Bono: 'I don't go to church for the view'

In the March 19 edition of Rolling Stone, the second-to-last paragraph of the cover story on U2 starts out with a discussion of the song "Moment of Surrender" from the new album:

"Moment of Surrender" tells the tale of a lost soul, borrowing an Alcoholics Anonymous term for the moment an addict admits helplessness. "The character in the song is a junkie, so that's where I got it," says Bono, who has written about heroin addiction before, most famously on "Bad" from The Unforgettable Fire. "I've been surrounded a lot in my personal life by addiction -- in the last few years, in particular," Bono says. "I know a lot of people -- not least the bass player in the band -- who has had to deal with their demons in courageous ways." (In the Nineties -- around the time he was engaged to Naomi Campbell -- [bass player Adam] Clayton grappled with alcoholism, and went to AA himself.) "And maybe there's a part of me that thinks, 'Wow, I'm just an inch away'," Bono continues. "There's no doubt about the fact that I have a wild streak and I'd be very capable of setting fire to myself. So, you know, I don't go to church for the view."

Play, art, music, joy, love

Play runs ahead of philosophy and knowledge.

Art runs ahead of philosophy and knowledge.

Music runs ahead of philosophy and knowledge.

Joy runs ahead of philosophy and knowledge.

Love runs ahead of philosophy and knowledge.

'Chicago' by Sufjan Stevens: Wow

I first heard Sufjan Stevens's "Chicago" while listening to Paste radio.

"Chicago" is one of the most evocative, elevating songs I have ever heard.

I don't understand it. I just enjoy it.

Where our kitchen will be

 

Act 2 and Potatoheads to play Beer Fest

Mike Shank of Festival Promotions has announced the live entertainment for the Myrtle Beach Beer Fest.

Session I, noon-3 p.m.: Act 2

Session II, 4 p.m.-7 p.m.: Potato Heads


The beer fest is at The Market Common on March 28. Get your tickets now!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

I know... I've used this one before... and I'll probably trot it out every year.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

MB Beer Fest Update: food for VIP tent finalized

The Myrtle Beach Beer Fest presented by the Weekly Surge (March 28 at The Market Common) will have a VIP tent with food and as many as 10 beers unavailable to those with regular admission. Mike Shanks of Festival Promotions, who is working on the fest with the Surge, sent an email tonight that updates the VIP beers and grub:

The VIP Ticket is $70 and is tented, includes food, non-alcoholic beverages, additional beers from the general admission, a 5-oz tasting glass and dedicated port-a-johns. Those tickets will not be sold the day of the event, and can be purchased online at www.myrtlebeachbeerfest.com or by calling my office at 843-712-2618.



Here is the menu for the VIP Tent:



Spicy Pork and Sauerkraut Sandwiches



Bavarian Potato Salad



Grilled Brats with Hot mustard Onion Relish



German Chocolate Squares



Autumn Apple and Pear Salad with Pecans



Pretzels



Spiced Nuts



I also currently have the following beers for the VIP Tent

Magic Hat Number 9

Stella Artois

Sam Smith Nut Brown

Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout

Delirium Tremens

Sierra Nevada Seasonal Torpedo Ale


Eventually I expect to end up with about 10 beers for the VIP Tent.

Choral Evensong at Trinity Episcopal

Choral Evensong at Trinity Episcopal, Myrtle Beach.

 

Evensong at Trinity Episcopal, Myrtle Beach

The setup for tonight's Choral Evensong at Trinity...

 

New U2 echoes of two previous albums

Recipe for "No Line on the Horizon:"

One part "October" from 1981.

One part "Million Dollar Hotel Soundtrack" from 2000.

Dash of "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" from 2004.

Blend with genius.

The exception? "Stand Up Comedy" -- a classic-rock riff with a serious groove.

Blasted college students!

As an NC State grad, I wanted to poll my class about the Wolfpack's game against Maryland tomorrow night, part of the opening day of the ACC tournament.

So I asked, "Who's going to win tomorrow night, NC State or Maryland?"

"MARYLAND!" the class yelled back.

Everyone got an F today.

Lion Stout at Longbeard's Bar & Grill

Last night I had dinner at Longbeard's Bar & Grill, 5040 Carolina Forest Boulevard (it's on that piece of Carolina Forest Boulevard that sits near U.S. 31, on the east side of River Oaks).

I tried the Breckenridge Avalanche amber ale for the second time. A pint from the tap was $4.25. It's a decent amber, but I should add a precaution for those who like such beers: it's the least-sweet amber I have ever had.

The highlight was Lion Stout in the bottle for $4. This stout from Sri Lanka was, to borrow the words of the late beer critic Michael Jackson, "soft, fresh and quite delicious."

Of course, stouts aren't for everyone, because they tend to have formidible accents of coffee and/or roasted nuts, which strike some palates as mere bitterness.

