i'm getting so bad at this... it's like i never know what's happening because i'm too busy doing stuff all the time... sometimes i don't even know what i'm doing... that's when it gets nice and crazy... anyway... had a nice little breather at work, but things have kind of swollen back up and i'm far more than knee deep again... it's going to be a trying time the next few months at least and i'm sure it'll be a while before everything is aright... and i'm sure that i'm gonna be extremely tired when it's all said and done... i'm already at least halfway there...

Anyway, how about some TV talk, music chatter, and a little bit of other stuff...

CLEAR EYES... FULL HEARTS... CAN'T LOSE....
to the tune of Game On -Disciple

we've been going back through and watching FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS on DVD... we had watched Season One while it was happening, but by the time Season Two came on, i'm not sure what happened... i guess our DVR was overbooked or on the fritz or something and we ended up missing a bunch of the episodes and that coupled with the far-reaching murder subplot really turned me off to the show... Now that season two is out on DVD, i thought it was a good time to give it a second chance... and, thanks to good old netflix... it's pretty much risk free...

Anyway, i'm very glad we did because the writing (other than the whole murder thing) is just phenomenal... and it's reminded me of the most fascinating character on television... Tim Riggins... yeah that's right... and by fascinating, i mean that whenever he's on the screen, it's worth watching... he's easily the most complex character... and his reactions to life's problems, which tend to be numerous in his case, are always memorable... as easy as it would've been to make him a stock character with stereotypical reactions, i'm so glad they put more thought into him than that...

FASCINATION
to the tune of Fascination - Lester Lanin

Yeah, that's right.... Big Band... that's good stuff...

Anyway, since i've gone and declared Riggs as the most fascinating character on television, i thought i'd go ahead and list a few others that always grab my attention when they're on screen... Despite being numbered, this is my official, unordered list of last year's most fascinating characters on television...

• Jack Donaghy (30 Rock)
• Michael Westen (Burn Notice)
• Chuck Bartowski (Chuck)
• Brenda Johnson (The Closer)
• Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother)
• Robert Hawkins (Jericho)
• Peter Petrelli (Heroes)
• Sylar (Heroes)
• Robert Goren (Law & Order: Criminal Intent)
• Adrian Monk (Monk)
• Benjamin Linus (Lost)
• Daniel Faraday (Lost)
• Michael Scofield (Prison Break)

I'm sure that i've missed plenty... i don't watch every show obviously and, in some instances, i don't even watch the cool ones... You may also notice that there's no one from The Office on the list... trust me, that's still my favorite comedy by far, but i think as far as characters go, each character draws far too much strengh from how the entire ensemble acts and reacts... though, if forced into a corner, i'd probably be deciding between Toby and Creed since they have two of the smaller roles, but can, with a single line completely define the scene that they're in...

WIDE-EYED AND DIGITIZED
to the tune of The Invitation - downhere

Downhere has partnered with MusiChristian.com (who i used to use as my primary affiliate partnership) and they're giving away Wide Eyed and Mystified for the price of an email address... the album has amazingly been out for two years and the group has apparently mined it completely of all it's monetary value (what with a B-Sides and an acostic remix version among other things) and they really want you to remember their name when the release their next album, reportedly titled Ending is Beginning and may be released in late September... (currently, they're planning for the 23rd)...

So, you go to the page, enter your email address, and download a nice zip file with the full album in mp3 format complete with a 10-page that contains the liner notes and a cutout to make your CD insert and pretend that you bought a real copy of the album... and i jest, but it's really a good album and i think the vocal work on the album is some of the best that the past few years has to offer...

ANOTHER DEATH IN THE FAMILY
to the tune of Part the Waters Lord / I Need the Every Hour - Selah

And, now on a more serious note... actually, an extremely serious note... Nicol Sponberg (Selah) and her husband, Greg, recently had their life tragically interrupted with the death of their son, Luke who was, i beleve about three months old... It's my understanding that they also lost a nephew recently in the third hour of his life... clearly this is a difficult time for the family and prayers will be greatly appreciated... I'm told that they'll be establishing a Luke Sponberg Foundation and I'm sure that more details about that will be available in the near future...

AND WITH THAT...

Well, i had some other things to talk about, but it hardly seems like the best time to do that, so i'll close this out right now with a few links and a fond farewell for now...

- Third Day Walk TRu
- Phil Stacey Album Review

peace... love... bdg...

i promised myself that i'd write again before it was time to do the whole American Idol thing and yet, here it is again... Tuesday staring me square in the face laughing at my lack of discipline... mocking me with my own voice... well... anyway... it is Tuesday but it's not time for Idol... not just yet anyway... and i've not been idle in the meanwhile... in fact, i've been so busy that i'm ready to burst...

in the past week (though it feels like one long day), i worked on building out a new site for my brother and sister in law, i transcribed a lengthy interview, i wrote two feature articles, i wrote a couple reviews, i did a walk TRu, and i sketched out some work on a few other projects i have whirling around in my head... all this on top of my day job, the duties of which have exploded over the last five days or so... this is going to be one hectic week, i'll tell you that much... so much so that i missed out on having a sabbath this past weekend and i'm a little discombobulated... anyway... my time is probably short, so let's go ahead and dig in...

MOVIE MONDAY
to the tune of Assets and Targets - John Powell (from The Bourne Ultimatum)

Well, i finally got around to watching the third installation of the Bourne trilogy, The Bourne Ultimatum, and all i have to say is woah... not like a Keanu Reaves, Matrix, "woah"... a serious, have i taken a single breath this entire movie, woah... i normally try to do some work or whatever on my laptop while the movies are playing, but not while Jason Bourne was on... i had a tough time taking my eyes off the screen the entire time and that's how an action movie should be... if i'm watching an action flick, i want to be completely taken in by it... i want the little boy in me to be acting out the fight scenes for the next few days after watching it... bottom line, The Bourne Ultimatum gets a 4.5 out of 5 from me...

