#like when Christian radio stations played Take Me to Church when it was first released

[filthyfundie]

A while ago I was looking at Jinger’s follow list (no idea why) and noticed she followed Kat Von D. I was mildly amused and then immediately forgot. But I just learned that KVD publicly converted to Christianity last October and has condemned witchcraft and the occult (also yoga and nature). She’s been blacking out all of her tattoos and moved to Indiana because the BLM movement in Los Angeles made her feel unsafe.

So I went down a bit of rabbit hole and now you all have to hear about it:

Kat was sent to the same boarding school as Paris Hilton when she was a teenager and describes it as incredibly traumatic.

She says the hardest criticism for her is the accusation of being racist because (I kid you not) she’s a proud Latina. Iykyk.

After her baptism went viral she went on Allie Stuckey’s podcast.

I knew about the backlash over the Lolita lipstick for her makeup line but there was also issues over a shade called Selektion which was a German Nazi word for the selection of prisoners during WW2, her defense of this was that she actually named the very pink lipstick after a piece of artwork that she really liked. The artwork was a series of photographs of Christian, Jewish, and disabled children living in Germany in 1988??

Her current husband has faced controversy over his swastika tattoo and the fact that he maybe disowned his daughter after she “had sex” with some of his friends. The quotations are due to it being unclear if his daughter was over 18 when this occurred. He has stated that the event ruined his life and he went four years without seeing his daughter and when he did he told her that being married to Kat Von D is his good karma for surviving what she did to him.

So…. Yeah. That’s what she’s been up to.

[twostepsfromtemerant]

A Rhetorical Analysis of Sexual Themes and Power Structures within the music of Hozier

Sexual themes in music are as common as prescription drug ads during Wheel of Fortune and local news. Sometimes they are hidden in lyrics and it would take a certain analysis to figure out the meaning, and other times it would take a willful act of ignorance to miss it. Themes of music reflect  the society in which they were created, and because of the misogynistic society we live in, men usually have power in sex. And because America is Like That, our culture has issues with sex, thus labeling these songs explicit and inappropriate. Hozier manages to make his music sexual without being sexy because he makes women an equal part of the encounter instead of treating them as objects. 

Hozier arrived in dramatic fashion in 2013 when he released his single Take Me To Church, which then topped the Billboard Chart in August of 2014. The song was played everywhere, on radio stations of varying genres and was totally inescapable. Nothing in it was censored, and in my experience it was never turned off around kids for being inappropriate. And yet the lyrics can be interpreted in an undeniably sexual way. In the first verse, Hozier’s church tells him to “worship in the bedroom.” It doesn’t take much of a mental stretch to see how that could be about sex, but the way it is phrased, the man is the one doing the worshipping. He isn’t in the position of power in this situation.

Additionally, he compares his lover to a goddess he needs to appease. He is willing to “drain the whole sea for something shiny” to appease his lover. Goddesses are to be worshiped, a theme that was introduced in the first verse and brought back in the chorus. Even when it’s not about worshipping in a bedroom, women are still in positions of power in the song. Hozier’s lover, and church are both referred to with female pronouns. In contrast, the “shrine of lies” he is worshipping at “like a dog” isn’t referred to with any pronouns. It can be safely assumed he is speaking about the Christian church though, a power source that permeates every aspect of life whether or not it is realized. They are dehumanizing Hozier, but when he has sex with his lover he is human and whole. By cloaking sex in metaphors about Catholicism and respecting women, no one really noticed that interpretation of the song.

His debut album also featured a song titled “Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene” The title itself refers to an orgasm. The French phrase le petit morde is what they call an orgasm, and it translates to “little death”. Hozier doesn’t use crude language even when he’s talking about sex. My favorite line ever, “no shortage of sordid no protest from me,” comes from this song. It’s just a really pretty line, even though it is referring to something dirty or crude, like sex.

Once again, Hozier puts his lover in a position of power, laying, “[his] heart down with the rest at her feet”. Rather than having the woman chasing after him, Hozier gives his heart to her, without a guarantee that she reciprocates his feelings. Additionally, he implies that she gets around, given the other hearts at her feet. Slut shaming is a big thing in pop culture, but Hozier is still giving his heart to this woman and respecting her even though she isn’t “pure”.  

The way he sings about women is very different from other music that was popular at the time his first album became popular. One of the biggest songs in America of summer of 2014, was Bang Bang. There is just so much objectification going on, directly from the beginning. Yes the song is sung by women, but it is performed for a male audience. All of the women in the song are hypersexualized and serve only to fulfill male fantasies. In the first verse, women are compared to an hourglass, and a car. When the women are offering to perform sexual acts, they are not doing it for their own pleasure. They are really only being sexual for the enjoyment of the man.

And then in 2018 Hozier emerged from the bog and gave the world a song that a metaphor for oral sex by his own admission. And still it’s rare to think of Hozier as someone who writes music about sex. He’s thought of more as the guy who did “Take Me to Church” or and eldritch swamp monster, depending on who you ask.

Common culture association with blowjobs put the one being blown in the position of power. It’s not considered “real sex” in the way that ye olde standard penis in vagina kind is. Therefore, blowjobs are not afforded the same intimacy that can be granted to “real sex”. It’s more often seen as something crude or dirty. The Bogman on the other hand, sings of “this moment’s silence when [his] baby puts her mouth on [him]”. Being on the receiving end of oral is a religious experience that calms him. He is giving oral sex the intimate value that it usually lacks.

His lover is the one performing the action, and therefore in the position of power. Our society’s heteronormative views of sex think of the one performing the sex act as the one in power. Oral can still be construed as “face-fucking” making the man the powerful one in the situation. By phrasing his lyric the way he did, Hozier makes himself the more passive participant. Additionally, Hozier uses plural pronouns when referring to the act of sex. The first chorus contains the line “and it’s easy done our little remedy” and in the second verse there’s the line “those that would view the same we do through their deformity”. By using plural pronouns, Hozier has made his lover an equal part of the act. She is taking an active role in going down on him, and she isn’t being objectified or slut shamed for it.

This all brings us to the song that inspired this essay, “Dinner and Diatribes”. Valentines Day 2019 blessed us with this absolute bop about wanting to leave a party because you’re an introvert, and also because you want to get pegged by your girlfriend. Like all of his other songs, it takes a couple listen to realize Hozier is fully horny on main. The most obvious and easily explainable line is in the second verse. There is no way to interpret “scarcely can speak for my thinking what you’d do to me tonight,” that isn’t sexual. Dude just wants to fuck off home and get fucked. His lover possibly promised him something, and he has been rendered speechless by the mere thought of what will happen when they get home.

How many times have you seen in movies a man in a sexual situation whispering something into a woman’s ear and she goes weak at the knees? Hozier reversed this power dynamic by having his lover be the one whisper suggestive things to him in public. And clearly he is thrilled about this. She is in control of this situation and acting with her own agency. Hozier isn’t controlling her, or only imagining that this is something she would do. His lover is making her own damn choices and he is totally down with this. Well, most of him.

“Dinner and Diatribes” can either be interpreted as about pegging, or merely about the joy of leaving a social obligation you don’t really want to be at. Either way, he’s bucking social convention. The tabloid news and complaints about his love can be about the fact the fact he left a party early, something that is frowned upon, or about getting pegged. Either way, Hozier just wants to tell society to go fuck themselves and be with his lover. Whether you want to interpret his songs as romantic or hella horny, at the end of the day Hozier is only focused on respecting women.

[aion-rsa]

None of This Would Be Happening If Frank Zappa Had Been President

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

The election is days away. No one knows if there will be an orderly turnover or the disorderly donut hole of malevolent maneuverings. The nation is divided and civil unrest is in the air. This follows a summer which was prophetically and perennially summed up in “Trouble Every Day,” a song from Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention’s 1966 debut album Freak Out!

“Wednesday I watched the riot,” Zappa sings on the song he wrote after seeing the Watts Uprising of 1965. “I seen the cops out on the street. Watched ’em throwin’ rocks and stuff, and chokin’ in the heat. … Watched while everybody on his street would take a turn to stomp n’ smash n’ bash n’ crash n’ slash n’ bust n’ burn.” 

These and similar scenes were repeated during the global George Floyd protests in 2020, along with charges of accompanying police brutality. 

Long before the #BlackLivesMatter movement highlighted white privileged compliance, Zappa sang “I’m not black but there’s a whole lots a times I wish I could say I’m not white.” Even in an era of major victories in the Civil Rights battle, Frank’s voice was progressive, independent, and ahead of the curve.

Zappa consistently ridiculed both sides of the two-party political landscape. He had been approached by the Libertarian Party for a presidential run in 1987, according to a February 1988 interview with Buzz magazine. But after finding much of their platform “either wrong or stupid,” he told them “Well, I’m not your bot. Thanks a lot. Goodbye.” The trailer for director Alex Winter’s upcoming documentary ZAPPA teases a sadly lost opportunity. Frank Zappa tossed his name into a hat for the presidential race in 1991, and told The San Diego Tribune he was considering H. Ross Perot as his vice-presidential pick.

