Pain, Repackaged as a Bet
Apr 02, 2025 • Category: Addiction
“Every gambler tells himself his object is to win, but his true object may be the avoidance of pain. Playing and losing is better than not playing. Winning is better than losing, sure, but only because it allows the gambler to keep playing.”
Stung-The Incredible Obsession of Brian Molony
Gary Stephen Ross
Stung-The Incredible Obsession of Brian Molony
Gary Stephen Ross
The First Time
When I was about twelve or thirteen, somewhere in that sweet spot where life was still mostly about cheeseburgers, football, and hoping your voice wouldn’t crack in front of a girl, this song started playing on the radio. “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” by Roberta Flack. It didn’t come in like most pop hits, no thumping beat or catchy hook. Just soft piano and subtle strings, like it tiptoed into the room and whispered something meant only for you.I didn’t stand up and declare it my favorite song, not out loud. I didn’t even really understand what was happening in my chest the first dozen times I heard it. But something inside me gradually recognized it over a period of years. This wasn’t just a love song; this was the love song. It wrapped around me in a way I couldn’t explain, and by the end of that summer, I knew, without knowing, that it had taken permanent residence in my heart.
This woman, this voice; she was singing to one man. Just one. And whoever he was, he must’ve been carved from something sacred, because the way she sang to him was nothing short of soul-bending. She wasn’t performing. She was offering something. Confessing something. Like she had stripped herself down to nothing but truth and melody and laid it at his feet. The music didn’t push or pull—it just hovered there, gentle as breath, holding space for her voice to carry the weight.
And something in me, some small, hungry piece, began to hope. Hope that maybe, just maybe, someone could ever feel that way about me. Not for what I could do or how I looked or what I could offer—but for who I was, in that quiet place between breaths. Could a woman ever lie beside me, meet my eyes, and sing that song with her whole being? Could her voice brush across my skin and crack open the sky?
If she ever did… if a moment like that ever truly found me, this earth would light up in full color, like it had been waiting all along for love to turn the lights on.
And life… life would never be the same.
Johnny Johnson
Mar 04, 2025 • Category: Life
Back in junior high, there was this guy named Johnny Johnson. He wasn’t just any kid—Johnny was the kid. He was the guy every boy wanted to be, and every girl dreamed of marrying.At just 14, Johnny was clocked running the 100-yard dash in 10.3 seconds. Sure, that might not sound like world-class speed today, but we were 14 years old. That was blazing. I remember hearing that the fastest female sprinter in the world at the time posted a 10 flat—only three-tenths of a second faster—and Johnny wasn’t even done growing yet. It was clear to everyone that high school, college, and probably Olympic fame were all in his future.
In ninth grade, Johnny was elected student body president. Honestly, he probably could’ve had the auditorium named after him if he’d asked, or had every school in the state fighting over who got to have him on their roster.
On the football field, Johnny was magic as the kick returner. I remember the coach gazing down the field at him one day. He wasn’t even talking to me, but his words stuck: “He’s one of the most gifted athletes in the city.” You could hear the awe in his voice, and I felt it too. Johnny was just that guy.
Even in art class, you couldn’t escape the Johnny Johnson fan club. It was like the girls had formed a committee to discuss him every day, sharing updates and whispering words like “cute” and “dreamy.” He was their obsession, and honestly, I didn’t blame them. He was dreamy.
I idolized Johnny. He’d walk down the hall in his letterman jacket, his chiseled jawline catching the light, two girls trailing behind him carrying his books. Teachers sang his praises like he was a gift to humanity, and I’m pretty sure his report card backed that up.
One memory, though, stands out above all the others. It was during off-season training when all the boys from every sport were crammed into the gym with one mission: sell candy to raise money. The coaches divided us into a dozen smaller teams, each with its own leader, and we’d be competing for a grand prize—a steak dinner. By sheer luck (or maybe misfortune), I ended up in Johnny Johnson’s group. Johnny, of course, was our team leader, and just the thought of sitting across the table from him over a $5 chopped steak was enough to make any kid hustle. It would be like having dinner with the President.
When it came time to report my sales, I handed Johnny my grand total—six dollars and fifty cents. I mumbled something about most of the people I had solicited not having any cash on hand. Johnny looked at me, his face full of irritation, and barked at me that payment wasn’t due until delivery. Then, without missing a beat, he called me a stupid ass and walked away.
I just stood there open-mouthed, fighting back the tears. That’s what I remember most about Johnny Johnson.
RFK, Jr. on Addiction, Isolation and Connection
Feb 13, 2025 • Category: Addiction
“I think it’s the same thing, you know, most addicts like myself feel like, I feel like I was born an addict…these impulses are biologically hardwired into us, and whether you feel that way or you feel you became an addict or an alcoholic later on in life, the only way to overcome that biological impulse is with a spiritual realignment, a spiritual fire…and that comes from a connectedness to community. Alcoholism and addiction are diseases of isolation. People end up in jails and institutions and dead or in bathrooms by themselves or insulated by secrets, they withdraw from the community and from connectedness. The process of getting sober is the process of reconnecting to community.”
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaking to Laura Ingraham about spirituality and hope for the struggling, on February 13, 2025 following his confirmation as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaking to Laura Ingraham about spirituality and hope for the struggling, on February 13, 2025 following his confirmation as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services
In Loving Memory of Hope
Dec 10, 2024 • Category: Life
by DV
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Hope, the cherished dream of a possibility for true intimacy. Born of optimism and desire, Hope brought warmth and anticipation to countless moments, lighting the path to a desperately sought-after but ever-elusive connection. Hope took its own life because it had lost itself.
Hope leaves behind a legacy of unrealistic expectations and empty dreams in the face of uncertainty and a persistent belief in the potential for profound emotional closeness. Despite its untimely departure, the impact of Hope's presence lingers, reminding us of the human yearning for genuine intimacy.
Hope is survived by its siblings, Love, Longing, and Sacrifice, who will carry forward the lessons and strength instilled by their departed kin. In lieu of flowers, the family requests acts of encouragement, vulnerability, and open communication in memory of Hope.
May Hope rest in peace, and may its memory inspire a continued search for the authentic unions we all seek.
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Hope, the cherished dream of a possibility for true intimacy. Born of optimism and desire, Hope brought warmth and anticipation to countless moments, lighting the path to a desperately sought-after but ever-elusive connection. Hope took its own life because it had lost itself.
Hope leaves behind a legacy of unrealistic expectations and empty dreams in the face of uncertainty and a persistent belief in the potential for profound emotional closeness. Despite its untimely departure, the impact of Hope's presence lingers, reminding us of the human yearning for genuine intimacy.
Hope is survived by its siblings, Love, Longing, and Sacrifice, who will carry forward the lessons and strength instilled by their departed kin. In lieu of flowers, the family requests acts of encouragement, vulnerability, and open communication in memory of Hope.
May Hope rest in peace, and may its memory inspire a continued search for the authentic unions we all seek.
The House Edge
Dec 04, 2024 • Category: Addiction
Addiction is the ultimate house edge, always playing the long game. Even when you think you’re up, walking away a winner, it waits—silent, patient, and calculating. Then, at the worst possible moment, it shows its hand, a crooked smile on its face, and takes it all back with interest. No matter how good you think you’re doing, the odds are always stacked in its favor, and in the end, it never misses its chance to be triumphant once more.
Signs of the Times
Nov 18, 2024 • Category: Rock
Have you ever seen a more memorable marquee than this one from the Longhorn Ballroom in Dallas, TX in 1978?Billy Bowman was my friend
Oct 30, 2024 • Category: Life
In second grade, I had a classmate named Billy Bowman. He was the best-dressed 8-year-old in school, always sporting a snap-up shirt, cowboy boots, and classically styled hair neatly combed and raised in the front like Ricky Ricardo’s. Billy’s voice was a cute mix of high-pitch and gentleness, with a refined bilingual accent that made each word and sentence sound flawless. I can still remember the sparkle and excitement in his eyes when he spoke. Billy was a beautiful boy.Our parents knew each other, and on that particular afternoon, it was arranged for Billy to come home with me after school. However, as we walked together, I found myself suddenly indifferent. Perhaps it was Billy’s incessant chatter about playing with my toys and watching TV together, a stark contrast to the shared space he had at home with his sister. Or maybe I was just tired and wanted to take a nap, so, I told Billy, “Let’s just do it some other day.”
What I failed to realize was that Billy had been eagerly anticipating this visit all week. He had looked forward to spending time at his friend’s house, imagining how much fun they would have. I’m sure his mother was so happy for him. I never considered their feelings nor the disappointment my words would bring.
I wish I could have foreseen the sadness I would feel in the future, the regret of having let a friend down. I wish I had known then how valuable true friendship is, how sensitive feelings can be, and that such moments would weigh heavily on my heart when I grew older. Even if I had been told, I might not have listened.
So, right there at the corner of St. Regis and Templecliff, Billy’s tears began to fall. I felt a tinge of guilt, but evidently not enough to change my tune and bring him home with me. I watched Billy turn and walk away towards his own house. He was downcast. I was wrong, I had rejected him.
There was no color then. I rejected my friend in black and white, and he cried. I’m sorry, Billy. A real friend doesn’t do that. A real friend just wouldn’t.
