BWAA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!

When I saw this over on Simcha Fisher's blog, I laughed myself into a coughing fit. Enjoy!

$8 Billion iPods

Ever get the feeling that when media distributors claim billions of dollars in losses they're just trying to screen their real motives?

Here's an examination of that argument.

Now, I'll be honest; I haven't investigated Rob Reid's information, but it seems largely reasonable. Anyone care to confirm his numbers, or supply better ones?

Blogrollin'

Salute to Fr. George David Byers, of Holy Souls Hermitage. I wept, and choked up with emotion. Watch it through to the end.



Additionally: Read John C. Wright's excellent time-travel story. It too delighted and moved me so, so deeply.

Something to Share

I've just discovered Lindsey Stirling. I really love her videos. Here's an example:

In case you're wondering why, first, I'd have to say that her face is utterly radiant with joy and enthusiasm for what she's doing.

Second, I've been of the opinion for some time that innovative art very often consists of taking elements of two or three disparate styles in a given medium, or else elements of disparate media, and combining them. Lindsey Sterling combines violin with hip-hop dance. I know from experience that it is tough enough to play trumpet while walking, let alone stomping. Keeping the bow on the strings of a violin while bouncing around as she does is a challenge in and of itself. To simultaneously play well and dance well is a remarkable feat.

Third is her authenticity, which this video makes clear she values. She clearly loves her music and choreography. But in addition, she avoids several inauthentic and self-exploitative variations of femininity, such as this one or its byproducts. She is feminine and beautiful without any attempt to be a trollop like Lady Gaga or Kei$ha or the Pussycat Dolls or.... you get the idea. Her sexuality is not something she flaunts, and I say kudos. She reflects God's beauty in a way that seeking to be hot cannot.

I Love This Video

Salute to Creative Minority Report. Watching it, I could not help but laugh with delight. Enjoy!

Proof Of God's Grace

that people would come together to do this:



I would have LOVED to have been there for it.

Salute to Fr. Longenecker.

Twitter can't hold everything

At least, I imagine it can't ... like embedded videos. Salute to this post by the Western Confucian. Like him, I stand with Hayek.

Christmas music

If there's anything that really annoys me about this season, it's how much deliberately Christless holiday music gets played. Even the local Billy Graham station falls prey to this malady. So for Pandora, Deo Gratias! I've created a station just for specifically Christian music celebrating the season -- here's a link.

Like all Pandora stations, it's a work in progress. But given how thin the reasons they give for playing the selections they do, I think that either they have a hard time wrapping their software around my nearly completely traditional tastes in Christmas music, or they aren't willing to fess up to their recognition of it.