There are two levels that movies work on, in my opinion.
One is on an artistic level. Movies like "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "Memento" come to mind - these are movies that are crafted so well as to be art.
Then theres a pure entertainment, a pure visceral level. These are your Transformers and your Cloverfields - a ton of fun to watch, but ultimately meaningless.
Paranormal Activity may have been the most visceral movie I've ever seen. It certainly has no artistic value - but as entertainment, it can't be beat. Assuming of course, that you count sheer terror as entertaiment.
The basic premise is this - Katie has been plagued by a spirit since she was 8, and it's been scary, but harmless. Her boyfriend, Micah, has decided to try and catch the spirit on film. So he sets up a camera to film them while they sleep.
And then the camera catches things happening.
I will say without a doubt that it was the scariest movie I've ever watched in theaters. My wife and I both did not sleep well after seeing it. It was sheer terror. And I loved it.
The difference between this and other ilk of the "found footage" genre (read: Cloverfield) is that I don't think this movie needs to be watched in a dark crowded theater. I think it could be even scarier in a quiet and dark living room.
I probably won't sleep well again tonight. 5/5
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Master Leader by George Barna
Master Leader by George Barna with Bill Dallas
Master Leader was a very interesting book. The basic premise is this – George Barna interviewed 30 leadership “experts” – names you will undoubtedly recognize from the realms of church, politics, sports, and the armed forces. Then George spliced these separate interviews into one organic conversation – allowing these interviews and personalities to meld and flow.
There are times where the flow feels forced or out of left field – but then you realize that even when the conversations don’t feel organic, they’re still amazingly worthwhile for the insights that these “master leaders” have. And don’t get me wrong – 90% of the book feels organic, like an actual conversation.
Overall, I truly enjoyed the book. The insights and anecdotes from leaders I know and respect and leaders I’ve never heard of are truly awesome, and it’s a resource and book I’ll know I’ll turn to when I have questions or want to stir some thoughts. 5/5.
Reviewed for Tyndale House.
Master Leader was a very interesting book. The basic premise is this – George Barna interviewed 30 leadership “experts” – names you will undoubtedly recognize from the realms of church, politics, sports, and the armed forces. Then George spliced these separate interviews into one organic conversation – allowing these interviews and personalities to meld and flow.
There are times where the flow feels forced or out of left field – but then you realize that even when the conversations don’t feel organic, they’re still amazingly worthwhile for the insights that these “master leaders” have. And don’t get me wrong – 90% of the book feels organic, like an actual conversation.
Overall, I truly enjoyed the book. The insights and anecdotes from leaders I know and respect and leaders I’ve never heard of are truly awesome, and it’s a resource and book I’ll know I’ll turn to when I have questions or want to stir some thoughts. 5/5.
Reviewed for Tyndale House.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Nerd Files - 4
I have an unhealthy fascination with minesweeper.
The game that comes on every windows computer.
It's so much fun to me. I used to hate it - because I didn't understand. I thought the numbers were random and meaningless. But they're not! The numbers have purpose!
(The numbers are cursed the numbers are bad 4 8 15 16 23 42!!!!!)
Sorry. I'm having Lost withdrawals. But yeah - the numbers tell the number of mines around that space. So using some logic and deduction, you can almost always solve the problem.
Until you get to the last mine. Where logic leaves you with two equal possibilities. A 50/50 shot after spending 346 seconds logically solving the rest.
Here's a secret - I fail approximately 90% of my 50/50 tests. Seriously. I've never won when it came down to that.
But that doesn't stop me from trying.
The game that comes on every windows computer.
It's so much fun to me. I used to hate it - because I didn't understand. I thought the numbers were random and meaningless. But they're not! The numbers have purpose!
(The numbers are cursed the numbers are bad 4 8 15 16 23 42!!!!!)
Sorry. I'm having Lost withdrawals. But yeah - the numbers tell the number of mines around that space. So using some logic and deduction, you can almost always solve the problem.