To use the language of the trailer, Zappa’s campaign might have been as “loud, coarse, and strange” as his career, but it would never be “sleazy.” Zappa encouraged voter registration on every album cover since 1971, when the law allowing 18-year-olds to vote was passed. He set up voter registration tables at his 1988 live shows, ultimately registering about 11,000 people. He also shot voter registration ad spots which ran on MTV. 

In 1989, Zappa was named Czechoslovakia’s “Special Ambassador to the West on Trade, Culture and Tourism.” Personally chosen by Czech Republic President Vaclav Havel, Zappa took the appointment seriously, and was making inroads in the media as a businessman, rather than a rock star. 

“My main qualifications are that I don’t play golf, I don’t take vacations and I do think the U.S. constitution is one hell of a document and that this country would work better if people adhered to it more closely,” we hear Zappa say in archival footage of the film ZAPPA, which comes out Nov. 27.

Zappa told Melody Maker in 1974 “Most of my songs are not political, they are sociological.” But in the years leading up to his proposed run, Zappa strongly voiced his belief that fundamentalist Christians had too much political power, televangelism bought too much influence, and church and state came together to maintain control over a mindless population. Zappa was 50 when it came out that he was exploring the feasibility of an independent, non-partisan bid for the presidency. The incumbent George H.W. Bush had more balloons but unsolicited campaign contributions began trickling into Zappa’s Barking Pumpkin offices after word got out.

“The idea is that this is a zero-balloon campaign,” Zappa told Bob Guccione Jr. in a July 1991 interview with Spin magazine “You want balloons then blow your own balloons. And the goal is to run the cheapest campaign in political history. I can sit at home and do talk shows all over the country on radio and answer questions directly to people who might want to vote. And it would cost what? Nothing. I don’t believe that you really have to spend $50 million or apply for matching funds from the federal government and then be forced to abide by all those rules in order to do it. Because if you’re a nonpartisan candidate then what the fuck?”

Zappa would go on to mention former Harvard University professor and constitutional law expert Alan Dershowitz as his pick for attorney general. The platform centered on “getting the government out of people’s faces.” He proposed eliminating federal income tax because it was established as “an emergency tax and was supposed to have an end to it.” He said the job was better done by raising sales taxes on non-essentials. “If you gotta pay a tax, pay a tax when you buy something, not because you worked,” he reasoned.

Zappa told Spin he would “exempt necessary foodstuffs, because that’s where the poor get hurt. And I don’t think that many Colombian drug dealers are buying that many cartons of milk and eggs and stuff. And so you’re not really going to cripple the nation’s economy by exempting that sort of thing.” Zappa also planned to redefine the military so it was used for “protecting the country, not bad foreign policy.”

Zappa said he would put his music career on hiatus during the campaign. The guitarist-composer said he was “a reluctant candidate” who was “volunteering” to run, and not just to make a statement. “If I did run I would do a real run,” Zappa told Spin. “The problems about doing it are that in order to do a credible run you have to be on the ballot in every state. That’s about a million dollars in legal fees and organization and bullshit just to get on the ballot. That’s before you even buy an ad.”

Based on the interview, local news stations prematurely identified him as a presidential candidate, but TV stations conducted their own polls and found a Zappa run would have been feasible. Zappa cited a C-Span TV symposium moderated by Leslie Stahl as the inspiration for his presidential aspirations. Zappa got a resume from a GOP policy writer looking for a paid position, though Zappa said it would be better to hear that people resigned from the party they belong to because neither of the two major parties “delivered the goods in tangible ways.”

The self-taught rock and orchestral composer even spoke with Raymond Strother about a run until the veteran Democratic consultant started working as a publicist for future vice president and presidential candidate Albert Gore. Zappa had already come up against another Gore, Al’s wife Tipper, when he testified against the Parents Music Resource Center in 1985 in Washington, D.C. The Washington wives’ group was intent on censoring rock music, ultimately leading to the warning labels on albums which we still see today.

Zappa mimicked Treasury Secretary James Baker’s wife Susan’s Southern accent at the hearings. As Secretary of State under President Reagan, ZAPPA tells how the vindictive Baker had a low-level U.S. State Department representative tell the Czech Republic they can get American aid or do business with Frank Zappa.

While Zappa never officially contacted Perot, he might have given the late Texas billionaire the idea to run as an independent candidate in 1992. Perot pulled in 19 percent of the popular vote. Republicans blamed him for putting Bill Clinton in the White House. He ran again in 1996.

But Zappa’s decades old message resonates more frighteningly now. “Let me point out something about democracy,” he told Spin. “Does anybody remember how Hitler took over Germany? He was voted in. People said, yeah, he’s got the right message for us. Now when you have a democracy, there’s always the possibility that the guy who could turn out to be the biggest menace to the planet could just get voted in. And the place where it’s most likely to happen is here, because of the media saturation, the illiteracy rate of the population, the social desperation of the population. Hitler came to power because things weren’t so good.”

Zappa, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1990 and died in late 1993 at the age of 52, ultimately decided none of the mitigating factors were “enough to convince me to go through the bullshit of a campaign,” and never got on the ballot. His family did release Frank Zappa for President in July 2016. While it would have been the first time the country was ruled by a posthumous leader, it was a good idea then, and a good idea now.

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Magnolia Pictures’ ZAPPA release date is Nov. 27.

The post None of This Would Be Happening If Frank Zappa Had Been President appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[thekingdomofgod]

Revelation & Understanding

Revelation opens up new realms of living, of possibility, of faith. It is absolutely impossible to live the normal Christian life without receiving regular revelation from God.The Bible says ‘My people die from a lack of knowledge’ (HOS 4:6) Also PROV 29:18 similarly says, 

‘Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint’.

A more correct translation would be ‘Without a prophetic revelation, the people go unrestrained, walking in circles, having no certain destiny’.

Revelation is so essential in our lives that without it we perish. Without unfolding prophetic revelation that expands your capacity to SEE LIFE FROM GODS PERSPECTIVE, you will perish. Without seeing your present circumstances through God’s eyes, you will spiritually die. It is so vital that Paul wrote to the Ephesians - those who seemed to have their act together in every area, who experienced perhaps the greatest revival recorded in the New Testament - and said he prayed that God would, ‘…give to them a spirit of wisdom & revelation in the knowledge of Him’ (EPH 1:17) If the revival steeped Ephesians church needed to be reminded of the importance of revelation, we need to hear it much more. Revelation is normal to the Christian life.

TUNING IN

The problem is that many Christians don’t tune in to Gods revelation. Paul put it well when he wrote, ‘Now we have received, not the things of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God…But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned’ (1 COR 2:12-14)

Right now in the room where you are sitting, movies are playing all around you. If you had the right receiver or satellite dish you could pick them up. Just because you can’t see the waves passing through doesn’t mean they aren’t there. With the right receiver you could watch any number of television shows listen to conversations on cell phones and short wave radio. But without the proper receiver you won’t pick anything up.

Likewise the Bible says the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God. If God is speaking on FM radio and we are on AM, we can turn the dial all the way to the left, then slowly go over every station …we can quote versus from the Bible, we can claim the promises of God….but as long as we are on AM and He is on FM, we are not going to receive His message because the natural man is receiving. The key is to be spiritually discerning - to open up our spirit man to direct revelation from God. 

The Bible says; ‘But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him’. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God’ (1 COR 2:9-10) The Holy Spirit searches for all things that have never been heard by human ears or seen by human eyes. He is the greatest search engine in the whole universe…He searches the greatest reservoir of information imaginable - the heart of the Father.  Psalm 139:18 says that God’s thoughts about each one of us outnumber the sands on the sea shore and according to Jeremiah 29:11, all those thoughts are for your welfare, benefit and blessing. God has been around a long time and He has had a long time to think about you. He has been living in the experience about knowing you long before you were ever born. For trillions of years, God has been thinking about you and the Holy Spirit searches that whole archive and brings incredible treasures to you at precisely the right moment - if your listening. RECOGNISING REVELATION

YOU WILL KNOW WHEN HE IS SPEAKING BECAUSE IT WILL HAVE A FRESHNESS TO IT. It will always be better than anything than you could have thought up yourself. And if He gives you new ideas, they will probably be impossible to accomplish in your own strength. His thoughts will so overwhelm you that you will want to draw close to Him so they can be accomplished.Most born again people know what its like to be in confusion or trouble and have someone speak a word that brings supernatural invasion of peace into their soul. You might not even have all the answers you thought you needed five mins ago, but for some reason, you just don’t care. Their words were the spirit of REVELATION from God Himself. THE SAME WAY THAT JESUS BECAME FLESH, THE HOLY SPIRIT BECOMES WORDS THAT ARE POTENT WITH POWER AND WHEN THEY ARE SPOKEN THEY BRING LIFE. We don’t even have to comprehend it to embrace it….we just have to wrap our hearts around it and eventually it will start making sense.

