Kruse Kronicle

Saturday Links

1. The Atlantic says Just 27% of BA's Have Jobs Related to Their Major? Don't Believe the Fed's New Stat

2. 100 fastest growing inner city businesses

From a pet relocation service, a wine lifestyle marketer, to a scrap metal regenerator, America's urban core is home to a variety of fast-growing companies. Here's the top 100, as ranked by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City.

3. Factory safety: Battle of the brands

... This approach has been criticised by the Workers Rights Consortium because, unlike its plan, it contains no binding commitment to help fund improvements to make factories safe. Yet it is debatable whether wealthy factory owners really lack funds to make factories safe, as opposed to the lack of incentive due to the Bangladesh government's failure to enforce its own building code. WalMart points out that the government has now started to close unsafe fatories, 19 so far (presumably because of the constant protests by locals since the collapse of Rana Plaza). It says its new approach will detect unsafe factories significantly faster than the Workers Rights Consortium's plan.

Perhaps it would be better if everyone agreed on a common approach. But if there must be competition, it is surely better that it is over how to make factories safer than the alternative.

4. Economist Timothy Taylor with some interesting thoughts on Spending on America's Pets

5. Why Rational People Buy Into Conspiracy Theories

While psychologists can't know exactly what goes on inside our heads, they have, through surveys and laboratory studies, come up with a set of traits that correlate well with conspiracy belief. In 2010, Swami and a co-author summarized this research in The Psychologist, a scientific journal. They found, perhaps surprisingly, that believers are more likely to be cynical about the world in general and politics in particular. Conspiracy theories also seem to be more compelling to those with low self-worth, especially with regard to their sense of agency in the world at large. Conspiracy theories appear to be a way of reacting to uncertainty and powerlessness.

6. Why You Feel Smart Around Some People But Dumb Around Others

... Experiments show that when people report feeling comfortable with a conversational partner, they are judged by those partners and by observers as actually being more witty.

It's just one example of the powerful influence that social factors can have on intelligence. Research in this area should prompt us to think about intelligence not as a "lump of something that's in our heads," as the psychologist Joshua Aronson puts it, but as "a transaction among people."...

... This research has important implications for the way we educate children and the way we manage employees. For one thing, we should replace high-stakes, one-shot tests with the kind of unobtrusive and ongoing assessments that give teachers and managers a more accurate sense of people's true abilities. We should also put in place techniques for reducing anxiety and building self-confidence that take advantage of our social natures. And we should ensure that the social climate in schools and workplaces is one of warmth and trust, not competition and exclusion.

Professor Aronson calls the doltishness induced by an uncomfortable social situation "conditional stupidity." We should use that insight to create the conditions for brilliance. ...

7. Do those who doubt climate catastrophism lack scientific credibility?

8. Everything Wrong With America In One Simple Image (INFOGRAPHIC) The article is a bit over the top, but this graphic was interesting:

9. America's Declining Teen Birth Rate, Explained in 3 Charts

10. Suburbia Needs Jesus, Too Interesting piece that has caused some buzz in social media. Her point about the centrality of everyday life is something I resonate with.

11. Teenagers Are Actually Starting To Use Twitter... In Part To Escape The 'Drama' And Parents On Facebook

12. Methodists May Discourage Those Over 45 from Becoming Pastors

13. How does copyright work in space?

CHRIS HADFIELD has captured the world's heart, judging by the 14m YouTube views of his free-fall rendition of David Bowie's "Space Oddity", recorded on the International Space Station (ISS). The Canadian astronaut's clear voice and capable guitar-playing were complemented by his facility in moving around in the microgravity of low-earth orbit. But when the man fell to Earth in a neat and safe descent a few days ago, after a five-month stay in orbit, should he have been greeted by copyright police? Commander Hadfield was only 250 miles (400 km) up, so he was still subject to terrestrial intellectual-property regimes, which would have applied even if he had flown the "100,000 miles" mentioned in the song's lyrics or millions of kilometres to Mars. His five-minute video had the potential to create a tangled web of intellectual-property issues. How does copyright work in space? ...

Saturday Links

1. What a horrific week for Boston and west Texas people. Our prayers are with the many people who have been so deeply traumatized and injured in these events. Regarding how we respond to such events in public discourse, I thought this article from Slate was especially good. Be Meaningful or Be Quiet

"... We need more restraint and less wild guessing. Free-flowing debate in the search for meaning is a part of these moments and a part of the human condition, but what I'm talking about is using tragedy for evidence shopping. That people reach immediately for their pet political theory at moments like this highlights what's wrong with a lot of political debate. But perhaps this moment also offers a useful sorting technique. If you can't shut up now, when either reason, decency, or good taste requires it, you disqualify yourself from the conversation in calmer times. ...

... Political debate about facts is fine. When the White House puts out a picture of the president in the situation room, it's fine to point out that it's propaganda they never put out on Benghazi. But a person who uses tragedy as new evidence in an existing political fight is probably incapable of keeping this window open. They can't pause to honor the solemnity of a moment of tragedy or wait until the facts come in, which means that the facts never really mattered much to them at all. These partisans are ever on alert to advance their relentless claim—whatever it is. Michael Moore immediately fingered Tea Party types after the bombing. In the hours after attack, when authorities questioned a man of Saudi dissent (who was later released), Rep. Steve King tied it to the comprehensive immigration reform he opposes. Nate Bell, an Arkansas state lawmaker, tweeted, "I wonder how many Boston liberals spent the night cowering in their homes wishing they had an AR-15 with a hi-capacity magazine? #2A" There was lots of this from partisans on both sides on Twitter. ..."

