Sometimes there is no happy

I read this post in The Rabbit Room last week, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. The writer, Jonathan Rogers, is amazing in his honesty with this post. Here is an excerpt from that post.

. . . Looking at Susan O’Farrell’s notebook I was struck by something so obvious I couldn’t believe I had never noticed it before: that second ‘r’ in her last name could easily be made into a ‘t’ so as to read O’Fartell. Get it? Fart—right there in the middle of her name! I pulled the pen out of her spiral binding and scratched the ‘t’ in its place, a little larger than it needed to be, just to be sure my efforts wouldn’t go unnoticed. . .
Susan’s eyes widened when they fell on her notebook. Then they filled with tears. . .
But as Susan scanned the room, I made a very mature calculation. I realized that I was literally the last person in the room Susan would suspect of such a meanness. If I played it cool, she would never know I was the person who had hurt her. . .
So I never told Susan what I had done. I let that suffering girl believe that, on top of the rejection she felt every day, she had an unknown enemy actively seeking to hurt her. I felt the cowardice of it, but I couldn’t bring myself to do anything about it. . .
I don’t suppose I even heard her name mentioned until one day in high school an old classmate from Miller Elementary asked, "You heard about Susan O’Farrell, I guess? Dead. She had some disease. Had it for years."

Man, do I ever relate with this. I was the good kid. To this day I do my best to make people feel included and not outside the group - Mrs. E is the same, and it is one of the things I love most about her. And yet, like everyone else, I pulled stunts like this. I've grown a lot since childhood; now I can see more clearly how best to act and do so with courage - but I'm still that little twerp sometimes.

The thing of it is, I can't forget these things. I remember the time this stupid, clumsy kid got a nice box collection of records with lots of stories on them - got them from some friends of my parents who were big time antique collectors - and leaving their house I sat them in the car and sat myself on top of them. Broke every one. I never told my parents, though I imagine they knew, and hid the broken collection away for years. I remember with crystal clarity the taunts I casually tossed (with bravado as my "friends" did the same") to girls in junior high. I know every detail of the time I got really mad at my parents for inviting a boy to my birthday party that I didn't want to invite - and the way I ostracized him the whole time. The list goes on.

All this from me, a kid whose last name is synonymous with feminine hygiene.

I should have known better how to treat people, because I knew how I did not want to be treated. And most often I did good - but the rest of the times I carry with me, not so much as a burden of shame (I'm past that, though regret will always linger) but more the polish of wisdom from experience. It's one reason that I feel so strongly about Matthew 5:23-24 and the desperate need for men to be reconciled, to each other and to God.

It's also a big reason that I (and Mrs. E) want our children to learn that there is a better way to act, a better way to treat people, than what seems so common - in children, of course, but also in too many adults I know. We don't try to burden Lil'E with more responsibility and maturity than she can handle, but we do try to get her to think about what her actions mean to other people.

Because, sometimes, there is no happy ending. No reconciliation, no amends made. Sometimes, we just have to live with ourselves and the knowledge of our sin. And that can be a heavy burden, indeed.

I'm qualified, sign me up!

Job responsibilities include:

• Exploring and reporting - There’s so much to see and do, so you’ll have plenty to write about in your weekly blog. And with so much life above and below the water, you’re sure to capture some entertaining moments for your video diary and photo gallery. To keep you busy, Tourism Queensland will organize a schedule of travel and events on the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef. Your schedule could include sampling a new luxury spa treatment at qualia on Hamilton Island, trying out new snorkeling gear on Heron Island, or bushwalking on Hinchinbrook Island.
• Feed the fish - There are over 1,500 species of fish living in the Great Barrier Reef. Don’t worry – you won’t need to feed them all.
• Clean the pool - The pool has an automatic filter, but if you happen to see a stray leaf floating on the surface it’s a great excuse to dive in and enjoy a few laps.

Having reviewed these job responsibilities, I believe I am more than qualified to spend six months on the Great Barrier Reef islands and get paid $100,000 to blog about it. I know I just started a new job last month, but I could come back to it later - this sounds better!

Hurry, there's only 39 days left to apply.

Music Monday: iTunes for Christmas!

Happy Music Moday New Year, everyone! I know all my readers (and after the holiday hiatus, I think that includes Mrs. E and myself) have been long awaiting more posts about music. Here it goes!

For Christmas, Mrs. E got me a $50 gift card for iTunes! Don't ya just love her? And, even though I found it two weeks before Christmas I refrained from pulling the trigger and buying until yesterday. Such decisions take time, you know? So here is the list of the official Euphrony Christmas Gift Music buyout.

1. First on the list was one I had been holding out for the last two months - Andrew Peterson's Ressurection Letters, Vol. II. As I knew it would be, it's worth the wait.
2. Next up, I had heard many good things about Jason Gray's live album, Acoustic Storytime (Live Songs and Stories). It's a blend of music from his latest album (All the Lovely Losers) and older music, with some stories in between. I love it.
3. Next up was one that I had just heard about, from Stephen's blog - Béla Fleck and the Flecktones Jingle All the Way. If you've never heard the Flecktones or Béla play then you're missing out. One of my new favorite Christmas albums - it even has me listening to holiday music after New Year's!
4. I'd never really listened to Sandra McCracken's music before the Arts*Music*Justice Tour, but I fell in love with her voice and style there. So I decided to get her latest album, Red Balloon.
5. A few years ago I borrowed a copy of Down the Old Plank Road, a collaborative work between The Chieftains and a bunch of others. I played it solid for a couple of days, until I felt like I had to give it back. Why it took me so long to add to my collection I'll never know.
6. Now we're into some bonus time. But this is a small one. Laura Story recently released a single, Emmanuel. It was worth adding onto the list.
7. Okay, now I'm just cheating. And this isn't through iTunes, either. I pre-ordered a copy of Pierce Pettis' upcoming album, That Kind of Love. I should get it in the mail soon!

Now, who out there can count the musical connections in the above selected artists? I've got just about all of them connected, in one way or another.

This is part of the Bloggable Music Network's Music Monday.

Tags: Andrew Peterson, Jason Gray, Bela Fleck, Flecktones, The Chieftains, Sandra McCracken, Laura Story, Pierce Pettis, Music Monday, iTunes

So, what did you do on Wednesday?

Let's see. On Wednesday, I woke up, got showered and ready for work, work up the kids and Mrs. E, then headed out to my third day on a new job. After that I spent most of the day sorting through a bunch of new information at my new job and started to do some real work instead of just getting to know the place. Then I left work, picked up Mrs. E and the kids, ate dinner with them and attended a mid-week bible class at our church. Tucking the kids in and going to bed rounded it out.

Pretty average and boring day, wouldn't you say?

But the people at IJM in South Asia were a little more busy than me. They stayed up for the better part of 24 hours as they raided a business and rescued 19 people from slavery! One man was held there with his children and grandchildren. A little girl, nine years old, has pneumonia - I can only imagine how her disease would have progressed under the slave owners, and pray that she can recover in the hands of people who care for her, now.

Now, that's an exciting day! Kinda makes me feel like a slacker. But, I do what I can in this process - and so can you. Prayer is the first step, and considering some kind of monetary support. But there really is more that we can do, without ever leaving our living rooms. Go read some of what Gary Haugen had to say to me last week when I asked him some questions about this. Or go read Anne's post - she took better notes and has some great quotes from the chat.

Honestly, I am throwing this out as a challenge. I know that a lot of people (at least three or four!) read this blog. No one wants to talk about modern slavery, or women and children (even under five) being sold for sex. It's uncomfortable, and frankly a bit repulsive. But as long as speaking the truth is taboo, this disease will fester and grow. We know the Great Physician; so let's implore Him to heal this rot.

Tags: Modern slavery, Gary Haugen, Challenge

Extemporaneous response

FYI, I've posted this both here and on Inspired to Action.

I had an interesting conversation with Gary Haugen this afternoon about IJM and talking about justice (also chatting were Anne Jackson and Bethany Hoang (blogger for the IJM Institute)). I'm still processing some thoughts, and will write more in the next few days. But, as I was driving in my car shortly afterwords, I picked up the mini-recorder I have and started talking to work through some of the thoughts. In an unusual move for me, I'm posting that as a one-time podcast here. You can listen below - it's about seven minutes, and please pardon my sniffles.

