A theological discussion...

This is an argument that was presented in my Theology and Culture class last week:

1. God is all-powerful, so He has the power to stop evil.
2. God is all-good, so He has the wish to stop evil.
3. Yet, evil exists. So, either God has the power to stop evil and chooses not to (making Him not all-good), or He wants to stop evil, but doesn't possess the power to.

Discuss.

Catching up...

Hello all of you in blogville. I've been sort of m.i.a. the last few weeks as this year got off to a great start. So, here I am, catching all of you up on what's been going on and what's on my mind...

* I'm excited about this year. The new students seem to be glad to be here and that always makes a big difference. In addition to continuing in my position as an RD, I'm also teaching a section of ET 101. I think it's going to be a fun class, and I'm looking forward to all the stuff we'll do this semester.

* The Oracle will be appearing on Faith Cafe in an episode that shoots next month. It's a very cool opportunity! The show shoots in Nashville, so we'll all be heading up there in just two weeks. I'm excited to spend some more time in Nashville. It's definitely one of the top places Paul and I are considering for our next move, so any time we can spend there is good, I think. Plus, I'll be meeting some TV people I haven't met before. The chance to network is always good!

* My classes at UGA are good so far. I have Statistics, which is totally uninteresting to me, but I'll suffer through it! And Theology and Culture which has proven to be really interesting. Right now we're reading a book called "Two Great Truths." It discusses the supposed contradictions between natural science and Christianity. Though the author claims to be a Christian, his views are sometimes in direct opposition to the Bible. I can't wait to get to the part in the book where the author deals with Jesus! More on this topic later.

* You may have noticed I'm not recapping Rock Star any more. I'm still watching, but I just ran out of time to type that much! I still like Dilana and Magni the best.

* I'm really excited about the new TV season starting up. Summer TV was really good with Monk, Psych, Project Runway, and Kyle XY to keep me busy, but Fall will always be TV kickoff time for me.

* I'm going to my first UGA game this weekend! It's opening day, so it should be a lot of fun!

I think that's it for now. If I haven't talked to you in a while, please catch me up on your life too!

Peace. Out.

K-Fed in da house...or something

If you didn't catch Kevin Federline's debut as a rapper at the Teen Choice Awards earlier this week, you should definitely check it out. It's, um, interesting. Britney Spears introduces him in pretty much the same state as when she gave her Matt Lauer interview several weeks ago. She's dressed inappropriately and smacking her gum the whole time. But, at least her eyelashes stayed on this time!

It's a funny thing about K-Fed's set, though. I seem to remember another up-and-coming solo artist rising up from big stereo speakers for his debut performance. Hmmm...who could that have been? Oh. Riiiiight.

Peace. Out.

One for the books...

So, today was new student move-in day at EC. It's always a stressful, but exciting time, involving very little sleep and a whole lot of caffeine and sugar! So far, things seem to be going well. I just had the first official meeting with all of the new students (where they forced me to harp on curfew, even though I tried to skim over it...what is this curfew stigma? Is it a control thing? A developmental thing? All of the above?) and they seem to be excited to be here. I have an awesome new group of RA's who are just as excited to have them, so I'm looking forward to a great year.

In preparation for the students' arrival, I had these wonderful RA's do a "Room Condition Checklist". This form gives us an idea of what shape the room is in and lets the student/parent see that we are aware of the problem and will be trying to fix it asap.

One of the things to do on the checklist is make sure that all of the furniture which is assigned to a room is actually in the room. Furniture includes beds, desks, bookshelves, desk chairs, dressers, wardrobes, night stands, and bed shelves.

On one of the forms, one of my diligent and conscientious RA's had carefully written, "One night stand needed." Love it!!

Peace. Out.

Rock Star Eliminations...

Encores: (yes, that's an "s" on the end!)
Lukas and Magni - I still didn't really like Lukas, but you can tell he's trying to sing "properly" per Jason's requests. Magni rocks out with the band this time and it's still great.

Bottom Three:
Jill - Respect - Aretha Franklin
I hope this is her last performance, because I need a break from the screaming.

Josh - Shooting Star - Bad Company
His head is ultimately going to wobble right off his neck! His stage presence is just so awkward.

Ryan - Enjoy the Silence - Depeche Mode
This performance had a lot of potential, but I don't think Ryan made the most of it. Again, he's a good singer and all, just not really my thing.

Ryan is safe and Supernova makes the decision to kill two birds with one stone and eliminate both Jill and Josh on this round. Good decision, I think.

Until next time...

Peace. Out.

Rock Star - Week 6

Here's what I thought about this week's show...

I was looking forward to the rockers performing their original songs this week, but alas, that was only a clinic. You can hear the songs and see some of their sessions at the Rock Star website.

Dilana - Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who
Gilby plays along and they work very well together. Dilana makes the most of that "dirty" quality in her voice and wows the crowd, Supernova, Dave, and me. Gilby says that after that performance, he has no doubt a woman can front their band.

