Quote

"If I were to begin life again, I would devote it to music. It is the only cheap and unpunished rapture upon earth."
[Sydney Smith]

Life-Altering Music

While at a stoplight in my wife's car earlier this week, I began fumbling through our CD stash and stumbled upon Jeff Buckley's album Grace.

I've listened to this album plenty in the past, but something really struck me this time. The CD rolled over to Track 4 - "Lilac Wine" - and, maybe it was the mood I was in, but I was quite literally blown to smithereens with tears in my eyes. I realize this isn't his original composition, but it might well be the most moving piece of music I've ever heard in my life.

In an age of overproduced, computer-tweaked, soul-less pop shit-music, I found myself engulfed in Buckely's raw emotion, musical simplicity and extraordinary talent. I had it up so loud I could hear every breath and subtlety in his voice. Listen to that vocal control throughout, but especially in the last line. Completely breathtaking.

The lyrical poetry is amazing and the arrangement is sweet and heart-felt. A thousand churches don't contain the depth of spirit that's in those four and a half minutes.

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Now playing on Trev's iTunes: Jeff Buckley - Lilac Wine
via FoxyTunes

Last night, nothing; Now, this

Now playing on Trev's iTunes: Jimi Hendrix - Changes
via FoxyTunes

A new commandment I give you: Love one another.

While driving home last night and scanning the radio stations for something to listen to, I stumbled upon a preacher on the local Christian radio station. He was talking about Islam so I thought I'd take a listen.

In front of what seemed like a very large congregation - not to mention anyone listening over the airwaves - he was doing his damnedest to both negate their faith and make them look like "the bad guys."

The majority of his message was how Islam flourished because they were converting people "by the sword" and how violent their scriptures are. Similarly, anytime he got to a passage where it said Allah is "forgiving and merciful" he had to make a comment like "well, ya, only if you do what He says."

What he failed to mention was his own tradition's horribly violent past, including similar conversion techniques (the Crusades and Native Americans ring a bell?) and graphically violent scriptures (anyone read the Old Testament?)

I'm not dogging Christianity or Judaism. It just sucks that people of power are able to turn groups of people against other groups of people using false information and misguided truths.

Perhaps the appropriate way Christians can learn about Islam is to invite Muslims to speak at their worship services. God forbid we actually seek to understand each other and reach common ground.

Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. I'm certainly thankful for all the friends I have through this little online community.

Here's to your own Thanksgiving being significantly better than Big Bird's...

For the true video game fan...

This video probably won't mean much to you unless you grew up with the Nintendo and are familiar with the theme songs and imagery from Super Mario Brothers, Zelda, Tetris and more. But if you are familiar, check out this absolutely amazing Cal marching band doing a Video Game Halftime show.

As one who spent my high school both playing Nintendo and marching around a football field with a snare drum holder on my shoulders, this video just plain rocks. (NOTE: I didn't realize this until the end, but it is filmed from the back... everything is upside down)

Psalm 23

Putting aside my mild uneasiness with teaching kids to quote scriptures from memory that they don't even fully understand yet, this video is just too cute.

Self-Discipline

My favorite definition of it is this:

Self-discipline is not the suppression of desires (or an attempt to keep us from doing what we think we want), rather it is choosing your highest/deepest desire instead of your superficial desire(s) in that moment.

I can't tell you how many times going at it from that angle has helped me stay on track.

Halloween Prank

As I've mentioned before, Halloween is my favorite holiday. If, however, you decide to prank your friends, please make sure that you're not in arms reach.

The Dark Side of the Pumpkin

One of my good friends (and the drummer for the Pink Noise band I'm in) is a fantastic "pumpkin artist." Each year he has been making cool pumpkins for my daughter and besides doing one for her this year, he also made this... sweet!

Viral Friday

Well, as you already know, I'm a sucker for viral videos... sharing everything on this blog from "Chocolate Rain" to "Dramatic Chipmunk" and beyond. Some smarty-pants with too much time on his hands put the following viral video compilation together. Pretty fun. I'd say I recognized about 75% of the stuff in there. Here is "We Didn't Start the Viral."


We Didnt Start The Viral - Watch more free videos

LINK: The 10 Most Terrifyingly Inspirational '80s Songs

"Great music can inspire us to do anything: love one another, protest an unjust war, make sweet, sweet love to a large black man in the 1970s. But in the '80s there were a series of songs that inspired us to kick ass in every way possible. None inspired more ass kicking than these." (Robert Brockway at Cracked.com)

One of the funniest articles I've read in a while. Click over here to reminisce about songs like "Holding Out for a Hero" and "The Final Countdown."

My favorite paragraph explains the only way Foreigner could've made "Juke Box Hero" any better: "Ramp it up. If hearing "just one guitar" while standing outside a venue in the pouring rain can cause an innocent farm boy to mutate into a vulgar, screeching, musical demi-god, imagine hearing 17 guitars on top of a mountain in a thunderstorm! You could instantaneously transform altar boys all across the heartland into 80-foot tall rock ogres, shredding on nuclear guitars and ejaculating fiery magma into the horrified faces of America’s enemies. Serve your country, Foreigner. Give a little back for once."

Don't stop believin'...

Frankenstein

In honor of the upcoming Halloween, here's one of the funkiest jams of the past 35 years performed by the saxophone-wielding, strapped-on-keyboard playing Edgar Winter and company: - Frankenstein!

Living Life or Being Lived By Life

THEY SAY: let life live you, go with the flow, surrender, relax and let be, don't push.

THEY SAY: imagine your intentions and then bring them to be, set your mind to something and it will happen, persevere, make things happen.

Although it certainly seems so, I don't think these lifestyles are mutually exclusive.

I've just spent a little too MUCH time in the first camp.

I've begun dabbling in the second and it feels pretty damn good to grow up and get my life in order.

Creativity MASH-UP

"Creativity is a way of living life,
no matter what our vocation,
or how we earn our living."
(Madeleine L'Engle)
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Chris Seay - "Art and Beauty"
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"Each time I begin a creative endeavor, I discover that creativity is a mystery. I am reminded that though I am the creator, I have little control over the final outcome of my creation. The creation itself determines its form, and it will emerge on its own terms."
(Janice K. Stanton)