Cobblestones

Many of the roads in old Rome are paved with black cobblestones, called sampietrini and they are, for the most part, a specific kind of porphyry, an igneous rock.  They come in different sizes and Rome is famous for them. These large ones are on the footpath in front of the Arco di Constantino, adjacent to the Colosseum.  Most of the stones used on the heavily traversed urban roads in central Rome are actually smaller.  

Here is a short, interesting article about the sampietrini.  It turns out they were invented and adapted as a paving material in the mid-1500's, under the authority of Pope Sixtus V, who looks very grumpy in this picture. (Frankly, most of the papal portraits we saw are pretty stern...it must be grim work.)

As it turns out, the current municipal government of Rome is beginning to replace it's cobblestones with that newfangled asphalt, which is making lots of other folks unhappy, too.  

Thoughts on Rome

We've been back from our wonderful vacation in Italy a week now.  The paucity of posts is due primarily to the fact that within two days of our return I had to prepare for and then work a tradeshow this past week, representing my company, ProAudio.com.  This required substantial time and concentration above and beyond my normal work catch-up.  It was time-consuming, hard work and largely unblogworthy, although I may come back to it at some point.

However, the break has given me the opportunity to distill some of my impressions and observations about our trip.  I am no longer interested in blogging it chronologically, but I do intend to approach it topically, discussing the aspects that I found most enjoyable and interesting.

First, for an outstanding collection of excellent photos, check out Nancy's Flickr page.  Her camera is much better than mine, her artistic eye is impeccable, and her pictures are all great.  I will likely borrow some of her pictures as needed.  She continues to edit and add to her pages there.  Feel free to comment on the photos or ask her a question. Flickr is her Blogger.

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There is so much to see, so much to love about Rome.  One of Anthony Bourdain's aphorisms is "Be a traveler, not a tourist," and that is what we always try to do.  We certainly participated in a number of tourist activities and saw many of the most notable sites, but we planned our trip on our own, eschewing the many pre-packaged tours that are available.  Instead, we read as much as we could, talked to people we know who had been there, and plumbed the depths of the internet for information, making our own decisions on where we wanted to go and what we wanted to do.  One of our goals was to immerse ourselves, as much as possible in one short week, into the culture and life of the people of Rome, and I feel like we achieved that.  We figured out how to ride the buses, how to read the street signs, how to buy a train ticket and, generally, how to move around like the Italians do, and that really increases the quality of the adventure.  

We were blessed with beautiful weather.  Some days were overcast, but the temperature was in the 60's and 70's during the day, and just perfect for walking the streets of Rome.  And walk is

what we did.  We easily did at least 5-7 miles a day, and it is a town that requires footwork in order to see it properly.  The streets are narrow and serpentine, the sidewalks undulate, expanding and sometimes contracting down to nothing.  It is a maze and it is amazing,  Often I would consult our little street map and find that we had wandered off our intended path.  Many of the streets are what we would call alleys here in America, and some are literally only about 20 yards long.  And yet each one has a name and is a destination in its own right.  Each has a history much older than our country.

I really enjoyed observing the people.  A lot of my pictures depict street scenes of people walking around against the beautiful background of stucco and marble buildings.  Rome attracts people from all of the world, obviously, but one of the things that we observed is that no one enjoys this city more than the Romans themselves.  Day or night, there are hordes of people walking, talking, eating, roaming, working, playing, smoking, shopping, and generally imparting an uptempo, vibrant energy to the streets.

In the piazza at the base of the Spanish Steps

Some of the sights really defy adequate description, too.  It is remarkable to find these gigantic, ancient structures, architectural masterpieces, really, of ages long since gone in the middle of this busy city.  Check out this breathtaking view, taken at sunset, the first day we were there, near the Colosseum:

Rome Update...4/24/09

We're still here and still rockin' it Roman-style.  We'll be coming home on Saturday.

Most, but not all of the internet problems have gotten worked out.  There were a number of intersecting issues that are far too tedious to go into that made it difficult and impractical for me to "live-blog" our Rome trip.  Bandwidth problems persist, too.  However, we have some cool stories and about a billion great pictures that I will share when I am able.  I also have a wonderful iPod Touch experience, to share, among other things-that little thing earned it's passage, for sure.

Anyway, it'll be like watching Uncle Billy's and Aunt Flo's home movies and slides of their vacation trip out to Hoover Damn (did I spell that wrong?) last summer, only much, much more interesting to all of you since it it is me and Nancy in Italy.  And it might go on for weeks, so you've got that to look forward to.  Yep.  So don't plan anything for the next month or so.

So, uhm...ciaio!

Dateline: Frankfurt, Germany 4/19/08

The timewarp that accompanies intercontinental flight has set in. My watch and my body says it is 3:00 AM on Saturday, but all of the local clocks and the sun, if one were able to see it through the gray overcast sky, indicate that it is, for all practical purposes, actually 9:00 AM.

The United flight from Dayton to Chicago’s O’Hare was quick and uneventful.

At O’Hare, we walked at least a mile until we at last found the Lufthansa terminal. It was just two little reception desks, a couple of departure gates, and a huge, milling multinational crowd. For some reason, Nancy’s phone didn’t work in the airport as she tried repeatedly to call JP. That was a disappointment. Check in was no problem, but the ticket agent was unable to seat us together, which was a bummer, considering it’s a 13-hour flight. The aircraft was a 747, so even though we were only a couple of rows apart, there was no way to converse.

