Category Archives: Current Events

“Woody Wednesday” Discussion of Woody Allen’s 1989 movie “Crimes and Misdemeanors” (Part 1)

December 19, 2012 – 7:05 am

Crimes and Misdemeanors: A Discussion: Part 1

Uploaded by on Sep 23, 2007

Part 1 of 3: ‘What Does Judah Believe?’
A discussion of Woody Allen’s 1989 movie, perhaps his finest.
By Anton Scamvougeras.

http://camdiscussion.blogspot.com/
antons@mail.ubc.ca

_____________

Today I am starting a discusssion of the movie “Crimes and Misdemeanors” by Woody Allen. This 1989 movie was Allen’s best in my view.

DISCUSSING FILMS AND SPIRITUAL MATTERS
By Everette Hatcher III

“Existential subjects to me are still the only subjects worth dealing with. I don’t think that one can aim more deeply than at the so-called existential themes, the spiritual themes.” WOODY ALLEN

Evangelical Chuck Colson has observed that it used to be true that most Americans knew the Bible. Evangelists could simply call on them to repent and return. But today, most people lack understanding of biblical terms or concepts. Colson recommends that we first attempt to find common ground to engage people’s attention. That then may open a door to discuss spiritual matters.

Woody Allen’s 1989 movie, CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS , is an excellent icebreaker concerning the need of God while making decisions in the area of personal morality. In this film, Allen attacks his own atheistic view of morality. Martin Landau plays a Jewish eye doctor named Judah Rosenthal raised by a religious father who always told him, “The eyes of God are always upon you.” However, Judah later concludes that God doesn’t exist. He has his mistress (played in the film by Anjelica Huston) murdered because she continually threatened to blow the whistle on his past questionable, probably illegal, business activities. She also attempted to break up Judah ‘s respectable marriage by going public with their two-year affair. Judah struggles with his conscience throughout the remainder of the movie. He continues to be haunted by his father’s words: “The eyes of God are always upon you.” This is a very scary phrase to a young boy, Judah observes. He often wondered how penetrating God’s eyes are.

Later in the film, Judah reflects on the conversation his religious father had with Judah ‘s unbelieving Aunt May at the dinner table many years ago:

“Come on Sol, open your eyes. Six million Jews burned to death by the Nazis, and they got away with it because might makes right,” says aunt May

Sol replies, “May, how did they get away with it?”

Judah asks, “If a man kills, then what?”

Sol responds to his son, “Then in one way or another he will be punished.”

Aunt May comments, “I say if he can do it and get away with it and he chooses not to be bothered by the ethics, then he is home free.”

Judah ‘s final conclusion was that might did make right. He observed that one day, because of this conclusion, he woke up and the cloud of guilt was gone. He was, as his aunt said, “home free.”

Woody Allen has exposed a weakness in his own humanistic view that God is not necessary as a basis for good ethics. There must be an enforcement factor in order to convince Judah not to resort to murder. Otherwise, it is fully to Judah ‘s advantage to remove this troublesome woman from his life.

The Bible tells us, “{God} has also set eternity in the hearts of men…” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV). The secularist calls this an illusion, but the Bible tells us that the idea that we will survive the grave was planted in everyone’s heart by God Himself. Romans 1:19-21 tells us that God has instilled a conscience in everyone that points each of them to Him and tells them what is right and wrong (also Romans 2:14 -15).

It’s no wonder, then, that one of Allen’s fellow humanists would comment, “Certain moral truths — such as do not kill, do not steal, and do not lie — do have a special status of being not just ‘mere opinion’ but bulwarks of humanitarian action. I have no intention of saying, ‘I think Hitler was wrong.’ Hitler WAS wrong.” (Gloria Leitner, “A Perspective on Belief,” THE HUMANIST, May/June 1997, pp. 38-39)

Here Leitner is reasoning from her God-given conscience and not from humanist philosophy. It wasn’t long before she received criticism. Humanist Abigail Ann Martin responded, “Neither am I an advocate of Hitler; however, by whose criteria is he evil?” (THE HUMANIST, September/October 1997, p. 2)

The secularist can only give incomplete answers to these questions: How could you have convinced Judah not to kill? On what basis could you convince Judah it was wrong for him to murder?

As Christians, we would agree with Judah ‘s father that “The eyes of God are always upon us.” Proverbs 5:21 asserts, “For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and He ponders all his paths.” Revelation 20:12 states, “…And the dead were judged (sentenced) by what they had done (their whole way of feeling and acting, their aims and endeavors) in accordance with what was recorded in the books” (Amplified Version). The Bible is revealed truth from God. It is the basis for our morality. Judah inherited the Jewish ethical values of the Ten Commandments from his father, but, through years of life as a skeptic, his standards had been lowered. Finally, we discover that Judah ‘s secular version of morality does not resemble his father’s biblically-based morality.

Woody Allen’s CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS forces unbelievers to grapple with the logical conclusions of a purely secular morality. It opens a door for Christians to find common ground with those whom they attempt to share Christ; we all have to deal with personal morality issues. However, the secularist has no basis for asserting that Judah is wrong.

Larry King actually mentioned on his show, LARRY KING LIVE, that Chuck Colson had discussed the movie CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS with him. Colson asked King if life was just a Darwinian struggle where the ruthless come out on top. Colson continued, “When we do wrong, is that our only choice? Either live tormented by guilt, or else kill our conscience and live like beasts?” (BREAKPOINT COMMENTARY, “Finding Common Ground,” September 14, 1993)

Later, Colson noted that discussing the movie CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS with King presented the perfect opportunity to tell him about Christ’s atoning work on the cross. Colson believes the Lord is working on Larry King. How about your neighbors? Is there a way you can use a movie to find common ground with your lost friends and then talk to them about spiritual matters?

(Caution: CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS is rated PG-13. It does include some adult themes.)

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By Everette Hatcher III | Comments (0)

All-American Rejects Part 3 (Lessons from Tyson Ritter and the path of sexual impurity)

December 18, 2012 – 7:06 am

The Poison – The All-American Rejects

Avril Lavigne and Tyson Ritter from All American Rejects Talk Almost Alice

The All-American Rejects – Dirty Little Secret

I got to see the All-American Rejects in concert on 12-13-12 in Little Rock and I have written about it several times already.

Tyson Ritter, the leadsinger of the All-American Rejects has admitted that he was a jerk for the last couple of years when he lived a sexually impure life by sleeping with several different ladies during his years in LA. Ritter says he has learned from his mistakes of his past and was glad his fellow band members rescued him from that lifestyle and got him back working with the band. I wonder if Tyson knows how serious the consequences can be if someone takes the path of sexual impurity?

Brandon Barnard in his message on sexual purity at Fellowship Bible Church on July 24, 2011 makes much of this issue. He points out THE PATHWAY OF IMPURITY IS PROMISING BUT DECEIVING. Then he read these scriptures below:

Proverbs 5:4

English Standard Version (ESV)

4but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
    sharp as a two-edged sword.

Proverbs 7:18-20

English Standard Version (ESV)

18Come, let us take our fill of love till morning;
   let us delight ourselves with love.
19For my husband is not at home;
   he has gone on a long journey;
20he took a bag of money with him;
   at full moon he will come home.”

Billboard TMI EPISODE 20 INTERVIEW WITH THE ALL AMERICAN REJECTS

The All-American Rejects – The Wind Blows (Version)

http://okgazette.com/oklahoma/article-14860-giving-them-hell.html

Although The All-American Rejects long ago traded Stillwater for Los Angeles, their Midwestern sensibilities help them ‘Move Along’ the path of global greatness.

Matt Carney April 4th, 2012  

The All-American Rejects with A Rocket to the Moon
7 p.m. Friday
Diamond Ballroom
8001 S. Eastern
diamondballroom.net
677-9169
$22-$24

Credits: Lauren Dukoff

You’ve heard The All-American Rejects’ mythology before.Talented small-town Stillwater high schoolers’ album gets scooped from the trash by a record label intern: music videos, hit singles, major-label deals, high-grossing worldwide tours and dalliances with celebrities ensue. In short, all the stuff that constitutes the first half of an episode of VH1’s Behind the Music: you know, before the heroin problems and velvet capes.

But the band of scruffy, powerpopping teens that originated in 1999 and blew up nationally when catchy pop-punk was all the rage (Sum 41, anyone?) has managed to avoid the squabbles and noxious drama that have disintegrated the infrastructure of so many groups struggling with the weight and pressure of fame.

“We’ve never fought,” said lead singer and bassist Tyson Ritter, all of 27 years old. “I’m not completely sure why, but it may be that we have two things in common: the fact that we’re from Oklahoma, and the fact that we want to stay in this band.”

Now, little more than a week since the release of the Rejects’ fourth studio album, Kids in the Street, Ritter and company — whose lineup has remained intact since DreamWorks Records released their 2003 debut — look more like a perennial pop contender than some short-lived upstart.

“We didn’t buy into the hype of running and chasing success,” Ritter said. “Regardless of label pressure — regardless of anything — we always take our time to craft our next record. Because not only do we want to tour for a long time, we want to be proud of it, to share it. The bands that haven’t survived, they haven’t for a reason: You hear the falseness in the music they put out. And when you don’t believe a band you love, you quit listening.”
‘Raised them right’

This dedication to preservation has kept audiences’ ears. Ritter shrewdly has guarded against the usual offers and requests to invite collaborators into the Rejects’ fold.

“That stuff’s been an option,” he said. “People throw that shit at you.”

One such opportunity manifested during the recording of Kids, after the Rejects heard the work of a fellow Oklahoman in Los Angeles, a gifted singer named Audra Mae.

“Her voice was so massive and soulful,” Ritter said. “We got in touch with her management because we loved her voice and that she was from Oklahoma. You meet Okies out here and they’re always kindhearted, sweet people. We hit it off like ham and eggs.”

Mae, who was born at Tinker Air Force Base, raised in Edmond, and attended Putnam City High School, sings backup on three Kids tracks, including the first single, “Beekeeper’s Daughter,” a playful pop number that’s cracked the Top 40 on three Billboard charts since its Jan. 31 release.

“Their mamas obviously raised them right,” said Mae, an LA resident for nearly a decade. “You get used to bands where the lead singer’s just a bullheaded idiot — it’s not like that with them. They’re really brothers and they love each other so much, it was so nice to be around. We hung out, talked about cars, Oklahoma, and Tyson filled up my gas tank and washed the windows on my car ’cause he’s the sweetest man alive.”

Step up to the Street

After enjoying worldwide success with hit singles like “Dirty Little Secret” and “Move Along” (a finalist for Oklahoma’s official state rock song), Ritter found himself hardened with cynicism after years of “living in front of a tape recorder.” After a break in the band he described as a ninemonth “lost weekend in LA,” he felt the need to channel his “quarter-life crisis” into a record.

Instead of dialing up a DJ to take advantage of mainstream pop’s dubstep craze or bringing Katy Perry in to hatch a hit single, the Rejects did what they usually do when they need to write songs: They fled.

In this case, to a cabin in Maine. “We go up there for the windows, ’cause we stay inside the whole time, but the windows sure show a nice picture,” Ritter said. “We found some really cool moments for the record, like ‘Walk Over Me,’ which I remember was one of those songs you write in 10 minutes. Those are the ones that weren’t compromised by thought.”

The Rejects are a throwback-type band that’s unforgiving in its commitment to the classic-rock era’s idea of unforced, “pure” songwriting. At its best, this process captures gushing, earnest moments of gleeful puppy love (“Swing, Swing”), dramatic breakups (“It Ends Tonight”) and when-all-else-fails optimism (“Move Along”). It’s unique to the modern pop landscape.

“There’s a difference between being a mainstream band and being a mainstream band that really floods itself into the mainstream,” Ritter said. “When you’re contriving collaborations and doing something that didn’t actually happen…

_______________

By Everette Hatcher III | Comments (0)

All-American Rejects Part 2 (“Finding Satisfaction in Life”)

December 17, 2012 – 7:08 am

The All-American Rejects Music Interview Tyson Ritter Full Band only on The Artist Spotlight

The All-American Rejects – The Last Song

The All-American Rejects – It Ends Tonight

I got to go hear the All-American Rejects in Little Rock on 12-13-12. Here are some of my reactions.

