Movie Review - Easy Virtue

Easy Virtue is one of the best I will see this year. It is an adaptation of a Noel Coward play that Alfred Hitchcock adapted for the screen in 1928. The recent film is directed by Stephan Elliot.

Wikipedia sums up the plot as follows:

Easy Virtue is a social comedy in which a glamorous American widow, Larita, impetuously marries a young Englishman, John Whittaker, in the South of France. When they return to England to meet his parents, his mother takes a strong dislike to their new daughter-in-law, while his father, Jim, finds a kindred spirit. Family tensions escalate.

This movie is non-stop fun and intrigue from the start. Filming a box office blockbuster with special effects might sound hard but making a parlor conversation interesting is much more difficult. If you've ever tried to make your own film you know that finding a way to make a simple conversation engaging for the audience is a real challenge. This film is mostly dialog but it never gets boring; also the lively jazz music and interesting camera work keeps you involved without being a distraction.

Many interesting talking points are brought up. For example, a married couple is caught having sex in a barn by the groom's mother and a group of men who looking to purchase the land. Some of the characters in the film think this is a terribly scandalous moment while others think it is simply funny. (Impressively, the director captures this scene tastefully - a talking point in itself.)

The ending is unorthodox and will cause a lot of discussion - but it works. The entire film impressed me and never provided a dull moment. I can't recommend it enough.

Should Gay Marriage be Illegal?

This is a thorny issue - bound to get me into trouble.

I don't believe a government should be all powerful. A government that can make Christianity the official religion of the state could also make Nihilism or Jedi the official religion. The power to ban the building of a mosque would mean the power to ban the building of a church.

If we ask the government to jump in and force non-Christian groups to play by the Bible's rules than we find ourselves in difficult territory. By allowing all religions to do as they please (within normal legal limits, of course) we ensure Christianity can develop and grow. However, if we make the government powerful enough to limit the actions of some religious groups what can stop them from including Christianity as one of those groups?

If we ask the government to ban homosexual marriage the federal government will have their hands in our marriage relationships. Sure, that wouldn't bother the heterosexual unions - for now- but what if congress decides used this power to do away with marriage entirely or to outlaw certain traditional marriages? It might sound ridiculous, but if we give Washington the ability to ban gay marriage we are giving them this power. I prefer to serve a weak government than cannot tell me what to do because it ensures my religious freedom.

I'm not asking anyone to like homosexual relationships but it does the church no good to find non-Christians and force them to live by our standards; this is not a successful tactic for glorifying Christ. By maintaining freedom of all kinds we ensure that the government cannot turn on us. It's possible that a solution can be reached that makes all parties happy - some have proposed a separate type of union for homosexual couples - but, overall, this Libertarian doesn't wan't Uncle Sam in the bedroom.

Neanderthal - How Not the be One

Read this. It's the top ten misconceptions about neanderthals.

Why am I asking you to read this? Because most people don't know anything about them. Also, Christians often find themselves in conversations about evolution that include subjects like this.

Someday, when talking about evolution, you might be tempted to say something like, "people were created by God, they didn't evolve from Neanderthals!" But that's only because you didn't read item #9 on the list:

Recent DNA studies have found that the Neanderthals
are a distinct evolutionary line – a line which was ultimately
a dead end as they all died out around 30,000 years ago...

I'm not asking you to buy into every theory regarding Neanderthals and you are perfectly welcome to decide that they never existed - there's nothing wrong with that. The theories could change in ten years for all I know.

But, knowing what is generally believed to be true about these strange hominids will keep you from looking like a fool when the discussion arises. Those who wish to reconcile their faith with the findings of science will also benefit from this because otherwise they would be trying to reconcile their misconceptions - a strategy that can only fail.

How the Music Industry Works (Or Doesn't)

1. Young Rock Star writes a song. It's good. Record executive (a.k.a., "The Man") puts it on the radio.
2. Young Rock Star goes on tour to promote the song.
   
