What IS in a name?

One fun way to play with the internet is to pick your favorite search engine, type in your own name, press the “search” button, and then see what happens.

I know, it is a shockingly brazen and unsophisticated way to use this remarkable technology….whatever. And yes, I am already aware that it is called a “vanity search” and that is what it is when you are fishing around for your own identity, but that’s not really what I’m suggesting. No. What is far more interesting is finding out how many people in the virtual world share your name and then checking out what they are up to.

Personally, I think almost everybody has done this type of search…I know for a fact, from my Sitemeter reports, that a couple of you, my own virtual namesakes, are definitely interested in what the other Barry Pike's of the world are up to. So, just for grins, here are what a few of you are doing:

This guy is extremely successful in the corporate world. Like me, his background is in sales, it seems, but he is now the CEO of a major player in the high-tech digital media services industry. He’s Canadian, so he is probably a hockey fan…hey, we’ve got that in common.

There is an Englishman with my name who is an editor of a literary periodical, The Bottle Sreet Gazette, which is devoted to the work and life of Margery Allingham (1904-1966), the famous British mystery and crime novelist of yesteryear. He is also an authority on classic radio dramas produced by the BBC.

Then, there is this distinguished looking gentleman from California. He is a Starship Trooper. Well, more accurately, he is a Sith Lord. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

And this guy is a professional drummer, somebody I am sure I could relate to. He is also English and played with Fumble, a very successful rock-and-roll band on that side of the ocean who has performed with Bill Haley, Chuck Berry, David Bowie and many others. Very cool.

That's great, guys. Keep up the good work.

Warning: Geeky post about Internet Radio, music, and audio in general

This is a very interesting new product. First shown at last year's Consumer Electronics Show, the InFusion portable internet radio from Torian began shipping in November.

It is a battery-powered, fully portable, WiFi-driven media playback device. It also functions as an MP3 recorder/player and a regular FM radio. The cool thing about it is that it is designed to access the gazillion internet radio resources without the need for a computer. All it requires is WiFi. As WiFi becomes more and more ubiquitous, accessories like this will be increasingly practical. Not only will you be able to tune in at the local coffee shop, but even at home, it will be possible to listen to your favorite Ivory Coast alternative-rock channel as you mow the yard, fix supper, or clean the garage.

I love exploring the obscure and bizarre creative corners of our musical world through the many internet radio portals that exist today. For more info on this, check out this very helpful Wikipedia entry for details and links to explore. The only drawbacks so far have been that I have to listen to it on my computer, can't easily record the streaming audio, and therefore I can't take it with me.

This type of device or a variant should and will likely become standard equipment on home stereo component equipment. In addition to the buttons that allow you to select CD/DVD, FM, AM, and Cable TV, will be a button that says IP or somesuch, which will then allow you to tune in to the amazing programming choices that exist on the internet. Obviously, broadband internet access will be required, but that, too, is becoming more available with each passing day.

Audio quality continues to be an issue with every IP audio device. While I expect the InFusion sounds as good as most of the other internet-based players, I have yet to hear any consumer online-driven audio source that sounds as good as a compact disc through a decent conventional player. MP3's offer incredible convenience and access, but the fidelity is greatly inferior to the CD, DVD, or other fixed digital playback systems. In general, audio playback quality has suffered tremendously the last few years because the industries that drive the technology shifted their focus from prioritizing high-fidelity sound to high-quantity delivery methods. There are a host of issues, technical and aesthetic at play and I'm not going to get into it here. My hope and expectation is that the quality of the sound will soon catch back up with the wonderful freedom that we now have to listen to programming available from all over the planet.

The InFusion at first seems a little pricey at $229 and it is only available via special order through their site. But it is cheaper than most IPOD's and many other MP3 players. I think the idea is way more interesting than satellite radio, although, obviously, where there is no WiFi, there will be very little fun to be had. Yes, I want one.

h/t RadioWorld Online

Notes in passing...

We had a wonderful Christmas, and thanks so much to those who have sent their greetings here and elsewhere.

