The truth is not the same without the lies that he made up

In keeping with my unintentional theme of the past few days, I want to recommend the movie Rattle and Hum to anyone who hasn’t seen it.  I watched it last night again.  I’ve probably seen it more than any other movie.  In case you are not familiar with it, it is a concert film capturing U2 during The Joshua Tree tour.

I think many people were turned off by Bono’s bombast when it was released theatrically.  I believe, however, that his swagger and on stage rants make him a good showman.  I can’t get enough of the movie.  If you have any interest in U2 and you haven’t seen the movie, check it out.  U2 really are at their best while in concert.

The Ultimate U2 Playlist

My friend Jason, chief writer and editor over at Bird House, has challenged me, or anyone, to come up with a better U2 playlist than the one he compiled and posted on his blog. His only criteria is that the list be 20 songs or less. When I read this post last night, in which he issues the challenge, I wasn’t that surprised. It seems that, at first without even realizing it, our conversations often, especially after having had a few beers with our college friends, devolve into what our partners, Jennifer and Wendy, affectionately refer to as the list. Essentially, we end up debating the best of nearly anything, almost always it is about something totally subjective and is often about music or pop culture.

All that to say that, since Jason and I are both U2 fans, he sort of threw down the ultimate gauntlet with his challenge. Without further boring explanation, here is my ultimate U2 playlist:

God Part II *

The Fly *

Out of Control

Grace *

The Refugee

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For

A Sort of Homecoming

In a Little While *

Zoo Station

The Playboy Mansion

Acrobat

Mysterious Ways

One Tree Hill

The First Time

Dirty Day

If God Will Send His Angels *

All Because of You

Stay (Faraway So Close) *

Please *

Love Rescue Me

* – Song choices that also appear on Jason’s playlist.  When I read his challenge, I prepared my list before I read his so that I would not be unintentionally or unknowingly influenced.  Considering U2’s large back catalogue, I find it interesting that, in a list of 20, we share 7 choices.

She Travels Outside of Karma

It’s not always a good thing because, sometimes, I just want to hear Gwen Stefani or Alison Goldfrapp singing about absolutely nothing serious to the beat of some programmed, fun beats.  But the thing that I’ve always liked about U2 is that Bono makes me think.  Today, I’ve been thinking about grace and karma.  By a cool twist of circumstance, the song Grace from U2’s album All that you Can’t Leave Behind happened to play when my iPod was on shuffle this afternoon.  Here are some of my favorite lyrics from the song:

Grace, she takes the blame
She covers the shame
Removes the stain
It could be her name
Grace, it’s the name for a girl
It’s also a thought that could change the world

What once was hurt
What once was friction
What left a mark no longer stings
Because Grace makes beauty out of ugly things
Grace finds beauty in everything
Grace finds goodness in everything

Phony

There are so many ways to say it.  Here are a few of my favorites:  spurious, affected, fake, contrived, sham, artificial, fabrication, mock, false.  My absolute favorite, though, is phony.  It is a word that has a meaning to match its pronunciation.  However you choose to describe it, I hate it in movies, more in writing, but most of all in life.  I have no tolerance for those who approach others with false or manipulative intentions.

Afghanistan, the Taliban, and Mandalas

Last week, NPR featured a story about the 1500 year old statues of Buddha that the Taliban destroyed just before they were driven from power in Afghanistan. I remember hearing about the destruction a few years ago, but didn’t realize, at the time, that they were 1500 years old. That is ridiculously old. Afghanistan being a majority Muslim country at the time of the destruction, I suppose the Taliban didn’t consider that the Buddhas had obviously not corrupted their subjects too much.

While I was appalled at the thought of destroying something so old, the story also made me consider the impermanence of existence. I love how Buddhist monks demonstrate that central tenet of Buddhism by spending days or weeks building mandalas and then destroying them. I’m sure that certain Christians would take issue with my embracement of the teaching, but it’s applicability to our daily lives is undeniable, no matter what views we happen to hold about life after our human existence.

