Monstrance of Rock

I’m writing on something loosely connected to this picture, which I found by accident, but am considering as a tattoo.

I will be looking for a cleaner copy.

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Videorama

I don’t have a lot of original say this week, I s’pose. But my ears were left open with a draft blowing through.

Rocky Votolato, “White Daisy Passing.”

He’s got all the melodic sweetness of those wispy male vocalists a-la-Iron & Wine, but with a nearly confident, right out vocal.

What is it with all these whispering male folkies? Maybe it’s fear of commitment. Simon and Garfunkel, I’m looking at you.

Plus, Blitzen Trapper, “Furr”

It’s kind of like southern rock on trampolines. Or in a parade.

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church of your choice

On Facebook, in order to bare your true soul and find harmony with everyone in this great wide world, you can list your religious preference. I recently got reacquainted with an old acquaintance, who chose to list this link under that heading.

Iris Dement, “Let the Mystery Be”

I kinda dug that.

If you’re feeling extra mysterious, you can also see David Byrne sing this with 10,000 Maniacs.

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We Are the Illusion

We watched Network (1976) over the weekend; first time I’ve seen it. If you haven’t seen it in a while, or have it somewhere at the bottom of your queue, I recommend moving it up. Things have changed so much in the last thirty years that they’re pretty much exactly the same.

The clip below is one of three major rants by former Union Broadcasting Systems (UBS) news anchor Howard Beale (Peter Finch), whose deluded sense of prophetic calling results in a ratings boom for eager conscience-less programmer Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway). I haven’t seen a lot of Lumet‘s films, but I found this more along the lines of PT Anderson than Lumet’s Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, which seemed more like a story one of the characters in this film would have told than the story Network spins.

(Note: This man is going to use words you’re not allowed to say on the major networks. But they can on TNT.)

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name dropping, finger pointing

I’m a little distracted by some other writing I have to do. But, a few things have come to my attention. On breaks.

Number uno, a dude who another dude that is a dude I know knows that is a very talented dude, Robby Hecht. He writes his own good stuff, too, but in this you get a sense of his soulful take on a song he likes, and I like that:

Number dos. And only briefly, in case you’re worried about my time:

My roommate and I went to see Caedmon’s Call one time, and they were bringing out Bebo Norman on this tour, all awkward and stammering stage rookie, and totally beautiful. We got in the car and drove to every show within a day of home the next few weeks to see Bebo again.

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We can only wonder

I put this up in another format recently, but I love this quote attributed to Gregory of Nyssa’s Life of Moses. I haven’t found it yet, but it’s worth digging for in there:

Concepts create idols. Only wonder understands anything.

Song of the day, by some trick of my ear:

Gillian Welch, “Annabelle”

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Gorgeous Behavior

One more comment about worldly gain, and then a song. I promise.

A friend from High School is now at the National Review, and wrote this insightful piece about the standards for card playing in the current race. It’s interesting what we choose to get sensitive about, and Palin’s candidacy will give us plenty more time to consider civil discourse. “Restraint means only using three exclamation points.” Hope we don’t get tired of it!

(heh heh heh.)

And, now, as promised, a song.

Marching Band, “Make Up Artist” (my favorite song on the new album is “Gorgeous Behavior”)

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As you said it to the least of these. . .

Now, I can hardly believe a word being said on or about a convention stage in the last two weeks, but I thought this was an interesting response: a call for Christians to stand against Palin’s rhetoric, if not her content.

The Matthew 25 Network includes both shunned Obamacon Roman Catholic Doug Kmiec and ubiquitous new kind of evangelical Brian McLaren. Thes’re interesting folks.

Or, if you like to be more passively politically cynical than legitimately outraged, there’s always the Daily Show (HT Pastor Kes).

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Just Browsing

A few things that have become unnecessary essentials lately:

The Moth podcast
Sound Opinions podcast (you were right, Robby, it’s great)
BetterWorld Books: great selection, free shipping, and they are very conscientious, even towards local libraries.
The Iconogram and Blog Networks Facebook apps: windows into heaven, and into the make-up of the communities behind your favorite blogs.
1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: I got to scan this before sending it off to a lucky winner. If you’re an optimist, there’s also 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
The Freecycle Network: Pass it around
Congresspedia: Real made up stuff about congress
phonezoo: Make your own dang ring tone

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