It has been great having my brother and his family in from Virginia this week. We were hoping to get out and do some pistol-shooting this week, but its just a little to chilly for that to be much fun for long. It has been great, though, just to hang out with them, share Christmas, play games, etc.

I'm having a lot of fun with my new lap steel. It is a great-sounding instrument and I am really enjoying it. Not easy to play, by any means, but within my reach. I already speak the language, I just need to work on the dialect.

One of the many joys this time of year brings is some time in which to read. I just finished John Scalzi's Ghost Brigade, which I got for Christmas, and it was excellent. Scalzi creates a fascinating universe that is at once alien and bizarre, yet at the same time absorbing and believable. If you like sci-fi, you should check it out. I'm hoping for a 3rd book in a similar vein, although it seems he got distracted and wrote something new and unrelated. It is very likely to be good, too.

At church this weekend we are having a guest artist lead our worship services. Lee Behnken has been a friend of our church's for many years. He is a gifted writer and performer of considerable international renown and a great guy. I'll be backing him up on acoustic with his band, I think, which will be fun and different since I really am an electric guitarist primarily. But it is always fun to play new music with new people and learn new things.

Tyropita! (No, I'm not Greek, I'm just here for the food.)

I haven’t written much, if anything, about one of my favorite things: cooking. I am actually the primary cook at our house and have been since the mid-80’s. There are a number of reasons for this, including, as we joke around here, the primal need to stave off starvation. But, really, my wife has never really enjoyed cooking, didn’t do much of it in her formative years, and is not particularly interested in doing so now. There are a handful of things she enjoys making and can do very well…like microwave popcorn, macaroni & cheese, and toast. And she makes great coffee, which is perfect since around here, that is a primary food group. Early in our marriage, we tried cooking together and that worked about as well as two people trying to drive the same car at the same time. Early on, we did learn to make our now legendary Walnut Chicken with Rice together, and we still enjoy it now, nearly a score of years later. But generally speaking, two cooks in the same kitchen sounds like a recipe for divorce (heh).

Anyway, I didn’t marry her for her cooking – what’s that mean, anyway?

My brother, an excellent cook, and I learned the basics of cooking from our mother. As my father tells it, Mom wasn’t always a great cook, though. Evidently her Tuna Noodle Casserole nearly killed him in their early years. But by the time I came along, she seemed to have gotten it down pretty good because I still like that dish…once a year or so. Anyway, he didn’t marry her for her cooking either, evidently. Besides, she became a master cook and certainly still is. In addition to hosting the headquarters for most of our traditional holiday family gatherings, she is still learning to cook new things all the time and teaching her grandkids to cook, as well as continuing to make the staples that we all enjoy.

Seasonal holiday fare is really not my thing, so, unless your family is pretty peculiar, what follows is really not much like a traditional Christmas treat at all. I enjoy a lot of diverse kinds of food, but one of my favorites is Mediterranean cuisine. So here is a really easy recipe for what, to most Americans, will be an exotic dish but is, in fact, a staple in Greece. This recipe is a functional amalgam of several others, none original. It is slightly Americanized, but it works, its very easy, and its really, really, good.

It is called Tyropita, which means “cheese pie” in Greek. Here is the recipe:

---1 roll of phyllo dough (I use Athens Foods. 1 box comes with 2 rolls – freeze the remainder)
---1 lb of feta cheese
---1 ¼” cup of cottage cheese
---1 stick of butter or the margarine equivalent.
---Pam or some other cooking oil spray
---6 eggs
---fresh ground black pepper (to taste)

Phyllo dough is found in the frozen foods aisle at your grocery. It is that paper-thin, multi-layered dough that is used to make baklava and other tasty treats.

Defrost the phyllo dough as instructed on the package. When it is thawed, you are ready to start. First, carefully unroll the dough. The only tricky part about this recipe is the fragility of the sheets of dough. Try not to tear them.

In a large bowl crumble the feta cheese, add the cottage cheese and the eggs and mix it well. Melt the butter in either a saucepan on the stove, or with a microwave in a bowl.

Spray the Pam liberally on the bottom and sides of a 9x13” casserole pan. Glass may work fine, who knows? Mine is metal…I don’t know why. Now is the time to preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Carefully lay the first sheet of dough on the bottom of the pan. With a soft bristled cooking brush, apply some of the clarified butter to the sheet. Lay a second sheet on top of the first and then brush on more butter. It doesn’t have to be too thick, but you should be sure it is spread across most of the sheet. Do this until you have a total of 8 layers of buttered phyllo sheets, which should be about half of your roll.

Spoon the cheese mixture into the pan, spreading it evenly across the phyllo dough. Then add the rest of the dough sheets and more butter until you are out of dough, probably 8 or 9 more sheets.

It is difficult to slice this dish into portions after its done baking without destroying it, so let it bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or so, then remove. With a very sharp knife, cut through the top layers of dough down to the filling…you can cut it in squares (easy), triangles (traditional), or diamonds (fancy). Return to the oven and cook for another 50 minutes or so, or until the top is a beautiful crispy, golden brown color. Upon removal, finish slicing to the bottom of the pan and then serve.

These are great hot or cold and are perfect with soup or stew. The feta cheese brings the attitude, but really, it’s just a cheese sandwich with a kick.

1K TODAY

Well today we saw a milestone come and go. We breached the 1000 hit mark on our trusty sitemeter. Nevermind that 90% or so were Google drive-by's...we take our satisfaction where we can find it. Nevermind, too, that the 1000th visit happened to be from our brother in Virginia. We hasten to inform him that, though his faithful patronage is gratefully acknowledged, that there is, in fact, no prize but this cheap praise for his effort.

Tomorrow, please come back for something heretofore unseen on this site. We will share some observations on cuisine and family, and will feature a simple and very tasty Greek recipe that is in no way related to Christmas or to any other holiday of which we are aware. We attempted to post it earlier today and would have but for the fact that the requisite accompanying photograph failed to meet even the meager standards enforced by the management of this so-called blog.

We will now, at this time, cease referring to ourselves in the third person because we find it tedious and annoying.

Sliding Into Christmas

I know, the last post was especially obnoxious since it gave nothing and it took from you the one thing in this life that you can't ever get enough of...chocolate. No wait, I mean time. I stole a few seconds of time...but not from many of you, after all. From less than a dozen or so, in fact, according to my site meter, but nevertheless. Well, sorry about that.

And now, by way of abrupt transition, this.

I happen to know what one of my Christmas gifts is and it is totally, unbelievably great. I know what it is because I got to pick it out. My beloved wife is giving me this:



















This is an Artisan EA-1 Lap Steel Guitar. But it is not just any lap steel guitar. It is this great blue color, first of all, and then there's the really cool part: It is autographed by Robert Randolph. He is the burning hot, brilliant young blues rock steel player that you may have seen and heard as recently as last night on Late Night with David Letterman.

Here is a closeup:


















The previous owner won it in a radio station promo contest, and decided to sell it. I've been wanting one of these for a while, but this one is especially nice.

Lap steel guitars are simple instruments and not typically expensive. The EA-1 is a basic model, but completely usable in a performance setting. It is a 6-string instrument, usually tuned to an open tuning, and is equipped with one single-coil pickup. It is played by moving a slide up and down the strings with the left hand while the right hand, equipped with a thumbpick and 2 or 3 fingerpicks, strums and picks. The slide is, in my case, a Dunlop stainless steel bar designed for this purpose. The instrument lays flat in one's lap, or can be mounted on the supplied telescoping legs to adjust it to standing level, if preferred.

The lap steel is adaptable to many different styles of music, but its roots lie in the country blues traditions. Depending on how it is played and amplified, its tone can be a restless blues wail, a deep-throated rock-and-roll snarl, a gentle, plaintive country moan, or a sweet, velvety gospel tenor. The slide action of the left hand makes it an especially intuitive, expressive instrument.

In accordance with the common laws of Western Civilization, I do not get possession of this gem until Christmas Day, which is as it should be. But I can scarcely contain my excitement. It is going to be some serious FUN!

Antici..................................................pation.

No, really, I am going to post something soon. Really.

A Whimsical Musing on Advertising and Materialism

There are so many things in this world that do not function as advertised. Products and services often fall far short of expectations and promises. The purpose of advertising, obviously, is to compel or inspire people to buy something, to make us believe that our lives will be enhanced if we acquire this newfound item or capability. Often, we are disappointed.

I am certain that, in realms where money is no object, a tiny percentage of the planet’s population is able to afford and enjoy the very best of whatever is available to satisfy their desires for luxury, comfort, and convenience. While I in no way begrudge them their satisfaction, it is nevertheless not surprising, for example, to find that a Porsche Carrera GT may brings its owner a high degree of satisfaction and thrill. Anyone will appreciate the beauty of form, the engineering, and the technical excellence that goes into this kind of accomplishment as well. And it is very good that in every industry, it seems, there are some few individuals and companies whose passion is to achieve the very best quality, rather than to be the most popular or the most sold.

But it is even more remarkable when similar success occurs in much less rarified fields of endeavor. There is a gentle satisfaction, even delight, that settles over me for a time when I encounter something that really does what it is supposed to do, or which actually exceeds the claims of its advertising. I am especially impressed when this success occurs in fulfilling a common everyday need. The simpler and more mundane it is, the more I appreciate it. Things like ...SHAVESECRET!

Happy Birthday!

A birthday is a happy thing. And tomorrow is mine! My family celebrated today with a wonderful feasting and very generous gifting. As for the cake, Texas Sheet Cake has been my favorite for a very long time, preferably made with real buttermilk by my Mom.

Here is what I got:

First, of course, the Music:
Bare Naked Ladies (the band, by which I mean, their most recent CD), Are Me
Charles Mingus, The Very Best Of...
Newsboys, Go
John Coltrane, Blue Train (One of the best classic jazz albums ever.)

A new pair of Wolverine boots! This is my footwear of choice year round, pretty much.

A Radial Engineering ProDI, which is kind of a geeky technical device, but a thing of beauty nonetheless. This company makes, among other things, the best direct boxes available. For the curious and/or perplexed, this is a device that will allow me to interface my acoustic/electric guitar to a PA system or studio environment with an extraordinarily high degree of quality and goodness. What I like about RE is that they take a relatively basic device that really serves a pretty pedestrian function and apply high scientific and engineering values to its design and manufacture. I just like it because, for what it is, it is the best possible example that exists on the market today. I am very pleased.

A very generous cash gift from my beloved Grandmother

A gift certificate to a local retailer.

The American Heritage Pictorial History of the Civil War, which well satisfies my enjoyment of both history and art.

Many thanks to all!

Oh...that picture above is a random scan from the Bare Naked Ladies cover art...pretty groovy. And the music is great.

Frederick Polley - New York City

Frederick Polley was exceedingly gifted in drawing architectural subjects, and he demonstrated a special appreciation for historic churches, in particular. Many of his works feature buildings and typically one sees that he strives to capture not merely an accurately rendered image, but also to reflect a sense of identity, character, and even history associated with his subject.

This lithograph was made from a drawing entitled "Little Church Around The Corner". I don't know which church this is in New York City, or precisely when it was drawn, but there are several things to appreciate. I like the open gate and the pastoral tone set by the shrubbery wall and courtyard, juxtaposed against the subtle backdrop of skyscrapers and penthouses in the near background.

When possible, my family collects the works of Frederick Polley.
If you see any, please let me know!


Listening: Lachrimae Pavin by John Dowland

Scourge of the Yard Varmints

Personally, I think the .17 caliber round is a worthless thing, but I really like what these guys have done with it.

Yes, I want one...the world's smallest machine gun.

When I Don't Know What To Do

As a worship leader and musician, every now and then I come across a song that sings from my heart as though I myself had written it. As a songwriter, I usually really wish I had written it. Its not envy...well, not on my good days, anyway. Its just that there are some few songs that resonate strongly with who I am and what my life is about, such that I just want to make them my own.

This is one of those songs. Here are the lyrics, and here is a link to iTunes to download it. For 99 cents, about the cost of a Snickers bar, you can receive a much sweeter blessing. This song wants to be played loud, by the way.


