So Season 8 of Project Runway premiered last night. I would call Project Runway a guilty pleasure show but it's not. I absolutely love it. And based off what I saw last night, this season looks like it'll be pretty good. It looks like they have some good designers and more importantly, they have some great characters.
I have to say that season 7 was pretty awesome and Seth Aaron winning was the right call (he was the best designer from the start). I have some high hopes for this year. I haven't even picked a favorite yet. I started watching halfway through season 2 and have been hooked ever since. It's a great show. My favorite designer... Kenley Collins. But only because I was madly in lover with her (even if she was a bitch on the show).
I hope for a good season.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
Work of Art
I don't love reality tv but there are a handful of shows that I have to watch (Project Runway and Top Chef). But I've started to get drawn into Bravo's latest offering Work of Art, Next Great Artist. I don't think any of the artist are that great... on the show.
See, although you might not always be inspired on Project Runway, you can always make a dress. Top Chef is food. Cooking under pressure is hard and yes, you might miss the mark but you can cook without being inspired. Art on the other hand... it's a tough one. You can't be show a car or a beautiful scenery and be told to be inspired and create great art.
Yes, I get that the point of these shows is to see how people perform and create under pressure and that's part of what makes them the next great whatever. But I still feel like art is different. Even if you have a strong concept, you still only have limited hours to create your art and the viewer often left looking at concepts and ideas that within the time crunch just looking like bad art. Winning pieces are often the best translated concept but to often I just feel like I'm looking at shitty art.
So what inspires creation of any form? And shouldn't christians be making better art. I mean, isn't the beauty of the sunset going to affect the person who believes that God holds in all order and has created this sunset as a reminder of who he is in a deeper and more meaningful way then someone who just appreciates the sunset? Isn't the power of salvation and the romance of the gospel of Christ so compelling and such a wonderful thing, that those whose call themselves sons and daughters of the living God, who have been given his creative spirit, can do nothing but create the most beautiful of paintings and songs and poems as pure worship to the God who loves and created them? Shouldn't we be overflowing with inspiration?
See, although you might not always be inspired on Project Runway, you can always make a dress. Top Chef is food. Cooking under pressure is hard and yes, you might miss the mark but you can cook without being inspired. Art on the other hand... it's a tough one. You can't be show a car or a beautiful scenery and be told to be inspired and create great art.
Yes, I get that the point of these shows is to see how people perform and create under pressure and that's part of what makes them the next great whatever. But I still feel like art is different. Even if you have a strong concept, you still only have limited hours to create your art and the viewer often left looking at concepts and ideas that within the time crunch just looking like bad art. Winning pieces are often the best translated concept but to often I just feel like I'm looking at shitty art.
So what inspires creation of any form? And shouldn't christians be making better art. I mean, isn't the beauty of the sunset going to affect the person who believes that God holds in all order and has created this sunset as a reminder of who he is in a deeper and more meaningful way then someone who just appreciates the sunset? Isn't the power of salvation and the romance of the gospel of Christ so compelling and such a wonderful thing, that those whose call themselves sons and daughters of the living God, who have been given his creative spirit, can do nothing but create the most beautiful of paintings and songs and poems as pure worship to the God who loves and created them? Shouldn't we be overflowing with inspiration?
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Revival
Advent is probably my favorite current hardcore band. Naked and Cold is a great Spirit Filled Hardcore record. This is the song Revival.
There is a light in my heart. The catalyst to ignite the spark. There is a name on my tongue. Immanuel, God with us. There is a cry from deep within our broken hearts for You to meet us here. And as we gather in this place, Lord send your spirit to ignite the flames of Revival. REVIVAL. God send REVIVAL. There is an Almighty King. His love endures. He makes righteous everything. He voice controls the seas. Lion of Judah, Prince of Peace. There is a name above all names Jesus Christ, King of Kings and as we gather in his name, strongholds will fall in the wake of the flames of REVIVAL. REVIVAL.
There is a light in my heart. The catalyst to ignite the spark. There is a name on my tongue. Immanuel, God with us. There is a cry from deep within our broken hearts for You to meet us here. And as we gather in this place, Lord send your spirit to ignite the flames of Revival. REVIVAL. God send REVIVAL. There is an Almighty King. His love endures. He makes righteous everything. He voice controls the seas. Lion of Judah, Prince of Peace. There is a name above all names Jesus Christ, King of Kings and as we gather in his name, strongholds will fall in the wake of the flames of REVIVAL. REVIVAL.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Serial Sleepers
So I don't sleep. I want to sleep. I'm tired as hell most nights when my head hits the pillow. The problem is once my head hits the pillow. Falling asleep is hard. Why is it so hard? Do normal people have issues sleeping? Sometimes I fall asleep just fine. But then I wake up like an hour or so later and can't get back to sleep. It sucks. I'd take drugs to help me sleep but I would like to not be addicted to sleeping pills and honestly I'd like to be able to sleep like a normal person. But I can't. And it sucks.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
"Christians are actually called to rebellion"
Indie Vision Music posted a great interview with Ted Bond, lead singer from Craig's Brother, last night. Here's a small excerpt;
"The only difference is that I am more convinced than ever. I think when we first started the band I had this view that Christian music was somehow less sincere. I think often it is, but what I’ve come to realize is that being a Christian gives me a specific cultural vantage point that is powerful and worth leveraging. When it comes to ethical issues, Christians are speaking from within a 2000 year old tradition that has had profound influence on western culture. Whether or not the culture we live in likes us, or what we think about morality, when we say something about it, they pay attention. That means that when I step out as a Christian and a Punk rocker, I am more easily engaged by the listener, Christian or not, than if I were to step out as only a Punk Rocker.