3. Teenage hipsters download the song for free - refusing to pay in an effort to stick it to "The Man."
4. The song is no longer cool after ten days. The Young Rock Star endeavors to make enough money in tips to afford the bus trip home.
   
5. "The Man" sits in his office smoking a cigar and wondering what it would be like to own a second blimp. (Maybe his interns could get in them and race?)
6. Young Rock Star, while sleeping in a bus station, hears his song being used as a ring tone. The excitement is almost enough to make him forget his hunger.
7. Teenagers flood 4Chan discussion boards demanding more free music. Studio execs, who don't know 4Chan from 4 wheel drive, never hear the message. (Also, they are considered better off for not knowing about 4chan.)

Back in my day, we didn't download songs - we proudly owned albums. The difference between an mp3 and an album is like the difference between a single sentence and an entire book.

The albums weren't just collections of singles; the individual songs and tracks were each written and orchestrated so that they would point in the same artistic direction. The colors and photos on the album would communicate the theme to us even further. In short, the album, as a whole, could communicate something that a song could not.

I don't mind paying for albums any more than I mind paying for good books. To spend time listening to a well composed album was a privilege and I'm happy to support the musicians and even their agents and producers for giving us this form of art.

But it's dead. Rarely does a band put out an album that is intended to be received in its entirety. No longer do we put on albums and lay on the floor listening and soaking up the emotions of that unique experience. (In fact, some of you don't even know what I'm talking about.)

And, if you haven't noticed, music has taken a real hit. Avril is considered "punk" and Kelly Clarkson (who seems really cool) is considered "rock." (No one would say this if Sponge and STP were on the radio.) Few songwriters of any note can be found in today's music and even fewer musicians who can give us virtuosic guitar solos or sweeping orchestrations. Sure, I can name a few - but there used to be so many more.

Until someone figures out a real solution to this problem we will continue to see the slow death of music. I don't care about copyrights and anti-consumerism - I care about music and it has become a casualty of an ideological war. Do we realize what we are taking away from ourselves when we fight this battle?

OK, any second now my marriage is supposed to fall apart...

Today, I have been married to my wife for two years - and it has been great.

When I announced my engagement, I endured the regular barrage of "jokes" that married men tell engaged men, such as:

"You'll always get the last word - yes, ma'am!"

These jokes are always accompanied with a clap on the back and uproarious laughter from the person telling the joke - and no one else. (Does this person realize that they have just broadcasted the failure of their own marriage to the entire room?)

Some single people at work told me that the whole thing was a mistake because married people didn't have sex. (I wonder where all of those kids at church are coming from...) Others told me that a pre-nuptial was critical - since they didn't think I could possibly have chosen a trustworthy woman. (Without a pre-nuptial agreement, how would we know how to divide up the cat toys and action figures? Seriously, I'm not Paul McCartney.)

After the wedding, I listened to everyone's prophecy discerning when "the honeymoon would be over." After a few months of happy married life the "wiser" men would tell me that "this was when it started for them" - which meant Christine and I were going to start fighting and would watch our happiness fall apart under the stress of marriage. (For some reason, people think it's normal to tell you these things.)

After one year, the prophets amended their visions - now that we had gotten through the first year we would start to hate each other and it would all break down. And they still thought this was funny.

Wrong again, Nostradmus. Christine and I still don't fight about anything. (OK, there was that one time we were discussing the role of metanarratives in post-modernity and we may have gotten upset at each other - but stuff like that is really important!) While the "wise" naysayers struggle within their marriages and smugly tell me I should expect the same, I remain happy in my marriage.

What makes people in bad relationships consider themselves experts on mine? Christine and I only need to look at our own respective parents for good examples of how to make a marriage work. With our parents as strong leaders and examples for us we are able to know how it should work.

As for the rest of you, the cynics who insist that my marriage will fall apart just like yours, I recommend you stop scrutinizing the Jones' and figure out why you blew it in your own marriage. I'll be here if you have any questions.

