MM#67 I Go Back - Kenny Chesney [Xanga 2011 May 02]
"We all have a song that somehow stamped our lives
Takes us to another place and time"
Excerpt from "I Go Back"
This is a massive tune-assisted look over my life. Over the songs that sound like my life. The songs I marked, and a few new ones. By my preliminary count, 18 old #mondaymelody and 11 new ones. Artists like Kenny Rogers, Phil Wickham, and Carrie Underwood are getting their names added to Monday Melody.
So, next week, I'm going to turn the dial all the way back. Back to the Carter Administration, to the first time the Royals raised the pennant, and Lennon was still with us.
But before I do, a quote from the day I blogged "I Go Back"
"It sucks. So many of the funerals our family has went to...have been of people in their 20s and 30s.
Joe & Richa. Jacob M. Jennifer H. Brian B.
I hate death."
Excerpt from blog, 02 May 2011.
I still hate death.
Monday, July 11, 2016
Saturday, July 9, 2016
What part of "thou shalt not kill" did you not understand?
I wish I had the guts to ignore this week's events and blog something entirely irrelevant. Like which sport I think has nowhere to go but fourth-down. Or my struggles with how to trust an unpredictable God - Lewis's "not a tame lion". Or whether I have anything unique to say about any subject.
I was going to do a #FridayFlyover. March 3, 1991. The corner of Foothill Boulevard and Osborne Street, Los Angeles, CA. The original case of white cop, black suspect, police brutality, and a camera. Rodney King. But after Dallas, ...
Not all deaths are created equal. Some deaths are a national tragedy, mourned by many. Others are a personal affair, a mostly empty funeral parlor with just the surviving family. And some get the attention of the media.
And, as I've noted before (see blog), the tail wags the dog. Chance, circumstance, proximity to recording, and anticipated media value decide which deaths we hear about. And, this week, seven deaths have wrenched our attention away from Clinton and Trump...
I told my brother that I think that as a white man in the 2010s, I'm 10x as aware of a racism that is only half as virulent and hazardous as it was 50 or 100 years ago.
But as we try to defeat the plague, we go from considering it a part of life, to an enemy to be fought and eradicated. As we win the war, each battle seems more dear, more important to win. The same theory works for smallpox and racism.
Again, I don't know if it's because it is the national conversation...but...this might be the week that we lose hope in American civilization.
Again, although I consider this potentially a important day in American history (call back in 10 years, because sometimes we can't tell whether a day will become historic or not - see June 28, 1914)...I don't see it as a sign of the end times. This isn't the first time a nation has lost trust in its pillars. And I still think the 20th century was much more full of what would be considered signs of the end times, using popular definition.
And...unless you want to tell me how God has smitten our nation, unless you want to point to a true calamity in our nation in the last 150 years...I don't see how you can claim 2 Chronicles 7:14 if you can't find the qualifying event in 2 Chronicles 7:13.
We are held hostage by 70 people per million. By the violence and murders of a miniscule but deadly cancer. 16,000 murders in our country. Another 1,000 killed by cops (whether justified - see Orlando shooter, or less-than-justified to what-in-the-hell-were-you-thinking). Guns guns guns.
Is there a solution that reduces the reaper's toll? (One that actually reduces violence?) And if you believe the answer is revival, how can we create a revival if we haven't been able to do it in the last ??? years. And what would a revival look like? And what cultural, political, and other changes would accompany revival?
As usual, all I have are questions. I don't have answers. I have statistics, but they're poor consolation.
I posted a tweet on June 11. "The math geeks tell us that the crime rate has dropped by 40-50% nationwide in last 20-25 years...but yeah, @GeneWillis, we must get better." This was after a singer was murdered in Orlando, one day before the Pulse shootings.
Like I said before, I'm getting sick of it.
I was going to do a #FridayFlyover. March 3, 1991. The corner of Foothill Boulevard and Osborne Street, Los Angeles, CA. The original case of white cop, black suspect, police brutality, and a camera. Rodney King. But after Dallas, ...
Not all deaths are created equal. Some deaths are a national tragedy, mourned by many. Others are a personal affair, a mostly empty funeral parlor with just the surviving family. And some get the attention of the media.
And, as I've noted before (see blog), the tail wags the dog. Chance, circumstance, proximity to recording, and anticipated media value decide which deaths we hear about. And, this week, seven deaths have wrenched our attention away from Clinton and Trump...
