Real Beauty

I think that most folks have caught on that Dove is trying to do something, although it is not entirely clear what, with their real beauty campaign. I say not entirely clear because they seem to want to redefine beauty but never actually say what they want it to be.

Virginia Postrel has an interesting take on the campaign. Beauty, according to Postrel and the researchers she draws on, is not some ephemeral feel good attribution that we randomly assign to things that we like. Beauty is quite measurable, always has been and likely always will. We can no more say Halle Berry is ugly than we can say Ugly Betty is, well, beautiful. We recognize in other areas of life that the genetic lottery is unfair. I don't feel bad that I'm not Wayne Gretzky when I play hockey and nor should I. It would be ridiculous to have a campaign to redefine greatness in hockey, so why isn't it also ridiculous to do so with beauty?

This, of course, will not be very popular with those who join Facebook groups called Authentic Beauty or the thousands of comments left by young women struggling with body image on YouTube. Still, I wonder if the answer to body image problems is not to redefine beauty (and make money doing it as Dove is) but to celebrate other attributes less tied to the genetic lottery. I believe Dove is trying to have its cake and eat it to by redefining physical beauty using non-physical characteristics. This flies in the face of the fact that very few people are really physically beautiful yet we still know them when we see them.

"Hurt" by Johnny Cash - a post by Andrew

So I will be honest I am a new comer to Johnny Cash, it wasn’t until the movie about him cam out that I started to listen to his music and boy did I miss out. Out of all his songs the one that stands out for me is “Hurt.” Now “Hurt” was a cover tune that he did, but unlike so many other cover tunes he make this one his own and according to some it’s better than the original. Hurt is about the dangers of addictions, but for me its so much more. When I first heard the song it reminded me of every relationship that I have had in the past and how I had screwed up. But most importantly it reminds me of my relationship with God and how I can only make one promise to God while I am on this earth That promise to quote Cash “And you could have it all/ My empire of dirt/ I will let you down/ I will make you hurt.” This promise is because of our sinful condition and that at times we are all like Judas and will betray Christ with how we live our lives. If you haven’t seen the video for this song as well then you really need to. Through out the video Cash is seen in all his wealth and seems so lonely. At the end of song we see clips of the Crucifixion I recommend listening to this song and see the video

Revolver: Christian Metal's Holy Alliance - a post by Andrew

Back in January I was at a Shoppers Drug Mart in Brantford and checking out the magazines there when one caught my eye. That magazine was Revolver which is aimed at the hard rock/ metal scene and is a non-Christian magazine geared to non-Christians. Having never read this magazine before it was the picture on the cover and the main article that ensnared my vision. The cover has the front man of four of the biggest Christian metal bands with the phase Christian metal’s Holy alliance. The article in the magazine had the four front men sit down together and discussing a wide range of topics dealing with hell, the Bible, abortion, playing music, Present Bush and so on. There are two things to note the first is that I am leery when non-Christian media represents Christian’s because they get portrayed as freaks and outcasts. The second is that I love seeing good “Christian” bands getting non-Christian attention. So when I first read the article I was both apprehensive and excited at the same time.
In reading this article some things pop out to you, the first is that the person who is asking the questions is not a Christian and so is asking question that all non-believers would ask like “Am I going to hell,” “Rules” and “Is the Bible a divine book.” As I was reading this interview I was very please with the writer not making us as Christian look stupid, and fanatical. Some of the answers that the gays had to say was some what of the typical answers and so as Christians we know them all; but as a non-Christian reading this article I think would let them know that all Christians are not crazy people who are there to bash them over with guilt and condemn them. One of the things which I thought was important to the writes indicates that this interview was like any other on that they have done but the langue was clean and sanitized. This kind of dialog with non-Christians is very important was it shows that we are not all fundamentalist.

