Dogs Like Digging Holes

Ten on Ten :: September 2011

2011-09-11T01:14:00.000-07:00

Ten on Ten :: August 2011

2011-08-10T21:18:00.000-07:00

Simon Says #4

2011-08-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

Simon:
After taking Levi to his first Mariners game (which is memorable to him only because of the the blue cotton candy and the really long escalator that we found), Simon was excited that he got to go in a couple of weeks. "We can't go for a couple of weeks because the Mariners are out of town playing the Blue Jays and and Yankees." I told him. That was true, but secretly I also wanted to wait until the 31st when kids got to run around the bases after the game.
That night he and Levi were spending the day/night at Grandma's and as dinner time rolled around he made it clear to Grandma that he would no be able to spend the night, because Dad was taking him to a Baseball game against the Hankys.

Levi:
I was in the kitchen one afternoon, and overheard Levi dying of laughter. Because history has taught me that this can mean piling toys on the baby, or coloring the carpet with sharpies, I decided to investigate...verbally.
"Levi! What are you doing!" I yelled over my shoulder from the sink.
"I'm peeing back-words!" He declared from the bathroom.
Turning off the sink, and not sure of what I would find, I moved hastily toward the bathroom to find Levi sitting on the toilet, facing the tank, proudly enacting his new technique.

Josie: Because she cannot talk, Josie has built up a strong friendship with the other person in the house with the same limitation: our dog Renton. They both take great joy around her ability to get about 20% of the food she tries to eat into her actual mouth.

Simon and Levi:
Yesterday morning I made some blueberry pancakes. Both boys wanted peanut butter on them which, naturally, creates the dire need of a beverage. Levi reached this conclusion first as he is a bit of a beverage guy. So much so, in fact, that at one point we thought he was allergic to dairy...and took him off of it for a few months (because of his less then normal bowel movements). As it turned out, he was not allergic at all, but was consuming heavier then adult levels (as a two year old) of nature's diarrhetic: Apple juice. So when Levi requested something to drink I gave him the three choices revealed by our refrigerator: Lemonade, Milk and Water. Levi subconsciously picked the one with the highest sugar content and was happy to continue his breakfast.
Simon, not wanting to substitute good sugar for taste, requested an option not on the list - Chocolate Milk. Not hearing a complaint from Levi, who seemed quite content with his now completely gone pink Lemonade, I caved and made Simon a small glass of chocolate milk.
Time rolls on, and Simon, lightly sipping his beverage being held by both hands, quietly says, "Mmmm, I'm Dying."
"What was that?" I said, hoping for a repeat.
"This chocolate milk is soooo good, you have to try it."
I quickly made sure that I was actually talking to Simon and not Rebekah, whose language and mannerisms had somehow been channeled, (I am forced to assume through the ownership of a special brown morning beverage) and took a sip.
It was good.
"Can I try?" said a hopeful Levi.
Without missing a beat, Simon, filled with heavy empathy, replied, "Ooooh, I'm so sorry Levi. But you are allergic to dairy... I wouldn't want you to be sick." He looks at me and shakes his head with sympathy for Levi's condition, which made me wonder about other unknown levels of nonsense he pitches at Levi when there is not someone there to mediate. After seeing that I did not approve of his logic, he was able to find a compromise that would work for all. Taking his stirring spoon in hand, he turns back to Levi and says, "Ok Levi, you can have ONE SPOONFUL!" He scoops out a light spoonful, feeds it to Levi (Who gladly accepts and has no problem with any of this) and then they both return to their pancakes.

Ten on Ten :: July 2011

2011-07-11T11:25:00.000-07:00

Ten on Ten :: June 2011

2011-06-10T23:42:00.000-07:00

Guest Post

2011-06-10T00:21:00.000-07:00

I did a guest post on www.spillinghope.org today...check it out here!

Ten on Ten :: May 2011

2011-05-10T22:33:00.000-07:00

Check out the Ten on Ten project here.

Guest Post Today

2011-04-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

I wrote a guest post for the Spilling Hope blog today, its about music, water and hope. Check it out here!

Spilling Hope is THIS SUNDAY!

2011-04-22T15:07:00.000-07:00

So the mastering is done (Thanks Jason Holstrom!), the art is done (Thanks Andrea Moon!), the web page is ready (Thanks Jeremy Green!) and the tracks are zipped up and ready to be downloaded first thing Easter morning! It was fun to find bands, and get them to sign-on for this really important work of providing clean water. I even had the chance to interview (almost) all of them, and throughout the 50 days of the project, I will be posting those interviews here!
If you haven't yet checked out www.spillinghope.org please do! And on Sunday you can get the music, determine your involvement, get focused and make a difference. Last year the project raised over $200,000!

Here is a sneak peek at the artist who are on this year's compilation:
Doug Burr (Texas)
Seryn (Texas)
Omega (Uganda)
Half-handed Cloud (California)
Beau Jennings (New York)
Joy Follows (Seattle)
Cahalen Morrison and Eli West (Seattle)
Jubilee (Seattle)
Sleeping at Last (Illinois)
Late Night Transit (Seattle)
Andrew Belle (Tennessee)
Sherwood (California)
Denison Witmer (Pennsylvania)

Simon Says #3

2011-04-14T15:05:00.000-07:00

It seems there is a tension in parenting. On one hand you want to help your kids build their identity, discover their strengths and passions. On the other hand you don't want to box them in and cut off their imagination toward who they could be. At any rate, Simon and Levi spent the night at Grandma and Grandpa's the other night...I asked Simon how it went and he replied: "It was fun!...buuuut Levi was pushin' it."

Levi is 3 and tends to get into things. After a recent episode (drawing on the carpet that is still somewhat visible) I had a long talk with him about thinking before acting. He wanted to make sure that I thought he was smart...which sort of broke my heart...but I assured him he was very smart, which he certainly is, but that the more he used his thinker, the smarter he would get...just like how when he uses his muscles they get stronger!

So I was surprised just the day after the big talk that I caught him in the act drawing a "strawberry" (he claims) on the living room floor!

After he apologized and scrubbed it up, I intentionally decided against mentioning the whole "Think First" thing, but he brought it up.

"But Da-ad, I thought about it first...but then (shrugging shoulders)...just colored the strawberry!"

I suppose you have to appreciate a little guy who thinks outside the box. Keep the creativity coming Levi!

10 on 10 :: April

2011-04-10T23:21:00.000-07:00

Simon Says #2

2011-03-24T21:09:00.000-07:00

Every Friday is game day...from our perspective this means the only day that our kids can ask us if they can play video games; from the kids perspective its Christmas morning once a week. Yep, complete Christmas morning: having trouble falling asleep the night before, getting up early to wake us up, wanting to stay in pajamas all day long and having several meltdowns. Due to the ridiculous nature of this we may do away with games all together, but in any case, today from early afternoon on, Simon was asking questions about when tomorrow starts.
"How many minutes until tomorrow?"
"What time does Friday start?"
"Is it tomorrow yet?"
This all culminated after dinner, when Simon and Levi were playing in the family room. Mom had thrown out twelve hours for night time, which was not exactly what Simon wanted to hear...several minutes later, Simon stopped, knelt down, folded his hands, closed his eyes and said, "Jesus God, PLEASE make night time only last five minutes. Amen."

