An Evening with Jaco, Nick & Will

this evening was spent in good company, company of such superb quality that i felt it necessary to mark the evening with a posting.

those of you who know me know that i have a fondness for books. a good read is something which delights me very much. as any person who reads often can tell you, a genuinely good read is a hard find. i have been fortunate enough to have not one but three of these in a row, two of which i finished this evening. extremely loud & incredibly close by jonathan safron foer was the one that started it off. however, the two books of this evening, brother to a dragonfly by will d.campbell and the polysyllabic spree by nick hornby, were read with the musical stylings of a certain jaco pastorius. those of you familiar with all three can see that they aren't exactly matched, yet they came together.

jaco's punk jazz provided the right background for me to get into a sort of transcendental reading zone as it were. to enter such a state, it takes the proper setting, the proper level of comfort/discomfort (discomfort because too much comfort will lead to slumber), the proper writing, and the type of music that will not distract, keep you focused, move you along with a steady beat and occasionally provide a nice and entertaining break from the written word. jaco's music fulfilled all of the musical requirements. (note: i will often turn to jazz, blues [of the delta variety, typically acoustic], folk, and rarely things i know the words to, things i can passively listen to, but still enjoy while blocking out distracting things like people or silence, which does distract me much of the time).

campbell's book, a gritty look at this man's life with his brother, was recommended to me by a certain brian coates. i am a bit picky about whose recommendations i'll read and thus far brian is two for two, introducing me to this book and buechner's telling secrets.

this book was also featured in documentary i saw some time ago on pbs, bits of it came back to me as i read it. in fact, a while back i was writing a paper on the main views of the atonement and i stumbled upon a quote from this book: "basically, we're all bastards but God loves us anyway." at the time when i read it i felt much like a bastard, for reasons i either cannot remember or wish not to divulge, thus it endeared itself to me although it was quoted as a someone once said. it was nice to finally read it within its context and to know the man it came from, this guy.

i like his hat too. the book reminded me much of the birmingham civil rights institute. campbell was very much involved in that movement and the bcri is a fantastic place to learn about that time in our history and the people who fought, and fight for that matter, to rid this world of injustice. i have always regretted not knowing more about history. i say that like i'm an old man without the time to learn about it. that being said, i hope not to be as ignorant as i feel about the past in the future.

finishing that book and with jaco still moving along (there are 28 songs on that album and some of those move beyond the ten minute mark with ease and splendor), i decided to start the aforementioned book by nick hornby. he is fantastic. if you've seen about a boy, fever pitch, & high fidelity then you've seen two very good movies and one watachable movie based on two of his novels and one of his memoirs. i enjoy the british witt and hornby's got it as well as a fantastic drawing of himself looking a bit like thomas merton (see book to the right).

recently, i decided that i would like to read all of his books. i had read all of his novels and one of the short story books he edited, so i thought it wouldn't take much of a commitment to knock the other one's out. i've got fever pitch, 31 songs, otherwise pandemonium, & housekeeping vs dirt left to read (i've got h vs d if anyone wants to give me a random gift of the other three).

i digress.

the book i read tonight was a collection of articles he wrote for a literary magazine about the books he bought and the books he read. i found it absolutely fantastic. he is extremely funny (at some point i'll publish some quotes).

as a book reader who is far behind on the owned and read scale, i could easily relate to his musings. rarely, actually never, do i buy a book at full price. i cannot afford to do that. i buy many of my books at thrift stores or buy them used on the world wide web. for a brief time in my life i worked at an independent book store. that experience proved to be expensive. it was like having an alcoholic, non-recovering alcoholic working at liquor store in which he got a substantial discount. luckily it lasted only a summer. but i still have books i've read a 1/3, 1/2 or not a word of which i purchased there.

the book is perfect for people with my disease. i love to read and it is nice to see other people out there with the same sickness. if you are one of those people, i hope that you'll one day read this one.

yes, i did enjoy my evening with these gentlemen and i hope to have another one like it with a different set of folk. i had a professor in college one time tell me, over a cup of coffee, that he was very bulimic in his reading. he would binge and purge, reading tons and then nothing. i am very much the same way. i'm like a bear storing up fat for the winter only my salmon be literature.

Horray for Churros!

today, unlike most days, i felt the strong desire for a spanish treat. it did take me off guard, believe you me. but when such a craving calls, you must answer. and answer i did.

i prepared the churros with a love and tenderness that only a mother could appreciate. careful that each churro was made to the exact specifications that the government of spain mandates, i ushered every bit of uncooked churro-dough into an already warmed pan of vegetable oil as i made sure to minimize the splash. magic abounded as they reached the crunchy, golden-brown consistency i desired and they deserved. my attention was never divided until they were placed, in neat rows, onto a tray so that the excess oil could drain.

as the oil continued to drip from these pastries, i began to scientifically mix unequal parts of cinnamon and sugar. ideally they would be dipped into a thick and melted chocolate, but i do not find myself ready for such a culinary challenge at this point of my life. staying within my own limits, i bravely began to sprinkle the scientific creation onto the still-warm churros.

looking at them i knew i had done something special. before me was a set of glorious churros ready to be enjoyed. each delicious fried-dough cinnamon and sugar covered pastry snack was treated with the utmost care as i, taking sensible bites, placed them into my mouth. i think it safe to say that i tasted beauty this day, a beauty that can only be understood by those who have also tasted the goodness of a warm churro, crafted with love.

it was not until later i realized that the preparation to the dazzling of the taste buds had left the kitchen with the strong, lingering smell of vegetable oil. it was, nay, is quite potent. but i feel, as i hope most of you reading this now would, that the delightful taste of this spanish treat was worth any olfactory discomfort. and that, good people, you can take to the bank!