Tyson Ritter admitted that he lost his way after the 2008 cd came out and he spent a couple of years in LA searching for happiness through multiple relationships with women but that didn’t work out and he found no satisfaction. Let me suggest finding your satisfaction through Christ. Below are some very popular songs on this same subject.

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For / U2

The Rolling Stones Satisfaction (rare)

 

If you want to see the path that Kerry Livgren and Dave Hope of the rock group Kansas took to find true satisfaction then listen to their song “Dust in the Wind” and then read their testimony at this link Tom Brady , Coldplay, Kansas, Solomon and the search for satisfaction (part 3) .

Kansas – Dust In The Wind

Uploaded by on Nov 7, 2009

Music video by Kansas performing Dust In The Wind. (c) 2004 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.

______________

This sermon can be listened to online at http://www.fellowshiponline.com/resources/sermons/

Concerning Philippians 4:10-23 Brandon comments:

Paul is reminding us that in every circumstance and in everything he has gone through that his satisfaction is found deeply in Christ. You think about this guy who is writing from prison. He is in this prison cell and it is a hardship in his life, but him of all people is saying that “I am writing to you but I am content and I am satisfied.” That is a statement you don’t hear from a lot of people these days… A lot of people are discontent and dissatisfied… Think about the poets from your generation or the generation before us. How about the deep theologians called “The Rolling Stones.” Remember them. They wrote this song “I can’t get no satisfaction.” And you what they say after that phrase? “And I try and I try and I try.” I am not sure how deep most of their lyrics are, but they voice the cry of many people. “I can’t get no satisfaction and I try and I am trying and I am trying.”

What about one of those other poets by the name of Bono who wrote a song called, “I still haven’t found what I am looking for.” It is interesting. “I still haven’t found what I am looking for.” It has a nice melody to it but there is probably a reason why it is so popular because there is a lot of people deep down in their soul feel like they haven’t found what they are looking for.

It is true. What is so funny to me is that what is so desired is so elusive. What is so longed for, people want to be content and satisfied, you want to be content with who you are and what you have and where you live but the reality of it is THAT IS NOT THE CASE IN YOUR LIFE. THAT IS NOT THE CASE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. A matter of fact in our notes I ask this question: WHY ARE MOST PEOPLE DISATISFIED AND DISCONTENT IN THIS LIFE? It is running rampant. People are longing for, desiring for and chasing after, they want so desperately to be content, to be satisfied with what they have, with who they are, with where they are. Yet the reality is for a lot of people who is not happening and it creates frustration in us and anger in us and sadness in us and loneliness in us.

Why? Some people say they are not compensated enough or not treated fairly enough, or not talented enough, or not attractive enough, or not rewarded enough, or not recognized enough. The list goes on and on and on.

The interesting thing is that even when you feel like you get some contentment in your life there is always a desire for more. It is never enough. Quite frankly some people achieve the american dream and they still want more!!!

TRUE CONTENTMENT FLOWS FROM CONFIDENCE IN GOD AND STAYS REGARDLESS OF CIRCUMSTANCES AND COMES FROM STRENGTH IN CHRIST AND BREEDS GENEROSITY.

Our deepest satisfaction is found in Christ.

Today’s scripture reading was:

Philippians 4:10-23

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

God’s Provisions

 10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak [a]from want, for I have learned to be [b]content in whatever circumstances I am. 12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13 I can do all things [c]through Him who strengthens me. 14 Nevertheless, you have done well to share with mein my affliction. 15 You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the [d]first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; 16 for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. 17 Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the [e]profit which increases to your account. 18 But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am [f]amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus [g]what you have sent, [h]a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply [i]all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be the glory [j]forever and ever. Amen.

 21 Greet every [k]saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. 22 All the [l]saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.

 23The grace of the Lord Jesus Christbe with your spirit.

 

Band members

Ritter in 2006

Tyson Ritter – lead vocals, bass guitar, piano (1999–present)

  • Tyson Jay Ritter, born April 24, 1984 in Stillwater, Oklahoma, is co-founder of The All-American Rejects. Ritter splits his time between his homes in New York, California and Florida. While he considers Santa Rosa Beach, Florida to be his primary residence, business requires he spend the majority of his time at his LA-area home. Aside from his role in the band, Ritter has worked as a film and television actor. He performed as himself in the American television medical drama House M.D., appearing in the episode “Fetal Position” which aired April 3, 2007 on the Fox Network.[36] He also appeared with his other band members in television series Smallville season six episode 3, titled “Wither”, performing “It Ends Tonight“. He also appeared in his first film, The House Bunny, in 2008. In June 2010, Tyson Ritter sung a duet with R&B singer Timbaland with the song “I’m in Love With You”. The song features as a bonus track on Timbaland’s EP Shock Value II: The Singles.Tyson Ritter and Nick Wheeler also cowrote “Put Me Back Together” for Weezer’s 2010 “Raditude” Album. Tyson Ritter started his own charity called “Don’t Hate On Haiti” to raise money to get water to the people in Haiti, by designing a t-shirt. He is very passionate about Haiti, as he has stated in many interviews and on his personal Twitter account. At Warped Tour 2010, he “sold his body” to raise money, by taking pictures, giving autographs, sidestage passes and even kisses for donating money. In June 2011 he began a campaign for Haiti that entails him keeping silent for 30 days. Many people have began to sponsor his silence by giving money for every day he keeps quiet.[37] “In the end, we’re just a band, close friends, who care deeply about what we do,” says Tyson.

Nick Wheeler – lead guitar, backing vocals (1999–present)

  • Nickolas (Don) Von Wheeler was born on March 20, 1982 in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and lived there until moving to his current residence in Destin, Florida. He is a co-founder of The All-American Rejects and is the lead guitarist and backing vocals for the band.

Mike Kennerty – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2002–present)

  • Michael Brian Kennerty, born on July 20, 1980, in Houston, Texas, grew up and lives in Edmond, Oklahoma. He joined the All-American Rejects in 2002 after The All-American Rejects had been completed. Kennerty is a founding member and guitarist of the punk band “These Enzymes”, along with bandmate and drummer, Chris Gaylor. The side project was started after a 2003 tour in England, and includes other members Neil Rubenstein and Andrew Palmer.[38] He produced and played guitar on Ben Weasel‘s album These Ones Are Bitter. He is also the owner of Edmond Records, which specializes in colored vinyl pressings, including Ben Weasel’s latest album.

Chris Gaylor – drums, percussion (2002–present)

  • Christopher James Gaylor, born April 11, 1979, lives in Edmond, Oklahoma. After joining the band in 2002, Gaylor has added a muscular edge to the band’s drums. Gaylor is a co-founding member and drummer of “These Enzymes”, and played drums on the Ben Weasel album These Ones Are Bitter.

[edit] Touring members

  • Timothy Jordan II – keyboards, guitar, backing vocals (2005)
  • Nick Foxer – keyboards, guitar, backing vocals (2006)
  • Kevin Saulnier – keyboards, guitar, percussion, backing vocals (2006-2011)
  • Butch Walker – bass guitar, backing vocals (2006)
  • Ethan Novak – bass guitar, backing vocals (2008-2011)
  • Matt Rubano – bass guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (2011–present)
  • Scott Chesak – keyboards, backing vocals (2011–present)

[edit] Equipment

Using mainly Fender and Gibson guitars, The All-American Rejects use numerous models. The band uses Sennheiser microphones, Ernie Ball guitar strings, and Dunlop Picks.

Lead singer and bassist Tyson Ritter uses two models of Fender; one is a Black P-Bass, and the other model is the recently discontinued Jaguar Bass. Ritter also uses Gibson models, including the Gibson Thunderbird and the Epiphone Flying V.[39]

The lead guitarist of The All-American Rejects, Nick Wheeler, primarily uses Gibson guitars. Wheeler’s main guitar is the Gibson Firebird. He primarily uses a Vintage Sunburst Firebird V. Wheeler owns a rare cherry Firebird VII, which he no longer uses for live shows, as well as a custom Firebird, which is painted in blue glitter. He owns eight Firebirds overall. He also uses a Classic Gibson Firebird. Wheeler frequently uses a Gibson ES-335. This guitar is notably used live for the intro of “Top of the World”, taking the place of the classical guitar originally used in the “Top of the World” recording. It is also commonly used in the songs “It Ends Tonight”, “Real World”, “Stab My Back”, “My Paper Heart”, “Gives You Hell” and “Dance Inside”. Another guitar that Wheeler favors is the Gibson EDS-1275 doubleneck guitar, which he uses live on “The Wind Blows”. He has also been known to occasionally use the Gibson Flying V, namely for the performing “The Last Song” live.[40][41]

Rhythm guitarist Mike Kennerty has used the Gibson SG since joining the band, and also uses Washburn Guitars. Another guitar that Kennerty favors is the PRS Guitars Mira X which came out in early 2009.[42][43]

Chris Gaylor, drummer for the band, uses Remo heads for his drums. Gaylor used to endorse Tama drums, but now he endorses C&C drums. He has a set with a Rootbeer Sparkle wood finish, as well as an acrylic kit. Gaylor’s most-current set-up contains seven drums. He uses a 12×7 rack tom, 14×10, 16×12, and 18×14 floor toms, a 14×6.5 Nickel-Over-Brass snare, a 12×7 effects snare, and a 24×16 bass drum. Gaylor uses Tama hardware.

Also, Gaylor uses Vater Universal drumsticks, and his cymbals are Sabian. His hi-hats are Sabian 14-inch HHX Evolution. His 3 crashes he uses are an 18 inch HHXplosion crash, a 19 inch AAXplosion crash, and a 20-inch HHX stage crash. Gaylor also uses 22-inch HH Power Bell ride cymbal. Gaylor also includes an LP cowbell in his set. The drummer also uses an Alesis ADAT HD24 for recording purposes.[12][44]

[edit] Discography

Studio albums

[edit] Awards and nominations

 

 

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: The All-American Rejects
[hide]

The All-American Rejects
 
  • Tyson Ritter ·
  • Nick Wheeler ·
  • Mike Kennerty ·
  • Chris Gaylor
 
Studio albums
and singles
 
The All-American Rejects
 
Move Along
 
When the World Comes Down
 
Kids in the Street
 
Extended plays
 
DVDs
 
Labels
 
Lists
 

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Tom Brady “More than this…” Uploaded by EdenWorshipCenter on Jan 22, 2008 EWC sermon illustration showing a clip from the 2005 Tom Brady 60 minutes interview. To Download this video copy the URL to www.vixy.net Below you will see several video clips. Evidently despite all the super bowl rings Brady is still looking for true satisfaction, and Danny […]

Tom Brady has learned what does not bring satisfaction (part 4)

Tom Brady “More than this…” Uploaded by EdenWorshipCenter on Jan 22, 2008 EWC sermon illustration showing a clip from the 2005 Tom Brady 60 minutes interview. To Download this video copy the URL to http://www.vixy.net ___________________ Tom Brady has it all, but he does not have true satisfaction. He has put an enormous amount of […]

Tom Brady , Coldplay, Kansas, Solomon and the search for satisfaction (part 3)

Tom Brady “More than this…” Uploaded by EdenWorshipCenter on Jan 22, 2008 EWC sermon illustration showing a clip from the 2005 Tom Brady 60 minutes interview. _______________________ Tom Brady ESPN Interview Tom Brady has famous wife earned over 76 million dollars last year. However, has Brady found lasting satifaction in his life? It does not […]

Tom Brady, Coldplay, Kansas, Solomon and the search for satisfaction (part 2)

Tom Brady “More than this…” Uploaded by EdenWorshipCenter on Jan 22, 2008 EWC sermon illustration showing a clip from the 2005 Tom Brady 60 minutes interview. To Download this video copy the URL to http://www.vixy.net ________________ Obviously from the video clip above, Tom Brady has realized that even though he has won many Super Bowls […]

