Musings in Search of a Muse

Just the other day a kind soul I work with dropped off eight winning caps for the Pepsi/iTunes music giveaway. Feeling generous, I gave two away to a new iPod owner I know and promptly redeemed the remaining six. Then a couple days later I picked up one of the last bottles of Mountain Dew that I happened to find in a local store and it was a winner, too – until I put it in a recycle bin the following day, cap and all. The giveaway ends April 11^th so I’d better be a lot more careful. Otherwise I’ll have to dip into that tasty $15.00 iTunes gift card I got for buying iPod socks and some new earphones from Amazon.

Still, I’m rather pleased with the tunes I collected since my last blog entry. Not much in the Jazz category, but Norah Jones redefines the nearly worn-out phrase “dulcet tones” with “Don’t Know Why” from Come Away With Me. Her voice reminds me of a sipping whiskey: smooth, with a bit of bite and a warm scratch that leads to a slight intoxication. I will certainly check out other work by this talented lady.

A Big Band/Jazz standard, “That Old Black Magic,” made it in this round. Louis Prima and Keely Smith give memorable performances on in this release (Ultra-Lounge, Vol. 5: Wild, Cool & Swingin'). Of all the choices on iTunes this was the best one. Sadly, the Sammy Davis, Jr. rendition I was aiming for wasn’t available. There was one from this classic song and dance man, but it seemed forced. Much like the performances I sampled from Judy Garland, Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughn, and others. I would have preferred one on par with Jerry Lewis’s recording in the original Nutty Professor. Maybe I was biased by the stunning Stella Stevens, but Mr. Lewis did a fabulous job.

Last in the Jazz group from this outing is Lisa Stansfield renewing my love of Gershwin with “They Can't Take That Away from Me” from The Glory of Gershwin. The orchestration beautifully compliments the light smokiness in Miss Stansfield’s vocals. She puts genuine emotion into the song thus reminding me of a playful flirt who wants to experience the fullness of the song’s various intonations. Top form, truly.

Rock dominated and two of the best come from Joe Cocker: “Maybe I'm Amazed” and “You Are So Beautiful” (Heart & Soul and Greatest Love Songs, respectively). Once again I find myself asking why I hadn’t downloaded these songs before now. The latter is especially dear to me as I often sung it (badly, by all rights) to my daughter while she was alive. Actually, I’m surprised I can listen to either one with the memories they evoke of my lovely little girl and other relationships I’ve had. Time may not heal all wounds, but it gives a perspective that filters the past and softens the hurt if one doesn’t concentrate too much.

Guitar wizard Ted Nugent showed up again with a track I almost purchased before I found “Stranglehold.” His “Great White Buffalo (Live)” is the first song that comes to mind when Steady Teddy is the topic. Actually, the whole album Double Live Gonzo! seemed pretty good, but with room on the ol’ iPod getting tight I’ve decided to become more judicial with my acquisitions. It is not often a Rock song actually tells a story, but Mr. Nugent’s love of wildlife and the outdoors clearly inspired him to share his passion. But I wasn’t so limited that I didn’t grab “Hibernation (Live)” from the same album. It’s a 16 minute, 57 second humility lesson. I wonder how many people heard this, said “Jeez! I’ll never play that good!” and smashed their guitars in frustration. It’s not a very hard rocking song, but clearly Mr. Nugent is going wild. There are times that the band seems to have trouble keeping up. I can almost picture this recording taking place in a small Jazz club after hours when the artists play to amuse themselves – particularly the work about starting about 8:40 from the top.

A wild man of more recent vintage found his way into my library again – Kid Rock. Surprisingly he has just one album available on iTunes, Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast, but I picked up the single of “Forever (Radio Version).” There are times the man is nearly brilliant, but I don’t find him consistent enough to collect too many more songs. When “I Wanna Be a Cowboy” shows up on iTunes I’ll grab that and likely stop there. Until then I’ll have to enjoy the Dictionaraoke cover “I Wanna Be A Cowbot” from The Singing Dictionary.

The wildness continues with a track from Tear the Roof Off (1974-1980) by Parliament. “Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)” was featured in the Eddie Griffin move Undercover Brother, a great send up of Blaxplotation movies of the 70s. It isn’t the prize of my Funk collection, but it’s a fine addition.

As usual, I have an affinity for Inspirational music and Jennifer Knapp’s “Breathe On Me” (The Way I Am) lounged in my Wish List long enough. The lyrics are at times clear as a mountain stream and at other times as clear as cork.

No temptation seize a man that he can't overcome
who am I to be fallen?
Crack your back on a slab of wood
Come freedom, nail it down
I come crawling,
I come crawling

Rather good stuff nonetheless and a really catchy melody. It borders on the whiney, plaintive sound I dislike about most of the Christian music that I hear, but not so much so it won’t be in regular rotation in my biggest playlist.