Bolton vs. Seger

without a doubt, one of my most prized possessions is a michael bolton t-shirt. in a word, it's glorious.

this shirt is always a crowd pleaser, always classy and always the sexiest attire in the room. i recently had the great joy of giving a bolton t-shirt to one of my good friends on the eve of his wedding. much like me, wearing this beautiful man on his chest has brought him great joy.

office space is a film that has very much heightened the joy of a michael bolton t-shirt. those in the know will frequently recite lines from the movie, allowing me to join in with lines such as "i've got to tell ya, i am a big fan" & "to me it doesn't get any better than when he sings 'when a man loves a woman.'" what i'm saying is that it, more times than not, makes for a good time. it's hard not to smile when looking at the curly headed beauty.

tonight, however, i had a different sort of experience. on the way home i stopped for some milk. while shopping, i passed a woman who was wearing a bob seger shirt. she looked at me as if i was painted purple. she obviously was a detroit rock type of person. the fact that i, a 'man' would sport the likes of an easy-listening tool like michael bolton on my chest made her want to vomit, if only a taster.

i walked by, but my mind stayed there. what if there was a seger/bolton clash? who would win this classic confrontation? let's find out.

Bob Seger

vs.

Michael Bolton

the pictures above shall represent the warriors in this brawl. bolton, much like samson, lost all of his power when he cut those glorious locks. i also like seger at this stage of life. i don't really care to look at the chubby, short-haired seger.

some ground rules. the silver bullet band must not interfere. this war must be waged between the two vocalists. there will be 3 rounds: round 1- wailing ability, round 2- overall presentation, round 3- musical merit

round 1: wailing ability

seger comes out strong. his throaty voice finds its mark..... our hearts. seger is so blue-collar that even his singing sounds like a hard day at the office. he earns every note, singing them with the authority kids today need what with their winy emo. the way he sings makes you believe everything he says. i believe he'll keep running against the wind, i believe that he is going and i should turn the page, i believe he is indeed like a rock and as strong as he could be, and i believe that we have got tonight and i certainly will stay.

bolton lacks no gusto. he is another man who works for his notes. the power that comes out of this man is a like a firework display that will keep you saying 'ooooh' all night. each word comes from deep within his gut. at times you feel that his head is in danger of exploding. for instance, towards the end of when a man loves a woman there is a very likely chance that the average man passes out in any attempt to wail in such a manner. he also seems to have a better grasp of the falsetto, example: a few seconds into love is a wonderful thing.

bolton, much like seger, leads you to believe the words he sings. unfortunately, bolton's words are usually somebody else’s. but this is not about what they sing, but how they sing it. although i very much enjoy listening to seger, i can't help but believe that bolton would out wail him any day. seger voice sounds as if he has a perpetual sore throat. bolton wails his way into a round one victory.

round 2: overall presentation

this is a basically a way for me to say appearance.

bolton's mullet, as much as i adore it, is a little gaudy. obviously, i think he is better off with it than without it, but it certainly doesn't add any class. he typically will wear a shirt unbuttoned a bit to show off a little chest. it is not uncommon for him to sport a jacket. this adds a bit of class, but the mullet brings him right back down. when singing he seems to do a fist clinching thing as his face looks as though he is giving birth. overall, i feel as though he looks as if he is trying not to go to the bathroom.

i always think of seger on the railroad tracks in all black. the black is a good move for bob. let's face it; he doesn't have bolton's physique (which isn't saying much). he also possesses something bolton doesn't have, stupendous facial hair. seger can grow a beard with the best of them. i'd also have to say that his feathered looking hair is much more respectable than the mane bolton sported. on stage, seger is as blue-collared as a man can be.

bottom line, i feel less uncomfortable watching seger do what he does. i'll always feel a bit awkward when bolton attempts to seduce all within view. bolton is a bit creepy (not a minor factor in my love for my bolton t-shirt.
round two is seger's.

round 3: the goods

both have had their share of hits. bolton just seems to sing other people's hits a lot more than seger. that is going to hurt him in this round. he has released entire albums of other people's songs with a bolton twist, i.e. hernia inducing vocal efforts. but i won't lie; few songs make me happier than love is a wonderful thing. few songs touch my heart like how am i supposed to live without you (extra points for being in a classic saved by the bell episode). few songs hurt like said i loved you.... but i lied (shady michael, shady). and few songs make me admire a man's commitment to butchering a classic as when a man loves a woman.

seger, quite simply, is fantastic. turn the page, night moves, we've got tonight, old time rock and roll, like a rock and against the wind. there aren't many artists with 6 songs of this caliber. while bolton reminds me of office space and saved by the bell, seger's songs inspire memories of tom cruise in his underwear and tom hanks running across our beautiful country. it is also very important to remember that, as cruel as this sounds, seger isn't a joke. bolton, has sort of become one. office space ensured that.
round three.... seger.

thus, the woman who looked at my bolton t-shirt with such disdain was right to look down upon me. seger is the greater of the two. if only she could read this. she would know that i didn't wear that shirt because i think he rocks. i dawn that shirt because michael bolton is lame and should be celebrated for it.

another post about a finger

on wednesday i decided that my left hand would look much more stylish if i cut off a small part of it. since i hate wasting time, i decided that it would be best if i attempted to trim my left pointer finger while cutting some drywall. multi-tasking is a wonderful thing.

as my finger began to spurt blood, i began a series of classic verbal fireworks (wonderfully colorful and, surprisingly, pg rated). i decided it would be wise to see how bad it was in order to determine whether a doctor or just duct tape would be in order.

it was bad enough to make me think about a doctor visit but not bad enough for me to forget just how big of a deductible i have on my insurance policy. i decided that duct tape would not do but a doctor would be too much like pampering my finger, with there sterilized instruments, degrees and what not.

i came home and washed the finger, marveling at the canyon-like gash this, in the words of bob ross, 'happy little accident' had created.

the first dressing of the wound did not quite do the job as blood began to drip from the bandage. i could hear the doctor calling. ignoring his cries, as well as my own, i started over. success was mine.

the finger is starting to mend. there are none of the following: odd smells, strange discoloring, signs of gangrene, puss spewing or even septicemia (this one particularly makes me very happy). with time i shall heal and i shall keep this glorious finger.

i got flicked off

for those of you concerned, i returned from pearlington mississippi alive and well a few weeks ago. we fully completed an 1100 square foot home in about 7 days. i was able to have a few discussions with a couple of pastors down there and heard the condition of their hearts and spirits. both of them where very forthcoming with me and both were tired, tired from the struggle to keep their hopes alive, tired of living in fema trailors and tired from having to be a pillar of strength for those around them. it hurt my heart.

yesterday i was genuinely flicked off for the first time in a long time. i say genuinely because i have a handful of friends who use their middle fingers as tokens of affection, much like hugs. i am a fairly gentle-natured-teddy-bear-esque-laid-back kind of person. being this type of person, my behavior doesn't typically warrant the rage of another person's middle finger. i do have to say that it caught me a bit off guard.

the incident occurred at cracker barrel of all places. this restaurant should embody a small town sense of love and community, most places with rocking chairs and porches do. the country cooking should be good for your soul, comforting you. i do not know how such an atmosphere could allow a person to leave in such an aggravated state, i really don't. perhaps this particular person had difficulty with the golf-tee pyramid intelligence test, i'll never know.

what i do know is that this person had very much difficulty removing her car from her parking space. a process that should have involved simply reversing straight back, putting the car into drive and turning left became a very complicated and intricate 17-point turn.

i was dumbfounded. this person was simply dumb. for several minutes the driver pulled forward, reversed, turned a hair, pulled forward, reversed, turned a hair and so on and so forth. the ordeal lasted long enough for my dad and i to have various conversations about the episode and for at least one of us to consider offering our own driving acumen as a solution.

after a while, it became a little comical to me. i began to chuckle a little. it became a sort of smirk.

the light dawned and the person pulled back into the spot, reversed straight back and made a simple left out of the parking lot.

as the car pulled by us, the window rolled down. at first, the person appeared to be waving at us, a sort of apology for the longevity of the driving procedure. next, it looked as though the person was moving into a sort of peace sign (i thought it quite strange that someone would flash a peace sign in this situation). finally the person extended the middle finger directly at me.

wow, i thought to myself. i've just been flicked off. it did seem a bit extreme to me. but i'm sure my laughter didn't help her have a better day. of course, i could have been laughing at any number of things outside of the terrible driving spectacle going on in front of me, say a joke or the like. thus, i determined that this middle finger was unwarranted.

this evening i began reading a book by george barna, of the barna group, entitled revolution. i'm at the half-way point and must say that i have found it quite interesting and challenging. the barna group is well known for doing research for people like disney, the us military, billy graham and various types of churches. barna is said to be the most quoted man in the church (this is odd considering Jesus and paul probably get a good bit of play. my guess is Jesus and paul get hurt by the classics 'somewhere in the new testament' and 'i think Jesus or paul said...' or that they mean extra-biblical sources. the book takes a look at the social, philosophical and theological movements within Christian culture and the church. i'd recommend it thus far.

which reminds me, i need to change the now reading books on the right of my blog. at one point i had the intentions of this up to date with what i'm reading. but it was too tedious to keep up. perhaps some day i'll be a real blogger. until that day, these random and unscheduled posts shall have to suffice. Godspeed my friends, Godspeed.