Dresses - a post by Jeanette

I was able (maybe not able, but roped into) spending a day at the mall looking for grade eight grad dresses. Having never spent money on grad dresses, I was quite shocked at what these girls were looking at. The prom type grad dresses with an average value of over $300 were a bit much for grade eight. I realizes that grade eight graduation is a mile stone in a young girls life, but is it really worth $300+? And that was just the dress. Then comes the shoes, the jewellery, ect. Are these kids crazy?

The girls didn’t buy a dress while I was with them, mainly because none of them have the money, it was an interesting experience. The dresses that they would choose for grad were more for prom, but overall it was a good look into who they were a young people. I realize their parents may have a different opinion of how much they are willing to spend on a dress, but these girls have high hopes. They don’t seem to understand the value of a dollar. Their parents will pay for it...they say. I know better...

Music and Lyrics - a post by Jeanette

Music and Lyrics starring Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant is just another romantic comedy, or is it? Actually, it is the typical romantic comedy. The girl, the guy and the predictable ending – all three give the basic outline of a romantic comedy. Hugh Grant plays a one hit wonder type from the 80's who has been asked to write a song for the most popular teen singer. Drew Barrymore’s character works for family and meets Hugh grant while watering plants in his apartment. She has a talent for writing poetry and Hugh convinces her to help him out and by the end of the movie, they end up together.

The whole story has a cute, romantic feel to it but it also has a few interesting parts to it.

The movie begins with Hugh Grant singing in an 80's music video. If you don’t go to see the movie for the rest of the content, go for this music video. Quite amusing. I never realized the craziness of 80's videos, but it definitely showed what the videos were really like. It does look like the MTV music videos from the 80's. Overall the movie was good. Not one of the better romantic comedies, but one worth seeing once. So if you have some time to waste, check this one out.

A new controversy - a post by Geoff

I was going to write about something that I enjoy, because of the fact that every blog that I written; is against something. However I was watching CNN tonight and I saw this newscast on the tomb of Jesus and his son… or whatever they think they found. The most shocking thing is, that there is a documentary that is suppose to be coming out on it. And it is directed by James Cameron. I heard rumors about something like this happening. But truthfully I thought it was a joke.

This is truly foolish; the man that made Terminator and Titanic is making a documentary on Jesus’ tomb. You’ve got to be kidding me. What are they trying to prove? It seems that every year ‘they’ come out with some type of Christian controversy. And it seems to happen around this time as well.

In the report they were sharing, they say that there is DNA evidence has been linked to Jesus and his son. How the heck are they getting this stuff in the first place? I’m sure they have some type of proof to fall back on. But come on now, why? Does Cameron have some beef with Christians; is he getting paid huge to do this? I am baffled at this story.

They even had a producer or some involved with the documentary, saying that this is not going to be against Christians; supposedly he has talked to a few about it and their fine with it.

Fine with it..? I can understand Christians not caring or believing this, because to be fine with trying to disprove their faith, that ludicrous. No one would be fine with any outside faction trying to disprove their faith. What if the documentary was on Muhammad’s existence or something along those lines. I’m pretty sure that, the Muslims would come at them pretty seriously.

What’s the real problem? I have come to expect attacks like this every once in a while, because it does state that Christians will be persecuted. But why continue; atheists are like 0 for 12 now. And it is even more embarrassing for them now that non-Christian scientists are proving Darwinism wrong. It is like the San Antonio Spurs trying to stop Tracy McGrady in the last 13 seconds. Atheist are like people that find out about a surprise party and their not invited; so they try their hardest to ruin it, but they never succeed.