The Blues Brothers bring “Hey Bartender (Live)” to the party in their Briefcase Full of Blues. The raw enthusiasm that Jake and Elwood Blues put into their performances more that make up for the only slightly better than average talent. But then again, you don’t really need talent to sing the Blues because it is in all of us. I can’t recall hearing a bad song from this genre. Of course, though the great Koko Taylor sang this song, as did Floyd Dixon and others you’d recognize, it is not really a standard. But I can easily see the boys having a heck of a time when I close my eyes and pretend I’m seeing them live. That must have been something. Another legend lost to drugs. We’ll miss you, Mr. Belushi, and not just for your fashion sense.

In the first Blues Brothers movie Murph and the Magictones are playing a Holiday Inn lounge and we are treated to part of Booker T. & The M.G.'s classic “Time is Tight” from the album Uptight. What is really great is that two of the Magictones are really members of the original band: Donald "Duck" Dunn and Steve Cropper. Not many people will catch that humor. I might have to clue the IMDB into that for their trivia page. Anyway, I couldn’t help adding this great instrumental to my library.

Rounding up the list is a bit of Electronica I came across when poking around the links that showed up on the pages for music from the movie The Incredibles. Rather fitting, too, as “The Planet Plan” from United Future Organization’s album 3rd Perspective is heavily derivative from the space action and spy TV shows and B-movies that I was fond of in my youth. Someone had to be channeling Monty Norman and Lalo Schifrin when they wrote this. Maybe it's an Anime thing.

School District Interview Essay

Please respond to the following quote in a clear and concise manner. You are expected to complete the written responses within a twenty to thirty minute time frame using only the space provided.

“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” Author unknown

Briefly explain your opinion of this statement and how positively or negatively this relates to your professional philosophy.

Upon reading this quote, my first thought was the well worn phrase “there is no ‘I’ in ‘Team’.” This is certainly true; however, feel that the last sentence has a more positive relevancy to my professional philosophy that an outstanding teacher has passion.

Sir Isaac Newton* once said “If I have seen farther than others it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants.” A teacher passionate about the subject taught, the process itself, and the best interests of the student will build upon the best ideas available.

Teamwork is the ideal model to follow in this undertaking. As a cooperative unit, passionate teachers are able to guide students to high achievement levels in a better manner than if they worked alone, or worse, if they worked to cross purposes.

No, there is not an “I” in “Team” if people wish to “attain uncommon results.”

* In retrospect, this may have been Albert Einstein.

The essay above (and the guidelines preceding it) was for one of my most recent interviews in a local school district. As with any good essay writing I did pre-writing (“brain storming”) and a draft before tackling the final you see above. If I had access to any resources besides my brain and the dictionary in my PDA I would have verified the quote and maybe spruced up other parts.

If you can't stand the sight of someone is that "facial discrimination?"

Certainly that would depend on how you define the root word discriminate. I agree with Isaac Asimov*, puns are one of the highest orders of humor. And the worse they are, the better they are (a punster will understand that). Sadly, almost everything that enters my head becomes a pun and it often drives me to distraction. My friends have begun to treat this condition with ignore-ance, but will often let a sly smile slip by in acknowledgement.

*Here's a good one by Asimov I found on the Web while looking for the definition of feghoot:

Monty Stein, in the year 3047, committed quite a heist and made off with quite a tidy sum. He was eventually caught, and the judge sentenced him to seven years imprisonment. However, the night before his impending incarceration, he calmly set his time machine for seven years and one day, and stepped through.

When he emerged in 3054, there was quite an uproar. Prosecution maintained that Monty Stein never actually served the sentence, since effectively no time passed for him. Defense stated that the effect was basically the same, since he lost seven years of living in society, or something to that effect. Both sides called each other names (as lawyers are wont to do).

Eventually, Stein was set free. Some say that the judge succumbed to peer pressure; others said that he simply couldn't resist the temptation. For his decision, in full, was:

"A niche in time saves Stein."

Thinking that sending the above cartoon to my fellow employees might be a "bad" thing under the various arcane and illogical communications policies issued by my weekend employer, I first consulted my manger. She said it probably wouldn't be a good idea.

Sure, there's a Muslim, a Jew, some Christians, and a bunch of atheists on my team, but I didn't seriously believe using the cartoon as part of an Easter greeting would be a problem. But I guess the holiday has simply become another commercial whitewash of a celebration of God's love. I was allowed to pass out Easter-themed chocolates -- i.e., bunnies and pastel colors. What bunnies have to do with Easter I don't know. Certainly the holiday is co-opting a number of pagan rituals and symbols, but the general idea is to have a re-birthday party for the Lord, isn't it?

A good story at MSNBC has the following poll as a sidebar:

A good question to ask, no doubt, but the second question from the top shows bias in construction and word choice. A professional pollster striving for neutrality never would have let that one slip through. I'm not thrilled with the third question, either. Of course, MSNBC doesn't claim to be scientifically valid and readily explains why on another page.

Can you believe that this is all my phone’s manual says about T9 text?

T9 Mode
This mode allows you to enter words with only one keystroke per letter.
Each key on the keypad has more than one letter. The T9 mode
automatically compares your keystrokes with an internal linguistic
dictionary to determine the correct word, thus requiring far fewer
keystrokes than the traditional ABC mode.

