Update

Isn't it amazing that time goes by and you don't really think about blogging? I remember when Xanga was the stuff and you weren't cool unless you wrote something about yourself or your day all the time. And people actually made a point to say something about their life, instead of "status updates" that just tell us what you're doing. Pros and cons of technology.

So Craig is in Nashville until tomorrow evening and me and Rosco are by ourselves. It's been relatively uneventful, in the "hey, can you fend for yourself?" sense. We miss Daddy, though :( This means that I am in control of the remote, which isn't necessarily the best solution. Accordingly, I've watched Oprah and now the news. I don't know if I'll get over hearing about the "chop" conditions on the weather update. The Weather Channel has a special section of ocean weather updates. Who'd have thought?

Obviously, this is a stream-of-consciousness post that doesn't have much purpose, but being alone in your home will do that to you.

I've been working hard on our most recent Wednesday night memory verse: Philippians 2:5-11. Coincidentally, it had been a passage that I wanted to commit to memory for a long time, but finally got the "oomph" to do so when put to us as a group project.

Theresa is coming to join me for DiGiorno, chick flicks and hopefully popcorn tonight! Otherwise, Rosco is keeping me pretty good company....but most importantly:

COME HOME CRAIG!

My iPod is Dead

...well not literally. I've just noticed on shuffle that one by one each band played was no longer around. Then I took a look at my artists and it's true, my iPod is full of broken up bands. And this list doesn't even cover bands/artists that are REALLY dead. It's like I have the iPod of the damned.

1. Audio Adrenaline
2. The Beatles
3. The Benjamin Gate
4. Bleach
5. Blink-182
6. Brave Saint Saturn
7. Chasing Victory
8. Cool Hand Luke
9. DC Talk
10. Dead Poetic
11. Delirious?
12. Emery (good emery that is)
13. Five Iron Frenzy
14. Forever Changed
15. Further Seems Forever
16. Insyderz
17. Kids In The Way
18. Last Tuesday
19. Lucerin Blue
20. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
21. Mourning September
22. O.C. Supertones
23. PAX 217
24. Roper
25. Sides of the North
26. Sixpence None the Richer
27. Staple (but they are coming back!)
28. Stavesacre
29. Story Side: B
30. Subseven
31. Sugar Ray
32. Tait

Craig Reviews The Watchmen

Alrighty be forewarned that this post contains words like sex, porn, schlong, etc. You haven been warned.

It's kind of hard to review or even talk about a movie like the Watchmen without defending the fact that you saw it in the first place. The debate has always gone on about should Christians see R rated movies. And that debate breaks into 50 million other debates (only look at things that at pure, garbage in garbage out, etc. etc.) Well this isn't the blog for that debate, maybe someday, but for now just accept that I love Jesus Christ with all my heart, mind, and soul. I also love the mediums of films, comic books, and their sometimes successful offspring. (The defense rests)

Watchmen is not one of those offspring.

The movie wasn't bad, don't get me wrong. But it also wasn't good. First of all you have to understand what the Watchmen is and what it was meant to be. The Watchmen was a graphic novel - not a comic book, in the literal sense. Yes it was released in comic book form, yes it is written and illustrated in comic book form, but it's not what you think of when you think comic book. Comic books are in the general public's mind short stories (usually in a long series) of non-normal people doing non-normal things. Whether that be aliens, super heroes, or robots - it's not meant to be real.

Watchmen is not about super heroes at all. In fact only one person has super powers. Everyone else is the novel are just normal people. Sure they dressed up in costumes and fought crime, but they were just average people. And that's the story of the Watchmen. It is one long dramatic narrative about these people, their messed up problems, and how they're all interwoven with one another.

There's really not much action in the comic, it's A LOT of storytelling. It's just done through the medium of comic books with the subject matter of a regular comic book.

NOW as for the movie. The movie is pure fan service to the graphic novel fans. If you've never read the novel before or have NO interest in a comic book movie without non-stop action, then please by all means AVOID THIS MOVIE. And more importantly, if you are none of the above, do not see this movie and the talk about why it sucked. Because frankly you have no idea what you're talking about.

This all said the movie was in no ways perfect or blew me out of my seat. To be quite honest it was simply the graphic novel completely acted out in real life almost frame for frame. EXCEPT for some stupid HOLLYWOOD trash. In the graphic novel MUCH is left to the imagination. Most of the sex and violence really isn't shown (the novel is no way "clean" it is very much R rated). The sex scenes in the novel involve a panel showing bodies together, maybe a naked butt, and if breasts are visible they don't take up the entire panel it's usually from the side. But not in the movie oh no - we are treated to full on porn scene for no reason whatsoever.