City Workers in the Buff and Obama Draws the Ire of Peta (who Hasn't?)

Here are the headlines that caught my eye, today. I promise, I didn't make these up.

City: Workers Must Wear Underwear
Deodorant Also Included In Florida City's Revised Dress Code

The Brooksville city council recently approved a revised dress code as part of its effort to update existing policies....the revision instructs employees to observe "strict personal hygiene," including the use of deodorant.

The best part is the last line...

The city council approved the dress code 4-1. Mayor Joe Bernadini opposed the revision, saying the underwear edict "takes away freedom of choice."

Darn. I hope my boss doesn't ask me to start wearing underwear. It's my right!

Umpire ejects entire crowd during baseball game

The ump was so upset he kicked every fan out of the game. Oh, wait it also says...

An umpire has emptied the stands at a high school baseball game, ejecting the entire crowd of more than 100 fans for being unruly.

Wow. 100 fans. What a sport. (Here, in Dallas, the baseball and basketball teams advertise their ticket sales during the season with poorly made TV commercials starring attractive athletes who can't act. The Dallas Cowboy's tickets are already sold out.)

Gas prices rise for 50th straight day.

Why did this one stand out? Because it's not a big deal in the news. Last year, when gas prices would increase by a tenth of a penny the media would explode claiming that Bush was in league with the powers of darkness raising gas prices in his quest for global domination while Dick Cheney was preparing for his own Presidency and torturing school children. Now, it's no big deal. In the same category is this headline, which reads, "Obama: Jobless Rate Will Reach 10%." It's not getting a lot of press - but it should since that would be the highest unemployment has been in my lifetime. The media is not helpful.

Terror law used to stop thousands 'just to balance racial statistics'

"I have evidence of cases where the person stopped is so obviously far from any known terrorism profile that, realistically, there is not the slightest ­possibility of him/her being a terrorist, and no other feature to justify the stop."

That's right. In order to not look racist the cops were pulling over people for no reason - except to balance out how many people of each demographic they stop. I hope no no one got robbed while someone was being pulled over for appearance's sake.

My favorite of the day:

PETA wishes Obama hadn't

swatted that fly

"Get out of here," the president told the pesky insect. When it didn't, he waited for the fly to settle, put his hand up and then smacked it dead.

"Now, where were we?" Obama asked Harwood. Then he added: "That was pretty impressive, wasn't it? I got the sucker."

Seems harmless, to me. But, little did I know...

"...swatting a fly on TV indicates he's not perfect," Friedrich said, "and we're happy to say that we wish he hadn't."

Well, that lets the wind out of my sails.

"See, I smushed a bug on this sheet next to the Presidential seal. Darned near poetic..."

And, now, we finally know what Bush and Obama discussed at the White House.

"When you're President remember that 'you'll catch more flies with honey' - of course, that's just a figure of speech from Texas, you won't actually have to kill any flies..."

Student charged with keeping teachers from grading

A high school computer whiz didn't get a high grade for a recent feat: designing software to shut teachers out of the grading system.

A New York State Police spokeswoman says 16-year-old Matthew Beighey has been charged with unauthorized use of a computer and third-degree identity theft. He was ordered to return to court Wednesday.

The school district says the teenager temporarily blocked teachers' ability to enter grades at the high school in upstate Clifton Park. They needed technical support to regain access.

Impressive programming and execution - but summer break is far too precious to give up for a feat like this. The XKCD scenario is much better.

Does God Want You to Stop Eating HFCS?

Hardly a month goes by that I am not told to avoid certain foods or vitamins or supplements because God doesn't want me to eat them.

I have been told that God doesn't want me to eat until my stomach growls. I have been told to avoid foods that cost $6.66 at the store. Some say medicine is entirely ungodly and any form of pharmacy must be avoided if I am to live as a Christian.

This isn't in the Bible - it simply isn't there. The rhetoric used by these people almost always follows the same pattern: "God didn't intend for you to eat ________ - he wants you to eat _____"

Really? I've read the Bible and never run into that one. It doesn't come up in the works of the church fathers or the Christian mystics, either.