Tom Brady, Coldplay, Solomon and the search for satisfaction (part 1)

Tom Brady “More than this…” Uploaded by EdenWorshipCenter on Jan 22, 2008 EWC sermon illustration showing a clip from the 2005 Tom Brady 60 minutes interview. To Download this video copy the URL to http://www.vixy.net Tom Brady is still searching for satisfaction in his life. Over the years I wanted bands like Kansas and Coldplay […]

“True Satisfaction,” Tebow has it, Brady would like to have it

Tom Brady “More than this…” Uploaded by EdenWorshipCenter on Jan 22, 2008 EWC sermon illustration showing a clip from the 2005 Tom Brady 60 minutes interview. To Download this video copy the URL to http://www.vixy.net Below you will see several video clips of both Tom Brady and Tim Tebow. Evidently despite all the super bowl […]

What is God doing with Tim Tebow? Fellowship Bible pastor of Little Rock ponders…

Everyone is wondering if this amazing fourth quarter comeback streak will end for the Denver Broncos and their quarterback Tim Tebow. At the December 11, 2011 early service at Fellowship Bible Church, pastor Mark Henry noted: How many of you have been watching the drama behind Tim Tebow. Tim Tebow is the starting quarterback for […]

“Tip Tuesday” Advice to Gene Simmons (Part 19) Fellowship Bible Church Service July 24th

On the show Gene Simmons Family Jewels, Shannon Tweed, 54 yrs old, is the mother of Gene’s two kids and she has been with Gene for 28 yrs but now she is looking for more committment from Gene. She wants him to stop cheating on her. In the July 19th episode  Nick said to his […]

“Tip Tuesday” Advice for Gene Simmons (Part 11) Fellowship Bible Church July 24th

Gene Simmons and his son Nick (Refer to end of post for more on Nick and Gene) 28 July 2011 Gene Simmons has proposed to long-term girlfriend Shannon Tweed. The Kiss bassist – who claims to have slept with over 2,000 women and has for a long time vowed never to marry – popped the question […]

“Tip Tuesday,” Advice to Gene Simmons Part 9, Fellowship Bible Church July 24th

Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed John McArthur The Truth About Divorce, #2 (Mark 10:1-12) On the show Gene Simmons has been arguing the point that he admits that he is selfish, but he still feels he has the right to be selfish. In the conclusion of the final episode of the year on July 24th […]

Park Street Church Boston, MA (Part 1)

Uploaded by OBrasilo on Nov 18, 2006 This is the “Nearer My God To Thee” scene from the movie “A Night To Remember” (1958). _____________________________________ The Arkansas Times asked what are some of our favorite hymns. One of my favorites is “Near My God to Thee” which was written played on the Titanic while the […]

Advice to Gene Simmons Part 4, Fellowship Bible Church sermon on purity jh14a

Gene Simmons Proposes To Shannon Tweed Kiss singer/bassist Gene Simmons proposed to his longtime girlfriend Shannon Tweed in Belize recently, TMZ reports. The couple has been together 28 years and share two children, 22-year-old son Nicholas and 18-year-old daughter Sophie. Simmons popped the question on the A&E reality show ‘Gene Simmons Family Jewels,’ which has followed the life of the Simmons brood since […]

Advice to Gene Simmons Part 3, Fellowship Bible Service July 24, 2011

Last Tuesday night I watched Gene Simmons Family Jewels and I commented how I  was struck by the good advice that his son Nick gave him. He told him that he grew up thinking that his father was the best. However, now that the marital infidility has come out, it has made Nick think long and hard […]

Devotional – Fellowship Bible Church – Brandon Barnard

Uploaded by on Feb 25, 2010

Weekly Bible devotional from the pastors of Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock, Arkansas.

By Everette Hatcher III | Comments (0)

“Music Monday” Video interviews of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin (Part 2)

December 17, 2012 – 6:45 am

As far as I know they have never done an interview together. Therefore, I have included separate interviews that they have done below and I have some links to past posts I have done on them too.

Gwyneth Paltrow & Robert Downey Jr. on Jonathan Ross 2010.04.23 (Part 1)

Coldplay: Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland talk about Mylo Xyloto

Published on Oct 18, 2011 by

Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland from Coldplay talk about Mylo Xyloto, their 5th studio album. Questions in English below.

The interview was conducted by Kirsten Lemaire for Belgian television channel Canvas, and it took place in The Bakery, Coldplay’s very own studio. On the day of the interview they were still working on Xylo Myloto, in that same studio.

0:22 What was the very first plan for this 5th record?

2:25 We were at The Bakery, Coldplay’s main studio. But they also have another studio, The Beehive, just across the street. I wondered if they recorded everything in those two studios.

3:21 I did hear 6 new tracks from Xylo Myloto in advance. Some songs were about love, some songs were about addiction. But I also read that another theme was obsessive-compulsive behaviour. So I asked Chris Martin: is that true?

5:26 The current Coldplay single is Paradise, which definitely has some R’n’B influences. Hence my next question: did they listen to a lot of R’n’B during the making of the new record?

6:40 Last summer, Coldplay premiered some new songs on really big festivals like Rock Werchter. How nervous are they when they’re roadtesting unreleased music in front of 60.000 people or more?

8:37 The interview took place on the day they were actually finishing Mylo Xyloto. Last day in the studio. Must be quite thrilling, because fans have extremely high expectations. But how do the band members feel at such a moment?

10:41 Coldplay is a great live band. But at a certain moment, you have to introduce the new songs to your audience. Do they make more mistakes on stage when they try out new songs?

Chris Martin of Coldplay unknowingly lives out his childhood Christian beliefs (Part 5 of notes from June 23, 2012 Dallas Coldplay Concert)

Coldplay “paradise” Dallas Texas 6/22/12 ( Floor View ) Published on Jun 23, 2012 by ccam cher Awesome concert Coldplay brought confetti, lights and thousands of fans to the American Airlines Center; see photos from their colorful show Photo Gallery News Sports Lifestyles   Comments (0)   9/11 Chris Martin was brought up as an […]

 

“Music Monday” Countdown of Coldplay’s best albums (part 1)

I like this CD a lot mainly because of it rhythm and how it is the most relaxing of Coldplay’s albums. “YELLOW” “SHIVER” “DON’T PANIC” “TROUBLE” “SPARKS” are all great songs. I would have to say that Parachutes was a good song but it was too short. Altogether I would give this album a 9/10! However, this […]

Tom Brady , Coldplay, Kansas, Solomon and the search for satisfaction (part 3)

Tom Brady “More than this…” Uploaded by EdenWorshipCenter on Jan 22, 2008 EWC sermon illustration showing a clip from the 2005 Tom Brady 60 minutes interview. _______________________ Tom Brady ESPN Interview Tom Brady has famous wife earned over 76 million dollars last year. However, has Brady found lasting satifaction in his life? It does not […]

 

Coldplay in Madrid concert October 26, 2011

From today. I wonder if Coldplay will continue to be on a spiritual search. Part one of Madrid Concert Look at their latest song and the lyrics: They got one eye on what you knew And one eye on what you do So be careful who it is you’re talking to They got one eye […]

Coldplay gave NPR interview on Oct 22, 2011

Coldplay – Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall Published on Jun 28, 2011 by ColdplayVEVO The new single, taken from Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall EP (featuring two more new tracks). Download it fromhttp://cldp.ly/itunescp Music video by Coldplay performing Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall. (P) 2011 The copyright in this audiovisual recording is owned by EMI Records Ltd […]

By Everette Hatcher III | Comments (0)

Most significant football games of all time

December 17, 2012 – 1:38 am

The fifty most significant games of all-time? That is what the article said. I don’t have time to go through all of them but I have listed a few from that list below.

Here are some games listed below:

October 7, 1916

Yes, there is a most lopsided victory in college football and it belongs to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. 

This record is arguably more unbreakable than anything out there although I personally am not impressed with this particular statistic as some other may be.

Still, Georgia Tech walloped Cumberland College (who did not field an official team that year) by a final score of 222-0 on October 7, 1916.

___________

November 20, 1986 vs. Arkansas

Craig James and Eric Dickerson were known as the “Pony Express” and they were as dynamic as any backfield duo in the history of college football.

However, since SMU’s football program was given the “death penalty” for numerous NCAA violations, the program has not been the same.

The entire 1987 season was cancelled for SMU and they also were banned for two seasons from the postseason. As far as how their final game went against Arkansas, the Razorbacks thumped them 41-0.

_________________

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Vincent Laforet/Getty Images

January 4, 1999

The 1999 Fiesta Bowl was the first ever BCS National Championship game and it featured the two top ranked teams in the country between Tennessee and Florida State (amazing how college football is the only true sport that guarantees you the two best).

The Seminoles have had their fair share of disappointments and struggles in the BCS (1-5), and they lost to the Vols 23-16.

Tennessee’s Tee Martin and Peerless Price stole the show and the victory for Tennessee was their sixth national championship.

By Everette Hatcher III | Comments (0)

Six great economic crossroads of the 20th and 21st centuries examined by Michael Reagan

December 17, 2012 – 12:48 am

I found this article very interesting.

The Kennedy-Reagan Truth vs. the Obama Delusion

by Jim Denney

In his book The New Reagan Revolution, Michael Reagan examined six great economic crossroads of the 20th and 21st centuries. These six critical junctures in the history of the United States serve as economic laboratories to test two contrasting economic theories. One theory consistently produced economic expansion and sustained growth. The other theory invariably produced failure and misery. Here are Michael Reagan findings:

1. The “Forgotten Depression” of January 1920. During the last year of Woodrow Wilson’s presidency, the economy nosedived. GNP fell 17 percent; unemployment soared from 4 to almost 12 percent. This was the “Forgotten Depression” of 1920. Wilson’s successor, Warren G. Harding, came into office and immediately cut tax rates for all income brackets, slashed federal spending, and balanced the budget. Long before the world ever heard of Ronald Reagan, Harding practiced “Reaganomics.”

“President Harding applied the principles of Reaganomics,” Michael Reagan observed, “even though Ronald Reagan was at that time a nine-year-old boy living in Dixon, Illinois. Harding was not following an economic theory. He was following common sense. He treated the federal budget as you would treat the family budget: When times are tough, cut spending and stay out of debt. Harding also treated his fellow citizens with commonsense compassion: If folks are going through tough times, government should ease their burden and cut their taxes.”

The Harding recovery was astonishingly rapid, beginning just half a year into his presidency. Unemployment fell to 6.7 percent by 1922, and to 2.4 percent by 1923. Harding’s successor, Calvin Coolidge, maintained Harding’s program of low tax rates, balanced budgets, and limited government. The Harding-Coolidge era of prosperity became known as “the Roaring Twenties”—a time of soaring prosperity, stable prices, and boundless optimism.

Obvious conclusion based on the evidence: Reaganomics works.

2. The Great Depression. Coolidge was succeeded by Herbert Hoover. In the eighth month of Hoover’s presidency, the stock market crashed—the infamous Crash of 1929. Many factors led to the Great Depression, but the Crash was the precipitating event. Hoover had failed to learn the lessons of the Harding-Coolidge years, so he responded by raising taxes (hiking the top marginal rate from 25 to 63 percent), imposing protectionism (the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act), and boosting government spending by 47 percent, driving America deep into debt. Hoover’s actions worsened the Depression. A defeated Herbert Hoover bequeathed a ruined economy to Franklin Delano Roosevelt

FDR took office at a time when 25 percent of the nation’s workforce was unemployed. He, too, ignored the lessons of the “Forgotten Depression,” and doubled down on Hoover’s failed tax-and-spend policies, applying the economic theory known as Keynesianism (after British economist John Maynard Keynes). The Keynes-FDR approach involved deficit spending, soak-the-rich tax policies, and big-government make-work programs (the New Deal). FDR and a compliant Congress hiked personal and corporate income tax rates, estate taxes, and excise taxes.

