A very interesting polemic against all the scare stories saying (eg) ‘video games make children violent’. Jones’ argument, if I manage to summarise it fairly, is essentially that children require “violent” fantasy in order to process the very real extremes of emotion that modern life puts them through – and that removing fantasy violence makes them more emotionally crippled. I found it a very plausible analysis. Recommended.
Some glorious music.
Jim Kunstler’s 2010 forecast.
Living without money – some lessons there for all of us.
Transition culture and social justice.
One day, every home will have one of these.
Highly enjoyable with a lot of great visuals, but I’m not sure it’ll go down in history as a great film. I think 3D is overrated too. 4/5
Chaos 3/5 Statham was woefully miscast; it needed someone much older like Brian Cox.
Halloween (2007) 4/5 Much better than I had been led to expect; the first 1/3rd was excellent.
Body of Lies 4.5/5 Tremendous and lingers in the mind.
War, Inc 2.5/5 Everything that Body of Lies wasn’t. Cusack really should be ashamed of himself for helping to produce such dreck.
Quarantine 3/5 the occasional good moment glinting like brass in a sea of muck.
Yesman 3/5 Jim Carrey doing his thing.
Bedtime tales 3/5 Adam Sandler doing his thing.
The Tale of Desperaux 4/5 one of the more assertively Christian films I’ve seen in some time, and the kids loved it.
2009 will undoubtedly go down in the memory as dominated by the consequences of a particular decision I made in the parish, viz: to ask the Director of Music to retire. This led to a very great deal of unpleasantness which has taken a long time to work through. I haven’t said much on the blog about it as it didn’t seem appropriate, but I’m getting to a place where I might be able to say something. It clarified and revealed a very great many things.
Other things from 2009:
I started psychotherapy, and I think I’ll be seeing some of the first fruits of that process next year.
I had a much-needed sabbatical which was healthy in so many ways.
I came very close to finishing my book; more excitingly, the ripples from that process have already started to reach out.
I became much more sceptical about global warming specifically, green politics generally, and much more conscious of the distinctive contribution that theology can give to our present crisis.
I did no sailing, but I spent a lot of time on the boat and learnt much about boat management. Maxim from the year: I must recharge my batteries.
I found someone to play squash with. This was the year that I discovered that, for the first time ever, I weigh more than my brother. I expect to weigh less at the end of 2010!
Although I purchased the bike in 2008, this was the year I learnt how to ride a motorbike (haven’t passed the test yet though – the present set up is bonkers and I’m waiting to see if the Parliamentary select committee recommend some changes).
I watched too much TV and junk movies – to the extent that I have had enough of the same and am switching back into my historical mode of being a book junkie.
I caught up with the family, and managed to readjust my priorities, for the first time in about six years.