New Media Keeps Rolling

The practice of media conglomeration has been happening for decades. It is a practice that consolidates small companies into one larger company in order to more effectively communicate to the masses. Conglomerates act much like a snowball rolling down a hill. They begin buying up a couple of little companies, and before you know it they own a massive percentage of the market.

For a while, we had regulation, meaning conglomerates were only able to own a certain portion of the media. But in the last few decades the process of deregulation has been taking place. In this process, conglomerates are allowed more and more, until they own up to 90% of the market.

This poses a major problem. It has become very evident through the recent problem with the Writers Guild of America strike. If something happens to several of these big conglomerates, (in this case a strike) the whole system breaks down. This is evident in the state of TV right now. TV is being forced by the writers strike into re-runs and shoddy reality TV, two things that consumeristic America hates. We want new and better content.

This situation happened before, in 1988. When it happened then, the state of TV and Hollywood was wounded beyond repair, with good shows being cancelled permanently, the eventual invention of reality television, and a slump in programming that took years to overcome.

I believe the situation now is quite different however. Whereas in 1988 people had no other options for entertainment than TV and Movies, we now have many new outlets of media to turn to. If we are forced to watch re-runs, we will simply turn to Youtube and watch user created content. The internet and the advent of Web 2.0 leaves us with another, (might I add open and unregulated) outlet for expression and entertainment. Because of this, I predict a genesis for online content, produced not by major conglomerates, but by the consumers themselves. As this genesis continues, these new creators will get better and better at their craft until the point that New Media creators will be on par if not more accessed than the conglomerates themselves.

An example of this is found in Star Wars online Fan Films. If one watched one of these fan films 5 years ago, it was hard not to laugh at the amateur-ness of these endeavors, but today, with the help of lowered technology costs and better equipment as well as more refined skills there are some fan films that even rival the original creation. I think that we can look forward to more of this across the board as the genesis of New Media occurs.

I'm not saying that conglomerates will disappear altogether, but instead that they will be forced to take on new forms and become more liquid as the world around them changes. As the world becomes more of a global village, the voices of the many will outnumber the voices of the powerful few. People now have the ability through technology to be truly equal. In a time like this, it's important that we see that there is a new dawn occurring in media, and it's best that we get on board.

Holden: Life on Comet Road

What do you think of when you hear the word Indie? Maybe a certain fictional movie character comes to mind. Maybe you think of strange films that defy normal convention. Perhaps what comes to mind is mediocre music that wasn't good enough to get the attention of powerful people.

Let's talk about Independent music. Whatever you may think about independent music, throw it out the window. I'd like to introduce you to a band that is truly talented and indie at the same time. They are named Holden, and they are one of the bands that I had the privilege of working with this summer.

This band is a 4 piece set out of Dover, OH and they know how to rock your face off. With riffs that sound epic, and contemplative lyrics about life and all of its intricacies, this is a band that you will want to check out. (Did I mention that they're really cool guys too).

Their music is a perfect example of genre-blending in music. The overall genre of their upcoming album, Life on Comet Road is a pop-punk theme, but throughout the music can be found different musical nuances that showcase the bands diverse tastes in music. In some of the songs, metal like riffs come together seamlessly with the already prominent guitars of the typical pop-punk origins. The way that their melodies are constructed gives off an aura of baroque influence, with the intro track showcasing a mixing of the piano influence of classical and pop rock. When all is said and done, what comes out is a wonderful eclectic mix that is a great listen for anyone, from the casual listener to the musical guru.

You can find out more about Holden by visiting http://www.myspace.com/holdenohio

The Tactics of the Devil. . . .?

NOTE: THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THIS BLOG IS CONTROVERSIAL AND PROVOCATIVE. IF THE SUBJECT OF PORNOGRAPHY TEMPTS or HURTS YOU TO A DEGREE THAT IS NOT HEALTHY, DO NOT READ THIS BLOG.

All cultures have had mass media of some type. Ancient Rome had coins that could communicate the decrees of the emperor and serve as a public mouthpiece. During the Middle Ages, the Church had decrees, written on parchment scrolls that communicated the wishes of the pope. The list goes on and on. In our culture we are especially exposed to media. This is partly because of the nature of capitalism. Everyone wants a voice, and if you have enough money, you can have a voice. We all know what we like. We have our favorite shows, movies, music, news, etc. What we don't know however is how complicated and manipulative the process of getting us to like those shows actually is.


To indicate my point I'd like to use an extreme example. In our age of the internet, it is becoming increasingly more commonplace to hear about people's addictions to pornography. People don't get addicted to pornography overnight. It happens in a gradual cycle. The pornography companies spend millions of dollars researching new ways of making this happen.

1. First they lure you in- People are aware that porn exists. Forms of pornography have existed as long as man has existed in the sin nature. The new way that porn companies are luring customers is through the taste. They will put up "free galleries" for potential customers to view. They appear to be free, not making any money for the companies, but in reality they are raking in the dough. It's a lot like the way drug dealers who offer a "first taste". They know that if they can get you to get that first taste, there's a high likelyhood that you'll come back for more.

2. Then there's the bait- As you delve deeper and deeper into their "free galleries", they use certain techniques to make you want more. They only allow you access to certain things. They only let you see a small amount of the "product", but it's usually enough to get you to want more.

3. Then they catch you- As you become more and more enamored with what they offer, you want more. Eventually you cave in. You pay the subscription fee that allows you access to all of the content on that company's "product". You are now able to see everything that you couldn't see before.

4. Then lastly there's the sinkhole- The companies consolidate. They realize that as you become more and more addicted, you move on to different things. They anticipate those desires and tailor new content in that way. Their products, at first appearing as innocent young girls, eventually start taking more things off, start doing different things. They keep you hooked, all the while paying for their "service". If you get bored with that "product" they will point you in the way of new "entertainment". In this way, they get you to pay for their services. This is how the porn industry has been able to maintain revenues of billions, and they are climbing.

I hope you see how dehumanizing this is. To both parties. The products referred to are women. Women who have been caught in a snare. In a lot of cases, it is nearly impossible to get out of these. They are used, viewed as objects not humans who are loved by God and valued. It is detrimental to the viewer, who becomes a slave to something that he was never intended to become a slave to. Addiction can be a very powerful force, and once you have delved into her ways, it is hard to get out.

But these tactics are not just used in pornography. They are found in virtually all mediums of mass media. Encouraging a pornographic reading of texts that keeps you coming back

and back

and back

for more

and more

.. .. .. .. . .


As a point of discussion, what are some other ways that you think that these tactics are used in other mediums to encourage a viewer's pornographic reading of a certain text?

