As I sit here in my shades of blue

The title is a lyric from one of my band Ampersuaded's songs called Gray. The link will take you to a band named Blue's website that I can't recommend, but they fit the theme today.

A bonus post on Cinco De Mayo!

I decided that since I wasn't tired, at work, and Blogger built new layouts I would chance destroying all my work on Exposing My Thorns and change to the new format. With that came a few decisions; shortened name, change of profile pic, and change of color. I decided black was appropriate no longer. I am in a good place. So I have graduated to blue.

To further prove I am in a brighter mood. Here are the lyrics I wrote in October of 2004 to the song we call Gray:

Gray
By J.D. Rose

I've sung my songs about orange and fire
And I've bled red in bedtime stories
Painted purple to inspire
White was always goodness and black was always sad
And anything that started green could never be that bad
But as I sit here in my shades of blue
Trying to make it through another day
The only song I have for you is gray

Because most of life really is somewhere between black and white
Most of what we do in life is somewhere between wrong and right
Because I can't be smiling yellow today
Let me sing from my heart where all is gray

Met a girl in pink from head to toe
She was either oblivious or needed let go
Silver and gold don't move me and I've never been one for teal
Just let me wrap myself in gray, cause that's the way I feel
But as I sit here in my shades of blue
Trying to make it through another day
The only song I have for you is gray

Because most of life really is somewhere between black and white
Most of what we do in life is somewhere between wrong and right
Because I can't be smiling yellow today
Let me sing from my heart where all is gray

When my colors all fade to darkness and I've nothing left to say
Let me lay there and wait for the light to come and save me
From all this gray

And here is a pic of me in Memphis two weeks ago, fruiting it up in the Central Library, for now my profile pic!


Hope y'all enjoy the new and improved blog!

Due to lack of good direction I fell in with thieves and took to drinking as religion and landed on my knees.

This title/lyric comes from Mason Jennings song Drinking As Religion. Some of you know how much I love this man's music. All of you should click the title and go listen to some of his songs on his myspace page. Great lyricist!

Thursday used to be my day for posting this...

Sometime soon you'll hear about my Thursday, but for now, accept this where it falls.

THE WEEKLY INAPPROPRIATE CHURCH SIGN


I could Pastor THAT church!!!

Thank you very much Mr. Roboto, for helping me escape just when I needed to.

I had never actually looked at the lyrics to Styx' classic Mr. Roboto (used above) but they are weird. Instead of going to see Styx' website, I have linked a very cool website that will help you make your own robot; a task Keith Miller and I never accomplished but discussed throughout much of elementary school. Today is Keith's 28th birthday! Hope it was a good one Dr. Miller.

So after finding the He-Man clip the other day I wondered what other clips of my 80's cartoon heroes I might find doctored and hilarious. I found this and must say, it made my day. To all of you Reagan babies, here is Optimus Prime and the crew breaking off some Run DMC/Aerosmith in style.



July 4th Micahel Bay (The Rock, Armageddon, Bad Boys I and II, The Island) will bring the Transfromers to their live-action fruition. I bet they won't dance though. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Careless in our summer clothes, splashing around in the muck and the mire.

The lyric today comes from the beginning of Hang Me Up To Dry by Cold War Kids. They are an interesting band. Check them out by clicking the title and visiting their site.

My childhood was a typical midwestern one in a small town with a neighborhood of kids to play with. We would spend the day outside only running in for potty breaks and popsicles, a lunch of fishsticks or chicken nuggets and some form of potato (tot, fry, chip), and afternoon cartoons. My favorite was He-Man and The Masters of The Universe.

If you need a refresher...



I loved He-Man, collected ALL (except one-never got a Trapjaw) the action figures, had He-Man apparel, and a He-Man lunchbox. So YouTube made me laugh when I came across this clip.

Check out this video of nutjobs talking about He-Man:



If you watched that, you have got to be cracking up a little. I don't understand why some Christians rush to make more out of things than they are, nor do I think that to me as a kid (or adult for that matter) was the occult ever a part of the He-Man experience. I have heard similar arguments lately against Harry Potter and I just sit kinda dumbfounded that some people can read the Bible, especially Jesus' words and stories and somehow fit into that understanding that they must fight against childhood stories and TV shows while they are tending to the sick and poor. I think it would be different if Skeletor with his demonic staff was the one we were supposed to be rooting for, or there weren't a message at the end of each episode helping us to be better citizens, but good versus evil is pretty basic and I know no kids then or now who aspire to be on the wrong side of things as they watch morality battle in technicolor.

Now as far as the other commentary, mostly upon reflection, that has been vaulted at He-man, I see how that could be a logical argument. It would make He-Man a groundbreaking TV show in another vein. What is that commentary? Well, check this clip out and guess for yourself...



Hahaha! Mr. Cringerpants!

I think I've posted that before, but it deems repeating.

Somehow I survived He-Man and grew up to be a Heterosexual Christian Minister. I guess I beat the odds and the rest of my neighborhood growing up are demonic homosexuals sculpting ram's heads for a living.