RETURN OF THE TALK
to the tune of Jesus is Just Alright -dc Talk

So i've realized that i don't talk music enough here on the old blog, which is genuinely odd since this is primarily a music website... if i made any bread and butter, you could say that music is where i've made it... and since i enjoy the older stuff too, when i saw this headline... dc Talk Reunites. . . i naturally had to check it out and share it with you all... i knew we'd all be excited together... (note: yes, i realize that it is what it is)...

WHERE IS THE LOVE
to the tune of Love Is Here - Tenth Avenue North

And now for perhaps some more serious musical news... hot new band Tenth Avenue North who's debut record is set to release next week has released a video for their lead single... the video for Love Is Here seems to pay a bit of tribute to The Beatles and U2... or maybe i'm reading into it too much... anyway, the song's really good....

IN OTHER WORDS
to the tune of Violet Hill - Coldplay

When the Game Is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box by John Ortberg... Well, i've moved onto the final section of this book, which means it's time for me to talk about Hazards (the second to last section)... the first chapter in this section jumped off the pages to me... "BEWARE, THE SHADOW MISSION" discusses what i'm far too familiar with... distractions... distractions keep you from accomplishing your mission... shadow missions seem like worthy causes sometimes... like, hey, can i really beat my previous high score in that game?... but they occupy your time and prevent you from making progress on what actually matters in the long term... it's somthing that i can honestly admit to struggling with just about every day...

the rest of the section is good, too, reminding us that competition isn't necessarily a bad thing... more stuff will never make us more of an actual success... and what's really important in terms of our physical existence is how we react to, cohabitate with and most importanty love those around us... all in all, a number of good lessons in this book so far... and as i've rounded the last bend as they say (i have about 20 pages to go), it's earning my recommendation more and more with each page turned... stay tuned for the finale sometime (most likely) next week...

PEEP INSTEAD OF SLEEP

okay and there are a few things to check out over on the main page... first, a Walk TRu of WOW Hits [1]... part two of my GMA Reflections and Responses... and an album review of Meredith Andrew's debut album, The Invitation... right around the corner, you can expect some more reviews, 2 interviews (Salvador and Stephanie Smith), an iTRunes playlist and a handful of other things...

peace... love... bdg...

So, it's another Idol night already and that means i've not updated in a week... what a jerk... anyway... i've been trying to readjust to life and a bunch of other excuses that you don't care about, i'm sure... and man, have my allergies been driving me nuts lately... my eye has been twitching for about a month and my nose has been twitching on and off as well... the littles are starting to struggle with the pollen counts, too, which really makes like fun... anyway... lots to get to, so let's get getting...

MOVIE MONDAY

i meant to go post this yesterday, but i didn't post anything so, here it is now... i finally, (read: FINALLY), saw Oceans Thirteen... and for me, it was goooood... i really like the series and i thought this one fit very nicely into the mix... you gotta love crooks who steal to make other people happy... and they're all just the epitome of cool... a couple odds and ends notes... as expected there were a number of twists and turns in the plot line... i say expected because it seems like every movie now has to have these crazy twists at the end nowadays... i think that eventually, we'll get to the point where a straightforward movie - one where what you expect to happen actually happens - is going to be the new suspense thriller... just a thought... Also, and i'm not one to force spiritual meanings into things, but at the end of the movie, all i could think about was that verse in the Bible about man making all the plans that he wants, but it's only God's plans that actually matter in the long run... yeah... i should figure out where that's from exactly... i'm guessing Proverbs...

FOUR MORE (A.K.A. THE AI COMMENTARY)
to the tune of Roll over Beethoven -Chuck Berry

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame night... i... wanna rock and roll all night.... and party every day... okay... so i'm not going to guess the songs this week, but anyone wanna bet that Brooke tries to crash the stage and sing Piano Man or something... anyone? anyone?... okay... the show's underway after Ryan specifies when the judges are allowed to speak...

David (Daughtry the 2nd) Cook: Hungry Like the Wolf by Duran Duran... i remember the video for this song more than anything else about it... i think some dude was wandering around the woods trying to catch a girl dressed up like Little Red Riding Hood and he's wearing a wolf skin... i remember that video more then i expect to remember this performance actually... Randy says it was just okay... Paula says she's hungry for some David Cook and then she rambles on about something odd... Simon says it's probably good enough, but nothing special...

Syesha (a.k.a. Cry-esha): Syesha's dress has been designed by Kristy Lee Cook... or something... oh, i like the hat... Tina... i thought she might sing some Tina or Aretha, but i don't know who's in the HOF... wow... she's trying to look like Tina... she's definitely working it... she has the clear advantage of being the only official girl left in the competition... and this song is alright... her vocal isn't that great, but the performance is very strong indeed... she knows how to use the stage... Randy says she was in the zone... (no, i didn't just copy that from last week)... Paula says she looks like a star... Simon says he has to put a slight damper on it... shrieky, bad impersonation of Tina Turner... the song was Proud Mary, by the way...

Jason (Castor Oil) Castro: i think Carley's drunk... so, go figure, Jason Castro is singing a Bob Marley tune... I Shot the Sheriff... props right off the bat to the band... they're fantastic... he's alright... well... i mean, this really... well... um... he looks the part at least... he needs to take into account the dynamics and meaning of the song... Randy plays the karaoke card... Paula says he played to the crowd... Simon says it was utterly atrocious and he has no idea what Jason was thinking...