When I Don’t Know What To Do
Tommy Walker WeMobile Music ©2005 CCLI #4556332

Lord I surrender all to
Your strong and faithful hand
In everything I will give thanks to You
I’ll just trust Your perfect plan

Chorus:
When I don’t know what to do
I’ll lift my hands
When I don’t know what to say
I’ll speak Your praise
When I don’t know where to go
I’ll run to Your throne
When I don’t know what to think
I’ll stand on Your truth
When I don’t know what to do

Lord I surrender all
Though I’ll never understand
All the mysteries around me
I’ll just trust your perfect plan

Bridge:
As I bow my knee
Send Your perfect peace
Send Your perfect peace, Lord
As I lift my hands
Let Your healing come
Let Your healing come to me


By the way, this whole album is excellent. One of Tommy Walker's gifts is that, regardless of whether you are musically inclined or not, you will know this song after hearing it one time. You will be singing along by the time it gets to the second chorus.

I really hope you will do this and then tell me what you think.

They smile in your face, all the time they wanna take your place, the back stabbers...(falstetto: Back Stabbers!). The Gospel according to the O'Jay's

An article in the December online issue of Christianity Today reveals some big changes at the Purpose Driven Life organization, the adjunct ministry started a couple of years ago by Rick Warren, senior pastor of Saddleback Church, as an extension to his best-selling book. While the sale of the book that started the popular wave of teaching on church health, personal growth, evangelism, and outreach remains strong, evidently the corporate entity itself has had trouble sustaining its function of support and implementation to churches. In the last few months it has been compelled to cut staff by 35%, downscale efforts, and consolidate its leadership under the church’s oversight. While the reportage in the CT article seems, to me, balanced and nonjudgmental, predictably, some of the response around the blogosphere is decidedly less so.

Rick Warren, like every outspoken pastor before him, has never suffered from a lack of critics among the faithful. While a man may be blameless before God with Christ as his Savior, if he finds his efforts in the realm of ministry blessed by the Lord to any significant degree, it is a fact as sure as Jesus is coming again that he will be pulling arrows out of his back. It would seem obvious that there is no man or church in possession of perfect theology, in either doctrine or practice, but yet, since Christian theologians thrive on sputtering about the distinctives of their traditions of belief rather than focusing on the overarching commonalities, it is not surprising that there are many who find fault, even grevious errors, in Warren’s writing. And I do not doubt that some errors likely exist. But does that explain or give justification to the self-righteous tone that pervades in the wake of what, for the dedicated workers at PDL, is likely a disheartening turn? Why do we exult, even quietly, in this kind of misfortune?

The Purpose Driven Life, by even the most cynical estimates, has had a significant transforming impact on contemporary culture. There are hundreds of churches and many thousands of individuals who will testify to the positive impact this book has had on their spiritual life. I am one of those people and my church is one of those churches. Has it been 100% effective everywhere for everyone? What do you think?

I am always surprised and dismayed at what I see in the Christian community when a successful or prominent ministry suffers what seems to be a reversal of influence or a change of direction. Inevitably, the sniping begins in earnest, with assumptions and insinuations of impropriety or bad theology as the root cause for such a “downfall”. As the influence of Promise Keepers, another high profile, effective, and culturally engaging evangelical outreach, began to fade several years ago, the media earnestly tracked its “downfall” as it condensed in size, scope, and impact. Within many Christian circles there was dismay and disappointment and, sadly, a smug satisfaction among others.

In the secular business world, downsizing and loss of market penetration is truly a bad sign. It is intuitively obvious that negative growth in commerce ultimately spells doom for a company that can’t change or reorganize itself in time. And when they are successful, they are lauded, are they not? To some extent, this model may apply to churches and ministries, too, at least in the sense that as resources decrease so does impact. Yet the prevailing attitude of many towards ministries is the notion, completely unsupportable from scripture as far as I can tell, that simply because a ministry is large, or has a plan for growing large, it must be, ipso facto, theologically flawed. Then, if and when this suspect ministry wanes, suffers a setback, or repurposes itself, the critics point to this fading as “proof” of defect. Could it not be, instead, that like individual believers, a ministry is called by God to be effective for a season, to fill a specific and focused purpose, to meet a certain need, and then to fade or recede into a less visible role? It is hypocritical and illogical when these exulting critics point to both the “success” and the “failure”, dubious terminology at best, as proof that the target ministry was truly worthy of their holy disdain.

By way of further example, witness, too, the criticism that has been aimed at Willow Creek Community Church or Lakewood Church whose principal sins appear to be that they are too large and too effective at reaching out to their communities. In recent decades past, the targets have been the Calvary Chapel and Vineyard Church movements. And, oh yes, their theology is bad, too. Billy Graham, John Maxwell, Max Lucado, and John MacArthur have all been criticized for, in effect, being too popular and, of course, having bad theology. And what of a truly controversial ministry like Trinity Broadcasting Network? TBN is the world’s largest religious network and America’s most watched faith-based channel. They offer commercial-free inspirational programming 24 hours a day with shows aimed to appeal to people in a variety of Protestant, Catholic, and even Messianic Jewish denominations. You know that is bound to piss some people off, right? Sure, a lot of it isn’t great television and you can definitely find some questionable individuals espousing bad theology. But what about the thousands of people who have reportedly come to know Jesus through the efforts of TBN and all of these other aforementioned high profile ministries?

Where are the measures of charity and love to balance this pathetic urgency to denigrate and belittle other believers because you are right and they are wrong? Is it simply envy or professional jealousy? Is it some delusion of denominational superiority, some misguided notion that you are the recipient or repository of doctrinal purity? Honestly, I don’t even care where this hateful spewage comes from. There is something sick and perverse, something truly sinful, at work in us when we find ourselves either indifferent to or secretly relishing the distress of others or the demise of a ministry simply because it is not of our preference.

It begs the convicting question posed by yet another oft-criticized youth-oriented evangelical movement…WWJD?

North Christian Church - Lynn, IN 1909

This is a real-photo postcard that my wife (the antique dealer) found. It is a picture of the North Church of Christ in Lynn, Indiana. It was located on the corner of Sherman St. and Main (US Hwy. 27). I'm not sure when it was built but, as notated on the photo, this picture was taken in 1909. This congregation eventually built a new building to the north of town (in the 1960's, I think). This building was then purchased by my grandfather, George H. Polley who added on, remodeled and converted it into "Polley Farm Service", a very successful business in the sale and service of lawn, garden, and farm equipment.

My grandfather retired in 1976, selling the business and the building to a couple of good guys that had worked for him for years. In March of 1986, a tornado whipped through Lynn, destroying numerous homes and other buildings, including the Randolph Southern School, which combined K-12 grades and was located adjacent to Polley Farm Service. This building was literally flattened by the tornado, with the walls blown out and the ceiling crashing down. Miraculously, neither of the guys working there were killed nor seriously hurt. In fact, in spite of a couple of million dollars worth of property damage, no one was injured.

It is not uncommon for buildings to far outlast those who designed or built them. When I drive through an old town I always like to look at the names and dates that so often mark the buildings from the 1800 and 1900's. I live in a house that is at least 130 years old. It is a very strong, old tw0-story brick Italianate farmhouse that has seen many generations come and go. But nothing lasts forever on this earth and it is only by God's mercy that this old house was not touched by the tornado that angled its way through Lynn that cold day in 1986, less than a mile away. One day, it too will fall, though, of that I am certain.

Though we seldom consider it, Man's greatest achievements and most revered monuments are never more than a breath away from complete destruction. It is likely that from the pulpit of this old church, many people through the years heard sermons encouraging and exhorting them to store up their spiritual treasures in Heaven, rather than trusting in the fragile and temporary security of physical things here on earth. For we are all just passing through this life and everything we leave behind will one day fade, fall, or burn. This picture is a testimony to that truth.

As for what comes next...Life after Death...it is less a question of if there is such a thing, but rather where are we going to choose to spend it.