Michael Reagan wrote, “From 1937 to 1939, the stock market lost almost half its value, car sales fell by one-third, and business failures increased by one-half. From 1932 to 1939, the U.S. racked up more debt than in all the preceding 150 years of America’s existence. By early 1939, as the Great Depression was in its tenth year, unemployment again climbed past the 20 percent mark.”

Many Americans credit FDR with “getting America through the Depression.” In reality, FDR’s policies prolonged the Depression. In a time of catastrophic unemployment, Roosevelt made it prohibitively expensive to hire people, making a terrible human tragedy even worse. While thousands of U.S banks failed under FDR’s policies, across the border in Canada, not one bank failed—because Canadian banks were not hamstrung by FDR’s foolish over-regulation. In FDR’s Folly, historian Jim Powell questions the disturbing FDR legacy:

Why did New Dealers make it more expensive for employers to hire people? Why did FDR’s Justice Department file some 150 lawsuits threatening big employers? Why did New Deal policies discourage private investment without which private employment was unlikely to revive? Why so many policies to push up the cost of living? Why did New Dealers destroy food while people went hungry? To what extent did New Deal labor laws penalize blacks? Why did New Dealers break up the strongest banks? . . . Why didn’t New Deal public works projects bring about a recovery? Why was so much New Deal relief spending channeled away from the poorest people?

In May 1939, a demoralized and defeated Henry Morgenthau, FDR’s treasury secretary, told the House Ways and Means Committee, “We are spending more than we have ever spent before and it does not work. . . . I want to see people get a job. I want to see people get enough to eat. We have never made good on our promises. . . . After eight years of this administration we have just as much unemployment as when we started. . . . And an enormous debt to boot!”

Many people mistakenly believe that World War II lifted America out of the Great Depression. Not true. What WWII did was take 12 million men out of the workforce and send them into war, which ended unemployment. But all the other signs of a damaged economy remained during the war: low stock prices, depressed private investment, and depressed consumer demand.

Roosevelt and his successor, Harry Truman, had a post-war plan to impose an even bigger Second New Deal after the war. Fortunately, Congress refused, and chose instead to cut taxes and cut spending—the same commonsense “Reaganomics” approach that had produced prosperity during the 1920s. The result: a post-war economic boom from the late 1940s through the 1950s. Had FDR and Truman gotten their way, the country would have slipped right back into recession if not a second Great Depression.

Obvious conclusion based on the evidence: Keynesianomics fails, prolonging economic hardship and misery, while Reaganomics works again.

3. The Recession of 1960 and 1961. When John F. Kennedy came into office, he faced a jobless figure of 7.1 percent. Wanting the economy to keep up with the growing workforce, JFK addressed the Economic Club of New York in December 1962 and proposed a bold notion: “It is a paradoxical truth that tax rates are too high today and tax revenues are too low and the soundest way to raise the revenues in the long run is to cut the rates now. . . . The purpose of cutting taxes now is not to incur a budget deficit, but to achieve the more prosperous, expanding economy which can bring a budget surplus.”

Those are the words of John F. Kennedy—and he was preaching Reaganomics. Kennedy was assassinated less than a year later, but his successor, Lyndon Johnson, lobbied hard for the JFK tax cuts, and he signed them into law in 1964. As a result of JFK’s Reaganesque economic plan, the economy experienced a dramatic 5 percent expansion and personal income increased by 7 percent. Gross national product grew from $628 billion to $672 billion, corporate profits by an explosive 21 percent, auto production rose by 22 percent, steel production grew by 6 percent, and unemployment plummeted to 4.2 percent—an eight-year low. The Kennedy-Johnson tax rate cuts produced a sustained economic expansion for nearly a decade.

Obvious conclusion based on the evidence: Reaganomics works again.

4. The Recession of the 1970s. This recession began in November 1973 under Nixon and ended (technically) in March 1975 under Gerald Ford—a 16-month recession. According to the graphs and charts of the economists, real GDP was on the rise by the spring of 1975, yet unemployment and inflation remained painfully high throughout rest of the 1970s. Americans continue to suffer joblessness amid spiraling prices after the recession officially ended.

In 1976, Ronald Reagan narrowly lost the primary race against Gerald Ford. Reagan was convinced that he knew how to solve the long and painful recession of the 1970s, but he was forced to watch from the sidelines as Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter—two befuddled, clueless Keynesians!—battled each other for the White House. On October 8, 1976, at the height of the presidential race between Carter and Ford, Reagan outlined the principles of Reaganomics in a syndicated newspaper column entitled “Tax Cuts and Increased Revenue.” He wrote:

Warren Harding did it. John Kennedy did it. But Jimmy Carter and President Ford aren’t talking about it. The ‘it’ that Harding and Kennedy had in common was to cut the income tax. In both cases, federal revenues went up instead of down. . . . Since the idea worked under both Democratic and Republican administrations before, who’s to say it couldn’t work again?”

Reagan had majored in economics at Eureka College and had spent years studying the great free market economists such as Adam Smith (The Wealth of Nations), Friedrich Hayek (The Road to Serfdom), and Milton Friedman (Capitalism and Freedom). While Reagan’s opponents ignorantly wrote him off as an “amiable dunce,” it is clear that Reagan correctly and insightfully diagnosed the ailing economy of the 1970s. Unfortunately, Reagan would have to wait more than four years for the opportunity to put his prescription into practice.

Obvious conclusion based on the evidence: Keynesianism fails again.

5. The Jimmy Carter Stagflation Recession of 1980. After Jimmy Carter was inaugurated in January 1977, he inflicted the failed FDR-style Keynesian approach on the country—an approach which says the federal government can spend its way to prosperity. The result of Carter’s policies was an economic disaster called “stagflation”—slow economic growth coupled with the misery of rampant inflation and high unemployment.

By the 1980 election, America under Carter was in a full-blown recession. The American people had suffered years of double-digit interest rates, double-digit inflation, and double-digit unemployment, plus blocks-long lines at the gas station. Ronald Reagan defeated Carter in a landslide. Newsweek observed: “When Ronald Reagan steps into the White House . . . he will inherit the most dangerous economic crisis since Franklin Roosevelt took office 48 years ago.”

Reagan moved confidently and quickly to slash tax rates and domestic spending. Under his leadership, the top marginal tax rate dropped from 70 percent to 28 percent. Michael Reagan described the results:

Tax cuts generated 4 million jobs in 1983 alone and 16 million jobs over the course of Ronald Reagan’s presidency. Unemployment among African-Americans dropped dramatically, from 19.5 percent in 1983 to 11.4 percent in 1989. . . .

The inflation rate fell from 13.5 percent in 1980 . . . to 3.2 percent in 1983. . . .

The Reagan tax cuts nearly doubled federal revenue. After his 25 percent across-the-board tax rate cuts went into effect, receipts from both individual and corporate income taxes rose dramatically. According to the White House Office of Management and Budget, revenue from individual income taxes went from $244.1 billion in 1980 to $445.7 billion in 1989, an increase of over 82 percent. Revenue from corporate income taxes went from $64.6 billion to $103.3 billion, a 60 percent jump.

This was the fulfillment of the “paradoxical truth” that John F. Kennedy spoke of in his 1962 speech: “Cutting taxes now . . . can bring a budget surplus.” Both JFK and Ronald Reagan predicted that lower tax rates would generate more revenue. This “paradoxical truth” worked exactly as predicted.

At a White House press conference in 1981, President Reagan took reporters to school, explaining that the principles of Reaganomics have been known for centuries. Lower tax rates invariably bring more money into the treasury, he explained, “because of the almost instant stimulant to the economy.” This principle, Reagan added, “goes back at least, I know, as far as the fourteenth century, when a Moslem philosopher named Ibn Khaldun said, ‘In the beginning of the dynasty, great tax revenues were gained from small assessments. At the end of the dynasty, small tax revenues were gained from large assessments.’”

The principles of Reaganomics have been proved true—and Keynesian theory has been exposed as a fraud once more.

6. The Obama Recession. To be fair, what I call “The Obama Recession” actually began under George W. Bush, triggered by the collapse of the housing bubble. I think it’s fair to call it The Obama Recession because, when Barack Obama took office, he threw $814 billion of stimulus money at the recession (plus billions more in corporate bailouts, “Cash for Clunkers,” Solyndra-style green energy boondoggles, and other prime-the-pump schemes). He promised to jump-start the economy and hold unemployment below 8 percent. This was weapons-grade Keynesianism, practiced on a scale never before witnessed in human history. After spending so much money on the “cure,” Obama now owned that recession.

If Keynesian theory works at all, the Obama stimulus plan should have completely turned the economy around. But the stimulus plan—officially known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009—not only failed to make a splash, it didn’t make a ripple. Even after the government pumped nearly a trillion dollars of borrowed money into the economy, unemployment nudged up toward the 10 percent mark. Today, unemployment is officially below 9 percent—but the actual jobless rate is much higher.

In 2010, the Population Reference Bureau calculated the workforce to be at just over 157 million people. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there are 131 million jobs in America. That would leave 26 million people jobless—or about 16 percent of the total workforce. But it gets worse: Many of those jobs are just part-time jobs, and many people hold two or more of those jobs, so the actual jobless number is certainly far higher than 16 percent—maybe 20 percent or higher.

Obvious conclusion based on the evidence: Keynesianomics fails catastrophically.

Unfortunately, the high priests of the Keynesian religion refuse to see the light. President Obama clings to his delusional Keynesian faith, insisting that all we have to do is throw more money at the economy with another stimulus bill! That is economic insanity. Former Reagan aide Peter Ferrara wrote in the Wall Street Journal:

The fallacies of Keynesian economics were exposed decades ago by Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman. Keynesian thinking was then discredited in practice in the 1970s, when the Keynesians could neither explain nor cure the double-digit inflation, interest rates, and unemployment that resulted from their policies. Ronald Reagan’s decision to dump Keynesianism in favor of supply-side policies—which emphasize incentives for investment — produced a 25-year economic boom. That boom ended as the Bush administration abandoned every component of Reaganomics one by one, culminating in Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson’s throwback Keynesian stimulus in early 2008.

Mr. Obama showed up in early 2009 with the dismissive certitude that none of this history ever happened, and suddenly national economic policy was back in the 1930s. Instead of the change voters thought they were getting, Mr. Obama quintupled down on Mr. Bush’s 2008 Keynesianism.

Keynesian theory is every bit as superstitious as believing in astrology or a flat Earth or the good-luck powers of a rabbit’s foot. The facts of history are beyond dispute. The old Keynesian superstition has failed every time it was tried. But Keynesian fundamentalists like Barack Obama continue to live in a state of denial.

We know what works. Nearly a century of economic history proves it. Now we need a president and a Congress with the common sense to apply the lessons of history to the economic crisis of today.

______

The Laffer Curve, Part III: Dynamic Scoring

By Everette Hatcher III | Also posted in Milton Friedman | Comments (0)

“Woody Allen Wednesdays” can be seen on the www.thedailyhatch.org

December 16, 2012 – 3:53 am

Crimes and Misdemeanors: A Discussion: Part 1

If you like Woody Allen films as much as I do then join me every Wednesday for another look the man and his movies. Below are some of the posts from the past:

“Woody Wednesday” How Allen’s film “Crimes and Misdemeanors makes the point that hell is necessary (jh 14)

Crimes and Misdemeanors: A Discussion: Part 1 Adrian Rogers – Crossing God’s Deadline Part 2 Jason Tolbert provided this recent video from Mike Huckabee: John Brummett in his article “Huckabee speaks for bad guy below,” Arkansas News Bureau, May 5, 2011 had to say: Are we supposed to understand and accept that Mike Huckabee is […]

According to Woody Allen Life is meaningless (Woody Wednesday)

Woody Allen, the film writer, director, and actor, has consistently populated his scripts with characters who exchange dialogue concerning meaning and purpose. In Hannah and Her Sisters a character named Mickey says, “Do you realize what a thread were all hanging by? Can you understand how meaningless everything is? Everything. I gotta get some answers.”{7} […]

“Midnight in Paris” wins academy award “Woody Wednesday”

Bananas (1971)    en cast ex-wife, Louise Lasser (the duo were married from 1966 to 1969), as his romantic lead in this quirky comedy. When asked why he chose to title the movie Bananas, Allen quipped, “Because there are no bananas in it.”  “Midnight in Paris” is one of Woody Allen best works. Woody Allen […]

Woody Wednesday” Will Allen and Martin follow same path as Kansas to Christ?