{Little) David Archuleta: singing Stand By Me... and he actually looks like the kids walking on the train tracks during this movie... i remember singing this song in like fifth grade or something... i think i sounded about the same... well, i didn't sing it solo or anything... but come on... if anyone deserves the karoake card, it's him right here... that's just... bah... Randy says he broght the hot man vocals... or hot mad vocals... or something like that... Paula says she admires that he kept his eyes open... Simon says whistling would've been better than Jason's song, that he struggled a little bit, but it was the best performance so far...

REALLY? YOU WANT MORE?
to the tune of A Change Is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke

So far i'm not really impressed with any of them (surprise), but as of halfway through, Archy and Jason seem to be battling for the boot...

David (Daughtry the 2nd) Cook: singing something from The Who... Baba O'Riley?... i never listened much to The Who... it seemed really short, which isn't a baad thing... i've decided that he sounds like Todd Agnew... slow build and now he's screaming up the end of the tune... whatever... it's alright... Randy says it was really good, the David Cook they like... Paula says she wants a happy meal with a David Cook toy to hug and squeeze and hang from her rear view mirror... Simon says welcome back...

Syesha (a.k.a. Cry-esha): oh no she isn't... she's singing my boy Sam Cooke... Change is Gonna Come... look, if you can't mess with a Bob Marley song, i'm not sure you can mess with Sam... well, this is an entirely new arrangement... and she's belting out the words here and there... that's a strong finish, but i'm not sure that the whole thing was that great... not as much soul to it as the original... Randy says he didn't like the arrangement and you shouldn't mess with Sam... Paula says she did a great thing with her vocals... Cry-esha is still reeling from Randy's harsh comments... Simon takes pity and sides with Paula, noting that Randy got it entirely wrong...

Jason (Castor Oil) Castro: oh gosh... Jason didn't shoot the sheriff, he shot himself in the foot, head and heart... BOB DYLAN???? and we don't know the lyrics... somebody call Wayne Brady up on stage... i don't even know what to say... sort of like Jason... wah wah waaaah wah wah waaaaah.... well, needless to say, it was terrible and he's going to get trashed... he might not get voted off though... Randy just kind of giggles... Paula is smelling her feet... Simon tells him to pack his suitcase...

{Little) David Archuleta: oh... good grief... he really IS trying to beat Jason for the lamest performance... Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley... and he's, well, he's saving himself quite nicely actually... the vocal is pretty solid... why does the dude who can sing really well have to be so annoying?... Randy says he was carressing the lyrics... Paula says he's so sweet... Simon says he CRUSHED all those who oppose...

Well, i'll say that the Davids are safe and Jason will go home despite the possibility of pretending to forget the lyrics for the sake of getting sympathy... Syesha will probably be left on stage with Jason, but should be safe...

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

So, lots of new stuff to peep over on the main page... first up, a Walk TRu of the Jars of Clay Greatest Hits project... part one of my GMA Reflections and Responses... an interview with Poems (formerly Sharlok Poems, Sharlok P, etc from LA Symphony)... and an album review of Salvador's latest, Aware... and there's plenty more to come...

peace... love... bdg...

well, it's Friday and you may be thinking that, hey, i guess the new schedule means that he blows off Wednesday and Thursday... well... you'd be wrong... sure, i did blow off the last two days kind of, but it wasn't entirely intentional, it was just life... Wednesday i was in a fog most of the day and yesterday, among other things, i had to do an interview that i had pretty much forgotten about... and then amidst all the preparations for GMA Week which is now officially less than a month away... it's just been pretty crazy around here... so i'll try to make up for it with a fantastic post today, but be forewarned... i'm listening to talk radio and it's kind of difficult to write while doing that... but let's give it a go...

ONE. DOVE-ING IT
to the tune of We Won't Be Quiet - David Crowder Band

So, they've announced the first batch of performers for this year's Dove Awards and we care because i'll be there and i'll have to watch them... Anyway, it looks like an alright mix... we've got Casting Crowns, The Clark Sisters, Michael W Smith, Amy Grant, Marvin Sapp, Switchfoot, Steven Curtis Chapman, Chris Tomlin, Trin-i-tee 5:7, David Crowder*Band, Israel Houghton and Charlie Daniels with Mac Powell... i've bolded the ones i'm particularly interested in seeing... but, i think it's a pretty nice variety so that most people will enjoy at least, i don't know, maybe 5 minutes of the telecast...

oh, yeah, they're going to be telecasting the Dove Awards live on Gospel Music Channel

TWO. BUSSED-ED
to the tune of Gypsy Flat Road - Sandra McCracken

So i kind of laughed out loud when i read this story about flattened bus tires... not because i think it's a good idea, but because i clearly remember a time when some guys i knew did something similar during my high school days... i don't think they were successful, and they certainly didn't keep a secret well, because everyone knew about it by the day's end... this case, however included other vandalism to the busses including graffiti... i've also, in looking for a better article about this, learned that this has become quite an epidemic across the country, with recent occurrences in Boston, Chicago, Colorado, New Jersey and probably a lot more... that's the power of the internet, kids...

one side note... i remember when graffiti was about giving a voice to the voiceless... now it's just about degredation of society and it really irritates me...

THREE. NEW DAY???
to the tune of Come Together - Third Day

Third Day is planning a new album and by golly it actually sounds pretty exciting... given that i haven't heard a note of it, i'm basing this solely on the press release that i received not too long ago... here's the gist... they're bringing in Howard Benson (Daughtry, POOD, Flyleaf) for production and they guest list includes Chris Daughtry, Lacey Mosely (Flyleaf) and Robert Randolph...

I'm not saying this is going to be the best rock album of the year, but REVELATION may just be the best Third Day album in many, many years...