The Lady
Sep 22, 2024 • Category: Addiction
…"Users call cocaine ‘the lady.’ The lady has a widespread acceptance in the best of circles. However, those of us who are—or were—hooked can tell you it's no lady. And until I am cured, I consider myself hooked. Even now, talking about it makes me want it. I can feel the familiar signals going through my body, making my heart beat faster.”Don Reese from June 14, 1982 issue of Sports Illustrated
The Prodigal Son
Jun 21, 2024 • Category: Life
Luke 15:11-32
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
The First Three Steps
Step 1. We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and that our lives had become unmanageable (verses 14 - 17)
Step 2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity (verses 17 - 19)
Step 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him (verse 20)
Steps 1, 2 and 3 are illustrated with the story of the Prodigal Son. He admitted he was powerless and could not take care of himself. Luckily, he did realize that there was someone who could help him. There was someone who had the means and ability to feed him. There was hope. Then, he decided he would conform himself to that persons way of life and go to him. What a wonderful plan. It worked.
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
The First Three Steps
Step 1. We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and that our lives had become unmanageable (verses 14 - 17)
Step 2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity (verses 17 - 19)
Step 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him (verse 20)
Steps 1, 2 and 3 are illustrated with the story of the Prodigal Son. He admitted he was powerless and could not take care of himself. Luckily, he did realize that there was someone who could help him. There was someone who had the means and ability to feed him. There was hope. Then, he decided he would conform himself to that persons way of life and go to him. What a wonderful plan. It worked.
Wooed by the Wire: A Story of Suspended Sanity
Apr 21, 2024 • Category: Addiction
by DV
Let’s agree on the notion that being hooked on one thing is pretty much like being hooked on another; the mind of an addict doesn't really care about the specifics. Hold that thought while I draw you a picture with a story that mirrors the addict's perilous dance between safety and self-destruction.
I watched a documentary called “Man On Wire” about high-wire artist Philippe Petit. Petit, a Frenchman, achieved worldwide acclaim for being somewhat of an artistic vandal in that he staged unauthorized high-wire walks in the 1970’s. His greatest accomplishment was on the early morning of August 7, 1974, as he walked between the very top of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, 1,350 feet above the streets of downtown Manhattan. I remember listening to the news report on the radio as I was getting ready for school and immediately thought, “That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever heard of.” Maybe it still is.
In the documentary (which I highly recommend), Petit is being interviewed and describes the moment of truth—the instant before his wire walk—that chills the spine. He stands there, one foot rooted in the safety of the skyscraper, the other teetering over the expanse on a wire thin as hope.
“And I had to make a decision,
...of shifting my weight from one foot anchored to the building...
...to the foot anchored on the wire.
This is probably... I don’t know... probably the end of my life to step on that wire.
And on the other hand, something that I could not resist...
...and I didn’t make any effort to resist, called me upon that cable.
And death is very close.”
Wow, what a great description! He has one foot in a safe place, and the other on something that all reason says will bring death. He knows this, yet he cannot resist as that cable is wooing him upon it. Addiction may not have been in his dictionary, but he was giving an inadvertent perfect picture of it and the lengths an addict would go to fill his emptiness.
To me personally, I have been in a zombie-like trance, hearing that cable calling my name, and made no effort to stand firm. All I could see, and wanted to see, was what that wire represented, without any thought of the fall from grace that lay just below it. Can you imagine?
The movie documents the great pains he endured and the elaborate plans made to pull off this mission he referred to as “Le Coup.” As I watched each step of the caper, I placed myself into it as the lead character since I had parallel efforts toward my own high-wire dances without a net, a gamble where the stakes were my very life. I’m an addict.
Let’s agree on the notion that being hooked on one thing is pretty much like being hooked on another; the mind of an addict doesn't really care about the specifics. Hold that thought while I draw you a picture with a story that mirrors the addict's perilous dance between safety and self-destruction.
I watched a documentary called “Man On Wire” about high-wire artist Philippe Petit. Petit, a Frenchman, achieved worldwide acclaim for being somewhat of an artistic vandal in that he staged unauthorized high-wire walks in the 1970’s. His greatest accomplishment was on the early morning of August 7, 1974, as he walked between the very top of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, 1,350 feet above the streets of downtown Manhattan. I remember listening to the news report on the radio as I was getting ready for school and immediately thought, “That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever heard of.” Maybe it still is.
In the documentary (which I highly recommend), Petit is being interviewed and describes the moment of truth—the instant before his wire walk—that chills the spine. He stands there, one foot rooted in the safety of the skyscraper, the other teetering over the expanse on a wire thin as hope.
“And I had to make a decision,
...of shifting my weight from one foot anchored to the building...
...to the foot anchored on the wire.
This is probably... I don’t know... probably the end of my life to step on that wire.
And on the other hand, something that I could not resist...
...and I didn’t make any effort to resist, called me upon that cable.
And death is very close.”
Wow, what a great description! He has one foot in a safe place, and the other on something that all reason says will bring death. He knows this, yet he cannot resist as that cable is wooing him upon it. Addiction may not have been in his dictionary, but he was giving an inadvertent perfect picture of it and the lengths an addict would go to fill his emptiness.
To me personally, I have been in a zombie-like trance, hearing that cable calling my name, and made no effort to stand firm. All I could see, and wanted to see, was what that wire represented, without any thought of the fall from grace that lay just below it. Can you imagine?
The movie documents the great pains he endured and the elaborate plans made to pull off this mission he referred to as “Le Coup.” As I watched each step of the caper, I placed myself into it as the lead character since I had parallel efforts toward my own high-wire dances without a net, a gamble where the stakes were my very life. I’m an addict.
Levels of Insanity
Mar 20, 2024 • Category: Addiction
by DV
Rock-Bottom Insanity:
I’m going to jump in my car and drive 100 MPH down LBJ Freeway because that’s what I’m addicted to.
Reasonable Insanity:
On the next good weather day, I’m going to go check the air in my tires, clean my windows, put on my helmet and gloves then jump in my car and drive 100 MPH down LBJ Freeway because that’s what I’m addicted to.
Do you see the difference? The first is a zombie-like state of rock-bottom insane addiction; all I can see is my addiction, and I want it now. The second is just a little more patient – I do want it now, but I’m willing to wait till tomorrow. Perhaps this is the very last stop before that destination we call: “The Twilight Zone”. I want as much safety in my self-destruction as possible because I still have one brain cell remaining. Thank God somebody grabbed my car keys.
Rock-Bottom Insanity:
I’m going to jump in my car and drive 100 MPH down LBJ Freeway because that’s what I’m addicted to.
Reasonable Insanity:
On the next good weather day, I’m going to go check the air in my tires, clean my windows, put on my helmet and gloves then jump in my car and drive 100 MPH down LBJ Freeway because that’s what I’m addicted to.
Do you see the difference? The first is a zombie-like state of rock-bottom insane addiction; all I can see is my addiction, and I want it now. The second is just a little more patient – I do want it now, but I’m willing to wait till tomorrow. Perhaps this is the very last stop before that destination we call: “The Twilight Zone”. I want as much safety in my self-destruction as possible because I still have one brain cell remaining. Thank God somebody grabbed my car keys.
A Grocery Store Parable
Jan 03, 2024 • Category: Life
by JK
When I was about 25 years old, I drove up to the grocery store in my neighborhood. It was an old type of grocery store, much smaller than a modern supermarket, but it had character, and it was close. As I was going in, there was a young man sitting in the shade on the sidewalk near the entrance. He had no legs. He had placed in front of him a few things he was trying to sell, and he asked me, “Sir, would you like to buy a pencil”?
In that split second, before I responded with an automatic "no," I realized that I knew this man. About fifteen years earlier, when my Sunday School class went on a field trip, this boy had shown up on the bus. I guess he was someone's nephew or friend. I didn’t talk to him that day either. It’s not often that you cross paths with someone with no legs, he looked the same as the kid on the bus, but his lack of legs was a dead giveaway. This young man, was roughly my own age. I went on in the store, made my purchase, and quickly escaped back to my car.
Here’s my point: Had I not been so afraid, had I stopped for two seconds and gave some consideration to someone besides myself, I could have made a difference. I can’t say for sure, but most certainly a 25 year-old legless man has had a rough life. He was selling pencils on the sidewalk. Meanwhile, here I was, able-bodied, married with kids, a home, a job, a car, and enough to afford a grocery run. The perceived contrast was stark.
What I should have done was stop, and kneel down to eye level and say “What all have you got there?” I could have bought a couple of pencils and a notepad, or whatever he had. I could have brought him a Dr. Pepper on my way out. I could have asked him his name.
If only I'd known in advance, I could have composed myself and made a difference in someone's life, even if just for a few minutes. In the grand scheme of things, it would have made a difference in my life too. If only I had known. Or maybe I would have parked on the other side of the store and entered from there. I don't know.
Compare this with a similar situation ten years later. I’m going into a different grocery store with my 10-year old son (who has his own challenges) and standing by the entrance is a kid about his age. My son stops, and sticks out his hand and introduces himself. I’m so proud of him and so ashamed of myself.
Carrying these memories with me in my old age, I'm determined to be more courageous, set aside my fears and make a difference. I'm giving myself some advanced warning right now. Opportunities will arise, and I want to be ready. I don't know how, where, or when, but I'm deciding in advance to be a difference-maker.
When I was about 25 years old, I drove up to the grocery store in my neighborhood. It was an old type of grocery store, much smaller than a modern supermarket, but it had character, and it was close. As I was going in, there was a young man sitting in the shade on the sidewalk near the entrance. He had no legs. He had placed in front of him a few things he was trying to sell, and he asked me, “Sir, would you like to buy a pencil”?
In that split second, before I responded with an automatic "no," I realized that I knew this man. About fifteen years earlier, when my Sunday School class went on a field trip, this boy had shown up on the bus. I guess he was someone's nephew or friend. I didn’t talk to him that day either. It’s not often that you cross paths with someone with no legs, he looked the same as the kid on the bus, but his lack of legs was a dead giveaway. This young man, was roughly my own age. I went on in the store, made my purchase, and quickly escaped back to my car.
Here’s my point: Had I not been so afraid, had I stopped for two seconds and gave some consideration to someone besides myself, I could have made a difference. I can’t say for sure, but most certainly a 25 year-old legless man has had a rough life. He was selling pencils on the sidewalk. Meanwhile, here I was, able-bodied, married with kids, a home, a job, a car, and enough to afford a grocery run. The perceived contrast was stark.
What I should have done was stop, and kneel down to eye level and say “What all have you got there?” I could have bought a couple of pencils and a notepad, or whatever he had. I could have brought him a Dr. Pepper on my way out. I could have asked him his name.
If only I'd known in advance, I could have composed myself and made a difference in someone's life, even if just for a few minutes. In the grand scheme of things, it would have made a difference in my life too. If only I had known. Or maybe I would have parked on the other side of the store and entered from there. I don't know.
Compare this with a similar situation ten years later. I’m going into a different grocery store with my 10-year old son (who has his own challenges) and standing by the entrance is a kid about his age. My son stops, and sticks out his hand and introduces himself. I’m so proud of him and so ashamed of myself.
Carrying these memories with me in my old age, I'm determined to be more courageous, set aside my fears and make a difference. I'm giving myself some advanced warning right now. Opportunities will arise, and I want to be ready. I don't know how, where, or when, but I'm deciding in advance to be a difference-maker.
A Letter From Us to Your Wife
by CD
Dear Mrs. X,
I hope this note finds you well. You might sometimes wonder what exactly your husband is up to on Tuesday evenings. I'm writing to share a bit about where he is and what he's doing. He's in a safe place, surrounded by good people who genuinely care about him—perhaps even more than he realizes himself. We're a group who sees value in each other's lives, inspired by the spirit of support found in Philippians 2:3. We're all rooting for him, celebrating his progress and feeling for him when he's down on himself.
Your husband has shown remarkable honesty with us, the kind that only comes when someone feels truly accepted and secure. Our discussions dive deep into meaningful topics, and he's right there with us, sharing openly and trusting the group. He occasionally reaches out to check in or to share a struggle, reinforcing the importance of mutual support and the healing power of confession. I hope you feel a sense of pride in his journey.
He's demonstrated a strong character, openly discussing his challenges and showing a sincere commitment to improvement. He's sought out positive influences and wise advice, and we're all committed to supporting him in any way we can.
As a son of God, he's working on deepening his faith and reliance, learning to balance effort with trust in divine support. His attempts to live up to expectations, sometimes trying too hard, are a testament to his desire to grow and improve.
In speaking of you, his respect and love are evident. He speaks highly of you, grateful for your grace and support. It's clear he values you immensely, and any disrespect is unimaginable in our gatherings. He aspires to be the husband you deserve, Faithful and True and better than any country song you hear on the radio.
I consider your husband a dear friend, brought into my life for a purpose. My affection and prayers extend to him, as well as to you and your family, especially during times of need. His commitment to bettering himself for you and your family is admirable and not something every man is willing to undertake.
Thank you for supporting him in his journey with us. It's evident how much he cherishes you. Please continue to stand by him. He’s a kind soul who greatly appreciates your partnership. Rest assured, his Tuesday night friends hold him in the highest regard.
Warm regards,
A Tuesday Evening Friend
Philippians 2:3 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,"
Dear Mrs. X,
I hope this note finds you well. You might sometimes wonder what exactly your husband is up to on Tuesday evenings. I'm writing to share a bit about where he is and what he's doing. He's in a safe place, surrounded by good people who genuinely care about him—perhaps even more than he realizes himself. We're a group who sees value in each other's lives, inspired by the spirit of support found in Philippians 2:3. We're all rooting for him, celebrating his progress and feeling for him when he's down on himself.
Your husband has shown remarkable honesty with us, the kind that only comes when someone feels truly accepted and secure. Our discussions dive deep into meaningful topics, and he's right there with us, sharing openly and trusting the group. He occasionally reaches out to check in or to share a struggle, reinforcing the importance of mutual support and the healing power of confession. I hope you feel a sense of pride in his journey.
He's demonstrated a strong character, openly discussing his challenges and showing a sincere commitment to improvement. He's sought out positive influences and wise advice, and we're all committed to supporting him in any way we can.
As a son of God, he's working on deepening his faith and reliance, learning to balance effort with trust in divine support. His attempts to live up to expectations, sometimes trying too hard, are a testament to his desire to grow and improve.
In speaking of you, his respect and love are evident. He speaks highly of you, grateful for your grace and support. It's clear he values you immensely, and any disrespect is unimaginable in our gatherings. He aspires to be the husband you deserve, Faithful and True and better than any country song you hear on the radio.
I consider your husband a dear friend, brought into my life for a purpose. My affection and prayers extend to him, as well as to you and your family, especially during times of need. His commitment to bettering himself for you and your family is admirable and not something every man is willing to undertake.
Thank you for supporting him in his journey with us. It's evident how much he cherishes you. Please continue to stand by him. He’s a kind soul who greatly appreciates your partnership. Rest assured, his Tuesday night friends hold him in the highest regard.
Warm regards,
A Tuesday Evening Friend
Philippians 2:3 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,"
Just a Little Longer
Nov 20, 2023 • Category: Life
The lead character of the story has deep doubts about his affair partner's reliability in keeping their rendezvous. Sure, there's a sliver of possibility—though it's balanced on the brink of not likely. Indeed, upon closer inspection, it verges on being entirely out of the question. Yet, he persisted in this charade, driven by the faintest glimmer of hope. Because where there's even the slightest opportunity, and where addiction grips the soul, we're compelled to keep gambling, against all odds.
A Love Letter From Our Addiction
Oct 21, 2023 • Category: Addiction
by GYE
Dear Friend,
I have come to visit once again. I love to see you suffer mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially. I want to make you restless so you can never relax. I want to make you jumpy, nervous, and anxious. I want to make you agitated and irritable so everything and everybody makes you uncomfortable.
I want you to be confused and depressed, so that you can't think clearly and positively. I want you to feel guilty and remorseful for the things you have done in the past and you'll never be able to let go of. I want to make you angry and hateful toward the world for the way it is and the way you are. I want you to feel sorry for yourself and blame everything but me for the way things are. I want you to be deceitful and untrustworthy and to manipulate and con as many people as possible. I want to make you feel fearful and paranoid for no reason at all. I want to make you wake up all hours of the night screaming for me. You know you can't sleep without me, I'm even in your dreams. I want to be the first thing you think about every morning and the last thing you think about before you black-out.
I'd rather kill you, but I'd be happy enough to put you back in the hospital, another institution, or jail. But you know that I'll be waiting for you when you get out. I love to watch you slowly go insane. I can't help but sneer and chuckle when you shiver and shake; when you freeze and sweat at the same time; when you wake up with the sheets and blankets soaking wet. It's amusing to watch you ignore yourself; not eating, not sleeping, not even attending your personal hygiene.
Yes, it's amazing how much destruction I can be to your internal organs while at the same time working on your brain, destroying it bit by bit.
I deeply appreciate how much you are sacrificing for me. The countless good jobs you have given up for me; all the friends that you deeply cared for, you gave up for me.
And what's more, the ones you turned yourself against because of your inexcusable actions. I am eternally grateful, especially for the loved ones, family and the more important people in the world that you have turned yourself against. You threw even those away for me!
But do not despair, my friend, for on me you can always depend. After you have lost all these things, you can still depend on me to take even more. You can depend on me to keep you in living HELL, mind, body, and soul. For I will not be satisfied until you ARE DEAD, my friend.
Forever Yours,
Your Addiction
A Riddle
What am I?
_I am gross and perverted_
_I’m obsessed and deranged_
_I have existed for years_
_But very little has changed_
_I am a tool of the government_
_And industry too_
_For I am destined to rule_
_And regulate you_
_I may be vile and pernicious_
_But you can’t look away_
_I make you think I’m delicious_
_With the stuff that I say_
_I’m the best you can get_
_Have you guessed me yet?_
_I’m the slime oozing out_
_From yourtv set inter-net_
I'm The Slime from the 1973 album Over-Nite Sensation by Frank Zappa and The Mothers.
_I am gross and perverted_
_I’m obsessed and deranged_
_I have existed for years_
_But very little has changed_
_I am a tool of the government_
_And industry too_
_For I am destined to rule_
_And regulate you_
_I may be vile and pernicious_
_But you can’t look away_
_I make you think I’m delicious_
_With the stuff that I say_
_I’m the best you can get_
_Have you guessed me yet?_
_I’m the slime oozing out_
_From your
I'm The Slime from the 1973 album Over-Nite Sensation by Frank Zappa and The Mothers.
The Slime
by CD
Once upon a modern dreariness, nestled between the flickering shadows of yesterday and the blinding lights of the future, television transformed. That magical box that united families, kindled imaginations, brought stories from all over the world, and invited us to laugh, think and wonder together had morphed, – a chameleon darkened by the passage of five short decades.
In the beginning, its glow was a beacon, drawing in weary souls seeking solace, laughter, and dreams. It was a communal hearth where stories danced like flames, enlightening minds and warming hearts. But as the years rolled by, the vibrant hues of creativity and unity faded into a monochromatic haze.
What used to be a source of joy and unity turned into something ugly. The era of enlightenment decayed into the age of excess. Television, once the dreamweaver, became the dreamstealer. It transformed oh so gradually into a siren, luring viewers with the promise of escapism, only to slime us as portrayed by Frank Zappa and The Mothers.
The screen, once a window to worlds unseen and voices unheard, became a mirror, reflecting and magnifying society's most poisonous underbelly. It reveled in the sordid dance of reality unbound by ethics and we ate it up, slowly turning us into zombies by the process of osmosis.
God has been forgotten and replaced with “I am God. I can solve all of my own problems.” Television nudged that agenda along. Truth was its first casualty followed by the sacrifice of human dignity. Gone were the days of gentle lessons and heartfelt connections. In their stead rose a buffet of chaos, confusion, and shock value. Sensationalism sat enthroned, crowned by apathy.
As the clock ticks toward another uncertain dawn, the television– coupled with the exponential wickedness of the internet, stands, a monument to what was and a warning of what is. It is the Pandora's box of a new era, unleashing untold ills under the guise of enlightenment as we are bombarded with reality shows that make us cringe and news that paralyzes us with anxiety. Walter Cronkite must be rolling over in his grave.
Yet hope—dim and distant—remains. For in the hands of the conscious, the remote wields the power to switch off, to awaken from the trance, and to remember the stories worth telling, those that unite rather than divide, illuminate rather than obscure, heal rather than harm.
SRV Quote
“I’d like to talk to you all for a second if I can, cause you know basically I got to start off thanking God that I'm alive and well enough to be with you today, and that all is as well as it is. You see, less than two years ago I found myself in a real bad situation; I found myself down on the ground, and I couldn't get up, and I mean I was trying, and I couldn't. All I'm telling you about is...you see I thought I could stay at the party forever. It don't work that way, 'cause that shit’ll kill you. That stuff will kill you. What I'm asking you to do is just stay away from them drugs and things, 'cause what they do is they eat you inside out, you know. They make you forget about those people that you really love, and they make you run from love, 'cause you can't stand how good it looks. I'm asking you to take care of yourselves, so you can be there for your brothers and sisters when they need you. Are you with me?”
Stevie Ray Vaughan 1987
One Slip
"One Slip" by Pink Floyd, from their 1987 album "A Momentary Lapse of Reason." It's a song that dives into the themes of chance encounters leading to unintended consequences, reflecting on how a single moment can alter the course of one's life, especially in the context of adulterous relationships.
Songwriters: David Gilmour, Phil Manzanera
A restless eye across a weary room
A glazed look and I was on the road to ruin
The music played and played as we whirled without end
No hint, no word her honour to defend
I will, I will she sighed to my request
And then she tossed her mane while my resolve was put to the test
Then drowned in desire, our souls on fire
I led the way to the funeral pyre
And without a thought of the consequence
I gave in to my decadence
One slip, and down the hole we fall
It seems to take no time at all
A momentary lapse of reason
That binds a life for life
A small regret, you won't forget
There'll be no sleep in here tonight
Was it love, or was it the idea of being in love?
Or was it the hand of fate, that seemed to fit just like a glove?
The moment slipped by and soon the seeds were sown
The year grew late and neither one wanted to remain alone
One slip, and down the hole we fall
It seems to take no time at all
A momentary lapse of reason
That binds a life to a life
The one regret, you will never forget
There'll be no sleep in here tonight
Songwriters: David Gilmour, Phil Manzanera
A restless eye across a weary room
A glazed look and I was on the road to ruin
The music played and played as we whirled without end
No hint, no word her honour to defend
I will, I will she sighed to my request
And then she tossed her mane while my resolve was put to the test
Then drowned in desire, our souls on fire
I led the way to the funeral pyre
And without a thought of the consequence
I gave in to my decadence
One slip, and down the hole we fall
It seems to take no time at all
A momentary lapse of reason
That binds a life for life
A small regret, you won't forget
There'll be no sleep in here tonight
Was it love, or was it the idea of being in love?
Or was it the hand of fate, that seemed to fit just like a glove?
The moment slipped by and soon the seeds were sown
The year grew late and neither one wanted to remain alone
One slip, and down the hole we fall
It seems to take no time at all
A momentary lapse of reason
That binds a life to a life
The one regret, you will never forget
There'll be no sleep in here tonight
Acceptance
Feb 13, 2023 • Category: Life
"One of the great tragedies of life is when a beautiful theory is murdered by an ugly gang of facts"Freedom's Just Another Word
Jan 07, 2023 • Category: Life
George Hanson: They’re not scared of you. They’re scared of what you represent to ’em.
Billy: Hey, man. All we represent to them, man, is somebody who needs a haircut.
George Hanson: Oh, no. What you represent to them is freedom.
Billy: What the hell is wrong with freedom? That’s what it’s all about.
George Hanson: Oh, yeah, that’s right. That’s what’s it’s all about, all right. But talkin’ about it and bein’ it, that’s two different things. I mean, it’s real hard to be free when you are bought and sold in the marketplace. Of course, don’t ever tell anybody that they’re not free, ’cause then they’re gonna get real busy killin’ and maimin’ to prove to you that they are. Oh, yeah, they’re gonna talk to you, and talk to you, and talk to you about individual freedom. But they see a free individual, it’s gonna scare ’em.
RIP Leslie West
Dec 13, 2022 • Category: Rock
I never knew much about Leslie West. Never saw him on television or heard an interview, but I had been listening to him belt out the lyrics to "Mississippi Queen" since it was released in 1970. Leslie West 1945 - 2020.
Songwriters: Leslie West, Corky Laing, Felix Pappalardi, David Rea
Mississippi Queen is a classic hall of fame entry into the world of Rock and Roll. It seems to be the story of a young man in the south who finds an amazing lady, who just happened to be a dancer and spends all his money on her while she teaches him the way of the world. Addiction or just a boy hopelessly in love? There's a fine line, which makes this a classic piece of Rock and Roll.
Flush the Cache
Aug 22, 2022 • Category: Addiction
Is it possible to completely remove the recall of lust from my mind? Not the content, necessarily because I don't want legitimate memories to go as well. What I'm talking about is the search and find function of certain memories and automatic head turning when a lustful sight passes in front of me. I don't want to continue thinking immoral thoughts first thing when I wake up till last thing on my mind when I go to sleep.I Can't Quit You Baby
There are a few different versions, the lyrics below from Led Zeppelin I, 1969.
"I Can't Quit You Baby" Lyrics by Willie Dixon.
I can't quit you babe
So I'm gonna put you down for awhile
I said I can't quit you baby
I guess I gotta put you down for awhile
Said you messed up my happy home
Made me mistreat my only child
Yes you did baby!
Said you know I love you baby
My love for you I could never hide
Oh, you know I love you baby
My love for you I could never hide
When I feel you near me little girl
I know you are my one desire
When you hear me moaning and groaning, baby,
You know it hurts me deep down inside
When you hear me moaning and groaning, baby,
You know it hurts me deep down inside
Oh, when you hear me, honey, baby,
You know you're my one desire
Yes, you are
The Long One
Apr 14, 2022 • Category: Rock
I'm going to pull out all the stops and get down to the very best of the very best that rock and roll has to offer. This is as close as I can narrow down my favorite Beatles song: The Side Two Medley of Abbey Road. The medley consists of eight, somewhat incomplete songs, arranged into a seemingly awkward arrangement that starts slow and melodic, and builds and builds and builds into a crashing halt aptly named “The End”. It would be impossible for me to walk through a room where the Medley was playing and not stay to hear the rest of it. This composition moves me as much of any piece of music and satisfies.
I’m sure that I’ve heard it at least a thousand times, and the words just roll off my tongue that is until a new arrangement was released in 2019 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the album. Was I ever surprised, (and grateful) to hear this new arrangement entitled, “The Long One”, slightly realigned to reflect the original intended order. I'm picturing that this was one of the original edits of the Abbey Road sessions which eventually the sound engineers nuanced into the final masterpiece we have been hearing for fifty years. The changes are very subtle in some places, and obviously missing whole instruments or vocals in others, and then in other places, some vocals and effects have been deleted. It's the same, but different. To me, it is very exciting to hear greatness realigned ever so slightly so that I can enjoy trying to hear the subtle variations.
Here are the most notable differences I have been able to hear:
You Never Give Me Your Money
Sun King
Mean Mr. Mustard (John, who wrote it, said it was a piece of crap. Maybe so, but it works)
Her Majesty
Polythene Pam
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
Golden Slumbers
Carry That Weight
The End
If anything qualifies as genius, the Medley does.
I’m sure that I’ve heard it at least a thousand times, and the words just roll off my tongue that is until a new arrangement was released in 2019 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the album. Was I ever surprised, (and grateful) to hear this new arrangement entitled, “The Long One”, slightly realigned to reflect the original intended order. I'm picturing that this was one of the original edits of the Abbey Road sessions which eventually the sound engineers nuanced into the final masterpiece we have been hearing for fifty years. The changes are very subtle in some places, and obviously missing whole instruments or vocals in others, and then in other places, some vocals and effects have been deleted. It's the same, but different. To me, it is very exciting to hear greatness realigned ever so slightly so that I can enjoy trying to hear the subtle variations.
Here are the most notable differences I have been able to hear:
- Starts off with just a second of recording studio chatter.