So I thank you Lord, for giving me the things I need...

The title/lyric comes from a camp song that I appreciate, but don't particularly like hearing. Clicking the title today will take you to the website of Merom Conference Center where I will be directing Tri-Level 2007 in 69 days!

Here is another poem I wrote at the request of a Bluffton kid. She was writing about change and so I framed my thoughts this way. It will be clear what I was thinking to some of you and that she's special to me to all.

The Sun and The Rain and The Apple Seed
By J.D. Rose

Season’s end,
and all that I love about summer passes
with it; the overwhelming sense of heat in open air
and hidden cool found beneath shaded trees and awnings.
I will miss the way the grass felt
between my bare toes as I ran through these days and explored
every inch of the wilderness
I found out my back door. Freedom
is the best word for my summer. Unrestricted,
unhindered, freedom to question and search and play; to discover
and now I have a good idea what all my seasons should include.

Season’s end, and now my days begin their steady decline
in daylight hours, which will matter less than I first thought
as I do my best work late in the day. I have begun
to see the leaves fall and the colors change on the trees about my age.
It is beautiful, not sad. I have also begun to see my roots
stretching out and the seeds fallen from my branches
take roots of their own. Children, or brothers and sisters,
that will be the legacy of my summer days; growing and teaching
all at once. Knowing always I could stand to lose a few adornments to this crown.

And you sister, questioning now what the seasons mean,
are a blessing to my deepening roots, the most pleasant
ring around me. I look forward to seeing Summer
through your eyes, then Fall,
then Winter, then final Spring
with its eternal birth.

Seasons end
and I could not be more
excited about the places I have ventured,
the seeds I have planted there, or the days
to come as my forest rises up with me
in it and passes through all time.

And you will be there; still a part of
what I love about summer, deeply
bound to that first budding thought
in my days of freedom. And we will find
heat and cool and calm all over
again. But we will stand much taller
then, surrounded by life
growing and teaching through seasons
passing into eternity.

I said I love you...but I lied.

Now I am just post happy...

A minute ago I was looking for a specific song online when I saw an hilarious thing in the corner of the sreen:


Michael Bolton's Greatest Hits Volume One

Now, why this is funny might take a minute to sink in...

Let me help...

Michael Bolton's Greatest Hits Volume One

Write down all the Michael Bolton hits (songs) you can name.
MAYBE, if you are a fan you can name 12.

But you can't name 2 CDs worth, and this is the first installment of his Greatest Hits. That cracks me up.

The title today comes from one of his "hits" and clicking it will take you to Michael Bolton's obnoxious website. I dare you to go there, with your speakers turned up.

And while we're here let me rant a bit about "Classics" albums; Rod Stewart I think is to blame as he's begun an assault on every song written in America between 1920 and 1960, selling overproduced bad records to old women in Capris and SUVs.

We don't (well at least I don't) need to hear YOUR version of Georgia On My Mind. In fact, once Ray Charles recorded it we don't need to hear ANYONE's version of it-Willie Nelson gets a pass. Micahel Bolton's arguably biggest hit was a cover, When A Man Loves a Woman. And other schlocky performers all seem more credible next to Michael Bolton. I mean, at least Celine Dion renames her largely same sounding songs and sings her own, for the same audience I imagine as own Rod Stewart and Michael Bolton records.

I'm not mad. If any thing, the very fact that Michael Bolton gets to have a record called Greatest Hits makes me wanna become a singer. I just wish we lived in a world where artistry was more valuable than polish. Because then we could remove from our dials most of the following musicians:

Additions and subtractions may be made...

Here is a list of performers who I think are simply that (if that) and NOT artists, and some of them are beloved. All of whom I would be cool with never performing again...except in maybe reitrement homes, malls, and Casinos.

1 Recent Rod Stewart
2 Michael Bolton
3 Celine Dion
4 Josh Groban
5 Ringo Starr (that's right, I said it)
6 Hannah Montana, in fact ALL Disney acts
7 Anyone currently or formerly affiliated with American Idol with the exceptions of Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood who have REAL chops
8 Including Il Divo
9 Especially Clay Aiken
10 Mandy Moore
11 Paris Hilton
12 Hillary Duff
13 Lindsay Lohan (obviously we're using the terms singer and performer loosely)
14 Nickelback (Rock's version of Michael Bolton)
15 Sugar Ray (Rock's version of Il Divo)
16 Early Rod Stewart (Rock's version of Recent Rod Stewart)
17 Any Actor/Singer, check that, Any / anything
18 Fred Durst and/or Limp Bizkit
19 Most New Punk/Emo bands
For instance Fall Out Boy (artists? NO) and Good Charlotte (drivel)
20 Anyone affiliated with "boy bands" circa 1985-2004 with the notable exception of Justin Timberlake who is a genius and really might bring sexy back.

And I just made that list in five minutes off the top of my head. These people don't seem to have anything to say, even the few actually talented among the list are not artists in any visible way. And while some of them have amazing voices or bodies, none with both I suppose, all is not lost. There should definitely be somewhere they can go.