Matt Brandon Interview

I thought I'd try a different format for this blog. . .

This weekend, I sat down to do an interview with Matt Brandon of Grey Haven Productions, a local recording studio about the effects of new media on independent music.

I have decided to make a podcast style mp3. out of my interview and share it with you all. Hope you enjoy it!

NOTE: I wasn't able to find a player to embed the Mp3 into this blog so unfortunately you will have to download the file here.

The Politics of Production and Fandom

In 1995, one of the greatest games of all time debuted on the SNES. A beautiful storyline surrounding a time traveling main character, a brand new hybrid action adventure-RPG game engine, coupled with beautiful state of the art graphics for its time, Chrono Trigger quickly gained a massive fan base in Japan and subsequently the US. It spurned a sequel for the Playstation in 1999, and a massive online community that still discusses, plays, and makes new content based on the old SNES game.

The team that designed the original game was called the Dream Team. Harnessing five of the best in their field, Chrono Trigger was what some could call a super project. The team consisted of renowned producer Hironobu Sakaguchi along with famed video game composer Nobuo Uematsu, as well as two team members of the already popular Dragon Quest team, Yuuji Horii and Akira Toriyama.

For years, people have talked about remaking this classic game with today's new technology. There have been no official plans to remake the game for a new generation. Having built up such a loyal fan base, it is only natural that those fans would make new content based on the old game. Cue, Chrono Resurrection, a fan based non-profit remake of the original game. They had it in their mind to remake the entire game into 3D for the benefit of the fan community. They released this video:





This was the last video that they ever released, as Square Enix (makers of Chrono Trigger), sent them a cease and desist order. The project was shut down and all of the work that had been completed for this project was done for nothing more than a good looking video. In the end, the big media corporation had the final say, and the copyright stood.

This is a good example of how all productions of texts have political aspects to them. Square-Enix could have chosen to not sue them, hoping that the fan project would generate good publicity for their newly merged company (Squaresoft and Enix merged on April 1st, 2003). Instead they chose to protect their intellectual property rights of Chrono Trigger and shut down the project. This is an example of how copyright law is used and also how fans can sometimes do illegal things without knowing it. Copyright is definitely a very sticky issue.

Faceporn

Many of you may be aware of a little cultural phenomenon. This little phenomenon is a very good tool that allows us to communicate with and keep in touch with friends far away. It allows us to affilitate with each other in "groups" and to share our lives with each other through posting pictures and profiles that tell people more about us. This same good phenomenon can also be corrupted, just like anything else in this world, and become something bad, something pornographic.

This "little cultural" phenomenon that I speak of is of course:

Facebook!

Let me clarify what I just said. I am not saying that Facebook is bad. Facebook can be a very good thing, (as I evidenced above), but taken in the wrong context, it can become perverted, self centered, and a drug/ something that we do to get out "fix". When it comes to this point, Facebook use becomes pornographic.

The reality is that porn as we know it, is not really pornography. The way that we view that porn can make it pornography. Pornography is a perversion of a very good thing. In terms of sex, porn takes something that is, in the words of Andrew Rudd, "very emotional, relational, awkward, and messy" and removes all of those things leaving us with an empty shell that we can use to "get off".

So really, porn is anything that divorces us from the need for real relationships and allows us to distance ourselves from them. At the same time, it is an external abberation that allows us to "get our jollies off". It takes the place of a good urge that has been instilled in us by our creator and replaces it with a lonely and empy, but yet strangely pleasurable shell of that good thing.

Facebook can become porn in these ways:

1. When it is used suppress boredom- I know that I have been guilty of this as have many people. We are bored. So we get on Facebook. And then we stay on Facebook, for hours, and hours, and hours, and hours, and . . . I think you get the point. Our whole purpose of being on Facebook is not to socially connect with other human beings, it is to suppress our boredom. Just like people can turn to drugs, sex/pornography, alcohol, so also people can turn to Facebook to suppress boredom and escape reality. We can use Facebook to numb the ebbing of time and the consequences therfore of boredom.

2. When it is used as our only social context for relationships- We all know them. Our Facebook friends. The people who will talk back and forth to you on your wall, will reply to your notes, comment on your pictures, but never even say "hi" to you or give you the time of day in real life. When we write on someone's walls without intention of really caring about that person or finding out how they are and investing in their life, we're using it as a pornographic tool. We don't care about that person, we care that we made the effort and it makes us feel good. We're using it to elevate ourselves to elitism. It's like those people who get into social activism to "help people" but are really doing it as a feel good fix.

3. When we use it to assert our supremacy- I know that I have done this before as have many others. We write a note in order to "get out opinion out there". When someone comments back to us with a different view, we feel the need to "correct them." We may even pretend that their opinion changes ours, and feign the attitude that we care. This attitude of elitism is a pornographic use of Facebook. While we wouldn't dare assert our arrogance in this way in a normal cultural setting, Facebook gives us the perfect place. Safe, and divorced from the consequences of relationship. This is the same reason that a lot of people write books. To prove that they're right and that other people are wrong. (*cough* John Macarthur *cough*) When we use a tool to escape the consequences, the messiness, the awkwardness of dialogue in relationships, our use of that tool becomes pornographic.

I am not saying that there is even a limit as to how much people should use Facebook. That line can and should be drawn by the individual and not by a community of faith. I am saying however that we should evaluate our use of not just Facebook, but all texts, to see if we are using them pornographically. Are we using them in place of our relationships with others and with God? Is our use of these tools spurned out of a longing, but distancing from God? If so, we should try to cut out our pornographic use of texts and attempt to get back to right uses of these texts and to our relationships to God and to others.

Cosplay

You may see these people and think of them as strange. They're avid Japanese fans of one of my favorite games of all time, Final Fantasy. They are in what the Japanese call cosplay.

In Japan video games are HUGE. They are a lot more than mindless delusions to people in that culture, they are actually an intregal part of their society. Fans can often be found, just like some Star Trek fans, dressing up in authentic garb of their favorite characters. They go to conventions. They act out favorite scenes. It is very interesting to watch actually.

Some may view fandom as a lonely diversion to escape reality, or even as idolatry. I would argue however that fandom is actually very healthy because it fosters community and friendship through a common bond. Cosplay events foster playfullness long lost in Japanese adults and seek to connect people with one another; people who would have otherwise never talked to each other. And in a culture with the highest suicide/depression rate in the world (Japan) I hardly think that is such a bad thing. That's just my opinion though. . .

