Hey guys,
My brother and I are working on a song for our Grandma's (Nanny) 90th birthday this year. I just came up with a sweet verse I wanted to share. It's to the tune of Old Dan Tucker, a traditional song on Bruce Springsteen's new album.
Ol Nanny Wood is a kind old soul
Broke a spoon in a cookie bowl
She ain't too tall and she can't really hear
Cause she's been old for thirty years
That's all, just wanted to get that out there.
B
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Friday, March 30, 2007
Jimi Thing
What's happening everybody? Got a message for ya!
Dave Matthews' has a song called Jimi Thing, in which he sings "Sometimes it takes a jimi thing, just to keep me floating." Now, I'm not a Dave expert like some...but I'm pretty sure a "jimi thing" is what the kids call a marajewana cigarette. But, that's not really what the songs about. It's about those little things, the quiet moments that get us through the day.
Last night, I spent a couple of hours sitting on the back porch, drinking some rolling rock, listening to the rain and playing through my very extensive list of songs I can play on the guitar. I can't tell you how much better my whole week felt. A week of papers and New Testament translations and taxes and bills, floated away as if the rain itself was washing it away. The only way it could've been any better is if Lindsey was with me. Or my boys were playing the song with me, or my family was all singing together, or I was playing a song for someone who really needed to hear it.
Apparently, playing guitar in the rain and having a few beers is my thing. I hope you all have a thing too.
I want you to think about those times in your life that you were happiest, most secure, most content, most yourself. I would be willing to bet that those times have nothing to do with budgets, taxes, deadlines. I bet there's not one bureaucratic form involved in any of those times.
I pray that you can find your thing. My brother goes hiking in the nature areas around KC. My dad lives for opening day of the Royals and being on the river with his friend Rueban. It doesn't need to be difficult, it doesn't need to be expensive. But look for that one thing that makes everything else seem a little less important, a little less pressing. Like James says, "Shower the people you love with love". Surround yourself with your friends and family. Play in the park, watch the sunset, sing in the rain. And...STOP WORRYING SO MUCH!
The next time the District Council of Ordained Ministry asks me why I don't take the process more seriously, I'll try not to laugh.
Woke up this morning,
Smile with the rising sun,
Three little birds,
Sit on my doorstep,
Singing sweet songs,
Of melodies pure and true,
Saying this is my message to you-ou-ou
Don't worry, 'bout a thing,
'Cause every little thing
Is gonna be alright!
-Bob Marley, Three Little Birds
Chill Out everybody, B
Dave Matthews' has a song called Jimi Thing, in which he sings "Sometimes it takes a jimi thing, just to keep me floating." Now, I'm not a Dave expert like some...but I'm pretty sure a "jimi thing" is what the kids call a marajewana cigarette. But, that's not really what the songs about. It's about those little things, the quiet moments that get us through the day.
Last night, I spent a couple of hours sitting on the back porch, drinking some rolling rock, listening to the rain and playing through my very extensive list of songs I can play on the guitar. I can't tell you how much better my whole week felt. A week of papers and New Testament translations and taxes and bills, floated away as if the rain itself was washing it away. The only way it could've been any better is if Lindsey was with me. Or my boys were playing the song with me, or my family was all singing together, or I was playing a song for someone who really needed to hear it.
Apparently, playing guitar in the rain and having a few beers is my thing. I hope you all have a thing too.
I want you to think about those times in your life that you were happiest, most secure, most content, most yourself. I would be willing to bet that those times have nothing to do with budgets, taxes, deadlines. I bet there's not one bureaucratic form involved in any of those times.
I pray that you can find your thing. My brother goes hiking in the nature areas around KC. My dad lives for opening day of the Royals and being on the river with his friend Rueban. It doesn't need to be difficult, it doesn't need to be expensive. But look for that one thing that makes everything else seem a little less important, a little less pressing. Like James says, "Shower the people you love with love". Surround yourself with your friends and family. Play in the park, watch the sunset, sing in the rain. And...STOP WORRYING SO MUCH!
The next time the District Council of Ordained Ministry asks me why I don't take the process more seriously, I'll try not to laugh.
Woke up this morning,
Smile with the rising sun,
Three little birds,
Sit on my doorstep,
Singing sweet songs,
Of melodies pure and true,
Saying this is my message to you-ou-ou
Don't worry, 'bout a thing,
'Cause every little thing
Is gonna be alright!
-Bob Marley, Three Little Birds
Chill Out everybody, B
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Good Grief
Happy Hump Day, everybody. I want to talk a little more about things that "Reign Over Me" got me thinking about. it's a movie about grief, plain and simple. But, also, it shows how much we as people need each other.