Just to be clear the central message of CB for Christians has been that we have failed to use Christian music as the mission field we want to claim it is. That is, it is a different audience that attends a Christian Punk show than the one that attends a secular show. This is not the case everywhere, but mostly that is what I have observed. The reason for this is not because the world has rejected the church, but vice versa, the church does not want to participate in the culture of the world. Rock and Roll, and especially Punk is dangerous. There’s sex and drugs and violence and Christians are mostly just plain afraid of that stuff. So instead of teaching our youth, who would be punks, to go out into the world and represent Christ by being different, we have made a safer version within the confines of what we can control. We have brought the punk into church while leaving the punkers out. I think that’s a shame.
Of course participating in the culture of the world means writing music that non-Christians would want to listen to, and that means that you can’t write songs that speak in Christian-ese, and church lingo (though I have to admit I break my own rule by mentioning “the fall” twice on the new album). It also means you are held to a higher standard of quality. For us that’s what its all about. The standard is the highest standard ever; it’s the glory of God. We want to be the band that’s so good that the non-Christian can’t help but love it even if they hate God."
So Ted talks about 2 things that I absolutely love. First he talks about a higher standard of quality in music (he discusses this more in the interview). For a while christian music was really a breeding ground for shitty wannabe bands. Christian music was just an alternative source for christian kids who couldn't (or wouldn't) listen to secular music. If there was a non-christian band you liked, there was a less talented crappy christian version. Of course there were bands with talent and were making quality records but for a period of time, and even still to an extent, Christian labels were signing bands that sounded like the current trend and popular bands in the non-christian music scene.
This has gotten better over the years as bands like Underoath, As I Lay Dying, Flyleaf, Anberlin, Norma Jean, Emery, and a slew of other bands have found a lot of success in the secular music world. And artist like Owl City and The Fray, who are christians, have had tons of success and most people don't know they're christians.
The second thing Ted talks about that has been a pet peeve of mine. Look, I loved the christian hardcore/punk rock clubs and churches that put on shows when I was in junior high and high school. Without the Cave and Mt Oak church, I wouldn't have spent my high school years going to shows and being an active part of the hardcore and punk rock scene. But the idea that christian rock as a ministry when they only play in churches has always rubbed me the wrong way. And yes, I know people will go see shows at churches if bands they like are playing, or just because they like being part of the scene, but the impact isn't the same.
I know youth groups have changed the landscape of the average christian teen has changed since I went to high school but I know there's still a lot of in this world, not of it that has the church creating their own version everything. Yes the scene has changed and you're really hard pressed to find christian bands only touring with other christian bands, only playing churches. Even the big all christian tours have moved into the club scene, so this point is probably less relevant now a days, but it stuck to this aging punk rocker.
You can read the entire interview here http://www.indievisionmusic.com/2010/07/20/ted-bond-of-craigs-brother/
And if you want to hear a classic christian punk record, you should get Craig's Brother's "Lost at Sea." http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/lost-at-sea/id14466597
"The only difference is that I am more convinced than ever. I think when we first started the band I had this view that Christian music was somehow less sincere. I think often it is, but what I’ve come to realize is that being a Christian gives me a specific cultural vantage point that is powerful and worth leveraging. When it comes to ethical issues, Christians are speaking from within a 2000 year old tradition that has had profound influence on western culture. Whether or not the culture we live in likes us, or what we think about morality, when we say something about it, they pay attention. That means that when I step out as a Christian and a Punk rocker, I am more easily engaged by the listener, Christian or not, than if I were to step out as only a Punk Rocker.
Just to be clear the central message of CB for Christians has been that we have failed to use Christian music as the mission field we want to claim it is. That is, it is a different audience that attends a Christian Punk show than the one that attends a secular show. This is not the case everywhere, but mostly that is what I have observed. The reason for this is not because the world has rejected the church, but vice versa, the church does not want to participate in the culture of the world. Rock and Roll, and especially Punk is dangerous. There’s sex and drugs and violence and Christians are mostly just plain afraid of that stuff. So instead of teaching our youth, who would be punks, to go out into the world and represent Christ by being different, we have made a safer version within the confines of what we can control. We have brought the punk into church while leaving the punkers out. I think that’s a shame.