Long Live Family Guy

One of my favorite media texts (ie TV shows) is the oh-so-beloved-and-witty Family Guy. This show is a beautiful synthesis of a classic cartoon and an adult comedy. Family Guy is a rare cartoon genre program that finds itself able to comment on pop culture using a medium of sarcastic comedy. It seems to connect beautifully with it's fan though its use of current topics from pop culture and the news.

Family Guy is also a perfect example of how different people view different things in different ways. Take, for instance, this clip:



An artist/critic might see this clip and think to him/herself: "Hmm. . . while this may not be very tasteful to some in the public, I can see how it is able to artistically represent a real situation that many lonely people actually experience. It connects well with the culture."

The fan will think either: "I don't find this tasteful. I'm going to change the channel," or "Haha! That is hilarious!"

The producer will be thinking: "If we air this segment, we might lose revenue because many people might find this offensive. We should probably stick to the safe side of the street and ask the writers to cut it."

Politics of Production

I found this video to be very informative in relation to the crisis current set before us. For those of you who watched the movie and didn't have a clue what the people in it were talking about, here's a heads up. Right now, there is a strike going on that has been orchestrated by the Writer's Guild of America. This event is HUGE. Virtually all of the major film and television industryis affected, as are you, the consumer of that television and films.With the writers for favorite shows like Heroes, Lost, Family Guy, NCIS, CSI: Miami, 24, Stargate Atlantis, The Big Bang Theory, and virtually every show and movie on air stalled in production this could have major implications for society as a whole.

People will be out of many jobs for possibly a very long period of time.

The economy of the nation's second largest city, Los Angeles (which relies on the entertainment industry to fuel it's growth and tax revenue) is in major trouble if the strike lasts much longer.

Popular programming may never come back on air.

Reality TV, which requires no writers will most likely replace many television shows.

The internet will most likely grow in popularity for meeting the entertainment needs of consumers.

This situation is a perfect example of the politics of production. Often we, as consumers, take for granted all of the people that put their time and effort into a show before it ever reaches us. Some statistics that I found were especially interesting about this whole crisis:

On average, for a show with 14-15 writers there will be anywhere between 120 and 200 people below them including everything from cameramen, to makeup, to dressing room attendants. These people are now out of a job.

While there is a tendency to believe that everyone in Hollywood is rich, that is far from the truth. Because of political reasons, a majority of the people working on an average Hollywood set are low-middle income earners who are now out of a job and not able to provide for their families.

Writers, who are essentially the ones who create the show and script all of the lines and such, only receive 4 cents on every average DVD cost, which is near 22 dollars. That means that on average, on every DVD that is sold, the writers will only receive 4 cents while the studio profits 2198 cents for a DVD that costs 60 cents to produce. They are asking for 8 cents.

Writers currently get a grand total of 0 cents whenever their shows are played online (while networks make major dollars from ad sales.

In short, while we take our entertainment for granted, consuming endless ammounts of it, there are a lot of politics involved; politics that can get very very messy at times. A scary reality is that while we see celebrities and almost anyone who works in Hollywood as giant, rich, and almost inhuman, Hollywood is made up of people, who have very real jobs, families, houses, cars, and lives. Because of the politics of production in the movie/TV industry, potentially hundreds of people will be out of jobs, lost families, cars, houses, and lives. This is the reality of Hollywood. Chew on that CNN. . .

Beatlemania

One of the most influential bands of the 20th century is The Beatles. Recently, I was listening to the One album. . . I was blown away. It very much sounded like a totally new album. . . almost as if I was hearing this wonderful music for the first time. I think it was a true representation of the original intention of the songs. Here is one of my favorite shots of the band taken in Paris in the early years:


As you can probably tell. . . I am a Beatles fan! I am not mentally deficient, nor am I severely lonely. I personally think that fandom can be one of the most beneficial things ever devised by mankind. One of the things that humans do best is attempt to escape reality. We do it through a number of things. Some do it through drinking, drugs, sleeping, books, music, movies, games, etc. We all have something that we use to escape.

The beautiful thing that fandom allows us, is that we can do all of those escapist things in a community. In Genesis God saw that it wasn't good that Adam was alone. That very fact emphasizes that people need other people. That is the way that God has made us. Fandom allows us to do that. By coming together over a common passion, people come closer to each other and therefore, I believe, closer to God.

In the words of the Beatles:
"Come together right now over me!"

Education in the 21st Century

Check out this video: //A Vision of Students Today//

I found this video very insightful into how ways of thinking in the academic world are changing as the internet filters into our society. Some of these statements are definitely true about me. I think that while adults tend to often talk about how much more lazy and stupid their kids are, the oposite is actually true. The truth is, the traditional structure of the classroom bores us. It's not all our fault. It's not that we're not disciplined, we just live in a different world than that of our parents. Back when our parents were students, the only real mass media tool used in the classroom was the book, which was hardly a new invention (the first mass printed book appeared in the 1500s).

Our society is changing.

The younger generation, due to the effects of mass media and the pressures of society in general, is a new breed. We often prefer to multi-task. We have been so over-saturated by media that we refuse to give into mantras and propaganda; We are experts at spotting it, as are we cynics. We learn in a plugged in world, and yet we are more alone than ever. We are very pluralistic beings, accepting many different viewpoints, seemingly in contradiction to each other (you judge for yourself whether that is good or bad.)

Why are we still using outdated methods, outdated material, and outdated machinery in our classrooms? Technology isn't something to be afraid of, but instead something to be utilized.

I think the message of this movie is //

Our world has changed, shouldn't our education?

Red, Red, Everywhere!!!!

The color red has become a very highly used sign in our world. You see it everywhere, meaning a host of different things.

Here are some denotative meanings:
It is the color of a tomato
It can be the color of a car
It is the color of the Chinese national flag
It is the color of blood
It is sometimes the color of a rose

Some Connotative meanings
It can be a symbol for power (ie. The red carpet)
It can mean love
It can mean fiery passion
It can be associated with certain political parties
It means stop when seen on a light hanging over an intersection.
It means danger when seen on a flashing light.
It can be associated to communist countries (ie. Soviet, Vietnamese, and Chinese flags)

One specific connotative meaning has seen much slippage over the years. In the area of political parties, Red has not always been associated with the Republican party. The idea of associating color with a political party didn't even originate until the 1950s when it was used for a series of Historical Atlases.

Then, when major news networks began using color to characterize political affiliation during elections, the original color scheme was different for different networks. NBC used blue to represent Republicans and red to represent Democrats. CBS used the opposite colorscheme, while ABC used yellow and blue.