FOUR. Syncast
to the tune of The IV - Braille

consider me a somewhat late whistle-blower, but if you dig hip hop and you do the whole podcast thing, you've got to check out The Syncast... i guess it's once a month, but it's generally packed with good tunes a brief interview or other feature and it really rolls along well... They're on #37 and i've listened to the last three (they're about a half hour each) and i'm definitely recommending it right now...

Check it out in iTunes now or figure out how to subscribe other ways at TheSyncast.com

FIVE. BIG BEN
to the tune of Bad to the Bone - George Thorogood

So Ben Stein has gotten behind and in front, center stage of a documentary about evolution, creationism and the suppression of free thought in the scientific world... the trailer, despite the loud, blaring music and the silly outfit, makes the movie look pretty interesting... i got a leaders packet a couple weeks ago about it, but unfortunately not a screener, so i can't tell you if it actually is as good as it looks or if it's just the magic of creating a captivating 3 minute trailer... either way, it's an interesting concept and maybe, just maybe, it will get some people realizing that everyone who believes in the Creation isn't a complete imbecile...

HAPPY WEEKEND

and that's that... i've got a new Walk TRu posted for those that are interested... Ampersand EP by Derek Webb and Sandra McCracken... hopefully i'll have some more for you soon... 'til then...

peace... love... bdg...

Hey MyCCM readers (if there are any)... i'm thinking of packing this blog up and just posting on my primary blog... these have been all cross posts as it is and since i don't get any responses here, i was thinking i could save myself some time... make your case now or forever hold your peace...

sorry for my absence this week.. i've had a busy week at work and then some time yesterday the cold that i've been fighting for a week or so finally pounced, caught me from behind and dragged me to the ground like a lion chasing a gazelle in the wild... i've spent most of today either shivering or sweating or both actually... i slept fairly well overnight, catnapped through the morning and lounged around most of the day and i'm still coughing and hacking pretty regularly which is, oh so much fun...

anyway... i'm watching All the King's Men and it seems to be a movie that one needs to pay more attention to... dialogue seems to be pretty key as it is a pretty brutal look at politics... i like it so far though... okay... moving on...

DOWN SEPARATE ROADS

last week, we said goodbye to a dear friend and travelling buddy... our faithful Durango, Red Rover was traded in to a dealership with a bit of money in exchange for a brand new Buick Enclave... in purty deep metallic blue... i will say this... buying a car is as annoying as ever... haggling over price, sitting around talking through like 100 different layers of "management" and the oft-asked question, "what do i need to do to put you in this car today?"... please... this is why everyone still hates sales people... anyway, we like the new ride and the hardest adjustment so far is agreeing on a new name... (i think we're leaning towards Ka-BLUE-ey, though)...

AM/FM/XM...

along with this new vehicle comes a three-month trial to XM Radio... and an opportunity to subscribe to it beyond that... i'm not much of a radio guy, but i have to say that i'm fairly impressed with the selection of music thus far... and hey, NO COMMERCIALS... where else do you get that?... really though, i was most excited, because it meant that i'd be able to listen to the weekly Sphere of Hip Hop radio show on The Fuse... oddly though, The Fuse is only available online, so it'll be a matter of logging into the website and ignoring what's going on around me... i don't like being tied to a schedule... that's for sure... i need to figure out some sort of an XM Radio Stream DVR device... hmm...

GOING HOME

American Idol is whittling down the top 24 and i'm glad... i think i'll get more interested in it once they get down to the top 12... i hope so anyway, but i have to ask... did they always do theme weeks this early? i seem to remember the theme weeks starting further down the road... anyway, my early favorites are the little Archelleta kid, Michael, Brooke, and Ramiele (though i don't think that i could possibly pronounce that name)...

REALLY GOING HOME

On Sunday, Larry Norman left this world and joined up with God in eternity... the Father of Christian Music who watched his dreams and legacy become what it is today, for better and worse, passed away peacefully early in the morning... he wasn't a perfect man, by any means, but he left a legacy of music that was revolutionary, radical and quite memorable... and his final thoughts as dictated to a nearby friend are as moving as the lyrics we've all come to admire...

"I feel like a prize in a box of cracker jacks with God's hand reaching down to pick me up"...

AND ON THAT NOTE

i'm off to lay down and rest a bit more... i didn't get the reviews done that i wanted to this week yet, but i did post a really nice interview with Steven Delopoulos and a Walk TRu on the new Avalon record... and, before i go... a hearty HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my good man, Churck... if you need web hosting, he's your guy...

peace... love... bdg...

i can't believe it's Wednesday or that it's so late on Wednesday... i'm going to cover a bit and cover it quickly so let's get getting...

THE ICE STORM COMETH...

well, last night it took me over two hours to get home and i passed by an accident count in the double digits... these silly people driving too fast in icy rain... what are you thinking? so many cars on the side of the road... i sincerely hope they're alright and that they remember not to do that again... this morning everything seemed pretty much resolved even though it was still below freezing outside and icicles adorned pretty much everything in sight...

OVER AND OVER AND OVER

at least that was pretty... the results from last night's voting also hung like the icicles as the pundits described the life of my boy Mike's chances dripping away... in fact... McCain's camp actually send a memo over to Huckabee's camp asking them to give it up, citing mathematical impossibilities... i heard people in the media call Huckabee "a professional irritant", "an annoyance" and many other non-flattering terms, but, as silly and unprofessional as that all is, at least they're talking about him somewhat...

IT'S ALIVE!!!!!

Bill O'Reilly, someone i can handle in small doses (usually the 3 minute Talking Points podcast), was pleading the case of Hillary Clinton the other day... yes, that Hillary... addressing the Senator's complaints that the media has turned against her and has been unfairly representing her and her family... she was also concerned that the media outlets had already handed over the Democratic nomination to Obama despite it continuing to be a tight race... sounds to me like the monster Dr. Frankenstein built in years past has come to life and turned on its master... and, might i add, how hypocritical of O'Reilly, not only to chime in on Hillary's side, but also to complain about "secular" media doing to Hillary exactly what he and Fox News have done to my boy Mike for the ENTIRE CONTEST...

CHEESEHEADS, ROLL OUT

Next up for my boy Mike is Wisconsin... i think he can take the state and gain some momentum going into the big block of contests on March 4th... as far as whether or not he should give up and leave the election, i say, in the words of General Anthony McAuliffe, "Nuts!"... later this week, i'll talk more about why i like Mike...

NUTS!

speaking of which... Jericho is back on the air and i missed the premiere yesterday... i'll watch it online or on demand later this week... pretty bummed about missing it though...

CLEMENS.... SEE?

The Rocket testified in congress today and it's really not looking too good for Clemens... i said before that i lean towards the side of believing him over McNamee, but there is this nagging notion of motive... and then Pettite reportedly said that Clemens had admitted it to him... i just don't know... i did work out a scenario where McNamee has motive though... it involves years of blackmail, a bluff, and a battle of wills... regardless, now that they've both testified to opposing accounts under oath, one of them is pretty much screwed... and Clemens never had a very good screwball...

WORD OF THE DAY

Joshua 6: 6-11

Day One

I'm not sure how the conversation entirely went, or if Joshua really explained the full battle plan to his people, but he managed to convince them all to follow him... and they set out on day one of the week-long plan of attack... i'm sure that everyone was pretty antsy and i imagine that there was a lot of whispers after they got back to camp that night as they all tried to figure out what happened... and why they didn't yell at all, why they didn't attack at all, why they were sitting back at camp again...

IN OTHER WORDS

When the Game Is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box by John Ortberg...

Chapter 6: Master of the Board... again

the next section of this chapter hits you like a cold wet sock across the face... or, like the reality it's asking you to face... the reality that you're not actually the master of the board... we're not in control of our lives and by pretending that we are, it's more than a lie, it's more than disillusionment, it's even more than sad... it's dangerous, it's destructive, it's really, really depressing... this chapter is something of a downer so far... ha!

AND IT JUST DON'T STOP

Okay, here's the links from last time... the Mr. J Interview and a walk TRu of How Great Thou Art... looking at the old calendar, i see that i have some more interviews coming up with Kevin Max, Poems, and more including some year in re:TRu stuff too... also tomorrow is Valentine's Day and they're announcing the Dove Nominees, so i might talk about that, too...

peace... love... bdg...

seriously? it's Thursday? it's been some week... it's been kind of rough mustering up the energy to keep things rolling... energy, motivation, i don't know... anyway...

Here i am, working the blog while my mind is wandering around thinking of all the other things i could be, should be, or would like to be doing... in the background is last night's debate courtesy of YouDecide2008's YouTube account... what a great backdrop for the debate... does anyone know if you're allowed to walk through the airplane if you visit the Reagan Library? i'd suspect that's probably not the case, but that would be pretty sweet... anyway, it's about time they start cracking down on Romney's "fees" vs. "taxes" nonsense, but i'm not too happy about... well, i guess i'll just dive in with that...

DING DING DING (IN THIS CORNER)

i'm pretty unhappy that this has clearly, in the media's eyes, become a two-horse race... while Huckabee was introduced first and managed to get the face time and company of former First Lady Nancy Reagan, he quickly got pushed off to the far left of the table and ignored for most of the debate which is a HUGE step back, reminiscent of some of the earlier debates where he got maybe three questions - one about the Bible, one about evolution and maybe one about policy... it's pretty disturbing, though, perhaps the writing is on the wall...

with a lack of funds and a lack of coverage, i suppose it is entirely possible that the Huckabee run for the presidency is on its last legs... some are actually speculating that he's only staying in the race to take away some of Romney's votes, clearing the way for McCain to storm through and win the nomination... actually, i'm okay with that if it's true... i'm still hoping that Huckabee can pull it out and have a strong showing, but my second choice from the Republicans has always been McCain... McCain's strengths are in foreign policy and military, both of which are extremely important at this point in history and i don't honestly believe that any candidate will enact any significant economical policies that will be in the best interest of everyone...

Regardless, the debate zeroed into the feud between McCain and Romney with each other... Romney whining that the bees are chasing him after he smacked the crap out of the hive and McCain, calmly chuckling to himself and standing by his statements... other than that, nothing was really said that hadn't been said several times over and based on the two of them, the debate was entirely unnecessary...

Ron Paul chimed in a few times telling them to stop bickering about he said/she said arguments, plugging the importance of, surprise, improving the economy and his apparent desire to pull all the American troops everywhere in the world back to the homefront... i'm starting to think that Ron Paul would like to build a giant dome over America shutting us off from the rest of the world entirely - so long as we don't borrow money from China to build the dome, of course... Actually, a side note about Ron Paul... i saw that Ralph Nader was looking to make a run at president again and immediately thought of a Nader/Paul ticket...

And then there was Huckabee... sitting in the corner, unfairly marginalized while the apparent top two traded insignificant blows... he complained a few times about not getting any questions, but responded rather eloquently to the ones he did get... his answers even had the other candidates listening and nodding in agreement at times... McCain had expressions that said, "Why didn't I think of that?" while Romney's said, "I need to put together some more smear ads"... i think they both thought twice about Huckabee again and America should've, too...

The last question was about Ronald Reagan and it summed up the entire debate...

Cooper: Would Ronald Reagan endorse you as president and why?