Notes: village of brothels - see page two of the story
Slavery in the U.S.
girl and vulture photo

Hey, Buddy

I've talked about Justin before several times, the infant son of a friend who has Downs syndrome. This past Saturday we got to spend some time with their family, some friends, and around 2000 other people at the Buddy Walk benefiting the Downs Syndrome Association of Houston. Justin is doing great, and part of that is the services and information that DSAH has been able to provide. This Buddy Walk was to help them out, to continue their existence. The picture above is the group of Justin's Jaywalkers (the Euphrony's are on the left). We walked around the Buffalo Bayou in downtown Houston on a beautiful day.

Keep praying for Justin and his family as he continues to grow.

On a side note, I was reading Jeremy Thiessen's blog and saw that his first child, Liam, was born last week. On Saturday they found out he has DS. Pray for Jeremy and Erin (his wife) as they take this curve ball and learn the path God has given them.

News Flash: Euphrony updates blogroll, stock market dives 338 points

Maybe it means the end of the world, but it needed to be done. I've updated my blogroll (that thing on the right hand sidebar where your blog is linked to from my blog). I did a little arranging while I was at it. There are a couple of blogs that I don't want to take off my list, but since they collectively blog about once a month I felt they should be separated into a "slow lane" of the information highway.

What, you don't see your blog listed over there? Well, let me know about it and I'll put it before the management and see what can be done. But if further losses in the stock markets ensue, don't blame me!

While I'm at it, you can enjoy this child's homework (not one of mine!) that needed some adult proofing before turning it in.

(I'm told this mother works at Home Depot – she is selling a shovel. The teacher thought she was a pole dancer.)

Sara Groves and Charlie Peacock on International Justice Mission

I have posted over on Inspired to Action the interview I did last week with Sara Groves and Charlie Peacock. Read it here.

Here's a little teaser, from Sara, on dealing with the hugeness of these problems:

. . . when she landed on the ground the very first thing she saw in South Africa was a little girl who had just been abused, had just been raped, and she was crying. Not because she had just been abused but because she’d been paid a dime by her abuser and some older boys had taken her dime. So this little girl, her perspective, her whole world – that she had been violated in that way – wasn’t even really . . . the point of her pain was that she had lost the dime. And I asked my aunt how do you not cry every single day?

Go read the interview and find out more about International Justice Mission. Once you do, tell me what you think about their work - what impacts you most, or what questions are you left with. I may be able to get some more answers from my contacts at IJM.

Dispense true justice . . .

Thus has the LORD of hosts said, "Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.
Zechariah 7:9-10

This passage has really been on my heart for some time, now. This pronouncement from Jehovah comes as He accuses His people of having hearts like flint - because they had ignored these very words.

Today, on Inspired to Action, I am leading thoughts, discussion, fasting, and prayer about a group I believe in greatly: International Justice Mission.

We've all heard that scripture tells us "'Vengeance is mine, I will repay' says the Lord." I've been thinking about this, as well. It is obvious that God wants us to practice justice - revenge is not justice, it is selfishness excused as justice. God takes that away from us; but is God a vengeful God? I think, with this pronouncement, that God is taking this away, and letting us know that He will dispense the justice that we try to seek in revenge.

What IJM does is, in no way, the actions of vigilantes.These are men of peace, working in peace to bring justice. That is one reason I believe so much in their work - that they do not have revenge in their hearts speaks highly for them.

Please, go over to I2A and find out a little about IJM and what they do. Consider if you can help them in their work. And, above all, pray for their work.

Tags: International Justice Mission, Inspired to Action

Reality Shifted

The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear?
Psalm 27: 1

A wonderful passage, filling us with comfort and hope.

But how would you react to find this verse scrawled on the wall of a room six-feet by eight-feet, written by the hand of a fifteen year old girl, kidnapped by a family friend and sold into slavery in a foreign land? A girl sold to a brothel, where she was forced to accommodate ten men a day?

Does this shift your reality a little? Whom have I to fear, that this young girl has not faced, ten times over?

Elizabeth was rescued from that brothel. Noticed by an operative from International Justice Mission, a man of peace, who brought this before the local authorities, before another man of peace, who worked to save her.

Whom shall I fear? I fear myself. I fear my own ignorance. I fear my own apathy. I fear my own lack of concern; for that it my greatest enemy, as I sit in the comfort of my home.

Next Monday, at Inspired to Action, we will be hosting a day of fasting and prayer. The focus is the work of International Justice Mission. Go to their website and read stories of people like Elizabeth, whose lives have been changed by men of peace. Join us at I2A next Monday, and share what you have learned about IJM. Let your reality be shifted a little, for the better.

Tags: International Justice Mission, Inspired to Action

So, about all that lack-luster CCM . . .

There's been much discussion, in magazines and on the web, as to the state and quality of modern Christian music. There are camps that love current music styles and see little wrong with the current trends in style and content. There are also camps that see the market as highly narrowed and filled with artists of mediocre talent. Some believe that those who market the music have become overly focused on specific sounds and artists, resulting in narrowed playlists and overlooking many good artists and songs because they don't "fit" the model. Others believe that doing this is justified because it is simply giving the audience what they want to hear.

And the talk goes on and on and on . . .

I'll admit that I'm pretty opinionated about this topic (just ask Mrs. E, she'll confirm that statement). But I'm also tired of talking about this topic; I believe that, for the discussions I've been in, the subject has been beaten like a dead horse. The conversation has become circular, and I want to break that loop.

But someone else has broken that look for me. Actually, I'll give two examples you should check out. First is my old friend Kat. Kat is as frustrated as I am about some of the trends, but this weeks she's asked for some input and wants to know one song that you think should be getting airplay that isn't. Go tell Kat what you think needs to get some spins, and why. (Now, Kat, once the list is filled why don't you forward this to your old buddies at KSBJ? Just a suggestion.)

And then there's Joy. Joy is in the music scene, having recently released her first album. She, too, feels skeptical of mainstream Christian music. In a post yesterday she commented how much she has been loving listening to Phil Wickham's album Cannons because it does not feel manufactured, off an assembly line. But she also posed a couple of questions:

What do you want to hear? What do you need to hear musically? Is there a part of the Christian walk that is not being addressed by artists? If you could make a request as to what kind of song you wanted someone to write, what kind of song would it be?

So, you want to break the circle? Go comment on Joy's post and give some creative suggestions.

That will be all for today.

Tags: Joy Whitlock, Phil Wickham, CCM

Doing just a little something . . . Impact Houston

Sometimes, you just have the perfect opportunity. Sometimes, you can do the right thing and it is so easy. Sometimes, well, sometimes it is so easy to serve and worship God by following His call to care for those in need. We had one of those chances last night, and it was a great time. But these opportunities don't usually occur without having a helping hand, that third party that makes things so easy. For Positive Post Tuesday, I want to talk about what we got to to, and who made it so easy.

Last night our church took in 300 kids - elementary and Junior High age - from inner city Houston. We took them in ones and two and threes, we fed them (CiCi's pizza is quite popular with these kids), and we took them to Wal-Mart for school supplies. We bought them the pens, pencils, and paper they need in class, a backpack to carry them in, and some clothes to start off the school year in a few weeks. The picture on the right is of Mrs. E with the girls we were able to help out - one going into 9^th grade and one into the 7^th grade. I talked about when we did this last year and I'm glad we were able to participate again this year.

The people who helped make this all possible, who bussed 300 kids from downtown to our neck of the woods, who interact with this kids every day, are the people at Impact Church of Christ. I've been down to help them out, seen the neighborhood they are in the middle of - one that most people try to avoid for their "safety" and seen the people they help firsthand. A couple of years ago I helped paint a kids classroom in their building, and saw the kids and teachers go crazy for just having something that wasn't a plain, empty wall. I've seen their food distribution, the hungry people waiting for help, and the huge lunches they have every Sunday after worship for anyone who would come. In college, the group I was active with worked with them to bring new underwear to the homeless in the area. Underwear, which we hardly think about; but I also heard the stories of people crying to have new, clean underwear - something they had not had in years.

