about the feelings that words can inspire, like with poetry for instance. Shakespeare. This is all to do with our emotions. Emotions are great when they are good and horrible when they are bad. But at least we are alive, my point from above -- the greatest gift.

+++

I had some trivial stuff to talk about but it doesn't seem appropriate at this time.

Reflection on Psalm 91

Last night I got a call from my cousin. He had bad news: his brother had passed away. My cousin's mother -- my aunt -- has now buried a husband and a son in the last two years.

Note: my now-deceased cousin was actually living on borrowed time. About a fifteen years ago he developed rheumatic fever, which damaged his heart. He ended up having a heart transplant, which at that time -- 12 or so years ago -- was not as common as it is now. He had been living with that new heart for all this time. His death was not directly due to the transplanted heart "just giving out" ... but years of anti-rejection drugs takes its toll.

Anyway, I got to re-reading Psalm 91 I posted here. And it occurred to me that it's a good example of how the Bible is not to be viewed as strictly literal in every passage and ever context. Take a look at the Psalm. It speaks of things like God having wings and feathers, being a fortress and a refuge. Clearly God is not a bird, or a stone edifice. The language is clearly metaphorical.

But here's my real point -- the Psalm sits dull and listless if one tries to read it like that. But when one allows the Psalm to speak of the beauty and majesty of God, and the comfort and solace one may find in God, the Psalm comes off the page and the Spirit of the Lord starts to work in my heart.

It saddens me that some would shackle the Word of God by treating it as a lifeless, wooden set of rules and prohibitions. It saddens me because people who do so are missing something important. Scripture is not just words on paper, but words that can lead to further insights offered by the Holy Spirit. It's like Scripture is the fertilizer that prepares the ground for the Spirit's seeds of understanding ... if I may craft a poor simile.

I love the ending:

"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.

With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

The Psalmist is quoting God ... and it touches my heart how gentle God appears in this passage.

That's the God that sits with K as she cries.

Psalm 91 -- The Lord is my Refuge and my Fortress

Such a beautiful Psalm ...

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.

A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.

You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

If you make the Most High your dwelling
even the LORD, who is my refuge-

then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;

they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.

With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

Rejoice

Many thanks for your prayers in our direction brother.

Last night I prayed the hardest I've ever - for perhaps three hours or so, I trust that God will soften Pharoah's heart - or at least send in some plagues :-)

Shades of let my people go.

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For me there is of course a bright side, I get my first saturday "free" for -- well -- as long as I can remember, but I do miss my daughter. Perhaps I will spend it reading those Psalms you talked about ... :-)

Psalm 23:1-6 (A psalm by David). The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff ­ they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever

Yet the Heart Still Cries

I am so sorry to read about the struggles faced by you and K regarding the home situation. There appears no good -- or perhaps I should say quick and easy -- solution. You are in a spot where you must be extraordinarily careful. One false move and she who holds all the legal cards could make things even more difficult for you to be the safe port in the storm for K.

I've never understood the Psalms, mostly because I struggle to read poetry. But I know that in many the message is one of continued hope and trust in God despite what seemed like the Lord's departure from the scene. The message seems to be, paraphrased: "God is never absent, though it may not seem like he's near. Trust; always trust."

The Psalmist cries out over and over again in his despair, yet comes back to God as his anchor, his fortress, his hope.

Last night I offered a prayer for you and K. I will continue to do so. I will ask others to pray as well. There's something in my heart that says that right now, that's the course of action to take.

At all times, and under all circumstances, Jesus is aware of it all. Imagine his hand stroking K's hair as she cries; imagine the Almighty and Eternal God sitting right next to her on her bed. He's there; he's listening to your prayers; he's listening to mine.

Lord Jesus, hold K's hand. Hold deep.thought's hand. Speak to K's mother. Touch all their hearts. Let them know that you're near. Let them know that you care. Let them know that they rest in your arms. For your sake, with trust in you I pray. Amen.

The Lord Will Judge

Everyday, since last Sunday 13th March my daughter has phoned me up in tears .. "just come and pick me up daddy just come and pick me up". - Always those words -.I have spoken to her but I have not come to pick her up (apart from on Tuesday evening which is "our evening"), because if I did I know what that would lead to. My daughter is very unhappy with her mother and I feel totally ineffective and useless to help her, because her mother holds all the legal cards. It's worth me reminding myself and anyone who should happenstance on this blog.