Nancy and I both tried to negotiate with our neighbors to swap seats, but it didn’t work out. She was seated next to a very nice Indian gentleman, but he was sitting with a group of friends. He was willing, but she didn’t want him to give up his friends. Plus, swapping seats with me meant sitting directly behind the bulkhead in the middle row of 4 seats. Not exactly an ideal spot.

I was sandwiched between two women. On my right was a portly German grandmother whose only English was “I don’t speak English.” No problem, I don’t speak German and so we couldn’t really communicate well on the whole swapping seats deal. In that way that one can and, in such close proximity, must surreptitiously espy on one’s travelling companions, she made me smile several times when she would pull out a stack of photos from her her purse and rifle through them. The pictures seemed to be of her family and her recent trip to America. Each time she sifted through them, she would pull to the top a picture of two very small newborn babies, probably twins, lying on a bed together. She would gaze at this picture for some time, then reshuffle them, and put them back in her purse.

The woman on my left was of indeterminate age and origination, possessing a reserved and somber demeanor. When I asked her if she would swap seats with Nancy, she hesitated, frowned, and then with some reluctance said that she might. She got up and went over to where Nancy was to check out the location, it seemed, but then frowned again and said that she just wasn’t comfortable doing that. She returned to her seat beside me, seemingly embarrassed, but not quite apologetic. That seemed a bit odd, and there was not, at that time, a forthcoming explanation, so we had a weird vibe going on for a little bit. And Nancy and I kept our assigned seats.

In the course of the flight, I spoke some more with this woman because I wanted to know her story. She was born in Greece, on an island, had grown up in Australia, and had for the last 20 years or so lived in Chicago. From the context of our discussion, she must have been in her mid-60’s, although she looked much younger. She told me that she had, over the last few years and as a result of a singularly bad experience, become very fearful of flying and that she simply could not easily change seats or make changes to her flying arrangements. During our take off, as well as during some minor turbulence over Canada, she was clearly tense and ill-at-ease. She has issues, clearly, but her reticence was rooted in phobia, it seemed, not incongeniality. We talked about flying and a bit about our families. She apologized for not being able to help us and I told her that was fine. She was on her way home to Greece, it turned out, as her father as dying and she hoped to be there with him. I wished her the very best and asked the Lord to bless her. I think she is in for a rough couple of weeks. And she had three more flights after ours, each on progressively smaller aircraft, before she reached home.

We are about to board the plane for the last leg of our journey, from Frankfort to Rome.

Earthquake

Yep, we definitely felt it.  Woke us both up about 5:30 AM.   In my sleepy stupor, it sounded at first like a large animal running from one end of the house to the other, banging and bumping on doors, walls, and furniture.  

Nancy said, "What was that?"

To which I responded with my default answer for things that scrape and bump around in the night, "Probably just a mouse."  

She didn't believe it and neither did I.  I got up, grabbed a flashlight, and made the rounds.  Daisy was barking outside.  Roxi, at the age of 16 human years, was unmoved in her bed.  It would take more than an earthquake or typhoon to disturb her slumber.  Finding nothing, I went to back to bed.

Got up an hour later and prepared to leave town.  For Rome.  Italy.  Leaving today.  Blogging, in fact, from the Dayton Int'l Airport.

Well, I sure didn't see this coming...

...but I must say I'm pleasantly surprised:

American Idol(s) singing Hillsong's "Shout To The Lord."  They actually sang it twice, but the link above is the best of the two performances.  

Simon likely thought it "self-indulgent," his usual response to Christian songs.  

I don't place any great spiritual significance on this, actually, but it is still better than a sharp stick in the eye.

h/t blog.worship.com.  Thanks!

1:47 A Documentary Film

photo by Ralph Pyle

"The year is 1968. Across the United States, it was a year of turmoil: the Vietnam War, Civil Rights protests in cities and on college campuses, the assassination of Martin Luther King. Yet, in many small cities and towns a relative calm, almost innocence, prevailed. The documentary film 1:47 tells the story of one such community - Richmond, Indiana - that would lose that calm and innocence in a single fateful day: Saturday, April 6, 1968."

On that fateful day, a massive double explosion rocked the downtown shopping area, not far from the courthouse. Destruction, death, and chaos ensued and this peaceful midwestern community was changed forever.

Richmond is our nearest "big city," roughly 15 miles south of where we live.  Last night, Nancy, my mom, my grandmother, and I went to see this locally-produced documentary in the old theater at the Richmond Museum of Art. It was an absorbing film, incorporating the remembrances of many of the local people whose lives were touched by this tragedy.  The filmmakers do a remarkable job, also, of illuminating the fascinating and important historical context that frames this event.  

1:47 is about to hit the documentary film circuit, and I hope it does very well.

"The Best Little League Game EVER!"

The Mudcats vs. The Lugnuts.

Brought to you by the good folks at Improv Everywhere.

I love these guys.  Go check this out.  

You can thank me later.

---

Vacanza a Roma

Here are some pics of our hotel in Rome, harvested from the fabulous wide-world internet webs.

