Gorillaz the Singles Collection

I don’t think I’ve talked about it much here on Stu Station, but I was a big fan of the Gorillaz. Their song “Clint Eastwood” is one of those high school favorites I still enjoy today. The art style and musical arrangement and rap lyrics really hooked me, even to the point where I hunted the rapper down for some of his original material. I even picked up the remix and b-sides collections as they were released. The followup, Demon Days, quickly became one of my favorite albums the year it was released.

However, I lost touch with Gorillaz later in their career. Plastic Beach felt empty and pointless to me, with maybe one decent song on it. I haven’t listened to The Fall yet, either, as I don’t think I could stand being disappointed again, plus the reviews weren’t overly favorable. Logging in to Spotify today at work, I noticed that they have a greatest hits CD that just came out and is available for streaming on Spotify, so I thought I’d listen along to it to see what I had missed.

Here’s the tracklist:

“Tomorrow Comes Today”
“Clint Eastwood”
“19/2000″
“Rock The House”
“Feel Good Inc.”
“DARE”
“Dirty Harry”
“Kids With Guns”
“El Manana”
“Stylo (ft. Bobby Womack & Mos Def)”
“Superfast Jellyfish (ft. Gruff Rhys & De La Soul)”
“On Melancholy Hill”
“Doncamatic (ft. Daley)”
“Clint Eastwood” (Ed Case & Sweetie Irie Refix Edit)
“19/2000″ (Soulchild Remix)

I think it’s a pretty good mix and representative of their entire career, with some clear hits and classic songs as well as a few more deeper cuts that I imagine played really well in live shows or radio commercials or some other context than active listening. “Rock the House” feels a little out of place, but since it features Del the funky Homosapian, the same rapper as on “Clint Eastwood”, that makes sense including it.

I’d never heard “Superfast Jellyfish” before. Interesting song, may grow on me, same with “Doncamatic”. However, from Demon Days, I’d have included “Every Planet We Reach Is Dead” instead of “Kids with Guns”, and from their original release, I’d have included “5/4″ and “Latin Simone” or “Left Hand Suzuki Record”, but both of those songs fit the album as opposed to a singles or greatest hits release.

Still, this is the Gorillaz singles, and it’s a great compilation.

I don’t own my own DS. However, I bought one for my mom and my brother for birthday presents back when I was making good money and didn’t have a ton of debt hanging over my head. So from time to time I’ve been able to borrow my brother’s DS and play some games on it that I am more interested in. Obviously near the top of the list was the Castlevania games, the first of which is Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (see how they cleverly got the “DS” moniker into the title?)

Dawn of Sorrow was a sequel to the the Game Boy Advance game, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow. And this is one that is far out there. So get this: Dracula’s castle has been sealed in a solar eclipse! You play as Soma Cruz, the reincarnation of Dracula! But you are good and not evil and helped defeat Dracula a year previously! But holy crap, some cultists and a sorcerous want to reincarnate Dracula and bring his castle back! And they have to awaken your latent powers to do so! Best go beat some crap.

Story aside, the gameplay was fanastic and the graphics even more so. It took everything great from Aria of Sorrow and doubled it. Unfortunately, it tacked on some DS specific features such as stylus action (a good idea from Nintendo that was poorly implemented in most games out there; just because it’s there, doesn’t mean you have to develop for it, programmers) in the form of having you draw “seals” to defeat bosses in the game. Wisely, I’ve heard Konami dropped that from later games.

Did I mention the game is just gorgeous? I seriously thought it was in HD when it came out, things were that crisp and clear and colorful.

Now here’s the sad confession. Dawn of Sorrow is the only Castlevania DS game I’ve played. The rest have been sitting on my wish list for a few years now. But, I picked up Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles on PSP a few years ago, and finally picked it up last month and started playing through it, mainly the port of Symphony of the Night from the original Playstation. And the game is awesome. However, having played all the Game Boy Advance and one of the DS games that came out after Symphony of the Night, it sorta feels like “more of the same”, although Symphony clearly was the inspiration and source of artwork and sprites for most of the latter games. And in some areas, Symphony hasn’t been surpassed in a 2D Castlevania. Unfortunately, I quit playing a few weeks ago and haven’t picked it up again yet.

So there you go. My experiences with the Castlevania games. I’m really looking forward to playing the rest of the Castlevania games as well as the recent console Castlevania. But that’s for another time.