Jill - Mother Mother - Tracy Bonham
Back to back with Dilana, it's really easy to see Jill's faults. She's a solid performer, but she just doesn't hold up. Tommy Lee thinks it's her best performance so far, but Jason says she lost the power of her voice in all the running around on stage. I really think this is her last week.

Ryan - Paint It Black - The Rolling Stones
I'm so distracted by the painted-on Robin (as in "Batman and...") mask around his eyes, that I can't even concentrate on this song! Dave says the entrance and the reveal prove Ryan's a contender, but Tommy's unsure. Gilby says his vocals are awesome. He's good, but just not my thing.

Storm - We Are the Champions - Queen
Just as a sidenote here, Storm's MySpace page lists her style as Rock and Christian Rap. Um, that's definitely not what she is, so I have to wonder if that's a joke? An oversight? Who knows? Anyway, I generally think no one should perform this song except Freddie Mercury, but Storm does well. Tommy says he hopes they haven't scared the rock out of her and she assures him she'll spank the crap out of him again. It cuts to her laughing really hard, and I think the television audience missed a joke.

Zayra - All the Young Dudes - David Bowie
Magni's backing her up on guitar and she's wearing this. Zayra says in a pre-interview that she only dresses to wow herself. I think she's just having fun with us at this point! Vocally, though, this is an extremely strong performance. I actually enjoyed it! Gilby says he enjoys the showmanship, but she was flat on that song. Who cares? Obviously the producers are just keeping her around for our viewing pleasure, so whatever. I think the band is getting close to having enough, though.

Josh - Interstate Love Song - STP
Tommy Lee surprises Josh and backs him up on drums. So, you know how Scott Weiland had that really interesting quality in his voice that basically gave STP their sound? Yeah, Josh doesn't have that. The band says they enjoyed it. As a sidenote here, Tommy Lee is so out of breath after playing this one song, I have to wonder if he can even handle a full-length show.

Magni - The Dolphin's Cry - Live
I had a really bad first impression of Magni, but in the last few weeks, he's really been impressing me. I literally got chills during this performance, so it's my pick this week for you to watch. It was amazing and very sweet to see his family there watching. Mad kudos from Supernova.

Patrice - Instant Karma - John Lennon
The pigtails have got to go, Patrice! This is a great arrangement and I still think she has a great voice, but she's just not on par with some of the others. Dave says it was an excellent song choice and she did a good job. And that's the thing. It was good. It was fine. It just wasn't great or memorable.

Lukas - Creep - Radiohead
I'm really not loving Lukas very much at this point, but Supernova loves it. Whatever.

Toby - Burning Down the House - The Talking Heads
Why was this song even an option for selection? What do they expect out of the person who chooses it? Anyway, the arrangement is awesome and gives the house band a chance to show off a bit. At the end, though, Toby pulls out a megaphone with Australian flags on the side. It's just too cheesy. Dave says Toby is better than that and doesn't need props at this point. Supernova's okay with it, though, and says it proves he can change it up a bit.

I think...
Encore - Magni
Bottom Three - Jill, Josh, Patrice
Going Home - Jill

Peace. Out.

MySpace, Facebook...BattleCry?

So, I'm a confessed MySpace-aholic. I love staying connected to current friends, I love reconnecting with old friends, and I sometimes love making new friends. I would consider myself a smart user, not putting too much info out there and only accepting individuals I personally know as friends. There are a lot of parents out there, however, who are really worried about their kids being on MySpace or similar sites. In my opinion, these kids just need to be educated so they don't end up in trouble. But I understand the fear.

Could BattleCry.com be the answer? The site, powered by TBN, aims to unite teens and adults in the fight for a generation being demonized by the media. I have to say, the site looks really cool and the idea behind it is sound. But does it have to be so cheesy? I really don't want to be negative about something so positive, but calling your BattleCry friends your "TrenchMates" and calling your profile your "Battle Plan" just seems a little cheesy to me. Don't get me wrong, I really wish the people behind this site all the best and pray they are truly able to make a difference in this generation.

But all of this begs the question...can you talk about Christianity and be relevant? Can you talk about Jesus and be cool? Is that, or should that be, a goal?

I really am not sure about that last one. Our goal shouldn't be to water down the Gospel so that it appeals to everyone, but certainly there are ways of discussing it that open doors more readily than other ways, right?

These are simple questions, I think, but not easy ones. I'd love to hear your opinion.

Peace. Out.

Rock Star - Week 5 Eliminations

I predicted the bottom three correctly! But before I get into that, at the opening of the show, Dave asks Dana if she indeed got the tattoo she mentioned on the previous episode. She says yes, and shows off a treble clef on her hip (pretty cool). She says she's going to get a bass clef for the other side. Dave suggests she puts it on the back side, the "low end, if you know what I'm saying." Um, no Dave, I don't know what you are saying, so stop talking. Geez, he is really testing my love!

