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This week I’m sharing with you my “Five favorite albums that aren’t available on Napster but are available on Imeem”. So if we’re going to do this, let’s start it off right…

In Rainbows was released by Radiohead in October ’07 as a pay-what-you want download through the band’s personal website, to the delight of fans across the globe and the chagrin of many a major label. For better or worse most of the chatter about this album centered around the band’s unique distribution and marketing plan for the record, but let’s face it – this is likely the best album of 2007 and ranks up there in the category of masterpiece amongst the band’s catalog to date.

“Bodysnatchers” is a powerful track – reminiscent of the title track from 1995’s The Bends – and best listened with headphones to hear some amazing stereo perspective on the dueling guitar riffs. High point of the album for me is the sequence of “Faust Arp” followed by “Reckoner” – tracks perfect for a rainy spring day, or a drive through the country.

Enjoy the music….

Click here if the player is not showing in your feed.

And I am a Christian because I believe.

The Bible tells me that whoever believes in Christ as Savior will have eternal life. I believe this.

But why?

The short answer is that I don’t know why I believe. The Bible is full of things that I say I ascribe to and accept… much of which I don’t understand or am even aware of. But yet I do believe.

It’s not a matter of questioning what I believe. I guess in my heart I sense I know truth. That somehow I have found the right way, but I’m not sure how I came to this comprehension. Certainly my parents, grandparents, friends, teacher, and pastors over 26 years have had a lot to do with it.

Which begs the question, did I make a decision to believe as the result of a logical decision after considering all the options?

I know that I didn’t. I cannot comprehend even a fraction of all the options. Furthermore, the belief I ascribe to says that God called me – I didn’t seek him. Interesting.

But does that make it any less important that I understand why I believe? In order that I might explain my belief to others in a way that makes some semblance of sense, I don’t think so. It’s a fascinating point though… my belief is only possible and only validated because God allowed me to believe. Some are called to believe, but before they know that they have been called to believe I feel I must be able to talk to them about Christianity in a manner that can be comprehended outside of the certainty of faith.

So then, is belief the sum of knowledge of certain things known to be true and the balance of things that must be accepted simply through faith?

Faith is described as the “assurance of things hoped for” and the “conviction of things not seen”… things that we cannot approach physically. Is it possible that the entire crux of all religions – even atheism – require a certain degree of faith in things we cannot prove in a tangible world?

So belief systems boil down to two questions:

• What are the things we can know which we can prove beyond a doubt, that can be verified and upheld in the physical world?
• Second, what are the things that must be answered through faith – things out of reach of our finite minds and bodies which must simply be accepted with imperfect understanding?

I feel like if I can get my head around what these elements of Knowledge and elements of Faith are, I will have a better understanding of why I believe… and as a result, a fuller understanding of what I believe.

There are readers of this blog who will get very angry and/or disappointed over what I am about to write. And for that I apologize.

I do not watch Lost.

I was invited to attend a Lost party tonight – I probably won’t be invited back. Frankly, I wasn’t intrigued.

It’s not that I don’t get it or I don’t understand what’s going on, and therefore am completely lost. I know about the Others. I know about the hatch. I know about the polar bears, and the button, DHARMA, and the freighter, and that some get off the island and some don’t. I’ve seen enough bits and pieces over the last few seasons to understand the gist of the whole thing.

It’s not that the story isn’t visionary. Obviously these writers are extremely talented and pay incredibly close attention to minute details. And the production is stellar… they go to great lengths to make each episode top class.

I find the whole thing incredibly ridiculous, over the top, and not very captivating. I don’t care that it’s science fiction – I could get on board with that. It’s just one little mystery after the other, and every little twist and turn is supposed to get you all worked up into this silly frenzy, and you know what? I just think it’s so predictable. The story line has been worked over so many times to include every possible twist and turn that I’m really not surprised when anything happens.

Of course Michael can’t die when he slams his car into a dumpster going 80 miles an hour. Yes I knew that was a suicide note he pinned to his shirt and knew that he was going to try to kill himself.

Then there are all these debates about “is it a flash forward?” or “is it a flashback?” And these over the top suspenseful moments where they show some inanimate object – a crate, a box, a boat – what’s inside inanimate object? I don’t know, go to commercial.

And then there’s the over acting and weak dialog. You’re such a maverick Sawyer… I can tell by your glassy stare and consistent 5:00 shadow. Oh wait, I’m sorry, you don’t age anymore so you can’t grow a beard.

I really wanted to be intrigued tonight to go back and watch the first three seasons on DVD and catch myself up, but I was not. Sorry, it’s just not my thing. Sorry if that makes me a simple, uneducated, completely not culturally relevant, totally un-hipster, completely un-cool person that just doesn’t get it.

Now, invariably, there will be some follow-up comments here telling me what a fool I am and vast generalizations will be made about “you people” who watch 24, who just can’t comprehend the magnificent artistic masterpiece that is Lost. That’s fine, go ahead, have your fun. Note how said comments will be viciously personal, directed at the shallowness of my character because I am not willing to succumb myself to this culturally epic show that “everyone” watches. They really don’t phase me… I’m just not that interested.

Sorry I’m full of a bunch of brainless posts this week… here’s another one. Since Fox won’t be giving us another season of 24 for a while, this will need to tide us over… “The Unaired 1994 Pilot” for the series. Thanks to my brother, Josh, for sending this one to me.

I’ve been looking for this video for the longest time. This is a clip from stand-up comic Lavell Crawford, performing in the finals for Last Comic Standing Season 5. He had a lot of funny moments during the season, but this is one of my (and Steph’s) favorites… especially the very end: