eryn stayed home from church with a stomach bug yesterday, and when she asked how the meeting went, I said something like, "you didn't miss much. those were the two least-energetic speakers I've ever heard." Now since the two of us just spoke in church 2 weeks ago, you'd think I'd be much more forgiving in my critique...but they were really, really listless.
Then this morning on the way into work I'm listening to Hal Eyring (can you call an apostle by his nickname) and he tells a story of a home teacher that visited his home and took notes during their discussion. Elder Eyring (Pres of Ricks College at the time) was a little proud of himself, saying something interesting enough to warrant note taking. Until 2 weeks later, when he sat behind the same brother in a primary class and noted that he was taking notes, just as intently, while listening to a 9-year old speaking. The message was how it's up to us to listen to the spirit from whoever may be called to teach us. That the onus is just as much on us as listeners as on the speakers/teachers to invite and listen to the still small voice.
Point taken. Thanks, Elder Eyring. I love listening to his talks because he has a way of exposing such simple, human faults and shortcomings and gently and persuasively showing a better way.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Falling Asleep in Sacrament
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Distribution of Wealth
So seeing (hearing) Ryan Adams display his songwriting prowess below got me to thinking: why is it just as easy for Ryan Adams to write a song as it is for me to type out this post? There's a whole conversation to be had about what talent is, and how there are many greats who have been extraordinarily blessed (Tiger Woods, MJ, A-Rod, Andrew Bird (he's my current singer-songwriter hero), etc) and obviously have an overabundance of creativity, intelligence and fast-twitch muscles. It has been said of an athelete like Ichiro Suzuki that not only is he quick as a cat and has an amazing eye for the ball, he is also a mathematical genius who can perform long division of 4-digit numbers in his head. So there's one way of looking at this and saying, "wow they're special, I'm not, I'll just sit back and enjoy." Then there are the times when our heroes are brought down to earth. When they're shown to be just as human as the rest of us. I'll never forget the time when Elder Maxwell, probably my all-time favorite apostle, came to visit our mission. In between his talks he checked his watch, then slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a little prescription bottle of little green pills and took one. It seemed such a normal, vulnerable, human thing for such a giant of a man to do. As I get older and begin to take stock of where I am, I'm realizing more and more how my daily decisions shape my present and future. Maybe MJ is on another plane, but even he spent countless hours taking jump shot after jump shot after jump shot to perfect his stroke. Not saying I could be MJ (by ANY stretch), but if I put that kind of investment in, who knows…maybe I at least could have started for our deacon's team. M Ward does things with a guitar that I cannot even register…but wouldn't 30 mins a day of consistent practicing make me at least a passable guitar player over time? In NY I home taught a great man, and also a very humble man, who started playing guitar in his late 20's, just for fun and originally just for his kids…now the guy plays Bach and Stevie Ray Vaughan. So it seems that of all the talents one can have the talent to persevere and work hard and focus may be the most important one to have. The talent of understanding the value of time and, while continuing to live a balanced life and not getting too crazy, making the most of the moments while you're in them. Ok I'm turning into Anthony Robbins so I should stop before my thoughts get too watered down.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
More Creativity in his Pinky...
So ryan adams was in a seattle radio station last friday doing a promo for his new album. they were talking about how Adams was pretty much a spoiled jerk the last time he was in-studio (about 10 yrs ago in his enfant-terrible Whiskeytown days) and how Adams has finally gotten sober. Also talked about the songwriting process and how for Adams "it kinda just falls out". Adams said," I guess I owe you one...how about if I write a song right now," so they got all the equipment set up, he grabbed a guitar, and on the spot put together a full-length song (lyrics, music, verses, chorus, rhyme schemes...and plenty of explitives) right there on the spot. Not exactly top of the pops quality, but definitely not a "Whose Line is it Anyway" Franken-song either. The station recorded it and now it's the #1 single every morning in the "battle of the new singles" contest they have at 8am. It's actually on YouTube now:
Admittedly not one of his finest, but definitely not bad for 5 minutes notice. Let's hope this doesn't end up on a future album...