What a crock! I’ll never learn to use this! How do I change the word that T9 comes up with! And don’t say scrolling, ‘cause it don’t work! Jimminies! How can I exist in the 21st Century with this primitive technology!

• If someone is senile, they are considered to be in senility. So why can't someone who is sessile considered to be in "sessility," then?
• Lysette Anthony hasn't made more of a splash in the movies? She's talented and beautiful. I guess she didn't know the right people. She's featured in Without A Clue, an equally underrated film featuring Michael Caine and Ben Kingsley.
  
• Why hasn't anyone noticed the humor in Ellen Foley having a non-speaking role in Tootsie. How quickly people forget the heyday of Radio. At least the people who created Remember WENN didn't forget.
• Jethro Tull doesn't exist ... at least on iTunes. What gives?
• Why isn't there a good quality, yet inexpensive, study Bible to download for use on my laptop?

Following is a post that is just a draft so far. I'm not entirely sure exactly what I want to do with it, but from the start you should get a rough idea of my general goal. When I make changes or additions I'll color code them by day so you (i.e., no one reads this stuff anyway) can get an idea of some of my thought processes. Rather than have everyone jump back and forth to the original, I'll just post the updates as I make them. However, feel free to scroll back to previous posts to track the changes by color (black, red, & blue thus far).Today’s edits are in green and following is the final copy black again.

Let me preface this post with the comment that even though I am not a Catholic, I hold great respect for the importance of the Papacy and its current leader, John Paul II. Like any institution that has existed for much of recorded history, well nigh a millennium, the passage of time notes actions and events through surrounding it’s the passage of in time that range from the indefensible to the indispensable. Perhaps in part for the this disparate nature of reality in the Church’s history, the lends an importance of to the Papacy that is greater than ever to adherents and non-adherents alike. Direct influence over everyday life has diminished, but there remain sufficient followers and a general respect for the institution that gives allows the Church can an influence over social and political trends in nations where it has little presence. Who, after all, can deny the role of the Pope in the fall of the Soviet Union?

“In 1994, as age and infirmity began to incapacitate John Paul publicly, he told his followers he had heard God and was about to change the way he led the church. ‘I must lead her with suffering,’ he said” (Newsweek Online Edition – Feb. 28).

It is odd to many with little or no faith that God’s love and suffering can go together. Mel Gibson’s film The Passion of the Christ (2004) reminded us of this dichotomy with brilliance and brutality. brilliantly and brutally. People easily forget that the world is no longer the perfect place that was given to Adam and Eve. As such our bodies are as imperfect as our environment has been since the Ffall and we have been given the responsibility to care for ourselves. stewardship of both. This is both a punishment on mankind for that original sin and an opportunity for us Man to show how well we he can follow His the Word.

And so John Paul II suffers endures maladies both painful and degrading. His strength during these times is his attachment to the sanctity of life and his willingness to bear the burdens imposed from without so that we others can learn by from his example. As the world examines itself in light of John Paul II’s most recent illness, “The spectacle of his condition crystallizes his ferocious attachment to life — the most central, coherent and consistent teaching of his papacy — whether that life is threatened in the womb by abortion, or in old age by euthanasia” (ibid).

Discipleship in the Lord is, if I might be permitted to use the word, evolutionary. One’s role changes The inflection of a disciple’s ministry fluctuates as when experience is gained, situations change, or faith waxes and wanes. As Pope, John Paul II wields a different influence than in his days during the time prior to his election in 1978 when he was simply Cardinal Karol Wojtyla or still more simply the neighborhood priest before then. The inflection of a disciple’s ministry fluxuates Anyone who professes and demonstrates faith recognizes this pattern and progression and can learn from John Paul II’s struggle. , but we can all be inspired by his travails.

Final copy - The Importance of the Pope in the 21st Century

Let me preface this post with the comment that even though I am not a Catholic, I hold great respect for the importance of the Papacy and its current leader, John Paul II. Like any institution that has existed for much of recorded history, well nigh a millennium, the actions and events through its passage in time range from the indefensible to the indispensable. Perhaps this disparate reality in the Church’s history lends an importance to the Papacy that is greater than ever to adherents and non-adherents alike. Direct influence over everyday life has diminished, but there remain sufficient followers and a general respect for the institution that allows the Church an influence over social and political trends in nations where it has little presence. Who, after all, can deny the role of the Pope in the fall of the Soviet Union?

“In 1994, as age and infirmity began to incapacitate John Paul publicly, he told his followers he had heard God and was about to change the way he led the church. ‘I must lead her with suffering,’ he said” (Newsweek Online Edition – Feb. 28).

It is odd to many with little or no faith that God’s love and suffering can go together. Mel Gibson’s film The Passion of the Christ (2004) reminded us of this dichotomy with brilliance and brutality. People easily forget that the world is no longer the perfect place that was given to Adam and Eve. As such our bodies are as imperfect as our environment has been since the fall and we have been given the stewardship of both. This is both a punishment on mankind for that original sin and an opportunity for Man to show how well he can follow the Word.

And so John Paul II endures maladies both painful and degrading. His strength during these times is his attachment to the sanctity of life and his willingness to bear burdens imposed from without so that we others can learn from his example. As the world examines itself in light of John Paul It’s most recent illness, “The spectacle of his condition crystallizes his ferocious attachment to life — the most central, coherent and consistent teaching of his papacy — whether that life is threatened in the womb by abortion, or in old age by euthanasia” (ibid).

Discipleship in the Lord is, if I might be permitted to use the word, evolutionary. The inflection of a disciple’s ministry fluctuates when experience is gained, situations change, or faith waxes and wanes. As Pope, John Paul II wields a different influence than during the time prior to his election in 1978 when he was simply Cardinal Karol Wetly or still more simply the neighborhood priest before then. Anyone who professes and demonstrates faith recognizes this progression and understands John Paul II's struggle, but we can all be inspired by his travails.

As anyone in America who hasn’t been living in a cave doubtless already knows, center-of-controversy Terri Schiavo is still making news. The circumstances surrounding this 41-year old brain-damaged Florida woman need not be repeated here, partly because that would be repetitive and partly because simply thinking about it makes me very depressed. The latter might even surprise those that know me fairly well, because few are aware that I faced a similar dilemma with my beloved daughter, Lydia Rose, near the end of her life.

The doctors told my then-wife and me that we should consider having a feeding tube for Lydia as her deteriorating neural condition would soon mean that she would not be able to swallow. When faced with the idea of having maybe another six years with her in a vegetative state, we opted to let her die. The official cause of death was “dementia” caused by metachromic leukodystrophy. Really, she starved. That’s what happens without nutrition and hydration. Don’t let anybody varnish over the truth.

Certainly, the decision was partly selfish. But for me it was a decision made out of love. If Congress, the president, and many citizens around the world has their way this week, showing my love means that I deprived Lydia of her 14th Amendment rights. I was not a fit parent. And I was a murderer.

Fortunately, not everyone agrees. “An ABC News poll showed that most Americans disapproved of Congress's intervention. Two-thirds said they thought lawmakers were using the case of Terri Schiavo for political gain, and 70 percent deemed the congressional action inappropriate, according to the poll published on Monday.”

Perhaps it is just emotion that makes me say this, but this might be a time to throw out the First Amendment because I feel that those who have never had to make such a decision should simply shut up. This is not your fight. Now go away and leave the family alone.

Following is a post that is just a draft so far. I'm not entirely sure exactly what I want to do with it, but from the start you should get a rough idea of my general goal. When I make changes or additions I'll color code them by day so you (i.e., no one reads this stuff anyway) can get an idea of some of my thought processes. Rather than have everyone jump back and forth to the original, I'll just post the updates as I make them. However, feel free to scroll back to previous posts to track the changes by color (black, red, & blue thus far).

Let me preface this post with the comment that even though I am not a Catholic, I hold great respect for the importance of the Papacy and its current leader. Like any institution that has existed for much of recorded history, well nigh a millennium, the passage of time notes actions and events surrounding it through the passage of time that range from the indefensible to the indispensable. Perhaps in part for the this disparate nature of reality in the Church’s history, the lends an importance of to the Papacy that is greater than ever to adherents and non-adherents alike. Direct influence over everyday life has diminished, but there remain sufficient followers and general respect for the institution that gives the Church can influence over social and political trends in nations where it has little presence. Who can deny the role of the Pope in the fall of the Soviet Union?

“In 1994, as age and infirmity began to incapacitate John Paul publicly, he told his followers he had heard God and was about to change the way he led the church. ‘I must lead her with suffering,’ he said” (Newsweek Online Edition – Feb. 28).

It is odd to many with little or no faith that God’s love and suffering can go together. Mel Gibson’s film The Passion of the Christ (2004) reminded us of this dichotomy with brilliance and brutality. brilliantly and brutally. People easily forget that the world is no longer the perfect place that was given to Adam and Eve. As such our bodies are as imperfect as our environment since the Fall and we have been given the responsibility to care for ourselves. This is both a punishment on mankind for that original sin and an opportunity for us Man to show how well we he can follow His the Word.

And so John Paul II suffers maladies both painful and degrading. His strength during these times is his attachment to the sanctity of life and his willingness to bear the burdens imposed from without so that we others can learn by his example. As the world examines itself in light of John Paul II’s most recent illness, “The spectacle of his condition crystallizes his ferocious attachment to life — the most central, coherent and consistent teaching of his papacy — whether that life is threatened in the womb by abortion, or in old age by euthanasia” (ibid).

Discipleship in the Lord is, if I might be permitted to use the word, evolutionary. One’s role changes The inflection of a disciple’s ministry fluctuates as when experience is gained, situations change, or faith waxes and wanes. As Pope, John Paul II wields a different influence than in his days prior to his election in 1978 when he was simply Cardinal Karol Wojtyla or still more simply the neighborhood priest in [Krakow, Poland] before then. The inflection of a disciple’s ministry fluxuates Anyone who professes and demonstrates faith recognizes this pattern and can learn from John Paul II’s struggle.

The best comedy, in my opinion, is that which tells us something about ourselves, has more than a ring of truth to it, or illustrates a common experience. That's why good satire is great and bad satire is still pretty good. A few moments ago I caught part of a Greg Proops act where he did a great job skewering white folk in respect to music and the best bit was as follows:

"You leave white people in isolation for thousands of years and the best music they can come up with is ... Riverdance!! (:::mock dancing:::) I can't move my head and I can't move my hips, but from my ankles down I'm one sexy bag of Gaelic goodies!"

Absolutely brilliant. But then Proops is good at satire because he's rather cynical. That's an example of why morbidly happy people aren't good at satire, because cynicism just isn't their heart.

During lunch today my girlfriend asked me to download a song from iTunes for her, "Monday Morning Church" by Alan Jackson, from What I Do. I had no Pepsi caps with which to avoid having to pay for a Country tune well out of my taste so I treated myself to buying one more suited to my palette: "Ryno's Lament" from Stealing Second by Chris Thile.

You may recognize Mr. Thile as a member of Nickel Creek, a fabulous contemporary Bluegrass band, and composer of that group's highly popular "Smoothie Song." Listening to both tunes shows the progression of his talent, though the "Lament" is rather impressive considering he wrote and released it while in his mid-teens.

I also bought another rendition of Henry Mancini's "Pink Panther Theme," this one by Bobby McFerrin from the album The Ultimate Pink Panther. A bad cover of this classic instrumental has yet to cross my ears but this one is especially good because of Mr. McFerrin's unique talent. Each of the "instruments" in the piece is really his vocal talent or hands. Even those familiar with his most famous work, "Don't Worry, Be Happy" aren't always aware of this. Its really a treat to crank up this one.

Following is a post that is just a draft so far. I'm not entirely sure exactly what I want to do with it, but from the start you should get a rough idea of my general goal. When I make changes or additions I'll color code them by day so you (i.e., no one reads this stuff anyway) can get an idea of some of my thought processes. Rather than have everyone jump back and forth to the original, I'll just post the updates as I make them.

Let me preface this post with the comment that even though I am not a Catholic, I hold great respect for the importance of the Papacy and its current leader. Like any institution that has existed for much of recorded history, well nigh a millennium, the passage of time notes actions and events surrounding it through the passage of time that range from the indefensible to the indispensable. Perhaps in part for the this disparate nature of reality in the Church’s history, the lends an importance of to the Papacy that is greater than ever to adherents and non-adherents alike. Direct influence over everyday life has diminished, but there remain sufficient followers and general respect for the institution that the Church can influence social and political trends in nations where it has little presence. Who can deny the role of the Pope in the fall of the Soviet Union?

“In 1994, as age and infirmity began to incapacitate John Paul publicly, he told his followers he had heard God and was about to change the way he led the church. ‘I must lead her with suffering,’ he said” (Newsweek Online Edition – Feb. 28).

It is odd to many that God’s love and suffering go together. Mel Gibson’s film The Passion of the Christ (2004) reminded us of this dichotomy brilliantly and brutally. People easily forget that the world is no longer the perfect place that was given to Adam and Eve. As such our bodies are as imperfect as our environment and we have been given the responsibility to care for ourselves. This is both a punishment for that original sin and an opportunity for us to show how well we can follow His Word.

And so John Paul II suffers maladies both painful and degrading. His strength during these times is his attachment to the sanctity of life and his willingness to bear the burdens imposed from without so that we can learn by his example. As the world examines itself in light of John Paul II’s most recent illness, “The spectacle of his condition crystallizes his ferocious attachment to life — the most central, coherent and consistent teaching of his papacy — whether that life is threatened in the womb by abortion, or in old age by euthanasia” (ibid).

Discipleship in the Lord is, if I might be permitted to use the word, evolutionary. One’s role changes as experience is gained, situations change, or faith waxes and wanes. As Pope, John Paul II wields a different influence than in his days prior to 1978 when he was simply Cardinal Karol Wojtyla or still more simply the neighborhood priest in [Krakow, Poland] before then. The inflection of a disciple’s ministry fluxuates

On November 5, 1781, John Hanson (Maryland) was elected President of the Continental Congress which met in Philadelphia from July 2, 1778 to June 21, 1783. When the Articles of Confederation were adopted on November 15th, he was then titled President of the United States in Congress Assembled and was thus our first president. Even George Washington addressed Mr. Hanson as "president" in numerous pieces of correspondence. Other presidents under the articles of Confederation were Elias Boudinot, Thomas Mifflin, Richard Henry Lee, Nathan Gorman, Arthur St. Clair, and Cyrus Griffin. Since the adoption of the Constitution, however, George Washington is considered to be the first President of the United States.

Another story that I heard on the way to work this morning contained a debate on what constitutes acceptable torture methods for the United States to use. Shouldn’t the debate be on whether we use torture or not? If we are to be that shining city on the hill* for others to admire and emulate, shouldn’t we be setting a better example? Taking the high road (presumably to the aforementioned city) may not be the easiest course, but it is nonetheless the best course. As long as the United States uses torture, admitting it freely or not, then we are justifiably fair game for others to pursue for the same treatment. Mohandas Gandhi taught this lesson to the world.

*See these references
A speech by Ronald Reagan
Brett Dolezal's Blog
Description of the origin of the phrase

National Public Radio aired a story this morning about California’s gay marriage ban in which it quoted Judge Richard Kramer as saying there was “no rational purpose” to deny same-sex marriages as he ruled the ban unconstitutional. From a position of simple logic, yes, he is correct in his statement. But no nation is founded on rationality. Rather, people come together to build a community consistent with their common core beliefs, ideals, and aspirations. For the United States, this is a nation founded by those with a deep and abiding belief in Judeo-Christian values. The Declaration of Independence makes this abundantly clear as it begins “… and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them …”

This tradition under which our nation was founded holds that marriage is the union of a man and a woman, not a union of same-sex couples and I stand by that. I would also like to point out that I am not comfortable with what the Bible says about homosexual relations (Romans 1:26-27, for example) and I do believe that it is possible for two people to have a true, loving relationship regardless of their sexual orientation, but if we are citing the law we must first obey God’s law, the canon that is the basis for our manmade laws.

On the way home from my girlfriend's tonight, one of those songs that just puts a smile on your face started playing on the car CD player: Santana's "Oyo Como Va." Genius can fade like a sunset or improve with age like good scotch. "Maria Maria (Radio Mix)" from Carlos Santana's Supernatural album is very much like the latter ... smooth, crisp, and reminiscent of good times with promises of more. Urban themes and mixing techniques update the legend and introduce a much needed touch of quality to late-20th Century popular music. Latin rhythms again dominate with a freshness from urban Hispanic flavor. Nicely done, Carlos. And that Grammy was long overdue.

Apparently Sheryl Crow has been around long enough to produce a "best of" album, The Very Best of Sheryl Crow. Maybe I haven't really been paying attention to her work. Some of it has been good, but "Steve McQueen" is the first one I've wanted to purchase. Opening with a gritty, acoustic guitar, this track instantly invokes the character of its namesake. Mr. McQueen can be considered as the height of cool: Simple, sophisticated, yet a very real man's man that women can't resist. The chorus tells it all:

This song caught a fair bit of popularity when first released, but its the type that is more likely to become something of a legend with age. Like Mr. McQueen himself.

Most of the music I acquire with my Pepsi/iTunes caps, and all the ones in this post are such, tend to be tracks on which I would hesitate spending. They aren't "must haves," but are likely to have spent some time in my Wish List. So where "Race with Devil On Spanish Highway" (Al DiMeola from Al DiMeola: Anthology) came from, I don't rightly know. The 30 second clip didn't do it justice. No, it's not better than the clip; it just isn't what I expected. But I was in a Latin mood and had just been listening to some really good contemporary Jazz so I went for it. Probably not something I would have spent money on, but it will likely compliment a playlist or two.

Another Jazz track made it in this round of cap redemptions, but I could swear I already have it somewhere. Danged if I can find it, though, so I picked up "Also Sprach Zarathustra" from Prelude by Deodato. Sort of a Meco-meets-quality-Jazz cover of the theme most frequently associated with the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, it is a nice blend of zip and panache married to a commercial appeal that means neophytes will like it and aficionados won't be bored as they usually are with the trite. The artist's site relates that the "... song sold at least five million copies and was awarded by Billboard Top instrumental LP, Top Jazz LP, Top Pop instrumental single, Cashbox, Record World, and Playboy magazines, also winning a Grammy Award in the Best Instrumental Pop/Rock performance in 1973 and becoming the most successful record in the label's history." Must be pretty good then. Probably that's why I didn't hesitate hitting the "Buy Song" button.

Though I haven’t been buying many bottles of my favorite beverage Mountain Dew lately, I have managed a high percentage of winners for free iTunes tracks. A couple people at work have been trading taking my “Buy One Get One Free” winners for their iTunes winners, too. Here are the latest additions:

Lately I’ve been in the mood for superior vocals. Peggy Lee’s “Fever” (Great Ladies of Song: Spotlight on Peggy Lee) is a great tune to satisfy this craving. Probably her best known work, this song is regularly butchered by everyone else, especially men (sorry, Sammy). Lee’s sultry-but-not-slutty voice is the key. Like a good, smooth scotch, the tone is mellow but has a kick. The orchestration on this track is superb. Other renditions tend to ignore the importance of having a bass compliment the percussion. While contemplating this buy the Shirley Bassey/James Bond classics “Goldfinger” and “Diamonds Are Forever” tempted me. They are wonderful examples of Miss Bassey’s power, but buying soundtrack music sometimes makes me feel crass, especially when I don’t have much of or any of the artist’s non-Hollywood work. Perhaps I’ll shake this by the time I get more winning caps.

Instrumentals featuring percussion have a special place in my music palette and “Palumbo” by Watch TV (Lounge - Seriously Good Music (iTunes Exclusive) – EP) has an afro-Caribbean beat that elevates this type of music to a rarified level. I can easily see this track being used in one of those “cool” movies like Ocean’s Eleven or Gone in 60 Seconds that hit the theaters every five years or so. Parts of it remind me of a recent Michelin tire TV advert. There is a growing trend of using “cool” music in adverts of late, and that can only be good.

