#Blogtober2021 Day Almost the End: “#FridayFeed Videodrome–THE REVENGE!”

How’s that for a title!

Hey gang, I figured it was about time for another #FridayFeed post, and I have a bunch of videos I’ve collected over the last few weeks that you may enjoy, so here’s your bit of weekend entertainment.

Hit me up in the comments and let me know your favorite. Leggo!

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I’m a fan of Doctor Who (at least up until the current incarnation which is…not good). This video explores what may be one of my very favorite episodes of New-Who, featuring what is probably my favorite version of The Doctor from this era of the show). This may not interest you if you’re not familiar with Who, but it does provide a great analysis of how science fiction can be used to examine themes like loss.

I first saw Sam Perry on the Austrailian version of the TV show The Voice. This Beatles cover is stellar.

If there’s any possible way to redeem a Nickelback song, Alex Melton’s the guy to do it.

I loved this video about how lo-fi music works. It totally makes sense why I love it when I’m trying to pull a late-night work session.

Okay, one more Peter Capaldi clip because seriously, this dude just kills it as The Doctor. You don’t need context for this one, but I just love this monologue (one of the very few moments of the show that breaks the fourth wall).

You’ve probably heard the story of how Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater production of War of the Worlds created a nationwide panic. Well, the truth is…probably not that extreme. However, this retrospective of the broadcast and aftermath (from “Inside a Mind”) is fascinating and well worth your time, exploring a possible reason why that panic myth was spread.

And if you’re interested in listening to the WotW broadcast in its entirety, here you go:

Austin McConnell’s video on why escape rooms sometimes don’t work or aren’t done well is interesting (although he doesn’t give much in the way of recommendations for how to make them better). Still, worth a look if you’re into that.

POMPLAMOOSE / MOBY – “Extreme Ways” — SO. GOOD.

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That’s it, gang. Have a great weekend. I’ll have something new for you next week!

Friday Feed (8/13/2021)

Happy Friday, friends! I’m back with a few tasty treats for your end-of-the-week enjoyment. And hey, not just videos, how ’bout that! Here we go!

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Back in May, Kevin DeYoung wrote this thoughtful piece about complementarianism. I don’t think I’ve shared it before, but it’s worth a look if you haven’t read it yet.

Last summer, Jack Butler wrote about the 10-year anniversary of the LOST finale. He’s right: it was better than a lot of people give it credit for.

Last year, Tim Challies shared some really funny “bad reviews” of really good books. It’s always a good reminder to me to take online ratings with a grain (or tablespoon) of salt.

Garrett O’Hara over at Things Above Us does yeoman’s work in examining the recent accusations that Voddie Baucham misrepresented quotes and sources in his most recent book, Fault Lines. I appreciate Garrett’s down-the-middle approach, as opposed to the team-based point-scoring that’s been going on from both sides of this issue.

With his usual rhetorical insight, Carl Trueman cuts right to the heart of Joshua Harris’ most recent venture: making people’s religious “deconstruction” journeys all about…Joshua Harris.

Collin Hansen and Jonathan Leeman channel the Rolling Stones a bit by reminding us that we don’t get the church what we want… but we get the church we need. (Ooooooh, yay-yeah.)

Back at the end of June, Rod Dreher talked to a couple of anonymous professionals about working inside a “woke” corporation. Some interesting observations here. (Gotta admit, some of this feels very familiar.)

From last May, a tribute by Andrew Donaldson at OT about why Chick-Fil-A seems to be so successful, even in hard times: it’s about treating people like people.

This post, reflecting on one of the stories of 9/11 twenty years later, is a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, but it’s a worthwhile read.

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And now, because I know you love it (I do, too!): The video round-up!

(Minor note: Some of these may have some inappropriate language; I honestly don’t remember. I don’t typically like to share clips with a lot of profanity, so I doubt I would have saved these links if there were a lot here. But I can’t recall for sure, so use your judgment and your headphones, just in case.)

I found out about “blaseball” a few weeks ago, and I’m intrigued and bewildered–in a really good way.

This video blew my mind a bit: how Jon Favreau’s indie gem Chef is really about…Iron Man?

I am become a fan of the channel “Full-Fat Videos.” I think they do great work there, and this video about Doctor Who and the introduction of the Eleventh Doctor is bang-on.

And finally, a clip from France’s version of The Voice.