- You never give me your money. There’s an extra “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven…all good children go to heaven”, played one bar earlier during "I didn't get it nah ah ah ah ah ah". It starts over your right shoulder and will catch you off guard because you are not ready to sing along with it. In fact, I don't even hear the "one", I only hear " two, three, four…"
- Simultaneously as that first “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven…all good children go to heaven” is being rattled off in the background, Paul sings his "I didn't get it nah ah ah ah ah ah" followed by a powerful Little Richard "Wooooooooo".
- The bridge between YNGMYM, leading into Sun King is a long electronic chord instead of the bell and crickets and is over before the guitar and bass of Sun King begins.
- Her Majesty is moved up from twenty seconds after “The End” and inserted between Mean Mr. Mustard and Polythene Pam bringing the total number of songs to nine. It seems strange (now) to hear it there, but the opening chord of Her Majesty now makes sense, however the rhythm of the version you're used to will really be thrown off.
- Polythene Pam. Listen for some random wisecracks from John in the background during the instrumental second half of the song. "Fab!…isn't that great…it's real good that…real good" just before She came in through the bathroom window and the "Oh listen to that now….hehehe…oh look out!" you are used to hearing.
- Golden Slumbers. This is very subtle, but I believe a different take of Pauls vocals is used. This is most apparent in the chorus when he sings "Golden slumbers fill your eyes, smiles awake you when you rise, sleep pretty darling, do not cry, and I will sing a lullaby" as you would expect but the timing is oh so slightly different and his voice just a tad bit shakier. You may have to listen a couple of times, sing along in your head, but not out loud so you can feel it. Then compare to the radio version. It also sounds more like "Awake" on The Long One, and "Await" on the radio. The second verse is even harder to distinguish from the radio version but listen hard on "Do not cry". If you hear all these things, you are a true Medley fan.
- Carry That Weight. It seems that the bass is a little more pronounced on this and maybe even earlier tracks. Listen for it during "Boy…You're gonna carry that weight…carry that weight…a long time" it's the same thing as the radio version, just can just hear the jazziness of it on The Long One where its a little muddier on the radio.
- The symphonic background is noticeably missing before we hear "I never give you my pillow". You can hear the piano more, and also THERE IS NO LEAD GUITAR!
- No horns during the short drum sequence right after "I break down". No symphony
- From here out it is more difficult to establish the differences. Generally, the symphony is missing and even some lead vocals.
- The opening of The End is minus the "Oh yeah…all right…are you gonna be in my dreams…tonight." (and because of that, it tricks you into thinking that there is an extra stanza). From 14:41, you get (what feels like) an extended 42 seconds of killer lead bass. No, it just sounds that way because it is usually backing three separate dueling lead guitars. Those George, John and Paul leads are not there yet and this just rocks with the bass leading over a background rhythm guitar and accompanying drums. If I were a guitar player, I could have a field day filling in my own lead(s) over this awesome baseline.
- 15:29 no symphony guitar fills and no "Love you…love you…love you…love you" and finally, no "And, in the end…the love you take…is equal to the love…you make" (is that really true?). No backing "Ahhhhhh…AHHHHH"
- No Her Majesty at this point because it was already played earlier.
- Now go listen to it!
You Never Give Me Your Money
Sun King
Mean Mr. Mustard (John, who wrote it, said it was a piece of crap. Maybe so, but it works)
Her Majesty
Polythene Pam
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
Golden Slumbers
Carry That Weight
The End
If anything qualifies as genius, the Medley does.
God is in the Details
Jan 27, 2021 • Category: Life
What a great country and time we live in that I can order a small bag of rubber bands, and have them delivered to my desk from Washington state for three dollars. Who knows how much the shipping itself was so there couldn't have been a grain of profit made on this sale, but there It is. And an unknown number popped up on my telephone, and once I discerned that it was a wrong number and not a scam call, the person apologized and I told her that was okay and wished her a good day. God is in the details and we should praise him for even the smallest of interactions with our fellow human beings
The Confessor
Lyrics by Joe Walsh
At just over 7 minutes long, The Confessor meets my first requirement of an epic piece of rock and roll. It also strikes me as two compositions in one - the first half is gentle in a dreamlike state then stops and switches to hard and angry (kind of like the way Tina Turner introduced Proud Mary). Another observation of the music itself is that the song seems to have two different drum parts. Can you distinguish between the conventional drums and an electronic set? The electronic is played in the first half, but sort of muffled. Conventional drums take over the start of the second half and they are intermingled toward the end. The electronic is a little more echoey. If you know what to listen for, it's definitely there.
Something else I learned is about the cover artwork. It is a slight edit of a painting called "Zwei Männer in Betrachtung des Mondes" by Caspar David Friedrich, which translates to "Two men contemplating the moon". Perhaps what they are contemplating in this instance, is the real Joe Walsh. Walsh has been pretty open with his relationship with addiction and maybe this album is his confession, and a window into his true self.
The recounting starts off slow and melodic with building electronic keyboards and some very clear 12-string guitar. With an eye of wonder the singer begins reflecting on life and how reality may not be what it seems. Could he be painting a picture of the deception that leads a person down the road to addiction?
At mid point there is an interlude of silence, followed by a change of time signature, pace and realization as if it is twenty years later. The intensity picks up as the singer, having lived life, made horrible mistakes, reached a crossroads and now wants to tell us what the real world is like. The overall tone is "You better listen to what I'm saying - I'm telling you the truth". Over a driving, yet simple solo drumbeat, he goes on to describe how it feels (as the confessor) to admit the exact nature of our sins to God, ourselves and another human being. God knows you. You know you. You can't lie. You're completely naked and humiliated. This is rigorous honesty. Yes, it's brutal, but necessary to be The Confessor.
Then the Rock and Roll kicks in - which is why we put this record on. We are treated to a minute and a half jam session of guitar work and percussion of the previously mentioned two drum sounds. Be sure you have it turned up loud now as it builds to a crescendo of screaming guitar licks blaring an audio picture of how the addiction became overwhelming. The mood seems to calm for a second, but then the singer passionately scolds and reminds us with a whole list of repercussions that have a grip on us and keep us in bondage. He pleads for us to let go.
When it's over, it's over (the song, not the addiction). At some point, you have to make up your mind to give it up.
The Confessor
If you look at your reflection in the bottom of a well
What you see is only on the surface
If you try to see the meaning, hidden underneath
The measure of the depth can be deceiving
The bottom has a rocky reputation
You can feel it in the distance
The deeper down you stare
From up above it's hard to see
But you know it when you're there
On the bottom words are shallow
On the surface talk is cheap
You can only judge the distance by the company you keep
In the eyes of the confessor
In the eyes of the confessor
There's no place you can hide
You can't hide from the eyes (of the confessor)
Don't you even try
In the eyes of the confessor
You can't tell a lie
You cannot tell a lie (to the confessor)
Strip you down to size
Naked as the day that you were born
Naked as the day that you were born
Take all the trauma, drama, comments
The guilt and doubt and shame
The what if's and if only's
The shackles and the chains
The violence and aggression
The pettiness and scorn
The jealousy and hatred
The tempest and discord
And give it up!
Comments System WIDGET PACK
A Prayer For My Brothers
O Lord, please have mercy on this band of brothers I love, good men and your children. For any who are hurting or may be in a crisis tonight, holy Father I would ask for a measure of comfort, of relief from the pain, encouragement and a touch from you that is loud enough to hear and gentle enough to soothe the paralyzing fear. I pray for hope, even a ray of sunlight in their future. Please walk beside us dear Father and carry my brother across this river of hopelessness he may be drowning in.
I pray for families who have been hurt, O Lord please heal those wounds and I thank you in advance that the pain would be eased and the godly relationships that you desire would be put together again better and stronger than ever before. Father God I ache for these precious people whose world has crashed down upon them through no fault of their own and weep with them but know that You are still the King and are still in control, all hope rests in You and your compassion. You can heal, and I plead with you to intercede and heal these deep scars and broken hearts.
Father, if trust could ever be restored, it is because You have interceded. If You choose to save marriages, praise your holy name, if you put us through a season of suffering, we trust you and Your will be done.
I pray for myself that I will have a heart of compassion and consider my brothers sufferings more important than my own temporary inconveniences. As I have seen you work a miracle in my own life, turning a sinner into a servant, please put it on my heart to have a real concern and check on my dear friend and be a friend who cares and loves.
Heal my brother, O Lord. Heal his body and his mind, heal his heart and may his desire shift from things of the world to being controlled by the Spirit. May this walk we are experiencing teach us what you want us to know and glorify the name of God. The victory is Yours!
In Christ name I pray, Amen.
I pray for families who have been hurt, O Lord please heal those wounds and I thank you in advance that the pain would be eased and the godly relationships that you desire would be put together again better and stronger than ever before. Father God I ache for these precious people whose world has crashed down upon them through no fault of their own and weep with them but know that You are still the King and are still in control, all hope rests in You and your compassion. You can heal, and I plead with you to intercede and heal these deep scars and broken hearts.
Father, if trust could ever be restored, it is because You have interceded. If You choose to save marriages, praise your holy name, if you put us through a season of suffering, we trust you and Your will be done.
I pray for myself that I will have a heart of compassion and consider my brothers sufferings more important than my own temporary inconveniences. As I have seen you work a miracle in my own life, turning a sinner into a servant, please put it on my heart to have a real concern and check on my dear friend and be a friend who cares and loves.
Heal my brother, O Lord. Heal his body and his mind, heal his heart and may his desire shift from things of the world to being controlled by the Spirit. May this walk we are experiencing teach us what you want us to know and glorify the name of God. The victory is Yours!