2. Are We Losing the Young? Evangelicals by Age Since 1972

3. David Murrow asks Are sermons becoming obsolete?

... So, what does this mean for the church? Is the lecture style sermon going the way of the dinosaur?

Yes and no. There will always be live sermons. But will anyone be listening?

Just as universities are re-thinking the lecture, it might be time for churches to re-think the sermon. Thom and Joani Schultz polled churchgoers and found that just 12 percent could recall the topic of the last sermon they heard. Only five percent of men credited sermons as their primary source of knowledge about God.

So if sermons are becoming obsolete, what will take their place?

Discipleship. Our generation may be drowning in ideas, but we're starving for real human contact.

The problem is, our churches are structured to deliver sermons and music. If there's any energy left, we disciple people. ...

4. First, there was this article about Self-Employment An Escape From Long-Term Joblessness For Some Older Workers. It may work for some who are out of jobs, but Hiranya Fernando warns Why You Shouldn't Quit Your Day Job To Pursue Your Dream. 

To be sure these are inspiring stories. They make us hope and dream. And I support anyone who is dissatisfied with desk jobs and corporate gigs and is now thinking of other options. But my advice is to take the time to understand your specific situation before you do anything purely because "it feels right" or because "it's a childhood dream."

And don't do it because everyone else is. Don't do it because the neighbor's second cousin and Aunt Maggie's daughter are doing it, and it sounds so easy. Even people who are relatively happy in their jobs think something is wrong with them because everywhere they go they are bombarded with "How I quit my day job and started a million-dollar leaf-raking business."

5. Walter Russell Mead Warns There's No Comeback for the PhD

Drezner says that there are really only two reasons why you might get a Ph.D. One, you're crazy; or two, you're crazy about the subject you will be studying. But even the latter is becoming a kind of luxury for those lucky few who can afford to spend several years on a degree without any guarantee of future employment. All others should heed Drezner's advice before surrendering the money, years, blood, and tears it takes to earn the right to be called "Doctor."

6. I suspect the J C Penny fiasco is going to become an important case study for business schools: Sometimes, We Want Prices to Fool Us

7. Max Baucus warns about Obamacare: Obamacare Architect Warns "Huge Train-Wreck" Ahead

8. Eric Wemple quotes Mark Lamont Hill in Gosnell case: HuffPost host says left 'made a decision' to not cover trial

"For what it's worth, I do think that those of us on the left have made a decision not to cover this trial because we worry that it'll compromise abortion rights. Whether you agree with abortion or not, I do think there's a direct connection between the media's failure to cover this and our own political commitments on the left. I think it's a bad idea, I think it's dangerous, but I think that's the way it is."

9. Mother Jones has a great piece on the social psychology of our political leanings: How Science Can Predict Where You Stand on Keystone XL

10. Atlantic Cities says The More Diverse a Metro Is, the More Segregated It's Likely to Be

11. Christian Science Monitor: Babies are conscious? Science confirms what moms know.

Babies are aware of what's going on, not just reflexively reacting to it, scientists concluded after a series of experiments on babies as young as 5 months.

12. Are e-readers hurting our reading comprehension?

13. The future of the car: Clean, safe and it drives itself. See the Economist video about driverless cars.

Yet many people already travel, unwittingly, on planes and trains that no longer need human drivers. As with those technologies, the shift towards driverless cars is taking place gradually. The cars' software will learn the tricks that humans use to avoid hazards: for example, braking when a ball bounces into the road, because a child may be chasing it. Google's self-driving cars have already clocked up over 700,000km, more than many humans ever drive; and everything they learn will become available to every other car using the software. As for the liability issue, the law should be changed to make sure that when cases arise, the courts take into account the overall safety benefits of self-driving technology.

14. University of Illinois: Small in size, big on power: New microbatteries a boost for electronics

 With so much power, the batteries could enable sensors or radio signals that broadcast 30 times farther, or devices 30 times smaller. The batteries are rechargeable and can charge 1,000 times faster than competing technologies – imagine juicing up a credit-card-thin phone in less than a second. In addition to consumer electronics, medical devices, lasers, sensors and other applications could see leaps forward in technology with such power sources available.

"Any kind of electronic device is limited by the size of the battery – until now," King said. "Consider personal medical devices and implants, where the battery is an enormous brick, and it's connected to itty-bitty electronics and tiny wires. Now the battery is also tiny."

Now, the researchers are working on integrating their batteries with other electronics components, as well as manufacturability at low cost.

15. What was old is new again: The Beat Goes On: How Vinyl Records Are Making A Comeback

"Vinyl manufacturing plants are bursting at the seams," said Kurtz. "We took a nascent industry – vinyl – breathed life into it and now we can't even handle the amount of business we are creating."

The 20 Greatest Songs About Work

The Pessimist: The 20 Greatest Songs About Work

You might hate your job, but there’s nothing like a good song to make you feel like you’re not alone. (I mean, except when you think about it, and realize that the musicians who performed the song probably no longer have to work in an office, and are most likely drinking Champagne with supermodels in a brand-new Learjet 85, while you’re eating off-brand corn chips you bought from a convenience store that the health department should have closed down a long time ago.)