10 Thoughts In Passing

1) I am working night and day this week so I'm behind on important things like blogging, art assignments, guitar practicing, home maintenance, computer audio card installation, Romans 6:1-12, and figuring out how to make my cellphone behave.

2) My Ford F-150 was a really, really good truck, may it rest in peace. With nearly 200K miles, many of them hard miles, I can't complain. It served faithfully for many years.

3) Sadly, since I will soon be buying another vehicle, all friends and relatives can expect lovely jars of homemade carmel corn for Christmas this year. Oh come on, its the thought that counts!

4) Remind me never to use the words "cannonball baptism" again. I can't believe how many hits I've been getting off of that stupid Youtube post. Yeesh.

5) Its more fun to deliver mail in the summer than it is in the winter. And some people just get way too much mail. You don't need ALL of those stupid catalogs. No. You don't.

6) I don't watch that much television, but I do like that show "Shark" on Thursday nights. I think James Woods is an exceptionally gifted actor, if homely. And Jeri Ryan...well, she has gifts, too. The writing is pretty good.

(7) It is odd to me that I don't write much about music on my blog. I've started to a couple of times, but I haven't been happy with what I wrote. Music means so much to me and it is my principal and most beloved means of artistic expression. It has been said, famously, that "writing about music is like dancing about architecture". That is a true statement, I believe.

(8) The above quote about music supposedly originated with Elivis Costello in 1983 in an interview in the now defunct Musician magazine. I like Elvis, and especially his music from that period, but I am dubious that he made that up himself. One thing I am sure of is that Elvis Costello is married to Diana Krall, who is one of the best jazz vocalists of our time. She is due to bear twins soon. Maybe I should give him the benefit of the doubt. He could be that smart after all. Once, back in the early 80's, Elvis said something inappropriate at a party and Bonnie Raitt clocked him. Knocked him clean out cold, from what I understand. I like Bonnie Raitt, too, but I've got to move on...

(9) I'm really digging this English Renaissance music I've been listening to. I am co-coaching the Fine Arts Academic Team at the local high school. In spite of our school district's very small size, we have one of the most competitive teams in the state. This is the second year that I've helped out by teaching the kids music history. It is a lot of fun and I think they are just starting to appreciate some of the hot tunes from the 1500's. This next week we are going to be dissecting William Byrd's "Mass For Four Voices" and then checking out a gaggle of Thomas Morley's secular motets.

(10) G-man, buddy, we will be praying for you this week as you go through your trial by dentistry. Be strong. This too, will pass. We love you.

Frederick Polley in New Orleans No. 1

Click to enlarge

Frederick Polley loved New Orleans and made a number of excellent drawings while visiting there. He seemed to appreciate the intrinsic uniqueness of the city, how it was unlike any other that he had seen in his considerable travels. This, and several pictures to follow, were published in the Indianapolis Star back in the 1940's. Customarily, for all of his published newspaper work, he also wrote a by-line describing the location, maybe its history, sometimes the occasion of his visit, etc.


Listening: Spem in Alium by Thomas Tallis (b. circa1505-d.11/23/1585) This is a hauntingly beautiful piece, unique in its use of 40 voices, divided into 8 5-voice choirs, each singing a unique part. This very popular work is presumed to have debuted at Queen Elizabeth's 40th birthday and it has had an interesting performance history, including a special BBC performance this year.

Veteran's Day

NPR's radio program "Day to Day" had the idea that a good way to honor veterans on Veteran's Day is to have Alex Chadwick do a politically-tinged little pseudo-essay, complete with sound elements from a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. Predictable and powerless to resist the urge to connect the recent mid-term elections to the memory of our honored dead, the bumper to the segment nevertheless included some interesting historical information.

According to NPR, there are now 14 surviving American veterans of World War I. The youngest is 105 years old and the oldest is 115. It is fascinating to consider all of the things that these men have witnessed, both in that first "modern" war as well as in these intervening years.

I am deeply grateful to the men and women who have served in our military, now and in the past. Without their resolute sacrifice, we would all have far fewer freedoms which we could take for granted. And I am thankful, too, for those who are even now stepping up, volunteering to serve their country in a difficult and unpopular conflict. May America's prayers go strong before you and her gratitude stand firm behind you.