Several members of the 70′s band Kansas became committed Christians after they realized that the world had nothing but meaningless to offer. It seems through the writings of both Woody Allen and Chris Martin of Coldplay that they both are wrestling with the issue of death and what meaning does life bring. Kansas went through […]

Why am I obsessed with Woody Allen?

I guess the reason I have spent so much time on Woody Allen is because in so many films he discusses the big questions in life. His movie “Crimes and Misdemeanors” is a perfect example. Check out my earlier post Nihilism can be seen in Woody Allen’s latest film “Midnight in Paris” . September (1987) The director […]

Woody Allen films and the issue of guilt (Woody Wednesday)

Woody Allen and the Abandonment of Guilt Dr. Marc T. Newman : AgapePress Print In considering filmmaking as a pure visual art form, Woody Allen would have to be considered a master of the medium. From his humble beginnings as a comedy writer and filmmaker, he has emerged as a major influential force in Hollywood. […]

“Midnight in Paris” has become Woody Allen’s most successful movie at box office (Woody Wednesdays)

The dvd sales of “Midnight in Paris” which went on sale in December have gone through the roof (look at the bottom of this post) and this summer we learned this fact below: ‘Midnight in Paris’ becomes Woody Allen’s all-time biggest hit. How the heck did that happen? by Owen Gleiberman Categories: Annie Hall, Bridesmaids, […]

Agnostic Allen notes, “The people who successfully delude themselves seem happier than the people who can’t” (Woody Wednesday)

Woody Allen interviews Billy Graham on Religion This article below makes we think of the lady tied to the Railroad in the Schaeffer video. Dr. Francis schaeffer – The flow of Materialism (Modern man sees no hope for the future and has deluded himself by appealing to nonreason to stay sane. Look at the example […]

Woody Allen interviews Billy Graham (Woody Wednesday)

A surprisingly civil discussion between evangelical Billy Graham and agnostic comedian Woody Allen. Skip to 2:00 in the video to hear Graham discuss premarital sex, to 4:30 to hear him respond to Allen’s question about the worst sin and to 7:55 for the comparison between accepting Christ and taking LSD. ___________________ The Christian Post > […]

“Woody Wednesday” Allen acts silly in 1971 interview (Part 4)

“Woody Wednesday” Allen acts silly in 1971 interview (Part 4) Woody Allen interview 1971 PART 4/4 Uploaded by captainvontrapp on Jul 21, 2008 Woody Allen interview from 1971, just after the worldwide release of ‘Bananas’ ________________________ David Mishkin God and Carpeting: The Theology of Woody Allen by David Mishkin March 1, 1993 This is an […]

 

By Everette Hatcher III | Comments (0)

All-American Rejects Part 1 (Lifestyles of two Oklahoma boys contrasted: Tyson Ritter and Landry Jones)

December 14, 2012 – 7:30 am

 

The All-American Rejects – Swing, Swing

 

The All-American Rejects – Move Along

Tyson Ritter in Little Rock below:

Sent from my iPhone

On 12-13-12 I got to hear the All-American Rejects and their lead singer Tyson Ritter play at Juanita’s in Little Rock on Clinton Ave. The performance of music was very good. However, Tyson’s rock and roll lifestyle is not the way a young boy from Oklahoma should act when fame comes his way at age 17.

Now ten years later Tyson has admitted that fame turned him into a jerk especially from 2008 to 2011 when he lived in LA. His lack of respect for woman was satired in the song “Beekeeper’s Daughter.”

When I think of a young man who lives in Oklahoma who has reacted well to fame and remained down-to-earth at the same time then I think of Landry Jones.

Here is a little about Landry below:

Landry Jones and Whitney Hand are now officially the University of Oklahoma’s first couple.

The Sooners’ starting quarterback and women’s basketball team’s starting guard were married over the weekend after the pair began dating in 2009.

So where did the Sooners’ duo wed? Texas, of course.

Before Oklahoma fans throw up their hands in bedlam, the ceremony took place in Hand’s hometown of Fort Worth.

The ceremony featured an ice block in the shape of a heart (pictured below) with the letters “W + L” on it and Jones’ teammate, Drew Allen, tweeted a picture of the two with the words, “Mr. & Mrs. Landry Jones”. There’s no word on where the two will honeymoon.

Hopefully married life will have a positive effect on Jones’ senior season, as he looks to bounce back from a mediocre junior campaign in which he threw a career-high 15 interceptions.

[Pistols Firing on Twitter]

 Landry and Wendy are Christians and followed Christian teachings concerning dating. This is in contrast to Tyson Ritter’s approach of no lasting committment.

I have an article at the bottom of this post that tells about All-American Rejects and their music but first I wanted to talk a little more about Landry and Wendy.

Below is an article that talked about Landry and Wendy while there were dating:

Uploaded by on Nov 29, 2010

Sports always came easy for Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones. Everyone wanted him for their team. Everybody loved him. He had friends, girls– the world was at his fingertips. Yet he still desired more.

From the I Am Second movement (iamsecond.com) meant to inspire people of all kinds to live for God and for others.

______________________

I have a lot of respect for Landry Jones. I love the points made at the end of this article concerning scriptures in the Bible that apply to Christians dating.


Jan/Feb 2011 Dating Game Jill Ewert

“You tell it. You’re so much better at telling it than me. I always leave out too many details.” Landry Jones scoots back deeper into the couch in the middle of FCA Area Representative Kent Bowles’ sports room. He’s surrounded by everything a college athlete could find comforting: a ping pong table, framed college football jerseys, a gumball machine and his girlfriend: OU shooting guard Whitney Hand.

He says this not because he doesn’t want to tell the story himself, but because he’s humble about it—almost sheepish—and he doesn’t want to blow his own whistle.

“OK,” says Hand, her grin widening by the second. She can hardly wait to dive in and brag on Jones’ brilliant scheme.

 
“Landry is not my walk with Christ, and I don’t want to be in that position in his life, either. I never want him to love me more than he loves Jesus.” 
                             – Whitney Hand

They’d both arrived on the OU campus as freshman in 2008 and were immediately attracted to each other when they met through orientation and began running in the same athletic circles. Jones tested the romantic waters all summer and into the fall by jokingly asking Hand on dates, comments to which she’d always reply with rolled eyes and a playful, “Oh, shut up.” But when October rolled around, Jones decided to take a legitimate shot.

“No, I really want to go on a date with you,” he’d said. When she agreed, Jones knew he had one chance to sweep her off her feet.

Hand tells the first date story with animation. “I met him downstairs in my dorm, and immediately he tells me that he forgot his wallet at his parents’ house in Oklahoma City, which is, like, a 30-minute drive.”

She rolls her eyes.

“I’m like, ‘Are you serious?’”

Jones stares at the floor, grinning. She glances over at him, smiles and continues the story.

“We get there, and he’s like, ‘Wait here.’ So, he ran inside and left me waiting in the car. I actually called one of my friends and told her, ‘He forgot his stinking wallet!’ But then he came back outside a couple minutes later and told me to come in.”

Hand got out of the car, followed Jones through the front door and was completely shocked to find flowers and a candle-lit dinner waiting for her. Granted, it was only Raising Cane’s Chicken, but that just made the story even more interesting.

“He didn’t know that I absolutely detest fast food,” Hand reveals.

In an environment like that, though, the menu was of little concern. She’d been wooed. And while the actual relationship wouldn’t take off until three months later due to the interruption of another potential suitor from Hand’s hometown (a story for another time), it was the start of what has now been a 2.5-year dating relationship between the Sooner stars.

Officially dubbed “the First Couple of Oklahoma” by the local press, Landry Jones and Whitney Hand, both Christians since childhood, have watched as the Lord has used their time together to both bless and challenge them in life, sports and faith.

“We’re not dating experts, but the Lord has taught us so much through being together,” Hand says. “Whatever He shares with us, we want to share with others and help them grow in their faith, too. We believe that right now we’re a better witness for Him together than apart.”

Two years ago when their relationship began, neither Jones nor Hand would have guessed that they’d be called to support each other through two major injuries: one Hand suffered herself and the other sustained by then-OU starting quarterback Sam Bradford.

 

It was the fall of 2009, and the two athletes had been dating for almost a year. On Sept. 5, Jones, just a redshirt freshman, was called onto the field to replace Bradford, who had injured his throwing shoulder. It was an event that put tremendous pressure on Jones as he was forced to lead one of the nation’s most prominent college football programs, and he needed support.

As the faithful girlfriend, Hand utilized her position to speak words of God’s truth to Jones and encourage him. What she didn’t realize was that the favor would need to be returned just two months later when she would experience a season-ending injury of her own: a torn ACL.

Following his girlfriend’s example, Jones began speaking Scripture and godly encouragement to the discouraged shooting guard.

“I don’t think I would have made it through this injury as spiritually healthy without Landry,” says Hand, who had started her college career as one of the top freshman in the nation. “When Satan spoke lies throughout the injury about me not being good enough, being forgotten or being replaced, Landry came back with, ‘No, this is what the Lord says. This is what Jesus thinks of you.’ And that just spoke to my heart so preciously. It was like Jesus was teaming up with Landry to love on me.”

It was a defining time for them both individually and as a dating couple. By walking together through two of the most significant challenges athletes can face, they learned lessons about perseverance, patience and selflessness.

Now, looking back, they realize that, as tough as they were, the challenges only made them stronger.

 
“You have to fall in love with Jesus first before you can love another person correctly.”
                                – Landry Jones

“It’s helpful to reflect on it now and be like, ‘OK, we’ve gone through an ACL injury and a tough season together. How bad could it be?’” Jones says. “I think one thing Satan tries to do is to get us to forget the hard times we’ve gone through and the lessons we learned from them. By going through them together, we can help each other remember those times and see that we can endure other things, too.”

Words of godly truth, however, would be more likely to fall on deaf ears if they weren’t spoken by someone who truly understood an athletic mind.

According to both Sooner stars, a shared understanding of sports has been an asset to their relationship, helping them not only through the career-marking challenges, but also the day-to-day irritations of sports.

“Because we’re both athletes, we’re able to be on the same page on a lot of things,” Jones says. “Whitney can come over and tell me that she had a bad practice, and I’ll be able to say, ‘Yep, I know where you’re coming from. I know that feeling, and it stinks.’”

Hand nods in agreement.

“It helps so much that he doesn’t just say, ‘Oh, it’s OK. You’re still great.’ He really understands. And when he comes back from practice and says something like, ‘Man, I wasn’t accurate today,’ I can totally relate. It’s just a different level, and it’s a huge blessing from God.”

Inevitably, though, learning to date in a godly manner has involved more than spiritual encouragement. As part of the Christian dating experience, Jones and Hand have had to face familiar battles like the one for sexual purity, and both admit to struggling with appropriate boundaries.

After early difficulties in what Hand calls their “infatuation stage”—the time in which neither could do wrong in the eyes of the other—both began being discipled and involving the accountability of others in order to maintain godly standards.

“We realized we needed help,” Hand says. “Our struggles had really put a cloud on everything and even affected how we performed in our sports. It was just an ugly domino effect.”

To counter the temptation, they turned to the Word of God, their churches, their FCA teammates and, most importantly, the Holy Spirit.

“As our relationships with Christ grew both together and apart, our desire to please Him became greater than our desire to please each other physically,” Hand says. “He helped us realize that we weren’t married and couldn’t act like we were. He loved us enough to ask us to stay pure so that He could bless us in the future.”

 
   Jones and Hand with the OU FCA leadership team

FCA SOONER STYLE

Landry Jones and Whitney Hand have been dynamic parts of the FCA Huddle at the University of Oklahoma since arriving on campus. They both attend the Tuesday-night Huddle meetings and speak frequently at local FCA events.At a recent ministry outreach for young female athletes hosted by Central Oklahoma FCA Area Representative Sarah Roberts, Hand shared her and Jones’ dating story, including her battle with idolatry and placing Jones in a position above Christ in her life.