Fame - a post by Geoff

One thing that I have always been baffled with is the journey that people go on to get their 15 seconds of fame. For some people they will try for it at any cost. Whether it is through sports or being game show, which are more positive way. However there are those who make absolute fools of themselves by going on these ridiculous reality television shows, where they get humiliated just to get on TV. I don’t think that this is an encouraging thing for our society. I feel bad for the people that get mad fun of on these shows until I realize that they know exactly what they are doing.
It is starting to bother me; all these shows were the first part of it is devoted to showing the really good people and the awful people, and networks know that people enjoy watching the people that make fools of themselves. So they can put on as many as possible. It gets pretty outlandish to watch someone acting stupidly for a 30 second stint. Then have the judges or whomever go mock them for 2 minutes. Is our society so desperate for attention that they will seek it through any outlet?
I just don’t understand people’s infatuation with fame; it seems that people will climb over anyone in order to obtain it. Such as all of these reality television shows like survivor where everyone is put on an island and it is a game were the goal is to be the last one voted off. The concept to me is alright. What I don’t understand is how people can go and sell out team members so easily and say it was just a part of the game. To me that garbage! People just want the money and the fame. I do not enjoy watch human desperation at its lowest form. It seems that we are teaching the younger generation to become sellout and cowards if it gains you fame that is so valuable. How horrific is that. And we wonder why teenager search for recognition and respect in all the wrong places.
If people want to become famous by putting in the hard work and long time, that’s fine by me; but if they want to cheat and act foolish to gain useless recognition. Then that’s a different story. I find that to be heartless and empty. I also believe that it leaves people feeling fake at the end. It is a sad truth in today’s society.

Peter Petrelli – the Human sponge? - a post by Ian

Heroes, 9 p.m. Monday nights on NBC.

Shameless plug, I know. I won’t ruin a lot of the show, but I wanted to get at one issue. One of the main characters in this rookie tv show that has captivated millions is named Peter Petrelli. He is arguably one of the most unique characters on the show because unlike everyone else with singular powers, Peter’s power is he can absorb anybody else’s powers and they affect what he can do. The reason I find him the most interesting character is because often we can get like that with people around us. Some people are so affected by what other people around them say or do that they sometimes model it upon themselves, usually to increase their popularity or social status.

I think in Tyndale the problem can be even worse, because some students at school are all Christian and Praise Jesus at school but then on the weekend go back home and return to their usual lifestyle therefore when they come back on Monday again they feed off of others and let it affect who they are. Do you agree with this? In your opinion, is peer pressure still as prominent as it always has been or has it turned into a case of people just wanting to be like everyone else, ignoring who they really are, regardless of the amount of pressure around them?

Back then, it was just a video game! - a post by Ian

First of all, I want you to think of the first thing that comes to your mind when I say these words: 15 Love, Foul Ball, Nice Spare, Nice Approach, Round 1 – Fight! Upon hearing these words, most people would think of 5 sports: Tennis, Baseball, Bowling, Golf, and Boxing. In the past, people would never relate any of those words to a video game.

Until now, I give you the Nintendo Wii. When I first heard of this invention I was quite pessimistic, thinking that the idea of a motion sensored video game was too unrealistic to be plausible. And then, one cold and rainy November day I was visiting a friend and they asked me if I wanted to play on their Wii. Once the initial shock wore off due to the confusion of what I had just been asked, I realized what they were referring to and agreed to at least try it out.

To my surprise, not only was it fun and gradually addicting, it took a heck of a lot more energy than I first though. After my first few rounds of boxing were over I was surprised to notice that I was getting a little tired. After a few sets of tennis is when I begun to realize that unbeknownst to me, I was excercising! And all I wanted to do was played a video game, I didn’t intend to actually feel somewhat “in the action” as I did.

Which got me thinking, if a video game system can get me working as if I’m playing a sport, how many children throughout North America are unknowingly begging their parents to buy them a Wii. Then, while playing it, they gradually losing weight throughout the ordeal. Laugh at me, roll your eyes, scoff, whatever, it’s true. It is widely known that the Nintendo Wii is the best selling video game system on the market and I find it interesting that so many kids want to play these video games without realizing the after effects of actual movements.

Sure it’s a stretch, and they’re still not outside actually playing the games, but think about it. Kids playing xbox 360 are sitting on their couch munching on food as they play. Nintendo players, on the other hand, are standing up, swinging their arms frantically with no extra time to munch on anything until the game is done. Again, they’re not outside just yet but I think it’s a step in the right direction.

