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Thursday, September 17, 2015

Music for a New Jersey Monday

In New Jersey a couple of weeks I got to thinking about a suitable MfM post. A mafia song? Couldn't think of one. Then a Maserati drove by and I knew there could only be one song that would fit such an occasion. Was it coincidence or divine confirmation when the very next day in NYC I saw another Maserati, also with NJ plates? One of my all-time favorite songs from one of my favorite New Jersey artists. I hope you enjoy this Music for a Monday offering.

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Music for an ordinary average Labor-Day Monday:

Today's piece is a long time favorite. From the moment I first heard this I loved it. Today we'll get away from "pop" music and listen to a piece from one of America's greatest composers. It seems a fitting tribute this Labor Day week.




As soon as I heard the opening trumpet line I was transported back to the Windsor High School indoor pool where I cajoled my good friend, Carroll, to play this. The trumpet echoed wonderfully and filled the entire room with a glorious sound.


Here's another offering from one of my favorite rock composers...

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Music for a Monday: Not Lost

If you think Music for a Monday musta got lost, think again. Driving around the US slowed things down, that's all. Here's a lesson in love coutesy of "Reputa the Buta."

Hailed as "America's answer to the Rolling Stones" after the release of their debut album, these "Bad Boys from Boston" never gained the success of the Rolling Stones but they were arguably the best live band ever. A Boston blues loving DJ, a blues harp player and guitarist grabbed a bass player and drummer and rounded out the team with keys. This intro gives you a glimpse into the energy, creativity and insanity that typified a J. Geils show. So many, many, many great memories.

Enjoy (with apologies to those with sensitive ears)



I have my brother to thank for this little gem. He turned me on to Geils. He bought this epic live album on a trip we took to England and I still remember the stewardess on the flight home commenting to him, "That's a great album." She was right, and so was Tom. High energy, bare bones American R&B on two flimsy pieces of vinyl.

Monday, July 20, 2015

Music for a Monday: Beyond Ecclesiastical Music

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Elvis Costello, Mark Twain, King Solomon, and certainly countless others from all cultures do a great job of identifying what is wrong. It seems that a solution is all too rare. How do you get “two little Hitlers” to live together? This song was a huge hit in  the 70’s…


If you remember this song, leave a note about listening to this in the 70’s

Saturday, July 18, 2015

Not quite "Ecclesiastical" but just as problematic...

Another "problem" song, not quite Ecclesiastical

I admit it, Elvis Costello is on my short list of "go-to" music. Elvis has a keen grasp of so much that is wrong in the world. He actually reminds me of Mark Twain. (Interestingly both men are known by their pen names rather than their given names, Declan MacManus and Samuel Clemens) Another similarity is that while both of them have/had a keen sense of the problem, they do/did not see the answer. That saddens me deeply. But I digress....

Here's an astute look into the world of relationships, and probably marriage. All of the problem, none of the solution. How to get two inherently selfish people to live together?



I really love this song. Such a powerful metaphor, if only he had a more powerful solution. What is your solution to the "problem of Hitler"?

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

"Ecclesiastical" Music in the 70's


Ah, I remember it well. A beautiful song that I pretty much hated. It seemed the rest of the world loved this song but I found it soooooooo depressing. Funny that I now resonate so strongly with Ecclesiastes.

For your listening pleasure and metaphysical pondering I offer Kansas' highest charting single from the album "Point of no Return,"



Gotta love those 70's outfits and hairstyles.

While this idea is not taken directly from Ecclesiastes but is more closely aligned with Gen 3:19 (the first book in the Old Testament of the Bible and attributed to Moses) and Psalm 103:14 (a book in the Old Testament, much of which was penned by Solomon's father, King David), the rather depressing nature of the inevitability of death is reminiscent of Solomon's writing in Ecclesiastes. Solomon wasn't the only guy thinking about mortality and meaning. Apparently, the line "all we are is dust in the wind" is found in a Native American poem and certainly, the topic of mortality and "dust" is found in many other writings from various cultures.

Every time I hear this song I am reminded of 3 powerful images:

  • Hearing this on the radio while driving an orange VW Beetle and hating the song
  • Trying to slow dance to this decidedly unromantic tune
  • Kathy Hosfelt loved this song
I am older and wiser now. I always appreciated the musicianship and arrangement of the song. Now I understand more clearly Kerry Livgren's, the man who wrote this song, perspective. Ultimately, life without God is meaningless.  If there is no God we are left with nihilism and vacuous moral relativism.

Monday, June 15, 2015

Music for a Monday: More "Ecclesiastical" Music

Last week we heard "I'd Love to Change the World" and I noted that it has an ecclesiastical bent to it along the lines of the ancient writing of King Solomon. King Solomon is often regarded as the wisest man who ever lived. His musings on life are recorded in three books included in the Old Testament of the Bible: Proverbs, the erotic love poem Song of Solomon, and the aforementioned Ecclesiastes.

