4 rae

At Rae's request:



And since this post is for my wife I'll add two video's of Ryan Leech (her dream cyclist):




More meaningful posts to come....I'm on vacation this week. =)

shins

The Shins are a great band and I've listened and enjoyed their poppy-wackiness over the years. They also have a knack of making great videos as well and I've featured 3 of them tonight.

1. "New Slang" is the best song The Shins have ever released:


2. "Phantom Limb" is a great song with a history lesson to boot:


3. "Australia" is one of the latest tracks off of their newest album, "Wincing The Night Away". This video cracks me up:

janjaweed

I just finished watching a documentary on the Darfur Genocide in Sudan titled, "The Devil Came on Horseback". This film is the story of Brian Steidle, who spend 6 months as a military observer monitoring the peace process in Sudan during 2004. He collected many stories and photos of the mass killing and raping which is going on in Sudan by the Janjaweed, which interestingly, translates into "devil on a horse".
The film gives a snapshot of the genocide and sadly, a glimpse of yet, another missed opportunity for our country to have stopped genocide in Africa. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell had the courage to at least call the atrocities in Darfur the "G" word. Something the Clinton Administration and Madeline Albright were too cowardly to do during the Rwandan Genocide. Yet, the Bush Administration was to fixated on the mire of Iraq, to do anything significant in Sudan in 2004. And they have yet too...
Please watch:

Educate Yourself:
Sudan Dafur Overview
Darfur Conflict
Darfur Eyewitness: Brian Steidle
Then Act:
Save Darfur
Check your senator's & representative's voting activity regarding Darfur at Darfur Scorecard
Global Grassroots

vid's for the kid's

Stupid title? Perhaps...but you can't deny the popularity of online video sites such as my good friend You Tube (the proud sponsor of all of tonights videos).

First one from R.E.M., who I've been intermittently delving into deeper over the past year or so. This is "Drive" from R.E.M. (gotta love a video entirely of crowd surfing):


Secondly, Jeff Tweedy singing "The Thanks I Get". Possibly the greatest song of the entire history of people singing stuff from their mouths with words:


This I just found and can't resist posting it as well. It's from the Jeff Tweedy "Live in the Pacific Northwest" DVD. Jeff has a moment where he rants on all the annoying people who are talking during the concert. I love this rant!! I have the same feelings which I why I almost got in a fight at the last Ben Harper concert I went to, ask Tim if you don't believe me. Here goes:


I'll leave you with the song, "Rich Young Ruler" from Derek Webb. Let this one sink in:

blugrass on crack

Video this week brought to us by the Letter A... for The Avett Brothers. The song is "Talk On Indolence" from the cd "Four Thieves Gone". The Avett Brothers recently released a new album, "Emotionalism" which I highly, highly recommend. It has been in my rotation for the past 2 months or so and I'm still not tired of it. Here's a taste of T.A.B.:

lyrics to ponder

From the song, "This Too Shall Be Made Right", off the album "The Ringing Bell" by Derek Webb.

people love you the most for the things you hate
and hate you for loving the things that you cannot keep straight
people judge you on a curve
and tell you you’re getting what you deserve
this too shall be made right

children cannot learn when children cannot eat
stack them like lumber when children cannot sleep
children dream of wishing wells
whose waters quench all the fires of Hell
this too shall be made right

the earth and the sky and the sea are all holding their breath
wars and abuses have nature groaning with death
we say we’re just trying to stay alive
but it looks so much more like a way to die
this too shall be made right

there’s a time for peace and there is a time for war
a time to forgive and a time to settle the score
a time for babies to lose their lives
a time for hunger and genocide
this too shall be made right

I don’t know the suffering of people outside my front door
I join the oppressors of those who i choose to ignore
I’m trading comfort for human life
and that’s not just murder it’s suicide
this too shall be made right

mixing bowl

Just a few different things. First, I thought I'd share my first every successful panorama. It's of Manasatash Lake in the Wenatchee National Forest. We hiked out there this past Sunday. Very beautiful.
Also, I've been listening to a lot of WILCO & live solo Jeff Tweedy lately. If you haven't checked out WILCO's album "Summerteeth" you should go buy it. It's well work your time. "She's A Jar" & "Shot In The Arm" are two album highlights. I'll leave you with the lyrics from "She's A Jar":

She's a jar
With a heavy lid
My pop quiz kid
A sleepy kisser
A pretty war
With feelings hid
She begs me not to miss her

She says forever
To light a fuse
We could use
A handful of wheel
And a day off
And a bruised road
However, you might feel
Tonight is real

