Safe Haven

5 Thoughts On Letterman's Confession/Legal Battle/Monologue Last Night: 5. Guess that "tower of Midwestern, Lutheran guilt" didn't kick in too fast. 4. The movie will get made. 3. Little blackmails occur every day which aren't crimes. 2. Even if Sarah Palin did cut McCain's meat/food during the campaign, there's no shame in that, and it's not funny. 1. You forgot to add "who were not my wife" onto, "I've had sex with people who work on this show." Geez, harsh-sounding, judgmental list today. What am I, the Church Lady?

The Sports Guy, Taylor Swift, and A New Song Some weeks ago, I was reading ESPN's "The Sports Guy," Bill Simmons, that hilariously insightful commentator on all things sports. He is especially good to read on New England/Boston sports (though I hate Boston) and his intimate fan's perspective is equal parts frank and loyal. Anyway, he took a break from sports to tell us about his 4oth birthday party trip to Las Vegas. In between funny takes on blackjack and casino etiquette, the fantasy football draft with his buddies punctuated by porn and drunkenness (two things I strongly discourage) he mentioned Kings of Leon's song, "Use Somebody." He said that they played it so many times that he'd physically injure the Kings for composing it. At that time, I hadn't heard it. For the sake of science, I just listened to it. My reaction is: I like it. Or, I should say, I like the balance of it--most of it--and the part I dislike is the pacing of the backg...

5 Natural Questions, Following the Admission That One's Night Was Ruined By Homer Bailey 5. What is this, 'Dirty Jobs'? 4. Are you Homer's date? 3. Is that Kanye's alias? 2. Is that a horse you bet on? 1. Why didn't you re-grout the bathtub yourself?

Oddball Side Project (and a rant about the thin veneer of morality in culture) I have written approvingly of Terry Lewis and his pal James Harris, III (AKA Jimmy Jam) as two of the architects of R&B and neo-soul's crossover to whites in the '80s and '90s, and that is well-deserved. They worked much of their magic with the princess of a pop dynasty, Janet Jackson. One of the best-known (and loved) songs from her 1986 release Control is a song titled, "Let's Wait Awhile," about two young people who delay their first sexual encounter. This song has one of the prettiest melodies in a pop song I've ever heard. Part of the reason that R&B gained in stature during this period (other than Michael Jackson) is that producers and songwriters saw that electronics could be used not only in the service of upbeat dance rhythms, but ballads also, in layering lush vocals with well-mixed keyboards to till the emotional and auditory ground before lyrics are even sun...

Christ Our King: 10 Years I wish I had words to express what this church, these people, mean to me. If I am walking in the light now, I walk because of them. If I have loved at all, it's because of them. If I know anything, they taught it to me. I told them that I will be walking down the street, and I'll hear our hymns in my head, and in my heart. I see their faces. There are some who are gone, but I see them, too. I wish Tim Durrett would read me some Scripture in that beautiful accent of his; I wish we were going to Marc and Debbie's after worship. I wish Martha was here to say something wise. I wish certain things were whole again. I keep hoping to see T-dog sitting in the back next to the piano. We got a letter from folks I had nearly forgotten about, until I remembered that in more certain days, I called the patriarch "Liberal Ed." I promise, not long ago, he was the only one. The Tamerius kids used to take turns holding the hymnal for me while I sang. That...

5 Thoughts From The 10th Anniversary Celebration/Vespers at Christ Our King Church 5. I think I owe Evan some money. 4. I think I owe Pastor Travis money. 3. I didn't know this cost money. 2. I wasted half a beer. 1. Be a man for once, and tell the story without crying.