Proverbs says that ‘knowledge is easy to a man of understanding’ (PROV 14:6) Some people get torrents of revelation and others don’t. There are a couple of reasons why;

First, it depends on how we build our support structure. Once you have these in place, God delightfully adds to them, as a decorator decorates a house after the foundation and walls are secure. A man of understanding accepts Gods additions and doesn’t question them. He is not double minded about them. Thats how a person of understanding attracts greater understanding. You treasure something that God says and that builds a foundation for greater revelation.

Another way to attract revelation is to obey what we know. One man came to Jesus and asked what to do to gain eternal life. Jesus said, ‘What does it say to do?’ The man said, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and love your neighbour as yourself.’ Jesus said, ‘Do that and you will be fine’ (my paraphrase) The man pressed Jesus for more, but Jesus would not give him any new information. He pointed him back to what he already knew. The mans first responsibility was to obey the revelation he had. Until he walked in obedience, he wasn’t going to get more.

Obedience is a signal to God that says, ‘God, I want to go to the next step.’ That tender heart draws the spirit of revelation to a person and/or a body of people. They begin seeing and hearing things they never heard or saw before. The Bible says, ‘He will seal up that instruction in our heart while we sleep’ (JOB 33: 15-16) REVELATION SETS THE BOUNDARIES

Revelation is for every single believer…the greater the revelation a person carries, the greater faith he or she is able to exercise. If I believe its not God’s desire to heal everybody then my revelation limits me every time a person comes to me who is sick. I have to settle it in my heart - is it really God’s will to heal people? As long as I shun the revelation that Gods wants everybody healed and whole, I have cut myself off from releasing faith in that area. Revelation enlarges the arena that our faith can function in, it broaden the boundaries for your faith to operate in THE MYSTERY

In Matthew 13, the disciples asked, ‘Why do You speak to them in parables?’ And Jesus said, ‘Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it has not been given’   (MATT 13:10-11)

Revelation is not something you can dig out of a theological book or study guide. Its not even something you can unravel in the Bible all by yourself. Revelation is LOCKED UP IN A REALM THE BIBLE CALLS ‘MYSTERY’ A mystery cannot be hunted down and trapped like an animal. It cannot be discovered by persistent searching…it must be revealed. We don’t unlock mysteries; they are unlocked for us. And they are only unlocked and revealed to those who hunger for them. Jesus said He concealed truth in parables so it remained a mystery to some, but not for others. In the same way He put gold in the rocks and said, ‘If you want it, go find it and dig it out.’ The Bible says; ‘It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of Kings to search it out’ (PROV 25:2)

God doesn’t take the pearls of revelation - those things that were gained through hardship and difficulty, conflict and irritation - and freely throw them out to anybody. We cannot enter into revelation without the assistance of the Spirit of God.

1 Corinthians 2:6-8 says; ‘However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden mystery which God ordained before the ages FOR OUR GLORY, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.’

Unfortunately, mystery is not something that most people in the Western world appreciate. We have this idea that God knows our address and if He wants us to have an insight or experience, He will send it to us. We don’t want to work for it or hunger after it. The spirit of self-pity has found tremendous home in this culture, but self-pity doesn’t attract a visitation of God…Faith does. Faith moves the economy of heaven. It is the very currency of heaven. Mystery should be a continual part of your life. You should always have more questions than answers. If your encounters with God don’t leave you with more questions than when you started, then you have had an inferior encounter. A relationship with God that does not stir up that realm of mystery and wonder is an inferior relationship.It would help all of us a great deal if we had to walk out of a few more church services, scratching our heads, wondering what just took place. He is a God of wonder, the God off awe! But tenderness of heart enables us to come into the realm of revelation that unlocks the mysteries of God. SEEKING REVELATION

‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great & mighty things, things which you do not know.’ (JEREMIAH 33:3) The word mighty is an Old Testament word that is similar to the New Testament word ‘mystery’. Its a picture of something that is out of reach, unattainable, behind fortification. God has hidden mighty and mysterious things for us, not from us. He has already allotted to us this mysterious realm of the Kingdom, but it doesn’t just come to anyone. It comes to those who are open and hungry for it. Jeremiah used the word call, which means ‘to cry out to the Lord in a very loud voice’ Picture a person desperate enough to open his or her heart fully and issue a deep cry from the spirit. That deep part of man calls to the deep part of God…’’as deep calls unto deep’ (PSALM 42:7). That opening of the heart determines the level of revelation we receive. Few people I know receive substantial revelations or visitations from God without reckless pursuit. Most people I know who rerceive revelation cry out day and night for that fullness of the Holy Spirit. Casual prayer gets casual revelation. Deep cries to God to ‘hear you’ and ‘answer you’ and ‘show you great and mighty things you do not know’

This is the Old Testament equivalent of the promise of Ephesians 3:20 when it says;

‘Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us’

1 Corinthians 2:9 says,’Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things  which God has prepared for those who love Him.’ Prayer - the desperate heart of man - initiates the beginning of revelation to your heart and mind. 2 Peter 1:2-3 put it this way; ‘Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine Power has given to us ALL THINGS that pertain to LIFE & GODLINESS, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.’ The spirit of revelation opens up our knowledge of who God is and from that comes the RELEASE OF POWER FROM HEAVEN. That power gives us access to ALL THINGS pertaining to life & godliness. That encounter with God will not only shape (transform) the world around you, it will shape (transform) the world through you. The most revered people in the Old Testament were the prophets because of the spirit of revelation that came upon them. Kings feared them. They knew that they could do anything in secret and the prophets would know. The Bible even says, ‘Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets’ (AMOS 3:7) And now that spirit of revelation is not limited to people with unique gifts. It is liberally given to anyone who will pursue and ask. Hosea 6 says that we press on to know the Lord, meaning we seek an encounter with God, a revelation that launches us into a new awareness of how life is to be lived. ‘Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord’ (HOSEA 6:3) The cry of Hosea was, ‘Lets press on - no, lets hunt down and chase the encounter with God that changes our understanding of REALITY’. That is the kind of relentless pursuit each believer should have about the things of God. We need revelation to renew our minds, to help us prove the will of God ‘ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN’ I cannot live life knowing that there are realms that are available to me but which I have not yet discovered. My spirit is hungry for things which are not yet known. And yet I know that as Christians, we will always live in tension between what we understand and what remains a mystery. Years ago a famous author made a comment on a series of bookshelves had written saying , ‘I don’t know what is wrong with them, but they are too perfect. They answer every question and remove the realm of mystery. So I know something is wrong. We cannot afford to live only in what we understand because then we don’t grow or progress anymore; we just unravel the same familiar roads we have travelled all of our lives…it is important that we expose ourselves to impossibilities that force us to have questions that we cannot answer. It is part of the Christian life, which is why the Christian life is called ‘the faith’. The normal Christian life is perfectly poised between what we presently understand and the unfolding revelation that comes to us from the realm of mystery. EXPANDING REVELATION This realm of mystery and revelation goes far beyond what we normally think of as ‘ministry’. There are VAST RESOURCES of revelation in heaven for the areas of education  and business, the arts and music, and these resources have yet to be tapped anywhere near to their fullness. There are melodies that have never been played or considered. There is lyrical content that would minister deeply tp the church and stir the world to conversion. Our job is to tap into the revelation of the Lord in our areas of talent or gifting so that we can accurately and powerfully reflect the King and His Kingdom. I’m convinced that the pace of revelation will increase very rapidly in these last hours of history. AMOS 9:13 says, ‘the plowmen will overtake the reaper’ meaning the seasons won’t be distinct anymore…they will overlap so that planting and harvesting occur in the same motion. We will live in a supernatural season when understanding will come much more quickly and bare fruit much more dramatically. We already see acceleration in history in the development of technology, science and medicine…the knowledge of man is increasing but don’t think for a moment that God will not do equally and more so for the church in spiritual matters. He is looking for men and women of understanding. He is ready to add the plywood to the frame of understanding, but we have got to have the framing in place first. He is ready to put on the dry wall and the decorations and release revelation to each of us in quantities that we have not yet known.

That acceleration of revelation is beginning in our day. God is presently wooing people into intimacy so they know how He thinks and moves. People are coming alive to that wooing and in the process, to their sense of destiny. Its not about the greatness or accomplishment of any particular person or church. Its about the purposes of God being unveiled on the planet. On-going revelation and encounters with the power of God launch us into understanding of things we’ve never understood before. Presently every denomination, church and group seems to have revelation into certain Kingdom matters. Nobody has the whole picture, God refuses to give it to one person or one group because He wants us to be interdependent members of one another. But in these last days God is going to release a Spirit of revelation over the church where we repent of all our areas of great difference because we see Him as He is, we hear His word as He declares it and we are literally taught by the Spirit. We are coming into an hour where there will be a common revelation, a time when the people of God will simultaneously hear and see similar revelation, no matter the group or the church.