Not the most exciting speedrun as he just abuses the game and it’s not recorded in good quality, but you can still get a feel for it.

korn – get up

red hot chili peppers – the adventures of rain dance maggie

Yes, my music tastes are eclectic.

“One must always do what Satan forbids. What other cause do you think that I have for drinking so much strong drink, talking so freely and making merry so often, except that I wish to mock and harass the devil who is wont to mock and harass me. Would that I could contrive some great sin to spite the devil, that he might understand that I would not even then acknowledge it and that I was conscious of no sin whatever. We must put the whole law entirely out of our eyes and hearts, — we, I say, whom the devil thus assails and torments. Whenever the devil charges us with our sins and pronounces us guilty of death and hell, we ought to say to him: I admit that I deserve death and hell; what, then, will happen to me? Why, you will be eternally damned! By no means; for I know One who has suffered and made satisfaction for me. His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Where He abides, there will I also abide.” – Martin Luther

Watching this video was interesting. A bunch of disenchanted teenagers being called to something new, something deeper, with a desire for their life to have meaning. You can hear the rhetoric in the leaders throughout the video: “we call people to not be Christians, but disciples of Christ“, etc. Frankly sickening, and stuff I’ve heard before.

The experts MSNBC brought in to go over the descriptions of a cult are on the right track. Pretty much every point they bring up is illustrated through testimonials of either survivors or cult leaders and participants. The “group rhetoric” one makes particular sense. Words have meanings, and it’s very easy for them to change their meanings and for everyone to be speaking in “code” when they are using the same terms as “the enemy”. That’s another big sign as well: everyone outside of the group is unsaved, unspiritual, just doesn’t understand, not a forerunner, part of the problem, etc.

Yup. I’ve had enough. In a way, watching this MSNBC piece was prophetic. I’m starting to think this is where the majority of Christianity is going, sadly. Leaving Christianity, whenever I actually do, may be an act of grace and mercy from God.

The video embed may not work, but you should watch it nonetheless. Parents, be wise and discerning, and warn your kids about environments and organizations like Teen Mania, and in particular, do your best to not create an environment where young believers are drawn toward these types of cults.

Side comment – ever notice it’s those who are most closely associated with cult type groups that are the hardest on “watchtower”, “discerning”, “cult watch” type of blogs and ministries? Maybe they are burying something…

Also ever notice that cults teach how to watch out for and avoid cults?

The best Doctor and the best Companion, Martha Jones

And I have. I’m currently watching the David Tennant specials before watching his final episode as the 10th Doctor before Matt Smith takes over as the 11th Doctor. And I’ve been absolutely loving this show!! I’ve been watching 3 or 4 episodes per day, as Netflix is removing all Doctor Who (and Torchwood!) at the end of the month. Stupid, stupid Netflix. So right now I have maybe 3 more specials to watch plus Series 5 of Matt Smith’s Doctor Who run.

Some of my thoughts regarding Doctor Who:

• David Tennant is my Doctor. While I quickly grew to like Christopher Eccleston as the 9th Doctor, he only had one season. And when it comes to outer space episodes, I much prefer Christopher Eccleston, yet I prefer David Tennant on Earth. Eccleston was first the bad guy from 28 Days Later to me, so I had a tough time accepting him as an extraterrestial time traveler. He was just some guy in a leather jacket. David Tennant seems more “doctorish” to me.

• Martha Jones is my favorite companion so far. She is stunning, brilliant, fantastic, funny, and keeps on coming back.

• Rose Tyler is an interesting character, but it took me a while to get past the spoiled blonde girl look, yet near the end of Series 4, she really comes back with a vengeance.

• Captain Jack Harkness is awesome. Which probably says something about me, but I’m not sure what. I wouldn’t change a thing about him.

• Weeping Angels. Daleks. The Pit. These are my favorite villains.

This show is getting under my skin. I don’t know if I’m going to become obsessed with Doctor Who like so many currently are, especially since I don’t much care for Matt Smith or really any of the new cast with the exception of River Song. I was pretty mad when Martha Jones left, especially since I really really disliked Donna Noble in her first appearance, but their decision to rein the character in a bit was quite good.

I like this show. I really do. Doctor Who is brilliant tv that fills the void American television has had lately. I’m glad I finally took a chance on it. I remember seeing Doctor Who books all the time in libraries growing up, but it just seemed some cheesy, weird space Sherlock Holmes type of thing. And I guess it kinda is. But not this Doctor. Not this Who. This stuff is brilliant!

Allons-y!