About a year ago, I was in my bedroom, which is at the end of the hall that opened into the dining room and kitchen. I was walking out of the room and passed the then 3 year old Simon in the hall. Pointing his thumb over his shoulder, but not breaking his stride, he stated out of the corner of his mouth, "Levi's up to something."
I was a little in shock at this little guys vocabulary, and then made my way to the kitchen, where I caught the tail end of Levi's dumping of an entire box of cereal onto the ground.

10 on 10 :: March

2011-03-11T00:13:00.000-08:00

A Ray

2011-03-03T00:07:00.000-08:00

Chris Gough - A Ray by chrisdgough A Ray by chrisdgough
Still working on my music...I am picky with what I throw up here, but decided today that I should just put stuff up and worry about getting it perfect later. I have nearly a dozen songs at this point...only a handful are "done," and these won't really be done until instrumentation is dialed in etc.
I was excited to write a song for my wife of 7 years. The seven year itch is apparently causing songs...I think that is a good thing. Rebekah always loved that old song "You are my Sunshine." It stems from her childhood and she has sung it to our kids, has referenced it in her blog title, and generally likes when it pops up. So when I went to write a song for her, I knew it had to include this theme at some level. So here it is, for a person that can always build me up, especially when I need it...my ray of sunshine!
Recorded wonderfully with the cheap stock voice recorder on the iphone.

James Blake - Fiest Cover

2011-02-25T13:11:00.000-08:00

Wow. Risky covering Feist, but very well done sir! James Blake is the title of James Blake's release. Its good...and its only been out a couple weeks. Surprise your friends with new music...from the UK! Thanks to Brendan Bosworth for Buzzing this on Google!

Listen Back - Pastor T.L. Barrett & The Youth for Christ Choir

2011-02-23T22:06:00.000-08:00

My good friend Zach handed me a cd Sunday of Pastor T.L. Barret. "It's sick." Were the words he so eloquently spoke (He teaches literature at a private school...so he knows how to word things). He went on to mention that it is an early 60's recording ('71 to be exact) and that it just had a vibe that was hard to not love...I couldn't agree more and have been listening to this pretty solidly since Sunday...I have also been comforted that our next generation of kids are getting the type of education I'm not sure I ever got...thanks Zach!

As I am writing this, I am listening to the title track (the one linked here) and the call and response is totally working on my three year old Levi who is singing along with the choir after getting the words from Pastor T.L Barret. It is the type of music that is simple but packed full of power, emotion and purpose. Throw in some solid drum and bass work and a healthy bit of organ, and we have a winner.

If you consider yourself a DJ, this album is a must have...it is available on vinyl directly from Light in the Attic Records, or if you live in Seattle...SonicBoom in Ballard, where Zach stumbled upon it.

Pastor T.L. Barrett is still alive and still pastors a church in South Chicago, hosts a twice a week radio show called "A Word to the World." His love of theology and music is commendable and right up my alley. Although his theology is too left field for me...his music music seems right on target!

Vegetation

2011-02-21T22:22:00.000-08:00

Thursday mornings have their moments...one of which I think about over a weekend. Thursdays create an opportunity to accomplish something great...namely to roll out a full, topped off yard waste bin before it gets hauled away to some magical place. It was to my wonderment this morning when a neighbor saw that my bin was un-closable because of the hundreds of Rhododendron branches I had stuffed in there, and suggested that I fill hers up as well, since she wouldn't be using it by Thursday.
Wow.
It wasn't long before I hired two workers, at the affordable rate of one dollar each, and headed into the cold to do some real work on an out of control juniper, who was not only assaulting our tiny front yard, but the public sidewalk. Fortunately, the workers already had gloves, with Diegos on them, and were up for the challenge of filling the big green bin with green branches...for a little green of their own.

Washington State must have some rules on child labor laws. That aside...I suppose there is something quite fulfilling about using all that bin space you pay for, and something quite nice about getting to stop working once its full. Its the little things...right?

Omega Okello - Artist Preview - Spilling Hope Volume Two

2011-02-14T17:02:00.000-08:00

All but one of the projects done by Spilling Hope have occurred in Uganda (See them here). Living Water International is the best, and they cost around $10k to research communities, hire local workers and oversee professional digging of clean water and sanitation centers. Typically this means digging a well...not 30 feet, with shovels, but ft. with an enormous borehole drill
I made a quick post to Facebook one afternoon stating that I had entered the brainstorm stage for Volume 2, and a friend commented saying..."What about Omega? She is from Uganda." What an amazing idea!

I possibly first heard Omega sing when she and I were both kids, she was part of the African Children's choir and they stopped at our church during their US tour...I was there and it was absolutely incredible. I still remember them singing a song Sunday morning to give folks a glimpse into that nights concert...I was blown away by the joy, the passion and of course the volume.

Years later, Omega ended up at Seattle Pacific University where we both attended college, she often went to my church, and I played drums once for a song she killed at a talent night. Omega is one of those people who effortlessly sing, and appear to be having the time of their life every time they do so...and as they do it...you get tricked into also being filled with joy!

Omega has three studio albums...all different stylistically, but all tied together by her love for God, people and her joy in music. Her first release is a jazz album called Take One...it has big standards like Summertime, At Last and What a Wonderful World. Her most recent release is called Amazed, with music that seems very geared for a church audience; many hymns and choruses in an Afro-gospel style. In between these two came her award winning traditional Ugandan album Kiwomera Emmeeme. Luganda for "It is sweet to the soul," her most ethnic of her albums filled with amazing instrumentation, mostly original songs by Omega and with musicians from across Africa and the USA. All songs are sung in Luganda, Omega's native tongue. (With the exception of one song that is sung in Swahili...I jokingly asked my co-worker if he spoke Swahili...he said yes and then was able to determine which track was not Lugandan...amazing!) This 2008 release contains the song Yaye, which will be a part of this year's compilation. It is a strong song, and critical in its uniqueness to the others on the compilation. The song is produced extremely well with rich under stated rhythms, great accordion, and of course the hope and joy Omega...can't seem to shaken even on this song about mourning.

Yaye
Yaye, Yaye (I am mourning)
Wulira, Wulira Okukaaba (Hear the crying)
Wulira, Wulira edoboozi (Hear the voice)
Nkabira bantu bange (I’m crying/mourning/weeping for my people)
Mukomewo Gyendi (Return to me)
Mukomewo (return)
Mukomewo Gyendi nze Omutonzi (Return to your maker)

Grateful to have Omega on the compilation this year, and if you want more info on her and her music check her website here. Thanks Omega!

Spilling Hope

2011-02-11T17:25:00.000-08:00

So last year my friend and band-mate Adam Finch and I reached out to a bunch of musicians and put together a music compilation for a clean water initiative called Spilling Hope. (I technically did a little more then Adam...but that doesn't matter...no one is keeping score here...same team right? Love you Adam, you did a great job!!!) The project raised over $330,000 in the first two years, and has been an exciting success! This means that 33 communities now have access to clean water through the digging of deep borehole wells by Living Water International. These guys are the best, and are used by the One Campaign, UNICEF and tons of other groups. All the communities are in Southern Uganda, and we are setting the stage to do it again this year.