All of this changed in 2000 when all major media networks used the same color scheme to represent the parties. This scheme (which is familiar to the American public today is red for republicans and blue for democrats. So slippage has occured in the meaning of red as applied to politics.

The Diagesis of Conan O'brien

Late Night with Conan O'brien is one of my favorite shows to watch in the whole wide world. For a long time, until school began to catch up with me, I made it a habit of watching the show almost every night. Every time this red-headed host comes out from behind the Blue curtain with his signature quirky dance and hair flip, I am already laughing, even though I have seen it many many times in the past. Well anyways, I digress. In this blog I want to take a look at the diagetical world of Late Night with Conan O'brien.

1. The Timing of the Show- not everyone may know this, but while Late Night and other closely related late night talk shows seem to be broadcast live, they are not. In reality, the show is filmed about 4 oclock in a dark room deep within the massive building that is the headquarters of NBC in New York City. In real life, when the show cuts to a commercial, everything doesn't cease. Instead, the part that the directors choose not to show you is how during the commercial breaks Conan talks to guests, reviews lines, and the how the audience relaxes. All these elements serve to create a diagetical time frame for the show. This leads me into my next point.

2. The Props and backgrounds- There are many ways that props act to create a diageticial world for the Late Night show. One way is through the use of a painted drapery of New York City which hangs behind Conan's Desk. We all know that the city doesn't really look cartoony or folded (as is evidenced by the nature of the drapery). Also, some of the props, such as the theater style entrance way, microphone on Conan's desk, and coffee mugs all serve to give the diageticial world of Late Night with Conan O'brien appeal. The microphone (as Conan has pointed out numerous times) doesn't actually work. The theater style entrance is nothing more than a set piece that gives the illusion of a massive stage, and the coffee cups serve to make the diagetical world closer to a "real life" talk show or news room. All of these things serve to shape the diagesis of the show.

3. The Guests- The guests on the show all seem to be on to have a casual chat with Conan. They come on waving to the audience, smiling and pretending (if not really having) a good time. In reality, the guests on the show have been specially chosen to appear with one sole purpose in mind: to plug something that they have been involved in. The goal of an actor or actress is to get people to go see his or her movie. For a musician, it's to get the audience to buy their album. For the Broadway star, to get their shows' rating up so that they can win a Tony Award.

3. The audience- Another thing that is not consistent in reality but is portrayed in the diagetical reality of the show is the size of the audience. If you have ever been in a taped show, you will know that the audience seating is in actuality very small. On the show, however, the audience looks like a massive theater full of people. This idea is accomplished through clever camera work and sound bites that are used over top of the the real audience to give it a "bigger feel." Also, often shows such as this one will use cue cards for the audience for when they should laugh, awe, or make other noises. Another thing, is that Conan often uses satire in his use of cheesy, unbelievable skits that involve "audience members" who are very obviously, in reality, members of his cast. All these things serve to create the diagesis of the world that is Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

Even though I now notice these pieces at play and can recognize that Late Night with Conan O'Brien is not reality, but instead a diagesis, I still thoroughly enjoy watching it. Every day is a new adventure and every new guest brings new insights into a world that is ever expanding as media becomes more complex and more and more stars and starlets rise and fade away. It is kind of my way of keeping in touch with what is happening with popular culture, and I like it very much.

Across the Universe

"I get by with a little help from my friends."
"When I get to the bottom, I go back to the top."

Do you recognize these phrases? I'll give you a hint. They're lyrics. Need another hint? Ok, well they're from a band that is unarguably the biggest band to ever hit stateside. Still don't know? Well, The Beatles of course! Recently these classic songs have been remixed and put into a movie musical in the form of Across the Universe. I personally saw this movie twice already and thought it was a beautiful, haunting, and at the same time disturbing picture of the 1960's.

Across the Universe uses several elements in order to capture the emotionally charged "magic" that is so well exudes:

1. Camera Angles- this movie makes wonderful use of camera angles to portray emotion. I noticed a lot of closeups, which portrayed the joy, depression, and angst of the character in a way that was relative to the audience. In several scenes, wide shots are used to portray the size of New York City (where most of the movie takes place.) The opening shot establishes a lonely scene with the main character (Jude) sitting alone on a beach, with waves crashing in on him in the background. This depressed emotion is conveyed through use of the wide shot, and then a zooming in to establish an eventual closeup.

2. Symbols- The movie is chalked full of symbols. One major distinguishing feature of this movie is what some would call its "artsy-ness." The point of the show is established through its use of colors and extreme characters. In one scene, a group of soldiers are seen trampling over a miniature jungle set while carrying a large model of the statue of liberty on their shoulders. While they are doing this, they are singing "She's so heavy!" All of this portrays the feelings of many Americans about the Vietnam War. In another picture, the main female character's brother walks into the Army recruitment center for a draft summons. Upon entering the room, a large picture of Uncle Sam on the wall comes to life and points at him, all the while singing "I want you, I want you so bad. I want yo-oo-oo-oo-ou. I want you so bad it's driving me mad. Continuing in the scene, the picture of soldiers is dramatized as the soldiers in the building are made to look like the wartime pictures, with plastic faces, chiseled jaws, massively wide eyes, and all the same. There are also some drug trip scenes that are of particular interest and/or will leave you saying you yourself, "What just happened."

3. Montage- several times throughout the movie a montage is used to show an overarching picture and historical events condensed into a short sequence of pictures and movie clips. One notable montage takes place in the very beginning of the movie. While one of the most angst driven songs by The Beatles (Helter Skelter) is playing, newspaper clippings and short shots of characters in dramatic positions is shown, giving an overarching picture of the story even before the movie has hardly begun. Another notable montage is near the middle of the movie. A psychedelic writer appears on the scene (played by no other than Bono!!) He is promising everyone that if they come with him on his bus, they will be enlightened among other things. This leads into a drug trip sequence where the film uses an interesting Photoshop-esque element making the colors act crazy in order to simulate a drug trip on film. An entire week long period is condensed into about 4 minutes, as the main characters are whisked away from New York to the palace of a 60's New Age guru. In the end, the montage ends as the bus drives away, leaving the main characters trapped in the middle of nowhere with no transportation. (It makes for an interesting visual experience.)

Overall, I found this movie to be amazing and would recommend it to anyone. It portrays the music of The Beatles in a way that is illuminated in light of the historical and psychological context of the chaos of the 1960s. It is sure to make you think and is not a movie to miss. So in a word (or three to be exact):

GO SEE IT!!!

Dogme 95

Dogme 95 is a very interesting concept for me. Being the heavy media user that I am, I have been exposed to much of the media world and often get bored with everything mainstream because I have seen it hashed and rehashed numerous times. So, when I read about Dogme 95, I was naturally intrigued.
At first, the idea seemed like an excuse to make cheap indie films an accepted artform, but at I read on, I found that it is much more than that. The idea of Dogme 95 is to revitalize the idea that storytelling is central to the art of film. Dogme 95 has several specific rules that any dogme film must maintain in order to be considered dogme. Wikipedia states that:

1. Filming must be done on location. Props and sets must not be brought in (if a particular prop is necessary for the story, a location must be chosen where this prop is to be found).
2. The sound must never be produced apart from the images or vice versa. (Music must not be used unless it occurs within the scene being filmed, i.e., diegetic).
3. The camera must be a hand-held camera. Any movement or immobility attainable in the hand is permitted. (The film must not take place where the camera is standing; filming must take place where the action takes place.)
4. The film must be in colour. Special lighting is not acceptable. (If there is too little light for exposure the scene must be cut or a single lamp be attached to the camera).
5. Optical work and filters are forbidden.
6. The film must not contain superficial action. (Murders, weapons, etc. must not occur.)
7. Temporal and geographical alienation are forbidden. (That is to say that the film takes place here and now.)
8. Genre movies are not acceptable.
9. The final picture must be transferred to the Academy 35mm film, with an aspect ratio of 4:3, that is, not widescreen. (Originally, the requirement was that the film had to be filmed on Academy 35mm film, but the rule was relaxed to allow low-budget productions.)
10. The director must not be credited.

I was able to find one of the movies on Youtube and was intrigued. Usually when I watch a Youtube video, I am looking at the time to see how much longer the movie is, but with Dogme 95, I was sucked into and pulled along by the storyline. The movie that I watched surrounded around two friends and a phone call. One friend is depressed because he cannot perform sexually and cannot get a girl (yes I know it is not Malopriate, Oh well. . . It's reality) During the conversation when the 1st character is outlining how he will commit suicide because of his sexual frustration, the other character gets a strange phone call from a girl he's never met telling him to come to a hotel room because apparently her boyfriend had just cheated on her with his (nonexistent) girlfriend.
He shows up, only to find out that the girl was just a lonely runaway that dialed a random number and tried to get someone to talk to. In the end, Friend #1 calls Friend #2 and gets him to come and meet this girl.
I was surprised how enthralling this movie way. The artificial rules imposed on this independent means of film making made this movie a good diversion from the monotonous re-hashings seen on the silver screen. I think that from now on I shall follow the new film medium called Dogme 95 much more closely. . .

Smoking Kills? Whudafxup. . .

"Hi. My name is Ben and I am a heavy user."
"Hi Ben."
Ok, so that was a little cheesy. . . oh well. . . After much evaluation, I have discovered that I am what media experts such as the most revered Dr. Andrew Rudd have described as a heavy user. I spend a lot of time watching t.v. every day. Maybe it's because I'm lazy; maybe I'm just bored far too often. Either way, I am well acquainted with the television unit. Just as I am acquainted with shows such as Heroes, 24, The Big Bang Theory, Seinfeld, and Conan Obrien, I have much knowledge in the wide world of advertisements.
One particular slew of advertisements that have captured my attention (and subsequent annoyance) are the "truth" campaigns by a group called Whudafxup. These commercials present "facts" about the tobacco industry that are done in a way that people are prone to listen to and accept.
First off, the commercials use a film format that suggests that they know what they are talking about. This format is one of a documentary. It consists entirely of a shoulder camera following around a "learned" informer named Derrek. While the camera man is following Derrek through random places in America, Derrek recites lots of "facts" about smoking and tobacco companies that paint all tobacco companies as evil enterprises spurned from Satan himself. Throughout the commercial, the camera angles are extreme. They use closeups on the speaker and interviewees to show their innocence and goodness. Then, there are the evil corporations. By using long shots of buildings and other inanimate objects, they project tobacco companies as inhuman, evil institutions bent on destroying the world. They rely on shock tactics that present studies and memos from three decades ago as if they were written yesterday. The real life feel and authoritative nature of the commercials further the image by presenting the Truth logo at the beginning and end of the commercial in bright orange letters, thus painting the picture that tobacco companies really are evil and run by the prince of darkness himself.
This show propagates a very populist philosophy. It says to its viewers, "the institution is evil. We have to get a grassroots effort out there to stop this evil from propagating further. We, not big corporations are the power." It also relies heavily on a derivative of the magic silver bullet theory, by coming up with statistics to fit their desires. A lot of times their metaphors and examples are stretched and taken out of context. Every commercial is filled with "facts" that are decades old. Still though, they get the point across.
We all know that cigarettes are bad for us, but I wish that Whudafxup would just shut the fx up. (No the letters fx in their slogan do not mean effects either.) I don't know one person who has seen their ads and said to themselves, "wow these things really are bad for me. I'm never doing this again." I would say that overall, while these pictures have been very successful in getting the word out there, they are no longer effective, and are just annoying people. It's time that the Truth campaign goes cool hunting so that they can find more effective ways of reaching people with the real truth that smoking kills.

Genre(ization)

Rock
Pop/Rock
Piano Rock
Glam Rock
Metal
Hair Metal
Metalcore
Hardcore
Country
Bluegrass
Classical
Baroque
Gregorian Chants
Deathcore
Grindcore
Happy Hardcore
Nintendocore
Transcore
Industrial
Alternative
Experimental
Ambient
Death Metal
Pop
Power Pop
J-Pop
Trance
Techno
Electronica
Classic Rock
World
Reggae
Polka
Rap
Hip Hop
R&B
Screamo
Emo
Emocore
Indie
Jazz
Blues
80's Pop
Disco
Hard Rock

Rock
Classic Rock
Hard Rock
Rock
Pop/Rock
Piano Rock
Glam Rock

Pop
Mainstream Pop
Power Pop
J-Pop
80's Pop
Disco

Country
Country
Bluegrass

Classical
Opera
Classical
Baroque
Gregorian Chants

Alternative
Emo
Trance
Techno
Electronica
Alternative
Experimental
Ambient
Indie

Metal
Emocore
Screamo
Death Metal
Deathcore
Grindcore
Happy Hardcore
Nintendocore
Transcore
Industrial
Metal
Hair Metal
Metalcore
Hardcore

Jazz
Jazz
Blues

Hip Hop
Rap
Hip Hop
R&B

World
World
Reggae
Polka
Asian

I found that it was hard to classify things into categories. A lot of these more specified genres had roots in more than one category. Also, classifying music into genre is something that not everyone will agree on. For instance, while some may differentiate between happy hardcore and nintendocore, others may choose to lump them into one genre. Others still would define all of the ____cores as hardcore. Again, it depends on the individual communities classifying the music as to what it's genre will be. I found that the classifications, while easy to understand do not fully articulate the music. It seems to me that the best way to experience music would be to simply try all things and see if you like it.