Residence Pierre Et Vacances Dehon-ii Giardino Phamphilii Hotel

61 Via Leane Dehon Rome, Italy 00165

Here is the description:

The Residence Dehon is a holiday apartment complex blending modern and traditional styles set in the typically-Italian parkland of Rome's Villa Doria Pamphili, two kilometres from the Vatican City. Bright, air-conditioned studio apartments, spread over two buildings, all open onto furnished balconies (terraces on the ground floor) offering views of the surrounding gardens. Each apartment features a living area with a TV and telephone, private bathroom, and kitchenette equipped with hotplates, a refrigerator, and cookware.

Guests can take in the garden surroundings on the terrace or take a dip in the outdoor pool. The restaurant opens out onto the terrace, offering guests the opportunity of an al fresco meal when weather permits.

We got an incredible deal on it...about a $100 a night, which is way below the normal rate. 

And it is within walking distance of St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican, and numerous other outstanding locales.

Lord willing, I'll be liveblogging this avventura romantica and will post photos and reviews of our journeys

Cabinet of Wonders

This blog regularly lives up to it's name.

I found yesterday's post completely absorbing.

Ripped from today's headlnes

Police in Maine are searching for a thief with a guitar in his pants.

Okay, I've got questions...

Was the guitar well-strung?

Could the mall security not see he was wearing a G-string?

Whammy bar?  I'm just asking...

I'm sure you've got questions, too.

Counting your blessings

So how is your day going?

It's so easy to complain about how busy my life is, how I don't get to do everything I want to do, how there's just never quite enough money to get ahead...but I've got sooooo much to be thankful for.  Say a prayer for the guy and his family in the link above.

"SAY" by John Mayer

This is definitely not a MBPYNHO post.  But I really like this song. It was written for the movie, "The Bucket List," which I have not seen but heard good things about.



Let me know what you think.

h/t to JP, who knows a good song when he hears one.

Easter at FCWC

It was a great Easter weekend at our church.  In all three services, we were blessed with extraordinary attendance.  Our pastor, Dave Anderson, delivered a great message and there were many people who either recommitted their lives to Christ or took steps toward a first-time decision to accept Christ.

Among the numerous worship elements in play was a drama that featured as it's figurative and literal centerpiece a humongous cross, 38 feet tall.

The drama was an adaptation of a script and concept from Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago.  Nancy was the driving creative force behind the building of the cross, as well as most of the other artistic elements, but it's realization in our service required a huge team effort by a couple of dozen talented and gifted people.  Here are some photos.

The cross was constructed first from pieces of aluminum triangular trussing.  Then pieces of pressed foam insulation boards were cut and strapped to the trussing with heavy-duty nylon ties.  It was made in two pieces that were ultimately bolted together to form the cross.

After much work and careful fitting, our artists painted the blue foam, scoring and sculpting the face of it with a propane torch.  More painting and touch up followed.

Here is a picture of the finished cross on the stage with some preliminary lighting.  This picture was taken at the drama rehearsal on Saturday.  The basic idea of the script is that this huge cross has crashed through the roof of the house, literally through the middle of the dining room table.  But the family who lives at the house ignore it, going to great lengths to avoid discussion or mention of the cross.  One of the lines mentions something to the effect that they only take note of it at Christmas and Easter.  It was very funny, but also compelling.

Above is a picture from the Saturday night service.  For more pics and detailed info, check out Nancy's Flickr page.

Oops, I think I dropped my fork...

Would you, could you eat some pie?

Could you, should you in the sky?

Dinner in the sky.  Would you do it?

I saw sushi in one of the other pics so, yeah, I would definitely do it.

David Mamet: Why I Am No Longer a 'Brain-Dead Liberal'

I really liked this article about politics from David Mamet, one of the most popular screenplay writers and successful playwrights.

I know, it's politics and it's David Mamet.  But, trust me, it's very good, reasonably short, and well worth your time to read it.

UPDATE:  The Village Voice is evidently having some server problems.  The above link is good, but it appears not to be working consistently.  I have found this article referenced on other sites and have had trouble accessing the original from those sites as well.  I suggest trying again later...sorry about that.

Food Court Musical

This is the coolest thing you will see today. There are few forms of performance art that I dislike more than a "musical." But this, this is outstanding....it would be so much fun to do something like this.




After you watch this clip, go to their website and read about this thing. You'll be glad you did.

New Tune

JP's got a new tune.  Check it out!

Not yet spring...

Butterfly wings on ice...a brutal incongruity.

April in Rome

The Colosseum

In April, we are going to spend a week in Rome.  As in Rome, Italy.  While in Rome, we intend to do as the Romans do.  

As in most things of life, when it comes to international travel arrangements, who you know is more important than what you know.  Thanks to our pastor, we were able to secure an amazing deal on a great apartment not far from downtown.

Yesterday, we ponied up the bucks for the airfare.  Getting there really isn't as expensive as one might expect, only about $2600.

Between now and our departure, we will be thinking about and planning our itinerary.  We intentionally did not latch on to some kind of tour package, preferring instead to chart our own course.   We will certainly be doing some touristy things, and we hope to spend at least a day in Florence, but we really wanted the freedom to explore Italy on our terms.

The Snopes Amazing Music Machine

This is an entertaining animated music video from a couple of years ago. It comes, typically, as a forwarded viral email, with a pretty rough video copy, obscuring much of the detail of the robotic device, making it look like a real, if improbable machine. The Youtube link above actually has a fairly good video copy. The following introductory text is usually included:

This incredible machine was built as a collaborative effort between the Robert M. Trammell Music Conservatory and the Sharon Wick School of Engineering at the University of Iowa.