My task in this project is pretty cool, I get to put together the compilation and have been quietly plugging away at this for a few months, and it is going to be really good.
There was some unbelievably excellent music on the first compilation last year: Josh Ottum, Deccatree, Sleeping at Last, the Republic, PawnShop Kings, Raining and OK, Rosie Thomas, Ivan & Alyosha, Wonderful, Ryan J. Lane and Julie Jane) and you can still download the compilation here if you just enter your email. But shhhh...its sort of secret link.

In preparation for Spilling Hope Volume 2...I will be interviewing each artist that submits a song, so you can start to get acquainted with the musicians supporting Spilling Hope this year. Keep you eyes peeled!

Ten on Ten :: February 2011

2011-02-10T22:05:00.000-08:00

Classical Music...Different Not Dumb!

2011-02-01T23:45:00.000-08:00

When my brother Jeff (its his birthday today) was a young student in Middle or early High School, we were all making our way through diversity week. Which is of course now every day in the public schools, but in his leadership and general genius he at some point in some presentation got the entire class including the presenter to chant "Different Not Dumb! Different Not Dumb!" Over and over again. It is one of those moments that I wished I could have seen first hand, but now have to rely on my imagination to bring it to life.
Musically, we could probably stand for a little diversity...and I was reminded that classical music is Different Not Dumb. I was looking around at some projects on kickstarter, and came across a documentary in the works on Beethoven's Ninth symphony (one that he wrote entirely while deaf) and it looks pretty interesting. It follows this single piece of music and how it has changed the world...watch the trailer here...its good!
This led me to remember just how great classical gets. Brahms 4th symphony is a personal favorite, that I studied extensively in my composition class at SPU under Dr. Hanson. You can learn EVERYTHING from the classical genre...except for maybe modern electronics. Along with Brahms I like Vivaldi's 4 Seasons, Samuel Barber's Adiago for Strings, Arthur Rubinstein's versions of Chopin Nocturnes and Chopin's prelude in E minor (This is the first piece I REALLY went for on piano...wish I could find my old music for this.), Tchaikovsky at Christmas time of course, Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition...I could go on, but instead I will point you toward a Ted talk that anyone who likes music, or people, or life should enjoy. Benjamin Zander is the charismatic conductor for the Boston Philharmonic and his words about the importance of music in this video are more then worth your time.
Classical is not just music from another age...so many modern composers seem to land in film scores or television. Or they just keep making good music, like my good friend John Hinson...and if you haven't heard him you are missing out. He has some free tracks to download on his site, but I listen to his solo piano album A Still Moment all the time. It never gets old...and he wrote a song for my son Simon when he was born...amazing!
So spill the beans, whats your favorite classical piece? Composer?
Classical - Different not Dumb.

Stop & Use Your Senses

2011-01-29T01:23:00.000-08:00

Why should smell get all the credit? Yes roses are nice, but lets be honest, when you wake up in the morning and are confronted with the thickest fog you have seen in ages, you take notice, there is no time for smelling...you act. Go get the camera and make a futile attempt to "capture" the moment, which cannot properly be done even when waiting 4 minutes for a car to stumble down the road for a headlights failing against the fog shot. The eerie weight of a morning fog calms your spirit, and slows your pace.

Later that same day, when you are driving home from work and witness both a sunset (Rebekah tells me Simon said, "Look Mom, the air is pink!") AND an easy spot to park...you pull over, get out and take it in for a moment (iPhone photos capture even less). I guarantee you will be humbled and inspired by what you see...I guarantee worries diminish.

Pre-sunset/post-fog that same day somebody puts on What's the Story Morning Glory, an album that you love but have not heard for a spell or two. And because your desk is far enough from others, you even sing along quietly...doing your best to overdo a snotty British accent. Sounds like this one bring back fond memories: riding in a friends car, the dorm room, certain moments and certain people.

The problem with your senses is that they are acute. They are constantly trying to communicate with you, and if left unprotected they will dull. Or, what is much more likely, you will offer them less credibility.

The second problem with your senses is that they constantly get press for their basic function and rarely get credit for their higher calling. Yes your eyes focus on a sunset, and connect with the part of your brain that makes sense of the image...and this is truly remarkable and interesting. But what is entirely more profound are the after shocks from any data that your senses take in. You see violence and you are repulsed, you see beauty and you are soothed or inspired. What does this tell us about the world we live in? Its purpose? How we should be within it? An enormous amount.

When we are sickened by ugliness it tells me we are built for something different and we inherently reject what was sensed as distorted, unnatural, unintended or even evil. When we are inspired or humbled by beauty it is because our deepest foundation of peace, wholeness and goodness are aroused. This gets Theological real quick, as there are implications here about who God is and what his creation (including us) are to be about. As Romans 1:20 states: God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that no man is without excuse.

So...its the weekend now...stop and smell the roses, or touch the tree bark, or hear the music, or taste the strawberries, or see the sunset and get in line with what matters. You may not think anything or reach any conclusions as you observe a red reflection on a still lake...but whether you know it or not, each encounter like this should tune your soul toward joy, truth, justice and love...probably because that's the stuff these things, and we are made of...and the purpose these things, and we are made for.

Simon Says #1

2011-01-22T21:49:00.000-08:00

It makes sense to me that I should throw in posts about the funny things that my kids say...because, well, they are hilarious and say some pretty amazing things. Simon is my oldest so it makes sense to call these posts: Simon Says. Just to be clear, there are many things said by Levi and I imagine someday Josie as well...but the good things said will go down here for my own memory as well as for your enjoyment!

I'll start with one from each of my boys good measure:

Levi: 11:30pm...age 2, in his sleep, at full volume..."UNO!"...five minutes later, quite casually, and still in full REM mode..."ya see that dad?"

Simon: "What is Mom drinking?"
Dad, "Coffee"
Simon, "Cause only girls drink coffee?"
Dad, "No guys drink coffee too, just not Dad."
Simon, "Oh...do girls have hearts?"

Randy Newman

2011-01-19T11:53:00.000-08:00

I have been listening to a bit of Randy Newman recently. So many songwriters that I like seem to reference him. I don't know if this is just "Nice" referencing, or referencing due to popular demand...but I looked into Randy Newman recently and generally liked what I heard.
The first song that I heard of his was his biggest and most recent song, You Got A Friend in Me. I used it to make a slide-show of odd animals cuddling (A duck and a chimp...etc.), and actually pulled off getting my place of work to watch it at a quarterly meeting...that was pretty amazing. Left a lot of people wondering I think.
So my initial thoughts of Randy Newman were not exactly serious. But then I saw him perform Sail Away on SNL (Season 1 Episode 2 with Paul Simon...fast forward to 16:30). I was pretty impressed. I love his simple but interesting piano parts, and his nonchalant, casual and clever lyrics. I always admire people who say important things plainly. I think that is the goal of any good songwriter, and Randy Newman seems to do that effortlessly.
I also appreciate his sarcasm. His song Short People, appears mean, but is a statement about judging people based on ridiculous criteria. Or Political Science suggests that we just "Drop the big one, and see what happens." While sarcasm is not good in email, it is great in songs!
I love his orchestration of his tracks: horn sections, clarinet, tubas, good bass sounds, good drum sounds, tasteful solos, fills and riffs. He is a strong producer, and in his recent career has moved away a bit from the singer songwriter role and has written some major scores and songs for film. He did the music for: Toy Story, A Bug' Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc., Pleasantville, James and the Giant Peach, Toy Story 3, Cars, Cars 2, Meet the Fockers, Parenthood, Seabiscut...and more.
Ultimately, Randy is a talented guy, who has a superior knowledge of music, a massively distinct voice, a rare ear for sound and quite a sense of humor. (He even co-wrote Three Amigos with Steve Martin and Lorne Michaels.) Thanks Randy!