SCAPEGOAT

In a recent class, we discussed a historical phenomenon called the Payne Fund studies. The Payne Fund Studies were directed to find out if children and teens were affected in a negative way by movies that were coming out at the turn of the century. The study was very obviously biased towards an answer that would accommodate people of this position, yet it did not appear to be so to a majority of the population. As a result, a large percentage thought that the movies influenced the youth in a direct and negative way.

The magic silver bullet theory developed as a result of these findings. The Magic Silver Bullet Theory is a a way of thinking of media that is a common cultural perspective that many people attribute to the Payne Fund Studies. It says that media is powerful; it's effects are uniform; and works in an immediate way. It seems to me that this view, however flawed and un-erudite it may be, still pervades our culture in its views of media.

A perfect example would be a political incident that happened in 1993 which still has ramifications today. In 1993 a video game called Mortal Kombat. By todays standards, this game was far from the bloody, gory, "evil" game that it was proclaimed by the older media to be. Bedlem them ensued. Studies came out claiming to prove a link between video game violence and real world violence. (These studies have since been discredited). One specific senator, Joe Lieberman, spoke out vehemently, not just against Mortal Kombat, but against ALL video games in general. As a result, legislation was passed to put a rating system in place that would let parents know by content what their children were playing. Several years later, it would be this very man who would lobby for a mandatory age restriction on M (Mature) rated games. This passed, but the constitutionality of this legislation is still under much scrutiny. To this day, there are still several controversies surrounding video games a year. The most recent would be the Grand Theft Auto controversy, where many religious conservative groups called for a total ban on the game. Greece even passed a law outlawing all video games (even though it only lasted for several weeks before it was repealed by one of the countries high courts.)

The problem with this theory is that it is inherently wrong. The original study conducted by the Payne Fund set out to prove a point. They did not use any true or accurate science, and I would go so far as to say that every "study" claiming to link real life behavior to video games will always be flawed. Scientific analysis leaves out a key component that cannot be classified in any sociological study. That component is the free will of man to choose his actions. The school shootings that were blamed on games like DOOM and GTA were not the fault of these video games, it was the fault of the people who shot the guns. I believe that regardless of whether they were to play these video games or not, they still would have commited these crimes, because all man has a sin nature. We are human. We are above our creations. So let's stop blaming our creations on our problems. It is time that people start blaming themselves, and not looking for a scapegoat to their problems. Because, remember, like the Movies of so long ago, standards will continue to change. Movies will always seem to be more Moral in the "good ol' days" than today. That won't change

But perhaps, just maybe, we can learn to change our sociological views of the media that we make that surrounds us. . .

Aida

I have recently had the deepest pleasure of being in the Massillon production of Aida. For those of you who don't know, Aida is a Broadway play written by Elton John and Tim Rice. It is superb in every fashion, from the story about a love affair between a Nubian slave and Egyptian prince, to the wonderful music written by the flamboyant king of piano pop music himself. The show is being sponsored by Rivertree Christian Church and directed by Broadway actor/director Jon Tisevich. It opens on October 12th and runs for 2 weekends. . . *cough* you should all come out and see it *cough!* Anyways, enough personal banter, on to the show!

I have noticed some very interesting things having to do with semiotics at work in both the cast of Aida and also the musical itself. First off, I guess I'll address interesting semiotic understandings at work in the cast of Aida.

1. The musical backgrounds of the cast- while Aida features primarily gospel music with a couple of pop rock songs thrown in, the cast brings to the table a vast range of different musical tastes and understandings. We did an exercise as a cast when we began our time together in which we got to know each other's musical backgrounds. A good way of understanding it according to the study of semiotics would be that all of the people in the cast come from different musical affinity groups. Some belong to the Rock affinity group, while others still belong to the hip hop affinity group. Our lead character, Aida (played by a woman named Joy) belongs almost entirely to the Gospel affinity group. One girl belongs to the 70's Hair Rock affinity group, while another girl belongs to the Reggae affinity group. All of these affinity groups fall under the larger semiotic domain of music. They use the signs and symbols, language and methods of music. The various different design grammars, while conflictive in nature, act to give the cast a unique view on the show and make it the spectacular production that it is.

2. The different cultural understandings of music, emotion, and expression- I have also noticed that people in the cast have different understandings of the world based on the cultures in which they have been raised. We have a very culturally diverse group. There are Irish, English, Russian, Czech, German, as well as African American heritage. These two groups (Caucasian and African American) each have a very different understanding of the world around them. I personally have noticed that when people are stressed, it is much more obvious to see that an African American girl named Gia is much more visible than a Caucasian girl named Jane. This comes partially from the different understandings of expressing ones feelings and emotions. In the Caucasian affinity group, often children are more encouraged to hold their feelings in. The Caucasian/European culture is a very reserved one, while the African American affinity group is a very open and expressive group.This is evident in how we have sang, in the movements and facial expressions, and also in the basic every day reactions to practice.

Now on to the show itself.

1. The mixing of musical genres- Within Aida, as i've touched on very briefly earlier on, there are different musical genres at work. While the play is overtly Gospel in nature, there are many elements of Rock, Pop, African Tribal, and Arabic influences within the music. For instance, while Gods of Nubia is a very straightforward Gospel song, the prelude that leads up to it has many middle eastern/Arabic elements to it. This seamless integration of musical genres can be known as hybridity. It is very interesting to see how this is put into play in Aida.

2. How different historical cultural values are related to modern understandings- In Aida, the song Gods of Nubia, the lyrics are polytheistic in nature. The lyrics state, "The gods love Nubia, their beautiful creation. Their songs roll sweetly across the harvest plain." The interesting thing here is that this polytheistic understanding is expressed in a very monotheistic way, describing the gods in a way that would never be understood or communicated in historic Egyptian culture, but instead in a modern way like the one that Judeo/Christianity describes the monotheistic God.

These things were very interesting to me, I look forward to seeing how the show plays out. Again, shamelessly I must state, YOU MUST COME SEE THIS PLAY

Massilon Lincoln Theatre
October 12-14, 19-21

Hope to see you there!

P.S. Look for these interesting semiotic objects at play in the musical! It will liven up your mind!

Horror anyone?