In Christ name I pray, Amen.
RIP Eddie Van Halen
Oct 06, 2020 • Category: Rock
The first time I heard Van Halen was in 1978 when "Runnin with the Devil" was played on Rock and Roll radio. I bought the first Van Halen album and the rest is history. I saw them perform only once - around 1984, I really don't remember. Eddie Van Halen was the coolest. If you look in the upper right corner, you can see my tribute and devotion to the world's greatest guitarist, my Eddie Van Halen mailbox. When my old mailbox was falling down, I fixed the mount, and re-painted it in the process. Rock in peace, Eddie.
Now, just for fun:
YouTube
Spark Plugs
Do you have any of these? Coffee cans of old spark plugs? Have you ever thought about why you refuse to let these go? What do you need to throw out? (And I'm not really talking about spark plugs)
Restless
Restless from the 1978 album You're Gonna Get It! by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Written by Tom Petty
Is this song about a sex addict? That's your call, but one thing's for sure, Restless by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers rocks!
"Restless"
I don't need to belong to no one
I don't belong at all
Got my face in the corner
Got my back to the wall
And pretty baby I'm restless, restless
Restless through and through
I'm restless restless
You look restless too
I'm a hair trigger lover
And I can't face up to nothing
I'm impatient with the wind
But I'm waitin' here for somethin'
And pretty baby I'm restless, restless
Restless through and through
I'm restless restless
You look restless too
Restless sleep, twisted dreams
Moving targets, silent screams
Restless city, restless steets
Restless you, restless me
I'm a face out the window
I'm a black satin sheet
And I can't stay warm
I stay out in the street
And pretty baby I'm restless, restless
Restless through and through
I'm restless restless
You look restless too
After being married for 15 years he left his wife, years later he realized it was the biggest mistake of his life
Jul 10, 2020 • Category: Addiction
Author unknown
I was married, had been with my wife for 15 years. Then I left her 2 months short of our 10 year wedding anniversary.We were parents to two beautiful children, who are in their late teens now, but were only seven and nine years old when I walked out.I travelled for work, stayed in a different hotel at least three nights a week. That’s how I met Eve*.
We got to know each other over time. We became Facebook friends. We sent messages to each other all day and night. She was also married, also had two kids. We had so much in common, we soon fell in love. I felt like she ‘got’ me.
This was all during a very trying time in my marriage. I wasn’t happy, I didn’t look forward to going home. My wife had put on weight, we hardly ever spoke, she always looked so miserable.
Little did I realise that I was the reason she was so down and depressed. I didn’t pay her any attention. I took her for granted. I was too busy wishing my life was more exciting, being romanced online, spending all of my free time thinking how I could get out.
I believed she didn’t love me. I convinced myself she never cared about me or my needs and wants and wishes, that all I was was a paycheck.
She spent her free time taking care of us — our kids, making our suppers, doing our washing, making lunches, doing homework, projects, shuttling kids to sport, taking care of the pets they loved so much, their friends, and had a job of her own on top of it all.
Every time she spoke to me, all I heard was nagging and whining. But she was actually begging for my attention: a weekend away, a date night, a movie — everything I ended up doing with Eve behind her back and after I left my family.
We argued and fought because we felt unheard by the other. And yet that was all we actually had to do – LISTEN – to each other!
I moved to another province with Eve. My now ex-wife got custody of our kids. I saw them every second weekend, the usual ‘Dad’ set up.
New beginnings
Life was sweet!
Eve and I had an amazing sex life. A connection I believed I never had with my ex. We had a large circle of friends. My family loved her. My kids liked her.
But my ex could never bring herself to meet Eve – she felt betrayed. I hated her even more! She was childish. She was mean. She never cared about me or my happiness. I didn’t care about my ex’s feelings when I posted photos of us on Facebook… I had Eve and a whole new life and it was fantastic!
We were together for about six or seven years but never married – we believed marriage was not our thing.
I believed that after 15 years with my ex, we’d given it all we could and our time together was up, there was nothing we could do to salvage our relationship or marriage. Eve was my future, Eve was who I should have been with all along.
Eventually, no matter how well we got along in the beginning; no matter how well I thought she “got” me; no matter how good the sex was; the “honeymoon” came to an end.
Eve and I started snapping at each other. Little fights here and there. I had a moment of pure realization one night, at about 2am.
I realised that I missed the woman who created my first home and family. I realised that if I’d treated my ex-wife the way I’d treated Eve, used the hours I spend woo-ing Eve on my ex, she’d have bloomed.
If I’d stopped being negative about her and our relationship to my family and friends they wouldn’t have been so negative to her and she wouldn’t have pulled into herself and shied away.
She became someone I convinced myself I no longer knew or got along with because I never gave her the time and affection and attention she craved and deserved.
I thought I had, but when I got down and really thought about it I never really did. I never really let her in. I had ended my marriage years before with the simple decision that she was no longer who or what I wanted. And I’d convinced my family and friends the same – that she was no good for me!
Regret sets in
But I was wrong. I missed the best years of my kids lives. Missed being a family with them. I let their mother battle with raising them alone. Yes I helped financially, but a man living outside his family has no real idea what the costs are on the single mother. While Eve and I ate steaks on the weekends, my ex-wife was living on egg and toast.
And do you know that she never complained? She never demanded more money out of me. She never stopped me from seeing the kids. Never said no if I changed plans on her at the last minute. She gave up her weekends so that my mother could spend time with her grandchildren. She left me to get on with my life with Eve, even though it must have killed her.
Like any relationship, it had started out good – great in fact – but when it go bad I decided to leave… I walked out and divorced a woman who – and I can only see this now – would have done anything for me. But I’d told myself she wouldn’t or couldn’t.
My ex-wife stayed single for 8 years. She dated but never got involved. Her being single was also a kind of affirmation for me – that no one wanted her – that everything I’d decided she lacked, so did other men… She actually stayed single to focus on our children.
Too late
And then came the day she met Craig. I never thought it would bug me in any way if she got a boyfriend. I thought it would be great! But I was very wrong. I felt hurt. I felt jealous. I even felt angry and maybe betrayed.
She moved in with Craig, along with my kids. She set up a new home. A new family, with my kids… it was a very bitter pill to swallow.
I finally understood how she’d felt all these years. And it felt rotten.
I watched via Facebook and through conversations with our old mutual friends how Craig spoiled her and the kids. Their weekends were spent on the beach – he surfed with my son. They went hiking in the Burg. They went to Mauritius where he proposed on a kayak and she said yes — they got married.
My daughter was a bridesmaid. My son was a groomsman. Craig’s parents and brother welcomed my ex-wife and children into their family. They told everyone how blessed they were to be gaining them as family.
She glowed with happiness. She radiated love and none of it was for me! My heart felt like it had been ripped out.
It should have been me.
Don’t be me. You think you will never be happy when you are in a rut. It is when you are there at your darkest that you need to grip down and try your hardest.
Today I live alone and still only see my kids occasionally. They are big now and harbour anger towards me for leaving them and their mother. Who can blame them?
Of all the things Eve was, she was never the mother of my children – my original true love.
I was married, had been with my wife for 15 years. Then I left her 2 months short of our 10 year wedding anniversary.We were parents to two beautiful children, who are in their late teens now, but were only seven and nine years old when I walked out.I travelled for work, stayed in a different hotel at least three nights a week. That’s how I met Eve*.
We got to know each other over time. We became Facebook friends. We sent messages to each other all day and night. She was also married, also had two kids. We had so much in common, we soon fell in love. I felt like she ‘got’ me.
This was all during a very trying time in my marriage. I wasn’t happy, I didn’t look forward to going home. My wife had put on weight, we hardly ever spoke, she always looked so miserable.
Little did I realise that I was the reason she was so down and depressed. I didn’t pay her any attention. I took her for granted. I was too busy wishing my life was more exciting, being romanced online, spending all of my free time thinking how I could get out.
I believed she didn’t love me. I convinced myself she never cared about me or my needs and wants and wishes, that all I was was a paycheck.
She spent her free time taking care of us — our kids, making our suppers, doing our washing, making lunches, doing homework, projects, shuttling kids to sport, taking care of the pets they loved so much, their friends, and had a job of her own on top of it all.
Every time she spoke to me, all I heard was nagging and whining. But she was actually begging for my attention: a weekend away, a date night, a movie — everything I ended up doing with Eve behind her back and after I left my family.
We argued and fought because we felt unheard by the other. And yet that was all we actually had to do – LISTEN – to each other!
I moved to another province with Eve. My now ex-wife got custody of our kids. I saw them every second weekend, the usual ‘Dad’ set up.
New beginnings
Life was sweet!
Eve and I had an amazing sex life. A connection I believed I never had with my ex. We had a large circle of friends. My family loved her. My kids liked her.
But my ex could never bring herself to meet Eve – she felt betrayed. I hated her even more! She was childish. She was mean. She never cared about me or my happiness. I didn’t care about my ex’s feelings when I posted photos of us on Facebook… I had Eve and a whole new life and it was fantastic!
We were together for about six or seven years but never married – we believed marriage was not our thing.
I believed that after 15 years with my ex, we’d given it all we could and our time together was up, there was nothing we could do to salvage our relationship or marriage. Eve was my future, Eve was who I should have been with all along.
Eventually, no matter how well we got along in the beginning; no matter how well I thought she “got” me; no matter how good the sex was; the “honeymoon” came to an end.