David Bazan

2011-01-13T11:30:00.000-08:00

Bazan is a unique influence, because I know him. At least at an acquaintance level. We run in many of the same circles: I have friends who went to highschool with him, friends who were at his wedding, friends who have toured with him, and recorded with him, I did a recording project at his house years ago and even officiated his sister's wedding. I like Dave, and as I have followed the world of music (especially college years and beyond), there was Dave...my age...making his mark. Pedro the Lion (PTL), Dave's long time band before he went solo, was fresh, hip and THE definition of Indie rock in my mind. I fell in love with this music and it was listened to with great regularity...especially during my college years.

Honesty is the key word most would use to describe Dave. A word commonly accompanied with another: Brutal. His lyrics are in your face, pretty much every time. He doesn't write love songs...he writes songs of judgment. Consider the title to the first album I purchased (Pedro's 2nd EP: 1998) of his work: The Only Reason I Feel Secure (is that I am validated by my peers). It is sarcastic and is in itself a judgment on those who put faith in friends instead of God...as he points toward as the proper source of worth. (Evidenced by his really great version of Be Thou My Vision on this record.) I know that this sounds absolutely blasphemous in a post-modern/Seattle worldview, but his this sort of judicial honesty has always set him apart. Whether it is Dave learning a lesson from Dad in Big Trucks (1998), or his critique of the American dream with the concept album Winners Never Quit (2000), his early critiques of secular culture...his later critiques of the Christian culture and his most recent critique of God himself.

Something I love about Dave is his radar for theological content. It is crawling all over his music, manifesting itself in most songs and certainly a defining element to his most recent (and best, in my opinion) release Curse Your Branches. With his Dad a career worship pastor, Dave seems incapable of getting around God in his work. And this has led to some frustration, in his latest album Dave shares his frustration with the Genesis account, with God's response to Job, with hell as a scare tactic etc. And while many people call this record Dave's "Break up with God." I call it frustration and dissallusionment. Coupled with his frustration of God Dave talks about his drinking as a way to forget God in the final track (In Stitches) of the album... he also poetically states, "I might as well admit it, like I even have a choice. The crew have killed the captain, but they still can hear his voice." Sad, for sure, but also compelling, this album has caused more discussion then any other other then I can think of...which in many ways means it is good art, as it moves people.

As a producer, Dave has kept things simple and straight. Known for his metronome-like sense of time, Dave (who played drums as a youth, in marching band etc.) always makes sure that his drum parts are solid...which I love. One of the best drum parts is heard here on Magazine (2006...best drums ever!!!), or this live version of Magazine. He is also known for his deathly slow, but steady tunes like
the title track to Winner's Never Quit. His recent album is worth mentioning here for sure...while it has the darkest content of all the albums (hmm...maybe Winners Never quit is darker...), the music itself is surprisingly full of major chords, pedal steel guitars, rock solos and rich harmony. Dave doesn't pack his songs with instrumentation unless it adds, I love this. He makes good choices, melodically, rhythmically, and even managed (as I didn't think possible) to cover Radiohead's classic Let Down without blowing it!

Although he is local...Dave is respected widely in the world of music. He was in Paste Magazine's top 100 living songwriter list. And most in the Indie Rock genre know his name, and were probably influenced by what he has done. He can be dark, which I don't always love, but if he puts something out...I buy it. Thanks Dave!

For those fans of Dave's work, I happen to know that he is recording now for an album that should come out sometime in Spring of '11. You can chip in to make it happen and get your name in the liner notes here.

Listen Back - Paul Brady

2011-01-11T22:58:00.000-08:00

Wow, this guy is totally amazing. I was introduced to him today by Ryan Richter, and was pretty blown away by this video...I ended up buying two tracks off iTunes: Arthur McBride and Fred Finn's Reel / Sailing Into Walpole's Marsh. Both of which I listened to most of the work day, and both from a 1976 album called Andy Irvine and Paul Brady. The song Ryan originally sent me, But the Same Old Story, is also worth checking out. Its always fun to find new music...and I've come across a bunch recently..maybe I'll introduce another tomorrow!

Ten on Ten with iPhone's Hipstamatic app & Bonus Photo (first)!

2011-01-10T23:31:00.000-08:00

Brother Levi...a gift?

2011-01-06T23:03:00.000-08:00

Brother Levi by chrisdgough
I watched a Ted talk today about the origin of creativity. It was inspiring, and quite in line with my meager thoughts on the issue. It was also oddly coincidental to a recent experience. Just two days ago I woke up at 5:30 in the morning and wrote a song...start to finish, stealing a guitar riff from an old project. I called it "Brother Levi" and made a quick recording that morning before breakfast (complete with Simon and Levi running around in the background). Not knowing how to put audio on my blog I made a quick slideshow of Levi and put the song here in the form of a movie...if you want to hear it moments after writing it...recorded on my iphone...(ok ok no excuses!) My eyes did not roll back in my head, and I was not visited by a visible Dickens-esque spirit, but I will say that the idea was just there, and it was a matter of writing it down. Which I did. 1 Samuel mentions that a spirit came upon David and he played soothing music to the angry Saul. Many songwriters, (Thom Yorke & Bono immediately come to mind, but I've heard it hundreds of times) profess that they even feel guilty at times taking credit for songs that fell in their lap.
The critical question to ask is, "Who should get the credit," for these waves of creativity? The Christian worldview holds firmly the Holy Spirit's role in bestowing gifts upon all people, and cooperating with those who respond to revelation. In our popular culture, people try to steer clear of giving any sort of recognition to God...and so naturally the credit falls to themselves. Enter the video...
So, it is twenty minutes long, and the speaker is the author of Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert, she puts forth some very compelling concepts...that seem both obvious and crazy...but watch the video...and then let me know if you have ever had the sensation of "receiving" knowledge, or understanding or clarity or wisdom or an artistic boost of some sort. It's not arrogant to say you have, but then you would know that had you watched the video!

Paul Simon

2010-12-29T23:59:00.000-08:00

The obvious choice of who to write about first falls to Paul Simon. If I had to name someone that was my favorite (which I would never officially do) it would be him. The story goes that my brother Jeff and I would "Flip Out" (another post) regularly around noon when we were 4-7 years old and at my Aunt's house. Aunt Rhoda solved this by showing me how to work the cassette player. I listened to Simon & Garfunkle's Greatest Hits for hours on end with enormous headphones...Jeff was placated with never-seen-at-home sugar cereal. I know every chord, lyric and harmony on that album, I still listen to it now, and while it is true that our firstborn son is named Simon, I will reiterate that I am not officially saying he is my favorite.

