Previous William Thomas Sherman Info Page postings, quotes, observations, etc.
["The Stylistics - You Make Me Feel Brand New"]
For some odd and strange reason so many of the SCTV clips on YouTube have one thing or another wrong with them; relating either to the audio, video, and or editing quality. So much so that I'm almost inclined to read something suspicious into it. At first (and based on what's available), I'd wanted to post the Dick Cavett with Bobby Bittman interview, but the poor sound of the YT version nixed that idea. Even these (consecutive) segments below leave much to be desired, but at least they're reasonably watchable.
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["Jackie Rogers Jr Backstage - Martin Short"] and ["Jackie Rogers Jr Kidnapped - Martin Short"]
Once more in reference to Leonard Bernstein's "Unanswered Question" series, he in effect asserts that the great intellectuals of the 20th century were prophets of doom and gloom, and who had lost faith -- including not only those who preceded World War II, but those who preceded World War I as well! As before, here we find him speaking (in my opinion) like a fool. For when you tell people the world will or is likely to end soon (with that much less time for all necessary love and romance), and they believe you, then the result is they are less likely to care about saving mankind or the planet; while being more inclined to be reckless, greedy, immoral, rash, destructive -- which, not coincidentally, is exacly how these rotten spirit people (whom I write about), from and glowing with Heaven (a la Brockden Brown’s Wieland), would have you see things.
And here's a further reaction to and development of the above way of thinking: "My friends, indeed most people generally, seem now to be given over to doing things a certain (i.e. the wrong, dishonest) way, and along comes this self-righteous elitist who tells us we must be honest, rational, and clean up our act. Well, he's sure wasting his breath on me; for in no wise will I be found to be one who succumbs to misanthrophy and lack of love and compassion for my fellow man."
For the original by Freddie Scott of this song, and which is in some ways better than this later rendition, see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zICW6CoWQ1c
["Am I Groovin You" -- Ron Wood and Keith at the Rainbow 74 show]
Let's see there's The Enforcer, The Dark Knight, Iron Man, Spiderman, The Avengers, The Saint, The Terminator, The Punisher, The Persuaders, The Prisoner, and of not so recent date The Mental Patients. All then we need now are some police!
More from our SRO archives.
["Don't Turn It Off" - Hot Chocolate]
["John Fogerty "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?" Live" -- the Creedence Clearwater Revival hit]
In an e-mail letter they wrote, someone asked me (and who are themselves a Christian living in a predominantly Muslim country) why we, as believers, should see Christ as more than merely a prophet. The following is the response I gave him:
Of course, such questions as the divinity of Christ are and have been subject to much debate and
disagreement, but we as Christians accept him as THE SON as a matter of faith. But this said,
there are a number of reasons that may be adduced to support this belief.
Christ (while on earth) carried in himself the true spirt, soul, and life that leads
DIRECTLY to the FATHER; at the same time he was the SON of MAN and a descendant of Adam. It is
in then through his soul and spirit, and by our faith in Him, that we come to the Father also.
He is like a road or a door to the Father. Further, through that faith in him we become like Jesus, and thereby more acceptable to God as His rightful children. Now how do we know Jesus of Nazareth was this
person? (Among other reasons we might give) by his wisdom, love, courage, and example (in taking
up the cross), as well as the statements by the prophets. Jesus then, for those who believe
him, could face and therefore defeat Satan the way no other prophet could. Who do the Muslim's
say can face Satan? This they can answer or tell you for themselves.
Yet I believe strongly in religious tolerance and look for good in any religious faith where I
can find it. The following is a story from the Italian author Boccaccio (1313-1375 AD) [from The Decameron], as
recounted by Will Durant (an American historian) and which I thinks speaks to the topic of
religious toleration very nicely:
"The most philosophical is the legend of the three rings (Decam. I, 3). Saladin, 'Soldan of Babylon,'
needing money, invites the rich Jew Melchisedek to dinner, and asks him which of the three
religions is the best -- the Jewish, the Christian, or the Mohammedan. The wise old moneylender,
fearing to speak his mind directly, answers with a parable: 'There was once a great man and a
rich, who, among other very precious jewels in his treasury, had a goodly and costly ring:
'Wishing to leave it in perpetuity to his descendants, he declared that whichever of his sons
should, at his death, be found in possession thereof, by his bequest unto him, should be
recognized as his heir, and be held by all the others in honor and reverence as chief and head.
He to whom the ring was left held a like course with his own descendants, and did even as his
father had done. In brief, the ring passed from hand to hand, through many generations, and
came at last into the possession of a man who had three goodly and virtuous sons all very
obedient to their father, whereof he loved all three alike. The young men knowing the usance of
the ring, each desiring to be the most honored among his folk besought his father, who was now
an old man, to leave him the ring. The worthy man, who knew not himself how to choose to which
he had liefer leave the ring, bethought himself to satisfy all three, and privily let make
by a good craftsman other two rings which were so like unto the first that he himself scarce
knew which was the true. When he came to die he secretly gave each one of his sons his ring,
wherefore each of them, seeking, after their father's death, to occupy the inheritance and the
honor and denying it to the others, produced his ring in witness of his right, and the three
rings being found so like one another that the true might not be known, the question which was
the father's very heir abode pending and yet pendeth. And so I say to you, my lord: of the
three Laws given by God the Father to the three peoples, each people deemeth itself to have His
inheritance, His true Law and His commandments; but of which in very deed hath them, even as of
the rings, the question yet pendeth.'" [from The Renaissance by Will Durant.]