When I forget how to talk, I sing
Won't you please
Bring that flash to shine
And turn my eyes red
Unless they close
When you click
And my face gets sick
Stuck, like a question unposed

Just climb aboard
The tracks of a train's arm
In my fragile family tree
And watch me floating inches above
The people underneath

Please beware the quiet front yard
I warned you
Before there were water skies
I warned you not to drive
Dry your eyes, you poor devil

Are there really ones like these?
The ones I dream
Float like leaves
And freeze to spread skeleton wings
I passed through before I knew you

I believe it's just because
Daddy's payday is not enough
Oh I believe it's all because
Daddy's payday is not enough

Just climb aboard
The tracks of a train's arm
In my fragile family tree

And watch me floating inches above
The people underneath

She's a jar
With a heavy lid
My pop quiz kid
A sleepy kisser
A pretty war
With feelings hid

You know she begs me
Not to hit her

Tonight, Over The Rhine will have a premiere web cast of their new album "Trumpet Child" at 8pm EST (5pm PST). OTR's last two albums have been great one's so I don't think this will be a waste of your time. Click on the Album for a link to the web cast page. Click here for an album review from another blogger with an overuse of superlatives & adjectives, in my opinion. But, hey, he got an advance of the album & me...I'm sitting here counting down the hours until 5.

birth

06.20.1975 - Happy Birthday too me.

theme song of the week

This is a great song with great lyrics which I think we should all spend some time contemplating.... I Repent

words and music by derek webb

i repent, i repent of my pursuit of america's dream i repent, i repent of living like i deserve anything of my house, my fence, my kids, my wife in our suburb where we're safe and white i am wrong and of these things i repent i repent, i repent of parading my liberty i repent. i repent of paying for what i get for free and for the way i believe that i am living right by trading sins for others that are easier to hide i am wrong and of these things i repent bridge i repent judging by a law that even i can't keep of wearing righteousness like a disguise to see through the planks in my own eyes i repent, i repent of trading truth for false unity i repent, i repent of confusing peace and idolatry by caring more of what they think than what i know of what we need by domesticating you until you look just like me i am wrong and of these things i repent

Child Soldier Prevention Act of 2007

Today I received an email from World Vision in regards to the new development in stopping children soldiers. Here's the low-down:
The Child Soldier Prevention Act of 2007 (S.1175) would curtail U.S. military assistance to governments that fail to take steps to demobilize and stop forcing/recruiting children into the armed forces or government-supported militias. Countries that do take steps to disarm, demobilize and rehabilitate child soldiers would be eligible for certain forms of assistance to help professionalize their forces and ensure that U.S. taxpayer dollars are not used to finance the exploitation of children in armed conflict.
Ask your Members of Congress to support the Child Soldier Prevention Act of 2007. American tax dollars should not be used to support the exploitation of children as soldiers, and American weapons should not end up in the hands of children.

Please take 5 minutes to complete the forms and add your voice to stopping this sad army of children killing children.

key of R - top 5 best albums of recorded history (ever)

That's right I'm once again imposing my musical elitist opinion on the void. Revel in your unknowingly lacking existence and rejoice that you have been freed. Go, buy these 5 (I mean 6......I couldn't bear to leave Linford out of the list) albums right away.

5. Linford Detweiler - Unspoken Requests
5. Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left
4. Damien Rice - O
3. Van Morrison - Astral Weeks
2. Johnny Cash - American 5: A Hundred Highways
1. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

[addendum]:
Since Wilco holds the #1 slot I thought I'd also drop a line about their great new album out entitled "Sky Blue Sky". I would also highly recommend the special CD/DVD version which shows the band in the studio recording the album. This cd is very layered & dense musically which isn't readily apparent on the first couple listens but, you visually can see this on the DVD. Tracks to pay attention to, in my opinion, are "Impossible Germany", "Walken", & "Shake It Off". Check it out.
Enjoy & I'd love to know what your top 5 (6) list would include.

skie

As, I continue to dabble in photography I find that, other than taking picture's of my daughter, I greatly enjoy trying to frame trees & clouds in new & interesting compositions. So, tonight is a post solely dedicated to the sky & all it's wonders.
The first 3 pictures are taken here in the Kittitas Valley in Washington State. The 4th & 5th pictures are from Wyoming last year on our migration out West from the East Coast. The remaining pictures are from various points in the Shenandoah Valley back in Virginia. Hope you enjoy.

sierra leone's refugee all stars

A quick post about a great band I've been listening to quite a bit for the past few months. The group is called Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars, which was founded in a refugee camp in Guinea during the civil war in Sierra Leone. This band also has a documentary out about the forming of the band and footage from the early days of the band. Check them out. The album is entitled, "Living Like A Refugee". The trailer for the documentary is below.

josh garrels

Two excellent videos of artist, Josh Garrels, whose albums don't spend much time out of my cd player. Great message, great sound, great voice. Enjoy.

it's friday.......