My Dad saw Simon and Garfunkle perform at UW in the late 60's. It was three hours of two voices and one guitar...the best concert he has seen to this day. If one can, for a moment look past the crisp harmonies, playful melodies and timeless songwriting mastery of Paul Simon...you may notice that he is an incredible guitar player. Paul may be the best guitar player in the world, that is not known as one. Not even making Rolling Stone's top 100 guitarists of all time in '03 (I know because I looked when it came out). I think his subtlety steals away most of his deserved credit. He rarely flashes his capabilities for the greater good of the song...listen to American Tune (1973) to hear what I mean. This is one of the abilities I admire most about him, he never overdoes anything...he understands the less is more principle fully. Oh...if your still not convinced on the guitar skills listen to his version of Anji (1966).

Paul Simon grew up in the studio, watching his Dad record big band music, and from an early age was surrounded by pros (his brother Ed was pretty accomplished as well). He always played with the best...and not just with Garfunkle, but with Linda Ronstad, Paul McCartney, James Taylor, Billy Joel, Willie Nelson, Gillian Welch, Dion, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Annie Lennox, Lou Reed and on and on. But it wasn't just other icons, his studio roots drew him to great players. Steve Gadd on drums (matching Paul's incredible subtlety) is one of my favorites. Gadd's drums on 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (1976) is legendary in the drum world. I "Performed" this for a drum final in college...its a lot harder then it looks! He played with random, but crazy talented people like harmonica player Toots Thielemans on a mostly unknown but brilliant song called I Do It for Your Love (1976). Instrumentation on all of his records is always interesting...and often groundbreaking. He was the first to bring Reggae into the mainstream with his song Mother and Child Reunion (1972). He collaborated with the Peruvian pipes of Urubamba on El Condor Pasa (1970). Recorded most of the Graceland album in South Africa, working with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and bassist Bakithi Kumulo who is amazing on You Can Call me Al (1986). Recorded Tenderness (1973), perhaps my favorite song of his, in a Doo Wop style. Throw in a dixieland style on Loves Me Like A Rock (1973), and a zydeco version of That Was Your Mother (1986) and you grasp the richness of Paul Simon's music, and sneak in a slight appreciation of world music as you go.

As a song writer, Paul Simon is at his best.

Cathy I'm lost I said though I knew she was sleeping
I'm empty and aching and I don't know why
Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike
They've all come to look for America.
(America, 1968)

I'm not sure how it is done, again and again, but Paul Simon is able to communicate deep truths, and reference universal human experience effortlessly and artfully. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he also is deeply rooted as an American. His music often references American cities and states (and yes an occasional reference to London where he lived for a few years) while incorporating uniquely American music: blues and jazz of course, but also black gospel, southern gospel, big band and soul. More importantly he seems committed to the concept, and the idea of America.

The Mississippi Delta was shining                              We come on the ship they call the Mayflower
Like a National guitar,                                                 We come on the ship that sailed the moon
I am following the river                                               We come in the age's most uncertain hours
Down the highway                                                       and sing an American tune
Through the cradle of the civil war.                             (American Tune, 1973)
... Maybe I've a reason to believe
We all will be received
In Graceland
(Graceland, 1986)

Paul Simon is the full musical package, and while he is certainly not infallible...his songs are probably my single largest influence as a musician and have been steadily loved since my childhood.

Thanks Paul.

Discography of Studio Albums

Simon & Garfunkle:
1964 - Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.
1966 - Sounds of Silence
1966 - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme
1968 - Bookends
1970 - Bridge Over Troubled Water

Paul Simon:
1972 - Paul Simon
1973 - There Goes Rhymin' Simon
1975 - Still Crazy After All These Years
1980 - One Trick Pony (Soundtrack)
1983 - Hearts and Bones
1986 - Graceland
1990 - The Rhythm of the Saints
1997 - Songs From the Capeman
2000 - You're the One
2006 - Surprise

These are just his studio albums. He is also on countless compilations, live recordings and greatest hits as well.

These are a few of my favorite sings...

2010-12-27T22:36:00.000-08:00

I got a Moleskine Music Journal from my wife for Christmas. I had put it on my list, and she came through! It has six sections in it: Artists, Lyrics, Playlists, Concerts, My Life in Music and Music Map. The first two were what really got me interested...

I have been wanting to do a little research on some of my favorite songwriters. There are a dozen or so people that I have a lot of respect for, and who I listen to constantly, that I have never really dug into outside of the albums. I have always loved history, so this is a chance for me to put the two loves together. After watching recent documentaries on the Rolling Stones, Nirvana, Fleetwood Mac, Harry Nilson, Paul Simon, Legends of Motown, Tom Petty, Stax Records etc. I thought it a good exercise to look into the people that are secretly shaping me through their ability to create good music.

While I have been actively playing music for over half my life, I am, for the first time, actually writing music...or at least actually writing lyrics. Its hard. It seems you can either be taken seriously because you are melancholy...or use bright melodies/chords and end up on the cheesy end of things. I like music that both has depth AND lifts people. Fortunately there are good examples of where I would like to be headed.

And so, in a way this research is indirectly on myself. Music is such an enormous part of my life, and these people that I intend to write about over the next couple of weeks I consider my "Immediate Family" as far as music goes. I thought about listing them...but wouldn't it be more fun to just be surprised?

My composition Professor at SPU, Dr. Hanson, told me that you never compose anything new, you simply make fresh compounds out of existing materials. (Or as Carl Sagan put it, "If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe.") Therefore, half of our job was to dig deep and learn tricks from the greats...I listened to the library's copy of Brahms 4th Symphony probably 30 times one quarter (With headphones and reading along with the score nearly every time) for this class. All of the people I intend to write about will dwarf Brahms in familiarity, and have certainly provided me with any tools I intend to use to make good music of my own.

Ten on Ten :: December 2010

2010-12-10T23:51:00.000-08:00

Tap your foot...

2010-11-01T00:17:00.000-07:00

I wish my ipod dock wouldn't have entered early retirement days before my 11 month Christmas music ban was lifted. Everyone likes music. Some people do it for a living, others manically follow musicians and trends, some dabble with an instrument or two, and others swear they could care less about it but rightly tear up when the symphony is in full swell at the climax of a good film. In any case, when you encounter good music you typically respond.
Perhaps you tap your foot, or hum, or relax, or use the steering wheel as a percussive instrument. Maybe it is so good that you immediately go purchase it (as I have done more then I would like to admit). Whether consciously or not, gifted or not, there is a desire, acted upon or not, to engage with excellent music. To fall into step with it.
It occurred to me that we all have an unstoppable ambition to join the grand, untouchable and immeasurable. It is certainly not our survivalist nature that dictates this behavior nor a hedonistic notion of "letting loose." those are both self serving and incomplete in their diagnosis. The truly remarkable and pure act of tapping the foot to When the Saints go Marching In (I happened to listen to Louis Armstrong's version today) is born out of a natural, easy alignment to the human condition: love, lament, triumph, failure, nostalgia, hope, confidence, regret, fear and joy are all things we know well...but our tapping foot also points to another untraceable yet unmistakable human experience, the transcendence of it.

10 on Ten on 10 on Ten on 10 on Ten

2010-10-10T23:16:00.000-07:00

10 on 10

2010-09-11T00:16:00.001-07:00

Ten on Ten

2010-08-10T23:07:00.000-07:00

Adam's Challenge...

