ARTIFICIAL INTELIGENCE IN ART - GOOD, BAD, NEUTRAL?

Post by author and videogame enthusiast Joanne Maciejeski, posted by Readrise.

I've heard about AI for a few years. I've heard the debate if there is demonic activity involved with it. Then, I went to a denominational convention and meet a couple of gentlemen promoting AI. My favorite is the quote in the photo above.

In the past year, though, I've seen more entries into my corner of the world. On one side, I see the North American Mission Board and the International Mission Board promote their AI programs on Facebook (for those who don't know, both groups are Southern Baptist). On the other end is the task of figuring what is real and what isn't. There are pictures that you know are not real. In music, I've seen artists who have a new recording out every week, making me suspicious if it is AI (I've learned some is). 

At this point, I'll put the issues of whether Christians should use it or if there's negative spiritual activity there on the shelf for someone else to deal with. This blog is primarily on whether Christians should support AI art (including music and writing) or not.

One of my favorite Pod Casts, Rock 4 Him, have stated they will have no part with Artificial Intelligence, promoting only real artists. I applaud that concewrn. On another PodCast, Lithoscry with Glenn Remsen, he interviewed the grou KillDevil Theory, who used AI to help on the video. They commented that the AI leaned toward using nudity, so they had to keep an eye on what they were doing.

You probably know that I have lists each year of my favorite songs and books. I haven't seen any evidence of AI in books I read, but I have noticed a few groups that have so much stuff coming out, I'm suspicious. I looked up a couple of the bands I questioned, and AI notivied me those projects were AI. I'm already going through songs for this year's list, and caught two AI bands and took them off. Unfortunately, the first song I heard by one of the groups made it onto my top songs last year. I'm debatint on editing the group, four months late removing the AI band, and adding one group whose spot on the list was stolen by AI.

About a week ago, there was a discussion in Christian Rock and Metal, about whether we should listen to AI music. I asked three of the responders for permission to share their comments, which is below. 

Davon Edelinski - "Depends. Do you view worship as a consumable product, or a meaningful expression of your soul before God?

If Christians themselves don't understand the importance of an actual human soul in creating and performing worship music, then we might as well call it a day and stop even trying with this Gospel thing. I find it truly disheartening to see people calling AI-generated thing the same as an artist being formed by influences." 

Katie E Slater - "If you understood what AI did, it should be automatically known to be wrong to do. AI “trains” by stealing real bands/artists work. Any vocals or musical instruments are not “creations of AI”…..they are stolen from others. Stealing is a sin. Therefore it’s wrong. People who say it’s a “tool” for “artists” are 95% of the time lying. A tool is different from what is almost always happening. A tool is something one uses to help tweak things, not become the whole process.On top of that, no computer should be topping charts over real artists. And AI is also going to play a part within the next 5 to 10 years of government overreach/control/survaliance.

David Schmidt - "I’m not into AI for creative endeavours for a few reasons. One is that AI just uses what’s already in existence. So all you can ever get is something that sounds like what has come before. Plus the reason outlined by others here - taking others work. I’d rather encourage those who are creating. Keep looking - you’ll find bands you like that are real people."

Interesting topic. I'd love to see what you all think. No

 

FAVORITE NON-FICTION 2024

I believe the quote is from C.S. Lewis, though I could be wrong.

Yes, this is an annual tradition, but I save the non-fiction for last. I have yet to hear anyone saying I should have my favorite fiction or favorite songs being the one to save for last, but as I said before, I believe these may have more impact than the other lists. 

This is the list I most often would countdown to #1 (or count down from #1), but this year I'll go with my more normal approach by putting them in alphabetic order. 

One comment I'll make - more than other years, there are authors on this list that I either know personally or interact with on-line. That is more typical with the novelists and musicians that I follow, but not as much with non-fiction. So I'm very happy with this list. 

So are you ready? Like the fiction, I'll add a link on the title to my review of the book.