Until you get to the last mine. Where logic leaves you with two equal possibilities. A 50/50 shot after spending 346 seconds logically solving the rest.
Here's a secret - I fail approximately 90% of my 50/50 tests. Seriously. I've never won when it came down to that.
But that doesn't stop me from trying.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Writing Tips - 10
Have you ever tried free association writing?
How it works is this - take out a notepad, open up MS Word, do whatever you need to do to be ready to write.
And then write. Every single thought that you think you thought.
Don't bother with grammar / punctuation / capitalization / rules. Just write, like a train of thoughts and ideas spilling out of your head.
This is a wonderful way to journal, which can help clear your mind to write better, or give you ideas on what to write. If you notice themes in your free association, maybe you should explore those in more detail in a different type of work.
All in all, it's a wonderful thing to try.
How it works is this - take out a notepad, open up MS Word, do whatever you need to do to be ready to write.
And then write. Every single thought that you think you thought.
Don't bother with grammar / punctuation / capitalization / rules. Just write, like a train of thoughts and ideas spilling out of your head.
This is a wonderful way to journal, which can help clear your mind to write better, or give you ideas on what to write. If you notice themes in your free association, maybe you should explore those in more detail in a different type of work.
All in all, it's a wonderful thing to try.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Somebody Smarter Said - 21
"I think of myself as an intelligent, sensitive human being with the soul of a clown which always forces me to blow it at the most important moments." - Jim Morrison
Friday, October 9, 2009
Nerd Files - 3
I played my second game of Warhammer 40k last night.
Here's the basics of how the game works, and then I'll walk you through the game. You and your opponent decide on a point limit for your game. Points can be used to purchase certain units - more powerful units cost more, etc. Then you both deploy your army on the table and decide who goes first. You play 5-7 rounds each. Each player gets a turn in a round and the turns go Move - Shoot - Assault.
So last nights game... 1500 points. Space Marines vs... Space Marines!
I have a footslogging / heavy tactical squad army. He was playing an all drop pod army. So on his first turn, he drop pods in two dreadnoughts who... completely missed everything! That was great luck on my part. I turn around and blast him, immobilizing his dreadnoughts and destroying one drop pod. In close combat, his dreadnought immobilizes my dreadnought, rendering them both permanently stuck in close combat.
Then his terminators deep strike in. And the game switches from close with an edge to me to a decisive edge to him. His terminators spread out, and I pump endless bolter shots into them... to kill 3 out of 11. They charge a combat squad, my elite squad, and the immobilized dreadnought - destroying all of them in one assault phase.
At this point, my spirit is mostly broken. My best two units... Gone. I've also missed something like 8 lascannon shots... His assault squad deepstruck nearby, and I shot/flamed a couple down.
From here on out, his terminators just punched me in the face. It wasn't even close. The only other item of note was that my scouts got assaulted, and turned around and MURDERED four assault marines. It was truly awesome and brought a grin to everyones face.
Here's the basics of how the game works, and then I'll walk you through the game. You and your opponent decide on a point limit for your game. Points can be used to purchase certain units - more powerful units cost more, etc. Then you both deploy your army on the table and decide who goes first. You play 5-7 rounds each. Each player gets a turn in a round and the turns go Move - Shoot - Assault.
So last nights game... 1500 points. Space Marines vs... Space Marines!
I have a footslogging / heavy tactical squad army. He was playing an all drop pod army. So on his first turn, he drop pods in two dreadnoughts who... completely missed everything! That was great luck on my part. I turn around and blast him, immobilizing his dreadnoughts and destroying one drop pod. In close combat, his dreadnought immobilizes my dreadnought, rendering them both permanently stuck in close combat.
Then his terminators deep strike in. And the game switches from close with an edge to me to a decisive edge to him. His terminators spread out, and I pump endless bolter shots into them... to kill 3 out of 11. They charge a combat squad, my elite squad, and the immobilized dreadnought - destroying all of them in one assault phase.
