My thoughts on Live 8

I am totally struggling with the whole idea of Live 8. I think that there is a place for musicians to use their position and clout to help make things happen, like raising money through giving their talents for a good cause, which many did through Live Aid. However, I question their ability to effect change in the political arena, which seems to be the general idea here. I also think that, unless there is a sea change in the governing policies of many African nations, which can only be effected through the leadership of first-world countries finding ways to work with African leadership to get aid to those who need it most. There is also a place for people in missions to serve those in the greatest need. I would much rather see the performers on the bill spend a month in Africa using funds they've earned from their talents as well as their connections to effect real change in the needy countries.

John Derringer of Q107 echoes some of those sentiments (and says a whole lot more)here.

I hope that those attending the concert July 2 have a good time. I doubt that many of them will do anything more than they are doing today to promote helping the people of Africa, whose need will be just as dire July 3.

HOT

My goodness, it was hot this weekend. Despite that, Christine and I still spent most of yesterday doing yardwork. Word to the wise, digging up grass is NOT fun work. No complaining though. I spend all winter bellyaching about how much I miss summer. Be a little hypocritical to grump about summer, no?

Anyhoo, if you get a chance today, send up a prayer for travel mercies for my brother, Mike as he and his family are flying to Hamilton for a two-week visit. Gonna be a busy couple of weeks for the whole family, culminating in a three-day reunion up at my brother Mark's cottage outside Huntsville next week.

So, they had the big parade yesterday in T.O. Kudos to Stephen Harper for sticking to his values and ignoring the whole thing, speaking instead to church groups in Toronto about his opposition to C-38. Not that it's going to help him, since you can't win an election without one of Quebec or Ontario. Quebec is solidly Bloc and socially liberal Ontario would rather have the Liberals and their blatant criminal activities in power. Sometimes I want to move to the Prairies.

Lots of fun stuff around the blogosphere lately. I have found my way to two really good spiritual blogs. One, belongs to a fellow named Tim Bailey and another to Erin Wilson. No theological arguments, just discussion on how God is working in their lives. Very encouraging to me. Pay them a visit.

So, that's about it. Think I'm going to be busy the next couple of weeks, so blogging may be minimal. I am going to copy something from Dave Hamilton and Al Baker and put in a section listing what I'm watching, listening to and reading. Just cause I can. Also, I'm about to start designing web pages, as I'm going to put one together for Aidan's preschool. Jason, I may have a few questions for you.

Have a good one.

HELP! I'm addicted to personality tests!

Why do I keep taking these things? HatTip (again) to Pernell:


free enneagram test

DREAM THEATER

I love, love, love, love it when I find a new band.

My brother, Mark, an outstanding guitarist, and I have very similar musical tastes. We have always both been fans of harder progressive rock. We are both fans of Rush, Joe Satriani and Van Halen. So when he said to me "You gotta check out Dream Theater" I figured that was a pretty sound endorsement.

Was it ever.

I found the DVD for Dream Theater Live at Budokan at a used store. This sucker is a 3-HOUR concert from Tokyo (the same place Cheap Trick's legendary Live album was made). I have really only listened to half the concert, but I'm a fan. These guys love to go off on extended instrumental runs and that always gets my attention. On first listen, I immediately thought of the band as a cross between Metallica (edgy sound and lyrics), Emerson Lake and Palmer (pure technical musical talent) and Joe Satriani (sonics). One song, "In This Life", has quite possibly the best instrumental break I've ever heard, running nearly 10 minutes and combining about 5 different mini-songs (featuring different combinations of lead instruments, time changes, style changes) that never gets overdone. The band's "Instrumedley" also rocks bells. I have yet to listen to the last 90 minutes (I need that time in headphone isolation), but the first 90 alone makes this a MUST-recommend.

Give it a listen sometime.

I'm culturally creative

....and borderline postmodern. Of course, I didn't understand about 20% of the questions I was asked so, for all I know, I'm really a materialist. Good quiz, though, with some challenging questions.

(HatTip to Jason Silver):

You scored as Cultural Creative. Cultural Creatives are probably the newest group to enter this realm. You are a modern thinker who tends to shy away from organized religion but still feels as if there is something greater than ourselves. You are very spiritual, even if you are not religious. Life has a meaning outside of the rational. Cultural Creative 69% Postmodernist 56% Romanticist 50% Idealist 50% Fundamentalist 44% Existentialist 31% Modernist 31% Materialist 19% What is Your World View? (updated) created with QuizFarm.com

Just an AWESOME morning!

Today was Aidan's end-of-preschool picnic. All the kids and their families met up at Dundas Driving Park for a morning of games and food. It was great to see all the 3- and 4-year olds in their "Pied Piper Co-Op" t-shirts running around and playing games. The teachers set up bubble-blowing stations, an obstacle course, a beanbag toss and other fun stuff. We all enjoyed slab pizza, ice cream and juice and many of the parents arrayed themselves around DDP's creative playground to watch about 30+ preschoolers all manage to find some space to run, play and interact with one another.

Two things stood out.

First was a brief moment when Aidan, Aaron and I all sat together and shared Aidan's ice cream. Just a peaceful moment to reflect on how blessed I am to have such a great family.

Second was when they gave out certificates to all the kids either moving from toddler to preschool or from pre-school to JK. When they called Aidan's name and he went up to receive his certificate, it hit me that this was my oldeest son's first real graduation ceremony. It brought tears to my eyes.

Most importantly, this morning was yet another reminder of just how deeply I love my family.

Let's play a game

I've been seeing this little tag thing going on at some blogs and, while I don't know how to do it, I thought I might see if I can grow one organically. Here's your hypothetical:

You are asked to move into one room in a house for one year. You can take with you the following:

** Five favourite foods (they would be replenished when they ran out and they're kicking in the staples (meat, bread, dairy and veggies)
** Five favourite articles of clothing
** Five movies
** Five CD's
** Five books

What would they be?

Here's mine:

Foods: Mini-Wheats cereal (if they don't provide milk, they're still good). Peanut butter (hope they provide WHITE bread!! Don't get enough of that). New York steak (assuming I get a BBQ to cook 'em on). Cadbury Easter Cream Eggs. Cherry Pop-tarts.

Clothes: The t-shirt I got from my kids with their handprints on it. My Lou Gehrig NY Yankees shirt. My McMaster MBA program t-shirt. My favourite pair of Nevada jeans and one pair of fleece track pants (LOVE the fleece).

Movies: Oh, my. Field of Dreams (happens to be on as I'm posting), Star Wars (the REAL original, not the Lucas-ized Episode 4), The Two Towers, The Jesus Movie and Bull Durham.

CD's: Bruce Springsteeen:Live in NYC, Michael W. Smith: Worship, Rich Mullins: A Liturgy, A Legacy and a Ragamuffin Band, Peter Gabriel: Secret World Live and Genesis: Three Sides Live. Supertramp Live in Paris makes the list if I get six.

Books: The Bible (NIV edition), Max Lucado: The Applause of Heaven and Six Hours One Friday, Tom Clancy: The Hunt for Red October, and John Grisham: A Time To Kill (or The Pelican Brief or The Firm, whichever one I grab).

There you go. What would you pick?