The point is, labor has been the single most popular subject of pop songs for decades (besides girls, cars, alcohol, parties, religion, and about 10,000 other things). So below, we’ve collected 20 of the best songs about the working life. Think of it as an extremely depressing playlist, like if your local radio station hired a German film director as its morning drive-time DJ. If we missed anything, let us know in the comments! (But be nice, or we’ll tell your boss you’re goldbricking again.)  ...

Take a look at the list. Any songs you would add?

 

Theology in Advent Hymns and Carols

Christmas Day, I wrote about my appreciation for O Come, Emmanuel, because I think it captures the biblical story better than most Advent songs. Jeffrey Barbeau has some good thoughts in his humorously titled Don’t Let N. T. Wright Steal Christmas!

Peter Leithart, remarking on the trendsetting biblical criticism of N. T. Wright, has questioned the way that many (presumably English) Christmas hymns fail to capture the political and social context of the birth of Jesus Christ. Leithart claims that Advent hymns (unlike Christmas hymns) capture the here and now. Advent hymns declare, in this way, a crisp, prophetic vision towards a world gone astray: “They are deeply and thoroughly and thrillingly political. Advent hymns look forward not to heaven but the redemption of Israel and of the nations, the coming of God’s kingdom on earth.”

For Leithart, we would all be better off ridding ourselves of hymns that fail to include the deeply political and social aspects of the original Christmas story. “Wright is no Grinch,” he claims. “He didn’t steal Christmas. What he stole was a false Christmas, a de-contextualized and apolitical Christmas. But we shouldn’t have bought that Christmas in the first place, and should have been embarrassed to display it so proudly on the mantle. Good riddance, and Bah humbug.”

As one who studies the literature of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Christianity (the period that gave us so many of our great English hymns), I must admit that some of Leithart’s critique rings true. Indeed, some of our most beloved hymns contain precisely the kind of otherworldly message that Leithart deplores.

Before we call for a moratorium on Christmas hymns, however, let’s remember that these hymns often contain powerful reminders of profound and, I daresay, eschatological change. We would be wise to listen. ...

O Come Emmanuel

This past year I read Scot McKnight's The King Jesus Gospel: The Original Good News Revisited and N. T. Wright's How God Became King: The Forgotten Story of the Gospels. Both scholars have reminded us once again how disconnected we have become from the world of Jesus and the early church. For us, Christianity goes from creation straight to Jesus's birth, then to the crucifixion and resurrection, after which we get the "real" theology of Paul, talking about individual sin and salvation. The Hebrew Testament is seen as peripheral background information, and Jesus's life and ministry are compressed into moralistic teachings about personal piety and personal salvation. The biblical witness is so much bigger than this.

To be honest, I'm not a big fan of Christmas music. I don't care for many of the hymns. But one carol that has stuck with me over the years is O Come Emmanuel. It is believed that the lyrics may date back to at least the 8th Century, well before the Reformation and the framing of the gospel that came from those events. Of all the hymns, it seems that this one comes closest to capturing the sentiments that people in Jesus's day must have felt.

 

O Come Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
In ancient times did'st give the Law, In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Saturday Links

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1. Several articles I saw this week reflect on data presented in The Pew Forum's The Global Religious Landscape: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Major Religious Groups as of 2010. Here is one interesting chart from the survey showing what percentage of each religion's adherents live in minority religious status in their own country.

2. This is really fascinating. Smithsonian: Why Japan is Obsessed with Kentucky Fried Chicken on Christmas. “Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!” (Kentucky for Christmas!)

3. Four Harvard and MIT grads are experimenting with direct aid to the poor. "GiveDirectly, the brainchild of four Harvard and MIT graduate students, is so simple, it's genius. Give poor Kenyan families $1,000 -- and let them do whatever they want with it." Can 4 Economists Build the Most Economically Efficient Charity Ever?

4. From the Guardian, Private healthcare: the lessons from Sweden

"... Despite its reputation as a leftwing utopia, Sweden is now a laboratory for rightwing radicalism. Over the past 15 years a coalition of liberals and conservatives has brought in for-profit free schools in education, has sliced welfare to pay off the deficit and has privatised large parts of the health service.

Their success is envied by the centre right in Britain. Despite predictions of doom, Sweden's economy continues to grow and its pro-business coalition has remained in power since 2006. The last election was the first time since the war that a centre-right government had been re-elected after serving a full term.

As the state has been shrunk, the private sector has moved in. Göran Dahlgren, a former head civil servant at the Swedish department of health and a visiting professor at the University of Liverpool, says that "almost all welfare services are now owned by private equity firms". ..."

5. Scott Annan writes in The Future Of Business Is Morality, And The Future Is Now

"... We have reached a point in our economy where it is becoming increasingly clear that businesses are being measured not just for their profit, but also for their impact. And I'm not just talking about writing a check or funding a charity; I'm referring to business models for which community involvement and inspirational brand building are the profit centers. (Think Warby Parker, TOMS, and startups such as SOMA.) I recently went to a conference where the founders of a startup posited a powerful idea: the future of marketing is philanthropy. But I think the even bigger idea is the future of business is morality. My grandfather saw this early on.

At a time when the moral framework of America appears to be fractured – or at the very least confused – businesses are in the propitious position to espouse cultural standards that can help restore values that our youth can use to build the next generation of positive enterprise. In fact, whether businesses succeed in creating and promoting positive cultures might determine whether they stay in business at all. The future of business is morality, and the future is now.