Wait, there is, it's called Vegas!

Even some real artists are there...Elton John, The Killers, Barry Manillow, Wayne Newton. And loads of women in Capris and SUVs roll onto the strip everyday, in search of hearing elevator music live. God bless them, and here's holding out for Greatest Hits Volume Two!!!

I'll understand if your heart has been won, but I'd like to know if I'm still in the game. Come on now, show me yourself.

This lyric comes from Griffin House, who I've been finding a lot of stuff I like from lately, this song is called Show Me Yourself. Check his website out by clicking the title above.

So I am trying to decide who I would like to vote for for President in 2008. To be fully honest I have made a couple of small contributions to the Obama 08 campaign. I would like to see him one of the last two in the conversation for the Democratic candidacy. I would vote for him.

I would currently also vote for Bill Richardson from New Mexico. Those both seem like big picture thinkers and positive, accomplished leaders.

There are many candidates I currently could not vote for: Clinton seems WAY too ambitious and always has for my palate. Guliani is running around Texas telling Evangelical Conservatives that though he sees things diferently he'll basicaly let them decide who judges should be. Forgive me, but Evangelical Conservatives from Texas probably should be barred from making any decisions for a while. Edwards is less experienced than he was last time as far as I'm concerned. I'm worried Mitt Romney might become a puppet for the guys running things now, but he's Mormon which is more than a small problem for some of those folks; I just don't like his stances on a few big issues. Kucinich is hilarious, comic relief, like when Gollum is Smeagel in LOTR. Joe Biden blew his chances out of the gate with his gaffe about Obama. All other candidates are either Republicans (a party I'd like to not have to vote for) or so marginal Democrats and Independents they aren't important to mention.

This leaves one candidate unaccounted for; a man that in 2000 I was ineterested in a bit before the Bush money destroyed him. And a man that throughout most of George W. Bush's six years in office has been a seemingly perfect compromise for all of us to handle things running so quickly afoul. Ofcourse I am talking about John McCain, the Senator from Arizona and Republican candidate for President.

Two things came my way this week, one recent clip and one old clip, that have me just baffled at how a man whom I find so easy to admire, with an undeniable track record, and leadership pedigree unmatched in the field could have slipped so far away from my interest, indeed nearing dislike in a short amount of time. The first happened on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Stewart has had McCain on a number of times and they always seem quite impressed by one another, but this week Stewart had relevant and significant questions to ask a Republican running for President and McCain found his way into the crosshairs of his solid and important questions. Check it out if you didn't see it. Sorry I couldn't get this to link within the post.

Part 1 http://www.ifilm.com/video/2848395
Part 2 http://www.ifilm.com/video/2848396

Now, anyone who talked to me five years ago could tell you that I was opposed to the invasion of Iraq as I saw it as a distraction from Afghanistan. That's not wordplay. I was totally against a war in Iraq. I felt we rushed to it, let go of more peaceful options, and entered into a war both hastily and misinformed. I was vocal then and I am vocal now that I think it was a misstep. I voted for John Kerry not out of great love for him or excitement about his leadership, but out of intense disagreement with the current administration's leadership in Iraq and for the most part domestically as well. Ofcourse it is easy to make such claims in hindsight. Now I am looking for a LEADER who can bring something postive out of this mess we have created.

So I turned to McCain, a soldier and plain spoken leader, a straightforward dealer of truth, and an insider vocal about his own disagreements with the Bush Administration. Even a year ago I was excited about the chance to vote for him. And perhaps he has to fly right now to get the nomination, but I am simply not willing to vote for someone who has been purchased or flipped like an informant. So I saw his appearance on The Daily Show as a great failure. It wasn't fair that he was taken to task for the Administrations mistakes, except that he is now supporting their futher weak strategies and seeking to be the LEADER of our country in the world after Geroge W. Bush. What I agree with that he said is that we are there now. It has happened. But I find it laughable that this new strategy of surging 10,000 troops will turn the tide. And I find it offensive that this administration and its allies assail my warranted questions and doubts as treason while they have let down our troops from day one in word and deed. McCain was speaking on behalf of his party and our President, a member of that party. He seemed like all the rest.

And that is tragic, because once he made me laugh. Once, he even began to inspire me that honesty and wit and a solid perspective on the importance of things done in Washington, Hollywood, and Iraq might be found in a LEADER. I'm not sure any of the field is such a LEADER. I am now holding out hope for two men, both unlikely candidates and nearly sure to let me down. But allow me to remove any speculation that John McCain could have my vote and my support. Not in 2008 anyway, perhaps if he'd been allowed to lead in 2000 he could have been my candidate.

Such a disregard for accountability and honest assesment is a character flaw; a character flaw I am tired of living with in my LEADER. Just so we're clear, I will miss the moments I considered following John McCain. Maybe he'll have some post politics career as a sometimes comic and pitch man like Bob Dole and I can like him again. He was great for a while.

That was the second clip I came acrossed; proof of his former mojo.



Is Teddy Roosevelt available?

Yeah, I know. Obama then?