After I heard the story on NPR, I intended to write a blog entry about the statues but, until now, just didn’t. Then, this past weekend, I had a dream about Vance, my friend who died earlier this year. It was a happy dream, but unsettling in a way that I couldn’t comprehend at first. In my dream, Vance said that he had come to tell everyone that he is happy and that everything is fine with him. I remember thinking, “This is how those who saw the resurrected Jesus must have felt.” Upon further reflection, though, I think it was more akin to the experience of Lazarus’ friends and family – neither Vance nor Lazarus had any legitimate claim that they were the incarnate God.

I thought it was strange to dream about Vance because I hadn’t thought of him in months. I struggled to think what my subconscious was trying to communicate. Now, I believe that the NPR story about the statues of Buddha impacted me more than I realized. I think, because I never verbalized my thoughts about the statues, that I had internalized the intertwined lesson of the statues and the teaching of impermanence without really considering either. I believe my dream was a not subtle reminder.

Audrey Hepburn and Truman Capote

Last year, I watched Capote with Philip Seymor Hoffman and Catherine Keener, mostly because I really like both actors.  The movie sort of made me want to read In Cold Blood.  I don’t usually like crime related literature, though, so I never read it even after I bought it.  On a bit of a lark last week while at Barnes and Noble, I happened to buy Breakfast at Tiffanny’s.  I’ve never seen the movie, but if it’s half as good as Capote’s novella then I’ll enjoy it.  It’s the first work of his that I have read.  I love his style – it’s taut and spare like Hemingway but without the bravado (fans of both would probably be irked that I compared them).  I’ll probably go back and read In Cold Blood.  Until then, consider this an endorsement of Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Long Hair and Skirts

For some reason, Blogger continues to haunt me, even after I decided to abondon it for my own blogging purposes.  For two days, I’ve been attempting to tell Troy how much I enjoyed his post of yesterday titled Mall Observations but have been unable to get a comment to post on his blog. Anyway, I had never considered the fashion hazards of those women of certain protestant denominations, but I literally laughed out loud when Troy said, “They face some of the same fashion challenges that drag queens do.”  I think I found it hilarious because it’s true and because of Troy’s contrast/comparison of those who are outwardly conservative with those who are outwardly not.

Jay Bakker

I’ve been seeing Jay Bakker, the son of Jim and Tammy Faye, in the news quite a lot lately.  Apparently, a new reality series starring him is about to premiere on Sundance.  From what I know, I really like him.  He, of all people, has some perspective on hypocritical Christianity, and he has some great things to say about it.  This commentary he wrote for CNN.com is great; I agree with him.

To Damian Williams…

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

A Razorback Complaint

While not even close to the same level of importance as my previous post, I find it equally ridiculous that, as reported by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette today, the parents of three freshman football players met last week with Frank Broyles to express concern over the direction of Arkansas Football. Seriously?!? I’ve never liked Houston Nutt’s offensive decisions, but his team won 10 games during the regular season this year, is going to a major bowl game, and has a very good chance of beating #6 Wisconsin in that game. I can’t complain about that, and neither should some freshman football players who think they didn’t get enough playing time, or enough passes, or whatever they are whining about. I say that they should shut up and wait their turn, or transfer.  No one needs complainers like that on a TEAM.

Today’s Outrage

Today, I’m utterly sick of hearing about W seeking the opinions of those both inside and outside his administration to weigh options for a new U.S. strategy in Iraq. Maybe he should have sought varied opinions before he decided to sacrifice nearly 3,000 U.S. service people? That’s not even to mention the deaths of service people from other coalition countries, or the literally hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. But there are so many people, aren’t there? What are few more hundred thousand dead?

If only W had listened to learned people like Brent Scowcroft; people who would have had a voice in most other administrations.

This just in…

If you are like me and can always worry about something utterly out of your control, then check this out.  Lovely predictions, aren’t they?

Roots

I went to a Bar Mitzvah this weekend. It was for the son of a co-worker. If you ever get the opportunity, I highly recommend attending. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, go directly to the Mitzvah.I loved everything about it. I especially loved hearing the Torah recited in Hebrew. Having studied the old Testament quite a lot, I already knew that, when we translate the text into English, a good deal of the poetry is lost. But, when I actually heard it in Hebrew, the poetry was patent in the rhythms and sounds of the words.