In the name of the 3.96 million children in the UK
who live apart from one of their parents,
and in the name of their parents;

1. No child shall be denied a full and proper relationship with both of its parents unless it has been shown that such a relationship presents a risk to the child.
   
   
2. Gender discrimination in social attitudes towards parenting, in policy in relation to the family and the family 'justice' system should end.
   
   
3. The 'winner takes all' nature of legal proceedings about children should end. The objective should become the best blend of both parents. Both parents should be given Residence Orders. Demeaning ‘Contact Orders’ should be replaced by ‘Parenting Time Orders’ given to both parents.
   
   
4. Breach of a court order to allow a child a relationship with both parents should become legally and socially unacceptable.
   
   
5. Fathers' involvement with their children is increasing rapidly. This should be welcomed and encouraged until it equals the care provided by mothers.
   
   
6. No child shall be put in day care or looked after by others if parental care is available.
   
   
7. Legal aid should cease to be available to fuel conflict between parents. Public funding should be available only to seek child centred and non-adversarial solutions to differences between parents.
   
   
8. ‘Family friendly’ entitlements should be available to both parents equally.
   
   
9. Public money to support parenting - Child Benefit, Family Tax credits and the like - should be shared between carers according to the care and costs that fall on each. Child Support Agency calculations should be changed to reflect these costs fairly.
   
   
10. Allegations of violence and abuse should be investigated even-handedly with a thoroughness and speed that reflects their seriousness and urgency. Action should be taken against false or malicious allegations.
    
    
11. Parental Alienation should be recognised and dealt with.
    
    
12. Funding should cease to agencies that promote gender stereotypes.
    
    
13. Parenting should be given more social respect. The decline in the amount of time children spend with a parent - the cause of many of our social problems - should be reversed with priority going to making the contributions of the parents equal.
    
    
14. The importance of grandparents needs recognition. They should have the right to apply directly for court orders for the children to have time with them.
    
    
15. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child should be incorporated into British domestic law.
    
    
16. The clause 'equality between spouses' in the European Convention on Human Rights should be ratified by the UK and included in the Human Rights Act.
    

Dear Lord, sometimes (very often) I do not understand your plan, but there are children out there who are hurting. Please look after them and bring them happiness - I beg you for this in the name of Jesus Christ our saviour. Please help my daughter. Amen.

I want to ride my bicycle

There are a few bands there that I had to google, for instance, I had never heard of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils!!

Considering the phrase "I had never heard of ...", is it ok (in the USA) to say "I never heard of .."?

There are some subtle differences between the US and UK languages, more subtle than the obvious ones. In a supermarket (eg. shoprite in the US) the checkout assistant says, "Do you have a reward card?" in the UK if the answer is "no" then the response might be "No I haven't". In the US the response is usually "No I don't".

In the School of Rock chart I think bands generally stick to their "type" but there are about 20% of bands (my rough estimate) that move between styles. David Bowie was very notable in this camp (in more ways than one). His "Hunky Dory" was folky, "Ziggy Stardust" clearly rock, and "Young Americans" was soul. And "Low" and "Heroes" were new wave/electro. And perhaps "Electro" is the category that is missing, it would be up there near "New Wave" with bands like Kraftwerk listed around it. In fact a Kraftwerk song called "Numbers" started the entire "hip hop" generation when it was lifted by Afrika Bambaata and the Soul Sonic Force. Ah those were the days. Rap also loaned heavily from bands like Queen and Blondie. Perhaps the biggest omission on that chart is leaving out Queen, but there were some illegible entries so perhaps they are there and I just missed them?

What's your opinion on who/what is missing from that chart?

+++

Saw the "Cinderella Man" movie tonight. Ron Howard and Russell Crowe a good combination methinks.

American Idol - Revisited

I deleted the post with all the pictures. I didn't want the pictures cluttering up my free "Photobucket" space, so I zapped the post and the pictures. So -- and I post this because I know you're so excited about this -- I'll give you an update.

Yeah ... it's a sweeping gesture on my part. But because it's you, I'll do it.

