Almost famous

Not everyone can be the best in their field; not everyone can even be in the top tier of practitioners in their art. And you know what, it's not always the most talented, the most brilliant, the most gifted who rise to the top. This happens for a variety of reasons: ambition, connections, perseverance, and even being in the right place at the right time have a big impact on potential recognition for one's work. Let's be honest, life ain't always fair in how things work out.

A story like this came over the wire today, relating to yesterday's awarding of the Nobel Prize in chemistry. For those of you who did not follow this prestigious award, the Nobel went to three researchers who took a gene from jellyfish that produces a protein that fluoresces under UV light and grafted it to other genes. This process allows them to track the movement of proteins in cells and is proving a tool of tremendous value for many areas of cellular and disease research. The jellyfish gene was given to two of the three Nobel awardees by the man who first isolated it, Douglas Prasher - you can read about how his work contributed to the Nobel winning work here.

Prasher was working at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute at the time, under a grant from American Cancer Society. It was difficult work to get funded, and he just managed to isolate and clone the gene before his grant ran out; however, he was not able to attempt the final step. Unable to get further funding he moved on, but not before gifting cloned gene samples to several people. Over the intervening years he went to a few other jobs, ending up at NASA in Huntsville, Alabama. When his project was cut and he lost his job there, 2-1/2 years ago, Prasher was unable to find another job in his field. To make ends meet, he has since been working as a courtesy shuttle driver for a car dealership.

One step, one funded grant, away from greatness. And now he spends his days driving a car. One of his former colleagues, upon hearing this, deemed it a "staggering waste of talent."

The point of this is not to feel sorry for Prasher (I get a feeling he is about to have some new opportunities in the field of science). The point is this: what did the people he has driven around every day for the last 2-1/2 years think of this man? Did they see him as just a peon, a loser who couldn't get a better job? Did they see him as just an ends to a means, a way to get around while their own car was inconveniently in the shop? Did they talk to him just like any other guy, treat him like anyone else? Did they ever suspect how close he was to fame? And, knowing it now, would they treat him differently?

Honestly, I'd feel the fool if I had been working with this guy, looking down on him for doing a menial job, then found out about his work being a big step towards a Nobel prize. But I really try not to treat people disrespectfully, not to look down on them for any reason; not because they could be someone great who is down on his luck, but because they simply are. Each of us is God's creation, each with the stamp of divine on our lives. Each of us fails, sometimes miserably, and makes a mess of our lives. Though a man may never rise above the circumstances in which he finds himself, he is still living out the bounty which God pours down on us all. We may feel superior at times, blessed in such a way that makes us seem better; this, too, is a deception that shows us the fool. God is no respecter of the differences between people, caring rather for the state of a man's heart. Should we not be the same?

Just a few thoughts that occurred to me this morning.

Tags: Nobel Prize, Chemistry, Douglas Prasher

Already!

One of the Lil'Es favorite evening activities with dad is playing on the bed. We could be on the dark side of the moon and if I said "Let's go play on the bed" you would find both Lil'E and Lil'er E there in a heartbeat. We play monster and hide under the sheets, the kids climb on me like a jungle gym - it's all a lot of laughs.

So last night, as we were playing, Lil'E starts bouncing around and starts singing. Here are the words that were coming out of her mouth:

Alexis and Jackson sitting in a tree
K-I-S-S-I-N-G

What! Already! She's too young for this, right? Apparently not, because she said they also sing

Lil'E and Jaxon sitting in a tree
K-I-S-S-I-N-G

Yes, there are two kids in her class whose names are pronounced the same but spelled differently. And one of the two is sitting in a tree with my baby! She's only five, for goodness sakes, and that is way too young for these kinds of things.

Right?

Or am I just being a dad? (Excuse me while I clean my shotgun while rocking on the front porch.)

Another example, from last Saturday: We go to Lil'E's first soccer game of the season (delayed a month by Ike). On her team is a boy who was in her preschool class. Another boy from preschool had been on the same team with him last spring, but wasn't playing this fall. Boy #2 game to the game anyway to cheer for his friend, but his mom told him before hand that Lil'E was on the team, too, this year. He looked at her and said "What? My Lil'E?" and proceeded to get a bit jealous at Boy #1 being on the team but not him. I thing we'll see him at every game, but who will he be there to see? And what's with this possessiveness anyway? His Lil'E? I don't think so! But, because women can do this in their sleep, Lil'E still managed to enthrall him by sharing some of her post-game snack and securing him his very own bottle of Gatorade - and he followed her around like a puppy dog. She's got him under her power, totally controlled.

Like I said, she's too young for this. Right?

How old were you when you had your first boy/girl friend?

Music Monday: Decyfer Down Crash EP

As I mentioned last Monday, I have recently received several new pre-releases from INO Records and I asked your opinions on what I should review first. Most people said they wanted to hear about Sara Groves' new Christmas album, with other people also wanting reviews on Decyfer Down and Building 429. Since the Decyfer Down EP is only three songs long, I decided to hit it first. Next will come Sara Groves and then Building 429. We'll see if I get the Disciple review out, since there was no interest from my normal readers (last chance to speak up if you want to see a review!).

For those of you unfamiliar with this relatively new band, here is something of an introduction to Decyfer Down. Their first album, End of Grey, released in 2006 and was generally well-received with a few hits but less enthusiasm from the critics. Some may ask about their name - this is from their website, telling how they chose the name:

Decipher means "to interpret," and the moniker Decyfer Down fit perfectly, as the band aimed to interpret truth based on God's Word while stripping it down from religious traditions and terms. States Josh, "We're simply out to give a positive message of hope that has truth streaming all the way down the middle of it."

They are getting ready to release their sophomore album in early 2009 and, in preparation, they have put out this three song EP with songs "Crash", "Best I Can", and "Now I'm Alive" (now available on iTunes). "Crash", the driving titular song, has already hit the radio and jumped to #1 on Radio and Records' Christian Rock chart. (listen to "Crash" on the player below)


Overall, I've got to say that I enjoy listening to Crash. Yes, I can see the critics complaints from End of Grey, that Decyfer Down is more a sound-alike band than an innovator in the genre. But I'm not sure if that is a fair basis for judgment as, ultimately, all music gets grouped into a genre because of similarities in sound. And perhaps the metal, or nü-metal, genre has a greater proclivity towards using the same sounds as many groups present similar music (to my ear). Regardless the music can be well enjoyed and I think that the work on the Crash EP shows maturation in the band's writing and style. Listing to "Crash" in my car I can't help but roll down the windows and crank up the volume, letting this 35 year old engineer pretend to remember his days as a drummer in high school whose musical motto was "loud, fast, and thrashin'!" And I don't care what the people in the car next to me think.

The other songs on the EP, while not as driving, are good listens. "Best I Can" can be considered the "ballad" of the EP, with lyrics that tell of the typical feelings of failure and guilt common to those who are not sinless but seek God's perfection, and talking about that to others. The third song, "Now I'm Alive" could almost be an answer to the failure felt in "Best I Can" as they sing about seeing what they can be and coming alive.

In the end, I can't place Decyfer Down as one of the top in their genre, but their music is worth listening to and enjoyable. With lyrics that are much more straight-forward in their Christian themes than many others in the genre they can likely find a more ready audience for their music (as opposed to, say, a P.O.D.). If you like the nü-metal genre you may well enjoy Crash, and as an EP it is a small, worthwhile monetary investment to find out more about the band. You can download the EP through iTunes and look for the full album release in 2009.

Tags: Decyfer Down, INO Records, New Music, EP, Crash

Frame of reference

So, round here, we still have a couple of large piles of storm debris in our front yard. If it doesn't get picked up in a day or two we'll get it taken care of our selves. Don't want the grass to die out completely, after all.