[lost-carcosa]

To hear the Christian right tell it, President Trump should be a candidate for sainthood — that is, if evangelicals believed in saints.

“Never in my lifetime have we had a Potus willing to take such a strong outspoken stand for the Christian faith like Donald Trump,” tweeted Franklin Graham, the son of the evangelist Billy Graham. The Dallas pastor Robert Jeffress sees a divine hand at work: “God intervened in our election and put Donald Trump in the Oval Office for a great purpose.”

Testimonials like this confound critics who label conservative evangelical figures like Mr. Graham and Mr. Jeffress hypocrites for embracing a man who is pretty much the human embodiment of the question “What would Jesus not do?”

But what those critics don’t recognize is that the nationalistic, race-baiting, fear-mongering form of politics enthusiastically practiced by Mr. Trump and Roy Moore in Alabama is central to a new strain of American evangelicalism. This emerging religious worldview — let’s call it “Fox evangelicalism” — is preached from the pulpits of conservative media outlets like Fox News. It imbues secular practices like shopping for gifts with religious significance and declares sacred something as worldly and profane as gun culture.

Journalists and scholars have spent decades examining the influence of conservative religion on American politics, but we largely missed the impact conservative politics was having on religion itself. As a progressive evangelical and journalist covering religion, I’m as guilty as any of not noticing what was happening. We kept asking how white conservative evangelicals could support Mr. Trump, who luxuriates in divisive rhetoric and manages only the barest veneer of religiosity. But that was never the issue. Fox evangelicals don’t back Mr. Trump despite their beliefs, but because of them.

Consider the so-called War on Christmas, which the president has made a pet crusade. Mr. Trump has been sharing Christmas greetings since October, well before decorations had even shown up in most stores, when the Values Voter Summit crowd gave him a standing ovation for declaring, “We’re saying ‘Merry Christmas’ again!” He has spent November and December taking victory laps, telling crowds at political rallies in Utah and Florida that “Christmas is back, better and bigger than ever before.”

Every one of Mr. Trump’s predecessors declared “Merry Christmas,” too — including Barack Obama, whose message at last year’s Christmas tree-lighting ceremony was virtually indistinguishable from Mr. Trump’s. What matters to Fox evangelicals, though, is not that Mr. Trump observes Christmas but that he casts himself as the defender of the Christian holiday.

From the beginning, the War on Christmas was a homegrown Fox News cause, introduced by the so-named 2005 book by John Gibson, a former Fox News host, and promoted annually by Bill O’Reilly. But it was never really a religious argument. Mr. O’Reilly and company weren’t occupied with defending belief in the Virgin Birth or worrying that the celebration of Christ’s birth had become too commercialized.

In an irony appreciated by anyone who remembers the original anti-consumption, anti-Santa meaning of the “Reason for the Season” slogan, Fox and allies like the American Family Association focused on getting more Christmas into stores and shopping malls. For more than a decade, Fox News hosts have kept viewers updated on which stores were “in the Christmas spirit,” and the American Family Association, which operates nearly 200 radio stations in the United States, maintains its very own “naughty and nice” list for retailers.

As a result, the War on Christmas has moved one of the holiest Christian days out of the church and into the secular realm. That may suit conservative activists who promote Christian nationalism and want to see Christianity officially dominate the public sphere. But at a time when a new Pew Research Center study shows that only about half of those Americans who celebrate Christmas plan to do so as a religious holiday, the War on Christmas may be damaging Christian witness by elevating performative secular practices.

These days, even though Mr. O’Reilly declared “victory” last year in the War on Christmas, Fox News still gives the supposed controversy wall-to-wall coverage and has folded it into the network’s us-versus-them, nationalist programming. The regular Fox News viewer, whether or not he is a churchgoer, takes in a steady stream of messages that conflate being white and conservative and evangelical with being American.

The power of that message may explain the astonishing findings of a survey released this month by LifeWay Research, a Christian organization based in Nashville. LifeWay’s researchers developed questions meant to get at both the way Americans self-identify religiously and their theological beliefs. What they discovered was that while one-quarter of Americans consider themselves to be “evangelical,” less than half of that group actually holds traditional evangelical beliefs. For others, “evangelical” effectively functions as a cultural label, unmoored from theological meaning.

But if the conservative media has created a category of Fox evangelical converts, it has also influenced the way a whole generation of churchgoing evangelicals thinks about God and faith. On no issue is this clearer than guns.

In fall 2015, I visited Trinity Bible College, an Assemblies of God-affiliated school in North Dakota, to join the conservative evangelical students there for a screening of “The Armor of Light,” a documentary by the filmmaker Abigail Disney. The film followed the pastor and abortion opponent Rob Schenck on his quest to convince fellow evangelicals — the religious demographic most opposed to gun restrictions — that pro-life values are incompatible with an embrace of unrestricted gun access. I found Mr. Schenck compelling, and my editor had sent me to see if his target audience bought the arguments.

It did not.

As two dozen of us gathered for a post-screening discussion, I was both astonished and troubled, as a fellow evangelical, by the visceral sense of fear that gripped these young adults. As a child in the Baptist church, I had been taught to be vigilant about existential threats to my faith. But these students in a town with a population of some 1,200 saw the idea of a home invasion or an Islamic State attack that would require them to take a human life in order to save others as a certainty they would face, not a hypothetical.

These fears are far removed from the reality of life in North Dakota, a state that saw a total of 21 homicides in 2015. Of those deaths, seven were caused by firearms, and only three were committed by someone unknown to the victim. Yet the students around me agreed unreservedly with Wayne LaPierre, chief executive of the National Rifle Association, who was seen in the film asserting that “in the world around us, there are terrorists, home invaders, drug cartels, carjackers, knockout gamers, rapers, haters, campus killers, airport killers, shopping mall killers.”

This worldview is familiar to anyone who has spent time watching Fox News, where every day viewers are confronted with threats to their way of life. It’s also profoundly un-Christian. One of the most consistent messages of the Bible is the exhortation “Do not be afraid!” Before young evangelicals can read, we memorize verses reminding us to “be strong and courageous” and “trust in the Lord.” “Fear,” says Mr. Schenck in the documentary, “should not be a controlling element in the life of a Christian.”

Fear and distrust of outsiders — in conflict with numerous biblical teachings to “welcome the stranger” — also explain Fox evangelicals’ strong support for the Trump administration’s efforts to bar refugees and restrict travel to the United States from several majority-Muslim nations. After Mr. Trump’s initial executive orders during his first week in office, more than 100 evangelical leaders, including the head of the National Association of Evangelicals, published a full-page ad in The Washington Post denouncing the refugee ban and urging the president to reconsider. But those leaders didn’t speak for most white evangelicals, three-quarters of whom told Pew pollsters they supported the refugee and travel bans.

That disconnect underscores the challenge many pastors face in trying to shepherd congregants who are increasingly alienated from traditional Gospel teachings. “A pastor has about 30 to 40 minutes each week to teach about Scripture,” said Jonathan Martin, an Oklahoma pastor and popular evangelical writer. “They’ve been exposed to Fox News potentially three to four hours a day.”

It’s meaningful, Mr. Martin says, that scions of the religious right like Jerry Falwell Jr. are not pastors like their fathers. “There was a lot I didn’t agree with him on, but I’m confident that it was important to Senior” — Jerry Falwell — “that he grounded his beliefs in Scripture,” Mr. Martin said. “Now the Bible’s increasingly irrelevant. It’s just ‘us versus them.’”

The result is a malleable religious identity that can be weaponized not just to complain about department stores that hang “Happy Holidays” banners, but more significantly, in support of politicians like Mr. Trump or Mr. Moore — and of virtually any policy, so long as it is promoted by someone Fox evangelicals consider on their side of the culture war.

“It explains how much evangelicals have moved the goal post,” said Mr. Martin. “If there’s not a moral theology or ethic to it, but it’s about playing for the right team, you can do anything and still be on the right side.”

[arthurcgreencna-blog]

This woman is going places

Loder doing what she does best, performing. Submitted image.

CNA music student graduate Kellie Loder is on her way to stardom and is one of Newfoundland and Labrador’s best upcoming songwriters.

 Kellie Loder is lyrically motivated and writes memorable songs which are caring, kind, and considerate. Loder’s Folk/Pop style is turning heads.

 Loder has been living in St. John’s for the last four years but grew up in a small town in Central Newfoundland and Labrador called Badger. Loder started studying Music at College of the North Atlantic in September 2015.