2010-07-08T21:49:00.000-07:00

The Biblical creation story has been rolling around in my mind lately, and seemingly everyone else's...seems to pop up all over the place. Our church has studied/referenced the story over the last three weeks or so, I watched a couple "Does God Exist" debates (My favorite was between Rabbi Wolpe and Atheist Sam Harris - http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2329504685124044436#), listened to Dave Bazan's album "Curse Your Branches" and read the creation narrative myself several times. As one of the most widely known stories in the world, it is important for everyone to understand it to the best of their ability, even if you disagree with it. There are many discussions surrounding the story, and I thought to write more on questions like, "Why put the tree there at all?", "How is the Biblical account different from other creation narratives?", "How does science mesh with this story?" and so on.
This was the thought, however, that actually moved me enough to write something brief. In Genesis 2:19-20, Adam is given a task by God.
"Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field."
It struck me that we are still doing Adam's job...it is not nearly finished yet. Sure there was the fall, redemption and a few other things, but it occurred to me that this task, which predates the fall, is part of our created responsibility as the human race. To understand and name God's creation. Think of relatively recent discoveries: Hubble's Telescope and the vast rapidly expanding universe, black holes and super novas, the discovery of cells, DNA (Even germs were undiscovered as recently as the Civil War), research in nearly every scientific field is revealing new and deeper levels of understanding as to how the world around us functions...its astonishing. Each piece of it carries God's unmeasurable mark of both immense creativity and order. Just a thought...what part of God's creation are you naming? What are you discovering?

NoiseTrade Widget

2009-07-02T21:31:00.001-07:00

Our band is doing a nationwide radio promotion for 8 weeks starting this Monday. I am excited to see how many of the 350 stations around the country will end up playing Kingdom of Noise? I am happy to let you in on a little free download here if you haven't had a chance to check it out yet!

Ten on Ten :: June 2009

2009-06-10T23:52:00.000-07:00

Ten on Ten :: May 2009

2009-05-10T23:00:00.000-07:00

Ten on 10

2009-04-10T22:56:00.000-07:00

Gen. 1-11: Finish Strong

2009-01-05T20:45:00.000-08:00

I have never been a good finisher...I like to start new things and get them going and then think of something else to start. At first glance it would be easy to talk about beginnings...after all we are reading Genesis...but I was struck as I read that in the first 11 chapters of Genesis it is painfully obvious that I am not the only one who has trouble finishing strong.

God sets the example early...get your work done and then rest. Adam and Eve get a lot done and then get distracted by the serpent...with some fairly large consequence. Noah is incredibly faithful but then, in retirement, chooses to make a vineyard and get drunk. And right at the end we read of Abram's father Terah who, on his way to Canaan, decides he will just stop in Haran for awhile/for the rest of his life...a decision that will cost Abram half of his inheritance.

I remember when I was in Middle School and this guy spoke about doing the most important things in the day first so that you can be a strong finisher every day. He had an empty jar (to represent your day) and poured a bunch of sand in while saying, "The sand represents the extras...video games, t.v., joking, surfing the web and general time wasters." After dumping all of the sand in the jar he started dropping in rocks, "These are the things you know you should be doing...brushing your teeth, reading your Bible, caring for your family, finishing chores, encouraging others, and anything else that shows good stewardship of your time." He was quickly out of room in the jar and did not get all of the rocks in. In his second attempt he put all of the rocks in the jar first, and then poured in the sand, miraculously (to a junior higher) everything fit this time!

Losing site of the end is always a problem, and for many of us time runs out before we do the things we know we ought to do. Why wait until tomorrow to challenge your spouse? Why wait for New Years to make life changes, why wait for disaster before realizing something is wrong? Live the life you hope for today, and persevere! As I am reading through the Bible from the start there are definitely passages that I look forward to getting to: men of great faith, women of incredible hope and God's amazing promise at the end! I know there will be some slower parts along the way, but I believe God will speak through all of it. Paul, after just reflecting on many of these stories says in Heb. 12:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

In the beginning it is critical to have the end in mind, so that you can make every effort to move that direction...my hope is to not lose focus like Adam and Eve, rest foolishly like Noah or retire early like Haran.

Gen. 1: So This is the New Year!!! da...da......da...da...and I don't feel any different...da...da

2009-01-01T22:37:00.000-08:00

Yep, great Death Cab song.
So this year I am hoping to read through the Bible by reading a few chapters each day in a chronological order. I have never been very strong in any discipline, my bane really, but I truly do grow a lot, and receive critical perspective when I read God's word. In fact, that was always the intent of this blog, (that I never update...the bane) was to use it to share ideas that inevitably come from readings that I like to dig into. Like a dog, however pathetic, my digging often simply ends in a mess...but if there is anything that can come out, if even an old bone, my hope is that I can put it into words here.
So, as I read the greatest book from the beginning, about the beginning today I am reminded that God's creation of us in his image, means (among many things) that we are in fact to create ourselves...perhaps not out of nothing (ex-nihilo) as only God can do, but we can take the bits and pieces that we have and work/hope for them to become something amazing.
At the end of the day, I am not convinced that the goal of the New Year is to feel incredibly different. Certainly, there is nothing really in the substance of this day that can differentiate itself from any other really...after all every day God's Spirit is hovering, every day we have things that we must steward, we make choices that honor, encourage and bless others, and we make choices that cause us to be ashamed and hide. Every single day is a gift, and I am thankful that on this day people stop and remember a fraction of that great truth!
Genesis 1-3 today...and if you would like to read along please let me know and you could follow this link: http://www.ewordtoday.com/year/31/cjan01.htm

10 at 10pm

2008-12-10T22:03:00.001-08:00

ten for the day

2008-11-10T22:49:00.001-08:00

8 on 10

2008-08-10T23:52:00.000-07:00

ten more for july

2008-07-10T22:53:00.000-07:00

Half on Ten

2008-06-10T23:51:00.000-07:00

10 on ten going on eleven...right.

2008-05-10T22:26:00.000-07:00

10 on 10 in 2 with 1

2008-04-10T22:06:00.000-07:00

This is my first attempt at the ten on ten extravaganza! I had to share Rebekah's camera so I only got to use it later in the day...so...I took 10 pictures on the 10th in 2 hours with one shared camera. Then, with Rebekah's help I got the pics looking really great! Here they are (and no stealing my serial number for the blizzard fan club):