Here's another Solomon inspired song from Pete Seeger and released most famously by some notorious 60's stoners, The Byrds. Hope you enjoy this delightfully lo-fi live recording :)


Monday, June 8, 2015

Music for a Monday: I'd Love to Change the World - Ten Years After - Alvin Lee

This is one of my favorite songs. Love the groove and energy, the different moods, the lyrics, and honestly, I love the desperation. There is a sense of frustration and lost-ness in this song that is very "ecclesiastical." I chose this particular video because I really liked the opening comments from Alvin Lee. I hope you will find another version of this song that has more fidelity.




If you have never read the book of Ecclesiastes, written by King Solomon of Israel and found in the collection of books known as the Old Testament in the Bible, I highly recommend it. Any book that starts with, "Meaningless, Meaningless..." has got to be interesting. For that matter, there are quite a few songs inspired by the book of Ecclesiastes.



Bottom line of this song and the book of Ecclesiastes is that art, politics, education, money, science, and neither war nor peace can solve the world's problems. So, if not that, is there an answer? Then again, what is the problem? Maybe identifying the problem will lead to the answer. What do you think?



Here are the lyrics to the song:

Everywhere is freaks and hairies
Dykes and fairies
Tell me where is sanity?

Tax the rich
Feed the poor
Till there are rich no more?

I'd love to change the world
But I don't know what to do
So I'll leave it up to you

Population keeps on breeding
Nation bleeding
Still more feeding, economy

Life is funny, skies are sunny
Bees make honey
Who needs money? Monopoly

I'd love to change the world
But I don't know what to do
So I'll leave it up to you

World pollution
There's no solution
Institution, electrocution

Just black and white
Rich or poor
Them and us
Stop the war

I'd love to change the world
But I don't know what to do
So I'll leave it up to you

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Farewell Pilanesberg

This was my last trip into Pilanesberg. After 19 years since my last visit this visit was full of wonderful surprises. Alas, I did not see leopard, buffalo or sable, but the lion kill, kudu and elephant sparring, rhinos, picnics, and so many other wonderful sites brought me incredible joy and worship to God.

On this particular morning I was greeted right out my tent door with another beautiful African sunrise. Off into the park I ventured. I swung by my favorite watering hole in hopes of seeing the lions but the only patron there was this frog catcher perched in the tree. Back on the main road, up ahead was a stopped safari jeep . Grateful for the tip off I pulled up and off on the hillside were a pair of jackals eating who knows what.

I turned up an old favorite road from my trip here 19 years ago and I was not disappointed. Soon there was yet another herd of elephant in the bush. In the pictures you can get a sense of how well they are camouflaged. I found this fellow by looking behind me. As I drove forward he was hidden by the bushes but when I looked back there he was!

Further ahead I finally found some kudu. A juvenile, female, and a couple males with grand antlers. The two males tussled a bit, but nothing too aggressive. Still, it was exciting to see. My morning voyage was all too short and soon it was time to get to breakfast and head to Jo'burg for meetings.

My car was filthy from the dirt roads of Pilanesberg so I paid way too much for a car wash at the safari camp while I strolled through the aviary. All in all it was an amazing time but bitter sweet. I truly missed my wife and kids. One of my sons loves animals and even dreams of owning/designing/working at zoos. He would have loved this. They all would have loved it. God willing we will again return as a family.

Thank you for joining me on this virtual safari.


Thursday, April 30, 2015

Back Into Pilanesberg: Third Time is a Charm

My third trip into Pilanesberg was amazing. I went on the northeast loop and was treated to giraffe on my left and a massive bull elephant right in the middle of the road. I learned my lesson and kept my distance. I followed him  for a mile or so as he strolled along eating tree limbs. Off to my right I heard other elephants trumpeting and I figured all were headed to the watering hole up ahead.

At the watering hole observation blind (accessed by a short walk to the weighted chain link security door) were two older couples from Scotland. When the bull I followed showed up he started bathing and splashing around on the far side of the watering hole, probably 1/4 mile away. The bull moved on and so did the couples.

Almost immediately the herd of elephant began to arrive. The two zebras drinking at the watering hole retreated to the bush as the elephants took over the watering hole. Only a few hundred yards away this time, I knew I was in for a treat.

I ran out of the blind to tell the couples that more elephants arrived and the couples joined me in the blind along with a family that just showed up. For the next two hours the elephants drank, swam!, fought, took mud baths, and rolled around in the watering hole. It was an amazing spectacle. I felt so blessed to see such a unique display.

I drove around the back of the park and up a mountain in search of the elusive leopards.

While driving up a long straight paved road I noticed cars and safari vehicles parked on the side of the road where I hoped to turn. I looked left and right to try to see what was so intresting. No one in the cars pointed in any direction, nor did they try to advise me as I slowly approached. Suddenly, on my left and about ten feet in front of me stood an adolescent bull elephant. He was as surprised as I was.