The latest is HFCS (high fructose corn syrup). The best article I have read about this subject came from Brian Dunning at Skeptoid.com. I don't always agree with him but he is very intelligent and, in particular, his knowledge of chemistry is very strong.

Regular table sugar is a disaccharide of glucose and fructose, which means that the two monosaccharides are chemically bound into a larger, more complex disaccharide molecule called sucrose. That's sugar. HFCS consists of the same two monosaccharides, only they're just mixed in together, the molecules are not bound...
...When you consume regular sugar, sucrose, the first thing your digestive system does is break the chemical bond and separate it into glucose and fructose. So once saccharides are in your body, it makes very little difference whether they came in as table sugar or as HFCS.

You've probably heard that you will not feel "full" after eating something with HFCS - but you will not find a scientific study that verifies this. Look. I dare you. This effect is caused by fructose which is in table sugar in the same amounts. HFCS and normal sugar contain the same ingredients.

"OK, the eleventh commandment says 'Thou shalt not eat HFCS' wait, does anyone know what that is? No? Ok, we'll just put that one aside for now."

If you want to lose weight it doesn't require mysticism - simply count calories and exercise, just don't blame it on the Devil or some conspiracy theory. There is nothing sinful about eating corn syrup.

Of course, HFCS is still sugar so it causes any problems you would normally associate with sugar; cutting sugar out of your diet might be a good thing for your health (consult your doctor) but that does not mean that drinking soda is living in sin.

(And if you've heard about mercury being found in HFCS, read be sure to check this out.)

When Will the Scientists Get Back to Work?

I love science. I used to read a few science magazines each week and read the latest science/technology news online. (If you're skeptical that a Christian can love science, read this blog entry about me and the Darwinist.)

But I don't follow this stuff much, anymore. My interest is the same but the output from these "science" publications has changed - from discussing science to hating religion.

This morning I wanted to check out the latest in the field of science and headed over to ScienceBlogs.com...and had trouble finding an article about lab work or physical observations of any kind. Not even a word about string theory. Just hate talk.

This article childishly insults the entire state of Texas because of one religious zealot who wants to stop saying "hello". It discusses Michelle Obama, but not science.

This one makes fun of people who love God. (Exactly what scientists ought to be doing.)

Here, we are told that a right-wing extremist was the killer at the Holocaust Museum - even though it was a Bush hating journalism major who disliked Christians.

"I know, you were all hoping we would announce a cure for the plague - but we've just been too busy protesting Vatican I. Maybe next time!"

It was the same when I stopped reading science magazines. Lengthy stories would discuss social issues and preferred politicians but never actually anything new about outer space or biology (except in small articles of one or two paragraphs). I realize that militant Creationists have added to this problem by being rude to the world of science and that sort of thing does need to stop. But, for the sake of intellectual and social advancement I would like to see the scientists putting down the protest signs and picking up their beakers. (Simultaneously, I would like to see Creationist bloggers put down their hate speech and show love to their fellow man.)

Why No One Talks About Moderation Around Me

I've always hated the phrase "everything in moderation." Partly because it's a dumb sentence - and hardly that, it's actually a sentence fragment. (Also, people are always compelled to move their hands across their face slowly while saying it.)

Mostly, I dislike it because it is just the type of speech pattern that bugs me the most: saying something that is almost entirely the opposite of what you really mean but expecting everything to follow along.

Someone says they don't drink. Another person says they drink too much. The armchair philosopher makes a gesture and utters, "everything in moderation" in a slow voice and walks off - certain they have solved the issue.

But it doesn't make sense. Do you really mean that? Should I huff gasoline in moderation? Or drive into mailboxes once a week? Should I pray in moderation? Love my wife in moderation?