Yesterday I got the chance to watch Vacancy with my girlfriend. Vacancy is a new horror movie about a couple going through marriage trouble who get stranded in a dead end town with nowhere to go. The characters, having exhausted all other options, decide to stay at a rundown motel which will prove to be a huge mistake. After some creepy door knocking and a tape, that shows people being murdered in the room in which they are staying, the couple realize their mistake. The rest of the movie surrounds around their attempt to stay alive through a slew of onslaughts by crazed maniacs bent on murder and mayhem. In the end (yes I will give away the ending, since I really wouldn't advise seeing this movie in the first place), the husband fakes his death, the wife kills all of the bad guys, everyone else is dead, and they walk into the sunset together, having worked through their marriage problems.

While the movie has its moments of fright, it seemed to come across as a big budget attempt to exhaust nearly every cliche known to the horror genre.

I noticed things by watching this movie. First, I think that I have watched enough horror movies by now to be able to say that I am well acquainted with them. I could probably claim to be apart of, if not just associated to, this affinity group. A person who had never seen a horror movie would have never have noticed the things which I noticed, which made the movie very cliche and mundane in my eyes. They would have perhaps seen this movie as a scary representation of reality. This made me realize how affinity groups have specific definitions for excellence.

Within the horror genre, it is expected for a horror movie to be truly influential, it must push the boundaries. It must be original. Originality is apart of all great horror movies. The Exorcist was the first major picture to explore the paranormal world of demon possession; Chucky was the first to explore the fear of inanimate objects taking on life in its purely evil form; The great Alfred Hitchcock film The Birds was the first to play on the human fear of wild animals. All of these movies had something that made them unique; something that set them apart from the rest, and thus, made them scary in relation to all other competing horror movies. Originality is what made these movies truly excellent in the eyes of the horror movie affinity group.

In order to understand why this movie was so cliche, you must first understand a recent trend in horror movies. There have been several movies as of late that have played on the very fear that this movie exploits. In fact there have been SO many movies as of late that it has, in my not so humble opinion, killed this plot line. Last years Hostel surrounded around a creepy hostel where travelers come for rest and never end up leaving. The successful Saw I, II, III, and soon to be IV have all played on the fears of being stuck in a place of horror where they are forced to kill each other to survive. These movies have single handedly exhausted exhausted the "let's get stranded in a creepy place where everyone tries to kill us," sub-genre of horror. Perhaps, if this movie had come along 10 years earlier, it would have been received better. Instead it is reserved to be a dollar theatre movie at best.

I also noticed a plot line in this movie that is a typical myth of society. The myth of the value of a challenge is very prevalent in this movie. The couple faced insurmountable odds (almost TOO insurmountable and perfectly crafted in most places). Their marriage is failing and they are stranded in the the middle of nowhere, with the added fact that everyone is trying to kill them. They overcome these odds, piece back together their marriage, kill the bad-guys, save the good-guys, and walk off into the sunset; having learned never to stay in a crappy motel again and to never go off the beaten path.

Overall, I learned a lot of things by observing this movie, but still found it mundane, overproduced, and cliche. I would give it a C- in rating, and would not recommend it to anyone who knows horror movies and wants something new and origial. That is something Vacancy is not, new and original.

Chris Crocker

If any of you have been following late night talk shows lately, you might have seen some type of stint about a man named Chris Crocker. As I was watching Jimmy Kimmel Live on Youtube yesterday, I came across this very "interesting" character. Chris is a gay man who makes videos about celebrities, his feelings, and his very obvious identity crisis. He is often very real about his feeling on himself, society, and others (albeit oftentimes delusional feelings). Most recently he has come into the popular media limelight with his rant about how the media should leave Brittney Spears alone. In this very popular Youtube video, Chris is seen crying hysterically and shouting profanities at paparazzi. While I am not personally a supporter of Chris' lifestyle and his gay pride, I do find myself sympathizing and seeing his point on some issues. This is one of the beauties of internet celebrity. It can bring down barriers of communication and understanding.

I see Chris as a perfect example of the diversion of public media from major corporations to society in general. The opening of media channels to the everyday person has helped to reshape the American dream and perpetuate the American Idol syndrome throughout our society. Whereas, five years ago, the only way that anyone could be famous was through major media conglomerates, now anyone with a web cam and internet access can become an overnight sensation. We, as a society, are coming to use the internet as our primary source of community, celebrity and news. TV shows are online; News can be found on demand online. Blogs are becoming an increasingly mainstream medium of communication, in some circles replacing objective news in its entirety.

I look on this whole phenomenon with apathy. I don't really think it's a bad thing necessarily. We are becoming more connected in some ways to others in our society. The internet has opened up modes of communication that can allow us to carry on a meaningful relationship with someone 3000 miles away. It has allowed everyone to have a voice and contribute to the betterment of society. At the same time, the internet can be a very bad tool. Internet pornography has become a $4 billion dollar industry, further enslaving many men and even women to it's very accessible alluring attributes. Internet theft is a very large problem, destroying lives for the sake of personal gain.

Overall, I think that the dissemination of power from corporations to society is a good thing. While there is a lot of crap being made by people, it has also served to expose very talented people to the public who would never have a voice otherwise. People, like Chris Crocker.

Take the 3:10 to Yuma

On Sunday I finally got a chance to see 3:10 to Yuma. This wonderfully made western movie brought to mind the classic John Wayne movies that characterized the American West in my father's day. I was quite surprised as to how true it really was to the genre. Actually, I would be willing to bet money that in ten years it'll be a classic.

One element of the movie that I found especially intriguing, however, was the unique use of a common American myth known as The Value of a Challenge. In this common myth, we find one character who encounters a unique challenge that he must face and overcome. In the end he learns something about himself and others, and comes to understand reality in a new and more full way.

This myth is never more evident than in 3:10 to Yuma. This well done remake of a classic 1950 starts out with a cattle rancher in Arizona in the late 1800's. The railroad is coming into town and he finds himself in debt to a very bad man, with the railroad set to steam right through his property. He goes into town, seeking an extension on his land lease, but instead gets shot down by the evil debt collector for the hundredth time. Little does he know, but he will soon find himself face to face with a man so evil and twisted, but yet so handsome, attractive, and smooth talking that he could convince you to cut off your own leg and enjoy it at the same time.