1. DANIEL: FAITHFUL IN THE FIRE, by former SBC President J. D. Greaer. This was the workbook for an eight part Sunday School class study. The focus is how Daniel remained faithful in the midst of an ungodly nation. Thus, more attention is given to the historic segments than the prophetic side.
2. FIVE TRAITS OF A DISCIPLE MAKER, released by Navigators, edited by Doug Neunke (U.S. President of the Navigators). This is an excellent devotional study, just taking a few minutes a day. Each of the five traits are divided into several devotionals.
3. GOING THERE: TALES FROM THE RIVIERA AND BEYOND, by Donna Fletcher Crow. Regular readers will recognize Crow's name, and may even realize that she wasn't mentioned on the fiction list this year (which is definitely not typical). This book is a blend of experiences and history of a trip Donna made during the height of COVID and some short stories featuring characters from her mystery series. This book was considered both as fiction and non-fiction, and I chose for the latter.
4. GOOD NEWS GOING BAD: A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF A MODERN MISSIONS MELTDOWN, by Dr. Jim Baugh. I had the honor of having Jim Baugh as one of my classmates in college. This book deals with missionaries who are more concerned about not offending the lost than they are with being faithful to Scripture.
5. IN THE SHADOW OF THE CROSS: A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY OF PERSECUTION AND DISCIPLESHIP, by Glenn Penner. Penner used to be director of VOM-Canada and a professor at Oklahoma Wesleyan before he went home to be with the Lord. You may have seen me have other books from the New Studies in Biblical Theology series; this is not one of them but it could be. Definitely an eye-opening book.
6. NOW AND NOT YET: THEOLOGY AND MISSION IN EZRA-NEHEMIAH, by Dean Ulrich. Speaking of New Studies in Biblical Theology, here is a good book from that series.
7. RELIGHTING THE TORCH, by Andrew Horning. Another book by a personal friend. Probably the only political book in the group, but it includes annotated versions of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Amendments. 
8. STONES THAT CRY: GOD'S PRECIOUS METAL, by Glenn Remsen (art by Scott Remsen). Is all mainstream rock/metal music as evil as we think? Or is there some searching among the artists? I have a few controversial books in this list, and this probably would be at the top of the list, but it definitely made me think. By the way, I'm a Glenn Remsen fan, and love his podcast Lithoscry.
9. THE THRILL OF ORTHODOXY: REDISCOVERING THE ADVENTURE OF CHRISTIAN FAITH, by Trevin Wax, vice-president of research and resource development of the Southern Baptist Convention. I discovered Wax with his 22 part pod-cast "Reconstructing Faith," where he would mention this book each week. This definitely is a deep book, and probably one I'll reread. Its point is that the Christian life should be exciting.
10. 31 SPIRITUAL LESSONS I LEARNED FROM MY DOG, by Raylene King. I've had this book for years, maybe even decades, but I'm familiar with Dennis and Raylene King, and Cosmo, the Dachshund referred to in the title. It's an excellent month long devotional.

FAVORITE SONGS - 2024

Hello Luna at Kingdom Come Festival

 This is the third song list I have, and like last year I'm making it a top 20. A lot of good songs. Once again, I'm putting them in alphabetic order.

Before I start, I will comment that I've discovered a lot of good bands and singers I was unaware of until 2024 - ten of them, to be exact. A couple were introduced to me on Glenn Remsen's Lithoscry broadcast, and several more via my connections with Always 1 Ministries which puts on Kingdom Come Festival. However, there's also one "old-timer" who made it on the list. I'll let you figure out who that iconic band that's joining more recent groups on this list.

Allow me to mention some highlights with the performances. I had the honor of seeing two of my favorite drummers to watch on Saturday morning: Mark McKowen of Divine Martyr and Christian Dunkel of Undefeated. These two bands and I Am The Pendragon, Reclaim the Day, and True Revival put on a great show as usual. There were great times of worship led by With Lifted Veils and BRVVE, But the show that blew me away was Hello Luna.

So here's the list of songs that blessed me this year. I'll put asterisks by the artists I've just been introduced to this year. I'll also include a link to my list on Spotify.

• "Above All Names" by Mr. Weaverface.*
• "Absolution" by Divine Martyr
• "Buried On The Inside" by Hello Luna*
• "Come To Forever" by Counter*
• "Cost Me Nothing" by Steph Andrews*
• "Enter The Light" by Counter
• "Fight, Fight, Fight" by Worhol
• "Help Us See Jesus" by Sovereign Grace Music
• "Life Inauthentic" by Worshipwired*
• "Lighthouse" by Crystoria
• "My Path To Walk" by David Pataconi. This one is my favorite of the year. The more I hear it, the more I'm moved, especially knowing the challenges Pataconi is facing. By the way, while this is the first time you've seen Pataconi's name on the list, I'm not including an asterisk because he's part of a band that made last year's list, and coincidentally (I promise) that band is the next entry on the list.
• "Overthrow" by TheoTerran
• "Paper Kingdoms" by Steph Andrews
• "Rise" by Undefeated
• "Rumble" by Tierra Vacia;* They also have an unplugged version; I'm including both on the playlist link.
• "The Declaration" by End of I,* featuring Deshiel Lynn*
• "Time To Go" by McKenna*
• "When We Were Kings" by Stryper
• "You Raise Me Up" - AL-TIRAH*
• "You Won't Ever Abandon Me" by Allie Crummy*

As said, here is the link to the playlist if you want to be blessed... I mean, if you want to hear the songs on my list.. Also, I'm waiting to see which songs I listened to the most this past year, and will be sharing that early next year.

CURIOUS WHAT MY FAVORITE PODCASTS ARE?

 

Emblem for Google Podcasts Manager, unfortunately no longer available.

A while back, I asked if I should start a Pod Cast. Obviously (I'm guessing), I haven't. But what Podcasts do I listen to? Which would I be interested in that I can't get on my server? What is a draw for me to get interested in a Podcast?

I could build up a lot of suspense and make you read through a lot of stuff, but I'll start with the first one, and tell you what I do listen to, in alphabetic order.

1. Bible Study For Adults. This podcast is designed for leaders and students who are using this topical approach from Lifeway Publishers (Southern Baptist Convention). Each quarter is divided into two parts. The first part of this quarter was "Thrive: Living On Purpose, and they just started "Navigating Family Conflict."

2. Explore The Bible. This has a lot in common with the above, basically because like "Bible Study for Adults," it is from Lifeway Publishers. The difference between the two is that this one goes through books. For example, as I write this they're in their second quarter on the book of Acts, with the previous quarter doing the first 12 chapters, and the remaining 16 this quarter.

3. The Gospel Project. How many of these podcasts are connected to Lifeway? Only three, but putting them in alphabetic order has Lifeway's three curriculums at the top. The Gospel Project is similar to Explore The Bible, except it goes through the Bible through the course of three years. This quarter, they just got started in Genesis. There is a difference between this Podcast and the others: This one is aimed solely at teachers. It has one hostess instead of two or three people talking about the lesson. It tends to be shorter as well.

4. Lithoscry (aka Ravens Cry). Hosted by Glenn Remsen. Those who have followed my blog will recognize that name. I interviewed Glenn earlier this year. (Click here to see the interview) Most of the interviewees are Christian rock and metal bands, though there are others as well, such as Richard Blackaby from Experiencing God and "The Chosen" creator Dallas Jenkins. 

5. Reconstructing Faith. Back to Southern Baptists! Trevin Wax from the North American Mission Board hosts this two semester (at this point) series about how to strengthen the church. This one is more like a news series, with various interviewees, soundbites, etc. 

6. The Reformed Libertarian Podcast. This is put out by the Libertarian Christian Institute (who also have their own podcast), and is hosted by Kerry Baldwin and Gregory Baus. I find it interesting combining Reformed Theology with Libertarian Political Philosophy. One note - both hosts are Anarchists, believing we would be better off without government. Still don't buy it, but still listen.

7. Thru The Bible With Dr. J. Vernon McGee. This is one I listen to on the website rather than a podcast channel, and I'm basically keeping up with the current radio broadcasts. Dr. McGee goes through the Bible every 5 years, alternating between Old and New Testaments. For example, he just finished Titus and Philemon and started on Daniel. Dr. McGee is no longer with us, but the program has been going on, not just here in the U.S. but around the world.

8. Unshaken Faith. This is hosted by Alisa Childers and Natasha Crain. Both have their own Podcasts. I enjoy them working together, dealing with Christian Worldview and modern society. The past few weeks, they've been dealing with the After Party and its shortcomings. 

What other podcasts am I interested? Well, when I get caught up with some of these, I'll add Child Evangelism's Fellowship One:Seven to the rotation. I have interest in the podcasts by Alisa Childers, Allie Beth Stuckey, Natasha Crain, Russell Moore, Will Cain, Libertarian Christian Institute, and The Catch with John Fisher. Plus, my friend Eddie Kross has one coming out tomorrow!

However, one drawback. I subscribed to Podcasts on Google Podcasts. Google Podcasts decided to stop operating, and transferred my podcasts to YouTube. They stay on my list, but should I search for one that wasn't already on my roster - e.g. Natasha Crain - or if I cancel one to time and then decide to resubscribe - e.g. The Catch with John Fisher - I find I'm unable to get them on YouTube. 😢 So I'm debating changing to Spotify or Apple (let me know if you have any suggestions). By the way, I listen to them on my phone at work. 

What interests me? Well, it helps if I'm familiar and have a positive opinion of them. True, it will help to hear divergent views, but not while I'm working!  One major thing is the length of time. Raven's Heart and Reconstructing Faith are hour long, but I prefer half an hour or less, The Lifeway curriculum podcasts, Thru the Bible, and Unshaken Faith consistently hit that time constraint, and Reformed Libertarian varies but often is that short.

I rarely get comments, but does anybody following this have any favorites?

INTERVIEW WITH MUSICIAN DAVID DIXON, AKA RIDDLE ME THIS?

 

JR: My all-time favorite fictional villain - be it of movies, TV, comic books, or novels - is Frank Gorshin's Riddler on Batman, so of course I’m intrigued by your name. How did you choose that name, and what is the relation between the moniker and your music?

DD: Im a Big Batman Villains Fan and the Riddler is one of my favorites. He even becomes a good guy in one storyline. So Riddle Me This came from my own salvation story. Asking the important questions instead of relying on my own intellect and reasoning. Is there really a God? Who is He? Parables are also a kind of Riddle but one in which Jesus gives us the answers to.

JR: How did you come to know Christ, and what got you into music?

DD: I grew up Baptist and went to church off and on throughout my life. I didn’t really care one way or the other for Jesus but I absolutely hated Christians. I believed in a God just didn’t care too much about Him. Then I discovered the world of Lucifer: Mild Devil Worshipping, Ouija Boards, Ghost Hunting, etc. During that time and completely unbeknown to me I became a Minister for Satan, ordained and sent out to the world just like a Disciple of Christ is. I wasn’t aware that I had become a Satanic Minister, but that’s how it works. People most of the time have no idea the work they do for Satan. At the bar where I worked, I was a DJ so I got paid to party and go home with women. I had a great life. I was a celebrity, a small town Rockstar. Go to Church? Why? They were all bigots and hateful self righteous jerks. Why would I ever want to go there? 

So I’d be at the bar and hear someone mention going to Church or talking about Christianity or Jesus and Bam! I was all on them, “Hey let me tell you about real freedom”. “Come with me, I'm fun, we’ll have a great time. Jesus isn’t real let me tell you why. etc.” I had no idea that this is exactly what a Satanic Evangelist does, but there I was out there ministering. 

Long story short I met a girl, Wanted to break up with her, she was way too good for me. Good also meant very boring to me as well. Ended up staying (that's a whole story too lol); I knew she was a Christian and always told her why that was wrong. I was going to prove that Christianity isn’t real and it's the worst religion. I get on You Tube and see some Bible prophecies that I remember coming true. I did something I never thought of before and simply asked God who He is and if He’s real. I told Him if He’d tell me in a way that HAD to be Him and couldn’t be explained away by anything rational, then I’d follow Him forever. 

Next thing I know I leave my living room and I am in the presence of Jesus Christ. It’s just black I can’t see anything, but I know I am in the presence of God. He showed me who I was, all the wicked vile and evil things I had done against Him and His Children. I'm crying, I see it. I feel what I've done but then I feel something I can't even describe just Love. I tell Him I’m so sorry I didn’t know. I tell Him I’ll follow Him. He tells me I'm forgiven and that I'm gonna minister for Him now. I never even had to ask “Who are You?” I didn’t know the verse correctly then but It just hit me as all this is happening, “My Children know My voice.” The actual verse is “My sheep hear My voice and I know them.” 

That entire encounter felt like a really long time but it probably was only about 30 seconds to a couple minutes. When I felt myself kind of come to back to my living room I’m a Christian. Its so surreal how 30 seconds prior to that I hated all Christians and now I am one. Truly the old man was put to death and I arose in Christ a new creature. If people would only seek Him out, just ask Him. One simple question was all it took. He will reveal and prove Himself, and after that surrendering your life to following His will doesn’t seem so crazy. In fact just the opposite, you realize that there really isn't any other way. 

As for the Music. I have been playing music since I was a kid. I have always loved music. Singing came later on but once I realized I can sing it started to turn me into an arrogant egotistical rockstar in my own head. Now that I write and sing songs for Jesus it makes it more fulfilling and purposeful. Following Him and learning to be more like him and less like me puts the ego to bed. Its not about me, never has been, never will be. Everything is His and for Him. 