Whether it's the job of the corporation or not to set the moral tone for society, the expectation is trending towards companies setting the right example for others to follow. With the sharp rise in entrepreneurship, young companies have the opportunity to establish strong cultures early on and share them with their communities. Money must have a moral center, and from greater consciousness in business, greater profit will follow. ..."

6. Scientific American asks, After 40 Years, Has Recycling Lived Up to Its Billing?

7. AOL has a short piece about the rise of small nuclear reactors. The Next Big Thing in Nuclear Power: Going Small

8. Scientific American has a list of The Top 10 Science Stories of 2012.

9. Depression Surpasses Asthma as Top Disability Problem among U.S. and Canadian Teens

"New data show an increasing contribution of mental and behavioral disorders to deterioration in the health-related quality of life among teens in the U.S. and Canada over the past two decades, and increases elsewhere around the globe."

10. Robotic arm controlled by the mind allows paraplegic woman to feed herself

11. Interesting piece on Why We Prefer Masculine Voices (Even in Women).

12. Atlantic Cities looks into The Mystery of Our Declining Mobility.

13. People Are Leaving California In Record Numbers

More people moved out of California in 2011 than moved in, according to the latest report from the U.S. Census Bureau, signaling that the Democrat-run state's economic woes continue to drive residents away.

Most statisticians attribute California's net loss of 100,000 people last year to its high cost of living, increased population density and troubling unemployment rate.

The widening middle class in Mexico is also encouraging some immigrants to remain in that country instead of moving to California.

Texas — home to lower taxes, less regulation and what the Manhattan Institute calls a "labor pool with the right skills at the right price" — is one of the most attractive destinations for companies departing from California, according to the Census Bureau. ...

14. The United States Has Seen A Huge Drop In Executions Since 2000.

"The country reported 85 executions in 2000 but only 43 in 2012, according to a new report released by the Death Penalty Information Center. Plus, far fewer people are being sentenced to death row in the first place. The year 2000 saw 224 new inmates sentenced to death, while 2012 saw only 78, according to the report."

15. Conor Friedersdorf at the Atlantic had a great piece: Why 'If We Can Just Save One Child ...' Is a Bad Argument, referring to President Obama's statement at Newtown, CT. When dealing with complex topics like gun control, we always talk about tradeoffs. For instance, I know how we can save more than 30,000 lives. There were 32,367 traffic fatalities last year. Let's set the speed limit to 5 miles per hour. Nearly all those lives would be saved. Should we do this "if we can save just one more life"? I, like Friedersforf, am not advocating any particular policy. I'm just pointing out the absurdity of making such statements, as politicians often do.

16. The New York Times has an opinion piece by John Dickerson, The Decline of Evangelical America

"I found that the structural supports of evangelicalism are quivering as a result of ground-shaking changes in American culture. Strategies that served evangelicals well just 15 years ago are now self- destructive. The more that evangelicals attempt to correct course, the more they splinter their movement. In coming years we will see the old evangelicalism whimper and wane."

He speaks of an Evangelical "collapse" having happened. That may be a bit premature, but his articulation of trends is right.

17. I saw two interesting posts on the sociology Facebook this week. The New York Times had a piece about announcing bad news on Facebook: On Facebook, Bad With the Good. Mashable reports that Socioeconomic Status Predicts Number of Facebook Friends.

18. Gangnam Style hits one billion views on YouTube. K pop rules!

The CD, At 30, Is Feeling Its Age

NPR: The CD, At 30, Is Feeling Its Age

Today marks the 30th anniversary of a musical format many of us grew up with: the compact disc. It's been three decades since the first CD went on sale in Japan. The shiny discs came to dominate music industry sales, but their popularity has faded in the digital age they helped unleash. The CD is just the latest musical format to rise and fall in roughly the same 30-year cycle.

Compact discs had been pressed before 1982, but the first CD to officially go on sale was Billy Joel's 52nd Street.

The CD was supposed to have the last word when it came to convenience and sound quality. And for a while, it did. The CD dominated record sales for more than two decades — from the late 1980s until just last year, when sales of digital tracks finally surpassed those of physical albums. It's a cycle that has played out many times in the history of the music industry, with remarkable consistency.

Sam Brylawski, the former head of the recorded sound division at the Library of Congress, says, "If you look at the last 110, 115 years, the major formats all have about 20 to 30 years of primacy."

He says one of the biggest factors driving this cycle is a desire on the part of manufacturers to sell new players every generation or so. "The real money — the real profits — for companies have been in the sales of hardware. That is to say, machines that play back recordings." ...

"Everybody Loves a Holy War" - Remembering Mark Heard

This month marks the twentieth anniversary of Mark Heard's death. Christianity Today has a memorial to him at their site. Victims of the Age, from 1982, was one of my favorite albums. For thirty years, his song from that album, Everybody Loves a Holy War, continues to ring in my ears with every political campaign and church conflict I see. We need more Mark Heards today! Here are the lyrics (And to be clear, if you think these lyrics only apply to your opponent's camp, left or right, you're missing the point):

Everybody Loves a Holy War

Some say that God has approved of their mob
Esteeming their purposes alone
Choosing sides with a definite pride
And taking their cause for His own

Everybody loves a holy war
Draw the line and claim divine assistance
Slay the ones who show the most resistance
Everybody loves a holy war

Many's the man with the iron hand
Supposing his own thoughts to be Divine
He will break any bond -
'cause the other man's always wrong
It's a handy excuse for his crimes

Everybody loves a holy war
Draw the line and claim divine protection
Kill the ones who show the most objection
Everybody loves a holy war

Dissident cries are met with cold eyes
And treatment the devil would get
Righteousness and truth
can be weapons in the hands of fools
While innocents go to their deaths

Everybody loves a holy war
Draw the line and claim divine assistance
Slay the ones who show the most resistance
Everybody loves a holy war

Written by Mark Heard
© 1982 Bug 'n Bear Music ASCAP

In Honor of Black Friday

In honor of Black Friday, I needed to reprise a little Daniel Amos from 28 years ago:

Mall (All Over the World)

from the album "Doppelgänger"

Words and Music by Terry Taylor
©1983 Twitchen Vibes/ Paragon Music Corp. ASCAP

Mall all over the world
Mall all over the world...