Eve and I started snapping at each other. Little fights here and there. I had a moment of pure realization one night, at about 2am.
I realised that I missed the woman who created my first home and family. I realised that if I’d treated my ex-wife the way I’d treated Eve, used the hours I spend woo-ing Eve on my ex, she’d have bloomed.
If I’d stopped being negative about her and our relationship to my family and friends they wouldn’t have been so negative to her and she wouldn’t have pulled into herself and shied away.
She became someone I convinced myself I no longer knew or got along with because I never gave her the time and affection and attention she craved and deserved.
I thought I had, but when I got down and really thought about it I never really did. I never really let her in. I had ended my marriage years before with the simple decision that she was no longer who or what I wanted. And I’d convinced my family and friends the same – that she was no good for me!
Regret sets in
But I was wrong. I missed the best years of my kids lives. Missed being a family with them. I let their mother battle with raising them alone. Yes I helped financially, but a man living outside his family has no real idea what the costs are on the single mother. While Eve and I ate steaks on the weekends, my ex-wife was living on egg and toast.
And do you know that she never complained? She never demanded more money out of me. She never stopped me from seeing the kids. Never said no if I changed plans on her at the last minute. She gave up her weekends so that my mother could spend time with her grandchildren. She left me to get on with my life with Eve, even though it must have killed her.
Like any relationship, it had started out good – great in fact – but when it go bad I decided to leave… I walked out and divorced a woman who – and I can only see this now – would have done anything for me. But I’d told myself she wouldn’t or couldn’t.
My ex-wife stayed single for 8 years. She dated but never got involved. Her being single was also a kind of affirmation for me – that no one wanted her – that everything I’d decided she lacked, so did other men… She actually stayed single to focus on our children.
Too late
And then came the day she met Craig. I never thought it would bug me in any way if she got a boyfriend. I thought it would be great! But I was very wrong. I felt hurt. I felt jealous. I even felt angry and maybe betrayed.
She moved in with Craig, along with my kids. She set up a new home. A new family, with my kids… it was a very bitter pill to swallow.
I finally understood how she’d felt all these years. And it felt rotten.
I watched via Facebook and through conversations with our old mutual friends how Craig spoiled her and the kids. Their weekends were spent on the beach – he surfed with my son. They went hiking in the Burg. They went to Mauritius where he proposed on a kayak and she said yes — they got married.
My daughter was a bridesmaid. My son was a groomsman. Craig’s parents and brother welcomed my ex-wife and children into their family. They told everyone how blessed they were to be gaining them as family.
She glowed with happiness. She radiated love and none of it was for me! My heart felt like it had been ripped out.
It should have been me.
Don’t be me. You think you will never be happy when you are in a rut. It is when you are there at your darkest that you need to grip down and try your hardest.
Today I live alone and still only see my kids occasionally. They are big now and harbour anger towards me for leaving them and their mother. Who can blame them?
Of all the things Eve was, she was never the mother of my children – my original true love.
More of That Jazz
Jul 10, 2020 • Category: Rock
Lyrics by Roger Taylor
Receiving very little airplay when first released, and virtually none at present, More of That Jazz is a rocker, showcasing Roger Taylor's musical abilities. Freddie Mercury sits this one out, as the entire arrangement was created and sung by Roger Taylor. The drums are delegated to the loop machine so the drummer can contribute on bass, do some guitar work and harmonize with himself. This recording is so crystal clear, it accuentuates Brian Mays staircase plucking and sound of the Red Special. It's an unconventional tune if for no other reason than the break at the 3:14 mark song samples
- Dead On Time
- Bicycle Race
- Mustapha
- If You Can’t Beat Them
- (a reprise of Dead On Time)
- Fun It
- Fat Bottomed Girls
That's a first for me. More of That Jazz gets the minus Freddie Mercury job done
Turn The Page
Turn The Page from the 1973 album Back in '72 and again on the 1976 Live Bullet by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
Lyrics by Bob Seger
Turn the Page tells the story of an exhausted performer and his band driving all night, trying to make the next gig. He thinks about all the hazards of living on the road as he practices his craft of being the "Star". I believe it does have an element of sex addiction, albeit an element that is very common in all men: As he is riding the night out, his mind wanders.
"On a long and lonesome highway
East of Omaha
You can listen to the engine
Moanin' out his one note song
You can think about the woman
Or the girl you knew the night before…"
The night before, last week, 35 years ago. Those thoughts seem to be the default place our mind may turn to when we are not actively engaged.
Lyrics by Bob Seger
"On a long and lonesome highway
East of Omaha
You can listen to the engine
Moanin' out his one note song
You can think about the woman
Or the girl you knew the night before…"
The night before, last week, 35 years ago. Those thoughts seem to be the default place our mind may turn to when we are not actively engaged.
False Idols and Gods
Jun 19, 2020 • Category: Addiction
At first glance, you would think the false god an addict is running to is the addiction. On deeper introspection, I think that the god I was running to was myself, because the end result of all the fantasies was that I was the hero. I was the savior. I made everyone else feel good about making me feel good. I am the false god.
Conversation Between A Father And Son
Apr 30, 2020 • Category: Life
Father: Do you know what constructive criticism means?
Son (head back, rolling eyes): Yesss
End of conversation
Son (head back, rolling eyes): Yesss
End of conversation
Carry On Wayward Son
Apr 24, 2020 • Category: Rock
Carry On Wayward Son from the 1976 album Leftoverture by Kansas.
Songwriter Kerry Livgren
I remember the first time I heard this in 1976, I thought it was just another fill in song on the radio, but the more I listened, the more special it became. Now, when I hear it, I am marveled at the opening instrumentation, who would have dared create something like this in 1976?
Songwriter Kerry Livgren
I remember the first time I heard this in 1976, I thought it was just another fill in song on the radio, but the more I listened, the more special it became. Now, when I hear it, I am marveled at the opening instrumentation, who would have dared create something like this in 1976?
The Golden Age
Apr 15, 2020 • Category: Rock
Just when was the Golden Age of Rock and Roll?
First, we have to start with the assumption that Rock and Roll is no longer being created. I say that it's dead, but it't not dead in the sense that we have no Rock and Roll to listen to, we have hundreds or thousands of great pieces of music archived all over the place to enjoy for the rest of our lives. My point is that at some point, it stopped being created. If you are under 50 years old, you may strongly disagree with what I am saying. Does Rock and Roll even exist anymore? Certainly, there are some talented musicians out there creating good rock and roll music and I commend them on their love for the music, however we will never hear it because the music distribution system does not work for us the way it used to. It's really Rock and Roll Radio that is dead, and because the channel of distribution doesn't function properly, I can't imagine that new artists are able to make any money to engage in their craft, therefore new rock and roll has apparently dried up. Anyone who takes a critical look at Rock and Roll will have an opinion on precisely when the Golden Age took place. Some have said Feb. 3, 1959 was the day the music died. That great philosopher, Gene Simmons has noted that between 1958 and 1988 there were hundreds of successful rock acts. Hundreds. And by successful, he means they made money and paid the bills…and I would say that they came up with some great music in the process. He challenges us to name two since 1988. I could probably name three, but his point is legit.
The successful rock acts now, are artists who started before 1988 and in some cases, well before then. The Rolling Stones are touring this year, 2020. Recently, I watched an archived interview of the Dick Cavett show from 1972 in which he interviewed Mick Jagger while the Stones were playing two shows at Madison Square Garden. Jagger, who was just shy of 30 years old was asked by Cavett, "Can you see yourself doing this when you're 60?". "Yes, definitely" was his answer. I was surprised to hear that contrasted with Bill Wyman's answer when asked if he thought he'd be doing this ten years from now was something along the lines of "I don't know what I'll be doing next week". That was a realistic outlook in the rock world. Jagger, by the way is 76 years old and doesn't seem to be slowing down. Rock was created back in the day, but there's no such thing as new rock. Correct me if I'm wrong.
So, when was the golden age? Ask a hundred people, get a hundred different answers. One day around 2005 when I was bored, I created a graph that illustrated the radio stations I was listening to and the general strength of rock and roll created and receiving airplay during that time. Yes, I believe the 50's were more important to Rock and Roll than the 00's. The 10's and 20's are flatlined. Here's another way of looking at the purple bars:
50's Hey this sounds pretty cool daddy-O
60's Explosion!
70's Refinement, maturity, peak
80's Hey, lets get technology to do all the work
90's Houston, we have a problem
00's RIP Rock and Roll
First, we have to start with the assumption that Rock and Roll is no longer being created. I say that it's dead, but it't not dead in the sense that we have no Rock and Roll to listen to, we have hundreds or thousands of great pieces of music archived all over the place to enjoy for the rest of our lives. My point is that at some point, it stopped being created. If you are under 50 years old, you may strongly disagree with what I am saying. Does Rock and Roll even exist anymore? Certainly, there are some talented musicians out there creating good rock and roll music and I commend them on their love for the music, however we will never hear it because the music distribution system does not work for us the way it used to. It's really Rock and Roll Radio that is dead, and because the channel of distribution doesn't function properly, I can't imagine that new artists are able to make any money to engage in their craft, therefore new rock and roll has apparently dried up. Anyone who takes a critical look at Rock and Roll will have an opinion on precisely when the Golden Age took place. Some have said Feb. 3, 1959 was the day the music died. That great philosopher, Gene Simmons has noted that between 1958 and 1988 there were hundreds of successful rock acts. Hundreds. And by successful, he means they made money and paid the bills…and I would say that they came up with some great music in the process. He challenges us to name two since 1988. I could probably name three, but his point is legit.