I told my brother that I think that as a white man in the 2010s, I'm 10x as aware of a racism that is only half as virulent and hazardous as it was 50 or 100 years ago.
But as we try to defeat the plague, we go from considering it a part of life, to an enemy to be fought and eradicated. As we win the war, each battle seems more dear, more important to win. The same theory works for smallpox and racism.
Again, I don't know if it's because it is the national conversation...but...this might be the week that we lose hope in American civilization.
Again, although I consider this potentially a important day in American history (call back in 10 years, because sometimes we can't tell whether a day will become historic or not - see June 28, 1914)...I don't see it as a sign of the end times. This isn't the first time a nation has lost trust in its pillars. And I still think the 20th century was much more full of what would be considered signs of the end times, using popular definition.
And...unless you want to tell me how God has smitten our nation, unless you want to point to a true calamity in our nation in the last 150 years...I don't see how you can claim 2 Chronicles 7:14 if you can't find the qualifying event in 2 Chronicles 7:13.
We are held hostage by 70 people per million. By the violence and murders of a miniscule but deadly cancer. 16,000 murders in our country. Another 1,000 killed by cops (whether justified - see Orlando shooter, or less-than-justified to what-in-the-hell-were-you-thinking). Guns guns guns.
Is there a solution that reduces the reaper's toll? (One that actually reduces violence?) And if you believe the answer is revival, how can we create a revival if we haven't been able to do it in the last ??? years. And what would a revival look like? And what cultural, political, and other changes would accompany revival?
As usual, all I have are questions. I don't have answers. I have statistics, but they're poor consolation.
I posted a tweet on June 11. "The math geeks tell us that the crime rate has dropped by 40-50% nationwide in last 20-25 years...but yeah, @GeneWillis, we must get better." This was after a singer was murdered in Orlando, one day before the Pulse shootings.
Like I said before, I'm getting sick of it.
Monday, July 4, 2016
Monday Melody: Recap
#mondaymelody - (hashtag, used to reference the mostly-on-Monday song highlight-and-personal reflection articles mostly on my Xanga from October 2007 to January 2012, then intermittently on Saturdays With Steven)
I've posted four songs so far on SwS. I'm highlighting three of them to open the #mondaymelody account.
MM#84 Born This Way - Lady Gaga
Perhaps the most pop of my MMs, I posted some words about my battle with depression. It was a cover. A lot of my blogs were cover, or obscure, or "in the style of Romans_837", leaving much unsaid. And so was this one.
Someone I knew had "come out of the closet." And I didn't see it coming. It left me wrangling a few questions, about the whole "nature vs nurture" / "born or bred" issues, the questions in regards to my traditional Christian understanding of gender and sexuality, and such.
This was neither my first nor my last time talking to someone who was LGBT. But this one led to my kids asking questions. Questions that, in this decade, will be asked eventually.
And, because of the nature and proximity (or lack thereof), I figured that the person already was getting everything from both sides.
But, this is half of my reasons I "hate hate hate loathe despise" the phrase "God doesn't make mistakes." (The other one involves Potter's Syndrome)
MM#85 Life Happened - Tammy Cochran
The song originally hit me for a single line in the final verse. But...the whole "leaving college with dreams and goals, and then ending up nowhere near where you thought it would" concept of the song...hits me more these days. I had a college professor who thought I was going to be the next Bill Gate$, and wanted a 10% cut of my future earnings. I haven't written code for a paycheck in almost six years.
"I finally realized we turned out alright."
It's taken me a long time to let go of the regret for a bunch of things. Some things I could've done differently/better. Some things were inevitable. But...life happened.
MM#87 Even So Come - Kristian Stanfill
"I find great hope in our blessed hope. The hope of the resurrection of the dead. The hope of the return of Christ. The hope of the Creator restoring all things. The hope God has given to us about a future with Him."
This song gets a lot of play on the national Christian radio station I listen to. (Currently, my preset stations are the national Christian radio station, the local Christian radio station, and the station that has Chiefs Football on it.)
And, as a Christian, the promise of the resurrection and the Second Coming help me persevere with perspective. Life sucks, and it's a hell of a fight, but it's not the final chapter.