Original 12 contestants

• Ace Young
• Bucky Covington
• Chris Daughtry
• Elliott Yamin
• Katherine McPhee
• Kellie Pickler
• Kevin Covais
• Lisa Tucker
• Mandisa
• Melissa McGhee
• Paris Bennett
• Taylor Hicks
  

The three that ended up in the bottom three, based on over 32 million votes cast:

• Ace Young
• Bucky Covington
• Chris Daughtry
• Elliott Yamin
• Katherine McPhee
• Kellie Pickler
• Kevin Covais
• Lisa Tucker
• Mandisa
• Melissa McGhee
• Paris Bennett
• Taylor Hicks

The one that was sent home was ... Melissa McGhee.

What I can't believe is that Kevin Covais, the 16 year old geek, is still in there. He's simply not that good. Everyone knows he stands no chance of winning it. Yet people continue to vote for him. Who? Why? I don't get it.

Next week ... another update! See? Aren't you thrilled? :-)

An Historic Achievement

deep.thought ... you've outdone yourself. That is too funny. I remember watching that movie and thinking, "Gee, I wish I could spend a little time on that to see what they have there." And now here it is.

It's a fine piece of work -- yours and theirs.

Let me ask you ... would you agree that any given rock band might be represented as moving through that progression? Or even be located in several different spots at the same time? For example, the Beatles started out as a purely pop band -- simple, catchy tunes. But by the time the White Album came around, they were into what I'd think could be termed "Progressive." Certainly for their time. The same for The Who. They started out doing basic pop numbers, but morphed into more of a "Hard Rock" band, and then started to drift towards more of what Pete Townsend does now, only solo.

Is there any category unrepresented on that chart?

The School of Rock History of Rock Chalkboard

OK I spent a happy two hours capping it from the DVD :-) I sent you the powerpoint also. In fact T-Rex appear on it!

Jack Black said on the chalkboard:

"It was Rich's idea to get the big chalkboard and he put down a bunch of categories and subcategories of rock - the rock family tree history. He said to the whole cast and crew, and that's over 100 people, anybody who has input, or an opinion even, come up and write one band on the board. So everybody kind of put the things they wanted and then I came in with veto power and erased a couple of things. "

T-Rex

I love T-Rex! I had their "Electric Warrior" album on cassette tape. I was around 14 at the time, and we'd camp out on summer nights and listen to that over and over again. Over in the United States, that song "Get it On" was retitled "Bang a Gong." I love almost every track on that album.

Odd you should mention the connection between Dire Straits and the Rolling Stones. Yesterday I was out for a run and I was listening to "Monkey Man" on the MP3 player. At the tail end of that song there's this guitar groove that made me think, "Hmmm ... that sounds a lot like what Knopfler does. He probably picked it up from the Stones." Music is all one continuous connection, all the way back to the first caveman who beat a stick on a log. "Uggh. Good beat. Uggh. Gimme woman!"

In the movie "School of Rock" (with Jack Black) -- a so-so movie, but it had its moments -- he does a chalkboard talk to the kids about the inter-relatedness of rock music. I'm sure there's been more studied treatments of it, hasn't there? For instance, I know the Rolling Stones were heavily influenced by U.S. black rhythm and blues. The Beatles were influenced by Elvis, who in turn was influenced by the black R&B and the hillbilly music of his youth. I've read that black blues in the United States, which emerged in the very early parts of the 1900's, was a product of the fusion of African rhythms and Irish music by slaves in the islands of the Caribbean. (As was VooDoo ... which is, I understand, a fusion of African and Irish paganism. The Irish connection comes in because I understand Oliver Cromwell pretty well routed Ireland, selling a good many women and children into slavery, mostly down to the sugar plantations in the Caribbean.)

Where is music going now? If you chart the progression from a high level, we saw the pop of the 1960's turn into the heavier rock of the early 70's. Much of that music was utterly undanceable, so out came a better dance beat, which turned into Disco. The reaction to that was the anti-Disco, punk. Punk expended itself in a few years and then electronic pop emerged in the 1980's. After a bit of that, the grunge movement started as a reaction to the slick, over-produced nature of much of the music from the mid-80's. Grunge started to peter out after a bit, and then I'm not sure what happened. "Hip-Hop" came in -- whatever that music style really is -- and now it's just all over the place.

