The Inward Eye: Some Stuff the Way I See It....(scary, i know)

Amazing.

2006-09-06T17:52:00.000-05:00

Henryk Gorecki - Symphony No. 3

Beautiful and heartbreaking all at once. If you can listen to this and not cry you are probably a robot. Great piece, great soprano, great cover.
Amazing.

School Daze

2006-08-25T18:03:00.000-05:00

Holy Cow!!! It's that time again! I can hardly believe it!!!

Seeing Eye Snake

2006-07-30T01:29:00.000-05:00

So we had to make a lady leave Wal*Mart today. She brought her pet in the store. Which is, of course, not allowed with the exception of seeing eye and medic alert dogs. I have seen people try to do this before with small dogs, zipping them inside coats or carrying them in a bag, but this lady, she did not have a dog. Nope. Just decided that today was a good day to take her pet PYTHON for a walk aroung Wal*Mart. Just walkin' around. Carryin' a big snake. Seriously, I think some people are just crazy.

Growing Old in Margaritaville

2006-06-26T23:55:00.000-05:00

I am getting old, I guess. At least I feel like I am getting old. I will be 24 this September, which really isn't that old, but the following things have happened in the past few weeks that make me wonder...

1. Customers address me as "ma'am." Really. Do I look like a ma'am to you? How about "Miss" or "Hey You..."

2. People talk about their kids and ask me if I have any kids... not people with toddles, mind you, but people with 12 and 13 year olds... um, hellooo... NO

3. The waitress at Chili's no longer hesitates, steps back and sizes me up before she asks if I'd like to start with a margarita tonight. And then looks ridiculously surprised when I say, "I'll have a coke."

Nowhere does it say that grownups cannot drink Coke.

Nano Nano Boo Boo

2006-06-22T20:22:00.000-05:00

It has happened. I have finally joined the dark side. I have ordered my very own MacBook. And I got an iPod Nano free with rebate. Even I am jealous of me.

How High The Moon

2006-06-12T23:02:00.000-05:00

So the moon was huge tonight. Yeah. That's it.

Yes, I am amazing.

2006-06-09T20:56:00.000-05:00

I am so darn proud of myself. Why? Well, I have successfully made my own wrapping paper. A friend of mine is having a baby shower, and I was faced with the dilemma of purchasing plain boring paper, or cute baby paper that I will probably never use. The solution, you ask? I bought multipurpose white wrapping paper and stamped "baby" and pink bunnies all over it with my scrapbooking stamps. Sometimes I amaze even myself.

Master Artist

2006-05-31T22:59:00.000-05:00

Reason #427 why God is amazing. There are like a billion things in the world that are round. Sea urchins. Oranges. The Moon. The middles of our eyes. Do you know how crazy hard it is to make a circle?! How on earth did he make all that round stuff??? I don't know.

Glass on Paper

2006-05-23T23:28:00.000-05:00

It has arrived! The piano music of Philip Glass, in print, at my door, and a day sooner than I expected. And I have the day off tomorrow. Sweet. Ten points to sheetmusicplus.com. I think if I am going to play it, I am going to have to do some Schmitt first. This is not for the left hand lazy.

School's Out for Summer

2006-05-10T15:11:00.000-05:00

Ahhhh. The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and I am finished with my first semester of graduate school. I will probably be bored in like a week, but for now I could not be more ecstatic to not have anything to worry about for a while. So what will I do with all this free time? In no particular order (since everyone is so fond of lists):

1. Ride my new bike. A shiny schwinn with classic lines. No angular mountain bikes here. It's almost enough to make me want to exercise.

2. Read books. I promised dad I would read his, and this will be my third summer trying to finish The Brothers Karamazov. I love Dostoevsky, but it is slow reading.

3. Sit down and listen. With a score. I will be starting with the Bach B Minor Mass. I also hope to get sheet music to look through for my latest obsession, piano works of Philip Glass.

4. Write. I have a lot of ideas. I just need a four hour time block and a piano.

5. Create. I'm not much of an artist, but I have a calligraphy project that I started a while back that I would like to work on just for fun.

6. Get out. Don't really have money for a trip, but I would like to go somewhere besides my apartment and Wal*Mart for a change. I think I'll grab my camera and head for the park.

7. Chill. Just hang out with friends. Watch movies that I have been waiting all semester to have time for. Laugh.

8. Drink coffee. Well that's a given. However, the iced mocha is now in season.

9. Play some guitar. Also a given. Might do a little scale work. A little technique wouldn't kill me.

10. Visit the fam. Since I won't have class on my days off, I can actually go see them once in a while. Pumpkinseed, we'll hit the cages.

There you have it. A summer list.

Peace out.

Food For Thought

2006-05-03T07:24:00.000-05:00

So I thought I was the only one, but it turns out that my boss, Jason, is also a lover of those tiny onions they put on the burgers at McDonald's. Who knew?

Tilting at... Beards???

2006-04-30T19:10:00.000-05:00

Elmar Weisser, 2005 freestyle beard champion. This, apparently, is what people do for fun in Germany. I hope he runs into Don Quixote.

Check It!

2006-04-29T23:55:00.000-05:00

Flyleaf. If you haven't heard them, check it out at http://www.flyleafmusic.com/

Easter Excitement!

2006-04-16T22:48:00.000-05:00

Well, I am, after all, a true midwesterner. That, my friend, is a bonafide tornado. And by that yellow shed, by the way, is my parents house. Went right by. Just missed it. Creepy.

Sweet!

2006-04-14T00:17:00.000-05:00

So we had a killer thunderstorm tonight. The radar on TV was black. (not red, not purple, BLACK). And of course, like an idiot, I stood out in it with a camera, so I could get this picture, (at least until the sirens went off) because I am just crazy like that. Sweet.

I Am Bunny, Hear Me Roar.

2006-04-08T19:24:00.000-05:00

Yes, this is me, but before you laugh too hard, just remember that I am getting paid lots of money to look like a freak, whilst many people do it for free. :)

Spring is Here!

2006-04-04T00:43:00.000-05:00

Ah, yes. Spring has indeed arrived. Opening day and a grand slam already. What more could you want???

Robot Invasion! Oy Vey!