A bit of explanation: I’ve become a fan of watching clips from all versions of The Voice, including all the international versions. I’m a sucker for it. I really tear up when the friends and family members of the performers start crying when their loved one gets a chair to turn during the audition. Ugh. Kills me. Anyway, this song popped up on a few different playlists, and I was mesmerized. It’s a beautiful track that carries a lot of emotion. In the clip, you see that the bald judge (Pascal Obispo) is moved to tears. As it happens, it’s *his* song, a song that became an unexpected hit in France and one that carries a lot of importance for him. The lyrics of the song talk about the passage of time and ephemeral nature of love, and the name “Lucie” happens to be the name of his beloved grandmother (though, from what I read, the original version of the song had a different name before he was presented with it). Anyway, you don’t need to know all that to get the vibe. This is a beautiful track, and I wanted to share it with you. Enjoy.

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That’s it. Happy weekend, everyone!

Saturday Videodrome Redux! (7/17/2021)

Happy…uh, SATURDAY, friends!

Hope your weekend is starting off great. My week has been a wild one (including one of my kids needing an emergency visit at the pediatric dentist–YIKES), but I’m excited for the weekend.

Here to help you get the fun started is another round of video recommendations from yours truly–the weird, wild, and goofy things I’ve collected from Youtube over the last couple of weeks. Hope you enjoy!

**Analyzing a lesser-known Twilight Zone episode set at Christmastime:**

**The story behind Radiohead’s original version of the theme song for the James Bond film Spectre, and why it’s better than Sam Smith’s song.**

Here’s the full track by Radiohead:

Another “Inside A Mind” video–this time about a wild ARG connected to a TV show (and Jason Segel).

I shared a video last time about Meow Wolf’s latest art experience, “Omega Mart.” Here’s a full walk-through, for those of us who will never make it out to Las Vegas to see it for ourselves.

If you haven’t seen In the Heights yet, this is spoilery, but it’s a neat examination of how the movie and stage show differ. I haven’t see the movie yet, but couldn’t help myself and had to dig in, and I think this is pretty cool, if true.

Okay, guilty pleasure admission: I love all the international versions of the music competition show The Voice. You can find the coolest performances and covers on these other versions. Here’s a neat cover of “Seven Nation Army” on The Voice of Ukraine that I was not expecting AT ALL. (You can click this link here if you don’t want to watch the 2-minute pre-roll package that’s entirely in Ukrainian.)

(Yes, the guy is a total goob. But the arrangement is dope–and sounds like it could be a stadium anthem for a World Cup match.)

And finally, one more tune: Let me leave you with the Power of Love. Have a good weekend, everybody!

Friday Feed Videodrome! (6/25/2021)

Hi friends! Wow, it’s been a crazy month–but crazy in a rather mundane way, to be honest. The busyness of life is the business of living, yeah? (I think I just made that up; feel free to quote me.)

I actually have a handful of half-written posts that I just haven’t been able to get back to and finish (and frankly, some of them may now be too irrelevant to follow to completion). But starting next week, I’m hoping to put up at least 1 non-#FridayFeed post per week, for at least the rest of the summer. Hold me to that.

In the meantime, how about a slew of entertaining and/or informative videos? I’ve collected a bunch that I think you might enjoy. (And because it’s late at night as I’m typing this, my headings are all a bit goofy. Oh, well.)

Have a great weekend!

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Dip it in the ranch!

Mostly peaceful!

Laid-back tunes from Tyler of TOP!

Space-rock, Melodicka style!

LMM’s Theatrical Genius!

More of Lin’s Genius on Display!

Wait for it…

Trippy Art Experience!

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Your turn: Found anything unique or cool on the internet? Consider the com-box your opportunity for show and tell!

Friday Feed (05/21/2021)

Hey gang! It’s been a while! How is everyone, good? Good.

Here’s a round-up of interesting links and insightful videos I’ve enjoyed over the last several weeks. Take a look and, if you could, let me know in the comments which (if any?) of these links you found interesting or helpful. I would appreciate the feedback so I can tailor these posts to be more beneficial to you!

Here we go:

Kevin DeYoung has a much-deserved reputation of being thoughtful, careful, and pastoral in his writing. This critical review of a recent book on the theological case for reparations is no different. Well worth reading.
Micah Meadowcroft at The American Conservative reminds readers to go live a little.
The McKays at AoM make a good case for bringing back the kids’ table (allowing the grown-ups to talk amongst themselves).
Please don’t fall for C19 disinformation, such as misinformation about clinical trials and misunderstandings about genetic research. Live not by memes. Keep digging instead of just accepting what sounds good. Please.
It’s always good to hear a timely word from Charles Spurgeon.
Cal Newport reminds us that favorable conditions rarely (if ever) arrive.
Fun with timestamps! This is the type of thing I loved to share in my earliest days of blogging, so I can’t resist sharing it now.

