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Information/Entertainment

Some days we just need a good laugh, or a good story, or a fun song, or a tear jerker.   Here are some personal favorites.  I hope you enjoy them.
 
THE WORDS IN GREEN ARE LINKS, TO WEB SITES OR EMAIL ADDRESSES !
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Creed or Chaos? is a restatement of basic historical Christian Doctrine, based on the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed, similar to but somewhat more densely written than C.S. LewisMere Christianity. Both sought to explain the central doctrines of Christianity, clearly and concisely, to those who had encountered them in distorted or watered-down forms, on the grounds that, if you are going to criticize something, you had best know what it is first.

"Creed or Chaos"
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In the middle 1950's, playwright Lorraine Hansberry wrote her groundbreaking play

"A Raisin in The Sun"

which received numerous accolades and awards.  In 1961, it was made into a film, starring Sidney Poiter, Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil, etc.  That film affected me deeply.

A second film was made in 2008, starring Sean Combs and Phylicia Rashad.

But only the version made in 1989 for PBS, celebrating the 25th anniversery of the play, presented the FULL original play. This version has Danny Glover and Esther Rolle.  It is my favorite version, for it's power and realism, exploring the subtlties of poverty, race, class, and the expectations about life held by "first generation" immigrants and their children.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I have, and the many truths about "family" that it offers.

Part One   ~   Part Two

 

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"Honest Communication"  Alfree Woodard offers very honest and direct response to Mary McDonnel's alcoholism in the film "Passion Fish" by John Sayles.  It is a classic example of how (finally) telling someone the truth can change their life.

 

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Psy ~ "Gangnam Style"  Who can resist the most watched video in the history of YouTube.  A whimsical look at modern Korea.

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Sarah detoxes from Vicodin (from the 3rd season of "Six Feet Under")  A collection of scenes from one episode relating to Ruth's sister Sarah, who is detoxing from Vicodin.  Kathy Bates plays "Betina" a friend of Sarah's who is supervising the detox.  Ruth has a crash course in drug addiction, we get to see just how compelling drug addiction can be, and the assertion skills needed to deal with the addiction.   It is funny, "dark humor" but funny none the less.

After 30 years of working with alcoholics and addicts, some things are predictable.

Listen to the very end, the conversation between Ruth and Betina (in the hammock) about "Head up to Frisco, pick us up a couple of sailors" etc. while the credits are rolling.  

 

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Jamie Fox sings, "I Wanna Channing All Over Your Tatum" (a song dedicated to Channing Tatum) on Jimmy Kimmel Live after the Oscars.  This is fun, and another example of how "Southern" speech uses metaphor and context.  Channing is from Alabama and grew up in Tampa Florida.

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"Sorority Girls From Hell"  a farsical spoof with a surprise ending.  This was made in the mid 1980s, but it has a timeless message about the cruelty of youth.

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"Bei mir bist du scheen"  An OLD Yiddish hit (one of the most recorded songs in history, it helped launch the career of many artists including The Andrew's Sisters).  This video includes period footage of Laurel and Hardy along with current "retro" performers.  Lots of fun.  In Yiddish the lyrics mean, "To Me You're Beautiful."

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Rev. Eric Law, founder of the Kalidiscope Institute offers a conversation about why we need to recognize The Importance of "Multi-Culturalism" in communities of faith, and the larger world.

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A conversation with Lee Iacocca about the state of the United States and his reflections on what is needed in American "leadership" in our current times.  There are 3 parts, watch them all.

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"Chasing Ice"  A scientist uses time lapse photography to document the loss of glaciers and global ice caps with time lapse photography.  This is the preview to the award winning film that won an Oscar in 2013.

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"North Sea Texas"  The preview to a delicate coming of age story set in France.

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Nick Hanauer talks about how his "TED Talk" on "Inequality and Job Creation" was removed from the TED web site.  The link to the talk is also above.  The talk is about how the so-called "job creating" upper classes and "trickle down" economics simply don't work from an economic perspective.  He maintains that in fact lower and middle class consumers are what create jobs, not "capitalists."  The actual TED talk is an excellent talk on understanding why our economy is not doing well.

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Edward V. & Edna V. Garren Remember 1940 & WWII  A retired couple tell how they met, married and started out life together.   Photos of family and friends, mostly from the 1940s are included.

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