Intervention

2007-09-04T23:01:00.000-07:00

So some really great response to the last post... thanks for reading and responding! I wanted to bring the discussion to a the pointed issue that I am taking with Ron Paul. If I knew more about other candidates (I regretfully acknowledge that I am not very aware of the current candidates...the fact that lobbying for votes has begun so far from the actual voting day is another discussion.) I would probably have something foolish to say there as well. But I write about Ron Paul, because he seems to have gained great favor in the eyes of some of my best friends (...and for a great deal of "legalize it" folk that would probably be friendly in a "lets smoke away our concerns" way.)
I love Ron Paul's call for constitutionalism, smaller government, financial integrity etc. The issue that I take (as Jay got right too in his post) is one of intervention vs. non-intervention. It is my understanding that Ron Paul sees terrorism against the West and the United States as a retrobution to years of intervention in Mid East Politics. This has been done though in many ways, whether selling arms, funding leaders, using military or economic force to bring about change...etc. If we had just kept our noses out of the Mid East...no 911, no terrorism. I may be wrong on these points, but a couple of You Tube interviews seem to show that Ron Paul takes this issue pretty keenly, and feels that it is not only a good idealogy, but is constitutional.
My problem is this, there would not be a constitution if it were not for France intervening in our battle against the British. It could even be argued that key battles in the revolutionary war could not have been one without the intervention of Native American Tribes. World War II could have turned out much worse (if that is possible...and it is) had Britan and the United States not interviened...I may not be able to say this in a sound logical arguement, but it appears that when people care about something, and that thing is in trouble, or hurting...the loving "What would Jesus Do" attitude is to interviene at times. Not Always, naturally, to suggest that we should interviene at all times is foolish and impossible...but we elect leaders so that they can make the difficult decisions. And some one who decides, without knowledge of the future, that we should never intervene seems to be someone who takes a huge piece of the puzzle out before knowing the picture being put together. Intervention is a huge step in reconciliation, and I believe that sometimes that intervention takes the form of military conflict.
This is the part where people panic. "Who Would Jesus Bomb" is in fact a fair question, but if you study the scripture you realize that in fact Jesus second return is not as a child and a servant, but as a judge, on a horse with a sword. In fact, Christianity is riddled with contridiction in this realm...David will not kill his enemy Saul, but he kills hundreds of Philistines for a wedding gift; Jesus does not even condemn his murderers, but he will judge the world etc. The point that I am trying to make, and the one that I seem to find in scipture, is that there are not the black and white quick answers to everything...Jesus never said, "I will never..." or "I always..." he tells a rich man to give all his money to the poor, and tells a story about how the guy who didn't double his money was a fool. Different people need different things, and different times call for different measures. That is why I believe humility, and submission to one who knows the whole picture (God in this case) is the only way to make wise decisions, grow, and ultimately live. Sometimes people need grace and acceptance, and other times they need a swift kick...only God knows what works.
(Back on track) I would like to say that I am not anti-Ron Paul, and as Dave mentioned...I may turn yet! But this will be a big hurdle for me. I do believe that there is evil in th world...and that people can be minding their own business and get attacked by terrorists, or invaded, or left peacefully. My scare is that while we should always look to our own faults first, we should not think that others are free from wrong, and even great evil. Saddam was evil, Hitler was evil, Charles Manson was/is evil, Pol Pot was evil, Chowchesque was evil, Stalin was evil, Michael J. Fox is evil I will explain sometime : ), Wesley Allan Dodd was evil, (Ron Paul is certainly not evil). If we lose, or purposely forsake for the love of an ideal, the ability to make judgements and act on them, we lose ALOT. OF COURSE this is dangerous, OF COURSE wrong judgements happen all the time, OF COURSE minor wrongs are "overly" corrected, OF COURSE more often then not there are peaceful ways of intervention...but to stop thinking and acting on what we think is right is to stop learning, growing and being in relationship with ourselves and the world.
Enough for now, thanks for your thoughts
PS. Dave - I didn't know anyone at all read my blog...I think there is like six people total who have looked at it...so I don't think that I m leading the world astray...and besides your intervention has helped to sharpen and clarify and bring about the other perspective!
PSS. Spwl cheque wusn wirkig sew ther mite bee mistkes

I suppose it has been awhile

2007-08-23T23:09:00.001-07:00

So I do not have the mentality or discipline of a good blogger, I guess that is Rebekah's part in our marriage. But I do typically have something to say, and while it may not or may not often be of much value, that doesn't seem to deter me too much. I wanted to tackle politics tonight, because it seems there is this big puff about Ron Paul among many of my friends, and I frankly don't get it. He holds to a basic isolationist view when it comes to foreign affairs. "why should the United States be the big parent to the world?" This is a question that feels strong and good, and ideal...but is lacking in realism. We are living in the least isolated world in all of its history; there has never been a stronger need for overseas politics, business deals, sanctions, military presence, aid, communication etc. Being involved in it as the Biggest and most Powerful economy leads to inevitable conflict and difficulty. This, of course being a sign of a fallen world in need of redemption...but I am trying to talk politics. (I can't really talk politics) Ron Paul seems like an Idealist to me.

Idealism can have great power in that it can distance people from actual action. For example, we all want to love someone ideally and we would give our life for this imaginary (or actual) person, and sell all things for this great love and care about nothing but them. And when we are done sharing the greatness of our hearts, we snap at our spouse because she did not put the hand towel back on the hook, and complain that her stuff is strewn about the living room. I am not suggesting that we should not have ideals, because we have to have standards by which we gauge actual behavior, but when the actual behavior is secondary to the ideal, then we have trumped reality for a false belief that, "When the big action is needed, I will do it, but don't trouble me with the day to day decisions." But I am talking politics, not philosophy.

Integrity is what you do when no one is watching, and idealism can fall into what you want everyone to think that you do when no one is watching. Now, let me clarify, that I understand that ALL politicians are throwing Ideals around every time they open their mouths, but I guess these thoughts have been on my mind because of the way many seem to think that Ron Paul "Gets it." Nobody gets it, but Ron Paul seems to not be getting the one thing that most do...we are connected irreversibly.

the end of an era

2007-01-25T10:14:00.000-08:00

every tuesday night for the past 5 years i have been playing music at bethany community church. it began with dave myron, josh head and i with a band that we called "Elwood P. Dowd." we only played two shows/parties but we had a ton of fun, and created some really great music. in the last two and a half years i have switched from guitar to drums and have been playing with the Republic. we still will be practicing on sunday nights, but the tuesday night night is over. (sigh) dave and i (dave is in the republic with me, but josh is now playing with emery) had a moment of realization last tuesday night that it was a staple for us for longer then i was in college. and now it is over. the good news is that our band is VERY close to finally putting our money where our mouth is and heading to the studio to record our full length album, I think it is going to be really great, and we have very high hopes for it. we have been reforming and polishing these songs for about 9 months, and just met with jon auer (the posies) tuesday who is excited about our project as well. whether we hire him (or josh ottum, or no one) as producer is our last major decision. all to say, bon voyage tuesday night...you will be missed.

2006-11-21T15:00:00.000-08:00

Well, it is almost thanksgiving, and that means the Turkey bowl. My brother Kyle (pictured left in the mid 90's) is one of three Coalfield Classic Corporation Founders. The CCC has held a tackle football game every year and it is something to look forward to. You may even catch it on the local news, as we have been on there a lot. As the CCC lawyer, I cannot give out much more information on this right now, as this is an unsecured site, but I can tell you that it is going to be wet, muddy and of course early in the morning! So be there at 7:30am, or you might miss the warm ups.

happy belated halloween

2006-11-08T00:09:00.000-08:00

thats right folks, it is that time of year. i wanted to dress up as an accident waiting to happen, but ended up overwhelmed with the possibilites and found myself arriving at my cousin heidi's house dressed as a civilian. my wife rebekah went as a citizen and our little simon was yoda on his very first halloween. and what a night it was! i have placed a photo of yoda here for your pleasure, but a few thing should be mentioned. first, that is me holding simon's cloak on the right. he cannot stand on his own yet, so this is basically an action shot. also the scene in the back is fake but effective. rebekah is holding him on the left (his right) and the pumpkins, leaves and corn stalks are as real as they can be. no trick photography here, i am laying everything out on the table.