Internet Monk had an interesting article up recently, When Chrisians Won the Culture War. Perhaps the combination of the two have got me thinking. Christians have fought for some interesting things in the past, to mixed results. And for what? I’ve heard some claim that Christian efforts in politics “bought time” for people to repent, which I guess makes sense if you subscribe to certain strains of premillenniumism.

Looking at it from a higher perspective, I don’t see that most culture wars accomplished anything. Look at the statistics. Churches and denominations are in decline, there is mass exodus from the church, and more and more young people are checking out and not engaging with the faith of their parents. Arguably, they aren’t even engaging with the true faith, just how that faith shows up in the form of social and political activism. No wonder so many are disenchanted.

Personally I think it’s time for the culture wars to end. Christians have a responsibility to be involved in politics and vote as they are led by the Word and the Spirit, but increasingly that becomes twisted. When I hear Christians getting heavily militant and political nowadays, I just tune out and regret the gospel is getting lost. It’s tough to believe in a faith, a Christianity, when so many radically erroneous versions of it are out there. I’ll continue to pray for wisdom for the leaders out there.

As always, this is not a forum for discussion or a place for others to critique my views. Merely add your comments and I’ll be sure to shrug.

Now the future’s staring at me
Like a vision from the past
And I know these crumbs they sold me
They’re never going to last

Though we know the culture war
We don’t know what it’s for
But we’ve lived a southern strategy
But no, it’s never going to last
So keep it in the past

These are different times that we’re living in
These are different times
Now the kids are growing up so fast
They’re paying for our crimes

You left while I was sleeping
You said it’s damning
Oh, I’ve read a little Bible
You see what you want to see

Oh, we know the culture war
We don’t know what it’s for
But we’ve lived your southern strategy
We know it’s never going to last
So keep that shit in the past

These are different times that we’re living in
Because these are different times
Now the kids are growing up so fast
They’re paying for our crimes

These are different times that we’re living in
These are different times
Now the kids are growing up so fast
They’re paying for our crimes

The dominos, they never fell
Our bodies they still burn
I throw my hand into the fire
But still I never learn
Will I ever learn?

These are different times
Now the kids are growing up so fast
Paying for our crimes

We’ll be soldiers for mommy and dad
In your culture wars

We’ll be soldiers for mommy and dad
Don’t know what it’s for

We’re soldiers now
In the culture war

We’re soldiers now
But we don’t know what it’s for

We’re soldiers now
In the culture war

We’re soldiers now
But we don’t know what it’s for

So tell me, what’s it for?

You want it? You got it
Here’s your culture war

You want it, now you got it
So tell me, what’s it for?

You want it? You got it
Here’s your culture war

You want it, now you got it
So tell me what’s it for?

Yeah tell me, what’s it for?

Here’s an excerpt:

I’m beginning to believe more and more every day that we can measure how well we “love your neighbors as yourselves” in part by considering how willing we have been to welcome, listen to, read, and attend to the testimonies, art, and writing of people who believe differently than we do.

Increasingly, I’m convinced that if we are too afraid to listen graciously, and without fear, to those who disagree with us… if we don’t open their books or go to their concerts, if we can’t read their editorials without snarky comments, if we don’t strike up conversations with them at the cafe with the one who is Different… we won’t know the rewards of obedience to “Love thy neighbor.”

That tells me that much of what I was taught in “Christian community” as I grew up—how to protect myself from “the World”—was actually a lesson in to excuse myself from the hard work of love.

One of the best things that ever happened to me was my breaking out of the ghetto, so to speak, and exploring the larger world. I still remember quite clearly just how the walls were drawn and built around my life and interests, whether something was Christian or not. But I also remember the walls not being built on sturdy foundations, and often the walls were misplaced depending on what topic you were looking at, who you were talking to…any number of factors. And while tearing down most of those walls has been an incredibly liberating and encouraging thing in my life, it also has come at a cost, for once you grow up, it’s hard to go back to being a child again.

As the pastor at Fusion says, it’s important to be childlike, but not childish.

I love how Jeff says he is a “recovering Evangelical” or a “recovering jerk”. I myself am a recovering jerk, and know how much more I have to go (and probably haven’t a clue as to the true distance). If I could erase the last few years of my life, maybe even the last decade, and do it all over again, I’d be sorely tempted to do so. But the least I can do now is repent, beg forgiveness, ask to be humble, and try to live in grace toward others and even myself.

Thanks again for the challenge, Jeff.