2006-03-19T23:58:00.000-06:00

I picked this photo up on yahoo! news. The actual AP caption is as follows (I am not making this up):

"A boy, dressed as a robot, plays with his toy pistol during the traditional Purim holiday, in the streets of the mainly ultra-Orthodox Mea Sharim neighborhood in Jerusalem Wednesday March 15, 2006. Purim is a celebration of the Jews' salvation from genocide in ancient Persia, as recounted in the Scroll of Esther."

Now I am no expert on Judaism, but I am pretty familiar with the Tabernacle/Temple worship as described in the Old Testament, and it certainly looks to me like the young man is wearing a replica of the priestly breastplate set with twelve stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel. Apparently in some circles, priestly vestments = robot. Chalk one up for the well informed media. Makes you wonder about all that nasty stuff they say about George...

Spring has Arrived.

2006-03-12T21:01:00.000-06:00

Yep. It's spring in Illinois. Tornado warnings and T-storms. Despite being a little scary, nothing quite showcases the awesome power of creation like a good old rip roarin' thunderstorm.

(obviously, I didn't take this picture, but I thought it was cool).

How d'ya like them apples?

2006-03-12T01:51:00.000-06:00

Despite my dad's compelling arguments for the Jonathan, when it comes to apples, there is nothing better than a Golden Delicious. Really. There just isn't.

Mr. Pujols

2006-03-02T14:20:00.000-06:00

So it has been one of those days... and it is so grey and dismal out... that something colorful is nice, for a change.

Coaster

2006-02-27T22:53:00.000-06:00

You know you're writing a paper when...

You have so many books strewn about that the only place left to put your venti americano is on top of the Ante-Nicene Fathers.

I hope no one from the library sees this :)

Chops

2006-02-26T18:25:00.000-06:00

I am playing in the pit for LCC's production of Oklahoma this spring. So today I decided to see what kind of shape my chops are in. I left asking, "what chops?" It's lip slurs every day from here on out. UGH!

New Friend

2006-02-25T11:31:00.000-06:00

So I finally got a fish for my aquarium that has been sitting empty for a month. I got a betta, mainly because there are not many kinds of tropical fish that like to live in an apartment that occasionally gets down into the upper 60s. It was a betta, or shell out more $$ for an aquarium heater. So a betta it is. I was hoping to get two fish, but since bettas don't play nice, I settled for a snail to keep the tank clean. Maybe eventually I will add a female, as that is about the only thing that gets along with a male betta. Oh, and this time I did it right... I went to PetCo and had my water tested and paid twice as much, so hopefully this little guy will make it longer than the Wal*Mart goldfish that we don't take care of >:( I think I'm going to call him Chance. Don't know why; it just sounded good. And I apologize that the photo is not the best, but bowed glass is not the easiest to photograp through. :)

Ode to My Chair.

2006-02-24T22:21:00.000-06:00

Oh, my chair you are so comfy,
With your fluffy, fleecy blankey,
And your creamy whiteness that
Complements my decor.

You invite me to sit,
To put up my feet,
And read for hours,
Because that is what we do in Seminary.

And even though I can't stand Dallas Willard,
(Nothing personal, Mr. Willard,
But your ramblings make me crazy,)
With you it is, more or less, tolerable.

Little House on the Prairie

2006-02-06T01:14:00.000-06:00

Call me crazy, but I love Illinois. Mmm, prairie.

Why don't I bend this way???

2006-01-13T23:07:00.000-06:00

I admit it. I can't dance. Not at all. Really. I have trouble with the Hokey Pokey. I also admit that sometimes I am rather jealous of other people's artistic gifts. I can't dance, at all. I can't sing. Well, not as well as a lot of other people, anyway. Can't exactly draw... I do cartoons, but when I try to draw things that aren't cartoons, they look like cartoons too. I write music. Some pretty good, some not so good. But I will never be John Rutter, or John Williams, or even John Lennon. (Or John Fogerty, who I very much prefer to John Lennon.) What I do do, is synthesize ideas. The one thing I really do well is assimilate a lot of different art forms into a cohesive unity around some abstract idea. I have been reading Rory Noland's Thriving as an Artist in the Church, and one part where he is talking about failures and the things that he can't do sounded oh so familiar:

"When I realized that I wasn't going to make it as a piano player, for instance, it freed me up to consider writing music. When I understood that leading worship was not one of my strengths, I was able to pour myself into building and leading a comprehensive music ministry."

Sometimes I get really frustrated because there are a lot of artistic media that I really like, and yet I can never effectively express myself through any of them. I just can't make them work, because I wasn't meant to make them work. I can't sing because I wasn't made to sing. I can't paint because I wasn't made to paint. I think that I was given an appreciation for all kinds of art, not so that I could master them, but so I could understand other people's art and work it into a sort of giant collage. I am not especially gifted in any specific media because gifts are my media. I can't dance like Steve the Mannikin because I just wasn't made to bend that way. Maybe someday I'll come to terms with that.

Be Fruitful and Multiply

2006-01-02T21:03:00.000-06:00

Holy Cow!... er.. sheep? They're multiplying!

For We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray

2005-12-30T22:30:00.000-06:00

I suppose it's a little late for a Christmas blog, but here it is none the less. I hate tacky Christmas lights. To many bright colors... covering everything... they are, in my sister's words "garish." However, there is one light display that I do particularly like. On Indiana Rte. 46, somewhere just on the other side of Riley, there is a house that sits at the top of a ravine, and the owners of said house (i have no idea who they are) have always had the most fantastic light up nativity I have ever seen. It has always been sort of a tradition with us to see it each year, as it is right on the way to grandma's. There is Mary, and Joseph, and baby Jesus. Some Magi (i know, i know.. they're early, but it's traditional to put them in the scene) There are camels and donkeys and shephreds and..... AND no less than 50 light up sheep, possibly more like a hundred. I have never seen another nativity that captured so well the ruralness of Jesus' birthplace- His humble beginnings, or the awe and wonder which the shepherds must have felt, seeing angels - hearing the good news, and being used to just so many, well, sheep. Anyway, this year the nativity was gone. We think that the owners of the plastic flock have become nomadic and moved on to greener pastures, or else (what with fuel costs) simply don't want to pay for the wattage involved in sustaining such a herd. However, my sister, being the mischevious imp that she is, snuck out to an after Christmas sale at Menards, and I came home form work to find that (wouldn't ewe know it) she has pastured a single plastic light-up sheep in the middle of our front yard, complete with day-glo orange extension cord. So after I laughed for like ten minutes, I got to thinking maybe this could be a new tradition, this single plastic sheep. Just a little something to remind us that the Lamb of God was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

A hearty, if belated, Merry Christmas to all.
-C

iPod Photo

2005-12-17T20:35:00.000-06:00

December 17; the second busiest shopping day of the year. Or at least this year, since it is the last saturday before Christmas weekend. So I am up a ladder, desperately trying to keep Dept. 6 (that's the camera stuff) stocked, and this lady is peering intently at something right in front of me. So I ask her, "Ma'am, do you need any help?" And she's like "Yeah... that's a tripod, right?" "Yes, that's a tripod." "And you put a camera on it? Right?" "Yes." "So... Is there like... like an iPod? Is that something different?" "Yes. That plays music. And video." "Oh, OK. I think that's what I'm looking for, cause I asked this guy and he said he didn't have any... but I think I told him "tripod." "Well, we have iPods. They're right around the corner in electronics." "OK... Thanks!" Clearly some people should not operate anything more technologically advanced than a rock. Or maybe she should consider becoming amish. The scary part is that this actually happened :)

iLUMINAtion

2005-12-05T16:37:00.000-06:00

so do you ever have one one of those moments when you are just absolutely certain that God is looking out for you.... for anyone not in IL it is nasty here. it all started with pretty snow, which quickly turned into icy nastyiness. So saturday night, I am coming home from work at like 9:30 and it is dark and frigid and very, very slippery. So I am driving all of about 30mph and I really just want to be home and I get about a mile and a half from my house and I start to skid. So like any good driver I turn in the direction of the skid to regain traction... and promptly start skidding the other way. So I fishtail for what seemed like forever, but was really more like a quarter mile, until I finally end up sliding sideways on a collision course with an electric pole, which I am about hit with directly with the driver's door....... then there is that split second that seems like eternity when I am thinking "holy crap, I'm gonna die" and yet somehow I get turned around and in the process land backwards in the ditch on the opposite side of the road. So I am really not sure what happened between heading for the pole and landing in the ditch full of soft fluffy snow, but I am pretty sure that I was not responsible for it. And even more miraculously, I managed to drive out of the ditch unscathed. The only thing broken on my car is the hazard light switch, which I apparently pulled on much too hard. Crazy.

Dog Days of Winter

2005-11-17T21:00:00.000-06:00

Yep. Winter has arrived. How do I know??? Today I had to plug in Ethel's electric dog bowl.

Product of the Fall

2005-10-26T16:21:00.000-05:00

So yesterday I mowed the yard. Hopefully for the last time this year. Or at least the next to last. Anyway, before I could mow said yard, I had to pick up the nuts. In my yard there is a black walnut tree, Juglans nigra, for you science nerds. The namesake of my church. Anyway, it is fall. This means it is the time when the nuts fall off the tree. By the time I had picked up seven trash bags of nuts, I was about ready to cut down the tree. Not to mention that no sooner had I raked up a pile than the tree spitefully dropped even more nuts on my head. Plus, for those of you who have never met a black walnut, they are most irritating in a number of ways. They have a thick green husk which makes your hands smell like a skunk for hours afterward if you should ever touch one. As they mature, the husk turns into a sort of brown flaky mush, which will stain your skin and clothing, should you touch it. Not to mention that although they are quite tasty, their shell is 500 times harder than their English cousin, and nothing short of a sledge hammer or an automoblie will crack one. Really, they are not worth the work it takes to get to eat them. Finally, as you mow, should you hit one, you will be greeted by a very loud clank, which is not what you want to hear when riding high atop the Ranch King. And as I was mowing and hearing the CLANK ping.... of the few nuts left in the yard, a thought occured to me. Trees should not work this way. They shold not litter your yard with stinky messy rubbish, or be so hard to open that you can never enjoy eating them. If trees worked the way God intended, they would gently drop a nut in your hand when (and only when) you wanted one, and the shell would fall away as it landed in your hand, leaving you to enjoy the tasy nut meat with optimal ease. But not everthing works as it was intended. The nuts are a product of the fall. In more ways than one.

Driver's License, Please...

2005-10-12T15:40:00.000-05:00

For those of you who don't know this, when you pay by check at Wal*Mart, the cash register sometimes randomly decides to ask for a drivers license number, just to make people think we are paying attention. So this morning a gentleman came in to pay for his photos, and the register prompted me for CUSTOMER ID*** which, in register talk, is a license number. So I look at the guy and it occurs to me, this man is Amish. He doesn't have a drivers license. Or a state ID Card. So I called the CSM and got it figured out and sold him his photos, but really, I wonder what he would have done if I had asked to see his license..... Someone at home office should think about these things.

Goodbye, Gubernatorial Candidacy

2005-10-01T17:30:00.000-05:00

Sad to say, Jim Edgar has announced that he will not run for governor again, now or ever. While I figured that this would probably be the case, I think a lot of people were kind of hoping that he would run just one more time. With George Ryan's racketeering trial, and Robbin' Rod robbin' the teachers pensions and generally being ridiculous with the budget, Illinnois is ready for a decent governor again. But apparently not Jim.

How About a Nice Bit 'o Cheese?

2005-09-28T16:06:00.000-05:00

Once again I am excited about a new movie. October 7 the new Wallace and Gromit movie comes out, complete with crazy antics, zany inventions, and a were-rabbit! Despite the great voicing from Helena Bonham-Carter (Corpse Bride) and Peter Sallis, who stars as Norman Clegg in the long running British sitcom Last of the Summer Wine, I predict that the ever silent Gromit will still be my favorite.

Hear Hear for Britcoms, Old Chap

2005-09-24T12:24:00.000-05:00

I have fabulous news to share! I have discovered that the classic British sitcom As Time Goes By is available on DVD. Starring Geoffry Palmer and the one and only Dame Judi Dench, it might be the best show ever.

Macabre Matinee

2005-09-22T13:06:00.000-05:00

Corpse Bride opens in Mattoon tomorrow, and hopefully I will get to see it before I have to go to work. I am predicting something extremely hilarious and slightly sick in the way that only Tim Burton can manage.

