J + L sitting in a tree.....

Scott got a bunch of pictures (really nice pictures, BTW) from Josh and Lisa's wedding Friday a week ago posted here. It was a beautiful and simple ceremony and I am so happy for both of them. I'm glad the video link worked out and family in four continents were able to watch because of it.

Another group putting out excellent music is Even 11. They are the combined forces of Jaia and Silicon Sound (so glad I got to see him at the first Gratitude festival years ago) and their two tracks on the Vanguard compilation are fantastic. I just listened to both of them again and had to point that out. And then what comes on but Rajiotaiso by X-Dream and A Tribute to Etnica by Klopfgeister. More please!!! What music to take out to BurningMan this year? Choices choices choices.....

The Truth About.....

Recently, a book appeared on our "Take a book/Leave a book" shelf at work. I had heard about it on various websites and so I grabbed it. "The Truth About Chuck Norris: 400 Facts About the World's Greatest Human" by Ian Spector, is the kind of thing that is sooooo stupid that it folds in on itself and becomes funny (at least in parts). I find it amusing, as well, that Ian Spector is listed as the "author" when the complete content of the book was submitted by visitors to his website. It also mirrors (sometimes word for word) bits of the Bill Brasky skits on SNL in the late 90's. The whole thing highlights a few things I have been ruminating over lately and will mention after a sampling of 13 Norris "truisms" that made me laugh as I imagined what would be required for them to actually take place.

There is no chin behind Chuck Norris' beard, there is only another fist.

Chuck Norris kicked a fifty yard field goal while having sex.

Chuck Norris can speak Braille.

Chuch Norris was once on celebrity Wheel of Fortune and was the first to spin. The next 29 minutes of the show consisted of everyone standing around awkwardly, waiting for the wheel to stop.

Chuck Norris beat IBM's Deep Blue computer at chess in three moves. He had only a pawn, a thimble, and a checker.

Once a cobra bit Chuck Norris in the leg. After five days of excruciating pain, the cobra died.

Chuch Norris hit puberty during the second trimester.

Someone once tried to tell Chuck Norris that roundhouse kicks aren't the best way to kick someone. This has been recorded by historians as the worst mistake anyone has ever made.

Chuck Norris' beard hit .370 in the minors before hurting its knee.

Chuck Norris owns the best poker face of all time. It helped him win the 1983 World Series of Poker, despite him holding a Joker, a Get Out of Jail Free Monopoly card, a 2 of clubs, a 7 of spades, and a green number 4 card from the game Uno.

Every cell in Chuck Norris' body has its own beard.

Chuck Norris bemoans the fact that the typical American is unaware that Walker, Texas Ranger is an unscripted reality show.

Contrary to popular belief, Chuch Norris, not the blue ringed octopus of eastern Australia, is the most venomous creature on earth. Within three minutes of being bitten, a human being experiences the following symptoms: fever, blurred vision, beard rash, tightness of the jeans, and the feeling of being repeatedly roundhouse kicked.

So, as amusing as that was, it is symptomatic of several things I see in our culture today that do not bode well for humanity. I am just beginning to read "The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupifies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future" by Mark Bauerlein. I picked it up after reading an NPR review. It is a subject that bothers me quite a bit and I am frequently stunned at the extent of the lack of awareness/knowledge exhibited by people of my generation and the ones that will be making up our future 'leaders'.

We're lost, but we are making good time. - Yogi Berra

In some corners of the interwebs, the phrase "Where is your God now?" has attained clichedom. I am unclear on this meme's origins, but aside from the mockery it usually is meant to heap upon its recipient, it makes me think for a minute seriously. This news item posted on Fark was the most recent place I ran into the phrase. I know people want to be as individual as they can be and I support that in most cases. Changing your name to "Almighty Supremebeing Allah" is dubious at best and begs for things just like this to occur. So, where is he? He is in jail for dealing crack, just like you would expect from a deity, right?