Thoughts?

Portobello Belle and Quicksand

Comparing our two lyrically-favourite songs:

Dire Straits "Portobello Belle" 1979

Bella donna’s on the high street
Her breasts upon the off beat
And the stalls are just the side shows
Victoriana’s old clothes
And yes her jeans are tight now
She gotta travel light now
She’s gotta tear up all her roots now

She got a turn up on the boots now
Yeah she thinks she’s tough
She ain’t no english rose
But the blind singer
He’s seen enough and he knows
Yes and he do a song
About a long gone irish girl
Ah but I got one for you my portobello belle

She sees a man upon his back there
Escaping from a sack there
And bella donna lingers
Her gloves they got no fingers
Yeah, the blind man singing irish
He get his money in a tin dish
Just a corner serenader
Upon a time he could have made her, made her
Yeah, she thinks she’s tough
She ain’t no english rose
Ah, but the blind singer
He’s seen enough and he knows
Yes and do a song
About a long gone irish girl
But I got one for you my portobello belle

Yes and these barrow boys are hawking
And a parakeet is squawking
Upon a truck a paper rhino
She get the crying of a wino
And then she get the reggea rumble
Bella donna’s in the jungle
But she ain’t no garden flower
These ain’t no distress in the tower
Oh, bella donna walks
Bella donna taking a stroll
But, she don’t care about your window box
Or your button hole
Yes and she sing a song about a long gone irish girl
But I got one for you my portobello belle

David Bowie "Quicksand" 1971

I'm closer to the Golden Dawn
Immersed in Crowley's uniform
Of imagery
I'm living in a silent film
Portraying
Himmler's sacred realm
Of dream reality
I'm frightened by the total goal
Drawing to the ragged hole
And I ain't got the power anymore
No I ain't got the power anymore

I'm the twisted name
on Garbo's eyes
Living proof of
Churchill's lies
I'm destiny
I'm torn between the light and dark
Where others see their targets
Divine symmetry
Should I kiss the viper's fang?
Or herald loud
the death of Man
I'm sinking in the quicksand
of my thought
And I ain't got the power anymore

[CHORUS]
Don't believe in yourself
Don't deceive with belief
Knowledge comes
with death's release

I'm not a prophet
or a stone age man
Just a mortal
with the potential of a superman
I'm living on
I'm tethered to the logic
of Homo Sapien
Can't take my eyes
from the great salvation
Of bullshit faith
If I don't explain what you ought to know
You can tell me all about it
On the next Bardo
I'm sinking in the quicksand
of my thought
And I ain't got the power anymore

[CHORUS]

Note: both songs are from the 70's (albiet different ends of the 70's) and both are by British performers :-) Also I believe the riff-esque nature of the guitar in the Dire Straits song lends possibly from The Rolling Stones and perhaps even more heavily from Marc Bolan and T-Rex (another British Band) with their song called "Get It On" - which has a similar hammer-on. Incidentally "Get It On" was completely plagiarised by Oasis in their song "Cigarettes & Alcohol". Being in a stadium with 70,000 people going nuts over that one is interesting. It's a classic riff.

I first heard Bowie's "Quicksand" off the Hunky Dory album when I was 14, and being 14 thought "This is great - this guy understands!" I always felt older than everyone else and here was someone else singing about some of the things that I was thinking about.

"Quicksand" is very introverted and self centric, it shows confusion, searching, realizing how tiny we all are in the scheme of things, knowing that in this life we can't see The Truth, so wanting to escape from this life to discover The Truth. Portobello Belle is a voyeuristic third party observing human interactions from afar, probably written by someone on their second life (a Buddhist might say :-), and comments on age old sexual struggles and ageing that we all go through. The Dire Straits song is much more "male" than the Bowie number which is probably androgenous.

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Children should not be physically or emotionally bullied by over controlling parents. Treat others as you would wish to be treated. Do you wish to be placed in a box? No. Well then don't do it to others. That's pretty easy for anyone alive to follow.

Music Favorites

I'm not really sure I have these well set in my mind ... I crafted the categories without really having my own ideas.