Just a post regarding the past post entitled "good friday". Rachel has done the research regarding the sermon titled "It's Friday But, Sundays Comin'" and has discovered that the original pastor who wrote & delivered the sermon was Marshall L. Shepard, Sr., pastor of Mt. Olivet Baptist Church in West Philadelphia. Sadly, everything on the internet credits Dr. Anthony Campolo who did write a book on the sermon, oddly enough, gaining public credit for the sermon with no known declaration that this is someone else's work.

Below is the email response from Tony Campolo's assistant:

Rachel,

When I "Googled" the topic, I found some of this, and then I made a call and
got the rest of it! "Tony Campolo preaches a sermon taken from an elderly black pastor, the
late Marshall L. Shepard, Sr., pastor of Mt. Olivet Baptist Church in West
Philadelphia. "It's Friday, but Sunday's Comin'" is the title of the sermon."

James Warren
Executive Assistant to Dr. Anthony Campolo, Bart Campolo and Shane

Looks like the cat is out of the bag. Have a good weekend everyone.

natura

Yesterday, I was able to "check out" of civilization for a few hours and go on a 9 mile hike in the surrounding woods of the Kittitas valley. I love being out in nature, I feel the closest to God when I am totally alone surrounded by his creation. The raw nature that I find in the untamed hills surrounding our home also quenches my need for adventure. I'm never sure if I'll step on a rattlesnake, be stalked by a mountain lion, or maybe surprise a sleeping elk or deer.......perhaps a slumbering bear!?! As I meander back down the trail, in the gray twilight of the night, my spirit was calm and quiet, ready to start a new week.
The top two pic's are of Mt. Stuart in the Cascade mountain range. The next one is of Mt. Rainer as the sun was beginning to set to her right. The last one is a random picture of a lone tree on a hill. I'm growing a strong affinity to lone trees. Not sure where to go with that thought. Anyway, have a good week.

good friday

It's Friday. Jesus is arrested in the garden where He was praying. But Sunday's coming.

It's Friday. The disciples are hiding and Peter's denying that he knows the Lord. But Sunday's coming.

It's Friday. Jesus is standing before the high priest of Israel, silent as a lamb before the slaughter. But Sunday's coming.

It's Friday. Jesus is beaten, mocked, and spit upon. But Sunday's coming.

It's Friday. Those Roman soldiers are flogging our Lord with a leather scourge that has bits of bones and glass and metal, tearing at his flesh. But Sunday's coming.

It's Friday. The Son of man stands firm as they press the crown of thorns down into his brow. But Sunday's coming.

It's Friday. See Him walking to Calvary, the blood dripping from His body. See the cross crashing down on His back as He stumbles beneath the load. It's Friday; but Sunday's a coming.

It's Friday. See those Roman soldiers driving the nails into the feet and hands of my Lord. Hear my Jesus cry, "Father, forgive them." It's Friday; but Sunday's coming.

It's Friday. Jesus is hanging on the cross, bloody and dying. But Sunday's coming.

It's Friday. The sky grows dark, the earth begins to tremble, and He who knew no sin became sin for us. Holy God who will not abide with sin pours out His wrath on that perfect sacrificial lamb who cries out, "My God, My God. Why hast thou forsaken me?" What a horrible cry. But Sunday's coming.

It's Friday. And at the moment of Jesus' death, the veil of the Temple that separates sinful man from Holy God was torn from the top to the bottom because Sunday's coming.

It's Friday. Jesus is hanging on the cross, heaven is weeping and hell is partying. But that's because it's Friday, and they don't know it, but Sunday's a coming.

And on that horrible day 2000 years ago, Jesus the Christ, the Lord of glory, the only begotten Son of God, the only perfect man died on the cross of Calvary. Satan thought that he had won the victory. Surely he had destroyed the Son of God. Finally he had disproved the prophecy God had uttered in the Garden and the one who was to crush his head had been destroyed. But that was Friday.

