1. My thanks to Chucky for the clip below. I am not a fan of Saturday Night Live, as I find it usually non-humourous, but this clip is good and educational. It concerns debt.
Now, I have student debt, but I have very worked hard as an academic and have had part-time work. If when I started academics, I would have known about all the health problems, academic delays and changed advisors/institutions, I would have pursued another career and worked on the goal of obtaining a Theology PhD on the side. As it is, I live cheaply, and do not buy what I cannot afford. Some debt is required in life, as Romans 13:6-7 explains that Christians are to pay taxes to the state. Debt from foolish unwise purchases may eventually put a person into the position where income does not cover debt, and this is a serious situation.
I reason that the stress associated with unmanageable debt, is not worth the pleasure of unwise purchases. I realize there is necessary debt at times such as student loans, and mortgages, but I am discussing unnecessary purchases. Even with necessary purchases it is wise to limit debt as much possible. For example, it is good to drive that fine older car a few more years, if a newer vehicle is not that affordable.
2.Below is a clip of a blown call from the Turkey-Hungary, Euro 2008 qualification game. In my view, the player in the box was taken down by the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper should have been carded and not the player who was given a yellow and red. For the largest and most popular sport in the world there are quite a few controversies that should be avoided.
3. Even for those of you who are not Rush fans there are a couple of funny solos with this song below. It is rare to see them goof around this much. The solos also feature some excellent playing. The clip is from the R30, 2004 tour in New York. By-Tor and the Snow Dog is featured.
4. Okay, I am not interested in promoting celebrity culture on this blog, but this is funny. Paris Hilton runs out of gas and photographers assists. It is funny how Ms. Hilton dumps change in the back seat.
Recently, I had the misfortune of running out of gas at 70 miles per hour on a freeway. It felt like being rear-ended! I was not driving and it was not my car!
Opinions?
I updated the following older article.
http://thekingpin68.blogspot.com/2006/05/arminianism-and-free-will.html
Hey Chuck and J. Zomba
ReplyDeleteThat little speed flurry at the beginning of the By-Tor drum solo makes me think Peart's slower drumming that last few years is a product of style and not age. That was fast like Peart, Cobham, and Rich from the 1970's. I have not seen that from him in some time.
The debt clip was a funny take on today's society and how financially st00pid we can be.
ReplyDeleteRush as a band have nothing to prove these days and slower, less complicated playing is by choice, for the good of the song.
...that or maybe Neil's funky lid is too heavy!
-=the one and only zom-b=-
Hey Russ,
ReplyDeleteKelly and I are big fans for paying cash only.
I suffer from an acute form of impulsive stuffitis - meaning sometimes I will impulsively go out and buy "stuff" that I probably really don't need.
My latest itch is the iPhone. Now that Steve Jobs cut the price down to only $300 I'm able to somehow rationalize the purchase but only if I save up for it. Actually, the Maps feature will be very helpful as I spend the majority of my workday in my car.
I still have a ways to go before I save enough money. It will feel nice to go in and pay cash instead of just putting it on my credit card at nearly 18%.
Thanks, Zombie.
ReplyDeleteI think that musical improvisation and fast playing is a strength for bands such as Rush, and this should be used more often with complex and interesting compositions. There is room for innovative simplified songs as well.
Hi Wade, and thanks.
ReplyDeleteYou and Kelly seem quite responsible. I pay for things generally on credit card to avoid carrying cash around, but I also have things covered. I agree that it is a good idea to save up for purchases. I know with student loans and such that rates of interest are killers.
It's rare to see Neal act goofy like he does after the Xanadu intro.
ReplyDeleteAlex does most of the clowning around. I'm glad that they have played By-Tor as much as they have on tours in the last decade, it's a song with a lot of improvisational parts that allows them to let loose more so than their newer material.
How could the goalie get off scott free with that obvious attack to the legs? A pretty obvious bad call. Did the goalie's team win the match?
Turkey 3 - 0 Hungary
ReplyDeleteGood comments. The goalkeeper's team won as Turkey scored three after Hungary was a man short.
I'm going to have to show the Rush clip to my sons!
ReplyDeleteCool, Ox.
ReplyDeleteIf you look in my links there are some other clips by Rush and Mahavishnu Orchestra, my two favorite bands. There is a clip of By-Tor and the Snow Dog from 1981 in the August archives, in the article thekingpin68 in Florida, or one can simply scroll down.
I of course don't necessarily agree with all the philosophy of these bands, but they both have some fantastic music.
Cheers:)
I absolutely LOVE that SNL skit. I saw it the first time it aired, and I was in hysterics.
ReplyDeleteStudent debt is a serious issue a lot of us deal with. A friend of mine who worked for the Village Voice in New York wrote a book called "Generation Debt" that you might like.
I have been lucky enough not to incur any debt so far, but this may change next year.
Thanks for the book tip, Ruthie. I have much student debt, but the governments here will likely forgive some of it.
ReplyDelete