At this point, my spirit is mostly broken. My best two units... Gone. I've also missed something like 8 lascannon shots... His assault squad deepstruck nearby, and I shot/flamed a couple down.
From here on out, his terminators just punched me in the face. It wasn't even close. The only other item of note was that my scouts got assaulted, and turned around and MURDERED four assault marines. It was truly awesome and brought a grin to everyones face.
What Difference Do It Make Review
What Difference Do It Make by Ron Hall
First a disclaimer - I picked this book up without realizing it was a sequel. The grammatically challenged title interested me, and even if the subtitle screamed "Goodwill Bargain Book" I thought it might be worth trying.
And it certainly was.
What Difference Do It Make is a thought provoking and inspiring little book; it's also a remarkably quick read! Full of heartwarming stories told either from Ron's educated and thoroughly biased lens and also from Denver's charming street speak, it's got a little something for everyone.
I particularly enjoyed some of the moments where the authors would 'step back' from themselves and look at some of the ripples that were a result of the power of the first book. I can't help but be moved when I read stories of children raising money to help bless the homeless, or of people's lives changed when they actually encounter the poor.
Really, that's the difference it does make. 4/5.
Reviewed for Thomas Nelson Publishers
First a disclaimer - I picked this book up without realizing it was a sequel. The grammatically challenged title interested me, and even if the subtitle screamed "Goodwill Bargain Book" I thought it might be worth trying.
And it certainly was.
What Difference Do It Make is a thought provoking and inspiring little book; it's also a remarkably quick read! Full of heartwarming stories told either from Ron's educated and thoroughly biased lens and also from Denver's charming street speak, it's got a little something for everyone.
I particularly enjoyed some of the moments where the authors would 'step back' from themselves and look at some of the ripples that were a result of the power of the first book. I can't help but be moved when I read stories of children raising money to help bless the homeless, or of people's lives changed when they actually encounter the poor.
Really, that's the difference it does make. 4/5.
Reviewed for Thomas Nelson Publishers
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Forget and Not Slow Down Review
Forget and Not Slow Down - Relient K
I've always said fondly that Relient K was my gateway band. My gateway into christian music... and then back out of christian music. The first song I ever heard was "Marilyn Manson Ate My Girlfriend" and I was hooked. Five albums and a ton of EP's later, they continue to surprise and delight.
Forget and Not Slow Down is, like every album before it, an evolution. This is not just Five Score with new lyrics. It is recognizably different but also still definitively Relient K. I particularly liked the experimentation on this album - several songs have 'intros' and 'outros' which help blend the songs into each other. It's very unique. Also, the last two tracks (not counting the Amazon bonus "Terminals") start off the same - and then take radically different roads.
Some thoughts on the individual songs:
Forget and Not Slow Down - classic Relient K, and sounds awesome. Very catchy.
Sahara - very hard, and grows on me each time it plays
If You Believe Me - Maybe my favorite song on the album so far... The chorus is great - "If you believe me \ we could stand the test of time \ like no one else"
Matt Thiessen's great lyrics are on full display here: "A lion on his side \ Was it the lying or his pride \ Which brought him down"
Overall... I loved it. Great step for one of my favorite bands. 5/5.
I've always said fondly that Relient K was my gateway band. My gateway into christian music... and then back out of christian music. The first song I ever heard was "Marilyn Manson Ate My Girlfriend" and I was hooked. Five albums and a ton of EP's later, they continue to surprise and delight.
Forget and Not Slow Down is, like every album before it, an evolution. This is not just Five Score with new lyrics. It is recognizably different but also still definitively Relient K. I particularly liked the experimentation on this album - several songs have 'intros' and 'outros' which help blend the songs into each other. It's very unique. Also, the last two tracks (not counting the Amazon bonus "Terminals") start off the same - and then take radically different roads.