• Favorite melody -- "Anarchy in the UK" by the Sex Pistols. Just kidding. I'll have to think about this one.
  
• Favorite rhythm -- "Portobello Belle" from Communique. It's slow and hypnotic (to me).
  
• Favorite overall music -- That's a tough one. I love Dire Straits, but oddly enough I don't listen to them much any more. But there are many of their songs I find entrancing.
  
• Favorite lyrics -- Toss up, both Dire Straits: "Portobello Belle" from Communique, or "Romeo and Juliette" off of Making Movies. One line from Romeo -- "All I did was kiss you ... through the bars of a rhyme." I love the imagery of that.
  
• Favorite way in which song evokes emotion (good or bad) -- Classical piano music will evoke unformed emotions in me from my childhood. Pictures of depression and sadness. To this day I have a hard time listening to it. On the other hand, Sinatra's "Summer Wind" is just beautiful and it never fails to lift me up (despite it being a rather sad song).
  
• Favorite way in which song evokes memory (slight variant of emotion) -- The Police's "Roxanne" will take me back to sophomore year in college quicker and more surely than any other song. The memories from that era aren't all good, or all bad, but they are strong. And that song will transport me like no other. "You don't have to put on the red light ..." :-)
  
• Favorite in terms of boldest departure from previous songs by artist -- Can't say ... I honestly can't think of anyone who's gone out of the genre and did it well.
  
• Favorite in terms of influence on your life in some way or fashion -- The album "Who's Next" was the first album that really caught my attention. And that was well after it came out. I did not have a record player or an FM radio prior to college, so much of the early 70's British influence was lost on me. But somewhere I caught wind of Who's Next and my fascination with the Who took off.
  

Are things getting tense at the new house?

Memory Lane Songs

I'll have a first pass at this for popular music:

• Favorite melody - "And Your Bird Can Sing" -- The Beatles
  
• Favorite rhythm - "Ticket to Ride" -- The Beatles and "Johnny B. Goode" -- Chuck Berry (my daughter loves to dance to this)
  
• Favorite overall music - Rock and Roll
  
• Favorite lyrics - "Strawberry Fields Forever" -- The Beatles or "Quicksand" -- David Bowie
  
• Favorite way in which song evokes emotion (good or bad)

1. Good - "And Your Bird Can Sing" version from Anthology II-- The Beatles
2. Mixed - "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" -- Aerosmith
3. Bad - A Kate Smith song (racist)
   

• Favorite way in which song evokes memory (slight variant of emotion) - "Driving Home For Christmas" -- Chris Rea
• Favorite in terms of boldest departure from previous songs by artist -- The Beatles "White Album" or "Low" by David Bowie.
  
• Favorite in terms of influence on your life in some way or fashion "Live Forever" - Oasis. Fisrt guitar solo i ever really learnt. A great tribute song to John Lennon.

And your good self sir?

+++

I can put up with the resident parent picking on me but when she picks on Katherine I get damned annoyed. God grant us the strength to endure this spiteful soul.

Favorite Songs By Category

Okay, have at it ... what's your favorite song based on each criteria: (criterion?)

• Favorite melody
• Favorite rhythm
• Favorite overall music
• Favorite lyrics
• Favorite way in which song evokes emotion (good or bad)
  
• Favorite way in which song evokes memory (slight variant of emotion)
• Favorite in terms of boldest departure from previous songs by artist
• Favorite in terms of influence on your life in some way or fashion
  

Sad? Sad? Me? Sad?

Yeah, well ... okay. It's a bit embarassing to admit I like that show. But no, I've never voted. And I probably never will. It's an "866" number that's used to vote, and that carries with a charge -- probably a dollar or so. Not that I can't afford the dollar ... I just don't like the notion of giving someone money so I can cast a vote in an otherwise meaningless contest!

* * *
I can't speak much to whether the Stones copied the Beatles ... to me the music doesn't sound that much alike. But I'm not very good at discerning those things. I think the test of time has favored the Stones ... not just because they're still (more or less) together, but because I think their music has stood up well over time and doesn't appear dated. To my ear Beatles songs are clearly from a bygone era ... same thing with The Who and Zeppelin ... but some of the Stones work seems to be as fresh now as back then.

