Yes, that really is what they are singing

Lyrics in popular music can often turn out to be not quite what you thought. Sometimes they really are,  however. I've been listening to an early Norah Jones track with the Peter Malick Group - Things you don't have to do - for some time now and just subliminally taking in the reference to Benny Hinn but then wondering if I was imagining it.. I just checked and it really is there.

Bill, doesn't call me anymore

I hear, he's found religion.

He's watchin' Benny Hinn

With a big blonde-haired apprentice beautician.

All the words and gesticulations that came before,

They don't seem to mean a thing

You can feel fine to drop a dime

If you're ever hanging by a string.

Ain't it just a little scary sometimes

To find the lies that you know to be true

Find you smiling about

Things you don't have to do

Things you don't have to do

Pop Cultured by Steve Turner

This book subtitled Thinking Christianly about style, media and entertainment is aimed at a younger audience than I represent (57 y o in 2025 when I read it) but it was good just to go through things with a man who knows his culture and (it seems) his Bible. After three chapters of introduction he looks at cinema, journalism, fame, fashion, thrill seeking, comedy, advertising, technology and photography before a final moan about how bad it is Christian-wise in the world of TV and movies and a final chapter on what to do. Each chapter ends with discussion/reflection questions, book and website suggestions and things to do suggestions. You could spend ten years on a book like this! It's good to know that books like this are coming out.

Multicultural London

London's multicultural nature is all around us but occasionally you notice it in particular. Last Saturday I walked past our nearest Hindu Temple and could hear music. There was  obviously a big event going on there. I supposed the music must be Indian but on closer inspection I saw there was a pipe band in full regalia roasting under the sun. Apparently the band is South Asian and makes use of Indian Dhols with more traditional Scots drums.

Then today I saw in a local Costa (an Italian company founded in London that employs mostly East Europeans) a notice saying that they are opening until 10 pm for Ramadan, which begins today.

Bang to Rights

Came across this today looking for a sermon illustration. Armstrong and Miller are not always safe but this is and very funny.

Dexy's

Two of the boys were playing guess that tune last night with the ipod and I happened to hear just two opening bass notes of song and was immediately able to guess it. It was Come on Eileen by Dexy's Midnight Runners - not a song I own though a popular one and one I like. It's a tribute to the writer's skill and a reminder of how much is in our brains that we are hardly aware of.

Shakespearean Pub Landlord

Happened to see this Friday. Al Murray is a genius and streets ahead of BBC's alternative Jonathan Ross (although neither programme can be recommended because of the content). To see the genius with this clip you really have to wait until 2:11 where out of nowhere Murray launches into the seven ages of man speech from Shakespeare's As You Like It. It's another example of the low and high brow that I find so amusing.