The PBB Answer Man

(Not as theologically sound as the Bible Answer Man, perhaps, but hopefully more entertaining.)

Whew, boy. You kids know how to go all out. Okay, well, here we go. Commentary and answers.

Sunburned Jenn: I have had my eye on "Shattered Glass, actually. I'm thinking when it's off the "new release" rack, I'll check it out.
1) Well, part of the answer is because the last picture taken of me that looks halfway decent is from my high school senior trip, seven years and about 150 pounds ago. The other part...I don't know. Pictures of me can be found, if the searcher is foolhardy enough to look. Perhaps down the road a bit, I'll post one.
2) This is a dangerous question, indeed. Making me pick from among you. Geez. So, I'll avoid the question by recommending some bloggers that I know don't read my page. Lileks is genius, as I said, though lately he's been too busy to post at the level he's used to. Dooce makes me laugh, as does Say Anything (though the later can get a bit randy from time to time). As to the rest of you, yes, I have some regulars I check twice a day, but I'll never tell who.
3) A great deal. More than I really want to admit. Remember my whole screed on communication, with the sidebar about site traffic? I tipped my hand a bit there. I like you guys, and I like the rush I get when seeing something like 17 comments. It's an affirmation I've grown to enjoy.

Next up, ah yes. The Illustrious Marty (one of the best writers I've ever met, by the way):
I love Basquiat. And I'm going to check out that book. I nearly bought your last recommendation, The Man with the Golden Arm, the other day, but I had to save the cash.
1) You are a man of high standards and high expectations, and when you respect someone as an artist, you don't cut them any slack. U2 is one such group. You may set yourself up for disappointment in this regard, but on the other hand, without critical fans, bands would have no reason to grow.
2) 49.53 cords, roughly. (In metric measurement, I think it's about 43,068,038,427.3 kg. If my calculations are correct.)
3) Damn. Um. Well, I think the fact that the American Church still holds the needs of the world at arm's length. We'll send money "over there" or send missionaries "over there," but we never invite the people "over here" into our lives. The first part of the Great Commission's "expansion plan", if you will, is to go first to Jerusalem. And I think that principle indirectly applies to Western Christians. If we're not willing to get our hands a bit dirty in the service of our needy "neighbor" here at home, why should anyone in one of those "dark, foreign" countries listen to our testimony? (Not that I don't 100% support mission work overseas, because I do. Some of my dearest and most beloved friends are missionaries. But it has to more equal.)

Willam the Bison: I knew--KNEW!!!--it'd be a FIF-related song. Good for you.
1) I don't know, dude. I wanna come up, but being the "adult", my vacation time is hampered by responsibilities and whatnot. Hopefully sometime in the spring. By the way, you never answered my question on your LJ site. When is the wedding? I am a groomsman in a wedding in August and I'm praying yours and theirs don't overlap.
2) My favorite coaster. Hm... I have'nt ridden that many. I like the Batman ride at Six Flags Houston. I also like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at the DemonDisneyTM park in Florida. Dunno. I'm not a connos-- well, "expert", so I can't say.
3) Oh, man. Might as well ask me for top five books or something. Geez. Um. Okay, quick, non-definitive list. Five plays/musicals I would recommend to someone. Go.
a) Sunday in the Park With George, preferrably original cast (Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette.)
b) Death of a Salesman.
c) Hamlet
d) Waiting for Godot.
e) arrrgghh... I'm torn between "Six Characters in Search of an Author" or "Godspell"... I need more choices. Um... UMMMMMM..... "Next Question, please!"

Bree, 'The Third Roommate' (starring Orson Welles and Joseph Cotton):
Garden State is my pick for movie of the year, I think. At least in my top three.
1) Right now, 9:18 a.m. I'm sitting in my cubicle at work, decidedly not working.
2) Answering a bazillion questions. You wanna know what I'm wearing too???
3) Hopefully less than two years. I had to start from scratch. And right now, I'm trying to work on some other aspects of my life, so the book may have to slide to early spring before I pick it up again in earnest. You'll be one of the first ones to know, my friend.

Darce: J'adore "obscure foreign films." (My French is limited. At least my French language skills...hehehe. Sorry.)
1) Lee. I'm the fourth in a series!
2) No pets. Well, two younger sisters, but no pets. I had a mini cactus for a while...it died. I'm still not sure how.
3) I have one more since yesterday. (The harrowing tale will be shared later.) Several. I'm not extremely consistent with the flossing and what not. Not that I have British teeth or anything, I mean, the front set is gorgeous. It's the damn molars that give me problems.

Manders: What up, blog sister. Amelie is beauty. Annie Dillard is awesome but I haven't read that one. Phantom Planet's first album was really good (my favorite track was "Turn Smile Shift Repeat", because it sounded more...well, Radiohead).
1) My favorite holiday movie, cliche as it is, is "It's a Wonderful Life." Jimmy Stewart is perhaps my favorite actor ever, and the movie itself is so great. My favorite parts of it are pretty much everything up to the Clarence part, because the movie isn't really about George's attempted suicide, it's about the choices he made throughout his life up to that point. That's what gives the movie its power and resonance. And Donna Reed's a fox, eh? Just kidding.
2) The Lie of Getting By, that says, "You don't have a mission." Don't worry, no references to anything by Rick Warren. Just some talk about "God's plan" for each of us, in general and then in a little more specific.
3) Your shoelaces are untied. And employers don't like applications or resumes filled out in crayon.