I also think that, while keeping the Torah in a scroll is not very practical, the Jewish tradition in that regard does retain a level of honor that Christians sometimes forget. We do believe it is God’s message to humans, after all. I realize that not everyone accepts that as true, and I respect their right to believe what they want. But I sometimes wish those of use who do believe didn’t sometimes treat our Bibles with irreverence.

At Temple B’Nai Israel in Little Rock, the Torah is kept in front of the congregation in a truly beautiful ark behind the podium where the Rabbi speaks. It is quite literally the center of the everyone’s attention. The ark extends from the ceiling to the floor – at least 30 feet. Both the sides are brick, while the front gates are made of iron or some similar metal, welded in a pattern to represent the ten commandments. Above the Torah, inside the ark, is a beautiful stained glass window that reminded me of a colorful sun.

To take the Torah out for services, the iron doors slide to the side. During the Bar Mitzvah, the congregation sang a song in Hebrew while the doors were opened ritualistically and the Rabbi took the Torah from its place of honor. Again, not practical and probably overly religious in practice, but really cool to watch. It reminded me that we ought to honor the very revelation that God has given us.

My other favorite part of the service was near the end when the young man summed up the Bar Mitzvah process with a speech he had written himself. Throughout the service, he was very articulate and he continued the trend in his summary speech. One of the things he discussed was his gratitude to all those who had helped him prepare for the Bar Mitzvah. After he mentioned all the obligatory people (his parents, his family, the rabbi, his religious teacher, his Hebrew teacher) he also thanked his dog by saying, “Marley, you’re an awesome dog. I wish you could be here today.”

This Will Not Stand

Our couch broke yesterday. One of the support beams separated from the frame. In our little corner of Little Rock, it interrupted what was otherwise a lazy, relaxing Sunday.

For those of you who haven’t seen it, I used to think it is a nice couch; it wasn’t cheap. It’s only a couple of years old too. I say that not to brag, but to illustrate why I think it shouldn’t have broken. I would understand it breaking if we abused it or we habitually put abnormal amounts of weight on it. We haven’t and we don’t – usually two people and two dogs, sometimes a cat. Even with the cat, the stupid thing is supposedly designed for three people, much more weight than the two people and two dogs. Given, Zoie could stand to go on a diet. But she and Sadie combined still weigh much less than another person. I’m not happy.

I can’t remember what the warranty period is; I’m fearful that it has already expired. Jennifer and I have both looked in various places throughout the house trying to find the information. We have been unsuccessful so far. Even if the warranty period has expired, I’m of the opinion that the couch broke during what should have been its useful life. I’ll give you an update on how that argument goes with the manufacturer – if I can find the information and figure out who the manufacturer is.

Movies

District B13

A French action movie set in the near future in Paris. In the movie, the French government has built walls around the various suburbs to cordon off the violence and lawlessness prevalent there among the majority immigrant population. The action focuses on an elite military operative who is on a mission in the district known as B13. To help him accomplish his mission, he joins forces with a local bent on revenge against the crime lord who runs the district. I enjoyed it, but it was mostly standard action fare. It did have a lot of kung fu style fighting and a great soundtrack. If you decide to see it, try to get the subtitled version instead of the overdubbed version I watched. I felt as if I was watching an old, overdubbed kung fu movie set in Paris.

Shut Up and Sing

This is the documentary about what the Dixie Chicks experienced after the lead singer, Natalie Maines, said that she was ashamed that W is from Texas. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but then I disapprove of W. I do think that Maines sort of unwittingly made a political statement and didn’t think through the consequences. I also think that, after she made the statement, they should have expected some backlash because, as much as I support her right to speak poorly of the president, I also respect people’s right to react strongly. People acted ridiculously, though. The Chicks received threats against their lives, and were completely banned from most country radio stations. The movie also confirmed to me that there are an incredible and astounding number of stupid people in the United States. Among other gems in the movie, one man, in reaction to Maines’ statement, said something like, “Freedom of speech is fine, as long as you don’t say it in public!”