Amazingly, 97% of the machines components came from John Deere Industries and Irrigation Equipment of Bancroft , Iowa , yes farm equipment!

It took the team a combined 13,029 hours of set-up, alignment, calibration, and tuning before filming this video but as you can see it was WELL worth the effort. It is now on display in the Matthew Gerhard Alumni Hall at the University and is already slated to be donated to the Smithsonian.

That this little fable isn't real doesn't change the fact that it is really an excellent animated music video. But for the rest of the story, and it is an interesting one, be sure to go to: http://www.snopes.com/photos/arts/musicmachine.asp

Rene' Martinez - Texas Guitar Whiz

A transplanted Texan is still a Texan. Regardless of where a Texan goes, Texas goes with him. I think I will always identify strongly with Texas, not simply because it is the land of my birth and the place I lived most of my life. Texas, as an ideal, is in many ways, reflective of not only what is best about being an American, but also of what has always been great about being an American. There is something special about that place. Hey, these aren't my rules, I'm just reporting what I know to be true here.

I suppose it is remotely possible that if I were from Kentucky, Tennessee or, God forbid, even California, I might feel the same way. That somehow some part of the essence of the place of my formative years, goes with me wherever I go. But I doubt it.

All that to say that, since moving to Indiana in 1999, I have not really missed much of the life left behind. I love living in the country and it is very meaningful to me that we live on a patch of ground that has been in my family since James Madison served as Secretary of State. About the only thing I miss is the mix of ethnic cultures that exists in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. I miss having a choice of 5 or 6 excellent Mexican restaurants or barbecue joints within a 1-mile radius of home. And there are a handful of friends and family that I miss seeing as often as I used to. But not much more.

The only other thing I've missed is not having ready access to a high-quality, guitar repair shop. I am fortunate in that I can do a lot of the basic maintenance, and even a fair amount of hot-rodding and customization. I haven't met anyone around here, though, that I trust to do any kind of major surgery. Some things simply cannot be done by a hack, such as fret job or a full transducer refit in a valuable acoustic. Only a real craftsman, a seasoned professional artist, can do these things. Such a person can breathe new life and energy into an instrument, whereas even a well-meaning amateur can maim, cripple, or kill a beloved tool and friend.

A couple of weeks ago I ran across this excellent article about Rene' Martinez. In Texas, for years I always had my guitars repaired and serviced at Charlie's Guitar Shop which, in the world of guitarists, is simply a mythic place. Well do I remember as a 22-year old kid, hanging out there one rainy Saturday afternoon, listening to Bugs Henderson holding court, playing the blues on some old Strat plugged into some old Fender amp, and wandering through the happy chaos of the cramped shop, admiring the wonderful guitars, vintage and new, hanging from the walls. People came from all over the southwest to drop their guitars off for repair, to talk to Charlie and Rene', and to take in the magical ambience of the place. Over the years, Rene' Martinez worked on my mid-70's Gibson Hummingbird (may it rest in peace), my 1976 ES-335TD Sunburst, and at least one of my Ibanez solidbodies, as I can recall.

I didn't know him well, personally, but I remember Rene' Martinez as the considerate and humble artisan that this interview portrays him to be. And his work was unimpeachable. It didn't seem to matter to him whether it was a cheap beginner's guitar or a seasoned custom instrument owned by a pro. He seemed to take the same careful and caring approach, regardless. Every guitar that passed through his hands was better for the experience, whether it was mine, Stevie Ray Vaughn's, Johnnie Winter's, Carlos Santana's, or John Mayer's. It's a blessing to me to see him doing so well.

Busking

"busking." intr.verb. busked, busk·ing, busks. busker (noun)

To play music or perform entertainment in a public place, usually while soliciting money.

[Earlier, to be an itinerant performer, probably from busk, to go about seeking, cruise as a pirate, perhaps from obsolete French busquer, to prowl, from Italian buscare, to prowl, or Spanish buscar, to seek, from Old Spanish boscar.]

Edited definition from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 26 Feb. 2008. At www.dictionary.com

Blonde Joke

This came from my father-in-law.

An old, blind cowboy wanders into an all-girl biker bar by mistake. He finds his way to a bar stool and orders some coffee. After sitting there for a while, he yells to the waiter; "Hey, you wanna hear a blonde joke?"

The bar immediately falls absolutely silent. In a very deep, husky voice, the woman next to him says; 'Before you tell that joke, Cowboy, I think it is only fair, given that you are blind, that you should know five things:

1. The bartender is a blonde girl with a baseball bat.
2. The bouncer is a blonde girl.
3. I'm a 6-foot tall, 175-pound blonde woman with a black belt in karate.
4. The woman sitting next to me is blonde and a professional weightlifter.
5. The lady to your right is blonde and a professional wrestler.

Now, think about it seriously, Mister. Do you still wanna tell that joke?"

The blind cowboy thinks for a second, shakes his head, and mutters, "No...not if I'm gonna have to explain it five times."

Yes, it's true, I'm easily amused.

Charlie Bit My Finger

Gratuitous cute baby video in lieu of actual blog content



Charlie's got a mean streak...did you see that grin?

Drumsong by Gavin Harrison

More Music By People You've Never Heard Of:

How To Get Revival

This is a very funny post over at AIM. It's about how to use the Book of Jonah as a guide for personal and corporate revival. Good times, good times...