So anyway, Ryan gets the encore and does a good job. It's a nice arrangement on the piano. I would've picked Storm, but I think they're consciously trying to pick a different person every week.

Jill is the first in the bottom three. She sings "Alone" by Heart and rocks it out. I wasn't sure if it would be enough to save her, but she ends up getting a standing ovation from Supernova! Gilby tells her they think she's made some "horrible creative choices" but she saved herself with the performance tonight. I think she's still on thin ice, though.

Patrice sings "Eternal Life" by Jeff Buckley. Her vocal chops cannot be denied and she really shows them off in this song. Though they still aren't blown away, Supernova decides to keep her around at least one more week.

Thus, Dana is the one going home. She sings "House of the Rising Sun" by The Animals (10 points if you knew who sang that before you read it!) and does a really good job. She still has that karaoke/Broadway element to her voice, but the improvement from a few weeks ago is undeniable. I really think she did the best that she could do. Unfortunately, her best wasn't good enough.

Some side notes about the show in general. I really dislike the director's style on this show, but I also hate the constant screaming of the crowd. Quiet them down already! No, not after a performance, but while Brooke is talking, geez, give it a break.

I also hate that they officially refer to Tommy Lee as "the Hatchet Man" since he's the one who announces who's going home. However, I love that he pulls his hoodie up before he makes the announcement...it has devil horns on top, and that's just funny!

Next week the rockers have to write a melody and lyrics to an existing Supernova track. This should be interesting!!

Peace. Out.

PS - Zayra is wearing a belt buckle that says "PIMP". I just thought you should know.

Harry Potter Casting...

In a brilliant stroke of casting genius, Helena Bonham Carter will play Bellatrix Lestrange in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, due in 2007. Even though I was disappointed in the Goblet of Fire, I'm still so looking forward to the next chapter in this amazing series.

Peace. Out.

Rock Star - Week 5

Hey, look at me, posting the day after the performances! Here's what I thought about last night...

Patrice - Higher Ground, Red Hot Chili Peppers' version - Tommy Lee plays along, but this is not the song I would have chosen for a drum highlight. Whatever. Patrice does okay, but she's not exciting and has poor interaction with the band onstage. Supernova says she was fine.

Josh - Santeria, Sublime - Absolute perfect song choice that makes the most of his voice. I don't know if he's trying to channel the spirit of the Rasta with that hat, but either way, Supernova loves it.

Dilana - Can't Get Enough, Bad Company - This is not my favorite vocal performance, but it's Dilana, and she rode a crowd member's shoulders back to the stage after rocking Supernova's platform! So, I still love her.

Toby - Pennyroyal Tea, Nirvana - Kind of a boring performance, actually. Vocally, good, but nothing special. Good props from Supernova.

Zayra - 867-5309 (Jenny), Tommy Tutone - Seriously, where does she shop? (Photo link coming ASAP!) At Edna Mode's boutique? Anyway, it's probably her best performance and Supernova asks for a few minutes to process what they've just seen. Gilby says vocals were off, but he wants to keep her around to see what she'll do next. Like I said, good TV. (BTW, here's the electric blue outfit from last week)

Magni - Clocks, Coldplay - If you're going to do Coldplay, I think you should just go ahead and try to sound as different from Chris Martin as possible, not do a karaoke version like this. Magni has a good voice, though, and there's definite potential there. Supernova absolutely loves it.

Jill - (Don't You) Forget About Me, Simple Minds - She's back to the screaming this week, and the band hates it. Dave makes his cruelest remark yet when he tells Jill that her performance would have been the moment people left to grab a drink or go to the bathroom. But it's kind of true. Tommy stops flirting long enough to rightly say that the great thing about this song is that low, sort of sexy register in which it was originally sung. And Jill disregarded that and screamed her way through it. She might be my pick to go home this week.

Ryan - Losing My Religion, REM - I think he oversang just as much as Jill did, yet the band loves it. For a much better song sung at the grand piano, please refer to MiG doing Baby I Love Your Way last year.

Lukas - Celebrity Skin, Hole - He's still wandering around the stage too much. Strategic walking, Lukas, strategic walking!! He turns his back to the audience for much of the song and Gilby calls him out on it. Dave says it's his least favorite performance so far, and it's mine as well.

Storm - Changes, David Bowie - What a great song. And this is my pick for your performance to watch. This is totally different from anything Storm has done and it really proves why she's in this competition. Major well-deserved props from Supernova.

Dana - Baba O'Riley, The Who - Man, the straight hair makes such a difference in her look! This is a good performance, but the "They're all wasted" at the end sort of blows it for me. Tommy says there's hope for her and I agree.

My picks for bottom three are Patrice, Jill, and Dana with Jill going home.

Peace. Out.