No, what the person means is "drink a little alcohol if you like but don't get drunk." The phrase is almost exclusively used for the discussion of alcohol and nothing else, yet people say everything in moderation and expect me to understand that the word everything only refers to one thing. (The most foolish, when confronted, say something brilliant, like "isn't that in the Bible somewhere?" Even Yahoo can answer that.)

"We're killing tonshured monks in moderation, today, so two of you can leave!"
(Actually, someone should have mentioned moderation to him when he put on those hammer pants.)

Furthermore, the person who says this while fancying themselves to be a philosopher is apparently not accustomed to thinking things through. Obviously, a person cannot do everything in moderation because that would lead to excessive moderation - thus the premise defeats itself, proving that colloquial sentence fragments do not construct solid world views.

But, whenever I mention this to people they always get quiet and leave. I don't know why. Maybe they are going to tell someone in the next room that "cleanliness is next to Godliness".

Was a Bible Study Recently Persecuted in San Diego?

You've already heard most of this. The evening began as a simple Bible Study hosted by a local pastor. As cars lined the street a guest managed to scratch a neighbor's car which led to someone complaining to the police. After realizing a religious meeting was in progress the police actually told the pastor that the Bible study was in violation of county law.

The pastor happily paid for the damage done to the neighbor's car. Meanwhile, the internet and local media outlets were quickly filled with stories about the persecuted church in San Diego - and the thought that your church could be next. (Cue scary music.)

As usual, the news outlets were a little slow to finish off the story. The CAO of the San Diego police issued a statement that included the following:

...I want to say in the most direct terms:
the county has never tried to stifle religious expression and never will... ...I deeply regret that a routine code enforcement issue has transformed into a debate over religious freedom in San Diego county. No one respects the right to free religious expression more than I do and no one would find the infringement of such rights more abhorrent.

Something went wrong in San Diego that night - but we are not facing a persecution in the United States in this way. Unfortunately, some Christian bloggers were too quick to jump to the wrong conclusion. Blogs like this one tell us that the persecution against Christianity found in other countries has come to America. This one claims that Obama is responsible and that the President has an agenda to stop Christianity. It's no secret that I didn't vote for President Obama but I certainly wouldn't discuss him so foolishly even though I disagree with him.

This is persecution - pray this is as close as we get to it.

Far from being government persecution, the letter from the San Diego Police Department (which you can read in its entirety here) actually encourages the Bible study to continue meeting while all parties involved work to reach a solution.

Instead of living in a fantasy world where the apocalypse is upon us let us thank God for the religious freedom we have and exercise that freedom by working in our churches and our communities to be the light of the world.

(source)

Praise for Phantom Island

I don't review a lot of books on this site because most of the books I read have boring titles like The Crisis of Church and State from 1050 to 1300 (which is actually pretty good). Fortunately, my friend Renea does a good job of reading/watching things and discussing them in well written blog posts. Her latest entry concerns a book written by a mutual friend titled Phantom Island: Wind:

Krissi Dallas has hit the road running with her debut novel, Phantom Island: Wind. It instantly found its way to the number one selling spot at Authorhouse.com as the word-of-mouth buzz about this page-turner spread like wild fire surrounding the novel's release. The novel is Young Adult fiction; it's full of drama, adventure, suspense, and romance.

Read the whole thing - it's a good review. (And, you'll notice that Renea's blog is now one of the links on the right side of this page so you can check it out more often.)

There are quite a few positive reader reviews for this work such as this one from Amazon.com:

Since I teach 7th grade, I love to read YAF. Sometimes this gets very stale, but Phantom Island: Wind was definitely a breath of fresh air. The writing was well-thought out, the plot was full of twist & turns and the main character was complicated without being annoying.

And this one from a Barnes & Noble customer:

Although I am not the "target-audience", I really enjoyed Phantom Island. It was a really interesting story (with all the right elements - magic, humor, good character development, etc). I was actually up until 2am finishing it. It's one of those epic series that clearly has a sequel coming.

Most of the praise for this book centers around the story which is something I appreciate. Krissi keeps a website and a blog and you can purchase her book here.