 “Kellie is a bright light. Incredibly talented, very kind, and warm-hearted person.” Cody O’Quinn said, “She brings an energy to the stage that lets you know she belongs there.” O’Quinn is a colleague in Loder’s graduating class.

 She first began performing playing drums at the age ten in her local church. But this was not when she discovered the love of rhythm and music.

 “When I was two years old I would bring pencils to church and watch the drummer while banging on top of the pew.” Loder said, “Therefore I developed my rhythm very early in life.”

 When Loder was 14 years-old her brother was taking guitar lessons. He would come home and teach her everything he learned that day at his lesson. She would eventually start becoming more of a guitar player than him because he lost interest and Kellie kept going.

 “I felt like music was more in my blood.” Loder said.

 The music Loder writes is inspired by real people, real stories which involve daily life struggles.

 “I like to write music about compassion, triumph, love.” Loder said, “Stories that give you the goosebumps.”

 Loder has many musical influences in her life. She listens to a lot of Coldplay, John Mayer, and Amelia Curran a local artist from St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador.

 “Anybody who is a singer-songwriter who writes about what people want to be able to say but don’t know how.” Loder said.

 Loder is building a fan base which no one can ignore. Radio stations across the country are broadcasting her songs every day.

 “It was pretty exciting and I remember the first time my music got played locally.” Loder said, “It was on CBC radio. My family and I were all waiting around the radio like it was the 1960s. It was surreal, and now it is just a normal thing.”

 Kellie traveled to Nashville Tennessee in 2013 to play a showcase, and she spontaneously traveled to the music capital by herself for a week. While she was there one of the judges really liked Kellie’s style and asked her to stay longer.

 “He was a Grammy-nominated producer, and songwriter named Roger Ryan.” Loder said, “I stayed and recorded a song with him. I just wanted to build my network up and that’s when I discovered that I could probably do this for a living.”

 This was the defining moment in Kellie’s career, more so personally than professionally. As time progressed Loder started to write different music. The event which really progressed Loder’s career was the 2015 Bell Media Songwriting Challenge. While at this challenge she met Justin Grey while attending this songwriting camp. Grey is Canadian born, Los Angeles based songwriter and record producer.

 “I left this camp and realized, hey I can be a songwriter.” Loder said humbly.

 It was during this weekend that Loder met Sandy Pandya. Pandya owns Pandyamonium Management which is a small shop with some immense talent. She manages such names as Serena Ryder, and Tegan & Sara.

 “Eventually the relationship I built with her that weekend would pay off. A couple months ago I signed a publishing deal with her.” Loder said.

 Loder now has someone representing her songs. Which could lead to her songs making it to TV and film. She now has a talented team behind her instead of trying to make it in the music world alone.

 “I now have people on my team, before I was kind of like a loner trying to do it all by myself.” Loder giggled, “If anyone wants to do this as a career they definitely need a team behind them, I learned that.”

 Kellie is releasing a new record in the fall which is the big news. There is no name on the album yet but the photos and artwork are all done. She has been working on this project for the last year and a half. Loder has also opened for various noteworthy acts such as; Shannygannock, The Ennis Sisters, Matt Mays, and Alan Doyle just to name a few.

 She just recently released a new single “Boxes” February 3rd, 2017 and the song is available on iTunes for download. Kixx Country 103.9 FM. plays the song daily in Newfoundland and Labrador.

 Loder’s inspiration for this song came to her while she was moving into a new place. Her brother was helping Kellie lift many boxes at the time. Loder’s brother took a break with his guitar and started to play a melody. As Kellie was hanging up some clothes in the closet she sang “Packing up my life in boxes,” and it turned into something beautiful. By the time the first verse was over Loder had stopped unpacking and sat down with a maroon crayon and old journal to write what she had just sung.

 “It was the only writing utensil in the entire house.” Loder giggled, “It was so organic how it happened.”

 This writing session was extremely special to Kellie because it was with her brother. The very person who taught her to play guitar when she was just a child.

 Kellie has beautiful writing which touches the soul and is one of the best upcoming songwriters in Newfoundland and Labrador. Songs such as “What If I Believed,” captivates audiences as her storytelling ability shines throughout her music.

 “I’m just doing me, and hoping people like it.” Loder said modestly.

 Notable accomplishments.

2016 Bell Media Songwriting Challenge Winner

2016 International Songwriting Competition Semi-Finalist

2016 St. John's Allied Youth Conference Guest Speaker (upcoming)

2015 Founder of St. John’s Songwriter’s Series

2015 Bell Media Songwriting Challenge Winner

2015 CBC Searchlight Competition-Regional Winner/National Top 10

2014 David C Cooke distributes sophomore album Nation wide

2013 Single “Raise You Higher” reached #2 in Christian Radio Charts

2013 CWIMA Showcase Winner – Nashville, TN

2012 Juno Award Nomination-Christian/Gospel Album of the Year

2011 Music NL Christian/Gospel Album of the Year Nomination

2009 Music NL Female Artist of the Year Nomination

2009 Music NL Christian/Gospel Album of the Year Nomination

2009 YC NL Talent Search Winner ($20,000 Artist Development Package)

[avaliveradio]

FlashBack Friday Indie Music Playlist and Music Business News

Revisit some of your favorite indie artist tunes from 1 year ago today on this special Flashback Friday. Hosted by JACQUELINE JAX.

Listen to the show :

The Anchor Fm page: https://anchor.fm/ava-live-radio/episodes/FlashBack-Friday-Indie-Music-Playlist-and-Music-Business-News-e2rdsk

iHeartRadio station page : https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-AVA-Live-Radio-Musi-29336730/

The Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2toX0f3dPmI8gmUSOKZicx

FEATURING

A Wild Frontier – Almost Time For Christmas Rock, Alternative Rock, Indie Rock A Wild Frontier is excited to share their new Holiday single, “Almost Time For Christmas” with everyone. Following the release of their debut record earlier this Spring, they have released an acoustic EP, and now this Holiday treat. For fans of Weezer and early 2000’s alternative pop, A Wild Frontier delivers a fun, uplifting song about the holidays. They are currently finishing recording their follow up record and plan on releasing it in early 2018, stay tuned! LINKS: https://www.reverbnation.com/awildfrontier/song/28700225-almost-time-for-christmas https://open.spotify.com/album/4gvdtwisW5QNyoM47FSZoD http://www.twitter.com/AWildFrontier http://www.facebook.com/AWildFrontier http://www.instagram.com/AWildFrontier

Tim Johnson- Gone I started playing guitar in 1989. Wrote my first song “The Direction That I Took” in 1995 when I was only thirteen years old. After that, the songs started pouring out of me. I lost count somewhere around 300. I am now 34 years old and I have developed a style. I fit about 15 originals into my list of favorites. Starting with my first single “Gone”. My style is a blend of Rock, Southern Rock, Alternative, and Country. Some of my influences include, Cole Swindell, Jason Aldean, Seether, Chris Cornell, and Alice n Chains to name a few. https://www.reverbnation.com/timjohnson5/song/27856407-tim-johnson-gone-mastered-28mar17

Juneyt – Tesla Since moving to Canada from Turkey, Juneyt has built a large, dedicated following through his regular, electric performances throughout the Kitchener-Waterloo GTA area and beyond. https://www.reverbnation.com/juneyt/song/10638460-tesla

TODD BARROW – Outlaw In Me Genre: Country/Alternative Country The artist was discovered by his close Sonny Burgess (CMA) who was mentored by Charlie Pride and other legends. This led to working with winners circle music publishing with over 80 songwriters around the world. Since that time he continues to perform for many big shows and events. He works hard to produce the highest quality country music out there! Now get ready to listen to his new country release, “Outlaw In Me.” LINKS: : https://open.spotify.com/album/OD8pEnXiP9Ghkq0q1 https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/album/outlaw-in-me/1318561219?i=1318561851&mt=1&app=music http://www.twitter.com/barrowtodd http://www.facebook.com/cowboyrockandroll http://www.instagram.com/ToddWayneBarrow

