james nunn | blog

Don't you hate it when you have an amazing two-and-a-half hour nap and then can't sleep when you are meant to.

Chris and I just finished watching “Relax … it's just sex” and I really enjoyed it.  Here is the blurb from Netflix:

Tara Ricotto (Jennifer Tilly) has a diverse group of friends — gay, straight, bisexual — and they're all working on coming to terms with each other and their issues. Love, sex, health and childbirth are the topics the group discusses lightheartedly, until one gay couple is attacked. Responses to the attack vary within the circle of friends as the comedy gives way to seriousness and Tara does her best to nurture all.

Chris mentioned that this was probably the best film he has seen Jennifer Tilly in, and to be honest I thought I recognized her, but in reviewing her filmography, I seem to be mistaken. Still, I thought the movie was good, and she played a great character.  The two gay Christian boys in the movie were very cute, though it seems there acting careers didn't go anywhere (hmm… perhaps I should check out the porn version of IMDB).  Their first scene where they are discussing cooking, IS the only way to talk all things culinary.

I've recently started reading “The Book on the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are” by Alan Watts.    The book “delves into the cause and cure of the illusion that the self is a separate ego, housed in a bag of skin, which 'confronts' a universe of physical objects that are alien and stupid” (excerpt from book cover).  It's part of my expanding my mind to other life thoughts process.

So far — and I'm only eleven pages in — I'm enjoying it. Especially with quotes like these.

“Irrevocable commitment to any religion is not only intellectual suicide; it is positive unfaith because it closes the mind to any new vision of the world.  Faith is, above all, open-ness — an act of trust in the unknown.”

In speaking about the book that he would give his children, Watts explains that the book itself would be “slippery” as it would “slip them into a new domain, not of ideas alone, but of experience and feeling.”  He then explains that it would be a “temporary medicine, not a diet” and his children would “read it and be done with it, for if it were well and clearly written they would not have to go back to it again and again for hidden meanings or for clarification of obscure doctrines.”  WHAM!

And all this in the first 11 pages

Well, I've finally finished reading “Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal” by Christopher Moore. It was good.

The book explains Christ's (known as Joshua in the book) childhood, through his friend Biff. It portrays a journey that is made when Josh and Biff are younger, through to their early thirties – or the “missing years” as many people may call this period. On the first page of the book is listed a summary of what is covered during the time covered, including the proper method for choosing a harlot, how sarcasm was invented, what the rought draft of the Sermon on the Mount sounded like (and who missed out on a mention), and the other age old question on how bunnies came to be associated with Easter. Fascinating reading.

Of course, for those focused Christians out there, this book may seem to be blasphemous, but this appears to fit within the main story being told – which is that Jesus was condemned for blasphemy (against the standards in place at the time). Close-minded individuals probably won't get much from this book, but for the rest of us, it provides a refreshing look (or point of view) on what might have happened during the teenage – early adult years (read the Afterword to get a sense of serious the author is not).

Lamb is broken into parts and each one starts with a saying, a couple of which I thought were worth repeating (and will make it into my quotes section on my website).

“Nobody's perfect …Well, there was this one guy, but we killed him.” (Anonymous)

“God is a comedian playing to an audience that is afraid to laugh.” (Voltaire)

Of course, one of the questions that is asked that finally gets answered is what the “H” stands for in Jesus H. Christ. Just like the journey Homer had to take to find out what the “J” stood for, you too will have to take the journey to figure out the “H.” (A hint: it's not Harold.)

Oh, I almost forgot. Bobby, his parents, his sister, Chris and I went to the Turtle Creek Chorale Holiday show on Monday night. It was a little different to the usual set-up, and I have to say that I liked it. The panto-style show beforehand, followed by the formal part of the show has always been a little “ho-hum” to me, but this time, they did formal with panto-style mixed in throughout. The addition of featured singers and performers was a fantastic addition. There was this (cute) sax player who visited – for Monday night only – to play. His name is Randy Johnson and he was unbelievable!

One of the other parts of the show involved a song about hate (or how a town responded to hate). The song was called “Not in Our Town” and is about an incident that occurred in Billings, Montana in 1993. After the jump, you can see the words to the song. This is the first time that I'd heard the song, and it sent chills through my spine.

Words and Music by Fred Small
Copyright 1994 Pine Barrens Music (BMI)

When the Klan came to Montana, they made no grand parade.
No hooded knights on horseback, no banners boldly raised.
Spray paint and bomb threats, a voice on the telephone line:
“Kill the niggers, kill the homos, Jew bitch die.”

Five-year-old Isaac woke screaming in the gloom.
“Mommy, there's a man at my window, looking into my room.”
“Son, there's nothing out there but the shadows branches make.”
The little boy went back to sleep, his parents lay awake.