I've posted four songs so far on SwS. I'm highlighting three of them to open the #mondaymelody account.
MM#84 Born This Way - Lady Gaga
Perhaps the most pop of my MMs, I posted some words about my battle with depression. It was a cover. A lot of my blogs were cover, or obscure, or "in the style of Romans_837", leaving much unsaid. And so was this one.
Someone I knew had "come out of the closet." And I didn't see it coming. It left me wrangling a few questions, about the whole "nature vs nurture" / "born or bred" issues, the questions in regards to my traditional Christian understanding of gender and sexuality, and such.
This was neither my first nor my last time talking to someone who was LGBT. But this one led to my kids asking questions. Questions that, in this decade, will be asked eventually.
And, because of the nature and proximity (or lack thereof), I figured that the person already was getting everything from both sides.
But, this is half of my reasons I "hate hate hate loathe despise" the phrase "God doesn't make mistakes." (The other one involves Potter's Syndrome)
MM#85 Life Happened - Tammy Cochran
The song originally hit me for a single line in the final verse. But...the whole "leaving college with dreams and goals, and then ending up nowhere near where you thought it would" concept of the song...hits me more these days. I had a college professor who thought I was going to be the next Bill Gate$, and wanted a 10% cut of my future earnings. I haven't written code for a paycheck in almost six years.
"I finally realized we turned out alright."
It's taken me a long time to let go of the regret for a bunch of things. Some things I could've done differently/better. Some things were inevitable. But...life happened.
MM#87 Even So Come - Kristian Stanfill
"I find great hope in our blessed hope. The hope of the resurrection of the dead. The hope of the return of Christ. The hope of the Creator restoring all things. The hope God has given to us about a future with Him."
This song gets a lot of play on the national Christian radio station I listen to. (Currently, my preset stations are the national Christian radio station, the local Christian radio station, and the station that has Chiefs Football on it.)
And, as a Christian, the promise of the resurrection and the Second Coming help me persevere with perspective. Life sucks, and it's a hell of a fight, but it's not the final chapter.
Saturday, July 2, 2016
Rent out Texas, live in hell.
Last year, Sporting KC beat Houston on their way to winning US Open Cup 2015. Since the Cup is geographically divided, not a surprise that we got a rematch. But Houston pulled the 3-1 win earlier this week, advancing to the quarterfinals, the first playoff win for Houston over Kansas City (any sport) since both ALDS (KC Royals 3-2) and Wild Card weekend (Chiefs 30-0).
Politically... If it came down to SCOTUS, it would be easy. Governor Johnson would probably put Ron Paul on the bench...
But there's things on the LP platform that I disagree with. Frankly, it's a crap and diamond smorgasbord, almost a "Satan sandwich", to borrow the quote from the congressman in the next state. Long story short, might write in Bill Pratt for President.
Sometimes, I feel like I could write attack ads for both sides. Disconcerting feeling when I grab my No.2 pencil and fill out my ballot.
And even if I was running a campaign...I don't know the best ways to motivate the base and win undecideds. (Van Damm's 20%)
Title quote from General Sheridan, in regards to part of his jurisdiction after the Civil War: "If I owned Texas and Hell, I would rent Texas and live in Hell.
Politically... If it came down to SCOTUS, it would be easy. Governor Johnson would probably put Ron Paul on the bench...
But there's things on the LP platform that I disagree with. Frankly, it's a crap and diamond smorgasbord, almost a "Satan sandwich", to borrow the quote from the congressman in the next state. Long story short, might write in Bill Pratt for President.
Sometimes, I feel like I could write attack ads for both sides. Disconcerting feeling when I grab my No.2 pencil and fill out my ballot.
And even if I was running a campaign...I don't know the best ways to motivate the base and win undecideds. (Van Damm's 20%)
Title quote from General Sheridan, in regards to part of his jurisdiction after the Civil War: "If I owned Texas and Hell, I would rent Texas and live in Hell.
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Newspaper and other random
1) The local paper, the Leavenworth Times, is down to 5 days a week. Tu-Fr, Saturday "Weekend" version. I've chatted with my bride as to whether subscribing is worth it. Used to subscribe to the once-weekly Kansas Chief out of Wathena (mailed every Thursday) back when I lived in Doniphan County. That way I knew who was running against me.