Grief is a funny thing because noone ever knows how a person is going to react to it. In the movie, part of it's appeal to me, Adam Sandler's character surrounds himself, engulfs himself, protects himself with music. He buys records, THOUSANDS OF THEM, buys guitars and drums and is only comfortable with his headphones on. Oh yeah, and he also never mentions or lets anyone else in his life mention that he had a family once. You just never know what people are going to do when faced with loss.
The common response by any person of faith is that loss somehow happens for a reason or is part of God's plan. This response, personally, makes me sick. To think that there's a reason for a child's death, for violent death, for preventable death, or even to think that these deaths somehow work into God's plans for us, is absurdity in my eyes. But, that's the trick. What I think doesn't matter, doesn't mean a thing, to the person actually doing the grieving. What we as friends of the grieving must do is help the person find that thing that helps them. And if knowing that their loved ones death has a reason, a purpose, helps someone then we can have no complaint.
Grief sucks. Loss sucks. Death sucks. But we HAVE to experience it. It's one of those things that makes us human. Now, I've been pretty lucky in that I've only lost two grandparents. And I was young when it happened. But I've been through the loss of long term relationships, the loss of a secure job, things like that.
Here's what I've learned. Until we face the fact of our loss, confront it, embrace it, we will not learn from it, grow from it, or be stronger for it. We have two choices when faced with grief. Deny it and lose ourselves in the undertow too powerful for anyone to fight alone. Or face it, embrace it, sit in the dark and cry for three hours-and I mean the gasping for breath, snot running down the face kind of crying, the crying that makes you forget where you are or what you did-and become stronger, a more complete person.
A friend recently told me of a plaque she once saw that read: When God closes a door, He opens a window...but the hallway between the two can be hell.
I put it this way: Behind every cloud there IS silver lining, but there's still one big badass storm on the way.
Go see the movie. I'm interested in hearing your reactions to it, and any personal reflections on grief that you may offer.
Don't run away, don't hide, don't deny. Embrace it. That's the only way.
B
Grief is a funny thing because noone ever knows how a person is going to react to it. In the movie, part of it's appeal to me, Adam Sandler's character surrounds himself, engulfs himself, protects himself with music. He buys records, THOUSANDS OF THEM, buys guitars and drums and is only comfortable with his headphones on. Oh yeah, and he also never mentions or lets anyone else in his life mention that he had a family once. You just never know what people are going to do when faced with loss.
The common response by any person of faith is that loss somehow happens for a reason or is part of God's plan. This response, personally, makes me sick. To think that there's a reason for a child's death, for violent death, for preventable death, or even to think that these deaths somehow work into God's plans for us, is absurdity in my eyes. But, that's the trick. What I think doesn't matter, doesn't mean a thing, to the person actually doing the grieving. What we as friends of the grieving must do is help the person find that thing that helps them. And if knowing that their loved ones death has a reason, a purpose, helps someone then we can have no complaint.
Grief sucks. Loss sucks. Death sucks. But we HAVE to experience it. It's one of those things that makes us human. Now, I've been pretty lucky in that I've only lost two grandparents. And I was young when it happened. But I've been through the loss of long term relationships, the loss of a secure job, things like that.
Here's what I've learned. Until we face the fact of our loss, confront it, embrace it, we will not learn from it, grow from it, or be stronger for it. We have two choices when faced with grief. Deny it and lose ourselves in the undertow too powerful for anyone to fight alone. Or face it, embrace it, sit in the dark and cry for three hours-and I mean the gasping for breath, snot running down the face kind of crying, the crying that makes you forget where you are or what you did-and become stronger, a more complete person.
A friend recently told me of a plaque she once saw that read: When God closes a door, He opens a window...but the hallway between the two can be hell.
I put it this way: Behind every cloud there IS silver lining, but there's still one big badass storm on the way.
Go see the movie. I'm interested in hearing your reactions to it, and any personal reflections on grief that you may offer.
Don't run away, don't hide, don't deny. Embrace it. That's the only way.
B
Monday, March 26, 2007
Must See Movie
Not much to talk about today, just wanted everybody to know that YOU MUST SEE "REIGN OVER ME". If Adam Sandler doesn't get an Oscar, I'm giving up on the awards altogether. Trust me, go see it. Tonight!
More to come, B
More to come, B
Monday, March 12, 2007
Weight vol. 2
I tried. I really tried on more time. However, I have to finally come down to it and say it...I can't run. Or walk. Now, before you call me lazy, there's a medical explanation for this. I have some condition of the foot that starts with o. I call it Osiris because I can't pronouce the actual term. Basically, my feet roll to the outside with every step. This should come as no surprise to anyone who's been on the basketball court with me. With my feet rolling out with every step, whether walking or running, I don't know if its a tendon or a muscle but the THING that runs down the outer side of my shin bone is tight the whole time and never relaxes. This leads to cramps, shin splints and big ol' ping pong ball swellings right above my ankle. And a lot of pain.
