Michigan

I recently read an article by Rich Karlgaard (of the Digital Rules Blog on the Frogroll) called Tackling the Michigan Problem. It is a well-written piece likening the woes of the Michigan Wolverines football team to the dire economic issues of that state. Evidently it is quite an important issue, and one source pointed out that the loss of jobs streak the state is currently experiencing is the longest sense the Great Depression. In an apparent attempt to stop the employment hemorrhage and consequent financial drain, there is a commercial I've seen on CNN urging corporations to consider relocating there. From what I've read in Forbes and elsewhere, they may need to address some taxation matters first. Nonetheless, I didn't really create this post to start a dialog concerning the socioeconomic crisis in the state to our north, but rather I wanted to briefly express, again, my fascination with the writing of Karlgaard. We all have our favorite writers, whether it be fiction or newspaper journalism. I'm becoming aware more and more that it's probably best to latch on to a few that we can "get", and not spend so much time scouring the vast amount of contributors out there. It's a matter of time. Sure, I still believe it's good to read widely, and I'll continue doing so as long as I can, but I believe it's unnecessary to work my way through an article or book that doesn't interest, or more than that, intrigue, me. Do you have any suggestions for managing the worlds reading material? I'd love to hear about it if so.

3:10 To Yuma

I watched the new film 3:10 To Yuma and I was quite impressed. It's been a minute since I've seen a good western themed movie, and I'd say it was worth the wait. Some fav's of the past in this wild-west genre were the Young Guns franchise, Tombstone, and Open Range. I'll not play spoiler, but right up until the frenetic final scene, this was going to replace The Bourne Ultimatum as my fav of the year so far, but thanks to a bit of confusion and a tinge of I-wish-they-hadn't-itus I'm gonna leave this one in second place. The acting was impeccable across the board, and on that note I'm totally sold on Russell Crowe. Damn, he's good. Christian Bale was certainly terrific at his part, too, but I'm relegating him to third fav on this one and giving the 2nd slot to Ben Foster who played Crowe's right-hand-man to perfection. I swear I walked outta the theater bow-legged and whistlin' for my horse. Now where the hell'd I leave my boots....

PS-I forgot to mention it, but I watched another recent release last week, called War. It's worth the $8 to go see, and is def in my top five for the year so far.

Michael W. Smith: Missing Person

One of the more remarkable benefits of walking is looking back and seeing from whence you've come. It has been mentioned in many different ways, but for those walking on a long journey across mountainous terrain speak of looking back at the mountain peaks they've crossed, and having their minds wander back to what they were thinking as they crossed them. Such is it in the mountains, and so it is in life. As I look back upon my life I see profound impacts made by various musical pieces, and one of the more noteworthy ones crossed my path again this past weekend. It is Michael W. Smith's album Live The Life. I remember when it came out there were some in certain Christian circles who balked at it because the names "God" or "Jesus" are not to be found anywhere on any of the songs. (Read here for one ridiculous take on the issue of the album and Smith as a person). It's unfortunate that the album would be discarded because of this, for if ever a set of Christian anthems was produced, this is the one.

The one song that captivated me then, and recaptured me this weekend, is Missing Person. (Hear it to a Yu-Gi-Oh movie here). As you can see from the lyrics below it deals with a lot of what I've been discussing on this blog of late, specifically a loss of faith, among other things. The subject is receiving lots of attention of late due to the Mother Teresa letters. Although I don't have any answers for myself at the present time, I'm certainly warmed to the idea that a state of questioning, doubt, uncertainty and confusion is a common distress among current and one-time believers. For now, the quest continues....

1st Verse:
Another question in me
One for the powers that be
It's got me thrown
And so I put on my poker face
And try to figure it out
This undeniable doubt
A common occurence
Feeling so out of place
Guarded and cynical now
Can't help but wondering how
My heart evolved into
A rock beating inside of me
So I feel such a stoic ordeal
Where's that feeling that I don't feel

Chorus:
There was a boy who had the faith to move a mountain
And like a child he would believe without a reason
Without a trace he disappeared into the void and
I've been searchin' for that missing person

2nd verse:
Under a lavender moon
So many thoughts consume me
Who dimmed that glowing light
That once burned so bright in me
Is this a radical phase
A problematical age
That keeps me running
From all that I used to be
Is there a way to unlearn
That carnal knowledge
That's chipping away at my soul
Iv'e been gone too long
Will I ever find my way home

Chorus:
There was a boy who had the faith to move a mountain
And like a child he would believe without a reason
Without a trace he disappeared into the void and
I've been searchin' for that missing person
He used to want to try to walk the straight and narrow
He had a fire and he could feel it in the marrow

It's been a long time and I haven't seen him lately but I've been searchin' for that missing person