Romney: Ronald Reagan? Of Course! Ronald Reagan would. Ronald Reagan agrees with me. Ronald Reagan, Ronald Reagan. Besides, McCain's too liberal and I have my lips firmly attached to the seat of Ronald Reagan's pants... this is the house that Ronald Reagan built! Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan...

McCain: Ronald Reagan likes me. I was Ronald Reagan's footsoldier! We defeated the Cobra Kai together! Besides, Romney is such a weak, flip-flopper that it's laughable. Ronald Reagan would never endorse that guy! He's got no spine! Ronald Reagan had a spine. I have a spine. I might actually BE Ronald Reagan by the end of this election cycle. Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan...

Paul: What did you say? Oh right. I don't know but Ronald Reagan campaigned for me in the 70s and he told me personally to mind the economy. ECONOMY!

Huckabee (for the win): It would be presumptuous to answer that. I can't say that Ronald Reagan would endorse me, but I wish that he would. Ronald Reagan was a great president, not because of his policies, but because he believed in this country and he rallied the great people of this nation to believe in America again. If we can recapture that, that's when we can recapture the Reagan spirit and only then can we bring this divided nation back together again.

Cooper: Thank you gentlemen and with three votes, Ron Paul, we believe you to be the mole, you are dismissed from the race.

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR (BUT, WE DON'T HAVE ONE)

So, i've got a lot more to say about politics and the State of the Union Address that was earlier this week and more in general, but i think that's enough for today... right now, i'm stepping back and opening up and being a little vulnerable... i mentioned in a previous blog entry how one of my dreams have died this year... and it seems that i'm in that season of life again where everything that has to do with my writing "career" is falling apart...

i booked my flight and room for GMA Week this year, sent in my registration papers and, looking at the numbers, i've come to realize that it may have to be my last GMA Week... it's just getting harder and harder to justify the expenses of pursuing this when it's increasingly becoming a drain on my finances... i used to make some money doing this writing thing... i used to be something of a journalist... when i was with CMC, i was doing alright and despite the increasing demand on my time, there was enough compensation to make it pretty much worth my time... (the stress and aggravation wasn't really worth any amount of money, however)... and with HM and more recently with CCM, it was worth it, not for the pay necessarily, but for the enjoyment of it writing and the excitement of seeing my name in print and "accomplishing" something...

Now, CCM is done in print... HM is uncertain about keeping hip-hop in their coverage (which is fine, if that's the decision that needs to be made)... and even the slight inroads i made into the Salem world during the aftermath of CMC's upheaval seem to have been crushed with the recent reorganization over there... i just don't know which end is up really...

Part of me would love to keep fighting the good fight and try to push theTRu over the top, shaping it into a mainstream force, but i realize that it's a goal i may never reach... despite the increased traffic as of late, i'm still nowhere near a place where i've been advised is viable to solicit advertisers... and it seems by the difficulty i have booking interviews and getting connected with publicists, that i don't quite carry much weight...

i don't want to be a whiner or anything - in fact, i recently got a paypal request from someone who i would characterize as such and i was appalled, not so much by the request for support, but by the mention and comparison of this request to the amount that i tithe, when the two have absolutely nothing to do with each other and as such, they have no business being in the same breath...

anyway, i don't want to be a whiner, i'm just being honest... i think that i do good things with these interviews and features and, when i write them, reviews and such... i'm just starting to wonder, as i'm no longer covering costs, if it's what i should be doing with my time... i guess time will tell...

FOOTBALL (WHO TO ROOT FOR)

moving on... i'm not entirely certain who i'll be rooting for while watching the Superbowl this year... on the one hand, The Patriots are in my top tier of teams (Bills, Packers, Patriots, & Redskins) and they should, by default, be who i favor... HOWEVER, i love seeing an underdog pull off the upset... and i hate how imbalanced the two conferences have become... the AFC has the "best" five teams in the league, probably... and it would be great to see Eli Manning, who get so trashed by the papers week in and week out, come in and knock out Tom Brady, the golden boy, the guy who everybody praises unabashedly... so, i'll talk more about the game later, but that's where i am right now... undecided...

WORD OF THE DAY

Joshua 5: 13-15

This is one of my FAVORITE passages of Scripture... it's one of those slap you in the face, pour a bucket of ice water over your head, grab you by the ears and scream in your face type of passages to me... it's a wake up call for all the times when i get ahead of myself, when i think too highly of myself and when i elevate myself to a level of righteousness that i don't deserve... and i wrote a Left to Write on this a while back, so i won't go too crazy here today, but i just love the reality check of a response that Joshua gets here...

He looks off in the distance and sees this warrior... sword drawn and probably quite intimidating... Joshua's gotta be pretty scared right about now as he questions this mysterious soldier's loyalty... "Are you for us or for our enemies?"... logical question, right? But that's because we see things in limited dimensions... in our eyes, there can be only 2 sides... you have to be on my side or on their side.... it's always you vs. me, us vs. them, Roe vs. Wade, McCain vs. Romney, spy vs. spy, etc... and i love this response... "Neither"... boom! just blows your mind and redefines your entire sense of reality... i love it...

IN OTHER WORDS

When the Game Is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box by John Ortberg...

Chapter 5: Untie Your Ropes...

how about that... this chapter just totally speaks to where i'm at right now... Ortberg is talking about things that keep us from achieving our goals, flying in an airplane in his example here, and i'm just going to quote him here today because this sentence deserves a bit of rumination...

Ortberg says: "If I am not yet living according to what I believe matters most, it is no accident. There are forces or habits that have a deep hold on me that I will have to get rid of."... this is very true...

DON'T GO AWAY MAD (JUST GO AWAY)

Well, this week has pretty much gotten away from me, but i did manage to post a Walk TRu of the first two Jon Foreman EPs

COMING SOON

at theTRu you'll see a new Left to Write, the start of the Year in Re:TRu and much more... and i'll probably ask you some questions about what i do....

