Poshdeluxe

yeah… still no itunes. but that’s ok, cos i actually want you to purchase THIS ENTIRE ALBUM. do it. now. then thank me later with a mellowcreme pumpkin.

1) chalk, the faux documentary about teaching

jessica and i caught a showing of this film on tuesday night as a part of the austin film festival (which is remarkably similiar to sxsw in inspiring sheer hatred towards those bastards with badges). anyway anyway… chalk is fantastic and tells the stories of four teachers, including a first year teacher and a new assistant principal. it was written by two ex-teachers from travis high school (in austin) and filmed there as well. i would say that the film was a pretty realistic portrayal of what it’s like to be a teacher, and i can say that, not cos i’ve been a teacher, but because the theater was PACKED WITH THEM. seriously. i started to get that kinda creeped-out feeling like when you ran into yr junior high teacher at the mall (see mean girls), just cos i was surrounded by so. many. teachers.

none of them told me to remove my gum or sit up straight, so it was ok.

2) jesus camp, the real documentary about a real evangelical christian camp

last night, my small group headed to the theater to check out this film, which i’d read a lot about. well, nothing i read prepared me for the CRAYNESS in this movie and, even more surprising, the heart. some scenes are absolutely horrifying, like the mother homeschooling her son in “science” by telling him that science is a myth, as is global warming, and that “galileo made the right choice when he gave up science for god.” others are just hilarious, like when sweet, earnest little rachel tries to witness to, first, a heavily made-up girl in the bowling alley and then three old black men sitting on the mall in washington, d.c. (i won’t give anything away, but the last line she utters in that scene is my favorite in the whole movie).

the kids in this film are incredible, and i think that’s the worst part– you witness their indoctrination, the removal of their spirits and their freedom of choice. then you wonder, which of these kids will remain a robot? which one will suddenly crash and rush to the other extreme? how much are they being damaged by these guilt-ridden sermons and calls to repent from being “hypocrites and liars”?

i applaud the filmmakers for their lack of bias in making the movie. they do a great job of juxtaposing the extremists with a much more moderate christian radio host, who appears to be the only voice of reason on the landscape (how true of the christian reality).

honestly, this movie scared me. and it made me think: what can i be doing about this? how can i speak out against the people that are trying to steal my (somewhat static (thanks matt)) faith and make it into a blind, hateful, political agenda? i know jim wallis has some good ideas… and i think the conversations themselves are important. but these extremists are BENT on “taking america back” (i shudder to think about why they think the past was so great), and we need to be bent on, not keeping it, but protecting it. healing it.

the thing that pissed me off the most in this film? when the children’s pastor told the kids that harry potter is the Enemy of God. WHAAAAA?!!!!!! if that’s the case, then disney is the antichrist.

well, actually, that might be true.

3) joseph arthur show last night

amy paid, like, $135 just to change her flight back from peru so she could get to austin for this show. THAT’S how awesome joseph arthur is. and i know i tend to exaggerate, but i am SIMPLY SPEAKING THE TRUTH when i say that he is my MOST FIRST BEST FAVORITE MUSICIAN TO SEE LIVE EVER IN THE AGES OF TIME. yeah, i know.

so the above picture is just from google search, and i’m kicking myself (ok well maybe only pinching myself for a half second) for not bringing my camera to the show so i could be like a Real Music Blogger. but i really wish i had, cos joseph had on this orange suit (no shirt underneath, much to amy’s delight) that featured his own hand-drawn designs in black marker. plus this is the first time i’ve seen him with a band! and when joseph arthur has a band, HE ROCKS OUT. like, i have never seen him hop around so much or get so cray… he was like a total rock star mick jagger pants (and they even did a rolling stones cover).

the show was also the messiest i have ever seen at the parish, including paint, a leaf blower and about 7 rolls of toilet paper… i.e. pure magic.

4) in about half an hour, i get to explore the UT steam tunnels!! LEGALLY!!! and it’s for a CLASS. gah i am sooo excited. of course, it won’t be nearly as thrilling as that night during orientation when george fortinas tried to break a World Record by stuffing 30 freshmen in the steam tunnels at one time… the news that the campos had arrived traveled through our sardine line like panicked game of Teleophone. “what? the campus police? here? ARE WE GONNA BE EXPELLED?” thanks for the memories, george.

5) i’m going to boston this weekend! hellooooo salem on halloween. it’s gonna be all witchy witchy wack!