Camera Capers

2005-09-17T18:43:00.000-05:00

So the other day I had a chance to test drive a lot of the new cameras that Wal*Mart is getting this fall. Something about making a book of demo shots. Really it's just a good excuse to get a lot of the cameras out of the box and play. Anyway, I have decided that the 7 and 8 megapixel models are ridiculous. Sure, they have a bazillion pixels, but the zoom is mediocre and the other features aren't superb either. The Olympus Stylus 800 has 8mp, and a huge screen, but I can't say that you can see any quality difference between it and a 6mp, and it has the most difficult menu system I have ever seen on a point and shot digital. The Canon SD500 is a little better, but the zoom is on the front, so you somehow have to use your index finger to zoom AND snap the picture. Not convenient. Anyway, my money is on the 5 and 6mp big zoomers, namely the Sony H-1 and the Kodak V850. Also, Fujifilm and Kodak both have new 5mp slimline models that are awesome. The best, however, is the Canon Digital Rebel XT. Who says you need five million megapixels to take great photos??? Not only is it easy enough that my nana could use it in auto mode, you can adjust practially everything about it if you feel so inclined, which I found useful for closeups, where the autofocus had trouble finding the subject. Just switch to manual and... no problem. I also tested it out with a 75-300 zoom lens. Sweet. The only drawback is that I don't get paid enough to buy one :)

Confirmation of Extra Terrestrial Life On Earth

2005-09-17T18:31:00.000-05:00

Yet another tale from the *Mart. So the other day this old guy comes up to the counter and is like "do you have any blank tapes?" I asked what kind. Since he came to the photo counter, I assumed that he was looking for something of the VHS-C, Hi8, MiniDV variety. Nope. Just plain old VHS tapes. Which are in electronics. So since I am not too busy, I offer to show him where the tapes are at. He finds what he is looking for and he thanks me, explaining that he's never been in this store before. This is the point where I stop, stare at him, and have to take a couple of seconds to process what he just said. Never been to Wal*Mart? What planet is this guy from???

The Washington Blame Game

2005-09-07T20:33:00.000-05:00

In the wake of hurricane Katrina, it seems that everyone, especially the Democratic Party, is looking for someone to blame. In fact, it seems that the only person in Washington NOT criticizing President Bush is Trent Lott (R-Mississippi), who lost a home in the disaster. Personally, I think that preparing for a disaster of this magnitude is nearly impossible; it would drain resources from other needed areas. Don't get me wrong; preparedness is a good thing, as every boy scout knows, but the folks who are now clamouring about how we cut the disaster prevention budget to shore up homeland security are the same people who just a few short years ago were screaming about how we didn't do enough to prevent 9-11. Now I certainly think that we should learn from this disaster about how we can provide aid more effectively in the future, but I would hardly say that it is the fault of president Bush, or, as Katie Couric suggested, the fault of the mayor of New Orleans. Really. To hear some people talk (Yes, I mean you, Kanye West) you would suppose that the President actually caused the hurricane just to be mean to African Americans and people living below the poverty line. Which leads me to my conclude this. No one is to blame here, but supposing there is a president to blame, it isn't George W. Bush. The culprit is Lyndon Johnson, who created a welfare system which has taught people that instead of using the intelligence and common sense that I know they have to solve problems, the federal govenment should be their baby-sitter and fix everything for them. Anyway, my heart goes out everyone who has lost a home or a loved one in this disaster. I think President Bush has said the most sensible thing I have heard so far: 'we have problems to solve; we're problem solvers.' We will figure this thing out.

To help victims of hurricane Katrina, visit the

International Disaster Emergency Service

. IDES is affiliated with the independant Christian Churches, and, unlike the Red Cross, 100% of your donation goes to directly to those in need.

Peace Out.

Meeting John Mayer

2005-09-03T16:15:00.000-05:00

When I take an order at the photo lab, I always ask a series of questions, always in the same order. I really think I could do it in my sleep, I have done it so many times. "Would you like one hour processing?" "Last name?" "ok." "First Name?" "Uh-huh." "And can I get a phone number, please?" "Would you like singles or doubles?" "ok." "Need a picture CD?...Index print?" "OK. those should be ready in about an hour." So the other day a gentleman comes to the counter and I start into the usual routine. "One Hour Photo?" "Yes." "Last name?" "Mayer." "First name?" "John."... HUH? At this point I stop and look at the guy. Late fifties, glasses, beard. Gray tee-shirt tucked into blue plaid shorts.... ok. So I finish taking his order and as he is walking away, I wonder if he even knows who the other John Mayer is, and if he did, would he care? Life is strange.

The Wal*Mart Weekly

2005-08-24T16:00:00.000-05:00

That's right. I'm returning to my post as a Wal*Mart Photo Lab Associate. And while I feel slightly bad about working for a mega-corporate monstrosity, having cash will be nice for a change. Anyway, look for stories on crazy irate customers and psycho meth cooks stealing my batteries; it's coming soon to a blog near you. What more could you want? :)

ZAP!

2005-07-22T19:59:00.000-05:00

I finally figured out how they get electricity into the power lines.
Beat that Ben Franklin!!!