They say that Hurricane Ike has left us with something like 15 million cubic yards of debris. It's hard to imagine how much that is without a frame of reference. Here's one. Let's imagine that WALL*E were doing his trash-compacting and stacking job with all this debris, placing it in an area one football field long and three wide. When WALL*E was done stacking, the tower of trash would be over 2400 feet high. That is taller than the current tallest building on earth, the Burj Dubai.

That's a lot of debris.

Tags: Hurricane Ike, Storm Debris, Burj Dubai

Questions, questions, questions (and music!)

Later this month I'm planning on heading to the Arts*Music*Justice Tour, featuring Sara Groves, Brandon Heath, Charlie Peacock, Derek Webb, and Sandra McCracken. This whole shebang, organized by Sara Groves, is sponsored by International Justice Mission and Food for the Hungry. I talked about it back in April and the time has finally arrived, with the tour having just started. I must say that I'm excited about all of these artists and can't wait for the show. I read a review from Relevant Magazine and that just got me even more ready.

But, in the meantime, I need a little help from you. Maybe not so much need as want your input. I'm also getting ready to sit down and chat with some of the people from IJM for an post to go up on Inspired to Action, talking about the work they do, things they hope to accomplish, the AMJ tour, and other topics. I've got a list of questions, but what do you guys want to know from IJM?

If you could pose a few questions for IJM, what would you ask them? Fill up my comments with some good ones and I'll pick a few from there to pose the IJM people when we talk.

Oh, and while you're pondering what to posit I'll give you something else to do. Go over to NoiseTrade and find the sampler of music from the AMJ Tour. You'll get a pair of songs each from Sara Groves, Sandra McCracken, Derek Webb, and Charlie Peacock for free, just by telling a few friends about it. You can even use me if you're running out of friends to tell.

Tags: International Justice Mission, Food for the Hungry, Derek Webb, Sandra McCracken, Sara Groves, Brandon Heath, Charlie Peacock, Concert, Arts*Music*Justice Tour, NoiseTrade

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

Assuaging my arrogance

I was looking to myself
And I forgot the power of God
I was standing with a sparkler in my hand
While I stood so proud and profound
You went and burned the whole place down
Now that’s a fire

from Sara Groves' "Jeremiah"

I'm not even close to this level of dedication and desire. Oh, sometimes I might think I'm getting there; but then I get reminded (sometimes less than pleasantly) that I'm not there yet. Maybe even going the wrong way without a clue. I completely understand the sentiment in this lyric, cause I'll start thinking I'm someone big or important.

I'm not.

I don't know about you, but I need this reminder. Often.

Here's the full song. I love the string arrangement on this - sets the whole tone of the song.

Tags: Sara Groves, Jeremiah, Pride, Arrogance, Reminders

So as I walked out from work today to the sound of gunfire, I thought to myself . . .

. . . what a beautiful day this is. Really, since Hurricane Ike blew through we've had just really great weather here in Houston. The skies have been blue, the temperature has been lower, even the humidity has been down the last two weeks! Aside from the mosquitoes, which are swarming thick enough to drain an elephant in less than a minute's time, it's been practically perfect.

I, however, am a totally hopeless goofball. AKA engineer. For example, this morning after I got into work I encountered a minor setback in the clothing arena - the button popped off my pants. All I have to say is thanks be to God for belts! Of course, being an engineer, I found a solution to get me through the day. Enter life's little fix-it device: the paperclip. While the belt helped I looked really goofy with the pants trying to come apart, so I used a paperclip (in lieu of the safety pin I didn't have but wished I did) to keep the top of my pants relatively close together. So I traded one goofy look for another, hopefully less noticeable, goofy look. You see, Euphrony has not informed you, but he has been packing on a few pounds lately. And been in denial of needing bigger pants. Lesson learned.

(Oh, are you wondering about the title of this post? Absolutely true. It happens just about every day, as a matter of fact. When I don't have the small-arms fire, I listen to the lovely squeal of tires. I guess you might be worried about my safety, but don't be; I'm well protected working next door to the police academy.)