The novel leaves it to the imagination for the perverts out there. The novel pretty much says, "hey these people are getting it on...you know what happens when that goes on. We're not going to waste ink spelling it out for you...you get the idea". Without getting into another debate I would use the cliche "nudity/sex done in a artful way". Does that mean it's right in the comic or the movie? NO, but at least it wasn't gratuitous in the novel. Same could be said for some extra violence added into the movie that is NOT in the comic. It's all just there to titillate.

Which brings me to my biggest gripe of the move - THE PENIS. *gasp he said it*. OK - one of the characters in the novel is a walking atomic being who takes human form. He is shows fully frontal nude ONCE in the novel, ONE TIME. After that he is in a man thong or shown waist up. But in the movie - THE MAN IS ALWAYS NAKED. SCHLONG EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME!!!!!!!! I don't know if it was to push the limit or what but it was pointless and took away from the movie.

*EDIT* Oh and I forgot to add - their Nixon was AWFUL. He looked nothing like the man! It was so lame it was distracting. But on the other hand their Henry Kissinger was pretty good.

Watchmen is the movie every feared the Dark Knight would be. Soooooo much hype and it would be awful. Fortunately for us the Dark Knight was awesome - for everyone, comic fans or not. Unfortunately, Watchmen is for the comic nerds and the comic nerds alone.

Feel free to tell me why I'm wrong now, or less of a Christian for seeing it. It's my blog so I can say what I want and delete comments that I don't want.

MUHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAH the power

The Really Is No Line On The Horizon

Woah what's this!? 2 posts one after another!? What's going on! Well I'll tell you what's going on - the new U2 CD came out today that's what! Now I'm not going to get into the whole "U2 is/isn't a Christian band" debate. All I'm going to do is post the lyrics of my three favorite songs because I just love these lyrics. I think this whole album is a huge wake up call to EVERYONE (Christians or not, but Christians should listen up) to actually start LOVING ONE ANOTHER. Crazy idea that I remember some other humanitarian talk about a long long time ago....

Breathe

16th of June, nine 0 five, door bell rings
Man at the door says if I want to stay alive a bit longer
There's a few things I need you to know. Three
Coming from a long line of traveling sales people on my mother's side
I wasn't gonna buy just anyone's cockatoo
So why would I invite a complete stranger into my home
Would you?

These days are better than that
These days are better than that
Every day I die again, and again I'm reborn
Every day I have to find the courage
To walk out into the street
With arms out
Got a love you can't defeat
Neither down or out
There's nothing you have that I need
I can breathe
Breathe now

16th of June, Chinese stocks are going up
And I'm coming down with some new Asian virus
Ju Ju man, Ju Ju man
Doc says you're fine, or dying
Please
Nine 0 nine, St John Divine, on the line, my pulse is fine
But I'm running down the road like loose electricity
While the band in my head plays a striptease
The roar that lies on the other side of silence
The forest fire that is fear so deny it

Walk out into the street
Sing your heart out
The people we meet
Will not be drowned out
There's nothing you have that I need
I can breathe
Breathe now
Yeah, yeah
We are people borne of sound
The songs are in our eyes
Gonna wear them like a crown
Walk out, into the sunburst street
Sing your heart out, sing my heart out
I've found grace inside a sound
I found grace, it's all that I found
And I can breathe
Breathe now

Stand Up Comedy

Love love love love love... Love love love love love...
I got to stand up and take a step
You and I have been asleep for hours
I got to stand up
The wire is stretched in between our two towers
Stand up in this dizzy world
Where a lovesick eye can steal the view
I'm gonna fall down if I can't stand up
For your love

Love love love love love...

Stand up, this is comedy
The DNA lottery may have left you smart
But can you stand up to beauty, dictator of the heart
I can stand up for hope, faith, love
But while I'm getting over certainty
Stop helping God across the road like a little old lady
Out from under your beds C'mon ye people Stand up for your love

Love love love love love...

I gotta stand up to ego but my ego's not really the enemy
It's like a small child crossing an eight lane highway
On a voyage of discovery

Stand up to rock stars, Napolean is in high heels
Josephine, be careful of small men with big ideas

Out from under your beds
C'mon ye people
Stand up for your love

Love love love love love...
God is love
And love is evolution's very best day

Soul rockin' people moving on
Soul rockin' people on and on
C'mon ye people
We're made of stars
C'mon ye people
Stand up then sit down for your love

Love love love love love...
Love love love love love...


And here we are - what so far might be my favorite song of the album and some of the best lyrics I have ever read!!

