Surprising Finds

The Protestant reformer Martin Luther was an often controversial figure. His support of the suppression of the rebelling German peasantry and his various anti-Semitic remarks are hard to reconcile with the many good things that he did that set the Western world on the path toward freedom of religion. I was aware of his fondness for good beer and his admonition that we "sin boldly", but apart from this first little aphorism I was not aware of the many words of wisdom that Luther had to offer.
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Martin Luther:

Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.


War is the greatest plague that can afflict humanity, it destroys religion, it destroys states, it destroys families. Any scourge is preferable to it.


In the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver.


If you are not allowed to laugh in heaven, I don't want to go there.


When schools flourish, all flourishes.


Nothing good ever comes of violence.


Every man must do two things alone; he must do his own believing and his own dying.


God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees, and flowers, and clouds, and stars.


I am more afraid of my own heart than of the pope and all his cardinals. I have within me the great pope, Self.


Let the wife make the husband glad to come home, and let him make her sorry to see him leave.


Music is the art of the prophets and the gift of God.


Peace if possible, truth at all costs.


Peace is more important than all justice; and peace was not made for the sake of justice, but justice for the sake of peace.


There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage.


Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God.


You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say.


Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.


Pray, and let God worry.

A Wrinkle In Time

In 1994, this young man began writing and recording music for a new album with his band.



But he proved to be so difficult to work with that, one by one, his bandmates jumped ship. Abandoned but undeterred, this youthful rockster found new musicians and resumed recording "Chinese Democracy" in 1998. The record company offered a bonus of $1 million dollars if the album could be completed by March 1999.

Fourteen years after its inception and having racked up over $13,000,000 in studio fees, "Chinese Democracy" was released on Nov. 23, 2008, by this man...

Show this to your children so they don't do drugs.

Just Like the Old Days

Many years ago, before marriage and children had blessed our lives and the lives of our many friends, we created a rather large ersatz family. A dozen or more of us twenty-somethings would gather together frequently to share meals, celebrate birthdays, and, usually with the accompaniment of copious amounts of beer, mark the passage of time while enjoying each others' company.

Three quotes that stand out in my mind that define those days--

"It's only 12:30?!?! It's still EARLY!"
-Sean catching his second wind after midnight

"So, where's the party tonight?"
-Misty upon arriving at Haus Hopper after work on a weekday

"The Austin weekend starts on Thursday and ends on Sunday, and we practice for it on Wednesday."
-yours truly summarizing the general way of things at the time

We eventually grew up. We got married and created real families, and life got much, much better. Still, a part of me has missed the frequent gatherings. Others from our group have felt the same way. A couple months ago several people lamented our seeming lameness and complacency-- how easy it has been to give up trying to organize gatherings and to measure the time between social events in months rather than in weeks or days. Of course it cannot ever be like it was all those years ago, and indeed it really shouldn't be.

Happily, and counter to the trend of the last several years, this past month has been especially active: Party last month at Bookhart's. Party at Jeffry's watching Smash Riley. Party here eight days ago. Party at Pidge's two days ago. Party here again yesterday (okay, a Thanksgiving feast), and even more on the horizon!

In short, it has been rather like the old days.

Worst Song Ever!

I was shopping Kohl's tonight with Davis while Mila took Onni to her first Girl Scouts meeting. Department store music is generally pretty vapid, but this song struck me as especially awful.
Seeing the photograph on Youtube somewhat lessens the blow, so to feel full brunt of the tune's sheer mediocrity I suggest that you avert your eyes from the picture and instead imagine yourself strolling through aisles of clothing looking for something that even vaguely resembles the clothes in the newspaper insert that brought you to a big box department store in the first place.

This song is the soundtrack to disappointment.

Be patient, and don't be fooled by the somewhat cool (if ubiquitous) drums at the beginning. You must wait until 1:10 for this crap to reach its full crescendo of stank.

Time to Pretend

MGMT -- a recent find. May have to go out and buy their cd. Perfect example of synergy-- cool song + cool video = complete awesomeness

Do You Remember This Show?

Who's Your Little "Who's-It"?

Hurdy Gurdy Man

In July 2002, Mila and I traveled to Prague, with our guide the kindly Dr. Pheasant. The first night in the city we made our way through the winding Medieval streets to the famous bridge built in the 1300s by King Karel IV. It is a surprisingly wide bridge, flanked at intervals by towering statues of bishops and saints, and it was packed with people-- sight-seers mainly, but locals, too, and a few vendors and street performers- most memorably some fire jugglers who were, frankly, not very good. Dropped torches aside, the orange glow of their flames made the Medieval bridge and Medieval city, with its spectacular castle looming on the opposite bank, seem all the more... well... Medieval. But the piece de resistance of all this Medievalism was the eerie and haunting music that emanated from somewhere farther down the bridge. It sounded like an old woman singing through some sort of amplification. When we had finally snaked our way through the crowd to the source of the music, we were somewhat surprised to find that it was not a miked old woman but a middle-aged man singing just with his own voice-- no amplification.

Now, only six years later, Jiri Wehle looks quite a bit older, but as you listen to this recording, don't watch the video. Instead, imagine the scene I have described here-- the moving firelight, the ancient stone bridge, the illuminated castle on the hill and its reflected image, as if pixelated, scintillating on the surface of the Vltava River, the stone bishops, the cranking of the hurdy gurdy wheel.

Magical Prague.

Happy Days Are Here Again!

So long sad times
Go long bad times
We are rid of you at last
Howdy gay times
Cloudy gray times
You are now a thing of the past

Happy days are here again
The skies above are clear again
So let’s sing a song of cheer again
Happy days are here again

Altogether shout it now
There’s no one
Who can doubt it now
So let’s tell the world about it now
Happy days are here again

Your cares and troubles are gone
There’ll be no more from now on
From now on...

Happy days are here again
The skies above are here again
So, let’s sing a song of cheer again
Happy times
Happy nights
Happy days
Are here again!

Name That Tune

Leatherbag's "On Down the Line"


1. This song sounds an awful lot like--

A) "Roadrunner" by the Modern Lovers
B) "Sister Ray" by the Velvet Underground
C) "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd
D) Both A and B

(Is this a good thing or a bad thing?)