1) Hey, Grinches, check this out: “Advent Conspiracy is an international movement restoring the scandal of Christmas by worshipping Jesus through compassion, not consumption.” You can join this movement as an individual or as a congregation. Wouldn’t that be somethin’?
2) Current consumption: new Sara Groves. It’s not the immediate soul flood the last one was for me, but, dang, she’s good. I’ll try to write more about her some time. I tried once before. I have difficulty committing.
3) When our major grocery store chains had an extended strike a few years ago, a lot of people discovered Trader Joe’s and similar options for shopping, and many never came back. Two thoughts today about the WGA strike: on one hand, the numbers of people who might go online for entertainment could support the writers’ claim to more residual pay. On the other hand, what if people get in the habit of consuming more material not dependent on WGA talent?
4) On the third hand, we know a woman whose husband works “in the industry” who gave me a closer picture of the effect this will have. Her husband is neither a studio exec nor a writer, but they will lose their income and family insurance in a matter of days or weeks. Even if you don’t like TV, this is why it matters. And even if you don’t like TV, once reality television takes over everything, and our cities are burning and society crumbles, then we’ll really be sorry. Or maybe we’ll finally be real Christians.
a) they need writers for reality tv
b) i’m seriously bummed about this whole thing. heroes ends early.
I didn’t realize it affected people that weren’t writers but I do support the writers desire for pay considering a great amount of my time is spent catching episodes online via network sites like nbc.com (and youtube too so I guess I’m double cheating them…)
Yeah, I was thinking about your point a). I think we’re going to find out how true that is. I read that the judges on “Dancing with the Stars” had to ad lib. I’m also interested to see how entertainment television fares. This will be interesting.
So you like Arvo Part! So do I. I will have to check out your other favorites. You have an interesting blog.
You’re right about my Grinch-i-ness. I’ve always hated making that dreaded list of what I want other people to get me for Christmas. But a list of charities… now that’s a different way.
(And Randy’s heart grew three sizes that day!)
And people gathering en mass to worship Christ. Hmmm. Seems like they ought to be able to concatenate that to a single word.
Welcome Steve. I am a Part fan, although beyond a few other similar composers (Gorecki) and some Orthodox choral music, I don’t run much deeper in that vein. Thanks for the comment!
Hmmm. . . any suggestions, Randy? Ha!
Christ-Gather? Jesus-Fest? Saviorpalooza? King Cong? (That last one’s for Mattox)
uhhh….
Names/charities?…there’s a organization up north called Jesuscenter.org.
I’m just tired of the re-runs. But, these writers are NOT anywhere near “upper class”…they’re just ordinary people whose successes “here and there” are sporadic, at best. They struggle like anyone in the middle class.
Forgot to ask…did you ever see the play, “The Justice Channel”? Sort of twilight zone reality for the future?
Thanks for the Jesuscenter link. I haven’t had a lot of response here, but I’ve uncovered some other ideas along that line I think I’ll post soon.
I”ve never seen “The Justice Channel” – I’ll keep an eye out for it.
Randy, I hope your ideas aren’t stolen by emerging churches without you getting any credit.
“The Justice Channel” (I think I have that title right – Wendy would know – we all saw it at CSUF many years ago) is basically about a time when all matters legal, including trials, are privatized sort of…and “covered” in the media like sports events…advertising and competition at its worst! Legal holocoust…as if things aren’t bad enough already! Worse than “reality” shows too…