theo|digital

The latest issue of Innocent Words is out today, including my review of Brooklyn-based Anthem In.

Today is also my first official day of classes, and I’ve already mentally moved to writing arcane run-on sentences in academic style. It’s always hard to make the shift. I’ll probably have to come back with the editing pen and cut out all those illegal contractions and pop-culture references. Sigh.

Anyone meet Benson Hines when he was at University of Illinois?

Google Opt Out Feature Lets Users Protect Privacy By Moving To Remote Village

Head over to Innocent Words to see my review of Aimee Allen’s album A Little Happiness.

And it’ll be nice to get the blog back in gear soon.

Because I haven’t been in the rhythm of reading and writing, my blog has suffered during the summer out here at LT. Thought I’d have more time to post, but instead, I just dropped the habit as a not-unhelpful respite.

I can’t believe I leave Colorado LT in 2 days!

The return to Illinois and Chicago will be welcome, albeit a shock in temperature and humidity.

I still am planning on getting back on the blog. So I’ll be here. Just give me a little longer to get my act together.

Also: hoola hoops.

THE BQE- A Film By Sufjan Stevens from Asthmatic Kitty on Vimeo.

A text, then, is a communicative act with matter (propositional content) and energy (illocutionary force). … It is important to acknowledge that authors may intend to communicate complex, multilayered intentions.

There is an instructive dialogue in the opening pages of The Hobbit. The scene is Gandalf’s first visit to Bilbo Baggins:

“Good morning!” said Bilbo, and he meant it…

“What do you mean?” he [Gandalf] said. “Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?”

“All of them at once, ” said Bilbo. And a very fine morning for a pipe of tabacco out of doors, into the bargain.”

A bit later Biblo uses the same locutionary act [Chris:  words] with a very different illocutionary intent [Chris:  purpose]:

“Good morning! We don’t want any adventures here, thank you!”

“What a lot of things you do use Good morning for!” said Gandalf. “Now you means that you want to get rid of me, and that it won’t be good till I move off.”

I love it.  From Vanhoozer’s First Theology: God, Scripture and Hermeneutics, 178

Made it to Wrigley twice before heading out here to Colorado. Here’s some pics from 5 May with seminary friends Andrew, Kelsey, and Angie.

I like how I got Sean Marshall’s entire windup.

Wrigley Giants @ Cubs May 2009

Out here in Colorado I’m so isolated from the Cubs! Haven’t seen one game since arriving. Just watching the numbers get worse…

Cheesy, but I think this is hilarious/great.

This is pretty non-sequitur, especially since I’m not posting at my usual 3-post-a-week rate right now… but it proves that I’m a left-over nerd that I still find xkcd funny.  I was clicking “Random” and laughed pretty hard at this one, because it’s so true for me.