For Isaac's bedroom window showed their faith for all to see
The candles of the menorah stood for hope and memory.
The next night, out of the darkness, a cinder block was hurled.
It shattered Isaac's window, and the boundaries of his world.

Chorus:
One moment of conviction, one voice quiet and clear,
One act of compassion, it all begins here.
No safety now in silence, we've got to stand our ground.
No hate. No violence. Not in our town.

The cop was not unfriendly. He said, “Ma'am, if I were you,
I'd take down that menorah, the Star of David, too.”
Isaac's mother Tammy said, “I'm sure that's good advice.
But how then could I ever look my children in the eye?”

Then at their doorway a little girl did stand
A gift for her schoolmate in her outstretched hand.
A menorah drawn in crayon, from a Gentile to a Jew
It read, “To Isaac, From Rebecca, I'm sorry this happened to you.”

Chorus

Bridge:
Have you seen the paper? Did you hear the news?
What kind of people are we? We thought we knew.
Can children primed in prejudice in peace together dwell?
If we look out through this shattered glass, do we see ourselves?

Margaret McDonald called her pastor on the phone.
“This time the Jews will not face their foes alone.
We'll make paper menorahs, display them from our homes.
We'll show the bigots there are more of us than they have stones.”

Volunteers printed up menorahs by the score.
Children in their Sunday schools colored hundreds more.
Grocers and dry cleaners gave out the design, singing:
What's a little broken glass when freedom's on the line?

Now in the town of Billings live not 100 Jews,
But menorahs now were everywhere, on every avenue.
Thousands upon thousands, in windows rich and poor.
When a neighbor stands in danger, we will not close our door.

Bridge:
Through the drifting snow, Tammy drove her children round
To see all the menorahs in the windows of the town.
“Are all those people Jewish?” asked Isaac as they went.
“No,” his mother answered, “they are your friends.”

Chorus
repeat last line twice more:
No hate. No violence. Not in our town.

Well over the weekend, Ian, Bobby, Chris, Layton, Jonas, Douglas and myself went to see Brokeback Mountain (the movie).  I'll join with most others who have seen this movie, and say “brilliant!”  I found it to be an extremely touching love story, and I thought that Ledger and Gyllenhaal did a remarkable job of playing the leads.  While I know that some live in the hope that one or both may actually be gay (in real life), I think their life as straight men were able to contribute a great deal to both characters.  This is not to say that gay men couldn't “pull this off” but there was a rawness to the movie that I'm not convinced could be acted.

Which brings me to parts of the film that could have been left on the cutting room floor.  First, the “sex scene” where Ledger and Gyllenhaal “do it.”  Urgh, is all I have to say.  I want to believe that the scene was caught up in the “animalistic” moment, but I saw no benefit to this being left in the movie.  Second, close up scenes of Ledger during the movie suggested that he had way to much make up on.  Of course, if this is all that I can find wrong with the movie, you know it was awesome!

Speaking of awesome, don't forget to download the Soundtrack (click on Buy Download).  iTunes has the entire album available for $9.99 – for 17 songs, including the one by Willie Nelson (He was a Friend of Mine).

Geez, you forget to post for a few hours and people start to get blog withdrawal.

Today, we (Bobby, Ian, Brian, Andy, Chris and myself) went to see Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.  Great film.  It starts off very black/white/grey and then eventually becomes a full color (or colour, if I keep it in the British theme) – thanks Brian for point this interesting observation out.  The movie is worth a watch or two.  I can't give much away, but let's just say that it's a unique blend of old and new, and it's got Jude Law in it … is that enough??

After that, we headed home and Damir came over and we watched Latter Days (on DVD).  Another great film, dealing with an entirely different subject matter, and there is more flesh in this movie for those of you that care about such things.

It's good to have Andy here visiting. It's been forever, and he is such an easy houseguest.

A great weekend overall.

Watched the OutFoxed! DVD this evening.  Like F.9/11 it shares a lot of insight into the way Fox does business, and the bias that exists with their reporting.  A lot of the focus is on the tag-line “Fair and Balanced” which throughout the movie is disproved many times.  One of the areas of concern is the distorted view that Fox viewers have of the world.  One survey asks if the US had proof that Iraq had WMD's and the Fox News viewers reported a huge 67% (or somthing) and NPR/Public Radio viewers were down around 5% (I might have got some of these wrong, but it was that obvious. 

Another part of the show that is quite interesting is when you hear some of the phrases that are used on Fox very frequently, however you don't realize how often they are used until they are all put together. 

“Some people say…”

I just finished reading “How to Get Stupid White Men Out of Office“ which was a great book, I have to say.  Short bursts of grassroots organizing tips, and success stories (and some that weren't successful).  It also provides an overview of how individuals can make a difference.  The number 537 will still in my head for a while, as this was the number of votes that Bush beat Gore in the 2000 election.  Pretty amazing huh?