This beautiful painting of the American flag is by Gayle Curry.

Gifts From Over The Mountains and the Far Sea

Nancy, and her sister, Mary, returned yesterday after spending a week vacationing in Portland, Oregon. There is a third sister, Annie, the middle one, that lives out there and a glorious assortment of nieces and nephews and other various relations. Mary’s daughter and her family live there, too, and are responsible for bringing us this guy, one of my nephews:

Now this is one fine-looking young man.

Click on it and check out that smile in closeup.

No, I didn't get to go this time because, well, because somebody needs to stick around and get some work done around here. But, my ever-thoughtful wife returned with magnificent presents, which I will now catalog in detail:

1 lb of Stumptown French Roast coffee (black gold, this...perhaps the best coffee in America).

Books from one of the most wonderful places in the world, Powell's Books, in Portland. Titles include:

Through Painted Deserts by Donald Miller (author of Blue Like Jazz, of which I am a fan)
The Right To Write by Julia Cameron (author of The Artist’s Way, of which I am a fan)
Zappa, A Biography by Barry Miles (about the late, great, profound, and profane Frank Zappa)

And, of course, she brought the great picture above as well as tales of exotic adventures, of sushi, of clothes and shoes, of live comedy, and coffee shops, and a prodigious amount of shopping. And she brought good reports of loved ones afar off whom we very seldom see.

Go Ahead, Say It Out Loud

Since mid-October, when driving south on US 27, just before entering the next town south of where I live, I have seen an unusual sign posted at the end of a residential driveway. It is clearly observable en passant that the people who live there have an abundant quantity of a popular seasonal gourd and they are desirous of selling them to anyone who may drive by.

You know the one I mean...it is Halloweeny and it makes a really good pie. I like pie.

But I digress.

This is what the sign says:

PUNPKIN

Now, this is not just about an unfortunate mispelling. This sign has been up for weeks! And here's the odd thing...okay, one of the odd things. The "N" was obviously added to this sign as a corrective afterthought, for it is a different color marks-a-lot than the other letters and it has been shoehorned akwardly in between the "U" and the second "P". I really want to know if the sign-making part-time produce marketers don't know, or if they don't care?

Go ahead, try to say it. If you are not from Estonia, or one of Tolkien's Elven folk, then you cannot readily pronouce this word. Just one letter of the alpahabet off and phzzzzzt! This word is no longer in English. But it is funny...no, really, it is. I promise.

Your assignment is to work this word into casual conversations for the next week. You people with children, get your tykes to say this word. That should be good for lots of laughs.



Listening: "Flow My Tears" by John Dowland (b. 1563-d.1626) I'm really into English Renaissance music at the moment. More on that later.

Frederick Polley, American Artist (1875-1957)

Frederick M. Polley. Painter, Printmaker, Illustrator, Writer and Teacher. Indianapolis, IN. Born 15 August 1875 in Union City, IN; died 9 Sept 1957, Brown County, IN.

Studied Indiana University, Corcoran Art School, Washington, DC.

Teachers included James R. Hopkins and William Forsyth.

Exhibited: Society of Etchers, Brooklyn, NY, Philadelphia Society of Etchers, Library of Congress 1944 and 1945, Carnegie Institute 1945, Delgado Museum. Prizes include Hoosier Salon 1942 and 1943, Indiana Art Club 1939, 43, 45, New Orleans Art League 1943, Herron Art Institute 1934.



His work is contained in the collections of the National Museum, Washington, DC, Herron Art Institute, Iowa State University, University of Pittsburgh. He was author/illustrator of "Our America, Historic Churches in America" and illustrator for "Indianapolis Old and New".

Polley was illustrator for the "Indianapolis Star" (Sunday edition) 1924-47. Also illustrator for "Ladies Home Journal" and "Esquire". Taught at Herron Art School, Indiana University and Arsenal Technical High School, 1917-1941. He headed the graphic arts department of Arsenal Technical High School for many years.

When possible, my family collects the works of Frederick Polley.

If you see any, please let me know!