The Anti-Itch Meditation: How To Get Revival

I really like Jonah's story a lot. It is so weird. Jesus likes it too and refers to it directly in Matthew 16:1-4 as He excoriates the Jewish religious leaders for asking Him to do magic tricks. Forget saving mankind from eternal damnation and misery, these guys wanted to see some Him do the Water-into-Wine gag or the Walk-on-Water trick.

Excoriate is an especially good word, if I do say so myself, to describe what Jesus does to the Pharisees and Sadducees, by the way. It comes from the Latin excoriare which means to "flay or strip off the hide".

Anyway, in the Matthew passage, Jesus tells them that the only magic trick they are going to get is what He calls the "Sign of Jonah". He is giving props to Jonah for breaking that trick in with the old "three days in the belly of the fish" act that Jonah was (and still is) so famous for. Jesus is, of course, referring to his crucifixion, burial, and resurrection (after three days) that is coming up a few chapters later.

Stupid Pharisees and Sadducees...they never did figure out how He did that.

Palette of Light on a Canvas Grand

My wife has a cool job. She is the Director of Creative Arts at our church. Her responsibilities are numerous and varied, covering basically all of the worship service elements except the spoken message. She works closely with the pastoral staff and with Steve Mathews, our Director of Worship and resident musical powerhouse. One of her principle duties (and joys) is the set and lighting design for our main sanctuary. She is really good at it and continues to come up with fresh, new, and engaging ideas to complement and integrate all of the musical, multi-media, visual, and dramatic components in order to help communicate the Gospel in our little corner of the kingdom.

This is what our sanctuary looked like last week. Those illuminated orbs are Chinese lanterns. They are lit from within and without. One of our best and most gifted volunteers, Phil Lafuze, wired them up and is able to control them from our lighting console. The two large globes on the stage are connected to hoists in the rafters and can be raised and lowered.

This was from a sermon series some months back on technology and it's effect on the family and culture. The Cubist wall hangings are actually paintings. One of our artists, Ben Kenworthy, created several canvases with a "paint-by-numbers" outline drawing. Then, volunteers from the congregation painted in the colors.

This was Christmas 2006. One of the coolest things was the way we had the lights on the trees are wired into the light board. There were actually two colors of light strands on each tree, white and red, if I recall correctly. At different times within the service, the lighting on the stage would change and so would the trees. Pretty cool.

This one, a little harder to see, was for a series called "The Ripple Effect" and utilized a variety of water effects in video and lighting. But the most interesting element was the four illuminated recirculating waterfalls that lined the back of the stage. Conceived by Nancy and brought to reality by Randy Davis, our video department director, and the aforementioned Phil Lafuze.

Here's a picture that shows the waterfalls a little better, behind the guitarists.

I don't have any idea what it means...

...and I don't think you do either. However, for the sake of congeniality, I'll pretend that I think you might know. But only for a little while.

I am, or course, referring to Matthew 16:28 where Jesus says to His disciples:

"I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not
taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

And, except for The Guy in the middle, I don't think anybody in this picture knew what He meant at the time He said it either:

Yeah, I've read what some of those guys that write those big Bible commentaries say. I don't think they know either. I'm pretty sure there are some bloggers out there who think they know. Uh-huh, sure they do.

I'm okay with it, though. I don't know all there is to know about how my car works, either, but I don't let that keep me from driving into town when I need groceries and such.

Yet, I mean....

I don't understand it yet.

And I can wait.

HEMA: Yeah, it's a Dutch thing.

Saw this on Fark.com:

HEMA

Pretty cool. Click and go see.

Todd Rundgren - Live In Indianapolis

A couple of weeks ago, just after our anniversary weekend, we travelled back to Indianapolis on a frigid Sunday evening to see one of our favorite rock artists of all time, Todd Rundgren at The Music Mill.

I have been a fan since I was 18 and we have been to numerous Todd Rundgren concerts over the years. Some have been big, extravagant rock-and-roll shows and others have been more intimate, solo appearances. We really didn’t know what to expect since Todd is now, presumably, in the sunset phase of his illustrious career. But what a roaring, glorious sunset it is...we were not disappointed. Todd is still clearly in complete command of all of his powers. His vocals were amazing and his guitar playing was probably better than it has ever been.

We arrived early and, as we waited in the crowded foyer, I was initially disappointed to find out that this sold-out general admission concert was standing room only, and by that I mean there were no chairs in the club-like venue. However, this fell to our advantage since after we walked in, we moved toward the stage and, as it turns out, spent the entire concert leaning against one of the floor monitors. It was a great vantage point to view the show and accounts for Nancy's excellent photos. We were close enough to inspect Kasim Sulton's dental work and barely 8 feet away from Todd.

It was a great concert. Todd fronted the classic 4-piece ensemble, and they were killer players, rock-and-roll prize fighters, really. With Kasim Sulton on bass, Jesse Gress on guitar, and Prairie Prince on drums, the groove was just relentless. No backing tracks, no pyrotechnics, no costumes, no fancy stage decorations, just a solid, hard-hitting, full bore rock show.

All of these guys are great musicians and if you aren't familiar with them I hope you'll follow the links to learn about their careers, but Kasim Sulton is really a gem. In his own right, he has played with and/or produced many of the top rock and pop artists. But he has been Todd's wingman for over 20 years now and, as any player will tell you, when you make music with someone for that long, the quality of pyschic communication is uncanny. They couldn't have been tighter if there guitars had been welded together. Kasim is a great singer, too, and was often featured on Todd's albums, as well as with their band, Utopia. It was fun standing at his feet all evening, watching a real pro, a gifted artist hard at work.