“It was something that all the girls really needed to hear,” Roberts said. “She was so honest with them about her personal struggles, and that made such a difference. God is really doing something special by bringing Whitney and Landry together.”

Through events like these, the FCA staff in Oklahoma are making an eternal impact on the lives of athletes and coaches. And with the help of athletes like Jones and Hand, their reach is only being extended.

“Landry and Whitney are tremendous blessings to the entire community,” said FCA Area Representative Kent Bowles, who works directly with the OU Huddle. “They are constant reminders of how God orchestrates all areas of our lives for His glory. These guys love the Lord first, and, because of that love, they are truly growing closer to Him and to each other as well.”

For more information on FCA in Oklahoma, visit okfca.org.

Their stance of purity paid off in more ways than one, blessing both their relationship and the lives of those observing it.

As OU athletes, Jones and Hand know they’re on a platform—one that is only heightened by their relationship. Instead of shrinking back from the public, the “power couple” has embraced their status and used it as an avenue for ministry by showing those around them not only two individual models of Christ, but also one example of a Christ-centered dating couple.

“It’s not what you’d expect, but when guys ask me if Whitney and I have done anything and I say no, they usually say, ‘I respect that,’” Jones says. “I know I shouldn’t say that it’s a weird response, but it is in today’s culture. But it goes along with what I’m finding out about Christ in general. More people really want to know about Him than you’d think.”

It’s something that the two Sooners take to heart: the fact that, through their relationship, they get to tell others about Jesus Christ. It’s become a great desire for them both and yet another shared passion.

They agree that they’re living blessed lives of position and influence and that they have a significant chance to make a difference for the Lord. The fact that they get to do that together is just icing on the cake.

But it’s not the cake itself. That, of course, is Jesus.

“It’s something that we’ve struggled to learn, but we both have come to understand that no other person can completely fulfill you—only Jesus can do that,” Hand says. “And until you know who you are in Christ and understand His love for you, it’s going to be difficult for you to love another person correctly. You’ll always be putting them in a position they weren’t designed by God to hold in your life.”

Says Jones, “I would agree with that. You have to fall in love with Jesus first before you can love another person correctly. As it says in the Bible, you can’t be unevenly yoked. For guys especially, because we’re so visual, we might see a girl and want to date her, but, if she’s not a Christian, it’s not going to work out.”

For Jones and Hand, it goes back to the analogy of running the race together—pursuing Christ side by side at the same pace and remaining focused on Him. And, when it comes to dating advice, both cite Matthew 6:33 (NIV)— “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”—and point to the greatest commandment of loving the Lord above all else.

“I want to be more in love with Christ than I am with Landry,” Hand says. “If Landry and I were to break up, I wouldn’t want my walk with Christ to disappear with him. Landry is not my walk with Christ, and I don’t want to be in that position in his life either. I never want him to love me more than he loves Jesus.”

In a candid moment, Jones looks over at his girlfriend and beams at her. The wheels of revelation turn in his mind as he sees more of Christ being revealed through her.

He can’t put it any better than she did, and he wouldn’t want to. He likes to see her shine. It’s part of the selfless thing he’s learned through the dating process. Instead, Jones embraces the chance to encourage Hand and support her point.

“Yeah, that’s great. Definitely take her advice.”

She smiles back and receives the support with gratitude.

Mission accomplished.

DATING ADVICE FROM THE WORD Dating is a tricky subject, but it’s one that must be addressed. While the Bible may not offer black-and-white dating instructions, it does give clear commands regarding proper conduct in relationships. If we follow those instructions, we can be sure that we’ll find success in dating regardless of the relationship’s outcome.As a starting point, we encourage you to read the following Scriptures, which can serve as basic tips for how to date in a Godhonoring way:1. Matthew 6:33 – Seek God above all else. Staying focused on Him and letting Him guide your thoughts, words and actions is the most sure-fire way to achieve victory in any area of life, including dating. Read His Word daily, pray and prioritize your time alone with Him even as your social calendar fills up.2. Matthew 22:37-38; Romans 12:10 – Love Him and love others. Keep in mind that relationships involve other people who are also God’s beloved children. Put Him first and then put the other person’s best interest second. If an action you take would displease God on their behalf, don’t do it.3. Proverbs 15:22 – Seek wise counsel. In dating, you will experience new challenges as the emotions, habits and choices of two people come together. Put yourself under the influence of godly advisers who can help you remain above reproach and make wise decisions.4. Ephesians 5:11; James 5:16 – Stay accountable. Dating will expose you to areas of strong temptation. Keeping your struggles a secret is a guaranteed way to set yourself up for failure. Enlist the help of a Christian friend or mentor who can ask you tough questions about your conduct.5. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 – Don’t be weighed down. The Bible says that believers should not be “yoked” with unbelievers, and it does so for good reason. As Christians, we are clearly set apart as vessels of God’s holy light in a dark world. If another person does not have that light, according to Scripture, they are walking in darkness. While we should still love them through Christ, we should not be bound together with them or with anything that would dim the light of the Lord inside us.When done the right way, dating can be a great experience. If you choose to enter into a dating relationship, see it as a way of growing in your relationship with Christ. Take the opportunity to learn about serving and honoring another on behalf of the Lord, about pointing others to Him, and about further discovering who God created you to be.Again, there’s no formula for dating, but there are basic instructions we can follow that will help us survive the process and enter into marriage without unnecessary emotional baggage and with our godly integrity and purity intact. Our only role is to say yes to the Lord and stick to His plan.
 

From Wikipedia:

 

The All-American Rejects

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“Nick Wheeler” redirects here. For the British businessman, see Nicholas Wheeler.
The All-American Rejects
Origin Stillwater, Oklahoma,
United States
Genres Alternative rock, emo, pop punk, power pop
Years active 1999–present
Labels Doghouse, DreamWorks, DGC, Interscope [1][2][3][4]
Website www.allamericanrejects.com
Members
Tyson Ritter
Nick Wheeler
Mike Kennerty
Chris Gaylor
Past members
Tim Campbell
Jesse Tabish

The All-American Rejects is an American alternative rock band formed in Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1999.[5] The band consists of lead vocalist and bass guitarist and pianist Tyson Ritter, lead guitarist and backing vocalist Nick Wheeler, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Mike Kennerty, and drummer and percussionist Chris Gaylor.

The band achieved mainstream success with their debut self-titled studio album, The All-American Rejects, released in 2003. The album was certified platinum by the RIAA and spawned the hit single “Swing, Swing“.[6] The band’s second album, Move Along (2005), brought the band more mainstream success. The album produced three hit singles; “It Ends Tonight“, “Dirty Little Secret” and “Move Along“, all of which charted in the top fifteen on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[7] Both “Move Along” and “Dirty Little Secret” sold over two million digital downloads in the United States. The album itself was certified double platinum by the RIAA.[6] The All-American Rejects’ third album, When the World Comes Down, was released on December 16, 2008. The album was certified gold by the RIAA.[6] The first single, “Gives You Hell“, became the band’s first song to be successful internationally: it peaked at number-four on the Hot 100 chart, number-three on the Australian ARIA Singles chart and charted in the top twenty of the UK Singles Chart.[7][8][9] On March 21, 2011, the RIAA certified “Gives You Hell” 4× multi-platinum for sales of over 4 million in the United States.[10] The band’s fourth album: Kids in the Street released worldwide on March 26, 2012 debuted at No.18 on the US Billboard 200 chart.

Since the start of their career, The All-American Rejects have sold over 10 million albums world wide.[11][12] The All-American Rejects were ranked No. 73 on the “Hot 100 Artists of the 2000s”[13] and No. 183 on Billboard magazine’s “Billboard 200 Artists of the Decade” list.[14]

Contents

 [hide] 

[edit] History

[edit] 1999–2004: Formation and The All-American Rejects

The band formed in Stillwater, Oklahoma, in 1999 while members Tyson Ritter and Nick Wheeler were still in high school. The two originally met in 1997 at a club where an early band of Wheeler’s was performing. It was here that Ritter offered himself for bass duties. Eventually Ritter and Wheeler decided to form The All-American Rejects.[5]

In 2000, still in high school, the band made a demo simply labeled The All-American Rejects, with Jesse Tabish as vocalist/guitarist, Tyson Ritter as vocalist/bassist and Nick Wheeler on drums. The demo CD was engineered, mixed and mastered by Wheeler. It was also managed by Half-A-Cup Entertainment. The demo is now commonly referred to as The Blue Disc or The Blue Album. The CD consisted of twelve songs, a few of which would be included on the Same Girl, New Songs demo made in 2001. Jesse Tabish later split from the group and later became a member of the folk band other lives. Ritter and Wheeler put together the Same Girl, New Songs EP, which was soon sent to independent Doghouse Records, where an intern saved the disc from the trash, and revealed it to the label owner. The All-American Rejects were soon signed to a recording contract.[15]

In 2001, with producer Tim O’Hier, they recorded their self-titled debut album, The All-American Rejects. The album and its first single, “Swing, Swing“, were released towards the end of 2002. The band began looking for additional members for a live act.[16] Edmond, Oklahoma resident Mike Kennerty joined on as rhythm guitarist soon before the album was released. Soon after, the band was having problems with drummer Tim Campbell. Campbell was later replaced by drummer Chris Gaylor, who knew and played in another band with Kennerty.[17]

The band was then signed by DreamWorks Records. The band hit the road for eight shows in January, and DreamWorks issued a broader-scale distribution of the debut LP. The album peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard 200. The single “Swing, Swing” was also re-issued, which peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 60 as well as No. 8 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.[18][19][20] The single “The Last Song” was also released spring 2003, and climbed to No. 29 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.[20]

Early in 2003, the band went on tour as an opening act for CKY. While several differing stories have occurred concerning the tour, they were kicked off the tour shortly after it began.

In Spring 2003, The All-American Rejects set out on their first headlining tour, called the Too Bad For Hell Tour. In later 2003, The All-American Rejects released, Live from Oklahoma… The Too Bad for Hell DVD!, their first live DVD – which was later certified Gold by the RIAA. During this time, they performed on the Vans Warped Tour. They would later be part of the lineup again in summer 2005. In November, The All-American Rejects joined the band Motion City Soundtrack for six shows in the United Kingdom, the first date on the 16th, and the last on the 22nd.[21]

[edit] 2005–2006: Move Along

Main article: Move Along

In July 2005, The All-American Rejects released their second studio album, Move Along, produced by Howard Benson. The album’s first single, “Dirty Little Secret“, was released that summer to radio stations.

At the end of 2005, The All-American Rejects embarked on The Rise of the Fall Tour along with The Academy Is… and Rooney.[22] Then, on December 13, The Bite Back EP was released on the iTunes Music Store, and on New Year’s Eve 2005, the band performed The Cars‘ “Good Times Roll” with Fall Out Boy on MTV.

In 2006, the second single and title track from Move Along, was released. Within the first weeks after premiering their video, it had been on the Total Request Live countdown, hitting number-one four days in a row. The single did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100 until almost six months after its release, in June. On March 15, 2006, the All-American Rejects began a tour of the United States that wrapped up on May 13, 2006. On May 25, The All-American Rejects performed at the first ever VH1 Rock Honors, covering Def Leppard‘s “Photograph“. In July the band sent a promotional single from Move Along, called “Top of the World” to modern rock radio. A music video was created for it from clips of The All-American Rejects on tour and in concert.

“Move Along” was also used to help promote Lego BIONICLE‘s Inika toy sets in the summer of 2006. The band also participated in a promotion for the sets called “Free the Band”. The overall priority of the promotion was that the Rejects got kidnapped by the villainous Piraka whilst sailing on a yacht and people had to assist the Inika on finding and rescuing the band via the website ‘freetheband.com’. A competition could also be entered where the winners would receive BIONICLE and All-American Rejects merchandise alike.[23]

In September 2006, a third headlining single, “It Ends Tonight“, was released from Move Along. The video debuted at No. 10 on the VH1 Top 20 countdown. The video also peaked at No. 2 on TRL.[24] Later in the year The All-American Rejects launched the Tournado tour in support of Move Along. The tour kicked off at Hartford, Connecticut on October 27, and wrapped up at Champaign, Illinois on December 20.