I will say the Music journey for me as a Christian has been hard, emotionally stressful and draining at times, it's not been easy. Having to step down from platforms that would catapult my fame and career. Going from touring the USA in a Tour Bus and playing on stage with some of the bigger names in Christian Music, to being the cleaning guy at a tiny church. It was like going from Green Day to Janitor. I have to follow HIS will though and not my own. Thats what I’m being taught and it's been painful at times, but this is the life of a Follower of Christ. Just because the world says you can have all the money and fame, it's right there for the taking. It’s been offered over and over, but you don’t want it. Not like that. Christians don’t need money, clothing, food, etc. We need God’s favor and blessing, we need HIM. If we follow HIM he will provide everything we need and more, but that my friends is easier said than done. READ YOUR BIBLE!!

JR: Could you tell us about your latest release?

DD: Sure. The latest release is "Go Out and Tell Them" and can be found on my youtube RiddleMeThis?BandOfficial or find me on facebook Riddle Me This Band.

JR: It’s not often I ask an interviewee about other organizations, but on your Facebook pages, I’ve seen a mention of two different items I’ve heard of else where: Broadhead Music group from several artists on Glenn Remsen’s Lithoscry Podcast and the Whosoever Church, which Amy and Seth Olsen from the band Counter mentioned. Would you be interested in letting us know more about them?

DD: Sure!! Broadhead Music Group is the record label I am signed to. There are I think 10 artists signed, maybe more, maybe less not really sure how many. Whosoever Church probably shares its name with several Churches and Organizations, but the Whosoever that I am affiliated with is just my very small Hometown Church located in Nahunta, GA. Although it does have a rather big online following.

JR: What are some of the biggest concerns you have for today’s world and/or today’s American Church, and how do you think God may use you for his glory in times like this?

DD: I think there are a lot of concerns happening within the American Church. I think the biggest problem is that the Gospel is not being Preached or Taught in the vast majority of American Churches. Apostasy is rampant everywhere with a lot of Churches ignoring scripture to accommodate sin and sinful lifestyles. We all like the salvation, forgiveness, love, and Heaven side of the Gospel; we start talking about Sin and Hell, though, and feathers start to get ruffled. Gotta be the WHOLE Gospel though otherwise Salvation makes no sense, What are we being saved from? I could go on for days about the lack of TRUTH and The Gospel in churches but this about sums it up along with Teaching what True love is and how to love like Jesus. I’m not saying we need more inflated religious Bible Bashers or Hell spewers and fear mongers either. Love like Jesus. Stand firm in Biblical Truth, but be gentle. Show love and compassion, the fruits of the spirit. 

JR: Thank you for your time. How can we keep in touch with you and your music? Any final thoughts you’d like to share?

DD: You can follow me on Facebook either David Dixon or Riddle Me This Band. We are living in serious times. It’s time to be serious about our walk with Christ. We won’t make it without him. It’s a dangerous and cold dark world out there. It’s getting colder, darker, and more dangerous; especially for us. There is only one light to follow and it’s up to us to follow HIM as close as we can, so that we can lead others to HIM as well. Hatred, Emptiness, Violence, and Death is all the world has to offer. There’s a lot of fun in Sin, but it’s not for us and it’s not worth it. When you sin, Repent and lean on him more. We are so weak, but being in fellowship with God is worth more than all the gold in the world. My Encouragement to everyone…READ 1 John it’s a short book but it helps in our walk with him, it also helps us to really understand why as well. 

Thank You, Jeff, for taking the time to interview me and thank all of you readers for the support and love!! For those that I am meeting for the first time, Hi I’m David Dixon Singer/Songwriter of Riddle Me This Music Ministry. Thank you and nice to meet you!! Thanks again Everyone!! I love you guys!! Keep your eyes on Jesus!!

BOOK REVIEW - STONES THAT CRY: GOD'S PRECIOUS METAL BY GLENN REMSENl

 

Is heavy metal "the Devil's music? Is it possible for an omnipotent God to use Christian metal - or for that matter secular metal - for His glory?

"Stones That Cry: God's Precious Metal" by Glenn Remsen (with illustrations by Samuel Remsen) is a thought out book dealing with these issues. More importantly, it challenges making assumptions on face value.

Remsen suggests that God is responsible for all genres, and that it is giving the devil too much credit to say he, a created being, is able to create anything. Both God and the devil can use any genre for their purposes. 

The author is built up by "wholesome lyrics of honesty." Not all honesty is positive, after all. Remsen gives examples of metal music that has comforted him when dealing with traumatic situations, such as a brain tumor. He distinguishes between metal that is honest, that which is intentionally blasphemous.