Todd is and has always been an outstanding artist. He is a creative singer/ songwriter/ multi-instrumentalist/ producer with a long string of hits to his name and a career that started in 1969. His most famous song, is probably still the old pop ballad, "Hello, It's Me," which, while not a bad song at all, is by no means a definitive example of his work. Other classics include "I Saw the Light" and "Light of the World, and the somewhat more recent "Bang the Drum All Day."

In addition to all of the hits, there is a huge discography of excellent, highly original music that never (or barely) broke into the mainstream radio market. While he is a master craftsman when it comes to creating a protoypical pop/rock song performance, I am really more fond of his lesser known, more visionary, idiosyncratic work. Politically liberal and religiously ambiguous (at best), he is nevertheless one of a small handful musical artists in whose passion, work ethic, and whole-hearted pursuit of new and adventurous things I've always found inspiration.

Looking Presidential

Like many people, and especially Republicans, as I look with growing dread towards the looming Presidential elections, I find myself increasingly dissatisfied with my ever-narrowing range of choices. Barring unforeseen calamity, it appears that we will be compelled to choose between McCain and Romney. Neither muster within me any enthusiasm whatsoever. Here is a telling little chart that I purloined from a recent post by Gatewaypundit who, it seems, got it from Doug Ross.

I don't wanna, but I may have to vote for Mr. Romney. There are never perfect candidates, to be sure, but this season's bouquet, though mostly fresh-picked and carefully arranged, seem more brilliantly flawed than ever.

I know many of the Dems are ambivalent about their prospects as well. Perhaps within this tension and uneasiness we will find some admirable truth, some uniting strength. Lord, willing.

Cool spooky numbers thingamajig

How do it do it?

click above

Beware of Cat - Postal Recollections

Whew! One less thing I have to do. I can scratch off of my to do list the whole "writing a book about my experiences as a substitute rural mail carrier, " I think, because it looks like this book is probably going to be close enough.

Although it is something I only did part-time for 3 years, it was an interesting job. And, as this book promo alludes, you did get to know a lot about the people in your community. From delivering the mail you know which young couple is having marital problems, which family has a loved one in prison, who is struggling with addiction, illness, or physical handicap. You get a feel for who is having trouble making ends meet and who has been blessed with wealth. You know who the good cooks are, whose kids are in college, what churches people attend and, sometimes, what houses the cops suspect hold hidden meth labs.

I never did get bit by dog or cat, but there were some close calls. Here's more info on the book.

Joe Lee Pike (1933-2008)

My dad and my son.

"Until God is through with me here, there is nothing that anyone can do nor anything that can happen to take me from this earth. And when my time here is done and He is ready for me to join Him, there is nothing that can keep me here an instant longer."

Just something my dad used to say. He was right.

Free Hugs

This video is reportedly one of the most popular on YouTube with nearly 23 million viewings:



We used it as a "pre-service element" (which is a "prelude" in the post-modern vernacular) in one of our church services this past weekend.

I could analyze this and we could discuss the social and spiritual implications of this work. Or we could just be grateful that some hippies in Sydney, Australia did something extra cool and thank the Lord for small gestures of kindness and charity.

One Book (more or less)

Jennwith2ns tagged me for a meme. I am honored and genuinely charmed to have been asked. Generally speaking, I don't do memes, but I really like her blog and I really like this meme because it is about books.

1. One book that changed your life. I don't care in the slightest if it is cliche, without a doubt that would be "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis. I was a smart-alecky sophomore in a high school English class for smart kids, supposedly. I was bored and disdainful. As a preemptive disciplinary measure, by the end of the second week I had been persuaded to occupy a seat directly in front of the teacher's desk. Instead of doing whatever work I was supposed to be doing, I would attempt to engage the teacher, Mrs. Pam Sibley, in a discussion about literature, philosophy, or history or some other topic on which I was unassailably authoritative. One afternoon, probably in a bit of a peeve, Mrs. Sibley asked me if I would like to read something really challenging. Of course, I said, thinking that at last someone had recognized that my intellect was being wasted on this 10th grade curriculum. She said she had a book of her own that she would loan me if I promised to read it and that write a summary report on it for extra credit. She was certain that it would challenge me, she said. I eagerly picked up the gauntlet and received the book. Well, C.S. Lewis rocked my little world. Until that time I had never heard of, or even considered that a reasoned understanding of Christianity was possible or worthwhile. That is still a book that I try to read at least once a year. I regret that I never thanked Mrs. Sibley properly. I will one day, though.

2. One book that you have read more than once. "Know Why You Believe" by Paul Little. I love the way this thin little volume so effectively encapsulates the fundamentals of Christian belief. Concise and smartly written, it is another book that I try to read once a year and it is one of my favorite books to give away. There are a number of books, though, that I've enjoyed reading multiple times for different reasons...but I'll stay focused and not digress.

3. One book you would want on a desert island. "The Bible" is the one title that I could have used to answer several of these questions, but I suspect that answer transcends the spirit of this meme. However, if I'm stranded on a desert island with only one book, I really do want it to be my trusty Scofield NIV.