The successful rock acts now, are artists who started before 1988 and in some cases, well before then. The Rolling Stones are touring this year, 2020. Recently, I watched an archived interview of the Dick Cavett show from 1972 in which he interviewed Mick Jagger while the Stones were playing two shows at Madison Square Garden. Jagger, who was just shy of 30 years old was asked by Cavett, "Can you see yourself doing this when you're 60?". "Yes, definitely" was his answer. I was surprised to hear that contrasted with Bill Wyman's answer when asked if he thought he'd be doing this ten years from now was something along the lines of "I don't know what I'll be doing next week". That was a realistic outlook in the rock world. Jagger, by the way is 76 years old and doesn't seem to be slowing down. Rock was created back in the day, but there's no such thing as new rock. Correct me if I'm wrong.
So, when was the golden age? Ask a hundred people, get a hundred different answers. One day around 2005 when I was bored, I created a graph that illustrated the radio stations I was listening to and the general strength of rock and roll created and receiving airplay during that time. Yes, I believe the 50's were more important to Rock and Roll than the 00's. The 10's and 20's are flatlined. Here's another way of looking at the purple bars:
50's Hey this sounds pretty cool daddy-O
60's Explosion!
70's Refinement, maturity, peak
80's Hey, lets get technology to do all the work
90's Houston, we have a problem
00's RIP Rock and Roll
Let me explain. These are Dallas radio stations. Rock and Roll rose very quickly in the late 50's and exploded in the 1960's. You can see that it (in my opinion) peaked in the 1970's and died a slow agonizing death going down slower than it had risen, mostly due to the momentum it had gained in the 60's and 70's which we will cherish well into the future. Very little good rock and roll was created after the 80's (really not much in the 80's if you ask me), and the only rock and roll we have to listen to is old rock and roll. It will carry me through my lifetime and maybe a few decades beyond. I listened to KLIF 1190 AM in the 1960's when rock and roll radio flourished. FM wasn't even around then, that I can remember, but by the time I made the jump to KNUS 98.7 and soon after KVIL 103.7, little could I comprehend that rock and roll was peaking. KNUS and KVIL were top 40, bubblegum or pop stations. I didn't understand that at the time. KLIF had been a more serious rock and roll station but that could be because there wasn't as much music around then. The early to mid 70's stations were just a natural progression and we took what was given to us at the time.
I had heard about KZEW, The Zoo, 97.9 along about 8th grade, but it wasn't until my sophomore year, 1974 that I began to listen. This was a game changer in my rock and roll world. These people cared about the music and played deep into the albums. The exposure to great music was wider and this is when I became a connoisseur. Until now, I had eaten everything that was placed before me, but now I had a choice. I decided to rock. KTXQ 102.1 came along soon after and we had two stations to go back and forth with, buy records, and go to concerts. We enjoyed a good 15 years of rocking on down the highway. Then something dreadful happened in Dec. of 1989. On my way to work, I turned on the Zoo and what do I hear? Christmas music. I love Christmas music as much as the next guy, but it wasn't what I was expecting. I heard the bad news from someone. The Zoo was going to play Christmas music until the end of the year, then would be no more. It was gone. Dead. Formaldehyde City. Get over it. I didn't get over it, it was Feb. 3, 1959 all over again and would never be resurrected. Those great, album oriented stations who cared more about the music than anything else ended. It probably wasn't financially feasible, but it was nice while we had it. We still have KZPS 92.5 and all the silliness that seems to pay the bills. Yuck!
In addition to my graph I proudly present above, I did a critical analysis of this phenomenon we call Rock and Roll and pinpointed the exact peak to be the year 1971. Everything before then was on the way up and afterward on the way down. But it did rise back up in a way. The internet came along and brought to the front a lot of old music that I had never heard, or hadn't heard in a long time. I have more true rock and roll now than ever before, but the creation of it has long been dead. The end. ~JK
My City Was Gone
Apr 04, 2020 • Category: Rock
My City Was Gone from the 1984 album Learning To Crawl by The Pretenders.
Lyrics by Chrissie Hynde
One of the best bass-driven songs I've ever heard,
My City Was Gone keeps an even tempo with the baseline against the echoing drums throughout. It's a song that you can really get into late at night driving down a dark, lonely road. I don't like Chrissie Hyndes style of singing, but she does it so good. I don't think anyone else could convert story-telling into a song using this pretentious style of singing, but she invented it and listening to it for so long, it just works. I had always thought the groovy, fade out guitar picking was by original Pretenders guitarist, James Honeyman-Scott, but after a little research, I see he died a few months before the track was recorded using Bill Bremer on the guitar. Give it a critical listen, and see if you don't hear it like never before.~JK
Lyrics by Chrissie Hynde
John 9:1-5
Apr 01, 2020 • Category: Life
As he was passing by, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him: "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," Jesus answered. "This came about so that God's works might be displayed in him. We must do the works of him who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
Perhaps God is allowing this very difficult time in our lives to happen, to show his works. I'm going to try and see every bit of God's works in the coming days and thank him for it. He gets all the credit for even the smallest encouragement or gift and will certainly receive the glory and honor when the mountain is moved.
Perhaps God is allowing this very difficult time in our lives to happen, to show his works. I'm going to try and see every bit of God's works in the coming days and thank him for it. He gets all the credit for even the smallest encouragement or gift and will certainly receive the glory and honor when the mountain is moved.
Connecting
Mar 27, 2020 • Category: Life
I heard Dennis Prager say something on his radio show in 2019 that made me think. Now this may not be the exact words, but I think I remember it pretty close: "The more afraid you are to talk to your spouse about your sexual desires, the less connected you'll be". Hmmm.
Can't You Hear Me Knocking?
Mar 24, 2020 • Category: Rock
Lyrics by Jagger/Richards
Right out of the gate, Keith plays some crystal clear, down and dirty licks, and everything rocks from here on. This is a classic example of fuzzy guitar, genius rock and roll riffing, kept in line with Charlie Watts doing more than his usual time keeping minimum, throwing in some great rap-tapping and cymbalizing. I've been listening to this song for almost half a century, but only recently did I really hear it. Around the fourth stanza, I was drawn to the backup singing: "Hear me prowlin', I'm gonna take you down. Hear me growlin', Yeah, I've flatted feet now, now, now, now. Hear me howlin', And all, all around your street now. Hear me knockin', And all, all around your town". I played the whole thing over and it became brand new.
You don't see it coming, but at midpoint, the song very cleverly and quickly, shapeshifts into a jazzy jam session complete with bongos, a cool-cat saxophone solo by Bobby Keys that never really ends and an echoing guitar solo by Mick Taylor. The jamming goes on for a good 4 minutes and just like that, it's over with an exclamation point! Some of the older folks might remember that when you went into the record store and saw this cardboard album in 1971, right in the middle was a flap, when opened revealed a working metal zipper on a piece of cloth. I've never seen that repeated.
Might As Well Face It, You're Addicted
Our first Classic Song is from 1986, Robert Palmer's Addicted To Love. This song is pretty relevant if you read it and could qualify as a letter from Your Addiction. Fill in the blanks with your own addictive behavior.
Lyrics by Robert Palmer
Your lights are on, but you're not home
Your mind is not your own
Your heart sweats, your body shakes
Another _____ is what it takes
You can't sleep, you can't eat
There's no doubt, you're in deep
Your throat is tight, you can't breathe
Another _____ is all you need
Whoa, you like to think that you're immune to the stuff, oh yeah
It's closer to the truth to say you can't get enough
You know you're gonna have to face it, you're addicted to _____.
You see the signs, but you can't read
You're running at a different speed
Your heart beats in double time
Another _____ and you'll be mine, a one track mind
You can't be saved
Oblivion is all you crave
If there's some left for you
You don't mind if you do
Whoa, you like to think that you're immune to the stuff, oh yeah
It's closer to the truth to say you can't get enough
You know you're gonna have to face it, you're addicted to _____.
Might as well face it, you're addicted to _____ (x5)
Your lights are on, but you're not home
Your will is not your own
You're heart sweats and teeth grind
Another _____ and you'll be mine
Whoa, you like to think that you're immune to the stuff, oh yeah
It's closer to the truth to say you can't get enough
You know you're gonna have to face it, you're addicted to _____.
Might as well face it, you're addicted to _____ (x7)
Lyrics by Robert Palmer
Your lights are on, but you're not home
Your mind is not your own
Your heart sweats, your body shakes
Another _____ is what it takes
You can't sleep, you can't eat
There's no doubt, you're in deep
Your throat is tight, you can't breathe
Another _____ is all you need
Whoa, you like to think that you're immune to the stuff, oh yeah
It's closer to the truth to say you can't get enough
You know you're gonna have to face it, you're addicted to _____.
You see the signs, but you can't read
You're running at a different speed
Your heart beats in double time
Another _____ and you'll be mine, a one track mind
You can't be saved
Oblivion is all you crave
If there's some left for you
You don't mind if you do
Whoa, you like to think that you're immune to the stuff, oh yeah
It's closer to the truth to say you can't get enough
You know you're gonna have to face it, you're addicted to _____.
Might as well face it, you're addicted to _____ (x5)
Your lights are on, but you're not home
Your will is not your own
You're heart sweats and teeth grind
Another _____ and you'll be mine
Whoa, you like to think that you're immune to the stuff, oh yeah
It's closer to the truth to say you can't get enough
You know you're gonna have to face it, you're addicted to _____.
Might as well face it, you're addicted to _____ (x7)