Anyway enough of what I think, what do you guys think? Have you played it? What do you think? Am I full of it or do you agree that I’m onto something here?

Living in the Country - a post by Aaron

The Moira River runs by my house in Plainfield Ontario. This river is not the cleanest, but with areas with rapids, calms, and lots of wilderness, it is an amazing way to escape from the business of everyday life. Closer to my house, there are five islands, one fairly large appropriately called "Is-Land". Years ago before I lived the Christian life, I used this island for crazy parties with my friends. We set up tents, cut down trees, and made huge fires. We would go late night swimming, and drink the night away. At the time it was amazing. Now, I still go out to that island. I still hang out there with friends, camping, having huge fires, simming and having a great time. However, now there is also another reason why I go out there. Sometimes I go out there by myself and just bring my Bible, pad of paper, and my MP3 player loaded with Hillsong music. I sit on one of the chairs, and just take everything in. I feel very close to God while I am there because I can see the beauty of God's creation. Now that I live in Toronto eight months of the year at Tyndale, I feel very distant from nature, and is difficult to find that place where I feel close with God and escape everything around me. I can deffenently see why some people like the city life, but it's really not for me. I have been trying to bring some of my new city friends to come to my house to join me in my island adventures with God. I think it is important to see both sides of life; the country life, and the city life. I think it is good to try different ways to meet with God. Going canoeing, watching beavers and the fish swimming by, the birds chirping over head, and the sun beating down on you, all marvelous things that God created.

Football Culture - a post by Aaron

Football has been a huge part of my life for the last 7 years of my life. Some people never understand why I love football so much. They dont understand why I spend countless hours infront of the TV watching Sunday Football games, commentaries, and playing the lastest Madden football game for Playstation. Most of all, they never understood why I would play football. I would come home with all kinds of injuries. Hyperextended knee and elbow, bruises all up my arms and face, bloody and jammed fingers. Dispite the injuries it never stopped me from playing. Is this wrong? is this an obsession? I say no. Football for me, and many others is a form of culture. Over hundreds of thousands of people jam into giant stadiums every weekend to watch their favorite teams play. There are tailgate parties for hours, and for some, days before the game even starts. People park outside the stadium and camp with their BBQ's and beer. There are people gambling thousands and even millions of dollars on just a single game. Even though the football life does not always bring the best out of people, there is so much good it has to offer. The entertainment, friends, Superbowl parties, and life goals are all things that come out of this great sport. Football means everything to some people in the lower states. Kids are trained as soon as they can walk. They are pressured to be the best they can and try to make the team. Football is a huge part of peoples lives.

YouTube - a post by Gordon

The person of the year is YOU! This title made it to the front covers of January's issue of Time Magazine this year. Youtube.com is not about Britney Spear shaving her hair nor Al Gore saving the world from global warming, it's about you, hence its name. Its about individuals living in the comfort their home, whom want to express what they want to say or show to the world. This web based video sharing network has not only reached North America, from where it started, but across the world. Youtube is a global movement! If an individual has a computer and internet connection, then most likely they would have had connected with Youtube at some point. The average Joe can become famous over night just by posting a Jackass-like video of himself. Before you know it, the youtube video gets recognized by the news press and TV producers, which may land them on national television.
In fact, Sportcentral featured a new sport presented on youtube called 'locker boxing' last week. It features two persons in a locker room, wearing padded equipment, such as hockey helmet and gloves. The objectives is to punch the opponent until they drop and can't get up. The person who remains standing declares as winner of the match. Even though locker boxers are padded, the impact caused in throwing punches at each other can lead to some serious concussions...
...which makes me think. The technology age is moving so quickly, now everyone can handle making their own music videos and short film. I remember when I started my film program in high school, we used an analog editing system, called the Casablanca: a $4000 black box that connects to any TV. The following year, after a computer hardware device called the 'firewire card' was introduced, everyone in the film class was editing in digital format. The professional 'look' in movies was no longer beyond our reach, but in the accessible tools of a digital camera and a desktop computer. Before the end of the 2nd year, we were compositing CGI (computer generated images) on our films, making Mission Impossible-like explosions.
Video has developed so rapidly since the millenium. Everyone is a filmmaker now and you don't even need skills. All you need is a cheap digital still camera and computer to upload it on to Youtube, then BOOM, millions of hits over a short period of time...what a revolutionary explosion.