clik four bigg viewww

Movie Madness

2005-07-08T17:15:00.000-05:00

Batman Begins
I just saw Batman Begins, and I think that it is probably the best superhero movie I have seen in a while. I plan to go see Fantastic 4, because I am a sucker for superhero movies, but I am not counting on it to stack up to Batman. The tone of the whole movie was pretty dark, and while the plot was comparable to Spiderman or DareDevil, I think that Batman was different in that it really looks hard at the mental and emotional complexity of what turns Bruce Wayne into Batman. With great special effects, and a collaboration between Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard on the score, what more could you want. I also really liked the Batmobile, just because it is so different, not the typical '59 Eldorado painted black or sports car sort of thing. Also, I thought the villains use of fear was well done, although at one point worms crawl out of Scarecrow's head and he resembles a much scarier version of Tim Burton's Oogie Boogie. Anyway, over all this is the best movie I have seen in a while. 3.5 stars out of 4.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Also liked this one. The plot was really pretty thin, but there were lots of great explosions and, of course, Brad Pitt. My sister and I share a love for brainless action movies, and if Angelina Jolie is using multiple firearms simultaneously, I am there. Anyway, this is probably not going to become a classic work of cinema, but it is a good bit of mindless summer fun. 2.5 stars.
Madagascar
Not really my genre, so I'm glad I didn't pay to see it (my Dad, for some reason, wanted to go). It was a cute movie for kids, plus some funny lines for adults, and a good voicing cast including the likes of Ben Stiller, David Schwimmer (whiny as usual) and Chris Rock. All in all a run of the mill kids' movie, brightened slightly by an atypical Hans Zimmer score and host of lemurs singing the soon to be dance classic "We Like to Move It." Sarah keeps popping out of doorways and singing it at me. Anyway, I wouldn't pay to see it in the theatre, but it might be worth renting. 2 stars.
Planning to See
Fantastic 4
Superhero Flick.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Another Tim Burton - Danny Elfman collaboration. Excitement! I just hope the oompa loompas don't look like pumpkins this time.
The Legend of Zorro
Out Sept. 23, the sequel to "Mask of Zorro." Banderas and Zeta-Jones. YAY!

The Rockets' Red Fizzle

2005-07-04T22:11:00.000-05:00

It's July 4. Independence day. I have to say I am disappointed. Apparently the only fireworks you can buy in Illinois are sparklers and smoke bombs. The best extravaganza I could muster was a box of sparkles stuck in the ground and lit simultaneously. What ever happened to the good old roman candle? Or the bottle rocket? What happened to the freedom to risk life and limb to set in motion a glorious frenzy of flaming sparkliferousness? It's like 1812 Overature with nothing but bongos in the percussion section. Yeesh. At least they still have good ones at the park.

PS Thanks to everyone in the service who endures real fireworks so that the rest of us don't have to. Happy 4th.

Life and Death Vol. I, No. I

2005-06-28T16:17:00.000-05:00

Click Image for Large View

To read about Senator Dick Durbin's (D-Illinois) remarks on Guantanamo Bay,

click here

Yay for my first cartoon in a long time!!!

Reviewing at the Speed of Sound

2005-06-20T20:05:00.000-05:00

Coldplay: X & Y

I recently bought the Coldplay album X & Y, and I have to say I was a little nervous... the piano progression on "Speed of Sound" reminded me so much of "Clocks" from A Rush of Blood to the Head I was beginning to fear (oh me of little faith) a Creedesque soundalike album (sorry Scott Stapp... oh wait, not sorry). However, after an initial listen, this album is definitely all Coldplay, but with a flavor all its own. A little less acoustic guitar and a lot more various keys, over all, I think. I haven't had time to really listen in depth, but at first listen, "what if" reminds me in a strange way of John Lennon's "Imagine," and I think my fav is actually the bonus track "Kingdom Come" which features a lot of bassy piano (rock on!) and folksy accoustic guitar that sounds much like Bright Eyes' I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning. Over all a good album. And I saw on their website, that they play Martin acoustics... what more could you want.

Coming Soon? to a Blog Near You

2005-06-16T17:19:00.000-05:00

Something is Missing...

It occured to me the other day that something is missing from my life. It seems that when I lived on D-1, Amy and I were doing a comic for the floor at least every other week, not to mention the ones to keep us from going insane during lectures by a certain IDS professor (coughDr.Knopp) Anyway, I have decided that it is high time I get back to it and, thanks to the joys of BloggerBot, I hope to have the first installment up sometime in the near future. Now if only I knew what I did with my prismacolors...

Pixel Power

2005-06-11T16:49:00.000-05:00

10:27 PM

I have to argue with anyone who says that Illinois is ugly or boring, just because we don't have any mountains or an ocean. Let me tell ya, we have the best sunsets and the most fabulous thunderstorms you could wish for. And a lot of corn. And beans. This photo was taken from my front yard in Coles Co., IL. Five megapixels as a minimum is so worth the bucks.

An American Chopin

2005-06-06T15:38:00.000-05:00

Edward MacDowell (1860-1908)

It occured to me the other day, that when we think of composers of serious music, and especially pianists of the romantic period, no one ever thinks of an American. We think of Liszt, Brahms, Chopin, Schumann, Schubert, etc., or even Rachmaninov, who was really rather late in the period. What this means is that we are missing a big piece of our American musical heritage by looking primarily at European composers. Hence my lovely photo of Edward MacDowell. MacDowell was born in New York and studied in Europe, but the bulk of his writing was done at his summer home in Peterborough, NH. He was also the first professor of music at Columbia and sometimes worked as a concert pianist performing his own works, which include four sonatas, two piano concertos, and a host of piano miniatures, some of the most famous groups of which include Woodland Sketches, Sea Pieces, Fireside Tales and New England Idylls. He also wrote Indian Suite for orchestra, using native American melodies for thematic material. Ten points for a great American Composer.

A Wrench in the System

2005-05-31T13:01:00.000-05:00

My dad, like many dads, has an addiction to buying tools. Power tools, hand tools, antique planes, TOOLS. So it was no surprise that when the Sears website put this wrench he wanted on sale, he just had to order one. Apparently it is the Craftsman fine-tooth socket wrench to end all socket wrenches, that NEVER goes on sale. Until now. So my dad ordered his wrench, and free UPS shipping to get it to the middle of the cornfield where we live. A few days later, the UPS guy shows up with a package from Sears, only instead of being the small bubble mailer that dad was expecting, he has a box that is at least two feet long, and quite possibly weighs in excess of 20 lbs. So dad figured that he was shipped the wrong item, but when he opened the box, the receipt was for the correct part, so he opens the smaller box inside, and out fall not one, but 35 of the wrench he ordered. Some doofus in shipping sent him not a single wrench, but a case of wrenches. So, being a honest person, he took all 34 of the wrenches he didn't pay for to our local Sears store to return them. After consulting with two clerks, a department manager, and finally the store manager, it was determined that since the store did not keep this tool in stock and he wasn't charged for the extra wrenches, that there wasn't anything they could do about it. The manager said that if he was overcharged, the money could be refunded, if the item was defective, it could be replaced, if it was the wrong item, it could be exchanged, but that there was nothing he could do about too much of the right thing. His advice: have a yard sale. My advice to Sears: The internet is a great marketing tool, but if you want to make money from it, you should probably work out a system between your stores and your website so that you don't give people $500 worth of free wrenches. Too many wrenches in the system are just not good for business.