Enter the outlaw, Ben Wade (Russell Crowe). Wade is notorious in those parts for his part in nearly 41 robberies and murders and almost 400,000 dollars in lost revenue. Due to one little misstep, he finds himself in the hands of the local authorities, who have it in their mind to bring him to justice. The farmer, Dan Evans (Christian Bale), needing the money desperately, agrees to escort Wade to the 3:10 to Yuma, leaving from the railroad town of Contention in two days time. Little does he know, the journey will be the journey of his life, leading him through a deserted pass occupied by some not-so-happy Apache Indians, the death of all but two of his traveling companions and through a town where nearly 40 outlaws have their guns blazing, all aiming to capture the bounty on Evans head.

The ending is a phenomenal picture of redemption and justice, all played out in 2 very opposite men. In my opinion, there's nothing better than a good western movie, where the good guys are good, the bad guys are bad, and good always overcomes evil. 3:10 to Yuma is such a picture and not a picture to miss for your life. But don't take my word for it. Go see it for youself.

(3:10 to Yuma is currently playing at all major theaters. )

Punishing Crime

I can remember the first time that I read Crime and Punishment. It was the summer of my senior year in High School and I was a very bored little lad. Having read through all of the summer reading assignments I was now relegated to playing video games, doing yard work, and getting badgered by my mother to "get a real job." (No, wait. Actually, that was only this summer.) Around the second video game that I had played through once, I began to realize how boring it was getting. I needed a new hobby, so I decided that I would go and get a book that I could read for the summer.

On the shelf downstairs, in my father's study, was a book that I had heard about, but had never read. I am refering of course to Crime and Punishment, the classic novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky. I had heard a lot from many of my "anti-intellectual" friends about how "boring and mundane" this book was. (Of course they did not use the word mundane, as they were "anti-intellectuals"). Nether the less, I decided that I, in all my intellectualism would be able to tackle this book and understand all of it's profound intricacies.

I picked up the book and started reading. The story of a college student who rationalized murder, and his route into the deepest bowels of guilt, murder, coverups, and hell itself intrigued me. For the first four chapters that is. After I had finished discovering that he had committed the climactic murder within the first four chapters, I began to lose interest. Then came the names. . .

If any of you aren't familiar with Crime and punishment, it is a Russian novel, with Russian names and Russian places. Naturally, being a person well versed in the English language, I did not understand the Russian elements of the book well. Why did all of the names end in "y"? Who exactly were all of these characters and why did I keep mixing them up? I would get to a part where a new character would be introduced, but still think the new character was the last character introduced. Quite obviously, this frustrated me to no end and I ended up putting the book back on the shelf, after only finishing four chapters.

One year later, I now have had the opportunity to brush the dust off of the book and begin reading it all over. This time the reading is slightly easier and far more pleasurable. I am beginning to understand the genius of Dostoevsky and why he has been proclaimed a literary genius. The deep and intrinsic story of a man who commits murder and the coinciding guilt, depression, sickness, and ultimately confession is the story of us all. It hits deep in my soul and I cannot wait to finish this book (which I hope to finish by December at the latest.) If not only to say that I, Ben, read through the entirety of the book that is Crime and Punishment.

The Battle of The Egos

I was recently watching MTV when I heard something very interesting. 50 Cent, the rapper who is notorious for his "street cred" (he was shot 9 times), made a statement that if his record sells more than the new Kanye West album, which comes out on the same day, he will stop making records altogether. 50 made the statement:

"Let's raise the stakes. If Kanye West sells more records than 50 Cent on September 11, I'll no longer (perform) music. I'll write music and work with my other artists, but I won't put out any more solo albums."

Later 50 tried to play it down, going on an ego trip and essentially saying that there is no way that Kanye would sell more records than him, because "West is a 'worker bee' while he is a 'boss'." I have listened to 50s music and quite frankly I am not impressed. The only real reason, in my eyes, that this guy even got as big as he did is his ability to take nine bullets in the chest and still be alive. His albums have been mediocre at best, inciting all the cliche "gangsta" topics including, and limited to: busting caps, getting busted by a cap, sweet bling, having enough "G" to buy China, and smoking a doobie. (For those of you that don't know what those phrases mean, that's probably for the better.)

Kanye, on the other hand has strived to put out some rapping that is lyrically deep and introspective, while at the same time incorporating music that is actually music and not a bunch of recycled beats that have been used since the early 90s. On his new CD he actually has many comments interspliced throughout his music that deplore the state of rap today.
I have heard some songs from both albums (both slated to hit stores on September 11th) and I am quite impressed with Kanye's. With 50's? Not so much. So here's what I say:

I say we bring 50 Cent down a notch. Everyone go out and buy the new Kanye West CD on September 11th, if not only to exchange one bad rapper for a slightly better one.

Power to Kanye!

(a not to anyone who is offended by cussing, you might want to buy the edited version from Wal-Mart)

FIRST BLOG TOPIC: Your (me)dia?

What media have been formative in your life thus far?

How / Why?

Describe the sensory experience of using these media.

Describe these media as if your reader has never encountered them.

God Is Love

It's a cancer that eats away at our souls
This judgmental stance we've taken
We criticize our neighbor
While the knife sticks out of our own neck
Losing blood
We're losing blood

Let's relearn love
Let's lelearn this thing called life
The one that Christ died and rose for
Through blood
Through his blood

Let's relearn love
The one that's patient
The one that's kind
That puts up with faults
And grey areas

Because admit it
The grey areas are there
Things that seem wrong to you
Just aren't wrong for your neighbor
So start looking inside
Rather than out

God's not a box
He is loving-justice
He is mercy
He is grace
God's not a box

Let's take in love
And let it out
Breathe in
But don't forget to breathe out
Because it's not the taking in we're having the problem with
It's the letting out that's so hard

Let's relearn Christ
The one who pissed off the pompous
While drinking and eating with the sinners
The prostitutes
The cheaters
The doubters
The murderers
Because face it
We're all murderers
It was our sin that held him there
It was for love that he came down

God never makes sense
Grace invades
This thing called Karma
It takes over
It takes over the whole reap/sow
Cause and effect
Eye for an eye
And turns it on it's head
It turns it into a paradox
What once was true
Now beautifully makes no sense

God's not a box
He is loving-justice
God's not a box
He is mercy
He is grace

He is love

God is love. . .

And so will reverberate in the halls of heaven for all eternity
And so should reverberate in the voices of His people here on earth
Right here
Right now

"God is love. . . "

Lost Phone

Hey Everyone. . . I lost my phone and had to get a new one. With it I lost all of my numbers, so if I had your number in there please shoot me a message with it again so I can add it to my new phone.

Thanks!

Ben

First post

Well this is my first post on here. I'll be putting a lot of things on here soon, between philosophical thoughts, spiritual antecdotes, poetry, and silly nonsense. Yeah that's pretty much all I have right now. . .

Peace,
~Ben~