Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Faith, Redemption, and Perception
This happened a little while ago. I have to be honest, I wasn't paying too much attention. It is true, I witnessed it. Probably the best example of what the Church, the Gospel, Redemption and what this whole life is all about. It happened in about 10 seconds during Sunday mass. At St. Susanna on Sunday mornings they open up a children's "service" during the Liturgy of the Word. All the kids go with a couple of adults and have a Bible study etc. Which means they all gather up at the alter and walk out. They usually come back during the collection/Preparation of the Gifts. Fr. John, who has moved on to another parish, was presiding. The funny thing is, every once in awhile, a little one forgets where they were sitting and usually it isn't a big deal.
Until this Sunday. A little girl wandered up front, crying, looking for her mom & dad. Fr. John was preparing the alter and stopped what he was doing, the choir was singing, the ushers were ushering, and this girl was searching for her place. (Aren't we all?) Fr. John saw her plight and went over to her. He picked her up, walked up to the alter and asked the congregation... "Who lost their little girl?" Immediately a couple jumped to their feet and ran forward. The little girl was so happy to be back with her mom and dad, they hugged and sat down.
not a big event.. but in a way, doesn't it represent the Gospel?
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Texas visits Ohio
Friday night was the first time I ever saw Robert Earl Keen live in concert. Hopefully it will not be the last. This is a review of the event, location, and other items.
How good could a concert be when the tickets come from a stripper that I met at a bar? Apparently, pretty darn good. Like most tales, the story of getting there is almost as good as the actual event. Long story short. Every Thursday I get an email from Eventful with the events for the upcoming weekend. Usually this email arrives after I have hit snooze for the 2nd time. Well, as I was removing the crusties from my eyes last Thursday, I happened to see the fimilar name of Robert Earl Keen on the list for a Friday night concert. I searched for tickets and found some on craigslist. 4 for 40 bucks. Not bad I thought. Well, eventually the price came down from that to 4 for 20. How could I pass that up? I invited a few of my favorite friends. And after answering the chorus of "who is Robert Earl Keen?" I was off. Turns out my craigslist "friend" is also employed at a local "gentleman's establishment"... which explained why she was going to be at a bar BEFORE going to work... Anyways... Lets start with the facility:
Fraze Pavilion is an enigma. It is like someone said "Hey, let's widen the street and put in an amplitheather in here". Well, they did and it is amazing. To use the worn out phrase: Not a bad seat in the place. There isn't one. A very small place, but still big enough to do the job. The staff was extremely friendly, efficient and professional. I am used to big stadiums such as the Jake & Browns Stadium. Not the best for fans, IMHO. I got a seat on the lawn and patiently awaited my other associates.
The Greencards lead off for the evening. Don't worry, I had never heard of them either. It was hard to understand how two Australians and a Brit could sing about the fertile plains of Kentucky, but hey, I'm willing to listen to anything once. They turned out to be a solid opening act. Upbeat, good lyrics, good harmony, they have all the makings of a strong contender in the bluegrass circuit. But pretty much anyone does. I did enjoy their music, and they knew how to rock it out, all things considered. Would I buy their CD? I dunno, is it on sale?
Sara Watkins was the next one up. You might remember her from Nickel Creek. Her brother Sean and herself and Chris Thile made up that group. They won more awards than the Polyphonic Spree so I'm sure you know of them. I have been a fan of Nickel Creek for sometime, but I had not followed any of their solo efforts. So I was anxious to see how Sara and Sean would do without Chris's lead vocals. Well, they did very well. Sara is like a folksy Janis Joplin and Chris is a bluegrass Tim Reynolds. They sang some new songs, but they didn't do any of the stuff that made them famous. Understandably, they have to carve out their own niche. I see a bright future for them and I hope they go far. She can definitely play the fiddle and is an excellent singer in her own right. They played a lot of upbeat songs and were a great warm up for REK. Would I buy their album. Yes. She is a solid performer in her own right. She is able to delve into herself and articulate good emotional songs that resound with a wide fan base. Check out some of her stuff on iTunes if you have the means.
Now for the headliner. The man, the myth, the legend. Robert Earl Keen. No, this isn't an objective review. On my list of favorite all time bands/performers, he is #3. Pink Floyd. Jimmy Buffett, REK. That is the top 3. So the expectations are high. But with two solid opening acts, a great venue and great seats, I was ready. He opened with "Feeling Good Again/Gringo Honeymoon" medley. Just like his "Live at the Ryman" DVD. It is different when you actually see and experience the artist who articulates some of your deepest emotions. REK sang "Not a Drop of Rain" just as the rain started, and it was the perfect song that night. The depth of that song is amazing. Just read about it on wikipedia. The set was good. Although, if I could change two things, it would be to add "I'm coming Home" and "Rolling By". Two of my personal favorites. Rich Brotherton is the Eddie Van Halen of Texas Country music. I would put him up there with Brad Paisley for guitar work. Don't believe me? Just watch a DVD. With a guitarist like that, it's hard not to do a good concert. I won't review every song, but I will critique one thing. REK likes to slur things a little too much. It can make it difficult for new fans to acclimate to his songs. But hey, everyone likes Darius Rucker, (Hootie & the Blowfish) who was king of the slursolo. (I still can't decipher most of his lyrics). All in all, REK lived up to my own personal hype and it was a great evening. Probably the best concert I have ever been to. But I haven't been to that many concerts, so it isn't a fair scale.