In the case of Lion Stout, it had just enough chocolately sweetness in the malt to take the edge off the bitterness.

But for those who like the darker beers, Lion should be King of the Stouts.

By the way -- my wife and I loved Longbeard's fried catfish, and we gave our server, Amanda, high marks.

What if I was hit by a car?

How do people assign blame, and how do they characterize wounds?

Let’s say I was walking on a suburban sidewalk late one afternoon when a car swerved off the road and hit me. I was stuck with a limp for the rest of my life.

The driver’s circumstances would color how I told the story of my limp.

I could say, with a tone of hot disgust, I was HIT by a DRUNK DRIVER. Some people just ignore all common sense!

I could say, with a heavy heart, I was hit by a car when a middle-aged man had a heart attack and died behind the wheel. I feel horrible for his wife and children. I am lucky to be alive.

I could say, with sense of resignation, I was hit by a sweet, little old lady with an oversize hat who has yet to stop apologizing, and she keeps baking me chocolate chip cookies, like twice a week! Oh well, what can ya do?

I wish I had that type of clarity about the accidents of my life -- the relationships and the big decisions as well as the tumbles -- but most of the time, I can hardly tell what the actual outcomes have been, for any of the parties involved.

TBonz Gill & Grill taps Irish Stout today

TBonz Gill & Grill locations in Charleston and Myrtle Beach will tap the seasonal Irish Stout today (March 6).

The St. Patty's Day beer is made by New South Brewing Co. of Myrtle Beach.

Thinking without a license

1. I am not a scientist, psychologist, philosopher, theologian, or mystic, but I have thought about my life experiences.

2. I realize that scientists, psychologists, philosophers, theologians, and probably even some mystics celebrate thinking, and they would be excited about my forays into thought – until I came to a conclusion they did not like. At that point, they might call me thoughtless.

Not so Pamlico ... amber ale, that is

I recently found Pamlico Amber Ale at the Food Lion near the Forestbrook Road and U.S. 501 exchange (six bottles for $7.79).

Like most craft beers and microbrews, Pamlico Amber Ale has a basic quality to it. Let me put it this way: it's not cheap, mass-produced, straw-colored beer.

Beyond that, it's just not that interesting. The flavor profile doesn't attempt to do very much.

I'll look forward to trying other Pamlico brews.

Are you a Christian hipster?

From Brett McCracken, a friend and one-time contributor to my online project, LiturgicalCredo.com:

Christian hipsters don’t like megachurches, altar calls, and door-to-door evangelism. They don’t really like John Eldredge’s Wild at Heart or youth pastors who talk too much about Braveheart. In general, they tend not to like Mel Gibson and have come to really dislike The Passion for being overly bloody and maybe a little sadistic. They don’t like people like Pat Robertson, who on The 700 Club famously said that America should “take Hugo Chavez out”; and they don’t particularly like The 700 Club either, except to make fun of it. They don’t like evangelical leaders who get too involved in politics, such as James Dobson or Jerry Falwell, who once said of terrorists that America should “blow them all away in the name of the Lord.” They don’t like TBN, PAX, or Joel Osteen. They do have a wry fondness for Benny Hinn, however.

Christian hipsters tend not to like contemporary Christian music (CCM), or Christian films (except ironically), or any non-book item sold at Family Christian Stores. They hate warehouse churches or churches with American flags on stage, or churches with any flag on stage, really. They prefer “Christ follower” to “Christian” and can’t stand the phrases “soul winning” or “non-denominational,” and they could do without weird and awkward evangelistic methods including (but not limited to): sock puppets, ventriloquism, mimes, sign language, “beach evangelism,” and modern dance. Surprisingly, they don’t really have that big of a problem with old school evangelists like Billy Graham and Billy Sunday and kind of love the really wild ones like Aimee Semple McPherson.

....They tend to be fans of any number of the following authors: Flannery O’Connor, Walker Percy, Wendell Berry, Thomas Merton, John Howard Yoder, Walter Brueggemann, N.T. Wright, Brennan Manning, Eugene Peterson, Anne Lamott, C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, Henri Nouwen, Soren Kierkegaard, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Annie Dillard, Marilynne Robison, Chuck Klosterman, David Sedaris, or anything ancient and/or philosophically important.

Christian hipsters love thinking and acting Catholic, even if they are thoroughly Protestant/evangelical. They love the Pope, liturgy, incense, lectio divina, Lent, and timeless phrases like “Thanks be to God” or “Peace of Christ be with you.” They enjoy Eastern Orthodox churches and mysterious iconography, and they love the elaborate cathedrals of Europe (even if they are too museum-like for hipster tastes). Christian hipsters also love taking communion with real Port, and they don’t mind common cups. They love poetry readings, worshipping with candles, and smoking pipes while talking about God. Some of them like smoking a lot of different things.

Read Brett's full post here. If you scroll far enough into the comments, you'll even see a few words by Yours Truly.

-CFB