4. Two books that made you laugh. "Book of Nonsense" by Edward Lear. I love Lear's limericks, nonsense verse, and illustrations. "Blue Like Jazz" by Donald Miller is very funny. And very serious. But funny, too.

5. One book that made you cry. "Safely Home" by Randy Alcorn. I couldn't help it...this is a really unique book. I was completely unprepared for where this book took me emotionally and found myself completely unwound more than once. Before reading this book, I would not have thought that a work of fiction could go where this book goes. It is not perfectly rendered, but it is amazing in its reach and scope. Read it.

6. One book you wish you'd written. "Heaven", also by Randy Alcorn and non-fiction. This is an amazing and detailed study on Heaven. Alcorn has painstakingly compiled and synchronized all that the Bible teaches about the place we would all rather be. Well, we would, wouldn't we? Among a lot of other things, Alcorn answers questions like "What will we do in Heaven?", "Will there be space and time?" and, of course, "What about the animals?" This is a book that positively changed the way I think about the future.

7. One book you wish had never been written. "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" by Dave Eggers. That was one of those books that everybody recommended, that received rave reviews, and was supposed to be a model of great contemporary literature. Hated it. No, really...HATED it.

8. Two books you are currently reading. and "Messy Spirituality" by Mike Yaconelli and "This is Your Brain on Music" by Daniel Levitin (still, and again).

9. One book you've been meaning to read. There is a big stack of books that fall into this category, but the one that is on the shelf beckoning at this moment is "The Android's Dream" by John Scalzi.

10. Five people that I'll tag: GRP, Heidi, Sharon, Evan, and IzzyBeth

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings

100 Days 100 Nights, the title cut from one of the coolest albums I've heard lately.  I love this stuff.

And Silver on Sunday, too

On Sunday morning, as we ate our late breakfast, we watched the streams of blue-clad Colts fans trudge past the dining room window through the lightly falling snow towards the stadium next door. We checked out before it really got crowded and headed north towards the Broad Ripple district.

Broad Ripple Village is an area about six miles north of downtown full of art galleries, restaurants, boutiques, and shops. It is a quasi-residential area, a warren of narrow, twisty streets, with minimal parking options. I suspect that during the summer it swarms with tourists, but in the middle of January it was easily navigable.

We stopped first at a busy Starbucks in order to get coffee and bearings, and we stayed for about an hour. It was an excellent Starbucks; superior to most I’ve been in. The menu and service was typical, but unlike most of the ubiquitous chain’s coffee shops, this one had an atmosphere, a vibe, and a roaring fireplace. Most Starbucks are great for coffee to get-and-go, but relatively few invite you to hang out. This one does.

From there we went to Big Hat Books, a great little-privately owned bookstore. It was well-stocked with a broad selection of books and what it may have lacked in depth compared to a large chain bookstore, it more than made up in atmosphere. We enjoyed visiting with the lady that worked there and bought an excellent book, a graphic story by Shaun Tan, The Arrival (click through to see the artwork).

We also visited BR Fashionista, Another Time Vintage Fashions (which had everything that you now regret having worn in the groovy 70’s), and another excellent CD/Record store called Indy CD & Vinyl. What I love about independent CD shops like this one and Luna Music is how devoted they are to supporting local artists (MBPYNHO) and venues. The customer service is usually great and the people that work there are often wells of musical and cultural knowledge, eager to help and to talk to you about music. This type of music-buying experience is also not something you get when you buy mp3’s on line, but I’ll beat that dead horse later.

There were several other shops and boutiques we stopped in. We didn’t have time to do near everything that was available in Broad Ripple, and many of the art galleries and studios are closed on Sunday, as was a very interesting-looking guitar store called About Music. But we’ll be back.

After a superb and very late lunch at the CWB and then headed home, getting in around 6:30. Upon arriving home we listened to our new music, admired our souvenirs, played on our laptops, and reflected on the weekend and on 25 years of marriage. It is good and we are blessed.

Silver on Saturday

This past Saturday we headed to Indianapolis to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. It was cold, but sunshiny and beautiful.

Around noon, we cruised in on I-40, which turns into Washington Ave. once you hit the Indy city limits. This is kind of like going in the back door, but it is much more interesting and leisurely than taking I-70 downtown. This afforded us the opportunity to stop at Annie’s Thrift Shop and Guitartown, both of which yielded beneficial results.

Then we headed up to Massachusetts Avenue, one of several arts districts in Indy, and an area we’ve enjoyed several times before. We spent most of the afternoon visiting a number of the art galleries and specialty shops along MassAve, including McFee Gallery & Studios, Silver in the City, Three Dog Bakery (yes, it is a bakery for pets), and Luna, which is a great independent CD/record store.  Here's a short video tour.

About 4:00, we headed for the Crowne Plaza Union Station where we had reservations in one of their Pullman Car rooms. They have a couple of dozen hotel rooms made out of converted, actual railroad passenger cars. We actually got a surprisingly good deal, considering it was a game weekend (grrr…not going to talk about that).

Then we headed to dinner, courtesy of my generous employer. We went to St. Elmo's, which is one of the premier steakhouses in the Midwest. I have been there once before, some 10 or 11 years ago, and honestly, I have never seen steaks like this before. They are huge, excellent cuts, precisely trimmed, and perfectly cooked. They are also famous for their shrimp cocktail. An indescribably delicious meal.