Lost Writers Lost - a post by Andrew

I have been into the show Lost for the last 18 months or however long it has been going on. For some reason the show has me hooked. Well I guess that is what the writers are going for, hooking the audience in for the next week and the next. But for some reason I wonder if the writers know where they are going with the show, or are they just going to end it at some point when the ratings drop from people like me getting bored of not being able to answer all the questions that writers hook everyone into the show with. They just show things and bring up questions every episode, not answering the big questions that have people sitting on the edge of their seats and writing blogs about the show. Like the plane crash, there as been no answer to why the plane crashed, there have been theories or partial answers but why not complete answers?. And who are the others anyway, why are they there, and how did they get there? Sorry for the little rant there, but seriously, I have no idea to some of the best answers to the show and it is a season and a half in. I thought it started as a mini series, I thought it was suppose to be over in under a year, and now I need to know the answers. I think another thing that has the audience hooked is the development of the characters. Every episode or at least almost every episode there are flash backs to the characters past life, which has you feeling like you know them. I wonder if this is another cover for making the show longer and giving the writers a chance to figure out just how they are going to dig themselves out of this crazy plot line they have put themselves in. The show is great but I really do wonder if there is a possibility of them answering all these questions made people think. But the thing is like we talked about in class the writers hook me in every once in a while with answering a question or two that I have been thinking about for days or weeks. So if you want to keep you Wednesday nights free do yourself a favour and don’t start watching.

Facing the Giants of Christian Movie Making - a post by Andrew

So last night my family and I actually sat down and watched a Christian moving we rented from blockbuster. Now usually the words Christian and movie don’t go that well together, but this movie wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. The movie was called Facing the Giants and was based on the life of a high school football coach. This coach faces some tough life struggles as he is told he may lose his job if the team doesn’t perform, his finical situation is not so great, with his car in dire need of repair, and finally he is told that he probably can’t have kids. So as these situations seem to come together a man who prays for the Christian school that this
coach works for, encourages the coach to keep following God’s plan. So the coach re-evaluates his coaching philosophy and decides to coach and live following Biblical principles. This turns everything around, the football team changes their attitude and their winning ways. The community provides for the coach and his wife, and in the final scene the coach and his wife learn that they are pregnant. Although the acting was what could one say, a little sub par, and the writing was at times a little predicable (the winning kick is kicked by a boy named David, Jonathan is the one holding the ball for David, and the team that they defeat by that winning kick are named the giants.) The life principles are pretty neat. Once the coach decides to
change his coaching and life principles, the team, the school, and the community are changed, and God does some pretty awesome things. That started to get me thinking about how much we would change and the community would change if we started truly living by Biblical principles. Not just at Tyndale or in class or on Sunday morning, but in even in everyday life, with every person we come across. So if you can get passed the cheesiness of this movie, it worth the watch.

seventeen.com - a post by Josh

From having a sister who is three years older than me I know that a fairly popular piece of media for teen girls are magazines. I remember seeing stacks of Seventeen Magazine in my sister’s room when she was in her teen years and I was her annoying little brother (which I still am). As the age range of adolescence continues to start lower the forms of media that were reserved for older teens begin to seep into the culture of pre-teens.