OH, ONE MORE THING...

i mentioned a while back that Skillet has a new drummer now and i noticed that there's a lot of Skillet fans...er, panheads out there looking for Skillet news... so here's one for you... it seems to me that there will not be a new album from the group until John Cooper is done moonlighting as Titan, the captain of the new American Gladiators. . .

am i right?

peace... love... bdg...

Have you missed me?... i've been pretty tied up with work and errands... and i'll tell you what, i love holidays and all, but it really screws up your sense of schedule... anyway, with all the illness going around, it's added to it all to of that and made me perform at like half speed... in fact, it looks like i have a writer's strike beard going on and i think i'm going to have to get shaving soon because it's all itchy and stuff... eh, don't mind me, it's the congestion talking...

So the big news during my absence has been that Fred Thompson dropped out of the presidential race and i guess some people are now reporting that he was only really testing out the waters so that he might be picked as a running mate... sounds like a career underachiever to me... why would you brag about that?... anyway, the other big news is that Heath Ledger is dead... no joke, or recurring joker character in the new Batman movies... the questions surrounding his death include whether or not it was a drug overdose and how Mary-Kate Olson ties into the whole thing...

yeah, i'm doing no good here, so why don't we move on...where did i leave off last time... that's right disillusionment...

RON-PAUL-UTION...?

so it seems like everywhere i go these days, there are Ron Paul banners strewn about on the side of the road or banner ads everywhere or even worse, the moronic online militia posting negative comments about every other candidate, talking conspiracy theories and basically being a nuisance... now, keep in mind, i don't think that everyone who supports Mr. Paul is a moron, it's just those who refuse to accept the strengths of other candidates and the weaknesses of their own...

In fact, Ron Paul has a lot of good things to say and it's no wonder that he's been able to amass such a following... when it comes to the economy, he certainly seems to know his stuff... and with the recent shift in focus at the debates to key in on economic matters, it looks to favor Paul for as long as they let him talk...

However, Paul seems to be one-dimensional in that regard and is more like Bill "It's the economy, stupid" Clinton than the Ronald Reagan persona he tries so hard to embrace... if it is just about the economy, then Ron Paul is probably a great choice... but it's not just the economy... people listen to you when you talk about the economy and people like it when you promise to fix the economy because the average person becomes short-sighted when it comes to money... we, as a nation, are so willing to sacrifice ethics, safety, moral responsibilities, our family, and just about anything on the promise of prosperity...

Look back at Bill Clinton's time as president and you can see what happens when you just focus on the economy... by the end of his term, we as a nation had experienced the most publicized and morally bankrupt trial of a man's infidelity... our military was depleated and, despite rolling with the good times throughout his presidency, the country was in a recession... the point is not that we shouldn't focus on the economy - because i think that we've overlooked basic, common sense business practices as a nation for far too long - but the tunnel vision can only last for so long before everything collapses...

Ron Paul's statements about foreign policies and other practical issues really show a lack of depth and understanding that's necessary to be in such a high position of authority which outweighs his positive statements about the economy... bottom line, it's more than just the economy, stupid...

FOOTBALL

Another set of good to great games last weekend... the Patriots managed to shut down the Chargers pretty well... even with Darth Vader trying to manipulate the force from the sidelines... and the rootin' tootin' Green Bay Packers, led by Yosemite Brett Favre couldn't overcome the elements and knock off the Giants, who are apparently sponsored by Franks Red Hot, hot sauce... of course i'm disappointed that the Pack didn't pull it off, but they were totally outplayed for the whole game and it's only fair that they win...

this means of course that the Patriots and the Giants will be in the Superbowl down in Arizona and it's going to be.... eh, an okay game at least... i'll talk more about it later on...

MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY

Monday was Martin Luther King Day and i have a few things to say about it... first is that there was apparently an MLK patio sale at a local store... i know this because The Tony Kornheiser Show is back on the air and Tony was ranting about how inappropriate it was to advertise a patio furniture sale and attach the name of someone who assassinated to it... His argument was that of all the things that Martin Luther King Jr stood for in his life, patio furniture sales shouldn't be his legacy in pop culture... which is fine, except he continued to say that it would be okay to have President's Day sales, Christmas sales, etc... if i'm not mistaken, Lincoln was assassinated and that guy they named Christmas after, too...

Anyway, little boy, who is in Kindergarten, learned about Martin Luther King, Jr. in school... now, i'm not sure all that was said during the lesson or lessons, but he told me that King was a good man, who told people to love everyone and that he had a dream before he was "killed by the bad white man"... interesting to say the least...

i guess my problem overall is that he's in Kindergarten... he doesn't have any concept of race... and he shouldn't... he's innocent in that regard... as he should be... i see this as a subtle attack on innocence and maybe i'm just being a little overprotective - again, i don't know what the lesson was about - but i have a dream where kids aren't taught from an early age that race is an issue only to be taught later on that race isn't supposed to be an issue... it's already not an issue... just let us all be neighbors... i'm probably rambling...

GHOST IN THE MACHINE (part eleven)

Long time readers will appreciate this... this time, it's my laptop... my trusty, faithful, german shepherd of a laptop... except that it's been acting up in most every way imaginable... first it started acting slow... i figured that it was because i hadn't shut down in quite a while... well then i got it all rebooted and such and my browser kept freezing... and freezing... and freezing... so i ended up having to uninstall, reinstall, shop around and now i'm splitting time between different browsers... in the meantime, i've gotten my email migrated and lost my filters and address book... so i'm still in the process or rebuilding all that... my other computer is actually acting worse, but i'll save that for another day...