So, the question becomes, how does one lose 15 pounds in what is quickly becoming two months' time, without running or walking on a daily basis and without starving oneself?
1. Biking-I need a new bike
2. Swimming-I need access to a pool-I don't know if the community center I'm looking at joining has one
3. Racketball-again, access-and I need a partner
4. Weight-training-I might start looking better, but I won't loss any weight
Any ideas?
233 and holding, BB
3.
So, the question becomes, how does one lose 15 pounds in what is quickly becoming two months' time, without running or walking on a daily basis and without starving oneself?
1. Biking-I need a new bike
2. Swimming-I need access to a pool-I don't know if the community center I'm looking at joining has one
3. Racketball-again, access-and I need a partner
4. Weight-training-I might start looking better, but I won't loss any weight
Any ideas?
233 and holding, BB
3.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
I Think I'm a Marxist
Now that I have your attention, and have been red-flagged by Homeland Security, I'm serious. When you actually read Marx's words, independent of communism, they sound pretty much right on the money. Capitalism is set up to help the rich get richer and keep the poor in their place. There's no doubt that in American culture we have boo-shwa-zee and proletariet, the owner class and the working class. Those who make the products and those who own the people who make the products. We've moved away from use-value, the value of something being measured by its usefulness, and are INFECTED with surplus-value, the difference between making a pair of jeans for 3 dollars and selling them for 50. Even all the things we count as necessities, like computers, pale in use-value compared to things like milk.
The main problem I have with capitalism is the same as Marx: accumulation. In today's capitalism, someone's wealth has nothing to do with what they're worth. It's how much capital they have accumulated, usually by exploiting anyone who doesn't have as much.
Reading Marx, and use-value, exchange-value, surplus-value, I think about how rediculous money is. Think about it. There's not even any gold to back it up anymore. IT'S PAPER! Apparently, this computer I'm using right now is worth 1,000 pieces of worthless green paper, while the milk I drank this morning is worth 2 pieces of worthless green paper a gallon. How crazy does that sound?? And checks and credit cards are just stupid. I don't have any actual pieces of green paper but I have this piece of paper with puppies on it, I wrote on this piece of paper, and if you contact these people, they tell you that I can get the right amount of green paper.
By the way, agreeing with Marx doesn't make me a communist. Communism is a form of government and easily corrupted. Marxism is a SOCIAL THEORY, and in my opinion, a pretty accurate account of how things are done these days in the good ol' US of A.
You are not the contents of walet. You are not the car you drive or the job you have. You are not your frackin' khakis.
Vive la Revolution, B
The main problem I have with capitalism is the same as Marx: accumulation. In today's capitalism, someone's wealth has nothing to do with what they're worth. It's how much capital they have accumulated, usually by exploiting anyone who doesn't have as much.
Reading Marx, and use-value, exchange-value, surplus-value, I think about how rediculous money is. Think about it. There's not even any gold to back it up anymore. IT'S PAPER! Apparently, this computer I'm using right now is worth 1,000 pieces of worthless green paper, while the milk I drank this morning is worth 2 pieces of worthless green paper a gallon. How crazy does that sound?? And checks and credit cards are just stupid. I don't have any actual pieces of green paper but I have this piece of paper with puppies on it, I wrote on this piece of paper, and if you contact these people, they tell you that I can get the right amount of green paper.
By the way, agreeing with Marx doesn't make me a communist. Communism is a form of government and easily corrupted. Marxism is a SOCIAL THEORY, and in my opinion, a pretty accurate account of how things are done these days in the good ol' US of A.
You are not the contents of walet. You are not the car you drive or the job you have. You are not your frackin' khakis.
Vive la Revolution, B
Monday, March 05, 2007
Oprah
For the first, and hopefully last, time, I'm going to take some advice I heard on Oprah. I need to lose some weight and get into some sort of shape, other than round (Knyuck, Knyuck). So, Oprah says you should blog it off!
As of right now, March 5th, I weigh 233 lbs. I want to weigh 215 by my birthday. I will keep updating Bustle with my progress...
Keep reading....Brad's Top 5's are below..
BB
As of right now, March 5th, I weigh 233 lbs. I want to weigh 215 by my birthday. I will keep updating Bustle with my progress...
Keep reading....Brad's Top 5's are below..
BB
My Lists
You all are in for a treat this week. We talk a lot about what I don't like on the Bustle, but today I've decided to give you a glimpse into my favorite things. Here's a list of my top five things in my favorite category-Music.
Now, music lists are always hard because of a tricky thing called genre. When comparing musicians its hard to rate them trans-genre. These lists are genre-free. These are the best of the best, in my humble opinion, regardless of what genre they play in.
