Category: News & Entertainment

The Bible and a gallon of bleach

Just found Jen Nathan via Twitter. She’s an indy public radio producer in Portland. Her latest story is “The Bible and a gallon of bleach.” It’s a great story and a great topic. Reminds me of the charity stores the Salvation Army has around the world.

Peter Donatelli is an ordained Catholic priest. He also runs his family’s laundromat in Portland, Maine. Through his passionate beliefs and awkward sense of humor, Father Peter has created a public space where people actually talk about religion and politics. Some customers love it. Others hate it. But everyone agrees that it’s good for the community.

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U2 3D


U2 3D

Laurie and I went and saw U2 3D this weekend. Awesome! It was way better than I expected and even more lifelike than I had imagined it expected.

I told Laurie afterwards that I was conflicted during the 80 minute IMAX concert experience. It was real enough that I felt like I was right smack dab in the middle of this concert in Argentina with several thousand fans around me. I wanted to take part in everything – yet I felt like I had to be restrained and remind myself I’m in public – in a theater. Of course if you know me, you know I love U2. It doesn’t take much “realism” for me to want to sing along.

Yet during the entire 80 minutes I sat quietly taking it all in and trying not to disturb my neighbors – or everyone in the theater behind me (especially since we were on the front row). Afterwards I was disappointed it came to an end and I actually felt like I had missed out on something. I couldn’t place my finger on it until I realized it was the interaction I missed.

I’ve been to one U2 concert and it was by far my most favorite concert ever. It felt as much of a worship service as a concert. And after leaving U2 3D it almost felt like I had been at church but only as a fly on the wall. I didn’t get to participate. All these people on the screen were involved and participating yet I sat on the sidelines.

I wonder how often we miss out in church because we don’t want to annoy the people next to us. We don’t want them to think we’re odd for standing up and cheering. We don’t want to be the crazy guy on the front (or back) row who won’t sit down.

What if we’re missing out on interaction with God? What if worship was so much more?

Heath Ledger dead

ledger_heathdead.jpg

Fox News and CNN are reporting the actor was found dead in his New York apartment this afternoon.

Actor Heath Ledger was found dead Tuesday at a downtown Manhattan residence in what authorities say is a possible drug-related death, the NYPD said. He was 28.
NYPD spokesman Paul Browne told The Associated Press that Ledger had an appointment for a massage at the Manhattan apartment that is believed to be his home. The housekeeper who went to let Ledger know the masseuse was there, and found him dead at 3:26 p.m, Browne said.

From CNN:

The New York Fire Department received a call at 2:27 Tuesday responding to a “cardiac arrest call” in New York.

U2-3D

Yessssss…..

Shot during U2’s visit to South America on the Vertigo Tour, the film is directed by Catherine Owens, with additional direction from Mark Pellington. Owens, longtime collaborator with U2 on live-show visuals, says ‘this was the ultimate challenge in presenting U2’. The results, she predicts, will startle audiences.

‘There is no comparison with a traditional concert film seen in 2D. One minute you are on stage with the band and the next you are at the back of the stadium. ‘The best way I can describe it for the viewer,’ she adds, ‘Is that it’s like being on the wings of a bird flying around the concert stadium – it’s really something else.’

The 3D shoot took place over seven shows in Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Argentina in February last year and the film is being produced by 3ality Digital in Los Angeles, edited by Olivier Wicki with music produced by Carl Glanville, who has a long list of U2 production credits. Director of 3D photography was Peter Anderson and the Director of photography was Tom Krueger.