Moving into the age of leisure
Where east meets west in a maze of pleasure
And why do we feel we can live forever?
Cos' they've piped in music of religious nature...

How come you're sad, how come you cry
When golden arches 'cross your sky?
They're reminders of sweet bye and bye
This could be heaven when we die...

Mannequin left!
Mannequin right!
Do the mannequin day and night
Elevator up, Escalate down
It spreads like the blob
It swallows your town

Moving into the age of leisure
Where east meets west in a maze of pleasure
And why do we feel we can live forever?
Cos' they've piped in music of religious nature...

Mall all over the world
Mall all over the world...

Merry Christmas!

Probably my favorite Christmas hymn.

O Come O Come Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
In ancient times did'st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

 

What was playing when you were born?

Mrs. Kronicle came across this website recently:

THE #1 SONG ON THIS DATE IN HISTORY

The #1 song when I was born was ....

 ... and when I graduated from high school ...

... and when I got married.

What was #1 when you were born?

Dylan's Jesus Years

Christianity Today: Dylan's Jesus Years

Doc explores his Christian era in late '70s, early '80s.

"I had no idea it was going to be wall-to-wall Jesus!" laughs legendary record producer Jerry Wexler in a new documentary, Inside Bob Dylan's Jesus Years.

Wexler was discussing Slow Train Coming, Dylan's 1979 album that was both revered and reviled. Dylan's conversion to Christianity—and the three evangelically minded albums that followed—shocked the music world so completely that it remains one of the most provocative and disputed periods in the icon's storied history. Last year's artsy biopic I'm Not There glossed over that period, but this film pieces together interviews with Dylan's former pastor, fellow musicians from the Slow Train era, and even some of the music critics who initially derided his "Jesus music." It offers a rare glimpse into an oft-misunderstood era. (Dylan was not interviewed for this film, but archived conversations with him are included.) ...

Merry Christmas

My favorite Christmas hymn:

Oh, Come, Oh, Come Emmanuel
Translated: John Neal, 1818-66

Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, our Wisdom from on high,
Who ordered all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, oh, come, our Lord of might,
Who to your tribes on Sinai's height
In ancient times gave holy law,
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come O Rod of Jesse's stem,
From ev'ry foe deliver them
That trust your mighty pow'r to save;
Bring them in vict'ry through the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, O Key of David, come,
And open wide our heav'nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, our Dayspring from on high,
And cheer us by your drawing nigh,
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Oh, bid our sad divisions cease,
And be yourself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Peace on earth. Goodwill to everyone.

Obama, Warren, and "Everybody Loves a Holy War"

Well, you've undoubtedly heard that Obama has selected Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration. This decision has prompted psychotic zealotry from both ends of the political spectrum. The left is indignant that Obama would select a bigoted anti-choice homophobe like Warren, and the right is outraged at Warren for praying for a gay-friendly baby killer. Sigh...

Circumstances like these always recall my favorite Mark Heard song from 26 years ago.

"Everybody Loves a Holy War" by MARK HEARD (1951-1992)
Album "Victims of the Age." 1982

some say that God has approved of their mob
esteeming their purposes alone
choosing sides with a definite pride
and taking their cause for His own

everybody loves a holy war
draw the line and claim divine assistance
slay those who show the most resistance
everybody loves a holy war

many's the man with the iron hand
supposing his own thoughts to be Divine
he will break any bond – 'cause the other man's always wrong
it's a handy excuse for his crimes

everybody loves a holy war
draw the lines and claim divine protection
kill the ones who show the most objection
everybody loves a holy war

dissident cries are met with cold eyes
and treatment the Devil would get
righteousness and truth can be weapons in the hands of fools
while innocents go to their deaths

everybody loves a holy war
draw the line and claim divine assistance
slay those who show the most resistance
everybody loves a holy war

Amen!

How Math Unraveled the 'Hard Day's Night' Mystery

Wired: How Math Unraveled the 'Hard Day's Night' Mystery

It took Dalhousie University professor Jason Brown six months and some advanced mathematical analytical techniques to crack the code behind one of the most mysterious sounds in music: the "prraaaaaangg" sound at the beginning of the Beatles' "Hard Day's Night." ...

...Guitarists have puzzled over how this chord is played for decades because it contains a note that would be impossible for the Beatles' two guitarists and bassist to play in one take, and experts have concluded that no multitracking was involved in this part of the song. The secret sauce, as it turns out, includes five piano notes apparently played by producer George Martin. Brown made the discovery by disassembling the sampled amplitudes into the original frequencies using Fourier transforms. ...

