Rained in…

It’s absolutely pouring down here and has been for the last 15 hours or so… so much so that the streets are flooded and that makes it quite difficult to leave town. (I work about 20 minutes from here in Zarate, which is like the “mother city” of Lima). So i decided to take an extra long weekend off starting today, thursday. I’ll be taking tomorrow off because of, well, if your like my sister, you would of forgotten what happened one 2nd of March back in 1980. That’s right… the royster turns the big two seven… So i’ll just chill with the family for the next few days and get stuck right back into work on monday. (why so much liberty in deciding when i work or don’t you may be asking… well for those who still don’t know, i’m my own employer now and have been for the last year. Event videography.)

My February Playlist

For a while now, at the end of each month i’ll create a folder with a list of songs. The list is made up of the songs that most listened to that month. Then i archive the folders for future reference. They become like a musical timeline of how my taste in music either evolves or stays consistent. Sort of like a journal, but instead of text entries they are musical entries.
This is the list for February 2007.

Sun Will Set – Zoe Keating
Just for now (the live version from youtube) – Imogen Heap
Ride – Cary Brothers
Till it happens to you – Corinne Bailey Rae
Heal Over – KT Tunstall
Fidelity – Regina Spektor
Again – John Legend
Don’t Lie – Black Eyed Peas
Thinking about you – Norah Jones
Crazy – Gnarls Barkley
Like a Star – Corinne Bailey Rae
High and Dry (RDM version) – Radiohead & Buena Vista Social Club
One step too far (RDM version) – Dido & Buena Vista Social Club
Its too late (Dirty South Remix) – Evermore

To those who read this: i would love to know what your listening to and what you recommend! Post your list as a comment.

I’m an uncle again!

My sister Tamara and her husband Malcolm welcomed a new baby girl into the world on Saturday the 24th of February at 11:56am. (Sydney time). Zara Lily Gill. We’re all so excited for them, especially as the family has been through such a rough time with Malcolm’s cancer and all. But praise God that that has been put behind them and now they can focus on enjoying this new gift of life. For those of you who know them but don’t have thier family website address, here it is…

http://web.mac.com/gillclan/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html

Rhythms del Mundo by BVSC

just got a hold of this new album courtesy of Limewire: “Rhythms del Mundo” by the Buena Vista Social Club. Some classic’s by the likes of sting, U2, coldplay and others… mixed in with a little latin salsa!! awesome kickback listening…
Also in a previous post i highlighted some artists that i’ve been enjoying lately. I feel the need to reiterate how much i’m enjoying corinne bailey rae’s album. I know it’s been around for a while but, i have always been the last to discover these things…

Rhythms Del Mundo Website

Jesus Camp (Part 2)

Well i finished watching the documantary. Before i get into what i thought about the content, i’ll give my thoughts in regards to the filmmaking.
First of all i thought the soundtrack was overtly manipulative. At most times it felt like i was being told what to feel. Needless to say i thought the documentary itself was highly subjective. The filmakers clearly had an agenda, and that was to shed a negative light on the pentecostal movement and in doing so, evangelicals as a whole. Also, giving the impression that the only people who are in favor of Bush’s politics are ‘unstable’ and ‘extremist’ type people, who according this documentary would equal the ‘pentecostals.’
The filmakers gave away thier subjectiveness especially in the end credits, where the little girl is out evangelizing. I would of really liked it if they gave both sides a fair go…
But i suppose that leads us to the content part of it. Because honestly some of the stuff we see is quite disturbing at times for those of us not used to seeing that kind of thing. Kids as young as 10 shaking and crying and talking in tongues. I mean, i can understand why this would be looked upon so negatively because it really is quite shocking, but then i need to understand and believe that its shocking from a sinful and worldly perspective. What i mean is that, seeing it from the other side, i find 10 year old kids allowed to disrespect thier parents, curse and do all kinds of profane things, completely shocking also, even tough this is acceptable and even encouraged in some homes.
So is it a little too ‘extreme?.’ Are parents being too extreme in their indoctrination of thier young kids? My opinion is that it isn’t too extreme, or extreme at all. Because i think that just by being a parent and raising children you’re indoctrinating them one way or another. Sadly, some choose to indoctinate their kids in the way of sin, by teaching them that it is acceptable. Some choose to indoctinate their kids in the way of teaching them that there is no God at all. Now why aren’t these examples looked upon negatively? Why am i looked upon so negatively (my mother-in-law for example) for being so passionate in indoctrinating my son in the way of Christ? The answer i think isn’t a difficult one… it’s because the latter isn’t natural or easy. The easiest and hasstle free way is the sinful route. It’s also the most enjoyable… until it eventually backfires, though.