Tiona Campbell – Jesus and Coffee Genre / Sub-genre : Singer – songwriter Small Town girl,Tiona Campbell, was born and raised in East Texas. She grew up listening to Amy Grant, Mariah Carey and all kinds of country music. She loved to sing and spent a lot of time singing in her room, her daddy’s pick up truck and church. After she graduated High School she immediately got married at the age of 18, had kids and put music to the side. About 17 years later now living in Houston, TX she heard the Holy Spirit say ” write a song ” This lead her to Sarah Kelly, 2 time Grammy nominee, music school in Sept 2015. She learned how to write songs, play piano, and record demos. Only 1 year later she released her first single “Irrevocable ” on iTunes and Spotify in August 2016. The Holy Spirit told her to also share her journey and within 1 year she had over 8,000 followers on Instagram. She has played all over the Houston area such as Dossey Doe, Red Brick Tavern, Huti’s and is a worship leader at her home church Champion Life Center. She also performed her new song “Jesus and coffee ” t  his August 2017 on Ealing Broadway street in London, UK. Tiona has performed in front of : -Brad O’Donnell, head of A&R of Capital Christian Music Group -Mike Clink, American record producer -Tobyn Hyman, talent producer for the show The Voice She had a LIVE interview with AVA Live Radio and her single “Irrevocable ” was featured on AVA Live radio as well. Her brand new EP “One of a kind” was just released Aug 1, 2017 on iTunes and Spotify. So what happens when you relinquish all control, step out in faith and obediently follow the Holy Spirit on a completely different path for your life? What does it truly mean to put yourself out there and try something new, despite feeling foolish, in order to see where God is leading you? Join her on this crazy ride and together let’s find out what happens when you surrender to the Holy Spirit and discover Gods plan for your life. https://youtu.be/4KTG_2GIwQc www.twitter.com/tionashari www.facebook.com/TionaCampbell www.instagram.com/tiona_music_journey_ www.tionacampbell.com

Lovey James – Tricks Master Pop Dance Fresh off of being a Top 20 Contestant on FOX’s American Idol, Lovey James continues to shine as one of America’s premier young performers. At a very early age of 6 years old, she was already performing for audiences in her hometown, Portland, OR, and all over the U.S. Now at 18 years old, Lovey continues to command the stage with her contagious upbeat energy and powerhouse vocals.She is currently wrapping up her first self-titled album with reputable music producer, Steve Sundholm who has worked with many A-list talent artists like Carrie Underwood and Hall & Oats. Her album launches this upcoming April and she is beyond excited to share it with friends and family alike. It bridges classic dance pop with vibrant soul. https://www.reverbnation.com/loveyjames/song/28166473-tricks

Dar.Ra – Phenomenal Genre / Sub-genre : Rock Dar.Ra is a really unique songwriter and producer who makes an Amazing blend of Rock and Soul Music  (21st Artists Hollywood) Dar.Ra has been in the industry for a while with hits in the UK and Australia, signed to EMI,Festival and various dance labels over the years, remixing Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Tears 4 Fears, Savage Garden, and writing for Rachel Brown (Faithless, Groove Armada) plus having music on various Hollywood films like ‘Snakes on Planes’ films starring Hilary Duff on ABC TV, Match Of Day (BBC TV) and US Documentary City Of Hope. His first solo album Soul Hours was released in 2010 and made album of the week of Spain’s Heart FM, as well as received support from BBC Radio, playing to over 1 million people on air within a live show. He also has a well received book out called ‘Road Tales’ which has been getting brilliant reviews and is based on people Dar.Ra met while being the road from the late 1990’s to 2008.

https://youtu.be/y84XieBPrew www.kushadeep.co.uk www.facebook.com/kushadeepmusic www.twitter.com/kushadeepmusic

DOCTOR G & FUNKFUSION – VICTIM OF THE SYSTEM Genre: FUNK,HIP HOP New release from Doctor G raising awareness to an important issue that is occurring in our society today. The artist has gained recognition for past controversial song releases such as “Don’t call me Nigga” and is known for his honesty and promotion of social change. SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/album/1QCkOZUw3oTj2VKFIfIFbI?si=BEfqZVGwRxGWNKcwmRD24A SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/doctor-g-funkfusion/victim-of-the-system BAND SITE: http://doctorjsg.wixsite.com/greathouserecordsinc FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Doctor-G-FunkFusion/125424470831273?ref=hl INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/doctorgfunkfusion/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/FunkFusionBand

Ricky Davila –  Insanity Genre: Pop/R&B/Soul Ricky Davila is a Singer-songwriter and Recording Artist from Philadelphia, PA best known for his powerful vocals and soothing timbre. Ricky’s first ever recorded and written song ‘Insanity’ is a about a love that goes passed its breaking point and is also the lead single of his debut EP ‘Brain Activity’. Let his voice take you on a journey. Let his voice be your guide. Reverbnation link: https://www.reverbnation.com/rickydavila/song/25087719-ricky-davila-insanity Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/track/5F8Z6Dtr3g4pu5znReUUY7 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RickyDavilaOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rickydavila\ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/TheRickyDavila

[lewishamledger]

Keeping it reel

Catford Film Club hosts regular sell-out film nights, workshops for budding producers and even a free film festival. Founder Keith Arnold tells us how the community-led club has reconnected SE6 to the silver screen  

Words: Emma Finamore

Photo: Lima Charlie 

Just over 100 years ago, a prominent Italian film distributor called the Marquis Serra launched Catford Studios on the corner of Bromley Road and Whitefoot Lane, where it was based from 1914-21.

Home to the Windsor Film Company, it produced a number of films during the First World War, including silent movie Tom Brown’s School Days and an adaptation of Edgar Wallace’s novel The Man Who Bought London, both released in 1916.

Another of its productions in 1919, titled Not Guilty and Fettered, was described by one film historian as a “sophisticated melodrama with a leaning towards sex and sensation”.

Catford residents of the time could watch films locally at the Electric Picture Palace, which opened at 8 Sangley Road (now a block of flats) in 1909 and welcomed audiences for the next five years.

Its operator, James Watt, also launched the Central Hall Picture House in 1913 on the corner of Sangley and Bromley roads. Renamed the Plaza Cinema in 1932, it was taken over by Union Cinemas and then Associated British Cinemas (ABC) in 1937.

Over the years it screened all the box office hits of the day, including Breakfast at Tiffany’s in 1961 and Superman II 20 years later, before closing in the early 2000s. The building is now home to Christian church and charity UCKG.

Just down the road at 135-137 Rushey Green, the Lewisham Hippodrome was converted into a cinema in 1927 before turning back into a music hall. It then became the Eros Cinema in 1952, but screened its last film, Demons of the Swamp, in 1959.

Next door, rival screen The Gaumont, known as the Queen’s Hall Cinema when it opened in 1913, closed its doors on the same day. Both buildings were knocked down and the site is now occupied by brutalist grade-II-listed tower block Eros House.  

With so many cinematic gems consigned to the history books, it seemed like SE6 might never play host to the silver screen again. But today the area’s relationship with film is flourishing once more, thanks to Catford Film Club.  

Founded by local resident Keith Arnold in October 2015, it has gone from putting on low-key screenings to organising sold-out shows, festivals, workshops and even helping budding filmmakers take their first steps in the industry.

The club began with a screening of 1988 Italian drama, Cinema Paradiso, at the Catford Constitutional Club. Keith, who has a long professional background in film, says: “I had a goal – I wanted to create the perception that Catford is a place for film.”

That one-off screening at the Constitutional turned into five more, and soon Keith put on an ambitious outdoor screening on Culverley Green: a singalong showing of the rock ’n’ roll classic musical Grease.

It aired complete with food and drinks stands, on-screen lyrics for the audience and a proper sound system, helped along by a cash injection from the Catford South Local Assembly fund.

Since then, thanks to Keith and a small but dedicated team of local film-loving volunteers, Catford Film Club has gone to strength to strength and has screened a healthy mix of mainstream movies and independent features.

“The first screening was upstairs at the Constitutional,” says Keith. “That held about 40 people, and after six months we got too big. Now we get 250 people coming to films.”

The month we meet, the group are showing Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (a moving and darkly comic drama from 2017) and Keith reels off some of the other memorable films they’ve shown recently.

They include The Death of Stalin, Hidden Figures, I, Daniel Blake and He Named Me Malala – a documentary about Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teenager who became the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

A recent highlight Keith recalls was a screening of They Will Have to Kill Us First, a documentary about Islamic jihadists’ ban on music in most of Mali, which saw radio stations destroyed and instruments burned. Musicians faced torture or even death.

The screening was accompanied by a Q&A with the filmmaker’s director, Johanna Schwartz. “I just got in touch with her on Twitter,” says Keith. “She said yes, then all I had to do was pay for a cab across town.”

This grassroots, communal approach is what Catford Film Club is all about. “Everyone’s really good and it all works really well,” says Keith. “There are no big egos – it’s very organic.”

It seems very natural for Keith to be involved in a project like this too, given his professional history, which saw him work for 15 years as an independent film producer.

The films were “low budget, but good enough to go out to film festivals”, he says – and were screened at places like London Film Festival, the Washougal International Film Festival and Cannes.

As well as producing and directing independent films, Keith has worked on documentaries (as well as spoof documentaries), horror shorts, music videos and even did special effects on the 1999 James Bond film, The World is Not Enough.

“When I started Catford Film I wanted to make it a place for film, but the idea also came from not having anywhere to show my own films,” he says. “I knew I wanted it to lead up to a film festival, and we managed it in the first nine months.”