I was in Chapters yesterday wandering through the magazine section and I noticed something odd. A girl reading Seventeen Magazine, but she wasn’t a teenager. She looked like a teenager, but mini-sized. This girl was probably around nine or ten years old. She was flipping through Seventeen Magazine and talking on a cell phone! I was shocked. I assumed that the messages the magazine passes on to the large population that read it were probably sub-par at best, but I wanted to check it out for myself. And rather than the shoppers at Chapters thinking I was some kind of creep reading Seventeen Magazine, I chose to check out their website instead.

Seventeen.com boasts handy articles like “Learn how to Apply False Lashes” and “No Fail Hook-Up Moves”. If this is the stuff that teenage girls are being told is important than we as youth ministers have our work cut out for us. The site also has a built in BMI calculator that measures your body mass index. This is positive because it helps determine healthy body weight, a concern for all teens whether male or female. There is an entire section dedicated to “Guys”. No wonder the notion of purity has become a gray area, for even churched teens.

Adolescent girls are starving for something more to cling to than shopping, fashion, and boys. They’re searching for their identity in the midst of popular culture. Our responsibility is not only to show them the gospel, but to show them Christ’s love at the same time. So more girls don’t end up reading up on “No Fail Hook-Up Moves” while chatting it up on their cell phones in Chapters.

CSI - a post by Hee Jun

If I have a spare time to watch TV at night, I usually watch CSI : Miami. Compared to CSI : N.Y, this verson is more exciting and easy to fix my channel till the end. I think that Miami itself shows lots of good and luxurious environment to us. There are numerous criminal investigation dramas among the TV shows. I do not like horror movies which many innocent people die brutally. But I tend to see CSIlike dramas even though it contains bloody murder pictures. I really like the scenes related to scientific investigations by cool intelligent detectives.

Yesterday’s episode was about the death of one detective. I was so surprised because this guy was one of main characters in the drama. Why did the writer want him to die in one scene accidentally? After the show, I kept thinking about it. I concluded that his death would affect other detectives in a way. This drama will express their emotions regardless of the work they conduct.

This drama also contains many death scenes. The agent named Speedle’s death was treated very importantly and took a long shot. His funeral service was huge and very impressive. But the other victims or bad men’s ending was so short. Their deaths look very easy and satisfying. Rather I wait for their investigating process afterwards. I truly watch lots of shows with superficial interpretation looking for fun factors like this. But how about teens? How do they think about what they see through motion pictures?

Blankets - a post by Joel

I recently spent the weekend at a snow camp with the youth group I am interning with, and on the 3 hour bus ride home, I had nothing to read. The youth pastor I am working for happened to have a graphic novel I had heard about recently from a friend.

Let us keep in mind that I am not known to enjoy graphic novels. I tend to consider them along the same lines as comic books, and that’s not for me. However, I truly enjoyed this “Illustrated Novel”.

Blankets is the author’s story, it is about a kid named Craig who is growing up in a conservative Christian home and is dealing with both his artistic talents and his faith while in a serious long term relationship.

Craig grew up sharing a bed with his brother, and enjoyed very few things in life because while at school he was constantly harassed and beat up, and in the summer he worked on the farm which was only a little better than school. The only true release he had was over Christmas break, which a week of was used by snow camp where the “Christian” kids were just as bad as the kids at school. All the while Craig is constantly being confronted in his last years of high school by his pastor telling him that he should “go into the ministry.”

While at camp in his high school years, Craig met a girl named Raina who he was able to relate to, and appreciated art as much as he did. Over time, after camp, a long distance relationship bloomed. They exchanged letters, and packages to share their affection for each other. One day Craig got a call from Raina during a snow storm telling him that her parents were getting a divorce and she had attempted to drive to his home in Michigan but the snow had stopped her 400 miles away.

The bulk of the story is based around Craig’s two week visit to Raina’s house and their interactions there, both with each other, Raina’s parents, Raina’s older married sister and her child, Raina’s mentally “retarded” sister, and Raina’s brother who has down syndrome. The latter were adopted by Raina’s parents to thank God for blessing them with two beautiful daughters.