Let’s close out with an extra-large slate of videos for your lunchtime viewing:

1. I read House of Leaves more than 15 years ago, and I can still remember the very real paranoia and unsettledness that the story and its writing style gave me. It’s not for everyone–there was definitely some “adult”/inappropriate content in there, so I don’t recommend it for everyone. But I agree with this video that it’s one of the most unique reading experiences I’ve ever had.

2. Is this a pretty accurate jab at Doctor Who? Yes. Yes it is.

3. The FEE folks make another good point about how much questionable behavior we gloss over in fictional entertainment because “it’s the good guy doing it.” This time, they focus on Batman’s rampant violations of Gothamites’ privacy:

4. Gen-X anthem? Let’s GOOOOOOOO!!!

5. Another great FEE video on how Avengers: Age of Ultron is a lot more important than most MCU fans realized, and how it has quite a bit to say about our current culture:

6. And finally, what may be my new favorite music video on YT–turning the soundtrack of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time into a 30-minute prog-rock experience. OUT. STANDING.

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That’s all I’ve got, folks. Have a great weekend, and I’ll be back next week. (No really, I mean it this time.)

Friday Feed (4/16/2021)

Happy Friday, friends! I have a handful of pretty cool links for your weekend perusal. I’d love to know if you enjoyed any of these in particular, so feel free to drop me a comment and let me know what you think! Here we go!

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Brett and Kate McKay over at AoM discuss how to read self-help books so that they actually, ya know, *help*.

Jon Brodkin at Ars Technica shares the details of a spooky story about how easily hackers can get into your text messages.
Rod Dreher at The American Conservative argues that Ibram X. Kendi’s “anti-racism” leads to an anti-Gospel message, as Kendi himself seems to reject the “savior theology” that’s at the heart of orthodox Christianity.
I’ve suggested previously that Turner Classic Movies’ “Reframed” film series is one way to avoid the whole-cloth “cancelling” of past-era media that is out of step with current mores. Armond White at National Review disagrees, arguing it’s still a step in that direction.
As stated in earlier posts, I’m very much pro-life and against abortion. Ben Shapiro at The Daily Wire examines some “abortion myths” worth questioning. No matter what you think of Shapiro himself, his arguments are worth engaging and considering.
Eric Cunningham at Ordinary Times thinks you should give Man of Steel another look, and so do I. I don’t understand the online animus against the film that, while imperfect, was still really stinking good.
One more from Rod Dreyer, recounting a conversation with two young men about social credit systems and promoting a cutesy but chilling little graphic novel called “Lovely People.” Definitely read the post, and double-definitely download and read the graphic novel. Social credit systems are a serious threat to freedom, and I think it’s incumbent upon free people to resist even the whiff of such corporate fascism.
Someone online recommended this YT creator called “Nando v Movies” in which Nando re-writes or reconsiders plotlines to films and TV and offers suggested endings. In his “Rewriting Wandavision’s Finale” episode (which raises a lot of good points, actually), one comment he made jumped out at me. As Wanda is walking out of Westview, Monica says “They’ll never know what you sacrificed for them.” Wanda replies, “It won’t change how they see me.” Nando quotes a Reddit meme suggesting that it should be changed to “It won’t change what I did,” and then goes on to talk about how Wanda never really takes responsibility for the Hex. I hadn’t thought about that before, but he’s right: she does release the people and tries to “fix” the damage, but she never seems to take actual responsibility for it. The whole show focuses on how much Wanda was hurting, but it never really acknowledges how much she hurt other people in the process. Kinda reframes the whole thing, to be honest. Anyway, check out the video and let me know what you think. (Oh! He’s got another good one about how “The Falcon and Winter Soldier” showrunners likely had to scrap and rewrite a whole plotline that was about a bioweapon and pandemic. Crazy!)
Any discussion of the MCU shows would be remiss without a hat-tip to the recently-released #ZemoCut. Get down with your baron-self, Zemo!
Mark Rober is a national treasure. It’s good to know he’s still out there, fighting against scammers with glitter and fart spray.
And finally: Anthony Vincent is low-key one of my favorite vocalists on Youtube. Here, he joins the band “First to Eleven” to reimagine a classic:

And here he joins the Melodicka Bros to cover SOAD:

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There you have it. Talk to you next week, friends!