 

Inside Bob Dylan's Jesus Years

Christianity Today: Inside Bob Dylan's Jesus Years

Columbia Records recently released Tell Tale Signs, the eighth installment of their official "bootleg" series of Bob Dylan rarities. The album includes two discs of outtakes, soundtrack cuts, live recordings, and general leftovers from the past two decades of Dylan's recording career—and it's a recording that finds Dylan, at the age of 67, to be just as cagey, elusive, and utterly inscrutable as ever. Which seems to be part of a larger trend: In the past few years, Dylan has saturated the market like never before, opening up the book of his life in the form of documentaries and feature films, a TV special and an autobiography, telling us more about himself and his work than ever before. Not surprisingly, Dylan's transparency has led to more questions than answers; it seems the more he tells us, the less we actually know about him.

Not that many fans would complain; part of Dylan's appeal has always been his mystery, an allure that attracts people from all walks of life and all musical tastes. That mysterious allure took an interesting turn in the late 1970s, when Dylan notoriously announced that he'd been born again and proceeded to record a trilogy of overtly Christian albums, even refusing to play his earlier, "secular" songs at many of his concerts. It was a baffling, beguiling chapter in one of the most colorful and unusual careers in rock history, one that found Dylan opening up about his spiritual life while also adding to his mystique.

Such is the subject of Inside Bob Dylan's Jesus Years: Busy Being Born … Again!, a new documentary that goes to great lengths to recreate that seminal period of Dylan's career and find some answers in it. ...

Larry Norman Home With the Lord

Camp on This: Larry Norman Home With the Lord (HT: TallSkinnyKiwi)

I received a phone call late yesterday evening that early Sunday morning, my friend Larry Norman, had gone home to be with the Lord. Larry had been very sick for quite sometime; and though he will be sorely missed, what comfort there is in knowing that he is free from the suffering and pains of this earthly body and now is in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I have known Larry since October 1972. We met the night he performed a concert at my home church; it was the same night I was baptized. It was through him and his encouragement that the Lord called me into music ministry. Larry was, in those early years, my mentor. We spent many days together penning songs, doing concerts, and enjoying each others fellowship, recording and ministering for the Lord and telling others about Jesus. Larry had me live with he and his wife Pam for a few months to disciple me and teach me the craft of songwriting. Though we hadn't spent much personal time together, except for the occasional phone call these past several years, I will always treasure those beginning years in ministry with him. ...

Thirty years after learning of Larry Norman, he is still one of my favorite musicians (though his eschatology was a bit lacking :) ). I have some of his albums on my iPod. I saw him in concert twice. Peace to his family and friends.

The next big things

Globe and Mail: The next big things

Get set for the P2P Economy. What sideswiped music companies, Hollywood studios and newspaper companies could soon strike you, as individuals both consume and create content in peer-to-peer sharing that undercuts traditional industries.

That's one of 20 transformations on the Harvard Business Review's annual Breakthrough Ideas list. Online expert Stan Stainaker says P2P is already being felt in financial services, as websites like Kiva.org extend microcredit, and can be expected to hit energy and other industries. Some other breakthrough ideas to prepare for:

Task not time

Piecework used to be scorned but thanks to Gen Y, which doesn't want to hang around the office after their task is done, consultant Tamara Erickson says expect to see a task-based definition of jobs with individuals being paid for completing specific work rather than working a certain number of hours a week. ...

It's the "Wolf" and the Lamb

I recently read Brian McLaren's Secret Message of Jesus. On page 23, he writes:

The prophets used many images to convey this new world order. They spoke of new heavens, a new earth, and a new heart. They spoke of a day when lions would lie down with lambs (an image not of literal biological upheaval but of social transformation – so that violent, lionlike people with power would no longer oppress the vulnerable ones: the poor, elderly, orphans, and widows).

There is just one problem with this passage: The Bible does not speak of lions lying down with lambs. The Bible twice speaks of the wolf and the lamb together, but not the lion and the lamb.

Isaiah 11:6

6 The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.

And ….

Isaiah 65:25

The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
the lion shall eat straw like the ox;
but the serpent -- its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain,
says the LORD.

I don't know where this false imagery began, but if you do a Google search, you'll see it's everywhere, including in the lyrics of praise songs like How Great is Our God.

U2 service brings rock to religion

BreitBart: U2 service brings rock to religion

The Pope may have condemned rock music as "anti-religion" but the Church of England has announced it is to use the songs of a global supergroup in an effort to boost congregations.

The first "U2-charist" in England, an adapted Holy Communion service that uses the Irish rock group's best-selling songs in place of hymns, is to be staged at a Lincoln church in May.

A live band will play U2 classics such as Mysterious Ways and Beautiful Day as worshippers sing along with lyrics which will appear on screen at St Swithin's parish church in the town centre.

The event will focus on the Millennium Development Goals - targets set for the alleviation of world poverty - and a cause promoted by U2 singer and lyricist Bono with fellow Irish musician Bob Geldof. ...

I think about 25 years ago this winter, I stumbled across U2's "Boy" in a record shop in Aggieville, Manhattan, KS, adjacent to Kansas State University. I have been following these guys since, and I am a fan. But this service strikes a wee bit contrived. Who is being worshiped at this thing?

Kind Word

Kind Word

from the album "Avocado Faultline"
Words & Music by Terry Scott Taylor
©2000 Zoom Daddy Music (BMI)

Chorus:

Kind word.
Lookin' for a kind word in a
dark world
under a mean spell.
The golden rule is
you get what you give.
So I'll wish you well.
Make sure you have heard
a kind word.
Kind word.