Top 5 guitarists:
1. Jimi Hendrix
2. Stevie Ray Vaughen
3. Jimmy Paige-Led Zeppelin
4. Eric Clapton
5. John Petrucci-Dream Theater: an odd choice maybe. Most of you have never heard of this
guy. But, there is no one, NO ONE, faster.
Top 5 drummers:
1. Buddy Rich-leagues above anyone else
2. John Henry Bonham-Led Zeppelin
3. Neil Peart-Rush
4. Virgil Donati-independent: check him out at http://www.virgildonati.com
5. David Garibaldi-Tower of Power: funkiest drummer ever!!
Top 5 frontmen (we can discuss the difference b/t frontmen and singers, if anyone wants)
1. Robert Plant-Led Zeppelin
2. Jim Morrison-The Doors
3. David Lee Roth-Van Halen
4. Bono-U2
5. Freddie Mercury-Queen
Top 5 BEST bands
1. The Beatles
2. Zepp
3. U2
4. The Stones
5. Pink Floyd
Top 5 FAVORITE bands (BB's personal best)
1. Zepp
2. Pantera
3. Pearl Jam
4. Clutch
5.Metallica
Best Guitar Tone
Brian May of Queen and David Gilmore of Pink Floyd
Best Album Ever
Led Zeppelin IV
Best Song Intro's
Since I've Been Loving You-Led Zepp
Dead and Bloated-Stone Temple Pilots
Voodoo Chile-Stevie Ray Vaughen
Best Guitar Solos
Voodoo Chile-Stevie Ray Vaughen
Comfortably Numb-Pink Floyd
Paradise City-Guns and Roses(the end of this song is reDUNKulous)
Best Single Note (that's right, the best one notes of rock history)
Voodoo Chile intro-third time through the lick-Stevie Ray Vaughen
I Feel Good-bridge-James Brown sings "When I hold you, in my AAAAAAARMS!"
And finally, Best Drum Grooves
When the Levee Breaks-John Bonham-Led Zepp
Hot for Teacher-Alex Van Halen-Van Halen
Lateralus-Danny Carey-Tool
Knock Yourself Out-David Garibaldi-Tower of Power
Roxanne-Stewart Copeland-The Police
Rolling Stone, eat your heart out!! Feel free to make additions, corrections and other comments. Except, Andy, why I didn't include "Best Keyboardists"!!
Later peeps, B
Now, music lists are always hard because of a tricky thing called genre. When comparing musicians its hard to rate them trans-genre. These lists are genre-free. These are the best of the best, in my humble opinion, regardless of what genre they play in.
Top 5 guitarists:
1. Jimi Hendrix
2. Stevie Ray Vaughen
3. Jimmy Paige-Led Zeppelin
4. Eric Clapton
5. John Petrucci-Dream Theater: an odd choice maybe. Most of you have never heard of this
guy. But, there is no one, NO ONE, faster.
Top 5 drummers:
1. Buddy Rich-leagues above anyone else
2. John Henry Bonham-Led Zeppelin
3. Neil Peart-Rush
4. Virgil Donati-independent: check him out at http://www.virgildonati.com
5. David Garibaldi-Tower of Power: funkiest drummer ever!!
Top 5 frontmen (we can discuss the difference b/t frontmen and singers, if anyone wants)
1. Robert Plant-Led Zeppelin
2. Jim Morrison-The Doors
3. David Lee Roth-Van Halen
4. Bono-U2
5. Freddie Mercury-Queen
Top 5 BEST bands
1. The Beatles
2. Zepp
3. U2
4. The Stones
5. Pink Floyd
Top 5 FAVORITE bands (BB's personal best)
1. Zepp
2. Pantera
3. Pearl Jam
4. Clutch
5.Metallica
Best Guitar Tone
Brian May of Queen and David Gilmore of Pink Floyd
Best Album Ever
Led Zeppelin IV
Best Song Intro's
Since I've Been Loving You-Led Zepp
Dead and Bloated-Stone Temple Pilots
Voodoo Chile-Stevie Ray Vaughen
Best Guitar Solos
Voodoo Chile-Stevie Ray Vaughen
Comfortably Numb-Pink Floyd
Paradise City-Guns and Roses(the end of this song is reDUNKulous)
Best Single Note (that's right, the best one notes of rock history)
Voodoo Chile intro-third time through the lick-Stevie Ray Vaughen
I Feel Good-bridge-James Brown sings "When I hold you, in my AAAAAAARMS!"
And finally, Best Drum Grooves
When the Levee Breaks-John Bonham-Led Zepp
Hot for Teacher-Alex Van Halen-Van Halen
Lateralus-Danny Carey-Tool
Knock Yourself Out-David Garibaldi-Tower of Power
Roxanne-Stewart Copeland-The Police
Rolling Stone, eat your heart out!! Feel free to make additions, corrections and other comments. Except, Andy, why I didn't include "Best Keyboardists"!!
Later peeps, B
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