2) I now deliver six shopper routes on Tuesdays. Totaling over 1,400 papers, the six routes run from 22nd to Esplanade, Metropolitan to Spruce (although it's not every route in that rectangle which basically covers the northern 1/3 of Leavenworth) I include my younger three kids, and split the pay with them. (Molly works at the grocery store, and I've invited her, but she's not interested.)
3) I used a newspaper analogy to discuss my choices for conversation once. I'd bore you if I talked too much world news, politics, or sports. I don't care about fashion, celebrities, or Kardashians. So what's there to talk about besides customers asking about 16-foot boards,
4) After going on another of my patented news-feed/subscribed-to purges, my twitter board looks like this:
People: 18
Leavenworth: 8
Pastors: 5
Music/Radio: 3
Other: 4
Used to follow a lot of other things, but...sometimes you have to pick what's really important. Of course, then it gets to the point where you still check your FB/twitter, only to find out no one's posted in several hours.
5) Need to get some of those #mondaymelody blogs loaded up before the 4th. I'm all the way to Labor Day. So it's just a case of uploading 10 blogs. (Never been that far ahead on blogging before.)
6) Thinking about what I'll write for my FB/twitter bio. This is what my twitter bio currently is:
Married, father of four, oldest of ten. Leavenworth is my home. sed in his omnibus superamus propter eum qui dilexit nos : VIII XXXVII
7) Although a few of my friends have their own FB page for their creative stuff...don't plan on doing that in the immediate future. I just don't have much to say.
2) I now deliver six shopper routes on Tuesdays. Totaling over 1,400 papers, the six routes run from 22nd to Esplanade, Metropolitan to Spruce (although it's not every route in that rectangle which basically covers the northern 1/3 of Leavenworth) I include my younger three kids, and split the pay with them. (Molly works at the grocery store, and I've invited her, but she's not interested.)
3) I used a newspaper analogy to discuss my choices for conversation once. I'd bore you if I talked too much world news, politics, or sports. I don't care about fashion, celebrities, or Kardashians. So what's there to talk about besides customers asking about 16-foot boards,
4) After going on another of my patented news-feed/subscribed-to purges, my twitter board looks like this:
People: 18
Leavenworth: 8
Pastors: 5
Music/Radio: 3
Other: 4
Used to follow a lot of other things, but...sometimes you have to pick what's really important. Of course, then it gets to the point where you still check your FB/twitter, only to find out no one's posted in several hours.
5) Need to get some of those #mondaymelody blogs loaded up before the 4th. I'm all the way to Labor Day. So it's just a case of uploading 10 blogs. (Never been that far ahead on blogging before.)
6) Thinking about what I'll write for my FB/twitter bio. This is what my twitter bio currently is:
Married, father of four, oldest of ten. Leavenworth is my home. sed in his omnibus superamus propter eum qui dilexit nos : VIII XXXVII
7) Although a few of my friends have their own FB page for their creative stuff...don't plan on doing that in the immediate future. I just don't have much to say.
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Orlando
1st. I've already heard enough of the comments that are more fit for Westboro signs than this blog. And although I'm aware of the logic behind it...the next one who says something like that might get a "Fine, if you're going to quote the verse, take the rest of it and see who else will be spending eternity in the smoking section." from me.
And the people who my friends are willing to give a "maybe they'll change their mind" to...it makes me sick.
2nd. There are two lines that slant downward on my chart, and I bring them up often discussing mass shootings. In the United States, gun violence is down over the last 20-25 years. General violence is down over the last 20-25 years. Mass shootings are way up over the last 20-25 years. My brother has often lamented about what kind of world his young daughters are inheriting. He's a wise man. On the overall, it's a safer world than the world we grew up in, although a few of the dangers have increased.
3rd. Orlando just isn't another city to me. I have a couple connections to this mourning city. My parents met in Orlando. And I can reasonably assume that I was actually conceived there. And that city is the last place I flew to during my programming career, for a conference discussing and testing various wargames and their interaction. Orlando is the southernmost place I've ever visited.