Magnificent

Magnificent

I was born I was born to be with you
In this space and time
After that and ever after I haven't had a clue
Only to break rhyme
This foolishness can leave a heart black and blue

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar

I was born
I was born to sing for you
I didn't have a choice but to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to
I give you back my voice
From the womb my first cry, it was a joyful noise...

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar

Justified till we die, you and I will magnify
The Magnificent Magnificent

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love unites our hearts

Justified till we die, you and I will magnify The Magnificent Magnificent Magnificent

...I'm pretty sure that one speaks for itself

Things That Tick Me Off

OK so you want Craig to blog like he used to? You just got lucky because it's time for another edition of things that tick me off.

"Modern" churches and I use the term very loosely.

When did we reach that point that you're judged for going to an actual church building as opposed to a school or a movie theater? Please tell me because apparently I missed it. I'm getting real tired of this modern mode of thinking that all churches are these archaic buildings that represent everything that is wrong with Christianity. This preconceived notion that you're only cool or a good Christian if you have your church inside a school or some other random place.

Am I saying it's wrong? Absolutely not!!! I think it's a great idea to hold church in a neutral setting because I absolutely realize that a lot of people hate the idea of stepping inside a church building. I absolutely think this is a great idea and am in full support of it.

My hang up is this idea that I'm a bad Christian or it's lame that I go to church in an actual building. I think this just goes along with the whole Donald Miller, Rob Bell, Emerging Church wave that recently hit that pretty much says, "Oh the way the church has been done for the past millenia is dumb and old and no one likes it anymore. Going to church in a building is stupid, having convictions is stupid." That's another post for another day but it's just driving me crazy.

I love new approaches to church. I love fresh thinking and new ideas. I HATE throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Just because there are new (and some may say better) approaches to something doesn't mean the old way is wrong. I mean that's been the debate in worship music for years (can I get an amen brother Jason!). "Oh hymns are dumb and old and the kids don't like them so get rid of them all together. At our church we only sing David Crowder songs" Well explain to me why every DCB album has at least on hymn on it. Exactly shut it.

So please stop with your "I'm cooler than you because my church meets in a movie theater". Just save it OK?

And I know this is a much bigger discussion than one short blog post. These are just my initial thoughts and it's my blog so I can do what I want. So there.

AFI Top 100 Journey - #100

So Mr. Ross Free demanded that I start up this dead blog once again. There really hasn't been much to talk about, I guess I got boring once I got married - who knows.

So I know one thing I can keep writing about! Courtney hasn't seen a lot of movies...I mean A LOT of movies. So I decided to take her on a journey of some of the best movies ever made! Now I know the AFI list isn't the only choice for the best movies but it seemed like a good start. Keep in mind we're working off the 2007 10th Anniversary List. I figure once we're done with this list we'll go back and watch the movies that got bumped off the old list.

Here's a nice layout of the list with a comparison of the 1997 list.

AND SO WE BEGIN

#100

Ben-Hur

Ahh Ben-Hur, I can't remember what made me watch this movie for my first time. I guess I am a nerd because even when I was in middle and high school I wanted to see all of these famous movies. So one day I picked up Ben-Hur. It truly is an epic to watch (not to mention the whole almost 4 hour thing - what a way to kick off the journey lol) The sets, the actors, the music, the whole thing!

I really like how it's called The Story of the Christ but he only really has a couple of scenes in the movie. It's really cool to see a story of Christ, his message, his love, and his redemption as seen through the life of a completely different person. You almost forget that the movie is about him until the resurrection scene at the end. I really just get lost in its' epic-ness and forget that I've been sitting here for almost 4 hours - until it tells me to enter the 2nd disc lol This collector's edition even had the intermission and all those other fancy things.

I think it was a great way to start a look at some amazing film. So yeah I sound dumb after reading all this but whatever. Share your thoughts on Ben-Hur!

Coming up next...#99 Toy Story!!!!!!

*Courtney's Thoughts*

I agree with Craig when it comes to seeing someone else's journey at the time Christ was alive. I find that it can be easy to forget that He was a living, breathing person sometimes, getting caught up in His power and Deity. Having Judah on the road to his enslavement meet Jesus was really neat. Along the same lines, when Judah is at the Valley of the Lepers and sees the crowd going to hear the Sermon on the Mount, it felt like we were participating more in Christ's life, the way it physically happened. 

Craig commented on the "epic-ness" of this film, and he wasn't kidding! The classic chariot race was as exhilarating as you would expect, and the physical stunts were shocking, even in today's standards! I have to point out that there was a definite bias towards the horses in the chariot race, which I LOVEd, teehee. 

All in all, I give Ben-Hur a thumbs up and felt that I participated in something big by watching it, which is probably the point. If you have 4 hours, I'd recommend it!