It was an early dinner reservation so afterwards we spent a couple of hours doing some casual shopping in the downtown Circle Center Mall. Then, about 8:45 or so, we went to The Slippery Noodle Inn, an Indy landmark and a well-known blues club just around corner.   This club has two stages and we wedged ourselves into a corner of the smaller room at the back and heard a very lively, rocking set by Sam Cockerel and his band. Expert players, gritty vocals, and an entertaining stage presence.  Here's a short video that tells a little of the storied history of The Slippery Noodle.

After that we walked back to the hotel, hand-in-hand, retiring to our train car for…oh, wait, that’s none of your business.

Twins

This is one of the worst cases of bad luck I've ever heard of.

"Armed customer thwarts grocery robbery"

I have two visceral responses every time I read a story like this, today from the Indianapolis Star.

First, situations like this unfold not just on TV crime dramas or the movie screen, but in front of real people going about their everyday, otherwise normal lives. And it happens all the time. People who think that it could never happen to them or that it only happens somewhere else are living in fantasy. It just makes sense for responsible, law-abiding people to carry firearms to protect ourselves from irresponsible, law-breaking people and their pernicious ways.

Secondly, it reminds me that I need to stop being lazy and get my concealed carry license. It's not expensive and it's not hard; it's just a bit of paperwork and a visit to the county sheriff''s office.

PSA: Glassbooth.com

This is a handy online tool that intends to help you learn which Presidential candidate is most likely to share your priorities with respect to the various political issues of our time. It is non-partisan and is based on a simple quiz format that takes about 5 minutes to complete.

I found the process kind of fun and the results a little surprising. According to the calculations, Governer Huckabee and I share an 80% consensus on the issues we consider priorities. Honestly, I wouldn't have thought that. Next in line was the unknown and unimportant Duncan Hunter and then America's Mayor, Rudy Giuliani.

Lately, I've actually found myself liking Fred Thompson more and more, but maybe that's just because he seems like such a likable guy and he doesn't mind slapping the press around when necessary. I met Governor Huckabee once, back in 1998, and he gave me an autographed copy of his book, "Character IS the Issue." Nice guy and a great book, but I really just haven't been swayed by his presidential aspirations to date.

Anyway, I suspect that the science behind this site is not terrifically complicated or unassailably definitive, but it is interesting and you may find it helpful.

Update: I've been thinking about this. This tool is, I think, effective at weighing the perceived importance of the most compelling topics of our time, but it doesn't cover everything. In every decision, large or small, emotion and intuition exert a significant influence. Our choice for who we prefer to be President will also be based on less tangible ideas such as our perceptions of their individual integrity, leadership capabilities, intelligence, resourcefulness, and personality. The impressions we form on those topics have little to do with the nuts-and-bolts social or political issues, I think, but are still important.

Which is probably why I think I'd enjoy having Thompson, Huckabee, or Obama over for dinner, but Clinton, Paul, and Biden make me uneasy.

Exit, Stage Left: Obligatory Year-End List of Famous Artists Who Died in 2007

From the Chicago Sun-Times. This time of year we are inundated with various lists and all kinds of retrospectives. But it does interest me, nevertheless, to review and consider some of the names of some of those who have left the planet in the last year.

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Some of the people on this list I have never heard of. Some I've heard of and don't especially appreciate, although I'm certain others do. Some I know of only marginally, and others I knew quite well through their work. Some I appreciated in passing, or for a season, and there are some whose artistic efforts made a significant impression on me, even informing my own artwork or understanding of life.

But, no matter who you are or what you've done, when it's your time to go, you go.

The beatings will continue until morale improves...

From a Washington Post article:

"...the industry (RIAA) maintains that it is illegal for someone who has legally purchased a CD to transfer that music into his computer."

The Recording Industry Association of America continues to persecute and prosecute. While their efforts to fight international piracy are worthwhile and to be applauded, their domestic strategy of attacking consumers with outrageous lawsuits couldn't be more misguided. With CD sales tanking and the economy of the music industry at an all-time low, they continue to rearrange the deck chairs and throw the passengers overboard. This will only drive listeners away from high-quality music formats. It is bad for music, bad for artists, bad for listeners, and bad for business.

This RIAA faq page for "students doing reports" does have some interesting things to say and represents their viewpoint on all of this. Some of it is good, some of it is bad.

This is the same organization that tried to squash the home-based recording studio movement that was born back in the 1980's. They wanted to make it illegal for individual artists to produce music for profit from a project studio in a residential setting and they brought lawsuits on several home studio owners. Happily, with very limited success.

The RIAA is not really in the business of promoting art, though, in spite of their altruistic statements. Their real functon is to protect the monopolistic business interests of what remains of the dinosaur that used to be the American record industry.

We need a new paradigm. And it's coming.

Gun control is hitting what you are aiming at.

Titular prepositional termination misplacements notwithstanding, this is still quite funny to me.

"At one point, Huckabee’s party turned toward a cluster of reporters and cameramen and, when they kicked up a pheasant, fired shotgun blasts over the group’s heads. "

Yeah, yeah...so his aim is a little high. Then the article goes on to whine a bit about gun safety. Jibber-jabber.

Fred probably wouldn't have missed. Which reminds me of this hilarious video about Fred Thompson. Go check it out.

Pic at left from one of my favorite sites, "How Stuff Works" and their wonderful description of shotgun technology. A smart, fun, and useful website.