Impact does some awesome work, and they touch more lives everyday than I may touch in my lifetime. A good friend of mine works as a youth minister their, but feels that he has a different call in his life right now. Mrs. E passed on to me that the older girl in the picture up there is very sad to know he will be leaving. She told Mrs. E that he is the only person she trusts! Please join with me in applauding some people who can make such a difference in the lives of people. I thank God for the people of Impact.

Tags: Impact Houston, Back to School, Inner City, Children

Moving hearts

Yesterday, Brody told us about UNICEF. We hear about the UN programs through the news, but thanks to Brody we have a better idea what UNICEF is doing to help save children around the world.

Lori also blogged yesterday, very much from her heart. She talked about how she feels her own inadequacies, even as her family struggles with her husbands terminal cancer. If only we all felt so strongly about doing more.

Today, Natalie Grant talks about the domestic problem of human trafficking and sex slavery. It's hard to swallow, but this is not a problem for other, less refined countries; it's our problem, as well.

Also, Kjaere blogs about the persecuted church. It still happens, even today. Pray for the persecuted.

Finally, Charley has been so moved by the fast that he feels compelled to talk about it. He's been interviewing the people at Inspired to Action and some of the bloggers for the 40 Day Fast and playing it on his weekly radio show and putting it on his blog as podcasts. I talked to him for a while last night. Thanks, Charley, for do so much to talk about I2A and the 40 Day Fast.

God is moving hearts!

The 40 Day Fast: Catching Up

Have you been keeping up with the people involved in the 40 Day Fast? I hope so, I really do. There have been some great posts over the last 18 days, and we're looking forward to some more great stuff. I regret not having given a blurb about each one, but I've been so swamped that I have not had much of a chance (especially with the long vacation). I have taken the time to read what each of these people have had to say, where God has been leading their hearts to action. Here's a few highlights:

• Licia is a nurse who works in Haiti. Don't read her post, or any of her blog, without being prepared to weep for the conditions that we in the USA find deplorable but people around the world call "normal".
• Gene and Crystal have written about the Dalit people of India. Don't know about the Dalit? Read how the caste system has declared them "untouchable" and how groups are working to change their lives.
• Tim told us how by simply talking about how we do the things we take for granted (how to use a bank/ATM, how to manage money, paying taxes) SIFE has helped to put refugees in Tennessee on the road to economic independence.
• Several people have talked about the importance of clean water, highlighting groups like Blood:Water Mission, LifeStraw, and Charity: Water.
• Mama's Boy and Kat have highlighted how we can care for the needs of the elderly.

The point is simple - there are so many things that we can do, very easily, that will change the world. We can plead God to save someone half a world away, or we can implore Him to save the person a block away from our house. We just need to do something.

Have you been following along with the 40 Day Fast? I know many of my normal readers are also the people who I've worked with to organize this or are people who are passionate about what it is all about. But there others who come through this rambling mess of a blog, and I want to take this special moment to draw your attention to this. Changing the world is all about small steps, with God making the ripple we make into a tsunami of hope and love.

Look at that calendar-thingy I put on the left sidebar - you can't miss it, it's huge. Click through to the bloggers on Team #1 and Team #2 for every day, and you'll see people who want to fulfill the proclamation the "the kingdom of heaven is at hand". Read their thoughts, and encourage them if you can in their fasting for heaven's sake, for God's name. Pray that you may know God's urging in your own lives.

At Sea

When we last saw Euphrony, he was meandering about Tennessee catching fireflies with his daughter at a friends house. He is still in Tennessee, not on a cruise.

So how many of you know what it means when you say someone is at sea? Besides referring to taking a cruise it can also mean that a person is totally clueless, lost as it were. Apparently, that can be said of a certain engineer on vacation right now.

Go ahead and laugh at me. I'm mentally disengaged. My thought processes couldn't decipher simple algebra, much less the complexities of packing for two adults and two children for a ten-day trip. Yep, the logistics have failed me.