Did you ever listen to "Monkey Man" and pay attention to Richards' subtle backing rhythm?

I love the song "Gimme Shelter." I love "You Can't Always Get What You Want."

But most of all, I love "Get Off of My Cloud."

Just joking about that last one.

Hey, Hey
You, You
Get off of my cloud!

:-)

The Sad Sad Award ....

... goes to ... BAGWELL!!! But not for his excellent taste in one of my favourite Rolling Stones songs, but for his interest in American Idol.

I have never seen this program, or it's UK equivalent, but have heard of it of course .. after all I do not live in a bin liner buried underneath the Gobi desert, well not on weekdays anyway.

I hear your prediction. I scan read what you wrote, then went back and decided to make my own prediction based solely on the pictures. I think it will come down to the last two of Elliot and Kellie, and Elliot will win because he looks like someone else who won something similar so that must be the kind of look that the people who vote of such things would vote for.

Note: I would give the Christian Mandissa the wild card chance as a Christian won a UK reality TV show so obviously people are willing to spend money voting for Christ :-)

My serious question to you is .. have you voted ??

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Another thing .. what's your view on The Beatles vs. The Stones? Lennon always claimed that Jagger just copied everything The Fab Four did and that was how they made it. I suspect there was something of that (just look at the Jagger hero-worship of The Beatles in the "All You Need Is Love" world broadcast) -- but eventually The Stones came into their own. Again, I love that song "Sympathy For The Devil" and just this moment had to play it VERY loud (woo woo). A good choice for a Friday sir.

PS. I just got the title of your post "Gimme Shelter" some months ago :-)

PPS. Now listening to (I can't get no) Satisfaction - hey these are great lyrics. "A man comes on the TV and tells me how ... he can't be a man as he doesn't smoke the same cigarettes as me" ... deep stuff!! Marvellous.

PPPS. I was born in a crossfire hurricane! Oh yes. Just try not to move to that number.

Sympathy for the Devil

No, it's not a new attitude for me.

I mean the song by the Rolling Stones.

I love it ... always have.

On the way home from work tonight it came on the radio and turn it up.

Way up.

Loud.

Know what I love most about it?

The bass line ... it drives that song.

That's my Friday thought for the day.

"Morally Corrosive Doctrine"

You wrote:

I heard an objection to Christianity, that it is a morally corrosive doctrine because it undermines personal responsibility, encourages people to believe that God is going to solve all of their problems for them, kill all their enemies, and build them a whole new world.

I've heard and experienced similar things. Based on how some express and explain the basis of the faith, it's understandable why others may think this. I sometimes wonder if I might contribute to this, based on my own behavior. I hope and pray not.

I've given a lot of thought to how I might answer this. My natural tendency is to go off on a tear and essentially criticize those who think that Christianity is a "corrosive" doctrine. But I do not want to do that. The Spirit is convicting my heart not to go that route.

The trouble, it seems to me, is that the truth of faith in Christ is simply not understood. And at times I'm not sure that I truly understand it. But I sense it ... out there ... just beyond my grasp. The Lord is beckoning me to go find it, by stretching beyond the normal limits of my weak belief.

You see, Christianity is not "a religion." It is not a series of things, or acts, or even merely a logical construct of doctrinal points. It is so much more. And yet it is also a beautifully simple single point.

Can one who truly understands what Christ did for them then turn and lead of life of betrayal to Jesus? I don't see how. If one does, then I fear it means they don't really understand, nor truly believe in Jesus, despite their profession of faith. Matthew 7:21 is frighteningly plain: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

What is the "will of my Father who is in heaven?" Read the Gospels and study the behavior of Jesus. He did his Father's will perfectly. No man who walks this earth as Jesus did can be called "corrosive". No man who walks counter to Jesus can be called a follower of Christ.

I am not a perfect man, nor do I follow Christ perfectly or even well. I stumble and fall and give a poor example of one who calls Jesus Lord. But a small flame has been lit in my heart, and it is not of me but of God himself. I do bad things, things contrary to the wishes of God the Father. But I do not for a minute think that God is pleased with them. And his displeasure saddens me, for what I am growing to understand is that by doing as he wishes, I am doing what is best for me. Again, as always, God is giving of his goodness and grace.