WORD OF THE DAY

Joshua 5: 1-12

This is a difficult subject to talk about... but it's part of the covenant... they're across the Jordan, God's been faithful and they're all in good spirits, preparing to start battle against all the countries that lay ahead... and at the big pep rally, Joshua says, it's time to get circumcised... then it explains that this was the next generation and that they hadn't been circumcised in the desert because of all the disorganization and disobedience... now they're all caught up with their end of the bargain, recovering from the surgery during the time that is afforded by the fear of the Amorite kings... and, having been cleansed, they can celebrate passover and enjoy the food of the land...

IN OTHER WORDS

When the Game Is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box by John Ortberg...

Chapter 4: Master the Inner Game...

This chapter talks about the two distinct games that we are playing... an inner game and an outer game... the outer game is what we get credit for, but it is simply an outpouring of the inner game... Ortberg says that the possibility of mastering the inner game is the biggest reason that we even play the outer game... everything external is wasting away despite our efforts to stave off the effects of aging, but i think we need to recognize and embrace the relationship between external and internal, physical and spiritual, temporal and eternal... doing that isn't easy, especially in a world that likes to compartmentalize everything... props to Ortberg for the Dorian Gray reference... great book there...

BEFORE YOU BREAK MY HEART

Here's the stuff from last time... a concert review, an interview with Chris Rice and aWalk TRu for Night Owls 4...

Newer postings include an interview with Ronnie Freeman and a new iTRu-nes Playlist...

COMING SOON

the weekend... man, writing in the blog really winds the clock down... but yeah... i'll shave, i'll get better and i'll talk about more stuff... on theTRu, i've got a WalkTRu, Left to Write, and more in the works...

peace... love... bdg...

well, this is going to be a quick one because it's been a long week filled with ups and downs... pretty draining and hard to keep the right end up... but since the football games are now tomorrow... i wanted to weigh in on that and a couple other things... i will say that this three-day weekend has some great timing... amen and amen...

GOING GOING GONE (PART TWO)

Also while i was gone... (i got so carried away that i forgot)... the Procussions have decided to call it a day... Mr. J and Stro will continue to do some solo projects and what not, but, having cited a number of reasons in a MySpace Bulletin, Mr. J said that the group was pretty much through... i'm trying to set up an interview with Mr. J, but nothing's come of it yet... i'll let you know...

IT'S PLAYOFFS, BABY

Four teams remain... two BIG games tomorrow... here's how it will play out... SPOILER ALERT...

Patriots host the Chargers... Randy Moss is in a world of anxiety and confusion because of all these allegations... but it doesn't matter... Moss doesn't even matter, really... there are so many weapons on the field that it's just too easy for the Patriots... i think the Chargers will actually put up something of a fight, but will end up losing by 20 points or so...

Off to the tundra... where the red hot streaking Giants march in to face the calm and amazingly veteran Packers... expect snow, wind, freezing temperatures and a Packers win, baby... yeee ha!

AND I'M OUT

i posted up a concert review, an interview and a new Walk TRu and boy am i tired... more details later, but for now, peep theTRu.

COMING SOON

interviews, walkTRus, Ron Paul... more...

peace... love... bdg...

today is a very special day... not just because it's Friday, but that's nice... not even because it's 1-11 which rarely ever happens... what? oh, it happens every year?... okay... not because of that... but today is special nonetheless... today, Monk and Psych return to air as planned... regardless of the strike... i'm happy...but what's really special about this day is The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything... yeah... Veggietales in the theater again...

ON HUCKABEE, ON THOMPSON, ON MCCAIN, ON CLINTON, ON OBAMA, ETC...

so i was supposed to talk about the debates from last weekend and i blew it... i watched all the Republican segments and enjoyed it a lot... again, prior to this year, i never got much into the whole political scene... and while the charm of these ridiculous amounts of coverage should wear me even thinner than normal, i'm actually intrigued by it all... i was reminded why i don't like politics a few weeks ago witnessing angry arguing and abrupt assumptions, but it wasn't until the other day that i realized that i'm more a fan of debating than i am of politics...

i really enjoy watching these debates... i love the banter and the back and forth civil arguments... it's entertaining and educating... anyway, i'm still backing Huckabee and i'm excited to see how the next few states turn out... one thing i do really enjoy is that Romney is getting put in his place in every debate... the televangelist android has been spending millions on negative attack ads and everyone is calling him on it... they're nailing him for his inconsistencies and then he has the nerve to cry foul...

The funniest things i've seen this week have been Jon Stewart nailing both Mitt and Rudy on Wednesday's "A" Daily Show... anyway... enough politics...

WIN OR GO HOME (PT. 4)

Last on the docket... The NEW YORK Giants head down to Dallas to face the Cowboys... after getting manhandled during the previous two meetings this year, the Giants are looking for revenge... and they're looking to the suddenly strong arm of Eli Manning... this should shape up interestingly as Romo will surely have some jitters and Eli has the confidence of having led his team to victory last week... the problem is that he's still facing the Cowboys, who have dialed him up twice already this year... Terrell Owens promises to be back and this promises to be a really good game... all week, i've been thinking that the Cowboys will win easily, but i'm actually changing my vote and calling this one for the Giants...

NEW YEAR, NEW MUSIC, NEW OUTLOOK

i've spent a lot of time thus far this year getting organized... i'm trying to make this year a great year for writing... i know, i've said that many times before and i still have a long way to go... but i'm happy to be listening to the new Leeland album and have a few other promising prospects coming down the pike...

AND WITH THAT...

everybody's working for the weekend... no, actually, i'm just chilling out all weekend... with some work thrown in, i'm sure... in honor of the Veggietales Pirates movie, you can "peep" my walk TRu of the movie soundtrack... happy weekend everybody... i've got some, emails to write...

peace... lov