4th. There are people who want to remind us that Isis is at war with the West. If the actions of the Orlando shooter are to be considered an act of war, then what is the appropriate response? Should there be a responsive declaration of war from our Congress, in accordance with our constitution? Should we be running more drone strikes and airstrikes against Isis targets? Should we bring in more special forces to sneak in and kill Al Qaeda and Isis number twos? (most dangerous job ever: Isis or Al Qaeda number two) Or is this a time to order boots on the ground and reconquer the territories held by ISIS, create a new secular state, and make it so unfriendly to Jihad either by running a religious test and only letting pacifist imams into the territory, or else make it clear that radicalization will not be tolerated. How we would threaten that is a fair question. I don't know if these are good ideas. It is just various options we can talk about.
5th. I occasionally wonder if we are giving these rascals too much credit. Perhaps their names should be not in their own echelon of criminal behavior, but merely call them criminals. Not terrorists, although their actions do scare the hell out of us. And perhaps deny them even the connection to the faith which they claim, and which others claim they pervert. Call the murderer just another criminal. Deny him in death any glory.
Finally. "Guns don't kill people, people kill people."
Guns just make it easier to kill people, hurt people, or threaten people.
And the people who my friends are willing to give a "maybe they'll change their mind" to...it makes me sick.
2nd. There are two lines that slant downward on my chart, and I bring them up often discussing mass shootings. In the United States, gun violence is down over the last 20-25 years. General violence is down over the last 20-25 years. Mass shootings are way up over the last 20-25 years. My brother has often lamented about what kind of world his young daughters are inheriting. He's a wise man. On the overall, it's a safer world than the world we grew up in, although a few of the dangers have increased.
3rd. Orlando just isn't another city to me. I have a couple connections to this mourning city. My parents met in Orlando. And I can reasonably assume that I was actually conceived there. And that city is the last place I flew to during my programming career, for a conference discussing and testing various wargames and their interaction. Orlando is the southernmost place I've ever visited.
4th. There are people who want to remind us that Isis is at war with the West. If the actions of the Orlando shooter are to be considered an act of war, then what is the appropriate response? Should there be a responsive declaration of war from our Congress, in accordance with our constitution? Should we be running more drone strikes and airstrikes against Isis targets? Should we bring in more special forces to sneak in and kill Al Qaeda and Isis number twos? (most dangerous job ever: Isis or Al Qaeda number two) Or is this a time to order boots on the ground and reconquer the territories held by ISIS, create a new secular state, and make it so unfriendly to Jihad either by running a religious test and only letting pacifist imams into the territory, or else make it clear that radicalization will not be tolerated. How we would threaten that is a fair question. I don't know if these are good ideas. It is just various options we can talk about.
5th. I occasionally wonder if we are giving these rascals too much credit. Perhaps their names should be not in their own echelon of criminal behavior, but merely call them criminals. Not terrorists, although their actions do scare the hell out of us. And perhaps deny them even the connection to the faith which they claim, and which others claim they pervert. Call the murderer just another criminal. Deny him in death any glory.
Finally. "Guns don't kill people, people kill people."
Guns just make it easier to kill people, hurt people, or threaten people.
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Diamond
When I speak of marital longevity, I don't speak about my parents (18 years - mid20s if you count the years the state of Kansas considered them common-law married); nor do I speak of my in-laws (22 years).
I speak of my paternal grandparents (50 years, 10 months, and some days - both Jim & Ruby passed away the same year.) And I speak with honor of my maternal grandparents (60 years.)
SIXTY years. This is their diamond anniversary.
I'm in awe. And respect.
They have four children, seventeen grandchildren, and at least thirteen great-grandchildren. An awesome legacy of a great couple.
Although he had other jobs, the one I'm told about most is that my grandfather worked for the US Postal service. And my grandmother worked for the school district as a deaf interpreter. In addition, my grandmother has worked with the deaf for many years, and is an ordained Assemblies of God minister to the deaf.
God bless Ed & Diann.
I speak of my paternal grandparents (50 years, 10 months, and some days - both Jim & Ruby passed away the same year.) And I speak with honor of my maternal grandparents (60 years.)
SIXTY years. This is their diamond anniversary.
I'm in awe. And respect.
They have four children, seventeen grandchildren, and at least thirteen great-grandchildren. An awesome legacy of a great couple.
Although he had other jobs, the one I'm told about most is that my grandfather worked for the US Postal service. And my grandmother worked for the school district as a deaf interpreter. In addition, my grandmother has worked with the deaf for many years, and is an ordained Assemblies of God minister to the deaf.
God bless Ed & Diann.
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