The next instrumental was featured in a movie – “S.W.A.T. Theme” (Spot 79 from Solutions at the Speed of Business: Live at Jimmy Mak's). It blends a swanky fill about two minutes into the main movement before reverting to the classic melody that was the highlight of the original TV show and a constant presence in the movie. Oddly enough, this was the only rendition of the theme that iTunes had. It’s very good, but I have a direct-to-disc vinyl LP with a better version. Someday I’ll break out the hardware and do some ripping. There are a few other great tracks on this one-time offering from Radio Shack’s heyday as an audiophile’s best friend.

The best of the latest crop of iTunes downloads is Ted Nugent’s “Stranglehold” (The Ultimate Ted Nugent). This classic is near the pinnacle of guitar mastery, as good as anything from Hendrix, Clapton, Beck, and the other legends. The rhythm is addictive, the solos are inspired, and it’s a nearly complete lesson in the panoply of Hard Rock techniques. The bass line keeps the listener anchored while the lead guitar and supplementary music swing the mood up, down, and any which way but loose. It is truly a roller coaster ride of genius, pure and simple, and I feel bad that I hadn’t acquired it before now. And I feel worse that one of my more musically inclined students had never heard of Steady Teddy until today. Well, I introduced the two and I hope it’s a long lasting relationship.

The latest round of cap redemption includes another classic: “Black Betty” by Ram Jam (Mullets Rock! and other titles). The manic energy in this song is a near polar opposite of “Stranglehold,” but it is no less obsessive in using a primal melody to move the listener. Normally this is not my style of Rock, but with the free track cap from Pepsi I couldn’t help but add this reminder of music from my youth. One day I’ll look into the vague memory that I have about the lyrics. They have some type of deep meaning, if I recall correctly, but since I don’t pay much attention to lyrics this is a task that will likely remain on the “To Procrastinate About” list I might get around to writing one day.

Many recent releases remind me of music past, often so much so that I totally misidentify the source or the era. Kingdom Come’s “Get It On” (Radio Waves of the 80's - Rock Hits), though not a new song, very much reminds me early-to-mid 70s Rock. Probably the fact that I can’t picture the band at all or recall anything else they’ve done helps this illusion. The vocals remind me of Robert Plant, to a degree, and the guitar work is very much like Jimmy Paige’s style. It could almost be a track from Led Zeppelin (many of the album reviews at Amazon.com agree). Not a bad trick for a German band. Does this recent trend of gathering 80s music mean I’m heading into a second teenhood?

Now I know why I've never watched Exorcist II: The Heretic -- I somehow knew that it was a crappy movie. Tonight I just tuned in AMC as a lark and saw Richard Burton (there's a name that is supposed to mean quality) in front of the worst rear-projection scene made since the technique was invented. The following 10 minutes weren't any better. And the split screen composites used throughout were abominable. How they talked Max von Sydow (better than Burton any day) into coming back for this one I'll never know. My sympathies go to him, Louise Fletcher, Ned Beatty, James Earl Jones, Paul Henreid, and more, a veritable Who's Who of Hollywood talent. This cast was abused, pure and simple. The IMDB reports "On the night of the premiere, the movie was literally laughed off the screen. Things were tolerable until the 'synchronizer' machine was introduced, and it when straight downhill from there."

Then there's the theology. The Pope had to have excommunicated everyone involved with this one, even if they didn't belong to the Church. No, demons aren't proprietary to Christianity, but some of the things the movie shows the Church supporting are unthinkable. Director John Boorman should be given over to the Spanish Inquisition.

There's one caveat, though: Linda Blair all grown up (18 years old then) is pretty good looking.

Follwing is a post that is just a draft so far. I'm not entirely sure exactly what I want to do with it, but from the start you should get a rough idea of my general goal. When I make changes or additions I'll color code them by day so you (i.e., no one reads this stuff anyway) can get an idea of some of my thought processes.

Let me preface this post with the comment that even though I am not a Catholic, I hold great respect for the importance of the Papacy and its current leader. Like any institution that has existed for much of recorded history, well nigh a millennium, the passage of time notes actions and events surrounding it that range from the indefensible to the indispensable. Perhaps in part for the disparate nature of the Church’s history, the importance of the Papacy is greater than ever to adherents and non-adherents alike.

“In 1994, as age and infirmity began to incapacitate John Paul publicly, he told his followers he had heard God and was about to change the way he led the church. ‘I must lead her with suffering,’ he said” (Newsweek Online Edition – Feb. 28).

As the world examines itself in light of John Paul II’s most recent illness, “The spectacle of his condition crystallizes his ferocious attachment to life — the most central, coherent and consistent teaching of his papacy — whether that life is threatened in the womb by abortion, or in old age by euthanasia” (ibid).

A friend of mine recently sent another one of those “friendly” spams – the ones that are well intended, may actually have a use of sorts, but are still annoying at their core. As is typical, this one had some nice pictures (like the one above) and passed along greetings, felicitations, and a desire for the recipient’s well being – then advised that forwarding the mail to ten others would guarantee it. The picture below is the one that annoys.