The most intriguing part was the fact that Sara Watkins & REK stayed after to sign autographs. How unreal is that? About 200 people lined up after to show to meet the man of the evening. He signed everything put before him and chatted it up with fans. I won't go so far as to say that REK is one of these guys who doesn't care about the money and is all about the fans, but, he definitely has not lost sight of his fan base. It was a refreshing change from the typical country music star. I've always heard that one should not meet one's heroes. Well, I don't put him in the "Hero" category, but I do respect his talent and I appreciate his song writing ability, so it was great to meet the man. He lived up to the expectations and exceeded them in some ways.
The long and short of it... A great night. Truly a dream builder as I would like to travel to Texas someday and see REK again, and several others.
How good could a concert be when the tickets come from a stripper that I met at a bar? Apparently, pretty darn good. Like most tales, the story of getting there is almost as good as the actual event. Long story short. Every Thursday I get an email from Eventful with the events for the upcoming weekend. Usually this email arrives after I have hit snooze for the 2nd time. Well, as I was removing the crusties from my eyes last Thursday, I happened to see the fimilar name of Robert Earl Keen on the list for a Friday night concert. I searched for tickets and found some on craigslist. 4 for 40 bucks. Not bad I thought. Well, eventually the price came down from that to 4 for 20. How could I pass that up? I invited a few of my favorite friends. And after answering the chorus of "who is Robert Earl Keen?" I was off. Turns out my craigslist "friend" is also employed at a local "gentleman's establishment"... which explained why she was going to be at a bar BEFORE going to work... Anyways... Lets start with the facility:
Fraze Pavilion is an enigma. It is like someone said "Hey, let's widen the street and put in an amplitheather in here". Well, they did and it is amazing. To use the worn out phrase: Not a bad seat in the place. There isn't one. A very small place, but still big enough to do the job. The staff was extremely friendly, efficient and professional. I am used to big stadiums such as the Jake & Browns Stadium. Not the best for fans, IMHO. I got a seat on the lawn and patiently awaited my other associates.
The Greencards lead off for the evening. Don't worry, I had never heard of them either. It was hard to understand how two Australians and a Brit could sing about the fertile plains of Kentucky, but hey, I'm willing to listen to anything once. They turned out to be a solid opening act. Upbeat, good lyrics, good harmony, they have all the makings of a strong contender in the bluegrass circuit. But pretty much anyone does. I did enjoy their music, and they knew how to rock it out, all things considered. Would I buy their CD? I dunno, is it on sale?
Sara Watkins was the next one up. You might remember her from Nickel Creek. Her brother Sean and herself and Chris Thile made up that group. They won more awards than the Polyphonic Spree so I'm sure you know of them. I have been a fan of Nickel Creek for sometime, but I had not followed any of their solo efforts. So I was anxious to see how Sara and Sean would do without Chris's lead vocals. Well, they did very well. Sara is like a folksy Janis Joplin and Chris is a bluegrass Tim Reynolds. They sang some new songs, but they didn't do any of the stuff that made them famous. Understandably, they have to carve out their own niche. I see a bright future for them and I hope they go far. She can definitely play the fiddle and is an excellent singer in her own right. They played a lot of upbeat songs and were a great warm up for REK. Would I buy their album. Yes. She is a solid performer in her own right. She is able to delve into herself and articulate good emotional songs that resound with a wide fan base. Check out some of her stuff on iTunes if you have the means.
Now for the headliner. The man, the myth, the legend. Robert Earl Keen. No, this isn't an objective review. On my list of favorite all time bands/performers, he is #3. Pink Floyd. Jimmy Buffett, REK. That is the top 3. So the expectations are high. But with two solid opening acts, a great venue and great seats, I was ready. He opened with "Feeling Good Again/Gringo Honeymoon" medley. Just like his "Live at the Ryman" DVD. It is different when you actually see and experience the artist who articulates some of your deepest emotions. REK sang "Not a Drop of Rain" just as the rain started, and it was the perfect song that night. The depth of that song is amazing. Just read about it on wikipedia. The set was good. Although, if I could change two things, it would be to add "I'm coming Home" and "Rolling By". Two of my personal favorites. Rich Brotherton is the Eddie Van Halen of Texas Country music. I would put him up there with Brad Paisley for guitar work. Don't believe me? Just watch a DVD. With a guitarist like that, it's hard not to do a good concert. I won't review every song, but I will critique one thing. REK likes to slur things a little too much. It can make it difficult for new fans to acclimate to his songs. But hey, everyone likes Darius Rucker, (Hootie & the Blowfish) who was king of the slursolo. (I still can't decipher most of his lyrics). All in all, REK lived up to my own personal hype and it was a great evening. Probably the best concert I have ever been to. But I haven't been to that many concerts, so it isn't a fair scale.