I know it isn't much
but a blade of grass
can crack the pavement.
And if enough of us
would go against the grain
in time we'd be a green field
dressed in God's own
finest raiment,
soakin' up the sunshine
and laughing in the rain.

(Chorus)

I see the cardboard boxes;
the fragile houses of the lost.
I see the endless line of crosses
carved by hands of hate and war.
I see the broken children
fists of blinding rage
have tossed us.
Can we start with just
this little thing
that may lead to something more?

(Chorus)

They say a single prayer
can move a mountain
and I know a little faith
can turn the tide.
The need to love
and to be loved
can soon become a fountain
that forms a river flowin'
deep and wide.

What will it take to free us
from distant hearts
and downcast eyes;
To see the face of Jesus
in a stranger on the street?
Who will water seeds of Holiness
in someone we've despised?
Will heaven tell
ours were the words
that washed His hands and feet?

(Chorus)

U2 The Early Years

This is a wonderful spoof on U2 by Ben Stiller. I love the Havah Nagila. (HT: Boy Hyatt)

Also check out the U2 Lucky Charms commercial:

U2 Lucky Clovers

T-Bone Time

Mike recently got a gift certificate to Amazon.com. Mike has redeemed said certificate. Mike is know having a T-Bone afternoon.

Twenty Twenty - The Essential T-Bone Burnett

The True False Identity

 

Sweet!

"Modern Times" Bob Dylan

I bought this CD Monday, but I am just now listening to it this evening. When Zimmy releases new music, it must be savored like a fine wine and tested for its bouquet. Folks, this is vintage Bobby! I haven’t had a chance to drink in all the lyrics yet. That usually takes several sessions. There is rockabilly, the harmonica, and of course, those rich, velvety tones of Dylan’s voice.  :)  I am already addicted!

Everybody Loves a Holy War

Scot McKnight has begun a series on Zealotry that should be very interesting. Reading his post today reminded me of one of my favorite songs recorded by Mark Heard more than two decades ago. I posted it here late last year, but I thought I would post it again since there are many new readers.

“Everybody Loves a Holy War” by MARK HEARD (1951-1992)
Album “Victims of the Age.”

some say that God has approved of their mob
esteeming their purposes alone
choosing sides with a definite pride
and taking their cause for His own

everybody loves a holy war
draw the line and claim divine assistance
slay those who show the most resistance
everybody loves a holy war

many’s the man with the iron hand
supposing his own thoughts to be Divine
he will break any bond – ‘cause the other man’s always wrong
it’s a handy excuse for his crimes

everybody loves a holy war
draw the lines and claim divine protection
kill the ones who show the most objection
everybody loves a holy war

dissident cries are met with cold eyes
and treatment the Devil would get
righteousness and truth can be weapons in the hands of fools
while innocents go to their deaths

everybody loves a holy war
draw the line and claim divine assistance
slay those who show the most resistance
everybody loves a holy war

The Music and Message of U2

The Music and Message of U2 is a new one-session study guide published by Westminster John Knox Press, the Presbyterian Church (USA) publishing house. It is on their www.thoughtfulchristian.com website. I might have to check this one out.

Bono's American Prayer

Bono's American Prayer is the feature story in the most recent Christianity Today. A must read for all U2ers. The article closes with:

Michael W. Smith, a Bono-level celebrity within contemporary Christian music, met with the Irish rocker in Nashville in December.

"Obviously, something has happened to him," he told CT. "If you really look back at the early days of U2, I hate putting labels on things, but they really were a Christian band. I think he got really frustrated with the church and became really bitter. I think he's probably sorry for the way he reacted, to a certain degree."

"I really can't judge him for what he does. Everyone's got to work out their own salvation," Smith said. "I think that he has got a bit of a new lease on life. Maybe he's found another place in this world and what he's supposed to do in life. He's been preaching this for a long time, but to know that we might actually be able to pull this thing off [saving Africa from destruction]—I think [this] does wonders for his soul and for his heart."

"I think he would probably love to have that as his legacy, rather than being one of the biggest rock stars of all time."

College class on U2 explores religious influence of a rock band

College class on U2 explores religious influence of a rock band is an article in the Presbyterian Outlook about a class at Calvin College. Sign me up! I have already done some preliminary fieldwork. I've been following them since about 1982.

'Shake it out for Jesus': Churches co-opt hip-hop

'Shake it out for Jesus': Churches co-opt hip-hop. According to this article, even Lutherans are discovering hip-hop. I haven't been to a hip-hop "church" service, but I have been to youth camp services that were hip-hop. The article mentions a book being released by Efrem Smith and Phil Jackson called The Hip-hop Church: Connecting With the Movement Shaping Our Culture. I haven't read the book yet, but I will be interested to see what it says. 

What do you think the chances are that at one of our PCUSA General Assemblies, we will have a moderator leading worship chanting:

"Put your hands in the air! Wave 'em like you just don't care! Come on now, come on now!"

Thanksgiving for Faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

If you have been around church most of your life, you are likely familiar with the hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” I always liked the hymn, but it took on a special meaning for me when I realized the context in which these words were spoken. They come from Lamentations, and the scene is Jeremiah standing amidst the ruins of what was once Jerusalem after God had executed judgment on his people for their unfaithfulness. Jeremiah wrote in Lamentations 3:1-23  (NRSV):

1 I am one who has seen affliction
under the rod of God's wrath;
2 he has driven and brought me
into darkness without any light;
3 against me alone he turns his hand,
again and again, all day long.