Breakfast on Pluto

This movie follows the journey of a cross dressing orphan as he attempts to find his mother. It takes place in 1970s Ireland, so the characters’ lives are necessarily intertwined with the so-called Irish troubles. It sounds strange, but I really enjoyed it. Cillian Murphy stars and is supported by Liam Neeson who plays a priest who treats Murphy with kindness. Murphy is perfect as his character grows and refuses, in the face of all types of hardships, to change who he is.

For the Birdman

Today is the birthday of my good friend Jason. If you aren’t familiar with his blog, stop by and tell him happy birthday. He doesn’t update it often, but it’s usually interesting and entertaining when he does.

Happy Birthday Jason! May there be many bottled PBRs and Tarantino films in your near future.

Howl’s Moving Castle

We watched Howl’s Moving Castle last night. I loved it. It’s about how Sophie, the youngish daughter of a hat maker, becomes involved in the affairs of Howl, a wizard who literally lives in a moving castle. The castle is on legs and is roughly shaped like a bird. The animation is astoundingly beautiful. The plot itself is somewhat thin, but, strangely, that was much of the appeal to me. The thin plot allows the director, Hayao Miyazaki, to explore themes like true love, real beauty, freedom, bravado, the horrors of war, and self assurance without getting bogged down in the details of a story. He instead explores them visually and viscerally through the art of animation.

The best example is the ongoing war that is both central to the main character’s lives in that it displaces them from their homes for one reason or another, and not at all important in that their interactions often take place in a manner that scarcely even considers that a war has engulfed their kingdom. Until almost the end of the movie, we are neither told for which side Howl fights – he is required to fight as part of his wizard’s oath – what the names of the kingdoms are, nor, until near the end of the movie, why the war is on. But the warplanes, warships, and bombs are constantly present, usually in the background or far overhead the main characters. Near the end of the movie, as Howl and Sophie are discussing their future, a warship comes into view, overhead and very close. Sophie asks Howl, “Is it ours or theirs?” Howl responds by asking, “Does it matter?”

United 93

This weekend, I watched United 93. When it was released earlier this year, followed by World Trade Center a few months later, I thought that the release of both movies smacked of opportunism and exploitation. As such, I was determined not to watch either movie. As the year progressed and I read more and more positive reviews of United 93, my attitude starting changing a bit about it (but not about the Oliver Stone version of the events). Not long ago, when I read a critic’s list of the top 10 movies for 2006, and found United 93 alongside some other movies that I enjoyed this year, I decided that I would see it sometime. When I was browsing at the movie rental store on Friday, I picked it up. Even after having decided to watch it and actually renting it, I was still tentative and some part of me dreaded watching it.

When I put it in the dvd player, though, my dread immediately faded. I was immediately reminded why I like Paul Greengrass’ directorial style. I first became a fan of Greengrass a few years ago when I saw Bloody Sunday, which is about the massacre of Irish civilians at the hands of British soldiers in the early 1970s. He approached that emotional event with the appropriate amount of stoicism that let the events speak for themselves; he understands that cheesy music and dialogue are not necessary when a script is appropriately spare yet paced well, especially if the events depicted are based in reality. He also filmed Bloody Sunday in way that resulted in a flim that feels almost like watching a documentary. In writing and filming the events that, over the past five years, have, in some way or another, shaped every aspect of our lives, he applied the same techniques. But, in my opinion, he did it more skillfully than with Bloody Sunday.  

All that said, it’s hard to say anything about the movie that you probably haven’t guessed. The reason that, even after I decided to see it, I still dreaded watching it is that I didn’t want to relive that day, especially from the perspective of the people on the United Airlines flight. The only thing I can say is that Greengrass has made an extremely important, and beautiful, film that, in my opinion, should be required viewing for all Americans. It is a wonderful tribute to those passengers on board the flight who, in my opinion, saved the government when the government was too slow or scared, or possibly both, to take action. In that regard, it is also an indictment and critique of a system that failed the passengers on those four planes, the people in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and all of us.