The most intriguing part was the fact that Sara Watkins & REK stayed after to sign autographs. How unreal is that? About 200 people lined up after to show to meet the man of the evening. He signed everything put before him and chatted it up with fans. I won't go so far as to say that REK is one of these guys who doesn't care about the money and is all about the fans, but, he definitely has not lost sight of his fan base. It was a refreshing change from the typical country music star. I've always heard that one should not meet one's heroes. Well, I don't put him in the "Hero" category, but I do respect his talent and I appreciate his song writing ability, so it was great to meet the man. He lived up to the expectations and exceeded them in some ways.
The long and short of it... A great night. Truly a dream builder as I would like to travel to Texas someday and see REK again, and several others.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Divorce? Here's how!
I finally figured it out. Would you like to know why divorce is so popular? Everyone things that divorce is a problem. It is not a problem, it is only a symptom of the problem. Not to belabor the point in a diatribe of Tyler Durdenisms. But we all have something missing inside of us. For some, the hole is bigger than others. We all try to find ways to fill it it. Insert favorite vice or distraction here. The problem with marriage is that anyone can do it, usually without a psychiatric test. Just kidding there... what I am trying to say is that people tend to fill in their "holes" with many things and unfortunately, some choose marriage.
Plus, society says that once one gets married, that tying the knot will tie off all the unpleasantness of life. Look at how most romantic comedies are portrayed... Guy and girl meet, guy screws up, wins back girl, everyone is happy. Well, the sad reality is somewhere between the toilet seat always up and in laws, the thin veneer of the perfect life flakes away. And that is the core problem of life, it isn't perfect. Marriage won't make it perfect, Religion won't make it perfect, and we can't make it perfect. But its the imperfections that make life precious. If we stop trying to make everything perfect and just strive for being authentic, true to ourselves, then we can live, then we can truly love.
Plus, society says that once one gets married, that tying the knot will tie off all the unpleasantness of life. Look at how most romantic comedies are portrayed... Guy and girl meet, guy screws up, wins back girl, everyone is happy. Well, the sad reality is somewhere between the toilet seat always up and in laws, the thin veneer of the perfect life flakes away. And that is the core problem of life, it isn't perfect. Marriage won't make it perfect, Religion won't make it perfect, and we can't make it perfect. But its the imperfections that make life precious. If we stop trying to make everything perfect and just strive for being authentic, true to ourselves, then we can live, then we can truly love.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Underground ? There's your problem
Its not the fact that the Republicans got their butts handed to them in the past two elections, that I can understand. It's the fact that they have absolutely no idea what a backbone is. For those of you who may not know, a backbone is at the top of the page.
Leadership is one of the most abused terms. It is easily thrown around. I don't see anything even resembling leadership coming from the Republican party. I have to seperate the Republicans from the Conservatives. I hope you can too. The reason why the republican party is in decline is the fact that they have no voice. It is only a refrain of hopelessness. I, for one, believe that the conservatives should move to parties better fitting their ideals. Such as the Constitution Party or Libertarians. At least with those two parties, we will begin to end this tryannical central government. It's time for the "revolution" to happen, but let's make it happen at the voting booths. I am tired of seeing the Republicans act like conservatives every 4 years, (or 2, depending on the election cycle) Right now is when it counts. When they aren't actively running for office. And right now, I don't see why I should vote for either a democrat or a republican.... the Donkey and Elephant look about the same to me.
But that is just my .02.
Friday, March 27, 2009
my .02
Welcome to the blog. If this is your first blog, you have to read. This is just one man's opinion. And in this modern soon to be inflated age, it is valued at only .02 cents. I'm hoping that when hyperinflation sets in, it will go up to .04.
So what is the point of this blog? Simple: rant. Rant, maybe an occasional rave, but don't expect too much. It seems everywhere I am surrounded by stupidity. I am encircled by enslavement. Could I be the last one to see the truth as it is? No. Don't be an idiot. Plenty of people see the truth, they just don't know how to express how pissed they are.
I know that we are living in tumultic times. (I think I just made up that word.) See how uneasy times are? New words are just falling onto the screen!
So what is the point of this blog? Simple: rant. Rant, maybe an occasional rave, but don't expect too much. It seems everywhere I am surrounded by stupidity. I am encircled by enslavement. Could I be the last one to see the truth as it is? No. Don't be an idiot. Plenty of people see the truth, they just don't know how to express how pissed they are.
I know that we are living in tumultic times. (I think I just made up that word.) See how uneasy times are? New words are just falling onto the screen!
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