Friday Feed (2/19/2021)

Happy Friday, friends!

It’s been a wild week here at the 4thDave homestead, as wintery weather has knocked out power and weakened water supplies in my home state (where the stars at night are big and bright *clap clap clap clap*). My planned posts need to be bumped as other things take precedence.

In the meantime, here are a few links I’ve enjoyed recently. Have a great weekend and stay warm!

Pastor James Coates is the pastor of Grace Life Church in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. His church has been meeting without following the restrictions imposed by the local government, which the congregation argues is not consistent with the facts on the ground about C19 spread in their area and which, they argue, oversteps the government’s realm of authority. As a result, Coates has been fined, warned, and finally arrested. The Cripplegate has some good coverage of the arrest, as well as some of the response and online pushback. I have to admit, I’ve gone back and forth on this, primarily because each side of this discussion is framing their position as unassailable and their opponents as deceitful, when the reality is that both “sides” seem to be shading the truth to their advantage. (Example: I’ve seen many people say that Coates was jailed for “preaching the Gospel.” That’s just not true; he was jailed specifically for violating the local restrictions in order to gather as a church. He could preach the Gospel online, or to a handful of people, and not be arrested for the same reasons–IOW, it’s not the content of his preaching that got him arrested, or the fact that he was preaching. It’s because he and his congregation made the choice to meet. That’s their right to act in line with their convictions, but let’s be honest about the reasons.) All of this raises some good questions about the right limits of government authority and the necessity of gathering as the Church–questions that will continue to be discussed for months to come.
On that same topic, Alistair Begg has some good words about the importance of church attendance.
From the “Things that will get me called a RINO” file: I like Jonah Goldberg a lot. In the landscape of political pundits, I find myself agreeing with him the most often. Here, he argues that the answer to the craziness and stupidity conservatives see on the political left is not to create their own party of craziness and stupidity on the Right. The best response is to be boring grown-ups. (I’d LOVE to be part of the Boring Grown-up Party for a change.)
Seth Godin has a few words on “the pinging.”
Two great song covers for your enjoyment:

Have a great weekend, y’all!

Friday Feed (1/29/2021)

Photo by Ir Solyanaya on Pexels.com — It’s not this cold where I am, but it feels this cold in my office at the moment.

Happy Friday, fam! Here are some interesting things I’ve found on the internet in recent weeks, for your weekend enjoyment.

I’ve been enjoying some animated short films recently, and I stumbled upon this one that I quite liked.
One of my favorite Sondheim musicals is Company, and this video from a few years back provides a nice analysis of what makes the musical work and how it’s been reimagined over the years.
I noted in an earlier Friday Feed that you can use people’s end-of-year book lists to figure out some solid picks by looking for repeat mentions. Well, Tim Challies does just that by giving you the consensus picks for best Christian books of 2020.
Last March, the folks at 9Marks listened to the most popular preachers in the country to find out what they had in common. The results were…not great. But it is instructive for those who have the ministry of preaching and teaching.
Cal Newport makes some observations about how working remotely may make it easier for people to demand more of you.
One more from Cal: a thought experiment about a chaotic factory.
This Art of Manliness post on the mid-life transition of a man’s life really resonates.
Samuel Sey warns that some attempts to be “anti-racist” may end up making you more racist.
Ted left Twitter. He suggests some good reasons why.
One more from Challies: this time, about worrying over the things we can’t control. Definitely need to read this from time to time.
“This is the part of the song that’s really quiet…”

That’s it for this week. See you next week! (How is it already almost February?!?)

Friday Feed (12/11/2020)

*Not my workspace (I wish!).*
Photo by Andrea Davis on Pexels.com

Happy Friday, friends! Here’s a quick round-up of things I’ve been reading and enjoying lately, for your weekend clicks.