That New Year’s Eve, The All-American Rejects performed on a special on Las Vegas’ Fremont Street, which also included the bands OK Go, Five for Fighting, Rock Star Supernova, and Chicago.

[edit] 2007–2009: When the World Comes Down

The All-American Rejects began writing material for their third studio album in December 2006. The band also collaborated with composer Danny Elfman on “The Future Has Arrived”, which was included on the soundtrack of Disney film Meet the Robinsons. The song was created in conjunction with the film’s musical score.

On July 17, 2007 The All-American Rejects released their second live DVD, titled Tournado, with content from the 2006 headlining tour of the same name. In December 2007, the songs “Move Along” and “Dirty Little Secret” were released as downloadable content in the video game Rock Band.[25] In the summer of 2008, The All-American Rejects canceled their dates on that year’s Warped Tour to complete When the World Comes Down. The demo for the song “Real World” was selected for the soundtrack of Madden 09. Also during the summer, they covered “Jack’s Lament” from The Nightmare Before Christmas, which was featured on Nightmare Revisited. The finished album version of the song “I Wanna” appeared in the movie, The House Bunny, which was released to theaters on August 22, 2008. Vocalist/bassist Tyson Ritter played a role in the film, and offered up “I Wanna” for the soundtrack.[26]

On September 30, 2008 the first single from When the World Comes Down, “Gives You Hell” was released on October 8, 2008. The All-American Rejects were inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, and were awarded with “Rising Star http://www.billboard.com/song/the-all-american-rejects/gives-you-hell/12141775#/song/the-all-american-rejects/gives-you-hell/12141775 Gives You Hell peaked at No. 1 on Pop charts on billboard.com and also peaked No. 1 on iTunes charts and No. 5 most downloaded song of the 2009 year, and the No. 1 most played song of the year 2009. “.[27] The music video for “Gives You Hell” was released November fifth and reached number one on VH1‘s Top 20 Countdown. On the sixth, in support of “Gives You Hell”, the band started the Gives You Hell Tour, which hit many small venues and clubs. Then, on the eighteenth “Mona Lisa (When the World Comes Down)”, another song from the band’s upcoming album, was released digitally on iTunes. In the first week of December, the album version of “Real World” was made available for download on Rock Band for the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3.

Finally, three years after Move Along was released, the group’s third album, When the World Comes Down (produced by Eric Valentine), was released on December 16, 2008.[28] After the Gives You Hell Tour wrapped up, the band embarked on a world tour until coming back to the states to start the I Wanna Rock Tour, which hit many major venues in the United States.

In May 2009 The All-American Rejects released a second single in the United States, entitled “The Wind Blows“, which achieved moderate success. “I Wanna” was released internationally on July 8 to Australia and the United Kingdom. Another song from When the World Comes Down, “Real World”, was featured on the “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” soundtrack released on June 23, 2009, but is not featured in the film. In July, “Real World” was released as a promotional single in the United States, followed by “I Wanna” as a headliner. In late summer The All-American Rejects joined Weezer, Fall Out Boy and Taking Back Sunday for the second half of the Blink-182 Reunion Tour.

On 15 August The All-American Rejects made history, performing alongside Hoobastank, Raygun, Boys Like Girls, Pixie Lott and Kasabian as one of the live acts at Asia’s very first MTV World Stage Live In Malaysia concert.[29] This performance gained them recognition in Malaysia. When the World Comes Down soon sold over 15,000 digital and physical copies in the country. On August 21 the “I Wanna” single was issued to Austria and Germany.

In October 2009, The All-American Rejects were forced to cancel shows due to an injury to frontman Tyson Ritter. He performed from a wheelchair with his leg in a brace on September 27 during a show in Tampa, Florida, amid reports suggesting the singer had undergone knee surgery to remove a tumor that had been there for many months. Ritter’s leg became infected, and he remained hospitalized for five days. Ritter made a full recovery in time to return to kick off the Battle Of The Bands Tour with Taking Back Sunday, with the first date at MSU in Michigan.[30][31]

The All-American Rejects announced that they will be performing their last show in support of When the World Comes Down at Hollywood, California on December 14. Since the date soon sold out, the band added a second date at the venue for the next day. However, the band will play one more show at the “Jingle Bell Bash” in Seattle on December 19.

[edit] 2010–present: Kids in the Street

Main article: Kids in the Street

In February 2010, The All-American Rejects performed at the Winter Olympics at the Whistler Medals Plaza. They also had DirecTV performances at Super Bowl XLIV and a special set aired in February. The band also wrote and recorded the song “The Poison” for the Almost Alice compilation, a collection of songs representing the 2010 Tim Burton film Alice in Wonderland. From June 25 to July 18, The All-American Rejects toured the United States and Canada as part of the Warped Tour 2010 festival.

Later that year, the band began working on a fourth studio album. The band’s songwriters Nick Wheeler and Tyson Ritter went on numerous writing retreats into secluded parts of the United States; a tradition of writing used on their previously-released albums. Recording for The All-American Rejects’s fourth album wrapped up in June 2011, with mixing commencing the following August and concluding in early September. According to lead singer Tyson Ritter, the album will be much different compared to their past releases – including their previous album, When the World Comes Down, from which the band became more experimental with their sound. On November 14, 2011 Ritter announced via his Twitter that ex Taking Back Sunday bassist Matt Rubano had joined the band as their bass player for live performances, but stated that [Ritter] is still the bass player recording-wise.[32][33]

The All-American Rejects shot a music video for a promotional song from their fourth studio album entitled “Someday’s Gone” on December 3, 2011 and released it two days after on December 5, along with the offer to download the song for free from their official website.,[34] the band quoted “We wanted to give fans an early candy cane for the holidays and this song is the teeth of the record.” In the video for the song a calendar displayed in the background claims that the release for the band’s fourth album has been pushed back to March 26, 2012. The band later announced the title and tracklisting for their fourth studio album Kids in the Street on December 16, 2011, and that the first single off the record would be titled “Beekeeper’s Daughter“, it premiered in an episode of American teen drama 90210 on January 31, 2012 before being digitally released on the same day.[35] The All-American Rejects later embarked and are currently on their Shaking Off the Rust tour, which began in San Luis Obispo, California, United States on January 18, 2012 and is to proceed throughout the year, some of which they performed as a support act for Blink-182‘s 20th Anniversary Tour in the UK.

By Everette Hatcher III | Comments (0)

Open letter to Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin concerning their choice to raise their kids in the Jewish Faith (part 12)

December 14, 2012 – 6:39 am

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin (CP)

The Arab Israeli Conflict – part 5 : Suez Crisis 1956 & Tripartite attack on Egypt

I have posted before about the religious views of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin. Now it appears they have rejected their agnostic statements of the past and have decided to raise their children in the Jewish faith.

Here is a post from the Huffington Post:

After appearing on the television program, “Who Do You Think You Are,” Gwyneth Paltrow has decided to raise children Apple, 7, and Moses, 5, as Jewish.

According to The Daily Mail, the NBC ancestry show sparked the discovery that the actress descended from a notable line of Eastern European rabbis. Though she’s long practiced Kabbalah, Gwyneth had previously stayed neutral about a formal religion upbringing in her household, which includes crooner husband Chris Martin, who is of Christian background.

“I don’t believe in religion. I believe in spirituality. Religion is the cause of all the problems in the world,” the actress once told The Daily Mail.

_______________

Below is a letter I mailed to Chris and Gwyneth recently:

To Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow, c/o Go Go Pictures, 12 Cleveland Row, London, SW1A 1DH, United Kingdom, , From Everette Hatcher, 13900 Cottontail Lane, Alexander, AR 72002, USA:

I have been a huge fan of both of you and have posted many times on my blog about your religious views which have seemed to have changed over the years. I know that Chris was brought up as an evangelical Christian, but has long ago left the faith behind although he did revisit many biblical themes in his 2008 and 2011 cds.

In fact, on June 3, 2011 on my blog (www.thedailyhatch.org) I wrote:

I have shown what thought processes Solomon went through in Ecclesiastes and then compared them to the evident changes that are occurring with Coldplay. By the way, the final chapter of Ecclesiastes finishes with Solomon emphasizing that serving God is the only proper response of man. My prediction: I am hoping that Coldplay’s next album will also come to that same conclusion that Solomon came to in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14:
13 Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.

14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.

I have also written before about Gwyneth’s famous Jewish relatives which includes a famous Rabbi and I have wondered if she would decide to return to those roots. Actually that is what has happened. I salute you for rejecting your earlier statements against organized religion and for making the decision to teach your children the Bible and to have faith in God. 

I know that you will spending lots of time in the scriptures and I wanted to share with you some key scriptures that talk about the Messiah. Greg Koukl wrote the  outline below:

   

  

The Betrayal and Arrest

(Matt 26:36-56; Mk14:32-52; Lk 22:39-53; Jn 18:1-11)

A.  Gethsemane  (The name literally means “oil press”)

1.  A garden on the Mount of Olives where Jesus and the disciples used to pray

2.  Jesus seeks the comfort of His disciples but, unaware of the gravity of the hour, they don’t stay awake.

3.  Jesus’ prayer has two parts.

a.  Part one:  a request for the removal of the cup “if possible.”

1)  This is not a prayer of Jesus’ that went unanswered.  His request was denied because conditions wouldn’t allow it.

2)  Jesus in Gethsemane is the final argument against those who suggest there are other ways to heaven than the cross of Jesus Christ.  Jesus pleaded, “Is there any other way?”  The Father answered, “No, none.”

b.  Part two:  a surrender to the divine will.

c.  “What convulsed the Savior was the fear of separation from God due to becoming the sin-bearer for men.  He had long contemplated from afar what this would mean to Him, but now the hour was upon Him and it was overwhelming” (Harrison, p. 195).

4.  In the Bible there are two famous gardens:

a. Eden, where the first Adam failed.

b. Gethsemane, where the second Adam was victorious. 

B.  The betrayal.

1.  A large contingent comes to arrest Jesus.

a.  Judas, chief priests, Pharisees, teachers of the law, and elders of the people.

b.  The Roman cohort, a contingent of at least 200 soldiers and possibly as many as 600 (Harrison, p. 199, footnote 2).

c.  They were equipped with swords, clubs, torches and lanterns.

2.  Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss.

3.  “I am.”

Jesus’ Trial

(Matt 26:57-27:31; Mk 14:53-15:16; Lk 22:63-23:25; Jn 18:12-19:16). 

A.  Before Annas, Caiaphas’ father-in-law

“The mock trial and subsequent activities of the Sanhedrin were undertaken with utmost haste in the very early morning darkness and the hours of daylight on Friday, so that the execution of Jesus could be accomplished before the Sabbath began at 6 p.m. that day”  (Daniel, p. 259, footnote).

B.  Before Caiaphas

1.  This is before the assembled Sanhedrin, the high court of the Jews (Matt 26:57-59).

2.  Here Jesus faces two of the three charges against Him:

a.  Charge one:  He would destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days (Matt 26:61).

1)  Probably a reference to Jn 2:19, but Jesus never claimed that He would be responsible for the destruction.

2)  The testimony of the witnesses does not agree (Mk 14:59) and their testimony is thrown out.

 b.  Charge two:  He was the Messiah, the Son of the living God (Matt 26:63-64).

1)  “You have said it yourself.”

2)  “Hereafter you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”  (Here Jesus refers to Daniel 7:13, a messianic passage.)

c.  Caiaphas declares Jesus guilty of blasphemy and Jesus is sentenced to death (Matt 26:65-67).

C.  Before Pontius Pilate

1.  The Jews were not allowed to execute Jesus (Jn 18:31), so they took Him before Pilate, the Roman governor, seeking a judgment.

