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Monday, January 05, 2009

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.

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Tuesday, December 30, 2008

The Stay Puft Marshmallow Santa

Really, this is pretty much just plain wrong. Check it out - a 25' (or 30', it's at least as tall as that two-story house) inflatable Santa! I'm calling Dr. Venkman. And The Cachinnator, because I know how much he loves these things.
giant inflatable Santa

What's your opinion of this - holiday cheer or monstrosity?


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Brando vs. Grover: Too close to call

Grover in "A Streetcar Named Monster"


Marlon Brando in "A Streetcar Named Desire"



Hard to pick the better performance.


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Sunday, December 28, 2008

It could be worse . . .

It's been a long Christmas week. Forgive the blithe nature of this post, but I'm just too tired for anything but listing the facts.

  • Lil'er E had a cold all week. Hey, it was better than the RSV he had last Christmas.
  • Getting ready to leave for my parents for five days, I notice that our cat had not eaten any food for a couple of days. I got a bad feeling about that.
  • Lil'er E cries the whole seven hours to Abilene.
  • On Christmas night, after a nice day with my parents, brother and sister-in-law, and niece and nephew, Mrs. E and I went on a double date with my brother to see Seven Pounds. A depressing movie, after which my sister-in-law checks her voice mail to discover that her 46 year old aunt has died. Apparently a suicide (the facts aren't all in), on Christmas Day. Worst part of the holiday. Period.
  • Lil'er E, while getting over his cold, discovers that he can climb out of his pack-and-play bed and run to freedom. Which he did all last night. No real sleep for Mrs. E and me from 2 am on last night.
  • Returning home today, I find that my cat did, indeed, die while we were gone. I found her lying under the Christmas tree - always her favorite place to be. The kids have taken it okay, at least so far.
I'm tired. I'm more than a bit sad. The kids had a great Christmas, and it was great to spend time with my family (and now with Mrs. E's family for a couple of days). But there just seems to be a pall hanging over this holiday. I've got Sufjan Stevens' "That Was The Worst Christmas Ever!" running through my head right now - I wonder why.

Hope your Christmas was a little better.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

My Major Award

No, it's not that major award. But I understand that some lucky(?) guy on eBay won the rights to stay at that house (with the major award) for Christmas Eve and Day for the low, low price of $5300.

No, this is my Major Award. It's from NASA! (Note: frame not included.)
Major Award from NASA
I've obviously done a little editing to the certificate, in order to protect my pseudo-anonymity. But it is a real, honest to goodness certificate of achievement from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. I feel so honored. No, really, I do.

But wait, there's more! This certificate comes with a lovely gift, on some of the finest stationary you'll every see, from the United States Treasury (complete with the treasury seal), with a number preceded by a dollar sign, and redeemable at banks anywhere. Since this gift bears the U.S. treasury seal, I felt it my duty - nay, my honor and privilege - to that everyone out there who has contributed to the U.S. Treasury. I'm starting here in the bloggosphere, but soon expect to great everyone on the streets with a hearty handshake and a thank you. It may confuse them, it may get me injured or fitted for a new, tight-fitting jacket by men in white, but I feel I simply must.

So, thank you, to all of you who have contributed your nickels, dimes, and quarters to this award.

By the way, what is you best Major Award?

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Music Monday: Mery Christmas!

Here are a couple of Christmas songs that I simply love. They stand in contrast to each other - in style, in mood, in message, and in the reactions they elicit. One is bright, joyous, and hopeful; the other is gritty, sad, and raw. But both are terrific and I wanted to share them on this Monday before Christmas.

The first is "Labor of Love" from Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb of God. Definitely not the Renaissance painting version, but beautiful for its honest picture.




The second is "In The First Light" from Glad's The A Cappella Project. A constant crescendo of hope and promise through the end.



So, what are your favorite Christmas tunes this year?

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Friday, December 19, 2008

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.

child slave in a cageHonestly, 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.


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Thursday, December 18, 2008

"At least he won't remember it when he grows up"

Today was the Christmas program at Lil'er E's pre-school. As usual, there was a screamer, crying for mommy and daddy. It was Lil'er E. He actually tried to make his escape from the stage and run to us in the audience. Luckily (?) he wasn't alone - there were more screamers this year than in the past three years combined. F.U.N.

So, here he is. Hey, at least Old Saint Nick is jolly.
Lil'er E crying at the Christmas program

The elves look happy, too.
Lil'er E crying at the Christmas program

Oh, and I noticed something else, too. It would seem that my son is cursed with Male Pattern Baldness. Oh, the shame to be marked at such a young age!
male pattern baldness

Monday, December 15, 2008

Music Monday: Discussion Questions

  1. Would more people recognize and enjoy new musicians if radio stations would announce the names of the song and artist, like they used to many years ago?
  2. If Rudolph is really the most famous reindeer of all, then why does the song assume we don't recall him?
  3. The book can be found written either way, but does your family call Reindeer # "Donner" of "Donder"?
Discuss. (Partial credit will be given.)

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

Friday, December 12, 2008

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