Of course participating in the culture of the world means writing music that non-Christians would want to listen to, and that means that you can’t write songs that speak in Christian-ese, and church lingo (though I have to admit I break my own rule by mentioning “the fall” twice on the new album). It also means you are held to a higher standard of quality. For us that’s what its all about. The standard is the highest standard ever; it’s the glory of God. We want to be the band that’s so good that the non-Christian can’t help but love it even if they hate God."
So Ted talks about 2 things that I absolutely love. First he talks about a higher standard of quality in music (he discusses this more in the interview). For a while christian music was really a breeding ground for shitty wannabe bands. Christian music was just an alternative source for christian kids who couldn't (or wouldn't) listen to secular music. If there was a non-christian band you liked, there was a less talented crappy christian version. Of course there were bands with talent and were making quality records but for a period of time, and even still to an extent, Christian labels were signing bands that sounded like the current trend and popular bands in the non-christian music scene.
This has gotten better over the years as bands like Underoath, As I Lay Dying, Flyleaf, Anberlin, Norma Jean, Emery, and a slew of other bands have found a lot of success in the secular music world. And artist like Owl City and The Fray, who are christians, have had tons of success and most people don't know they're christians.
The second thing Ted talks about that has been a pet peeve of mine. Look, I loved the christian hardcore/punk rock clubs and churches that put on shows when I was in junior high and high school. Without the Cave and Mt Oak church, I wouldn't have spent my high school years going to shows and being an active part of the hardcore and punk rock scene. But the idea that christian rock as a ministry when they only play in churches has always rubbed me the wrong way. And yes, I know people will go see shows at churches if bands they like are playing, or just because they like being part of the scene, but the impact isn't the same.
I know youth groups have changed the landscape of the average christian teen has changed since I went to high school but I know there's still a lot of in this world, not of it that has the church creating their own version everything. Yes the scene has changed and you're really hard pressed to find christian bands only touring with other christian bands, only playing churches. Even the big all christian tours have moved into the club scene, so this point is probably less relevant now a days, but it stuck to this aging punk rocker.
You can read the entire interview here http://www.indievisionmusic.com/2010/07/20/ted-bond-of-craigs-brother/
And if you want to hear a classic christian punk record, you should get Craig's Brother's "Lost at Sea." http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/lost-at-sea/id14466597
Sunday, July 18, 2010
I could put your car on blocks...
So my brothers are part of an internship at their church. On Thursday night the guys had a "camp" out at my parents house. The girls decided it would be funny to show up late at night and prank the boys. The girls were major failures. Instead of showing up with water balloons or shaving cream or something useful, the girls, who were loud and weren't very good at hiding, showed up with ice. It was a pour attempt at a prank and in the end the guys did a better job of scaring the girls.
So the boys decided the next morning that they needed to get the girls back. I was around and I was an encourager. It sounded like a good idea to me. Pranks are always awesome. My first idea was of course to take one of the girl's cars and put it on blocks. The guys weren't interested in such an extreme idea and just wrapped a bunch of cars in saran wrap.
When I was in high school I was pretty good at the whole prank thing. We had some minor tp wars in the day. I remember a car covered in soap before it was tped in the winter. There was the famous chocolate sauce all over the kitchen counters... That was a good one. We never put a car on blocks but there was a deflated tire once. I mean, my friends and me were stupid in high school. Racing from one friends house to church during rush hour... not smart. And other things that aren't to be mentioned (I don't want to give anyone any ideas).
A random post.
So the boys decided the next morning that they needed to get the girls back. I was around and I was an encourager. It sounded like a good idea to me. Pranks are always awesome. My first idea was of course to take one of the girl's cars and put it on blocks. The guys weren't interested in such an extreme idea and just wrapped a bunch of cars in saran wrap.
When I was in high school I was pretty good at the whole prank thing. We had some minor tp wars in the day. I remember a car covered in soap before it was tped in the winter. There was the famous chocolate sauce all over the kitchen counters... That was a good one. We never put a car on blocks but there was a deflated tire once. I mean, my friends and me were stupid in high school. Racing from one friends house to church during rush hour... not smart. And other things that aren't to be mentioned (I don't want to give anyone any ideas).
A random post.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Getting tattoos is for idiots
That's my latest ink you're looking at above. The shading on my Lighthouse is complete. My next appointment is in February and that will complete my ship at sea and protective lighthouse tattoo. It's going to be so beast when it's done.
I told Carley that I hate the pain I go through getting tattoos and the under part of my arm hurt pretty bad. I mean getting it done hurt but the drive home my arm felt like it was on fire. It's like instant regret. And knowing that to do the color that part of my arm is going to have to be hit again and I have two pieces that will take on the under part of my left arm makes me not want to continue to get tattoos. But the pain has faded and when it's healed and awesome looking I will forget about the pain and continue to pay Jason to put me in pain and make me a little less attractive to part of the world.
Yes, having tattoos is awesome. Yes, I'll be ugly when I'm 70 and my tattoos will be all saggy and gross. But I think I look good now and I enjoy having tattoos.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)