Music Monday: Breaking Rules

If there's one music-related rule that I hold hard and fast to, it is this:

One must not listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving or after New Year's Day.

I have lived my life by these wise words. I've even talked about why this is so important to me in a previous blog post. This weekend I broke that rule, intentionally.

How could I not, when just last Thursday I received a pre-release of Sara Groves' new Christmas album, O Holy Night, in the mail? Along with this gem I also received pre-releases of Building 429's self-titled release, first since signing on with INO Records. Also in the envelope was the upcoming release from Disciple, Southern Hospitality, and a three-song EP from Decyfer Down, Crash. I've given them all a quick listen, and there's some good stuff there. Reviews will follow, I'm sure.

For now, I've got some good listening for the near future (thanks, again, to the nice people at INO).

Do you like any of these groups? Which do you think I should review first?




Tags: INO Records, Sara Groves, Building 429, Decyfer Down, Disciple, CCM

Ho do I get myself into these things?

Oh, that's right; I know how. I go out of my way to go to the concert of someone I really want to see live. The last time I ended up driving a couple of hours to see Sara Groves perform in a barn. This time I wanted to finally go see Addison Road after missing them the last few times they were in town. They didn't play in a barn at a fair, but it was in a big box - 50' high, 50' deep, and 100' wide. With a stage that was maybe 20'x20' that four bands cycled through. Honestly, I think the barn had better acoustics than this room. I'll be fair, then, and not really talk about how the bands sounded - it was all a little jumbled in that tight space.

Really, though, the evening was pretty good. After I got past feeling like a goofy, out of place adult, that is. There were maybe 100 people there with an average age of maybe fifteen. I came to the concert straight from work, wearing my normal dockers (i.e. not cool clothes). There was no seating, only standing at the stage - I'm waaay too old to be in the mosh pit. But, once the music actually started things got better.

The show opened with Philmont, a new band, followed by Our Heart's Hero. Both of them put on pretty good sets. I've learned something new - to play in a punk/hard rock band one must master Jedi fighting skills and apply them to playing guitar. It looked even better when copied by the six-year old boy down front.

Next came Addison Road - they did a great set, and the crowd seemed to get into them a little more the the first two groups. Of course, it helps that their song "Hope Now" has been all over the airwaves down here, with people really loving it since Ike hit town. After their set, once Pillar was hitting the stage, I got to sit and chat with Jenny Simmons and her
husband Ryan. These guys are always on the road, it seems. Their tour with Pillar ends tomorrow night, then next week they start a month plus with Building 429. They'll be starting work on a new album soon, so be looking for that next year sometime. The first thing Jenny asked me, was to what I do for a living. When I told her I am a rheologist (translate: science geek), she then asked me to explain the Large Hadron Collider to her and Ryan. I did my best.

Seriously, Ryan and Jenny are good people. I wish them well in their music - if you've not heard it, go check it out. We talked about Mocha Club and about Inspired to Action, among other things. Jenny, has been a big supporter of I2A - for which she gets a big thanks from me!

The whole Pillar tour is being sponsored by World Vision, and the shows are pay what you want. Having been to this show last night, with a turnout that looked like little more than people from the church where the show was held, I understand more about what Shaun talks about. He does a similar arrangement with Compassion and pushes the venues to seriously promote the show. The point is to bring people in, tell them about God's plan for us, and tell them how they can help save people - free them from the bondage of poverty - through Compassion or World Vision. When all they do is put it in the weekly bulletin they do a disservice to the people footing the bill for the show (Compassion/World Vision); more importantly, though, they do a disservice to the children in need of rescue. I chatted with the people at the World Vision table for a bit - nice folks, too. They told me the night was a bit slow on sponsorships. I hope it picked up after I left.

For my next concert experience I am going in a completely different direction. Tonight Mrs. E and I are taking the kids to see VeggieTales Live. Even a younger crowd; but, at least there's no mosh pit.

Tags: Addison Road, Jenny Simmons, Pillar, Our Heart's Hero, Philmont, Concert, World Vision, Mocha Club, Compassion International