4 He has made my flesh and my skin waste away,
and broken my bones;
5 he has besieged and enveloped me
with bitterness and tribulation;
6 he has made me sit in darkness
like the dead of long ago.

7 He has walled me about so that I cannot escape;
he has put heavy chains on me;
8 though I call and cry for help,
he shuts out my prayer;
9 he has blocked my ways with hewn stones,
he has made my paths crooked.

10 He is a bear lying in wait for me,
a lion in hiding;
11 he led me off my way and tore me to pieces;
he has made me desolate;
12 he bent his bow and set me
as a mark for his arrow.

13 He shot into my vitals
the arrows of his quiver;
14 I have become the laughingstock of all my people,
the object of their taunt-songs all day long.
15 He has filled me with bitterness,
he has sated me with wormwood.

16 He has made my teeth grind on gravel,
and made me cower in ashes;
17 my soul is bereft of peace;
I have forgotten what happiness is;
18 so I say, "Gone is my glory,
and all that I had hoped for from the LORD."

19 The thought of my affliction and my homelessness
is wormwood and gall!
20 My soul continually thinks of it
and is bowed down within me.
21 But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:

22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 "The LORD is my portion," says my soul,
"therefore I will hope in him."

May God give us the faith of Jeremiah to be thankful in both plenty and in want.

Everybody Loves a Holy War

Three things happened to me yesterday.

First, I was perusing Rodger Seller’s blog and came across his post Someone Help Me Get This.  Rodger was writing about the blogger’s legalistic dismissal of a piece written by Gordon McDonald in Leadership Magazine. (Rodger has a link to McDonald’s excellent article.)

Second, I read an article on the IRD website, IRD Becomes Foil for NCC Fundraising. It is about a National Council of Churches fundraising letter where (IMO) Robert Edgar comes unhinged.

Third, I watched some of the House of Representatives “debate” last night about withdrawing troops from Iraq. I watched the fights last night, and a congressional session broke out to paraphrase an old hockey joke.

All this together brought to mind a Mark Heard song from twenty years ago. I think he was ahead of his time:

“Everybody Loves a Holy War” by MARK HEARD (1951-1992)
Album “Victims of the Age.”

some say that God has approved of their mob
esteeming their purposes alone
choosing sides with a definite pride
and taking their cause for His own

everybody loves a holy war
draw the line and claim divine assistance
slay those who show the most resistance
everybody loves a holy war

many’s the man with the iron hand
supposing his own thoughts to be Divine
he will break any bond – ‘cause the other man’s always wrong
it’s a handy excuse for his crimes

everybody loves a holy war
draw the lines and claim divine protection
kill the ones who show the most objection
everybody loves a holy war

dissident cries are met with cold eyes
and treatment the Devil would get
righteousness and truth can be weapons in the hands of fools
while innocents go to their deaths

everybody loves a holy war
draw the line and claim divine assistance
slay those who show the most resistance
everybody loves a holy war

Shut It Tight

I have been in a reflective mood today. Just thought I would share the lyrics of one of my favorite songs with you.

SHUT IT TIGHT (T-Bone Burnett. "Proof Through The Night")

I find it hard sometimes to say the way that I feel
I do the very things I hate to do
I act like a child and I'm afraid of what is real
And so I try to cover up the truth

I stumble like a drunk along this crazy path I walk
I have a hundred thousand questions too
I'll go to any length to prove that nothing is my fault
Then later on I will deny the proof

I don't like to win but then again I hate to lose
And in between is something I can't stand
I don't care what you think and I hope that you approve
I am just an ordinary man

Sometimes I want to stop and crawl back into the womb
And sometimes I cannot tell wrong from right
But I ain't gonna quit until I'm laid in my tomb
And even then they better shut it tight

 

THE HOLLOW MAN

 

 

 

 

THE HOLLOW MAN

 

(Words and Music by Terry Taylor, copyright 1983, Twitchen Vibes/Paragon Music Corp. ASCAP. Daniel Amos, "Doppelganger," Alarma Chronicles, Volume 2, Copyright 2000, Millenium Eight Records)

(Voice) (Echo)

We are the empty men

We are the masked men Resting, together

Cavity, stuffed with straw Figure, without shape

Shadow, without nuance Impotent power, the empty men Movement, without action All who have gone with true vision To death’s higher dwelling, may recall us here Not as ‘damned, destructive ghost But simply as the empty men Simply as the masked men This is the lost land This is the desert land Here the graven images are built Here is the place they will attain

Entreaty of a lost soul’s desire
Beneath the glimmer of a dying sun
Can it be so in death’s second domain?
No longer asleep

Lonely At the moment of our greatest compassion
Arms that would embrace
Raised in supplication to toppled altars
Where have the eyes gone?
One finds no eyes here
In this empire of dying suns
In this vacant kingdom
The scattered realm of fallen empires
In this final assembly
We stumble together and are silent
Collected on the shores
Of the river disturbance, the barren men

And for one moment the eyes reappear
As the eternal Son moving broken stone

In this land … this land of death’s shadow
The dying wish of a an empty man
The hollow man

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**********

Ps 115:2-82 NRSV

Why should the nations say,"Where is their God?"
Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases.
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.
They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell.
They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk;
they make no sound in their throats.
Those who make them are like them;
so are all who trust in them.