Killer Kelly: Gonna see "Oceans" next week. "Of Mice and Men" is awesome. And Deftones are...well, Deftones.
1) Not sure yet. Don't want to deal with the drive back on Sunday, but maybe I can hang until dinner Saturday.
2) Tough call. Achtung, maybe. Joshua Tree, maybe. Call me crazy, but I still have HTDAAB on the brain, too.
3) It depends on my mood. Achtung, Baby is a darker album, I think, than the others. More world-weary, more cynical. Joshua Tree still retains some of that innocence and hope of early U2. HTDAAB is more seasoned, a balance of the two.

I totally didn't answer those questions. Heh.

Amy the bibliophile: No questions? Too bad. By the by, "the luckiest" was an important song in a past relationship, so yes, I know it well. Good choice.

Kins: Nice "cool ten." You need a blog, yo. But one question remains: Who is this "Zak", hmm? Dish, girlfriend. Oh, and it makes my heart smile that you had UHF as the movie.
1) Not a clue. He's the youth minister, and I'm no longer a youth, so I don't know. He's your cousin, you ask him. ;-)
2) My favorite to watch is Fez, because he's by far the funniest. The one I relate to most is Eric, because, frankly, he's a loser. But he's a loser you always cheer for. And that's cool.
3) Whoa! Getting all crazy with the questions. The answer is yes, I have had a crush on a married woman before. It happens. The question is, what to do with those feelings (answer: quell, quell, quell).

Trav, Cleric of Colorado: Spinal Tap! Particle Man!!! I need to buy you a drink. Holy friggin crap. Good call.
1) *shaking the Magic 8-ball* My sources say yes.
2) Whoa, man. Better ease off the mead, I don't think it's done yet.
3) How long of a range? Hmm... I'm gonna show by red-stateness here. Michael Moore? But then, probably, Jerry Falwell. And Madonna.

Krista from Rawchestah: Crime and Punishment is actually in my small to-be-read-next stack. I have about 30 books total on my "to be read" shelf, but I pulled out the next five, and it's among them (along with "A Prayer for Owen Meany", "She's Come Undone", "The Essential Groucho Marx", and "Mere Christianity"). And, I'm still a sucker for "Free Fallin."
1)Dogs, hands down. Cats are snooty. They don't show the appreciation a good owner deserves. Dogs know what's up, and they know that they gotta show the love.
2) Coffee, preferrably, but due to sensitive teeth, I don't do hot drinks. So I'm going to be lame and frou-frou and say "iced coffee type drinks."
3) Alcohol. Drugs. High levels of sugar. Bribes. Shotgun weddings. Cake. There are lots of reasons.

(Hi Kara, glad to see you're back!)

And finally, the Ben: Hey brother. Paz y gracia to the family. You are in my heavenward thoughts. I still haven't watched The Mission. I'll get on that. ...Hey, remember, I read "Omelas". I downloaded it that day, and then we talked about it. And I bought a 50 cent copy of The Great Divorce recently, and that is also on my to-be-read shelf.

1)Interesting. In the NIV, it says "he made himself nothing." In the Message (okay, not quite a scholarly translation), it says "he set aside the priveleges of deity." In the Amplified, it says he "stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity]." The King James says "he made himself of no reputation." So what we see here is Christ taking off the mantle and prestige of being God, in a sense, "emptying" himself of the visible (so to speak) hallmarks of deity. Shedding his natural glory, like a robe. Taking off, or rather covering up, his brilliant and awesome countenance as with a mask or veil. He willingly reduced himself so as not to overwhelm humanity, but took on the rags of a servant, so that prophecy may be fulfilled.

2) I'm not sure. This is the hardest question. Pure, ecstatic joy. Hmmm. I have some ideas about moments of joy, but none of them seem to measure up. Here are a couple of candidates:
--When I finally told Riss how I felt about her. We had been fighting about stupid things, and she finally asked me "what's up?" And I just let loose. After what felt like ten minutes, I stopped, and she turned to me and said, "You're a bastard, you know that? Do you know how long I've waited to hear you say that?" The next fifteen minutes were a blur, though I'm pretty sure some kissing was involved. That was a good moment.
--At the end of a three-day fast, after months of deep depression and self-doubt, I received some answers to some of my hearts deep questions. I felt like God was speaking directly to me, embracing me, and showering me with his grace and acceptance. I had never felt peace and encouragement like that before.
--After nine months of being out of full-time work, scraping by on the manna-jobs I had, I got the call from my current employer and was offered a job paying more than 50% more than what I had made as a teacher. I couldn't stop laughing all night, I felt so liberated. The burden, the fear, the worry, had been lifted off my shoulders, and i was set free.

3) Having someone who I couldn't stand profess their undying love and devotion to me. On Valentine's Day. That was pretty bad.

+++++

Thank you, one and all for participating. Again, I love you guys.