But man this guy can put a song together.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Giving M Ward a Run for his Money
Introducing Andrew Bird. How can I not have known about this guy until recently? And how can I have reacted slowly when I first heard his music? Every track on his latest, "Armchair Apocrypha" is a beautiful, textured, interesting, deep, moving, emotional wonderland. Love it. He's coming to Seattle on Sep 2....SUNDAY! WHY!
Here he is on Letterman, which is the only time we'll be seeing him for the forseeable (maybe he'll be on ACL this season...)
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
But Not On Me (plus new album of the week)
The last post was pretty messy and long-winded, just trying to convey the general angst with the news/sports media. The good news is, MUSIC is having one of its greatest years I can remember, with more creativity and quality coming from more places since the golden age. Not a week goes by that I don't hear a brand new album that "will change your life". Awesome stuff out there. And thankfully, for whatever reason, whether they're too busy touring and in the studio, or live hermetic lives, or are not attractive or sexy enough...for the most part musicians don't get themselves splattered across every tabloid and infotainment program out there (besides your occaisional James Blunt or Chris Martin) so they mystery of who THEY are is retained and the MUSIC is allowed to stand on its own.
If you haven't yet, try Camera Obscura's 2006 release "Let's Get Out of This Country." Fellow Scots in both name and style to Belle & Sebastien, CO puts together a very cohesive "chamber-pop" record that's equal parts intricate layerings of honey-touched melodies, sun-drenched playfulness, and enough depth to keep you from tossing them off as another "twee-pop" act. Fits in very nicely with B&S, Of Montreal, The Shins, Tegan & Sara, New Pornographers, but also have a sound decidedly their own.
Viva la musica!
The Sky is Falling
Haven't written about sports before, even though I'm a big Yankees (and now Mariners), Jazz, MLB and NBA fan. I'm excited about Beckham coming to America and hopefully putting soccer on the map (Kevin Garnett in the crowd at the Galaxy game? The tide has turned...).
But now the big three sports are each facing major (?) conspiracies/embarrasments: First there's MLB with the whole steroids/Barry Bonds about to break Hank Aaron's record thinnest of all thin ice scenarios, the ugly, scary, disgusting Michael Vick running a dogfighting ring in Virginia, and now the NBA has the scandal to top every US sporting scandal since the Black Sox in 1919.
Meanwhile, Paris Hilton is in an out of jail, Lindsay Lohan is constantly 10 seconds away from becoming a River Phoenix, summer TV is horrible, and the Yanks are 10 games out of first place behind the Red Sox. Yes the sky is falling. The Second Coming must be right around the corner.
Will this change how I feel about NBA games? You bet! My interest has cooled considerably over the last couple of years anyway, but was on its way back up after the Jazz's inspiring run into the Western Conf finals last year. But now...you just can't help but wonder how many of those games Donaghy officiated for YOUR team were not rightly won by them. Let's not even start to talk about the Spurs/Suns (or getting LeBron into the finals for that matter)...
I just wish that we could escape all the noise. I wish the shelf life for these stories was 3 days: 1 day for news to break, 1 to analyze, 1 to learn from it and MOVE ON. Instead we'll be hearing about these things ad nauseum for the next year, with every talking head and every blogger and every news reporter and every newspaper writer having to get his/her two cents in.
I think I'm going to start watching "Planet Earth." We're already totally enthralled with "Man Vs Wild." Time to get back to REALity.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Guaranteed to Make You Smile (2)
My very first post was a YouTube post of "everything that's right with music today" M. Ward and Co. jamming on Conan. If you enjoyed THIS, you'll definitely want to see the video below. Such a sweet little ditty. A pretty straightforward interpretation of the lyrics and the tone of the song...perfectly captures the innocence and depth and beauty of it. And that propulsive percussion section just keeps you movin' on. Quickly moving up the ranks of my all-time favorites.