As a father of small children who has the privilege of working from home, interruptions are a regular part of life. This reminder from Scott Hubbard to slow down is an important balance to my typical reading about being more productive.
David French writes about the unfortunate case of Carl Lentz and the dangers of Christian celebrity, especially for pastors.
Denny Burk provides some thoughtful consideration about the post-election confusion and why conservatives have been habituated to distrust the mainstream media.
Greg Morse at Desiring God writes about “the offense of masculinity” and That Hideous Strength.
Stephen Shoemaker at Ordinary Times re-examines the shooting of Tamir Rice on the sixth anniversary of his death. I’ll admit, I didn’t know much about the context of his death, but this article raises some important questions to consider in the conversation about policing.
Matthew Stokes at OT reminds us to stop ruining Christmas and let people enjoy things. I generally agree (with the exception of the song “Christmas Shoes”).
Brett McKay at AoM provides one of my favorite types of list posts: 30+ tricks, games, and stunts to play with kids. Lots of family fun here.
Also from Art of Manliness: a very helpful post about how to choose a biography to read, which considers how the writing of biographies has changed over time. Good points to consider here.
It’s end-of-the-year book list season, so here are some lists from Tim Challies, Russell Moore, Trevin Wax, Darryl Dash, and Jared Wilson. While I don’t necessarily recommend all the books they do, one way to sift through these lists is to look for which books come up repeatedly. That’s usually a good indicator of a book that’s well worth your time.
Sam Emadi at 9Marks recommends these books specifically for pastors.
If you’re ready to ramp up your reading in 2021, Tim Challies has released his 2021 Reading Challenge list and thrown down the gauntlet.
And finally, a bit of viral internet fun: I’m a bit sad I had never heard of Henri (“le Chat Noir”) before, but this article commemorating his internet-famous feline life was a fun read.

That’s all for this week. Have a great weekend!

Friday MegaFeed (12/4/2020)

Photo by Athena on Pexels.com – Not my actual desktop!

Happy Friday, friends, and Happy December!

I got a little backed up on my posting, so today, let’s just knock out some of my “Friday Feed” backlog, huh? Here are a bunch of links I’ve been compiling over the last few months that I’ve been meaning to serve up for your weekend edu-tainment and encouragement. I think they’re pretty neat. Hope you do, too!

Let’s gooooooooooooo!

Back in October, Jack Butler at the National Review looked at how 1984 and Brave New World both pointed to a similar possible future for our culture.
Speaking of which: Denny Burk addresses the semi-recent “2+2=5” discussion.
Jaybird at Ordinary Times posits what a “dystopian leftist culture” would be like. (It’s not what you’re thinking, and it’s MUCH closer to reality if you’re on social media much these days.)
I’ll go out on this limb with Youtuber “Second Chance”: Josie and the Pussycats was a fantastic and misunderstood film. SC gives you a 30-minute breakdown as to why.
Breaking news from the Department of Obvious Things: I’m pretty hyped about Seth Godin’s new book.
Speaking of Seth: here’s a helpful reminder that we like what we choose to like.
The eloquent Samuel Sey asks, “Are women too weak to overcome adversity?” His answer should be obvious, but it’s his application that really sings.
My dude Michael Coughlin brings conviction about keeping your word and not using God’s sovereignty as a backdoor escape hatch in this excellent TAU piece.
Here’s an excellent critical review of White Fragility by Denny Burk.
Kevin DeYoung considers the question of preaching without notes. As a recently-converted “manuscript guy,” I can see both sides of the issue. Personally, I’m going to stick to manuscripting and just work on my delivery when I have the opportunity.
This video by Youtuber “Savage Books” provides really insightful analysis of how the writer of John Wick used dialogue to establish his terrifying protagonist. (Strong language warning.)
KC Proctor has some really important reminders for maintaining your mental and professional well-being if you get laid off.
Back in March, Caleb Morell at 9 Marks gave some historical context about how churches responded to the Spanish Flu of 1918. Given how much things have morphed from March to December of 2020, this article may not be 100% applicable anymore, but we can use it as a datapoint for fleshing out our thinking, can’t we?
Also back in March, Darryl Dash gave these exhortations to both pastors and parishoners about this challenging season. They still apply. (And I’ll co-sign his recommendation of Dane Ortlund’s Gentle and Lowly.)
I found this Tim Challies article from August in my link folder, and my heart just ached for him anew. (For those who don’t know, the Challies’ son Nick, whom Tim mentions dropping off at school in the post, died suddenly a month ago of an undiagnosed heart condition [if memory serves].) If you haven’t read Tim Challies’ blog before, or haven’t read it lately, take some time to read through the posts related to Nick’s death. The reason I suggest this isn’t morbid curiosity or tacky onlooking, but to point you to Tim’s living example of how a rock-solid conviction of Biblical truth is an undeniable comfort and aid in even the darkest valleys of suffering. I can’t imagine what Tim and Aileen are going through–I shudder to even attempt such a mental exercise. But when I see them fighting tooth-and-claw to hold onto hope in the midst of such a tragedy, I can’t help but praise God for His mercy and comfort in our times of greatest need.

That’s all I have at the moment. Have a great weekend, my friends. See you back here next week!