Divinest Sense

I know I’m more than a bit biased about this because of my 80’s childhood and the fact that “Purple Rain” has always been on my top ten list for best albums ever - but Prince’s super bowl halftime performance was totally freakin’ awesome. The man is a legend - and not in the same tired and bloated way that, say, Paul McCartney is a legend.

Prince is mysterious figure, a formidable talent, and never afraid to experiment with his music. He’s deeply religious–a Jehovah’s Witness–but instead of feeling limited by his faith, he channels his spirituality into creativity and an abiding love of life in all its sensual glory. His performance at the ball game was just fun. He didn’t come out raging, heaving, and overdoing it like the usual sequined diva or combo of aging rockers.

He was just…himself. He played and sang some of his Purple Rain material and worked in a couple of covers, joking about the rain and throwing in a cute musical smirk with his selection of “Proud Mary”. (It’s not a true medley unless you utter the words “left a good job in the citaaaay…” at high tempo) Ending with the song “Purple Rain”, asking the crowd to sing the soaring “woooo-ooo-oooo-ooo” while swaying in the pouring rain was just lovely. I know, the monsoon was just a lucky coincidence, but it was a lot of fun to watch.

Definitely one of the best halftime performances ever - a demonstration that it’s better to showcase a real artist and seasoned performer instead of mashing together a few big names into an ill-conceived variety show.

I dearly love the state of Texas, but I consider that a harmless perversion on my part, and discuss it only with consenting adults.

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I should confess that I’ve always been more of an observer than a participant in Texas Womanhood: the spirit was willing but I was declared ineligible on grounds of size early. You can’t be six feet tall and cute, both. I think I was first named captain of the basketball team when I was four and that’s what I’ve been ever since.

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I believe all Southern liberals come from the same starting point — race. Once you figure out they are lying to you about race, you start to question everything.

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The problem with those who choose received Authority over fact and logic is how they choose which part of Authority to obey. The Bible famously contradicts itself at many points (I have never understood why any Christian would choose the Old Testament over the New), and the Koran can be read as a wonderfully compassionate and humanistic document. Which suggests that the problem of fundamentalism lies not with authority, but with ourselves.

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I believe that ignorance is the root of all evil. And that no one knows the truth.

–Molly Ivins, 1944-2007

So, I saw An Inconvenient Truth on Friday night and I highly recommend it. Not that anyone who’s not already into that sort of thing is going to even think about seeing it, but what the heck, ask your skeptical acquaintances to go check it out if they want to argue with you about global warming.

Though it doesn’t have quite the thrills of the usual summer movie offerings (Al Gore gives slide show! Aaaaaaaaaggghhhh!) this movie will crush you with its relentless barrage of facts and drive you cr-aaaaaazy with its common sense solutions. Hot damn!

I. love. Al. Gore.