Why "dogs like digging holes?"

2006-09-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

So I thought that I might mention the reason why I have named my blog "dogs like digging holes." When I began considering this blog, I looked out and saw Renton (right) digging in the back yard...What was he looking for? Was he having fun? Did he have something to hide? Was he showing off? Was he bored? Whatever the reason, he seemed intent on getting to the bottom of his hole, which he apparently did as he eventually stopped digging.
After viewing this spectacle (dirt on nose, paws and face, earth flinging in the air and an excited Sol encouraging from the side), I thought to myself that I am in many ways like these dogs. I like to dig. Sometimes it is to find that there is just a bunch of dirt, sometimes I lose focus and begin digging elsewhere, and sometimes...and it is rare, I seem to find something. It is this blog that I will use to post my diggings, and it may appear random, unfinished or something else entirely, but it is my hope that at the end of the day, like Renton and Sol, I can rest knowing that I have gave a good dig.

Theological Foundation

2006-09-13T21:49:00.000-07:00

Well, it comes to pass that this blog must at some point turn to theology for me. I am continually fascinated by the way people think about who God is, and what effect that thinking has on the world. I have always had a defensive nature in this area, as I grew up being taught strong Christian values and faith in God. A loss in an intellectualy challenge equaled a crisis of faith...so challenges were avoided. After all, how can someone defend the amount of evil in the world, AND the goodness of God. And what about that little piece of not actually being able to prove God? These questons were dangerous for me, but I have taken a bit of a different angle of late.
This new angle, is liberating in its foundation. Whereas before it was up to me to defend and grasp all things, I now trust that issues of God are actually revealed to us from God. Therefore if God says he is good, it really does not reflect on me to repeat that information...in fact I would have to find a source equal to or greater then God to dispute it! I realize that there are many things that may challenge the way in which we hear from God, and which sources of God's revelation hold water...nonetheless, it is this foundation that has boiled down to making sense (while still often unclear) far and above other foundations. For instance: the premise of atheism is set firmly on the grounds that all thinking about God is contrived from humankinds need to make sense of things that do not make sense, and therefore supernatural beliefs are actually based in natural origins. This, of course, is why using the Bible in discussion with an Athiest is only useful (in the atheists eyes) in exampling to them where your source of thinking begins. It is truly two different languages and two different conversations occuring at the same time.
So how can I suggest that a foundation placed on the God's revelation through the Bible is a better way to go? I can only say that it is liberating. I am free to use the foundation of logic from the atheist, the foundation of exerience from the agnostic, the foundation of using spiritual senses from the animist and on and on. All of these foundations fit on the greater foundation of God's creation, his relationship with his creation and his desire for us to live life! We are in fact free to use all created senses, and thoughts and experiences because they are there for us to use. We can even question God...more on this later.

why simon is named simon

2006-08-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

several people have asked...not on here of course, but it doesn't hurt to post it on here. simon is a name that my wife rebekah (pictured looking at simon) has loved for a very long time, and when we (she) became pregnant this name quickly rose to the top as a favorite. she loves the story in scripture when Jesus is walking to the hill to be crucified, and a man from the crowd is called upon to help carry the cross. i love the story of the old man in the synagogue who knew that he would see the messiah, and he did! (yes biblical scholars his name was simeon, but it is the same name) the bonus came when we realized, after he was born, that it was also the name of peter before he was peter, (yes, this character is MUCH more recognizable then the other two, but we didn;t think of it) and he has always been a great person in scripture as well.
the name means: he hears God. isn't this an amazing thing to be able to say about someone? it is our prayer that this will be true of simon!
his middle name, hayes, is a namesake of my grandpa on my mom's side. he is incredibly generous, kind and a strong presence in my life growing up. he is also not too strong physically, and we wanted to honor him while we could! the name means: a hedged field. which at first glance is a bit strange, but quite appropriate for the first born male of not just our immeadiate family, but on both sides of the extended family. it is a hope that he will be a protector of other little ones to come!

dare i take the leap?

2006-08-27T23:09:00.000-07:00

my brother bryan, older and wiser, has decided to take the time and effort to use his talents, his humor and his time to begin a comic strip about a boy named jonas (link on my blog for more info)...and i have been inspired.
i have been considering writing a book. i have no "reason" to do so other then these thoughts keep swirling and may indeed require some application. the basis of the book would be to set forth the notion that scripture/Jesus does not really deal so much in right and wrong as it deals in life and death. this may seem like a slight distinction, but the point of the book, obviously, would be to flush these things out. (for instance: a picture of God that is constantly saying "you are wrong" does not correlate with scripture as clearly as the God who is saying "watch out!") not having written much beyond letters, school essays and sermon notes this is a bit of a leap, and, while not completely sure where to begin, i am three pages of BIG PICTURE notes into the process and i guess that is a good place to be! i am referencing my own sermons, as well as thoughts that have arisen from books read, sermons given, travels made, conversations had, classes taken, films watched...certain things just stick around! can a 28 year old write a good book? with a little help i hope so...i will need a ton of feedback though, so stay tuned to future posts.

mr. money bags

2006-08-26T12:50:00.000-07:00

you should look at u.s. paper money on ebay. it is pretty amazing the things that people are buying/selling, and if you are like me you will start to examine every bill that you come in contact with. for instance...if you have a really low serial number (and the bill is in really nice condition) you could sell it for probably double the amount. a $1 bill with a single digit number is probably worth hundreds. there are also star notes, which have a small star before the serial number. these are pretty rare, and are made because there was an error in the printing of the note, and so the bills needed to be reprinted with a star (the bank knows that certain serial numbers are errors and only the starred bills of that number are legitimate). There are also errors, like big ink splots, or things like lincoln's head on a ten dollar bill. pretty interesting.
my current collection is pretty much made up of smaller...affordable bills. I have tried to get one bill of each denomination in every year printed...I probably have about 1% of that goal realized...and will probably never get close, but it is the way I have my small collection organized. i have also made it a habit to bring home paper money from other countries that i visit. which means that i now have paper money from iraq (dinars, haven't been there, got these on ebay because they had a huge protrait of saddam on them), europe (euro), japan (yen), sir lanka (rupees), thailand (baht), costa rica (colones), romania (leu), us and canadian dollars and of course my favorite...disney dollars from my junior high trip (1990).
i think that i have always had some interest in this because my uncle chris would always give my brothers and i silver dollars, or fifty cent pieces. and i have always tried to keep these things. perhaps i also thought that two dollar bills contained some sort of magical quality, as i have kept every one i have ever had...perhaps a bit pathetic, but there you have it.

simon got snipped

2006-08-24T22:03:00.000-07:00

yep...you heard it right. simon went in today and had his little procedure, he technically no longer has as much skin as he used to. it is funny that this is something that God required as a sign of his covenant with abraham. what an odd way to remember a promise...i suppose you wouldn't forget. anyways, the damage is done, and hopefully it will lead to a better hygene and a less dangerous high school locker room experience.
he is supposed to heal in five to ten days. feel free to leave any well wishes for simon!