Pillars are Just Crutches

If you aren’t familiar with the whole Halo movie scenario I’ll give you a quick run down:

Microsoft wanted a Halo movie to open with Halo 3, so they grabbed Peter Jackson and went into pre-production.  Then they started talking up the studios and when the studios realized how big of a chunk (both of $$ and creative control) Microsoft wanted they turned them down flat.

Then Halo 3 came out and the movie industry complained that the game was the reason the box office was doing so poorly (as if a good movie actually came out!).  Halo 3 made more in the first day than any entertainment product has ever made on it’s first day of release … yes, it beat out Harry Potter’s last book!

So, should any of us be surprised that the movie industry had a change of heart about the Halo movie?

Blogged with Flock

Tags: movies

There is an interesting phenomenon that occurs in the world of Christianity that I think fools most people.  The phenomenon is that exterior examples of exaggerated holiness are the key to living a good and pleasing life for God.

This may be a tad harsh, but let me explain that phrase.  We tend to judge others by the actions that we and other people see (exterior) and rarely talk about the inner life, the thought life.  After all, I am the only one who knows what I’m thinking.  So in order to make sure our brothers and sisters are living to a standard worthy of God we exaggerate the external things we require from them.

For example, in the culture I’m in now alcohol (in any amount) is very much frowned upon.  We tell each other we are ‘raising the bar’ to a new level of holiness if we totally abstain from it.  But I wonder, If someone has never sinned while drinking alcohol will abstaining from alcohol ‘raise the bar’ on that persons holiness?

Let’s choose a random real life example of someone who we can verify drank alcohol and never sinned … hmmm …. ohh, Jesus!

Now, the question that I’m posing is this:  If Jesus abstained from alcohol in his earthly ministry would he have been more holy and pure?

No, of course not, to say otherwise would be heresy.  The bar isn’t raised by following man made principles, it’s made by keeping God’s standard.  God’s standard is against drunkenness.  A lot of people quote what Paul told Timothy, ‘take a little wine for your stomach’s sake’.  But I prefer the to use the requirements of a deacon, one who must not be ‘addicted to wine’.

I think it’s important to live life with the bar raised as high as possible.  But I’m not going to fall into the trap of thinking that I can raise the bar higher than the Bible says I can.  There is a group of people in the Bible who believed that they could do just this, they were called pharisees.

Blogged with Flock

i don’t know what it is, but when I’m really busy my web-surfing time becomes substantially more productive. I’m in the middle of 4 big assignments all due on the same day!! I would of started them sooner, but for some reason the amount of reading needed for the course was substantially more.

But, I’m on the right track with my first assignment I’m aiming to get done so I’m happy about that!!

Because of my business over the past couple weeks, I’ve had to resort to watching my shows during the time that I was planning on going to bed … ha ha … probably not the best idea, but I haven’t been too tired … yet. And I’d rather have chill time instead of all work time.

Oh yeah, surfing productivity. I’ve found some rather cool stuff over the last couple weeks and I thought I’d share some of it with you. I know not all of it is new, and some of what I’m going to mention I’ve had for a while.

Oh, and most is for Mac. Sorry PC.

First is Flock (available on PC). It’s based off the Firefox browser (best out there IMHO) and aims to connect all of those social-network sites that we’re signed up to through the browser. It’s a novel idea and has been integrated rather well. I’ve been using it more steadily than I thought I would, I’ve connected both blogs to it, facebook, youtube, and del.icio.us. (connections to flickr, piczo, photobucket etc available too) You can upload pictures and blogs straight from the browser without having to go to the actual website. As well, some of the plugins for firefox work with it but not all and I’m sure you need to download them again.

Adium (Mac only) This is the most customizable, flexable, IM I have used to date. I stopped going on MSN because it stopped loading for me, so I downloaded this. I know it’s been around for awhile. But I just started using it out of necessity. IMO it’s better than any single IM client I’ve used. Only thing it’s missing is voice/webcam … but I’m sure it’s coming.

Shapeshifter (Mac only) This program can change the complete look of your computer in seconds, it is very very cool!! Unfortunately it didn’t last very long on my computer for one reason, I only found one skin that I liked. And I couldn’t get the icons to install, so I ditched it before it even expired.

Tor (Mac only) If you know anything about the ‘World’ wide web you’ll know that it has nothing to do with the world anymore! Bureaucracy has taken hold of it and nearly ruined it. Have you ever tried to watch a show on nbc.com when you’re not in the USA? you can’t. This may not help with that example but it’ll help with websites that have blocked your country deliberately (like demonoid and Canada). It basically makes you anonymous.

Miro (Mac … maybe PC … not sure) This is a video viewer. It’s interesting and cool but unfortunately it’s major concern is with internet video (which I’m not too interested in), although it has some on computer video viewing/sorting option itunes is still way better in that regard. But if you’re into the internet video craze, try it out!

KisMac and MacStumbler (mac only) Both of these will detect wireless networks in your area. KisMac is preferred for reasons you’ll have to research to find out … ;)

TVShows and TED (Mac only) I’m a college student, I can’t conform to the schedules that the TV industry would like me to conform to and NBC won’t let Canadians use their entire site … so I enjoy the shows the next day. TVShows works behind the scenes (which is nice) But TED seems to get shows sooner and has a better database with show info and stuff (it’s more complicated though)

Blogged with Flock

Tags: Mac, software, web

If you know me at all, you’ll know that I have a penchant for Quentin Tarantino film. So, to find out that the long anticipated DVD release of Kill Bill parts 1 & 2 as a single film is soon to come out (December) is very exciting!! It’s pretty much official seeing as Amazon.com has made a page to begin selling it!

In a sense it’s going to be a director’s cut with new footage and re-edited scenes.

This, in a small way, will make up for the horrendous mistake the film studios made by separating Grindhouse into two separate films on DVD.

60 minutes is interviewing Joel Osteen on Sunday October 14th.  I would encourage any Christians to watch it because his message seems to be the overwhelming direction that Christianity is heading.

What direction is that??

A different Gospel – Jesus’ death no longer is meant as an atonement for sin but so Christians can be comfortable – physically, financially, and emotionally …  it’s a prosperity/self-esteem gospel that cuts out the bad news of the gospel (sin and the consequence of sin) and replaces it with assurances of wealth, health, and a good self-esteem.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires

- 2 Timothy 4:3

—————-
Now playing: Drop Dead, Gorgeous – Well, I Never…
via FoxyTunes