A relationship with one's God is a hard thing to define. As much as I know to my core that He is with me, prompting me when needed, protecting me from danger seen and unseen, leading me to circumstances where my skill sets can help others, etc, it is something I can not prove to anyone else. As much as I can see the supposed incongruity in worshiping something in many ways unknowable, I have experienced too much to ever be convinced that He does not exist. That is what faith is. So where is my God now? He is where He always has been, right here with me giving me the freedom to choose Him or not and helping me through the problems that those choices create. And He does that for every person on this planet.

I have had a rough past two weeks, which I won't go into beyond it being primarily work related, but I read a link today that reminded me once again how insignificant my problems are in the grand scheme of life. It was very difficult to read through this without crying and chills kept running up and down my spine. It is hard to fathom how cruel we as humans can be to each other and somehow justify that to ourselves. How we can ignore abuses around us and convince ourselves that ignorance is bliss. There is such beauty in this world at the same time - in people, places, nature, etc. My heart is just aching right now and I thank God for His influence in my life. I wouldn't be here without it.

Below are two music videos, one from my current favorite artists Ulrich Schnauss and the second a parody that brought a smile to my face when I needed that recently.


Sia "Breathe Me" Ulrich Schnauss remix

Electric Six "Synthesizer"

One of those "Only in America" things

Only in America can an article about how families are struggling to buy food for their families in these trying economic times be accompanied by this picture. Do not enlarge. I almost wonder if this is a put-on by NPR because while I am sure this is becoming a real issue for many in this country, using this family as their example makes a mockery of the whole thing.

Today happens to be Switzerland's independence day. It also, happens to be the birthday of my friends Scott A., Richard G., Becky C. and coworker Brenda S. There have been a number of other birthdays recently and I am caked out. I did want to throw out an old favorite, the cake patrol:
Triple (size) crown coming right up.

"This is your birthday song
It isn't very long.

This is the second verse.
It is just like the first."

Happy Birthday, all of you!

Gundlach Bundschu Indie Rock concert

I know I've talked about this to a number of people already, but last weekend the Indie Rock concert at Gundlach Bundschu Winery was a complete treat. True Music Media was providing sound, so we got their early to set everything up and get sound checks done. I had no idea about what the bands would be playing or really even about the location. The winery has a great outdoor stage and hillside for picnics and all manner of events. We were essentially set up when the bands arrived and let us know that they had had the misfortune of being robbed of all their equipment just before their gig at the Bottom of the Hill in SF the previous Tuesday night. They had only been able to replace their guitars and this concert would only feature the singers with guitars. This made things easier for us on the sound side, but was obviously a disappointment. I think it was a blessing in disguise personally given what transpired over the course of the evening.

My partner in True Music Media, Richard, had said it would be a great show and I've come to know that while our tastes in music do diverge in several places, his recommendations are often spot on. The three artists for the concert were Nik Freitas, Maria Taylor, and Jonathan Rice. After a brief sound check the musicians went into the wine cave where they had some food and a space to relax before the concert started. We wandered down that direction shortly after they went there. I like looking at the wine cave spaces, as each one is unique. This one was two long and narrow passageways. What struck me immediately once we were inside and could hear Nik and Maria playing their guitars, was that the acoustics were phenomenal. I only stayed the length of one song and then went back up to the concert area, partly because to stay any longer I probably would have cried. I knew then that it was going to be something special.

Nik opened and played a wonderful set. Maria came on next and likewise had a great set, with her younger sister and Nik accompanying her on several songs. Jonathan Rice was the headliner and with his fantastic stage presence and showmanship really earned that role. As a resident of Napa Co. I thought it was great when he slipped up with a couple Napa references in front of the Sonoma crowd and he handled their "corrections" really really well. All of the music was far beyond anything I had expected and a huge portion of that for me personally was that it was so stripped down. I do not think it would been nearly as moving if they had been backed by full bands creating a wall of sound that would absorb and likely overshadow the beauty that shone through last Saturday.

WSJ OpEd piece about efficiency and team work (exhibited by the government) that is worth a look.

An article on the ease of buying another human being.



My friend Zelda in NY.


A sculpture by an artist who known as "Bodymilk"


Stave by icurmtHeaded


Wings by impishimpi


A recent piece by ReggieNoble2


Knotted by Supdog


1459 by TelefunkenU47, using the same source as ReggieNoble2


a piece by Tesseractor