The inaugural Catford Free Film Festival – from the team behind Catford Film Club – took place in September 2016 and even in its first incarnation, it was an ambitious event.

There were daily screenings at different Catford venues, filmmaking workshops, children’s activities and a “shorts night” with independent short films, Q&As with the filmmakers and live music.

“The first night of the festival I managed to persuade Catford Broadway [theatre] to give us the venue for free,” says Keith. “The NHS Choir came down on the same night too. It was amazing really – I had to get up and introduce the film, and actually it was my birthday, so the choir dedicated a song to me.”

It seems fitting that the festival opened on a personal note for Keith: he’s lived in the area since moving to Catford from Forest Hill 25 years ago, and wanted to give something back to his community.

“I really like the vibe now,” he says. “For a long time it needed some life – it needed something going on. And now there is, and it feels like Catford Film Club is part of that. Bars, restaurants, arts events – we’ve connected to everyone.”

Keith is proud of what the club has done for the area. “In September Catford becomes a real cultural hub, and we’re a big part of that. I feel like we’ve connected a lot of people together.

“We’ve done so much – two years of filmmaking workshops – editing, creating, scriptwriting, acting – and it’s all free. You have to book a ticket but it’s free, everything is open to anyone.”

An example of how the club has given back to the community is the festival’s annual film challenge. Entrants of all ages are given details such as title and genre – sci-fi, musical, comedy, for example – and have to make a film within a set time frame.

For the last two years it has been 72 hours, but this year Keith plans to reduce that to just 48. The event gives local people a chance to make work in an exciting, challenging way. For some it’s a bit of fun, while for others it’s opening doors to new careers.

“The person who made the winning film last year is now producing his second film,” says Keith. “While he was taking part in the challenge, the Catford regeneration team started documented his work, now they’re supporting him in making a second.”

The team have a busy summer ahead, which will see Catford Film Club continuing to put on screenings and fun events across the area. “It’s going really well,” smiles Keith.

“We do loads of ad hoc screenings on Catford Broadway, like La La Land – we got Electric Pedals [which powers events like festivals, theatres, and film screenings via electricity generated by stationary bikes] and the audience powered the whole thing.”

In June there will also be a shorts night as part of the first ever Catford Fringe Festival, which will feature two hours of short films, with a mix of comedy, drama and sci-fi.

There will be African dance workshops, youth theatre, the London Gypsy Orchestra will perform and visitors can also look forward to a set from hip-hop turntablist, DJ Yoda.

It speaks to something that Keith feels he and his group have been a part of: that Catford is the home of a bourgeoning, and exciting, creative scene. They are now working on the third Catford Free Film Festival, which takes place in September.

Keith says the planning might be a bit more of a challenge this time around, as the grant the group used to bid for is no longer match-funded, so they need to find more cash and are looking for local sponsor.

But he says the group’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts have taken off quite a lot in the last year, which is useful for word-of-mouth advertising – and he’s sure they’ll pull the cat out of the bag: they’ve managed to with everything else.

Keith’s confidence and pride in the Catford Film Club comes from a real love of film. In addition to showing crowd-pleasers (albeit high quality ones) he and the team are mindful to bring audiences an array of genres and budgets.

Keith sees what they do very much through the lens of someone who has always worked in independent film. “I’m very protective of our industry and of our group,” he says. “We are independent and we are doing our own thing.”

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If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of the 2018 Catford Free Film Festival please contact Keith at keith.arnold7@btinternet.com. To donate towards the event, go to facebook.com/catfordfilm

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Welcome to Music Monday when we bring you fun tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. As part of a tribute to June's official birthstone, today's selection from Katy Perry shines the spotlight on pearls.

In the title track from her blockbuster 2008 album One of the Boys, Perry sings about shedding her tomboy image: “I just wanna be one of the girls, pretty in pearls. Not one of the boys.”

Later in the song, she tells a guy who used to treat her like a little sister that he may have a chance to win her heart one day, “But not until you give me my diamond ring.”

In an interview with New York radio station Z100, Perry explained that "One of the Boys" was inspired by her own experiences as an awkward teenager who suddenly transforms into a young woman.

"[It's a] coming-of-age-type song," she said. "Something happens from junior high to high school: We girls start blooming; guys start developing crushes. No longer are we playing dodge ball; we want to sit and paint our fingernails instead."

"One of the Boys" was the first track from Perry's Grammy-nominated second studio album — a release that charted in 14 countries and sold more than seven million copies worldwide.

Born Katheryn Elizabeth "Katy" Hudson in Santa Barbara, Calif., the singer changed her name in the early 2000s so she wouldn't be confused with actress Kate Hudson. The daughter of Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up singing in a church choir, where she developed an affection for gospel music. Perry was dropped by two record labels before going on to sign with Capitol Music Group in 2007.

Over the past decade, the 33-year-old Perry has become one of the most successful musical artists of all time, having sold 100 million records globally. Perry has the distinction of being the most followed celebrity on Twitter. She has 99.2 million followers, narrowly edging out Justin Bieber's 95.7 million.

Please check out the video of Perry’s 2008 live performance of “One of the Boys.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along.

“One of the Boys” Written and performed by Katy Perry.

I saw a spider, I didn’t scream ‘Cause I can belch the alphabet Just double dog dare me And I chose guitar over ballet And I take these suckers down ‘Cause they just get in my way

The way you look at me is kinda like a little sister Your high five, your goodbyes And it leaves me nothing but blisters

[Chorus:] So I don’t wanna be one of the boys One of your guys Just give me a chance to prove to you tonight That I just wanna be one of the girls Pretty in pearls Not one of the boys

So over the summer something changed I started reading “Seventeen” and shaving my legs And I studied “Lolita” religiously And I walked right into school and caught you staring at me

‘Cause I know what you know But now you’re gonna have to take a number It’s OK Maybe one day But not until you give me my diamond ring

[Chorus:] 'Cause I don't wanna be one of the boys One of your guys Just give me a chance to prove to you tonight That I just wanna be your homecoming queen Pin-up poster dream Not one of the boys

I wanna be a flower Not a dirty weed I wanna smell like roses Not a baseball team And I swear maybe one day you're gonna Wanna make out, make out, make out with me

(Don't wanna be) don't wanna be (Don't wanna be) don't wanna be (Don't wanna be)

[Chorus:] 'Cause I don't wanna be one of the boys One of your guys Just give me a chance to prove to you tonight That I just wanna be one of the girls Pretty in pearls And not one of the boys

Credit: Image by Lordnikon (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

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Christmas Songs for Guitar

Do you love listening to Christmas music? In that case, you're definitely not alone. Now that we're main up to the precise holiday season, extra retailers, radio stations, stores and even restaurants are playing prime Christmas songs. Among the many songs which might be played and enjoyed this time of year are the following three well-liked songs "White Christmas", "I am going to Be Residence For Christmas", and "The Christmas Music (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fireplace)". Well known for his or her authentic recordings by Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole, we continue to take pleasure in these songs by the vacation season.

Details about every of those songs together with the authors, the singers which might be most identified with each tune, and current and different well-known recording artists shall be shared in this article. If you learn by means of to the end of this text, you will uncover find out how to get data on other top Christmas songs including classic, Christian, and Christmas songs for youths.

White Christmas

The most well-liked of Christmas songs was written by Irving Berlin. The track "White Christmas" is called essentially the most recorded Christmas track with nicely over 500 variations in dozens of languages. It is considered by some to be the perfect-selling single of all time.

Bing Crosby Version With estimated sales of over 50 million copies worldwide, Bing Crosby is the most well known singer of this tune. Crosby first carried out the music on Christmas Day, 1941. In 1942 Crosby's recording was featured in the film Vacation Inn and rose in popularity and on the music charts to the number one place.

Different and Recent Recordings In 1957 Elvis Presley recorded the music for his "Elvis' Christmas Album", more moderen artists who've recorded the track include Linda Ronstadt (2000), Andrea Bocelli (2009), and Boy George (2009).

I am going to Be Residence For Christmas

The supply of the songs lyrics are considerably controversial with an initial copyright date of 1943 by James Kim Gannon and Walter Kent. The original author nonetheless was regarded as Buck Ram who stated he wrote the words while away at college as a college scholar. Early recordings of the music often credit all three as writer for the song, whereas other recordings are identified to credit solely Kim Gannon, and Walter Kent.

In 1943 "I am going to Be Home For Christmas" joined "White Christmas" as considered one of America's hottest holiday songs. It's recognized to have been a favourite requested track by army personnel during World War II.

Bing Crosby VersionRecorded and popularized by Bing Crosby in 1943, and has obtained particular recognition to his recording conducting much for army morale.

