...in the meantime...

I'm not really back from my "blogging break" yet, but I found this and wanted to share it. Majorly impressive... especially the "keyboard solo" (2/3 of the way through).

Happy Holidays

As I'm sure it is with you, this is a season of visits, traveling, etc. I won't be doing much blogging until probably after the new year, so until then... Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays to all of you. I'm happy to count all of you (my online community/sangha) as friends!

Christmas Music

Celeste asked what our Top 5 favorite holiday songs are. Here we go:

5.) "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" (good imagery)

4.) "I Saw Three Ships" (Sting version)

3.) "Christmas Time is Here" (Guaraldi)

2.) Anything from the "John Denver and the Muppets" Christmas album

and #1.) "Sleigh Ride" (especially the Squirrel Nut Zippers or Bela Fleck and the Flecktones versions)

On a related note, I picked up the new 42-track Christmas album(s) from Sufjan Stevens entitled "Songs from Christmas Sing-Along." It's a mix of traditional and original Christmas music in that ever-so quirky, banjo-strummin' Sufjan style. Check it out here.

Asana-na-na...

This is an interesting article about whether MUSIC is helpful -or- distracting in a Yoga class. As usual, I can definitely see both sides (though I tend to lean on the pro-music side personally).

The Blood of Eden (Peter Gabriel)

I caught sight of my reflection
I caught it in the window
I saw the darkness in my heart
I saw the signs of my undoing
They had been there from the start
And the darkness still has work to do
The knotted chords untying
Theyre heated and theyre holy
Oh theyre sitting there on high
So secure with everything theyre buying

In the blood of eden
Lie the woman and the man
With the man in the woman
And the woman in the man
In the blood of eden
Lie the woman and the man
We wanted the union
Oh the union of the woman
The woman and the man

My grip is surely slipping
I think Ive lost my hold
Yes, I think Ive lost my hold
I cannot get insurance anymore
They dont take credit, only gold
Is that a dagger or a crucifix I see
You hold so tightly in your hand
And all the while the distance grows between you and me
I do not understand

At my request, you take me in
In that tenderness, I am floating away
No certainty, nothing to rely on
Holding still for a moment
What a moment this is
Oh for a moment of forgetting, a moment of bliss
Hey....

I can hear the distant thunder
Of a million unheard souls
Of a million unheard souls
Watch each one reach for creature comfort
For the filling of their holes

In the blood of eden
Lie the woman and the man
With the man in the woman
And the woman in the man
In the blood of eden
Lie the woman and the man
We wanted the union
Oh the union of the woman
The woman and the man

Silly

I've been wanting to make this graphic for a few weeks now - so I just threw it together. Anyone have a guess what this is? (I'm such a dork.)

New Brews

I realize that most of you could care less about this, but these posts are mainly for my own sake (so I can remember what I've tried and enjoyed). Over the past few weeks, I've tried...

1.) Ayinger Ur-Weisse - A German Dunkel Weizen, which are known for their clove and banana flavors. This beer in particular is known for tasting like Banana Bread, which it did, and was actually quite excellent. In fact, I'd rate this in my Top 3 favorites so far on my premium beer quest. A little pricy at almost $6 a bottle, but worth every penny.

2.) Mackeson Triple XXX Stout (Milk Stout) - In the same vein as Young's Chocolate Stout, but found it to be less chocolate than Young's and more of a mocha latte flavor. Very, very good.

3.) Tucher Urfränkisch Dunkel - Another Dunkel, which I had later in the evening the same night as the Ayinger. Not a bad beer at all, but found it to be mediocre after the Ur-Weisse. I'll have to try this again on its own sometime.

4.) Thirsty Dog Siberian Night Imperial Stout - A dark-as-night, can't-see-any-light-through-it-at-all stout from Ohio's Thirsty Dog. A slightly bitter, roasted coffee flavor with a pretty high ABV. Good stuff when looking to go heavy.

5.) Black Angus Oatmeal Stout - My favorite brew at the Lafayette Brewing Company (the town where I live). Gotta love and support the local micro-breweries.

6.) I also had some brand of Mocha Stout around the campfire with Tommy a few weeks ago... can't remember the exact name. Care to help out, Tom?

starving jesus

a very short film about "letting go" (By: Blaine)


Get this video and more at MySpace.com

Old Man Winter

The Midwest is getting pounded right now... but somehow my area of Indiana has been bypassed. I've heard some places in Illinois have 11 inches of snow on top of a sheet of ice. How are you Chicagoans and Iowans doing out there?