Some thoughts on the individual songs:
Forget and Not Slow Down - classic Relient K, and sounds awesome. Very catchy.
Sahara - very hard, and grows on me each time it plays
If You Believe Me - Maybe my favorite song on the album so far... The chorus is great - "If you believe me \ we could stand the test of time \ like no one else"
Matt Thiessen's great lyrics are on full display here: "A lion on his side \ Was it the lying or his pride \ Which brought him down"
Overall... I loved it. Great step for one of my favorite bands. 5/5.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Somebody Smarter Said - 20
"Flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." - Douglas Adams
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Writing Tips - 9
Aggrandize your individual phraseology.
Expand your own vocabulary.
And then put it away.
Seriously, just put it away.
Sure, sign up for a word of the day. It's important to continue to grow, even if that growth is with a word that you'll never use in everyday normal life.
And there may be a time when you need to know the word "bifurcate," which is today's Word of the Day.
But if you and the fourteen people who get word of the day are the only ones who know that word, what use is it? You can't communicate effectively - which is what writing is. This isn't High School English, where you were trying to take up page space. Say what you want in the best words - even if those words are short and simple and everyone knows them.
And if you can't find the write word to exactly describe what you are trying to get across, then use "bifurcate."
Expand your own vocabulary.
And then put it away.
Seriously, just put it away.
Sure, sign up for a word of the day. It's important to continue to grow, even if that growth is with a word that you'll never use in everyday normal life.
And there may be a time when you need to know the word "bifurcate," which is today's Word of the Day.
But if you and the fourteen people who get word of the day are the only ones who know that word, what use is it? You can't communicate effectively - which is what writing is. This isn't High School English, where you were trying to take up page space. Say what you want in the best words - even if those words are short and simple and everyone knows them.
And if you can't find the write word to exactly describe what you are trying to get across, then use "bifurcate."
Thursday, October 1, 2009
State of the Blog Address
I did it.
September has 30 days.
As of yesterday, Thoughts on Life had 31 posts for the month of September.
The major contribution to those posts were our running series, which will be shaking up this month. Some of those series will now be on a "when it comes to mind" basis - most notably "In Honor Of." Trying to think of something to honor each week is harder than it sounds. Writing Tips should still happen on a weekly basis. Somebody Smarter Said and Hey Neat-O should hopefully be just whenever I feel like it, or whenever I find something worth posting. I did have one "guest" series - One Step, which reached it's natural and always-purposed conclusion.
So to recap what to expect this month:
Writing Tips on a weekly basis
Somebody Smarter Said / Hey Neat-O on a regular basis
In Honor Of / Watch This on an infrequent basis
And a new "guest" series - "Jacob Workout," which will be about wrestling with some faith concepts.
Oh, and Nerd Files on a regular basis.
Also, a bevy (yes, that's right, a bevy) of Random Thoughts and Reviews.
September has 30 days.
As of yesterday, Thoughts on Life had 31 posts for the month of September.
The major contribution to those posts were our running series, which will be shaking up this month. Some of those series will now be on a "when it comes to mind" basis - most notably "In Honor Of." Trying to think of something to honor each week is harder than it sounds. Writing Tips should still happen on a weekly basis. Somebody Smarter Said and Hey Neat-O should hopefully be just whenever I feel like it, or whenever I find something worth posting. I did have one "guest" series - One Step, which reached it's natural and always-purposed conclusion.
So to recap what to expect this month:
Writing Tips on a weekly basis
Somebody Smarter Said / Hey Neat-O on a regular basis
In Honor Of / Watch This on an infrequent basis
And a new "guest" series - "Jacob Workout," which will be about wrestling with some faith concepts.
Oh, and Nerd Files on a regular basis.
Also, a bevy (yes, that's right, a bevy) of Random Thoughts and Reviews.
Somebody Smarter Said - 19
"I love deadlines. I love the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." - Douglas Adams
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