Please Kill Me

2005-04-16T20:14:00.000-05:00

So I am sitting at Common Grounds, a local coffee shop just off Broadway in Mattoon, IL, and it just so happens that it is open mic night. Right now the person playing is singing I don't know what, the only words I can understand are someone please kill me, and right now I feel that way. It is times like this that I truly appreciate the quality education that I recieved from the Music Dept. @ LCC. People who cannot write a melody and harmonic progression that go together should not be allowed to write music. Period. OK. Enough of my ranting. Peace out.

These Grapes Are Kinda Chewy...

2005-03-02T07:30:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I was in the Greenwood Hobby Lobby looking for some stuff for this week's service, and would you believe, I discovered an amazing fact: Hobby Lobby has an entire aisle of plastic grapes, with over twenty different varieties. AN ENTIRE AISLE! Really. Who needs that many plastic grapes? Someone making their own plastic Pinot Grigio? I guess that's ok, they have plastic cheese too.

Rick Warren Gives Birth to Three-Headed Baby Opossum

2004-12-14T21:42:00.000-06:00

So I occasionally have to laugh at commercialized Christianity. For example the other day I was at Target getting some odds and ends and my usual venti non-fat mocha, and as I was standing in the checkout line, I couldn't help but notice there amongst the usual impulse sale fare, a copy of The Purpose Driven Life. Right between Self and the Enquirer (a publication that I feel guilty about acknowledging with underline). There is was. Now I assume that someone just set it there, but it was funny none the less, that is until later that week when I went to Kroger and noticed a pamphlety type thing entitled "What is my purpose in life?" or something like that (I don't remember exactly), written by none other than... Rick Warren. There it was in those little mini racks with the horoscope scrolls and those little Pilsbury cookie books. And it WAS supposed to be there. Thank you Mr. Warren, we were all dying for yet another supermarket self-help pamphlet. Here's a title for your next book, Rick; how about The Market Driven Church?

*I would like to note that I have nothing against Rick Warren or his books, but am rather digusted by the secular self-help mentality that is often applied to Christian literature of this sort. We focus time, energy and money on chasing down and reading books that will soon be yesterday's news (remember the Prayer of Jabez?), as though they can change or fix our life, while the living word of God collects dust on our shelves.

A Modern Requiem

2004-11-16T18:47:00.000-06:00

For those of you who don't know this, listening to and collecting choral music in traditional liturgical forms (masses, litanies, music for the divine office, etc.), especially if it's in Latin, is a sort of hobby of mine. And, morbid as it may sound, one form that I am particularly interested in is the requiem. I think the treatment given to music for (or at least originally intended for) last rites says a great deal about a composer. On to my point. I hear a lot about how all modern music is no good and is just wandering, atonal mush, which is in many instances true. But I am willing to give it a chance to redeem itself. Enter my newest CD, Requiem and Magnificat (1985 and 1990 respectively), composed by John Rutter, recorded by the Cambridge Singers and the City of London Sinfonia, Collegium Records. Fabulous. Absolutely fabulous. If you hate modern music, listen to this, it should give you some perspective. The choral treatments are wonderful, as is the accompaniment, written for medium sized orchestra. The text is Latin with some English, borrowing from the traditional Requiem and the Book of Common Prayer. This textual format vaguely reminds me of Benjamin Britten's War Requiem. I think this might become one of my new favorites. Also, John Rutter has also arranged several hymns in a collection, Best Loved Hymns, another amazing recording from Stephen Cleobury and the choir of King's College, Cambridge ( I love them!) on EMI Classics. The Mozart Requiem is still at the top of the list, though. If this is a little too recent, try the Requiem (1887-1890) composed by Gabriel Faure, or Francis Poulenc's (Les Six) Litanies a la Vierge Noir (c. 1930s). Anyway... Try something new. You might like it. Peace Out.

On the Road Again

2004-08-28T18:02:00.000-05:00

Once again I am packing my stuff to move, this time to Greenwood, IN, where I will be doing my internship. In the process I have discovered that I have enough stuff for three rooms, and have probably singlehandedly destroyed the amazon rainforest, judging from the stacks of notebooks and papers I seem to have everywhere. It's almost enough to make you want to move to some agrarian country where everyone is so busy growing their next meal that no one has time to think about things like alphabetizing and filing cabinets. Unfortunately, I do NOT have a green thumb, and I like to eat, so I guess that's out. I guess the plus side is that if this whole music minister thing doesn't work out, I could always get a job with a moving company. "Experienced Mover for Hire." well, maybe not.

Squirrelercoaster, Part the Second

2004-07-09T14:27:00.000-05:00

As I was cleaning out some old magazines at my house, I came across this article from the May 2003 issue of Popular Mechanics. I am not making this up.

Head Over Heels
If you love the hairpin turns of the classic Wild Mouse thrill park ride, the Screaming Squirrel is your kind of fun. Four passengers sit in a small car whose four wheels are trapped within C-shaped rails. Instead of going side to side, as you do on the Mouse, you turn upside down and right side up.

S&S Power of Logan, Utah describes the ride as an unprecedented style of roller coaster. It begins with an 88-ft. climb up a 65* incline, followed by a vertical drop that flips and puts riders head down, followed by more turns and flips. Our PM test rider assures us that the best part is that first crazy flip. You can find out for yourself when the screaming Squirrel arrives at thrill parks later this year.

Seriously. Why didn't I call "invention submission corporation" ??? ;)

May I Just Say.....

2004-05-21T00:42:00.000-05:00

May I just say that I hate moving. I have been doing this twice a year for the last four years and it is getting old. I am seriously looking forward to the day when I move my stuff somewhere and it stays there for more than nine months at a time. That would mean getting a real job, though :) Quid pro quo, I guess. Well, back to packing.

Speedy Blogzales

2004-05-18T01:24:00.000-05:00

So I decided that it is time for a new blog, but I am a little short on time, so I decided rather than try and think of something to write, I would just share these lyrics from the Kendall Payne song that I have been listening to all week. Good stuff.