First, a simple thing. I left the kids swim gear at home. No swim suits, no swim toys, no goggles - nothing. Not a terribly unusual occurrence, but it did take me three full days to figure it out. But that's not the worst. Oh no, not by far.

Part of our grand planning was to wash clothes in the middle of our trip. Pack less, much easier. Until I leave our dirty laundry bag at my friends house in Jackson - a two hours drive from Nashville (where we are now). Oh well, so much for planning. Maybe next time my brain will vacation with me (I hope so, at least). For now we'll make due with what we have and be thankful that we're driving back through Jackson in a couple of days on our way home. Clothes will be recovered, and we will survive.

Unless my brain slips into a deeper coma, that is.

Till then, check out the bloggers for the 40 Day Fast - Lorijo talking about justice in Peru and Fayola talking about clean water. Tomorrow is Licia, a nurse in Haiti (I can't read her blog without copious tears), and Chris, talking about Kiva and microfinancing. Go read their blogs today.

40 Day Fast: Day 2

Man of sorrows
Well acquainted with grief
Drug down to the city dump
Spread eagle on a cross beam
Propped up like a scarecrow
Nailed like a thief
There for all the world to see
You wore the chains so I could be free
Yeah, yeah
Oh Lord, you did that for me

from "You Did That For Me" on Sara Groves' All Right Here (written by Pierce Pettis)

We're on Day 2 of the 40 Day Fast. Thus far, we've had Brant remind us that God is already in the places and with the people we see as hopeless and abandoned, Amy tell us how freedom can be found through the little-considered ability to read, and April tell us the $7 can save lives. That is truly beautiful. I'm grateful for the love and passion that these three have put into their stories - please continue to pray for Amy and April today in their fasting and for everyone coming up.

I opened with those lines from "You Did That For Me" because they are a great reminder. I don't have to cry anymore, I don't have to be afraid, I don't have to know it all - all I need has been given to me already, in Jesus degradation and humiliation on the tree. As I've heard Shaun say many times, it's time for us to remember that for which we have been saved.

The 40 Day Fast (6 billon or One?)

It's incredible! Really, it's amazing the response we've had thus far to this year's 40 Day Fast. We already have 62 people, and I expect more will join in as the word continues to get out. If you've not signed up and you still want to get involved, you can continue to sign up to participate on the registration page.

The Fast starts tomorrow, with Brant Hansen - who is really an incredible writer, by the way. Having worked with Amy, Kat, Kristin, and Texas in Africa organizing this year's fasters, and seeing the people who follow and the causes they want to talk about, I know that this is going to be a great time. Last year's Fast was like going to summer church camp and coming home with that spiritual high - except instead of a week or so this lasted way more than 40 days. I look forward to hearing from everyone and learning what they are trying to do to change the world for God's sake.

One thing I want to mention before the Fast begins is this quote from some goofy movie:

I came here to save my wife and my two children and... six billion lives... it's too much. I just hope I'm, I'm smart enough and brave enough to save three.

You know, the guy who said that almost had it right. The problem is, none of us are smart enough or brave enough to save anyone - not 6 billion, not even one. As we begin this Fast, let's try to remember that we are not going to change the world - no matter how well we fast or how good a job we do talking about some organization or group. Only God can do this, and this Fast is our entreatment of Him to change the world. Please, remember to put God first in this Fast and He will lift us up and answer our prayers.

Tags: 40 Day Fast, Inspired to Action

Music Monday: Euphrony Euphonic Enterprises

Welcome to the EEE label's website! We here at Euphrony Euphonic Enterprises are all big fans of music and want to share that enthusiasm with you through the music we sell.

The philosophy of my label is four-fold. First, the music we sell all has one thing in common - the lack of hate. By no means does this mean we make only happy music; oh, no, some of it is downright depressing. But it all has the aim of building people up, of encouraging them, of educating them, of showing beauty, and doing so without spreading hate or anger or despair. The songs may tear you down, but they won't leave you torn apart.

Second, our artists make music that they have a passion for making. If you have a great passion for making hard-rock, then by all means go for it! Do you love the sounds of Celtic music or its American progeny, bluegrass? Then indulge yourself. Do you want to make one album that is heavily influenced by jazz and follow it with a punk album or an instrumental collection? Go go it! But, keep in mind our third tenant.