Nowhere in the Bible have I read that there is there a price for improving my life. In the corporeal sense, I guess there is. For example, if I want to do well in a job interview I should buy a better suit or at least spend the money to clean the one I have.

However, I am not sure Jesus would approve of the statement in the picture. His actual message was more "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Salvation is a gift, offered freely, is without cost, and requires no effort. Jesus said, “… I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10b). Tickets won’t be sold to the Second Coming, but reserved seating is free and available in advance.

This is not to say that God’s children don’t have duties. “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’” (Matthew 22:37). That’s not work, that’s a pleasure. And it’s not very hard, is it? Some tasks may seem to be difficult, as in Luke 9:23: “… If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Think about it, though, and you’ll see this is just an act of love: putting another before ourselves, much as a husband and wife might set aside money to afford having children rather than splurging on personal pleasures.

Salvation, an improvement on anyone’s life, is a gift that can be opened everyday. Please remember to send a thank-you card signed “Love, …” and your name.

Four more acquisitions using winning caps from the Pepsi/iTunes giveaway:

“Rainbow in the Dark” by Dio, from The Very Beast of Dio
Without question, the lyrics of this song are trying very hard to be deep – “You’ve been left on your own, like a rainbow in the dark.” But it’s very hard to take any 80s hair band seriously. Except for the music in some cases. This song, along with others like “Holy Diver,” are standouts in a generation I best remember for the tendency to have every band member play as loudly as possible regardless of the consequences. But “Rainbow” has a flair in its melody and a nice use of strings (or simulated strings – it’s hard to tell). Then again, I feel most any tune can benefit from violins and cellos, especially Rock songs.

“We Shall Overcome” by The O.C. Supertones, from Unite
The Supertones style comes through loud and clear – lots of brass and an interesting way of presenting the Word – but there’s a quirk in this track that I just can’t nail down. This is just the third song of theirs that I have. Their perennial “Superfly” isn’t what I’d call an on-message Christian song but is good anyway while “Wilderness” has to be the best kick-in-the-teeth, get-it-or-forget-it, Christian song out there. If I hadn’t acquired “Overcome” for free I’m not sure it would be in my playlist, though its likely to grow on me.

“Drum Song” by Earth, Wind & Fire, from Open Your Eyes
Here’s a prime example of why iTunes samples need to be 45 seconds long or more. If I had heard more of this track it wouldn’t have been sallying about in my Shopping Cart for a few days. This is what percussion should be; not just one guy on a drum kit (sorry, Buddy & Gene). Then again, even if it was just a drum kit, anybody with a whit of R&B in their body could make it sound good. This is just better for the mix of instruments, the Afro-centric rhythms, and the utter passion that comes through in this session.

“Birdland” by Weather Report, from This Is Jazz, No. 10: Weather Report
With as many tracks as Apple iTunes stocks and sells, one would think that there would be more than one decent instrumental version of “Birdland” available, let alone a great one. After some time looking, I finally gave up and got this one. It lacks feeling and is too heavy on the synth. I write this despite that some consider this rendition fairly legendary (do a Web search and you'll see). Based on the samples of the other renditions available it could be much worse, but it too readily shows its late 70s heritage and Disco influence. It almost reminds me of Meco (and, yes, I do have a few of those on vinyl).

The lady who broke off our short-lived dating relationship let me take her out again tonight. Despite the fact that at times she dwells on really depressing subjects, it was a good evening. Quite a few hugs ensued and even a bit of snogging. It was fun. But expensive. Nearly $70.00 for dinner and drinks. That's nearly half the laptop computer rebate check that I got today. Well, I can't keep that up. Guess I'm going to have to wait for her to ask me out so she'll pay.

Every now and then I'm reminded of how beautiful Virginia Madsen really is. Like most women I find attractive, she is not what some would call stunningly beautiful, or supermodel beautiful; rather she has a unique, fully human quirk to her beauty. Sure, her eyes are stunning and she has a fabulous smile. Better yet, though, there's a genuine person behind the face, and that life is her true beauty.

As I write this, I'm watching Creator, in which she plays a neatly pivotal part in the main plot and a sub plot. Seeing this film for the first time is probably when I first saw her, and I thought she was gorgeous. And she remains so today. Hard to believe she's my age. Probably the best that she has looked was in Ironclads. Just about any woman looks good as a southern belle, but she was the epitome. She's now in Sideways, and as I mentioned in a post from earlier this month, I may have to go see that movie just because of her.

Something tells me I was tired. Yesterday I started a nap at 4:30 pm and crawled out of bed at 6:00 this morning. During that interval I know I awoke 5 times and told myself, "Okay, get up and get something accomplished!" only to roll over and return to sleep.

But there are a number of things I need to accomplish today, not the least of which is pay bills with the rebate check that I just got on my notebook computer. Then there's cleaning my house, shoveling left over snow, and doing just about anything I can to keep my mind off how lonely I am. I'm beginning to think that I shouldn't have started dating again. I miss cuddles.