This is a story about a Christian dealing with relationships and art and how he deals with not being supported in his passions because the people at church believe that at art school you become a homosexual because they make you draw naked people. It’s not a happy story, it’s filled with different narratives of both the past and the present and in the end you are left with almost nothing.

Overall this is a great read (or look, for that matter), it’s worth the few hours it will take you to go through it. “Blankets” is a provocative look at how the Christian community sees art. However, it is important to keep in mind that this book takes place more than ten years ago and it is uplifting to see how the church in general is embracing art today, however, there is still more to be done.

Blankets - a post by Joel

I recently spent the weekend at a snow camp with the youth group I am interning with, and on the 3 hour bus ride home, I had nothing to read. The youth pastor I am working for happened to have a graphic novel I had heard about recently from a friend.

Let us keep in mind that I am not known to enjoy graphic novels. I tend to consider them along the same lines as comic books, and that’s not for me. However, I truly enjoyed this “Illustrated Novel”.

Blankets is the author’s story, it is about a kid named Craig who is growing up in a conservative Christian home and is dealing with both his artistic talents and his faith while in a serious long term relationship.

Craig grew up sharing a bed with his brother, and enjoyed very few things in life because while at school he was constantly harassed and beat up, and in the summer he worked on the farm which was only a little better than school. The only true release he had was over Christmas break, which a week of was used by snow camp where the “Christian” kids were just as bad as the kids at school. All the while Craig is constantly being confronted in his last years of high school by his pastor telling him that he should “go into the ministry.”

While at camp in his high school years, Craig met a girl named Raina who he was able to relate to, and appreciated art as much as he did. Over time, after camp, a long distance relationship bloomed. They exchanged letters, and packages to share their affection for each other. One day Craig got a call from Raina during a snow storm telling him that her parents were getting a divorce and she had attempted to drive to his home in Michigan but the snow had stopped her 400 miles away.

The bulk of the story is based around Craig’s two week visit to Raina’s house and their interactions there, both with each other, Raina’s parents, Raina’s older married sister and her child, Raina’s mentally “retarded” sister, and Raina’s brother who has down syndrome. The latter were adopted by Raina’s parents to thank God for blessing them with two beautiful daughters.

This is a story about a Christian dealing with relationships and art and how he deals with not being supported in his passions because the people at church believe that at art school you become a homosexual because they make you draw naked people. It’s not a happy story, it’s filled with different narratives of both the past and the present and in the end you are left with almost nothing.

Overall this is a great read (or look, for that matter), it’s worth the few hours it will take you to go through it. “Blankets” is a provocative look at how the Christian community sees art. However, it is important to keep in mind that this book takes place more than ten years ago and it is uplifting to see how the church in general is embracing art today, however, there is still more to be done.

O Brother Where Art Thou? - a post by Ryan

I don't know exactly why but it is my favorite movie. I have seen it over a dozen times, and every time I notice something I have never seen before. I love all the different situations that they find there selves in by chance, and the Irony of making a great song without knowing it. It is a journey that I think every guy can relate to and that's why guys like it so much. The movie takes you through all the emotions, humor, love, guilt, salvation & Joy, hatred etc. Each situation the 'soggy bottom boys' find themselves makes you feel a different emotion. One of the most random movies yet a classic.

CFRB Talk Radio - a post by Ryan

When I am in the car I tune to 10 10am and listen Bill Carol in the morning, who usually talks about nothing important. The Mots are on in the afternoon (a married couple) who are unbelievably still married after taking so many different stands from each other and John Moore in on the way home, who is the most controversial. It doesn't seem to matter who the host is because they all take calls and usually cut off the caller and reinstate their own opinion. To me this is the best part of all their shows because its funny to hear the people call in thinking that everyone listening is going to hear their personal opinion and that it actually matters. Of course their opinions are only there for the entertainment of people like me and the talk show host who make them even more entertaining. I listen all the time but never once have had the desire to call in, but find it hilarious when others do.