Third, the music our artists make is done to the best of their abilities. If the effort is half-hearted, then back to the drawing boards. No pushing forward poorly worked follow-ups to a smash hit - think Boston's sophomore album, Don't Look Back, which Tom Sholz never did think was done well enough even given a two-year span between releases but was pushed for by the label. If you want to make a different kind of music than you have in the past, then go at it and make the best music you can; but recognize when you can't make a certain music style with a high enough quality and move on.

Fourth, I didn't make the music; I just offer the chance to let it be heard. I get paid for that, and the artists get paid for their music. I'm in it for the love of music, not money, and the artists on EEE feel the same way. Sure, we like to eat and keep the family cared for, but our artists will continue to produce the music we like to hear and I will continue to give them proper monetary credit for that. No funneling all the money through me and dribbling the leftovers to the artists, a la the standard operating procedures of labels since time immemorial - I get paid a fair salary and that's it. And no artist will get dumped for lack of blockbuster status. As long as we can break even selling an artist's music, then we'll make and sell that artist's music.

Artists EEE would sign in a heartbeat include:

Steven Delopoulus	Nickel Creek
Sara Groves	Shaun Groves (no relation)
Máire Brennan	The Chieftains
The King's Singers	Alison Krauss and Union Station
Andrew Peterson	Bruce Hornsby
Mat Kearney	Jason Gray

And be sure to check out our friends at Katostrophic Records

Music Moday: Covers

Here we are on Music Monday again, and Kat has challenged us to find some good cover songs. I've heard a few covers that I've really liked over the years, and more than a few that I could just do without. A lot of these not-so-great covers have been found on tribute albums, where the newer artist emotes to an obnoxious degree while trying to "honor" the original artist's genius. But about three years ago I heard about the tribute album for Wes King, recorded to help him raise money for cancer treatments.

I really like Wes's music, and by many accounts he is a great guitarist and musician. (I heard a deejay talking once about how, in an interview, he asked if Wes could play one of his songs. Wes said he used a capo for that one, but didn't bring it. The interview continued, and a few minutes later Wes said he could play it now - he had transposed the song to another key in his head while talking to the deejay. To me, that's impressive.) I decided to give a listen to some clips from the album, called Life is Precious, which has a mix of established artists (Phil and Cheri Keaggy, Scott Krippayne) and new artists (downhere, Addison Road).

One new artist, whom I had never heard of before, was Luminous. Since they were covering "The Robe" - one of Wes's most popular songs - I felt I had to check them out. I was impressed. They took a good song from a soft pop sound and turned it into a power rock styling . View the video they made and you'll see what I mean (I had issues getting anything embedded here - sorry). The beautiful scenery for the video is their backyard - they're based in Hawaii, play some in the U.S. and Europe, but spend a lot of time in Australia and New Zealand

If you liked Luminous' style, they have just released a new album, which you can find out more about on their site.

(Tip: This post begins a music-focused week here at Euphrony Rambles. Stay tuned for more tips and tidbits that might interest you, or your third cousin's second neighbor's uncle on his mother's side!)

Tags: Tribute Album, Cover Song, Wes King, Luminous

Oops!

Brant really cracks me up. I mean, who else do I "know" who has personally hung up on Barack Obama - not once, but twice! I hope he doesn't expect any calls from the Democratic party to fill a ticket anytime soon.

I wish I could say I've hung up on someone important. The best I can do is a recording of Laura Bush. But that's a recording, so it doesn't really count, does it? I did show up an hour late to an interview, once, and still got the job; but that still isn't measuring up to Brant's claim to infamy. Oh well, maybe someday I can dis a potential future leader of the free world. I'll keep hoping. (Oh, yeah, I also once tripped and made a fool of myself while walking away from serenading a girls tent with some other guys at summer camp. But that's still not in the same league.)

What about you? What are you're biggest goofs (that you're willing to own up to)? Go ahead - we all need a good laugh every now and again. And I promise not to snicker too much at your discombobulation. Honest!