Ramblings of a Constipated Mind

I am back at school. Blegh. With the exception of my screenwriting class, I feel like sleeping all day and doing movie stuff. But wait... I always feel like that.

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Saw Zodiac. Saw 300. Saw Black Snake Moan.

My thoughts on all three of those can be found over at my other blog which nobody visits.

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Wrote the beginning of my screenplay, got feedback. Though it needs polishing in the revision stage (as expected), the foundation is solid and I'm free to move ahead now at my own pace. Woohoo!

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For the first time in my life, I now understand why movies are often called a form of escapism. Until now, I never truly needed to escape from life. They work well for that.

Stories make the world go round. They shape the world and help us connect with something outside of ourselves. However, music is what helps us connect with what's inside (which is why it's such an important element of film). I have discovered lately that I am feeling nothing new, and nothing unique. It's all been sung about before. Music combined with lyrics makes for a gateway into the soul. My emotional, mental and spiritual perspective can perhaps be summed up as a combination of the following songs:

"Hey" by The Red Hot Chili Peppers
"The Stranger" by Billy Joel
"A Matter of Trust" by Billy Joel
"Shameless" by Billy Joel
"Driving Sideways" by Aimee Mann
"Wise Up" by Aimee Mann
"Save Me" by Aimee Mann
"We Can Work It Out" by The Beatles
"Extreme Ways" by Moby
"The Blower's Daughter" by Damien Rice
"China Girl" by David Bowie
"Your Heart Is An Empty Room" by Death Cab For Cutie
"True Love" by Elliott Smith
"She's Gone" by Hall and Oates
"No One Loves Me Like You" by Jars of Clay
"I Walk The Line" by Johnny Cash
"Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas
"Everybody Hurts" by R.E.M.
"Casimir Pulaski Day" by Sufjan Stevens
"Goodbye Stranger" by Supertramp
"One" by Three Dog Night
"Love Rescue Me" by U2
"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2
"Yahweh" by U2
"Perfect Situation" by Weezer
"O Girlfriend" by Weezer
"Love Reign O'er Me" by The Who
"Rescue Me" by Vintage21
"Praise" by Vintage21
"You Know My Way" by Vintage21
"Look Beyond To You" by Vintage21 (this song makes me weep)
"As I Wait Here Patiently" by Vintage21

I am extremely grateful that I attend a church that acknowledges that the world is a broken place, God cannot be understood, and suffering is not something that should be ignored.

I have begun reading The Ragamuffin Gospel. After reading the Foreword alone, I can already say: Brennan Manning is the man. Say that ten times fast.

Quote of Da Moment:
"Faith is a code to accept that Jesus knows my whole life story, every skeleton in my closet, every moment of sin, shame, dishonesty, degradedness darkening my past. Right now he knows my shallow faith, my feeble prayer life, my inconsistent discipleship, and he comes beside me and he says, I dare you to trust. I dare you to trust that I love you, just as you are and not as you should be, because you're never going to be as you should be."
--Brennan Manning