Boy know your place,
lies do not become us
Real is more attractive
than a slick and polished mask.
Girl dig down deep,
I know there's more between us.
There's bound to be a question
you're just dying for me to ask

If you can be honest, I can be too.
If you'll take the first step, I'll follow you through.
But no one wants to bleed,
no one wants to hide.
No one wants to hurt, alone inside

Child, don't close your eyes
the truth contains much beauty.
And though it scars your soul,
it can heal the wounds it makes
You've been deceived to think
the pain is to be dreaded.
When you've got nothing left,
it'll give more than it takes

If you can be honest, I can be too.
If you'll take the first step, I'll follow you through.
But no one wants to bleed,
no one wants to hide.
No one wants to hurt, alone inside

If you can't find the peace,
I'll help find it for you.
I don't know how,
but one thing that's sure is I won't leave you now

If you can be honest, I can be too.
If you'll take the first step, I'll follow you through.
But no one wants to bleed,
no one wants to hide.
No one wants to hurt, alone inside

Squirrelercoaster.

2004-05-11T15:56:00.000-05:00

So I'm sitting at my desk getting mad at Finale and it so happens that, as my desk faces a window, I can see one of the many squirrels that call LCC home frolicking outside the window. Normally, these little guys seem calm, nibbling on old fries from the cafe, etc. (dumb choice, shoulda stuck with nuts.), but occasionally, when excited, they can really move. Chasing each other around the yard, zipping up and down trees, leaping from branch to branch, and occasionally jumping on my window screen and scaring the pee out of me. So it occured to me, as odd things often do, that they should make a roller coaster based on the squirrel. Cuz all that zippin' around looks like fun to me. More fun than Finale, anyway. Anyway, I was thinking they could attach GPS trackers and some other doo-dads and such to a real live squirrel, track its movements and use them as a scale model to design a coaster. "The Squirrel" kinda like "the Raven" at Holiday World. or maybe "The Squirrel King." I guess there's a reason no one ever asks me to design roller coasters.

Thought for the Day.

2004-05-07T12:54:00.000-05:00

I should have been a Lit major.

CHIPS

2004-04-30T16:16:00.000-05:00

SO this last week has not been the greatest. Just about everything that could go wrong with getting material ready for my level three composition recital has, well, gone wrong, from problems with finale to being inept at using the studio and asking Isaac questions every five minutes, to being made to work on days that my liarface manager said I had off >:0, and culminating in locking my keys in my car and finding out that my spare set has traveled to Manchester, NH. All in all, a little depressing. But then I got to thinking about something my grandma told me. One fine Thanksgiving day, in Ellettsville, IN I was helping Grandma in the kitchen and normally she is a great cook (except for those Swedish meat balls... ugh), so I don't know what happened, but the creamed corn did not turn out right, at all. It tasted ok, but it looked lumpy and well, less than appetizing. So Grandma looks a me and says, I'm gonna teach you something. Whenever something you cook doesn't turn out right, PUT SOME CHIPS ON IT. At which point she gets a can of pringles out of the cabinet, takes out a stack and CRUNCH she smashes them between both hands. While I stand there slightly bewildered and a little shocked, Grandma proceedes to sprinkle the remains of the pringles on the corn, and then turns and looks at me and says, "There, now that looks better." And I must say, oddly enough, it did. So I wish life was like that, whenever something goes wrong, you could just "put some chips on it" and everything would be better. I briefly considered trying this, but decided that Isaac would not be pleased to find pringles bits strewn about the studio, so I refrained. I think it is only supposed to work for casserole-ish type things anyway. So I contented myself with eating half a box of Dark Chocolate Cadbury Fingers. However, I was thinking, what if there was something that worked for your life like chips for a casserole? I'm not sure, but I am beginning to formulate a theory. Ps 18, especially vv.16-19, has helped me out a lot these past couple weeks. So maybe the Bible is like chips for your life. Maybe someday when I have grandkids and they have a bad day at school I can give them advice and be like "Put some Psalms on it." Or maybe not. Just a thought, and I make no claims to the effect of having coherent thoughts this week. Peace out.

A New Fav.

2004-04-02T02:07:00.000-06:00

So Elissa and I just watched "School of Rock," with Jack Black. I have decided that it is quite possibly the best movie ever. Best line: "I'm the principal of the School of Rock. Alright? Alright." --Joan Cusack.

An Addendum

2004-03-29T14:00:00.000-06:00

So I forgot to mention that my very rural weekend included a potluck (of course). Baked potatoes courtesy of the "boys club," ham, pork roast, bacon bits, and just about anything else you can get from a pig, and, of course, green bean casserole. YUM!