2.  Jesus’ third charge:  sedition

a.  “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Messiah, a King” (Lk 23:1-2).

b.   Pilate finds no grounds for punishment, but since Jesus is a Galilean, Pilate sends Him to Herod who has jurisdiction there (Lk 23:7).

D.  Before Herod Antipas.  (Lk 23:8-12)  (This is the Herod who had John the Baptist put to death.)

1. Herod was hoping to see some sign performed by Him (v8).

2. When Jesus made no response He was mocked and ridiculed (v11).

E.  Before Pontius Pilate a second time (Lk 23:13-25)

1.  Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate proclaims Jesus’ innocence once again (v20).

2.  Pilate offers Jesus’ release, but the people choose Barabbas instead.

3.  Jesus is scourged and crowned with thorns (Mk 15:15-19).

4.  Pilate makes a final appeal in the hope of saving Jesus.  

5.  The crowd intimidates Pilate with the suggestion of disloyalty to Caesar (Jn 19:12).

a.  “If you release this man you are no friend of Caesar’s; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar.”

b.  The expression “Caesar’s friend” was a technical term assuring a long and profitable career.  The loss of this title–a realistic threat considering Tiberius’s suspicious nature–could prove Pilate’s undoing (Harrison, p. 215).

6.  Pilate sentences Jesus to death by crucifixion. 

The Crucifixion

(Matt 27:32-56; Mk 15:21-41; Lk 23:26-49; Jn 19:16-30)

  A.  A very cruel form of execution, generally reserved only for slaves and rebels, not Roman citizens

1.  Death was agonizing.  A person could die by either exposure and shock or by asphyxiation.  When the person would collapse, hanging from his arms on the cross, it would constrict the diaphragm, inhibiting breathing.  The only way they could breathe was to push up against the nails that went through the feet.  This was a continual effort.  Finally, through the loss of blood and exhaustion, the person eventually suffocated. 

2.  Death was slow. 

a.  Sometimes death took up to nine days. 

b.  Sometimes they would break legs. 

B.  Psalm 22 (see notes, Week 2). 

C.  Certificate of debt (Col 2:13-14) (Lindsey, p. 100).

1.  This certificate was a list of crimes committed against the state that required payment. 

2.  When the crimes were paid for, it was stamped with the word tetelestia, meaning “paid in full.”

3.  Paul says that Jesus paid our certificate of debt.

4.  Jesus victory cry on the cross was, “It is finished!” (Jn 19:30)

D.  Jesus gave up His spirit.

      Crucifixion is a cruel form of execution, generally reserved for slaves and rebels.  Death is agonizing and slow, the result of shock, exposure and, eventually, asphyxiation.  Hanging from a cross constricts the diaphragm, inhibiting breathing.  The only way to get air is to release pressure on the arms by pushing up against the nails that pierce the feet, requiring continual effort that could go on for days.  Exhaustion eventually overtakes the victim and he suffocates.

      For Jesus, though, the pain of the cross paled in the face of a greater anguish.  There was a deeper torment that could not be seen, more excruciating than nails pinning Jesus’ body to the timbers, more dreadful than lashes ripping flesh from His frame.  It was a dark, terrible, incalculable agony, an infinite misery, as God the Father unleashed his fury upon His sinless Son as if guilty of an immeasurable evil.

      Why punish the innocent One?  Nailed to the top of the cross was an official notice, a certificate of debt to Caesar, a public display of Jesus’ crime:  “The King of the Jews.”  The certificate of debt was a list of crimes committed against the state that required payment.  When punishment was complete, Caesar’s court would cancel the debt with a single Greek word stamped upon the parchment’s face: “tetelestai.”

      Being king of the Jews was not the crime Jesus paid for, however.  Hidden to all but the Father was another certificate nailed to that cross.  In the darkness that shrouded Calvary from the sixth to the ninth hour, a divine transaction took place; Jesus made a trade with the Father. The full weight of all the crimes of all of humanity-every murder, every theft, every lustful glance; every hidden act of vice, every modest moment of pride, and every monstrous deed of evil; every crime of every man who ever lived-these Jesus took upon Himself as if guilty of all.

      At the last, it was not the cross that took Jesus’ life.  He did not die of exposure, or loss of blood, or asphyxiation.  When the full debt for our sin was paid, and the justice of God was fully satisfied, Jesus simply gave up His spirit with a single Greek word that fell from His lips:  “Tetelestai.”  “It is finished.”  The divine transaction is complete.  The debt was cancelled. (Colossians 2:13-14)

      This was not an accident.  It was planned.  The prophet Isaiah described it 700 years earlier:

      Surely our griefs He Himself bore. He was pierced through for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.  All of us like sheep have gone astray.  Each of us has turned to his own way.  But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. (Is 53:4-6)

      No other man did this.  No other man could.  Jesus alone, the perfect Son of God, the Savior of the world, He paid the debt so that whoever relies on Him would not perish under God’s judgment, but have life with Him fully and forever.</p>

      Messiah was dead.  A vibrant and hopeful era had come to a bitter and dismal end.  The movement was over, the disciples were scattered, and darkness covered the land.  The religious establishment shook off the nasty experience and settled down to resume life as usual.  But their rest would be short-lived, because very quickly death would be swallowed up in victory.

      “It is finished”  It only remains for us to trust in His promise.

By Everette Hatcher III | Comments (0)

“Woody Wednesday” Woody Allen is a hot subject for evangelicals

December 12, 2012 – 7:22 am

God Is A Luxury I Can’t Afford – From Crimes And Misdemeanors

Published on Feb 29, 2012 by

Woody Allen uses eye, seeing and vision symbolism throughout Crimes & Misdemeanors. Judah (Martin Landau) is a wealthy ophthalmologist. Rabbi Ben (Sam Waterson), one of Judah’s real patients, is going blind. This clip is an exploration of a dichotomy between a “kingdom of Heaven” with absolutes and objectivity and the “real world” with relativity and subjectivity. Judah is on the horns of a dilemma. Judah’s mistress, Dolores, has created a crisis by threatening to publicly expose his affair with her and his financial improprieties. In the middle of the night in a violent thunderstorm, symbolic of the crisis and dilemma, Judah has an imagined conversation with one of his real patients, Rabbi Ben. The imagined conversation is about Judah’s mobster brother Jack’s (Jerry Orbach) proposed murder of Judah’s mistress of several years, Dolores, through the services of the mobster brother. Judah sees only two world views, a “kingdom of Heaven” view represented by Rabbi Ben and the “real world” view represented by mobster brother Jack. Judah’s dilemma is which world view to embrace to resolve his crisis. Judah complains: “I managed to keep free of the real world, but suddenly it’s found me.” When faced with Rabbi Ben’s “kingodom of Heaven” view that God sees all, Judah proclaims: “God is a luxury I can’t afford.” They all exhibit deficits when it comes to “seeing” what is around them and other perspectives. Judah think’s Rabbi Ben’s perspective is “blind” to the real world. Judah imagines Rabbi Ben arguing back that, although Judah is blind to God, God is not blind and sees Judah for what he is, a murderer. In the end, Judah embraces mobster brother Jack’s “real world” view and calls Jack to give the go-ahead for the already planned murder of Dolores.

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Anyone who has read my blog knows that I am an evangelical and I love Woody Allen movies. Here is an article on this subject and it concludes comments by Chuck Colson and Richard Land. I have been a big fan of both of these men and have heard them speak in person in the past.

Posted at 09:58 PM ET, 10/24/2011 TheWashingtonPost

Woody Allen and evangelicals: A surprisingly romantic pair


Director Woody Allen looks on during the shooting of his movie “The Bop Decameron” in downtown Rome July 25, 2011. (REMO CASILLI – REUTERS) Earlier this year I was sitting at a cafeteria lunch table with evangelical icon Chuck Colson and some of his close faith advisors when the conversation took a turn I hadn’t predicted: Colson started talking about Woody Allen.

In detail.

It turned out Colson and some others at the table, who help him craft theological writings and classes, are hard-core fans of Allen, and were easily able to recite bits of dialogue. A debate launched about the religious subtexts of various Allen films and what were the moviemaker’s own theological conclusions.

It was only when my regular chats with Southern Baptist leader Richard Land began turning to Allen that I got curious — what’s the deal with evangelicals and Woody Allen?

It turned out that I was clueless to a fascination that now makes perfect sense, since Allen marries two things core to modern-day evangelicals: popular culture and religion. Think “Crimes and Misdemeanors” and the symbolism of the rabbi going blind; think “Match Point” and questions raised about the apparent randomness of life.

Many of Allen’s films wrestle in a complex way with core moral themes, such as the nature of forgiveness, what to do with sin, whether life can have any meaning without God. And he does this as an agnostic.

Land is also a huge Allen fan and can rattle off an amazing amout of dialogue. You can’t get the guy off the phone once he starts talking Woody.

This evangelical-Allen thing reappeared the other day when some friends on Facebook started zapping around an amazing piece of vintage talk-show footage — Allen interviewing evangelical leader Billy Graham (it’s in two parts).

I haven’t been able to determine what show Allen was hosting (he declined to be interviewed), but it looks to be the 1960s, with a wise-guy, 30-something Allen engaging the handsome, older preacher about sex, drugs and life after death.

Allen: “If you come to one of my movies or something, I’ll go to one of your revival meetings.”

Graham: “Well now that is a deal.”

Allen: “You could probably convert me because I’m such a pushover. I have no convictions in any direction and if you make it appealing and promise me some sort of wonderful afterlife with a white robe and wings I would go for it.”

Graham: “I can’t promise you a white robe and wings, but I can promise you a very interesting, thrilling life.”

Allen: “One wing, maybe?”The off-camera audience is cracking up the entire time, and both men are smiling and relaxed through the 10-minute interview even as they clearly aren’t seriously entertaining the other’s views. It’s entertainment, but it’s also sweet, particularly on Graham’s part, which results in a piece of footage that manages to be both deep and silly (this is not easy to pull off).  

The primary feeling I had watching the video was one of nostalgia for a time when the subject of religion wasn’t so firmly planted at the center of a culture war, when people of totally different convictions about matters of life and death and morality could agree to disagree. It seemed almost romantic.

It seems impossible to imagine. Can anyone think of a comparable exchange today? I considered The Daily Show but even that seems too slick.

In the interview Allen is dorky and giggly – he almost seems like a teenager embarassed to ask about dating.

Could he have sex before marriage, he asks Graham, to ensure that his betrothed isn’t “an absolute yo-yo?” Graham turns fatherly, but not dogmatic; “that won’t happen to you,” he assures Allen.

Graham’s framing of the role of faith is decidedly secular, perhaps aimed at Allen’s audience. The purpose of the religious doctrine and rules is because God wants you to have “the best of life .. happiness and fulfillment.” The ban on sex outside a committed marriage, he says, is to protect your psychological self, to keep your body free from disease.

I asked Land to look at the videos and he commented that the wise-cracking Woody of the 1960s seemed to have “less swagger in his agnosticism” than the Woody who created the characters of “Crimes and Misdemeanors” in the 1980s, with their agonizing over mortality and purpose.

“I find Woody over the years, and of course this is true of people as they get older, there is more resignation,” he said. “There is a light touch and a confidence in his earlier movies — I’m not dead, I won’t die for a long time so I have a long time to figure this all out. Some of his more recent movies, you can see he’s aware of his own mortality.”

Land is sure he sees an Allen less confident.

“He asks all the right questions, he just doesn’t have the right answers,” Land said with a chuckle.

In trying to find the source of the clip I stumbled on a 2010 interview with Allen in which he seems to reference the Graham chat and shows that he hasn’t changed his mind a bit. He still has no faith in any higher power and says Graham is “delusional.”

Speaking of characters in his new movie, Allen says “sooner or later, reality sets in in a crushing way. As it does and will with everybody, including Billy Graham. But it’s nice if you can delude yourself for as long as possible.”

It’s hard for me to imagine a talk being the two men being as light-hearted today.

By  |  09:58 PM ET, 10/24/2011

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By Everette Hatcher III | Comments (0)