The last chapter (not counting the conclusion chapter) focuses on Christian metal. He states that there is nothing wrong with Christian metal if it is honest. He has problems with Christian artists that try to sound like a popular secular artist. (He mentions the same things about authors who use their first and middle initials because A.W. Tozer and C.S. Lewis do so.)

Which secular and Christian metal bands should we listen to, and which should we avoid? Remsen refuses to answer those questions. He encourages Christians to listen to the music and then determine which is being used by the Spirit and which doesn't. 

Finally, the clearest message in this book is to not judge according to appearance, but to love those who are not like us, who don't fit in to our sanitized church environments. 

I highly recommend this book. I also recommend Lithoscry, a weekly podcast Remsen hosts.

2023 YEAR IN REVIEW

Me with Doug and Jim of True Revival

 Well, we're at the end of 2023. As usual, I've done my list of favorite songs, fiction, and non-fiction books which will be shared the next three days, plus a look-ahead to on Saturday to next year. I just reviewed my look-ahead blog from last year, and smiled at how I've made several goals.

What were highlights of '23?

I planned a surprise birthday party for Becky, and managed to pull it off without her having any  suspicions! She hosts a monthly prayer time at our apartment for CEF, and I let the regular attendees in on the event, as well as inviting others who joined me in coming into the apartment after the prayer time ended. Becky told me she usually doesn't like surprises, but this one was a blessing to her.

In the "Looking Ahead" blog, I mentioned that this year was also Becky's and my 40th Anniversary, as well as that the NCFCA regional was in Indy which I got to judge in person (in addition to some on-line contests, including one that took place mid-December). Also, I got to go to both the Kingdom Come Festival (more below) and the Pitt Fest - not to mention seeing Fishers of Men, Anna Owens, and True Revival later on -  and I had the honor of meeting the Republicans running for Lawrence Township offices including Dave Hofmann, Bob Jones, and Brent Addington. We also got to go to three of our favorite zoos (Cincy, Fort Wayne, and Chattanooga).

I mentioned a dream festival line-up I'd like to see of seven artists. If "see" means getting to hear them perform, I only got to hear two - Divine Martyr and True Revival. But if I by see I mean "see with my eyes", then you can add Undefeated and Reclaim the Day to the list. Plus, I saw the video of most of a concert by another entry, my long-time favorite Daniel Band. I also had the honor of meeting several artists including Doug and Jim of True Revival and  Jerrod Cunningham (I Am The Pendragon/XIII Minutes), Always 1 Ministries leaders Chris Bousum and Angie Leyda, and photographer Jeanette Yoder. I did spend a day in a building with photographer Chad Fenner, and though I didn't officially introduce myself, I interact with him on Facebook. I also started following the Podcast Lithoscry, hosted by Glenn Remsen. 

How about books? Interesting year. I set my goal of both fiction and non-fiction at 12 each. I broke the goal for both - 16 non-fiction, 20 fiction. On the latter, it hasn't been typical. Sure, 20's a lot, but the past few years it has been over 24 (average of two a month). Plus, the number of different authors this year I've read is 19! That weird enough? I've read books by several of my favorite authors, but several of them failed to hit my top 10! Let me rephrase this - I've read the first novel for years from my 3rd favorite author, and that didn't make my top ten!  

I do not currently have a favorite movie list, and the list of movies to see is relatively short (and not the most modern). However, I saw five movies I've always wanted to see: "Avengers: Endgame;" "Avengers: Infinity War;" "Citizen Kane," "Dr. Strangelove;" and "Labarynth." I'm glad I saw four of those movies. (Any guesses which one I didn't enjoy at all?)

I did a blog asking if I should join Glenn Remsen in the Podcast world. As of now, the answer is negatory. However, I do have three Facebook groups and this blog. I've got my "Holding Up In Prayer The Arms of Christian Artists stronger. My other two groups are not doing any better, and I'm considering merging one with someone else's group. And this blog? Still going. One change is that I can count the interviews this year on one hand, though I've had more album reviews.

So now, I'll open the floor to questions. And should I get any, I'll try to answer them this Saturday as I talk about next year.

Photos on left margin - Becky's party, courtesy of Donna Leinbach;  Me with Mayor Candidate Dave Hofmann and Council Candidates Bob Jones and Brent Addington, and with Divine Martyr, Undefeated, Jerrod Cunningham, and Chris Bousum.