A Rural Weekend

2004-03-28T23:35:00.000-06:00

That's right, I had an extremly rural (pronounced rurrl) weekend. I went home this weekend because for whatever reason, my church decided to do a different musical style every Sunday this month, so I was recruited to play guitar. If you don't know where I live, don't worry, just picture the middle of any cornfield in Illinois and you're pretty much there. Anyway, the Hee-Hawesque mayhem (yes, I remember watching Hee-Haw as a child) began when I got home on Saturday and found out that earlier that day my parents had bought some doors at Yoder's semi-annual Tri-County Auction (That's Moultrie, Douglas, and I never have figured out the third one.) Anyway, it's run by Amish people, and so about half of the people there are Amish, which makes it quite a sight for the casual observer. It's pretty much the only place you can see over 50 buggies at once (unless you go hunting the church wagon) and it has that certain eau de farm that seems to be prevalent at Amish gatherings. At any rate, the place was a mud pit. It has rained the last two days, and there was at least three inches of mud everywhere, and probably some other things (Amish transportation byproducts) but you couldn't much tell because it was mostly a mess. In keeping with this very rural situation (loading doors in the middle of an Amish auction) I of course wore the appropriate attire: My most beat up jeans and boots. (Belive it or not I do have my very own pair of genuine, yellow leather, steel-toed, Dickies workboots. Well, I was proud of my suburban cleanliness, marked by the relatively small amount of mud I got on my self (only the bottom inch of my boots was covered), that is until my sister stepped on my foot (I think she was getting out of the way of the guy with the antique manure spreader in the back of his quadcab Ram.) Anyway, the clean part kinda went downhill from there, but we eventually sucessfully loaded the doors into Bob's old full size GMC and did what all good rural people do to celebrate; we headed, mud and all, for the Dairy Queen. Well, anyway, that was pretty much Saturday, except for Sarah and I watched "A Knight's Tale" on TV cuz it was the only good thing on the like five channels we get, cuz there's no cable, and the nearest video store is, well, I was gonna say a half hour, but there's actually a pretty good selection in town at our local Tru-Value Hardware. (If they don't have what you're looking for, they can get it in by Wednesday.) At any rate, come Sunday morning, I got my guitar and headed to church. Did I mention it was "bluegrass Sunday"? That's right. Guitar, Dad on banjo, Ralph on fiddle and Ron on Mandolin (We never did find anybody qualified to play the spoons). Anyway, we did lots of the old gospel type hymns, like "I'll Fly Away" and "Leanin' on the Everlasting Arms," as well as Allison Krauss' "Down to the River to Pray." I must admit I was a little taken back with the choice of "Turn the Radio On" for offeretory, but hey, how often is it Bluegrass Sunday??? Actually, it was pretty fun. The Bluegrass worship band isn't nearly as uptight (or tight in any way, shape or form) as a contemporary worship team. There is no music, no charts (well, Ron has a list of the songs that he keeps in his shirt pocket), and the rehearsal is really just for fun, because you're probably gonna do something different tomorrow anyway. All you need is your instrument, your ears, and you just kinda make the rest up. Which is actually remarkably fun and refreshing for someone used to the tedious and structured rehearsals of the modern praise band. Plus, it really improves your ability to improvise. Jazz was invented by very poor, very talented black people. Bluegrass is the white man's equivalent. Really, if you think about it, they are remarkably similar. Most of the band provides background, while another solos, and then they switch. Just the instrumentation is different. Continuing the journey, I sat in my dad's office for over two hours trying to order something off of the internet, because the only thing that moves slower than old rural farmers is old rural internet. (I neglected to mention what I was ordering because a Edirol UM-1x MIDI to USB converter just didn't sound rural enough.) Anyway, all jokes aside, I had fun playin with those old guys, and if you ever feel like a rural adventure, let me know.

A Confession

2004-03-27T09:23:00.000-06:00

That's right, I admit it, I like Anime. I watch Pokemon. And Yugi-Oh. Not that often, maybe once a week, but still I watch them. (I used to watch more when I got cartoon network for free and could get quality anime like Inuyasha and Yu-Yu Hakusho) Now that every one thinks I'm just about the biggest dork ever, (and they would be right) well, I feel that I at least deserve the chance to explain why. WHY? Well, because it is completely mindless entertainment (Well, actually it's just one big commercial, but who's counting). It reduces stress. If you've ever seen pokemon, you know that the plot is the same for every show. Ash & Co (the protagonists) are traveling to their next Pokemon battle, meet new friends, help new friends solve problem, defeat Team Rocket (the antagonists; Meowth, that's right!) and then continue on the quest for badges. I don't think the show has writers, they just use one script over and over with different pictures. And there is something marvelously relaxing about that lack of complexity. No pretenses, no dramatic tension, just our old friends Ash, Brock and Misti doing what they have always done. So I like Pokemon. So there.

Finally

2004-03-25T15:35:00.000-06:00

So I think I have finally found a suitable title and can now proceed to tinker with the fun stuff. YAY!

Ebert and Roper

2004-03-25T00:53:00.000-06:00

So I just heard the best thing ever on TV. I was watching Jay Leno while I was waiting for M*A*S*H to get back from comercial, and Ebert and Roper were on talking about movies... well, actually it was a rerun and they were talking about the oscars, but any way, Jay Leno was asking them if kids, for example a twelve year old, should be allowed to see The Passion of the Christ, and Roger Ebert just looked at him and said, "You know what, read your kid the Bible, then when they're 17, take them to see The Passion." I thought that was great. Yeah.

Notice

2004-03-23T23:33:00.000-06:00

Just a little comment about that blog I just wrote. I am usually not this philosophical, nor do I usually write blogs "when in vacant or in pensive mood." So yes. Just wanted to warn y'all that I have been know to take a more sarcastic tone. Ok, and I could also include random things like did you know that underwear comes with a tag that says "tear me out" on it? Weird. Anyway, just do not expect toooo many of these "cutsie" type things. Anyway if I am not mistaken I just randomly quoted Wordsworth in the middle of this blog which means that it is high time I go to bed. Peace out.

God's Country

2004-03-23T23:08:00.000-06:00

Well well... I guess I should write something... this is my blog... I'm still working on getting everything set up right, also looking for a better "more positive" title. I have a couple ideas, but I have to run them through my sensor first. Anyway, for some reason in the midst of trying to think of a title, I somehow got to thinking about the last time we went to visit my Mom's family in western Illinois... "God's country" as Mom always calls it :) If you've ever been to western IL, you know that there isn't much there (unless you're into pork festivals) but it has some of the most gorgeous rolling hills and fields and pastures in the Mid-West, as well as some great crappie fishing. In the midst of mid-semester stress, being in a boat in the sun on Lake Pittsfield is lookin better than ever (unfortunately, I think my fishing liscence expired this month). But I digress. Anyway, if ever there was a place in Illinois, and maybe the world (I am unabashedly unashamed of my ruralness) that could be called "God's country" that would be it. But then I said to myself can you really say that? Can God have a country? Would it be everywhere? Or no physical place? And then I thought you know, U2 might be on to something (one of my favorite songs off of The Joshua Tree (arguably the best, and possibly the only good album of the 80's) is "In God's Country") Allow me to quote: Sleep comes like a drug / In God's Country / Sad eyes, crooked crosses / In God's Country. Maybe God's Country isn't on this side of the grave. Maybe (I hope and believe) Pike County, Illinois is but a fragmented and distorted reflection of better things to come. And the further we go towards death and beyond, the better it gets. "Further Up and Further In!"

2004-03-22T19:48:00.000-06:00

HAHAHAHAHHA my very own blog.... I have harnessed the power of the internet to aid me in my evil schemes! MMMMMWohHAHAHAHA! Soon I will rule the universe. okok maybe not, but at least it's fun!