Different and Recent RecordingsThe songs different familiar recognized recordings are by Perry Como (1946) and Frank Sinatra (1957). Latest recordings include well-liked favorites Michael Buble, Jimmy Buffett, Harry Connick Jr., Whitney Houston, and Amy Grant. Different identified artists with recordings of "I'll be House For Christmas" include Johnny Money, Toby Keith, Carrie Underwood, and Josh Groban.

The Christmas Track (Chestnuts Roasting on an open fire)

"The Christmas Tune" was written in 1944 by vocalist Mel Torme with co-writer Bob Wells. Written during a sizzling summer day, the lyrics were meant to reap the benefits of the mind being cooled off with snow, Eskimos and other cold climate ideas. Although originally recorded by The Nat King Cole Trio, Mel Torme recorded his personal variations in 1954, 1965, and 1992.

Nat King Cole Version The popular Nat King Cole model was recorded in 1946 and in 1974 was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. There were subsequent recording of the song by Nat Cole including the track's first magnetic tape recording in 1953, and it first being recorded in stereo in 1961.

Other and Current Recordings

Artists from many genres of music over a few years have recorded this track including Donna Summer season, Wynonna Judd, India Arie and Stevie Marvel, Aaron Neville, Bob Dylan. Hootie & the Blowfish, Charlotte Church, and Celine Dion.

If you happen to wouldn't have these high 10 Christmas songs in your vacation music assortment, you might be missing out on the true classics. Discover out what these top 10 Christmas songs are and the best way to get them instantly.

This year, new artists can be putting out their versions of basic Christmas songs and I'll hearken to all of them. It's at all times attention-grabbing to hear a new tackle previous classics. Nonetheless, many of the Prime Promoting Christmas Songs for 2009 will be the ones that you have come to know and love over time, the Christmas songs that have withstood the test of time. In this article, I'm going to tell you my picks for the highest 10 traditional Christmas songs.

Leading off the group is Nat King Cole. Taken from what I contemplate to be one of the Best Christmas Albums of all time, "The Christmas Music" just isn't only the album title but the name of the song. Initially recorded in 1946, this music remains to be one of the prime promoting Christmas songs in the marketplace.

The Vince Guaraldi Trio is available in at number 2 on our listing. The identify might not be acquainted to you but their songs certain are. This tune, choice #2, known as "Christmastime is Here". Does it not ring a bell? How about if I let you know that it comes from the album entitled "A Charlie Brown Christmas"? Released in 1965, this music continues to be a holiday bestseller.

Can chipmunks do Christmas? You bet they will. "The Chipmunk Music" is rated #three of the all time traditional Christmas songs.

Bing Crosby comes in at quantity 4 with "White Christmas". Launched manner back in 1945, this song is the essence of Christmas. Christmas Song 2017 It comes from the album of the same name and remains the very best promoting Christmas album of all time.

Eartha Kitt enters the listing at quantity 5 with her rendition of "Santa Baby". Launched in 1953, the track hearkens back to a day when a sluggish seductive beat, mixed with an incredible female voice, made for intoxicating music. In "Santa Baby", Eartha Kitt, as the voice of all girls, asks for probably the most extravagant presents using all her feminine wiles. Ladies, carry out this tune to your men this Christmas and you will obtain each present your coronary heart needs!

At #6, we have now Dean Martin singing "Child, It's Cold Outdoors". The lovable Dean Martin is somebody that belongs in every Christmas collection. Pour yourself a stiff eggnog and take heed to Dean Martin for the Holidays.

A Christmas can't be spent with out the Christmas hymns of Andy Williams. At #7, now we have "The Most Fantastic Time Of The Year". Written and performed in 1963, this track has grow to be a Christmas staple. How applicable as a result of Christmas is really "The Most Fantastic Time Of The 12 months".

The "Twelve Days of Christmas" dropped at you by Ray Conniff & The Ray Conniff Singers is quantity #8 on the record of the highest basic Christmas songs. Everyone knows this one and it belongs in every assortment.

It is a list of my favourite pop Christmas music! These songs have been released between the years 1958-2004. They're, in my opinion, the perfect pop Christmas songs if narrowed down to solely ten slots. Some you'll have heard earlier than, some I hopefully introduce to you. With out additional ado, I current some of the greatest Christmas songs from the pop genre! Take pleasure in!

"Feliz Navidad" by Jose Feliciano (1970) This rendition has change into of the most well-liked Latin Christmas songs of all time. Whereas elements are sang in Latin, it additionally has English lyrics within the refrain, which is nice for singing alongside for individuals who speak English!

Santa Baby" by Kylie Minogue (2003) This can be a in style Christmas time song with slightly twist of sexy by Kylie Minogue. Great music for modern Christmas events, particularly for the grownup crowd!

Christmas Song" by Bing Crosby & Dean Martin (1972) Just a great feeling song! Just hearing it jogs my memory of Christmas morning, opening presents with the little ones with smiles of excitement! And who better than Mr. Bing Crosby and "Ol' Blue Eyes"?

All I Want for Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey (1994) Great upbeat Christmas tune! This tune has superior harmonies and nice vocals about the holiday season. It provides a very good "care-free" Christmas feeling!

Gabriel's Message" by Sting (1987) World-renowned British artist, Sting, created an amazing "Christmas-conventional" sounding masterpiece! I just want the tune was slightly longer in length!

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee (1958) A "happy" Christmas music that did not hit it large "commercially" till 1960, this pop tune has grow to be fashionable amongst many generations so far. It also has been featured in numerous Christmas motion pictures.

Grandma Obtained Run Over By a Reindeer" by Elmo and Patsy (1983) Great humor with this track! I've listened to this music since I used to be a bit youngster. This song is still sang yearly amongst my family and still makes me snigger just as a lot as the first time I heard it!

Christmas Canon Rock" by Trans-Siberian Orchestra (2004) This orchestra gives a extremely great inspirational sound in this pop/rock Christmas tune. I can take heed to this tune on a regular basis while watching the snow fall by the nice and cozy fireplace! No better holiday feeling! This

music can be featured in my Prime 10 Rock Christmas Songs!

Merry Christmas, Glad Holidays" by N'SYNC (1998) One in every of my favourite Christmas songs! It is up tempo and it offers a wonderful feeling in your Christmas! Sometimes I hearken to this music even when it is not Christmas time!

Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Assist (1985) This tune is considered one of my favorites especially due to the message behind it. Apart from the message, this is an awesome music with an awesome line-up of pop superstars! All-time basic!

This versatility of the acoustic guitar has endeared this instrument to musicians around the globe. Whatever the purpose, holiday gatherings often encourage guitarists to accompany both track and dance. What extra musically charged time of the year than Christmas? Guitar Christmas songs is usually a central, uniting part of any Christmas gathering. And so, to have a good time the time of the 12 months and our instrument of alternative, here is a listing of our five favourite Christmas songs for guitar.

Prime Five Christmas Songs for Guitar

Feliz Navidad The 1970 model of Feliz Navidad by Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Jose Feliciano became virtually an overnight hit. Feliciano's model of this traditional is without doubt one of the most downloaded Christmas songs of all time. The song grew to become so standard that it has been recorded by multiple artists, every including their very own special flare. But no matter who plays it, the tune's simplicity and clear message make it a well-liked song that can fly straight to the heart.

Silent Night time The original lyrics of Silent Night time had been written in German by an Austrian priest (Father Joseph Mohr) and the melody was composed by Franx Xaver Gruber. The popularity of this Christmas carol has not abated over the past 200 years. It conveys the spirit of the season without making a difficulty of theological beliefs, specializing in the love of a mother for her youngster. Almost a lullaby, it touches the heart, is easy to play, and the tune and phrases are recognized by many. Apparently, the version of the melody that's sung in the present day is rather slower than the original Gruber model which was a moderately upbeat dance tune.

Winter Wonderland The song 'Winter Wonderland' was first revealed in 1934 and made widespread by subsequent recordings by each the Andrews Sisters and Perry Como. However like so lots of the Christmas favorites, Winter Wonderland has been remade by many artists over 50 years. Perhaps the best version - particularly for acoustic guitar - is the 2004 version recorded by Jason Mraz, an American singer-songwriter born and raised in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Mraz achieved acclaim by his combination of types; reggae, rock, pop, jazz, folks, hip hop, even bossa nova as a way to make a truly distinctive sound.

Grandma Received Run Over by a Reindeer A novelty guitar Christmas music written by Randy Brooks and originally recorded by the Irish Rovers, this extremely amusing, straightforward-to-play music is, due to its bone-tickling lyrics, positive to be a favorite wherever it's played.

There is a Light The power pop band We the Kings from Bradenton, Florida recorded the tune "There's a Gentle" on their 2007 Secret Valentine Album. Directly easy and touching, There's a Gentle brings to mind the Christmases of childhood and the joy and expectation associated with the holiday. The attract of this tune is that it conveys the spirit of Christmas with out being a redundant Christmas tune that everyone has heard a million occasions.