So I went to see The Hobbit the other day. Be honest now, you’re going to see it too (if you haven’t already). I mean who isn’t, if only just to see the glorious, sprawling landscape of Middle Earth on the big screen one more time? And if you’re a homeschooler, or used to be homeschooled… well then. Okay, so we already knew it would look fantastic. The question is, what about, y’know, the movie? Is it any good? I... Read more
We all know the old Christmas carols, but every now and then an original Christmas song comes along that’s so good we’re not embarrassed to listen to it right alongside those classics. In Southern Gospel, we happen to have one of the most beloved of these modern classics: “Mary Did You Know?” Contemporary Christian boasts the standard “Breath of Heaven.” What other original Christmas songs do you think have special merit? For purposes of this post, we’ll focus on the... Read more
Ernie Haase posted a video on twitter today featuring classically trained tenor singer J. Mark McVey, who has toured the world singing on Broadway, including the role of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables. Ernie said that McVey was “an upcoming StowTown artist.” I’m excited to see such talent coming into the southern gospel fold. Here is a sample of what McVey can do. Can I just say, at the risk of being lambasted, that I like him better than David... Read more
Well, I’m sure all of you have heard the devastating news from Connecticut. And I’m sure all of you have been forced to watch what President Obama has to say about it on just about every media outlet there is. His speech-writers worked fast on the day of the murder to produce perfectly banal gems such as this: “I know there’s not a parent in America who doesn’t feel the same overwhelming grief that I do.” Or this: “This evening,... Read more
If you work in IT, you will find these videos especially funny. But I think you’ll find them funny anyway. Follow the entire series as it’s updated in the days leading up to Christmas on the Information Builders channel. Here are the first two entries, covering data quality and social media. There’ve been a couple more since then. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4Mb5SSjh3M& https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mdPtqx1kNY Read more
This weekend, Peter Jackson’s first installment of The Hobbit is opening in theaters worldwide. It’s sure to be a huge box-office draw. Truth be told, I’ll probably be going to see it myself. I respect what Jackson did with the LOTR trilogy even though it had some significant flaws, and I expect some good performances from Martin Freeman as Bilbo, Richard Armitage as Thorin, and of course the returning Ian McKellan and Andy Serkis (Gandalf and Gollum). Having said that,... Read more
I just received a newsletter from the Booth Brothers sharing that Jim Brady’s oldest sister Debbie is in the advanced stages of ovarian cancer. She was in remission until very recently, so the news has been difficult for the family. Melissa’s parents have also had various health problems over the past year, so it’s hard on both Jim and Melissa to be on the road ministering to so many people. The Brothers have asked that the fans keep both families... Read more
It’s that time of year again. Around every corner there’s sure to be someone or something wishing you a very happy unspecified holiday, or holidays. Christians have recently become concerned about the gradual disappearance of the word “Christmas” from our cultural vocabulary. Meanwhile, other Christians (generally those who lean leftward) are writing snarky blog posts about “the Christmas wars” and telling us hyper fundamentalists that we need to chill, because we’re paranoid and this is just about being sensitive to... Read more
Too often it seems that the Advent season gets neglected in the rush towards Christmas. Here are a few of my favorite Advent hymns. Several may be new to you. A couple of them you may recognize as often being lumped together with other Christmas carols, but technically they are considered Advent carols. Could you add to the list? All hymns performed by a chorale group unless otherwise indicated. Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus (performed by Twila Paris): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bsTW159D8k O... Read more
Since yesterday’s post was devoted to Steve McQueen, I thought today I would revisit some classic comic moments from one of his most enjoyable films, The Great Escape. Featuring the same director, several of the same actors, and even the same composer who made The Magnificent Seven, it too was an ensemble smash—just on an even bigger scale than that film. (Seven memorable characters? Raise you almost as many more and still leave you remembering every one of them months... Read more
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