Now it's Sunday. And just about dawn on that first day of the week, there was a great earthquake. But that wasn't the only thing that was shaking because now it's Sunday. And the angel of the Lord is coming down out of heaven and rolling the stone away from the door of the tomb. Yes, it's Sunday, and the angel of the Lord is sitting on that stone and the guards posted at the tomb to keep the body from disappearing were shaking in their boots because it's Sunday, and the lamb that was silent before the slaughter is now the resurrected lion from the tribe of Judah, for He is not here, the angel says. He is risen indeed.

It's Sunday, and the crucified/resurrected Christ has defeated death, hell, sin and the grave. It's Sunday. And now everything has changed. It's the age of grace, God's grace poured out on all who would look to that crucified lamb of Calvary. Grace freely given to all who would believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary was buried and rose again. All because it's Sunday.

- Pastor Marshall L. Shepard, Sr.

unnamed

This is just a post with no real theme, perhaps a photographic cyclothymic trip. So enjoy, or don't, I guess it depends on where you're at on the swing of things.

cash

The MAN. 'Nuff said, watch for yourselves.
"Hurt":

"Ring of Fire":

"San Quentin":

"Jackson":

to wander

A pretty meaningless post really. Just found this website where you can map out all the places that you have visited in the U.S. and globally.



This map shows my global travels, primarily thanks to my two deployments in the United States Navy. Right now, I'd settle to go anywhere with sunshine. The Kittitas valley has been covered in freezing fog for the last week. No sunshine and frost on every single exposed surface, which gives some very pretty pictures. I'll have to post some soon. Good night.

snobbery in the key of R

Most of the time, I am able to restrain my urge to use this space as a soapbox to spout my highly opinionated views about music. But, as I read over my latest copy of PASTE magazine last night I was excited to see 3 separate albums soon to be released by artists I have greatly enjoyed over the years. So, this post only serves as a small interruption in your daily lives to go out and buy some good music to accompany you on your travels.
2007 is starting out musically on a very good foot!! Enjoy.

mlk

On the eve of Martin Luther King, Jr. day, I thought I would post an excerpt from one of his many influential speeches. After skimming my copy of " A Call To Conscience", I settled on a highlighted section from his speech entitled "Beyond Vietnam" from April 4th 1967.

Like RFK, many of Dr. King's speeches are still very poignant and valid so many years after being given. Please give time to reflect on the words of the past and help them guide us into the future.

"A true revolution of values will soon look uneasily on the glaring contrast of poverty and wealth. With righteous indignation, it will look across the seas and see individual capitalists of the West investing huge sums of money in Asia, Africa, and South America, only to take the profits out with no concern for the social betterment of the countries, and say, "This is not just." It will look at our alliance with the landed gentry of South America and say, "This is not just." The Western arrogance of feeling that it has everything to teach others and nothing to learn from them is not just.

A true revolution of values will lay hand on the world order and say of war, "This way of settling differences is not just." This business of burning human beings with napalm, of filling our nation's homes with orphans and widows, of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into the veins of peoples normally humane, of sending men home from dark and bloody battlefields physically handicapped and psychologically deranged, cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice, and love. A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.

America, the richest and most powerful nation in the world, can well lead the way in this revolution of values. There is nothing except a tragic death wish to prevent us from reordering our priorities so that the pursuit of peace will take precedence over the pursuit of war. There is nothing to keep us from molding a recalcitrant status quo with bruised hands until we have fashioned it into a brotherhood. "

moving pictures - 03

This will be quick. Just got back from the cinema. Saw the movie "Blood Diamond". Great story. Great topic. Mildly cheesy token love affair. Well worth everyone's time and $8. Go see it. I'm tired but will write more later...I haven't fully digested this movie yet.

Addendum:
First, let me say that this addition in no way holds any spoilers for those that haven't see the film. I have two reflections/questions after letting this picture sink in for a week.

1. During the scene of Freetown being overrun by the rebels did anyone else get a glimpse into what Kigali, Rwanda must of looked like during the chaos that ensued that first night of the Rwandan genocide? The madness, drunken soldiers, bonfires, and packs of roving men armed with AK-47's and machetes.

2. I found it hard to watch yet, felt I needed to be an observer during the indoctrination of the young boys into the rebel army. I wonder if this is how Joseph Kony warps the minds of the young children he kidnaps in the middle of the night in Northern Uganda. Does he crank up the rap music and the juvenile egos by passing around weed, beer, and handing out machine guns, then send them out to do his killing and raping?

Keep in mind that while the story in the movie is fictional. Blood diamonds, refugees, and child soldiers from Sierra Leone all happened. Rwanda happened. And child soldiers in Northern Uganda is still happening.

birdy nam nam

4 French dj's, 4 turntables.......

AND A MICROPHONE.