I stopped immediately and sheepishly shrugged at the people in the cars who had offered no help. I slowly backed away from the elephant who now had me locked in his gaze. I was about 20 feet away when he started towards me. I made sure the road behind me was clear and began backing down the road. As I backed up the elephant began to run after me! I am glad the road was straight because I was going about 20 mph in reverse while this elephant chased me. He was not going full speed so I hoped he would loose interest quickly. After about a quarter mile he stopped and turned his attention back to food. Ikept backing up and stayed quite a ways back. He eventually cleared the road and allowed me to continue on my leopard search.

Alas, there were no leopards to be found, but I did see the hippos out at the other watering hole. After watching the hippo adult chastise the babies I headed out of the park and drove right over a puff adder! Fortuantely the snake didn't move as I straddled it with my car. I backed up and was able to grab a few shots. At the time I didn't know what type of snake it was, only that it could kill me!

The last image is the front porch of my safari tent. The Impala were frequent guests and at night they woke me up as they ran by my tent, hooves thundering before the snorting and grunting of a very "enthusiastic" male Impala.

Enjoy the virtual safari!

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Hate is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Have you seen this? What do you think about it?

http://www.businessinsider.com/gay-businessman-deeply-sorry-for-hosting-ted-cruz-event-2015-4

It seems to me that more dialogue is beneficial, gracious, and humanizing. When "conservatives" do not engage people of differing ideologies they are labeled as bigots, narrow-minded, and hateful.

Here we have two homosexual men, Reisner and Weiderpass, having a dialogue with a Republican, anti-gay marriage senator, Ted Cruz. Yet the response from the LGBTQ community is a hateful condemnation of the event and a call to boycott the couples' businesses.

It seems to me this is the same sort of bigoted, hateful, narrow-minded thinking the LGBTQ community rails against in "conservatives."

Would it not be more productive to praise both parties for their desire to engage in civil dialogue in search of mutual understanding and common ground? As long as dialogue is seen as "consorting with the enemy" progress across any gulf that separates two ideologies will be hard won. As for me, I will write an email to Reisner and Weiderpass and thank them for hosting the event, encourage them to host more such events, and embolden them to call out the hypocrisy of their friends.


Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Here are the best shots from my next trip through Pilanesberg Game Park, truly one of my favorite places in the world. Like my other favorite place in the world, Yellowstone National Park, Pilanesberg is a caldera; a volcano crater from an ancient super-eruption. I am not sure if there is something about calderas that appeal to me but it seems there is something special aabout them.

Here are my best shots seen in the order they were taken. In a way it is a virtual safari. What you don't see is all the time spent driving around and seeing nothing! You get to see a couple minutes of highlights from 10 hours in a car in a safari park!

animals:
Yellow Horn Bill
my favorite watering hole
Impala
Guinea Fowl
Wildebeest
Lion
Rhino
in the park there are observation blinds but getting to them can be exciting
Red Hartebeest
Dung Beetle
Egret
Cormerant
Weaver nests
Warthog
Hamerkop
Wrestling Elephants
Waterbuck
Lions covered in the blood of the wildebeest they just killed
The impala is walking a few hundred yards from the lions/wildebeest kill where the cars are
Ditto the Elephant, notice in the next two elephant shots the rhino and wildebeest on the opposite shore of the lake. I didn't even see them until I looked at my pictures back here in the states!
Kingfisher
Baby crocodile
Hippo
baby Kudu


Friday, April 24, 2015

Back to the "Cradle of Humankind"

Friends, in 1996 my wife and I moved to South Africa with our 3 year old and 10 month old. It was the best 6 months of my life. For us, a highlight was a safari at Pilanesberg Park about 1.5 hrs from our home in Johannesburg. One of my pictures from Africa was my first entry to the Indiana State Fair photography competition. I got an honorable mention! During the critique the judges felt my "choice of matte color could have been better but the image was superb." I made great friends and memories while in South Africa.

After 19 years of pining and praying I finally returned to South Africa and Pilanesberg. The country has changed significantly. The infrastructure is more fragile. Jo'burg is swollen with people and now forms the lower part of a megalopolis that engulfs Pretoria to SoWeTo (South West Township). Yet the beauty of South Africa remains.

I rented a car and drove out to Pilanesberg for a few days to visit one of my favorite places in the world. I have culled my 1000 pictures to four sets of slides; one for each trip into the park. I hope you enjoy the ride.






Pilanesberg Safari Day 1

What a fantstic first day back at Pilanesberg. I drove from Roodeport in the morning and arrived around 11am. En route, I picked up peanut butter, honey, and a loaf of bread. At Pilanesberg's Manyane "Resort" I checked into my tent and immediately headed into the park. I started at this watering hole where the herd of elephant went by me. From there it seemed around every corner I found more of God's great creation.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Back in the Saddle

I will spare you a long story re: my silence and simply say it is good to be back. It is also good to have my camera gear back from the Canon Service Center. So, in celebration and for your edification I give you a collection of pics taken a couple days ago to document the visitors to our bird feeder here in Xenia.