02.22.08
Who needs a music degree?
…when you can just write great songs through random processes? Scott Adams, creator of the popular Dilbert cartoon, posted a challenge on his blog (nearly a month ago—I seem to be a tad behind the times): contribute up to two lines of lyrics combining random words or ideas. A German band picked up on the post, combining the best of the submitted lyrics and some of their own and setting them to music. A Dilbert fan then took the song and made a music video for it, using pictures collected off the internet. Amazingly enough, the result—”She Amazed Me”—would be indistinguishable from the majority of current popular music if it were played in the background.
Here are the posts with the original recording and the followup music video. It, erm, amazed me. 
02.08.08
Thou hast not done, for I have more
Sin is ugly.
Sin defaces all that God created and called Very Good. It defiles our souls. It pollutes our minds.
Sin corrupts us, slowly, silently seeping, delving deeper. It quietly creeps, pushing past our most determined defenses.
Sin is caustic, corrosive, controlling. It feasts and feeds on pride, on preening, prating fools all supremely safe, secure, needing nothing. More »
02.07.08
What do you want?
In the morning, when I rise,
In the morning, when I rise,
In the morning, when I rise,
Give me .
How do we finish the song? What is it that we desire above all else? To what do we assign the highest value? Looking at our lives, what would someone else say we want? More »
02.06.08
Review: Words Fail Me
(This is my first book review of 2008. My goal for the year is 50 books; I have a few more finished, and hope to have their reviews up within the next week or so.)
Patricia T. O’Conner’s Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know about Writing is a thoroughly enjoyable read, masterfully blending clear instruction and delightful humor. O’Conner manages to diagnose and treat a comprehensive list of writing ills without becoming pedantic or tiresome. Writers of any proficiency will benefit from this book.
O’Connor accomplishes much in a surprisingly short space; the book’s 221 pages are divided among 30 different topics. Efficient writing moves things along quickly, but the style is anything but sparse. Each chapter contains many examples, drawn from both original material and well-known authors. A subtle sense of humor pervades the text. Each topic is thoroughly covered, without focusing on any one writing style. The result is an enjoyable series of lessons benefiting writers in any field. More »
02.05.08
Happy Pancake Day!
Take a deep breath—Lent is upon us! Tomorrow, the celebration of Ash Wednesday, kicks off the forty day (plus a few Sundays) season which anticipates Easter Sunday. Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, was once the last day before Easter to eat meats, poultry, or dairy products, so many English families would eat a delicious meal (or three) of pancakes in order to use up these foods before Lent. Even as mandatory fasting was relaxed and eventually rescinded, the traditional meal kept its place in English culture. (Or, for another possible tradition, read this post about the Pancake Turtle.) More »
02.01.08
Stripping paint, peeling onions
I recall the time my family purchased its first piano, an old upright which had been painted a rather dismal white-ish color. Whoever painted it should have been incarcerated because the wood underneath was nicely stained, and the paint did a great disservice to the instrument. In an attempt to restore the piano to its former glory, my parents decided to strip the paint, revealing the original stained wood underneath.
And, oh what a job it was. That paint tenaciously clung to the piano. The paint stripper heated the paint to make it easier to scrape off, sending the smell of burnt paint throughout the house. The ornately carved scroll work was the worst to clean, as both paint stripper and paint scraper worked best on flat surfaces. Eventually, the paint was removed, and the work of making it look presentable could begin. More »
02.15.08
Goodwill and Church Cookies
Posted in Christian culture, Commentary at 8:15 pm by Matt Porter
Why do we give away our junk? Why do we feel good about giving it to someone else?
Both of those questions have more to do with the attitude we have toward our stuff than about the actual giving. Two more questions should help clear things up: More »
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