Anyhow, there are my thoughts on the doco… again, any feedback or even any rebuttals would be greatly appreciated…

Chau y hasta pronto.

Jesus Camp

I started watching the documentary “Jesus Camp” yesterday. Only saw the first 10 minutes or so and was then distracted on to something else. From what i’d seen so far it looks to be an attack on the whole pentecostal movement in the U.S. Read good reviews though about the doco itself, i think it’s even up for an acadamy award.

I especially wanted to see the documentary because lately i’ve had quite a few different encounters with pentecostals. Some of my new friends are, and even some old friends are now after years of going to a brethren church. Well this one friend (who use to be a brethren) invited me to his church last sunday. It really wasn’t my cup of tea, but it did spark a whole new interest in the movement seeing as i’d never really had any exposure to it.

Everything was going great right up untill the point where the guest speaker finished preaching. I mean, the music was wonderful, really upbeat just how i like it. The preaching was a little more animated than what i was used to but it was a good Biblical message. When he finished though, that’s when things started to turn… “pentecostal” i guess.
The laying of hands, talking in tongues, fainting, uncontrollable laughter and crying. All of this i witnessed in the span of about 15 minutes, before i honestly felt compelled to leave. Don’t get me wrong though, this is not at all a criticism thrown at pentecostals or the pentecostal movement, this is just an account of my first experience at this one pentecostal church.

I suppose in closing, my question is… (and this isn’t hypethetical, please give me an answer if you have one!)
What do you say to someone who has documentation that proves he was clinically dead for almost a whole day? Whose mother so passionatley tells of how her son was even put into a body bag and placed in a morgue? and how her sister made her way into the morgue, grabbed the boys foot and prayed… and how after almost a full day one of the nurses hears something move in one of the body bags, eventually finding this boy alive again. Well this boy is one of my good friends who is Pentecostal, and passionatley so.
He also shared with how because of this incident and other complications there were, that he couldn’t have kids. But one day at a church service a member from his congregation got up and prophesied that his wife would soon become pregnant, and 9 months later thier son was born. I can’t blame him for being so passionate about what he believes… but if what i’ve been taught for so many years is true, that those kind of spiritual gifts dont’ exist anymore… then what do we make of this guy’s story??

If anyone reads this and has some sort of insight into the whole topic, please leave a comment and give me your thoughts… i’d really love to know what people out there think of all this. or even if you’ve seen Jesus Camp, let me know what you thought…

Cheers…

Roy.

getting old…

this was done at the last event i shot. there were three guys who went around to every table and sketched everyone… At least they got the receding hairline right…

What I’m listening to…

Sunday the 18th, just woke up after filming an event last night… an old couple’s 50 year wedding anniversary!! Now there’s some hardcore commitment!

Anywho… here’s a short list of what i’ve been listening to lately.

Imogen Heap (& Frou Frou)
KT Tunstall
Bob Sinclair
Jem
Nouvelle Vague
Nick Drake
Corrine Bailey Rae
Joshua Radin
Ray Lamontagne
Bela Fleck & The Flecktones (Playing live here in Buenos Aires in March)
Dave Matthews

…just to name a few.

vimeo2simcap

just uploaded my vimeo2simcap video. Here’s the link…

http://www.vimeo.com/clip:141130

Here’s the link to see all the video’s posted so far…

http://www.vimeo.com/clips/search:vimeo2simcap

enjoy!

Last 10 Movies i Watched.

Here’s a list of the last 10 movies i watched, in order from the one i most enjoyed to the one i least enjoyed…

1. Blood Diamond (outstanding!! highly recommended)
2. Babel (disturbingly pleasurable)
3. Deja Vu (exceeded expectations)
4. Little Miss Sunshine (awesome indie film)
5. Borat (expected it to be funnier)
6. Rocky Balboa (don’t believe the hype)
7. Man of the Year (average)
8. The Night Listener (average)
9. Dreamgirls (huge disappointment!)
10. Idiocracy (Crap)