I pray for those who profess faith and trust in Christ yet claim to be then be free to live a life of willful sin. They are lost children. I honestly believe God wants them back. Jesus loves them no less. But their denial and their sin is not what's best for them, and through their disobedience and denial they are rejecting the saving grace offered by Jesus.

In Phillipians, Paul writes to the church at Phillipi:

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Phillipians 2:1-4

Properly understood and embraced with one's heart, that is not a "morally corrosive doctrine."

May God's love and grace and peace be seen by everyone so they might take hold and reflect that light into the world. To his glory.

Today my daughter moves house

... and you know this is where sometimes prayer works.

Alice was going to move away from the area we live in, taking the children, as she was heartbroken at the loss of her fella. But "good news" for Alice as her beau left his partner and now Alice has her man. So the immediate run-away instinct was short circuited.

Then unfortunately Alice's mother got sick and it transpires that the care home wants to charge her mother £1,000 GBP per week for residence. For the lesser sum of £250 per week rent, Alice can move to a much bigger house than the tiny one she is in, so it's a good deal for Alice to rent a larger house, move her mother in, and look after her full time (with her mother, and me of course, footing the bills).

So Alice needed to find a larger (rented) house in the area we live in now. Great! It transpires that the first house she saw was about 500 yards away from where I live. She didn't want to be that close to me so she kept looking and looking for a more "suitable" property .... Meanwhile the £1,000's GBP per week in the care home were stacking up so Alice felt that she really needed to move. So - you guessed it, she took the property that is 500 yards away from me !!

So as from today my daughter could *almost* walk to my house, although there are some back streets involved and I wouldn't want to let her do so at the tender age of 8. But nontheless, this will make things easier and I'm very happy :-) Thank you lord.

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The not so good news is that I have to have both of my two veg slashed open for biopsies, under a general anesthetic - they're looking for the early signs of cancer (something they refer to as "pre cancerous cells"). Fingers crossed, it's not urgent apparently so I've pushed it out until the end of May.

Something about giveth with one hand and taketh away with the other springs to mind? :-)

Personal Responsibility

I've been running a crypto workshop all week and now know more about RSA, SHA-1 and TripleDES algorithms invoked from java on a z9 than I ever thought I would! A great experience where the customer achieved all of their objectives and more. People from Croatia are indeed a very friendly bunch and I learned a lot.

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Today is the 494th anniversary of Gerardus Mercator’s birth in 1512. The famed mapmaker went on to live a life of great moral courage. Mercator’s time was a rough one for astronomy and astronomers. Despite a prison sentence and threats of torture and death for his beliefs, Mercator went on to design a globe of the earth in 1541 and one for the heavens ten years later. One sphere within a larger one - and all without the many complexities envisioned by Ptolemy a millennium before him.

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Many thanks for the math link, I didn't realise that there was a "Pi day".

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I heard an objection to Christianity, that it is a morally corrosive doctrine because it undermines personal responsibility, encourages people to believe that God is going to solve all of their problems for them, kill all their enemies, and build them a whole new world.

There are parts of The Bible (OT especially) that sell this message and an extension of it - "it's not my fault - or even if it is, I can truly repent and I am forgiven" - seems quite Catholic, a religion in which you are able to "hang your sins upon the sky".

A better message comes from the New Testament, where personal responsibility is important, where one has to actively love one's neighbour, which is sometimes not easy. This is a moral commandment - or call - to an individual. I don't believe one should pray for the strength to love their neighbour - and then (if the strength does not come) - say "Oh well, it must be God's wish that I do not love this particular neighbour, as God did not give me the ability to do so".

And that person might also add "... God is telling me this because this particular neighbour is not saved/in the employ of Satan/etc, so it's OK not to love them".

I think this is the most offensive twisting of the doctrine of Christianity, perpetuated in some part by The Church and organized religion, but an attitude that appears to be endemnic where I come from.

Looking around, these reasons are those that cause people to attack the message of The Bible. I am trying to avoid acting in such a way that causes others to attack Christianity.

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Happy Sunday to you Brother !

Math Geeks Unite!

Have fun, friend:

http://www.mathematicianspictures.com/