About a year ago Kristie and I enjoyed a relaxing night of live music. Last night I traveled to Greenville to hear Randall Bramblett again. Unlike the 2010 show this was a full band show. Actually it was a hybrid show featuring the Australian Guitar guru Geoff Achison, his band featuring Randall.

I'd never heard Geoff Achison before other than a couple short clips on his web page. But I'll make every effort to be there any time his is back in this area. This guy was amazing on guitar. He wasn't using any effects, not even a volume pedal, but the sounds he produced defy logic. It is obvious that not only does he have coming from Australia in common with Tommy Emmanuel, but he shares many very similar techniques. His extremely fiery playing was perfect for Randall Branblett's soulful southern blues styles.

Like always I had to treat myself to a DVD and cd which are currently set on continuous repeat on my stereo.

It was a great night of music to cap an musical week.

The World Greatest Band played in Greenville last night at the BiLo Center.

Here is the set list:

Set One

The Spirit of Radio
Time Stand Still
Presto
Stick It Out
Workin' Them Angels
Leave That Thing Alone
Faithless
BU2B
Freewill
Marathon
Subdivisions

Set Two

Tom Sawyer
Red Barchetta
YYZ
Limelight
The Camera Eye
Witch Hunt
Vital Signs
Caravan
Drum Solo (Love 4 Sale)
Closer to the Heart
2112 Part I: Overture
2112 Part II: The Temples Of Syrinx
Far Cry

Encore:

La Villa Strangiato
Working Man

a full review to come

This afternoon I was talking to an older man, a farmer about a planned trip his family wanted to make to Disney World taking him, his wife and the two grand kids. He kept saying, "I just don't sponsor this idea." I guess meaning he did not want to go or that he wasn't to keen on going. I never heard anyone say that before. And it caused me to think of other unique ways of saying the same thing.

"I just don't cotton to that." " It don't light my fire." Can't switch on a bulb". Then there is the, "It don't float my boat." It doesn't blow my skirt up." "It don't make my skillet fry faster". One truly funny one I once heard was, "That idea or 'idee' jus' don't shine my shoes." And a final thought if you really don't like the plan you say, " that'll make a donkey cry."

Bye

Does it seem like you can't get as much done as you used to? Maybe this is the reason. Our days are shorter than last year. Seems the massive earthquake that struck northeast Japan back on March 11 shortened the length the day by a bit.

I was reading that scientists using new more accurate data of the 8.9 magnitude quake found it was so intense that it actually accelerated Earth's spin, shortening the length of the 24-hour day by 1.8 microseconds. If you are wondering a microsecond is a millionth of a second.

Maybe that doesn't seem like much to you since each day is about 24 hours, or 86,400 seconds, long. BTW the speed which the earth turns actually changes several times during a year. It can vary by one millisecond ( 1,000 microseconds) due to seasonal variations in the planet's mass distribution such as the seasonal shift of the jet stream.

I was also interested to read that Japan is no longer located in the same place. The same data also showed Japan moved about 8 feet. Wonder how that will effect GPS landings ?

And if that was enough our seasons will change too. The earthquake also shifted Earth's figure axis by about 6 1/2 inches.

But don't worry. This is the first time this kind of thing has happened. Last year the 8.8 magnitude quake in Chile sped up our days by 1.26 microseconds. And the 2004 9.1 quake in
Sumatra shortened the day by 6.8 microseconds.

Well I'll sleep better now.

the ABC's of this week

A - Air conditioner - Wife's car, "the 'lil Dragster " needs a/c service...again
B - Baseball Game - Attending the game on Anderson Night
C - coffee - enjoying a fresh bag of Kenyan AAA via my great friend Sue who just returned from a mission trip.
D - Dad is doing much better this week
E - Excited by H.G guys night. in the planning stage
F - Friends - I am blessed to know the best
G - picking up the Genset ( it's for sale btw )
H - the Handlebar - looking forward to seeing Randall Bramblett in concert there this week
I - the Invitation at church yesterday. A miracle occurred in many lives.
J - John 17:23
K - Katelyn graduates this week. Is that really possible than my "Sugar Cub " is 18 ?
L - LZU - thinking I'm gonna fly there to visit the "Flying Machine" for dinner this weekend.
M - Music - This week is truly filled with great LIVE music. 4 nights
N - NewSpring - love my church
O - Obvious answers to some of the little problems we face. Others not so clear, yet thankful for all.
P - Pastor Perry Noble - thank you Lord for placing such a man of God in my life.
Q - Quiet time - God has been teaching me to be silent and listen
R - Rush - Worlds greatest Band. In G'ville this week.
S - the "Shock" - girls softball playoffs - the Monk is starting game two on the mound
T - Temperature - saw 99 degrees at my house yesterday
U - U.K. & Ukraine - Our Partner Churches in Europe, as well as Kenya - praying daily
V - Visiting - the New Foundations Children's home
W - Wife - More than I ever dreamed - I love her so much
X - "X" marks the spot for every thing else I forgot to list
Y - Yard - be careful what you wish for. I don't like to mow, and now my lawn is turning brown in this heat.
Z - Zaxby's I got a free meal coupon.

I love music. All kinds of music, rock, jazz, blues, soul, gospel, quartet, CCM, even a little country. But I guess we tend to favor the tunes and groups we grew-up with most.

Back in high school my friends enjoyed classic rock group like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and others. Around that time I began to notice an English guitar player with long reddish straight hair bobbed over the eyes in bangs. Boy could this guy play. Some of his earliest work was compared to Hendrix, and though I guess I can hear some sonic similarities, I think he developed a blues-hard rock style of his own. Robin Trower shared a educational background much like the other highly successful English bands of that era, art and music. And he had success in previous groups which was quickly duplicated as a solo artist. Quiet a few of his records have gone Gold

As his career progressed the music changed some, but never too far afield. His songs reflect life and it's normal issues, there are even several Christian themed songs in his mix. Like most of the great groups from that time I've collected his work. I've been privileged to see and hear a lot of those classic masters of rock but for one reason or another I never got to see Robin Trower live in person.

That changed last night. I finally got to be at one of his shows. He played in Greenville about 30 miles from my home in a small venue that was prefect. A couple of friends and I headed over in time to have dinner before the show. Actually we ate at the venue. They have an excellent cafe on site.

The opening act was fine playing a solo unplugged set of lively songs to a respectful crowd. One of the nice things about attending these type shows now is that the crowd is a little older and are there because they are actually music fans They attend because they love the artist and know every note ever played on every song. It's not just an excuse for a party like some shows these days. Another thing I LOVE is that the bands which stood the test of time, can actually play their instruments and still make great music using their decades of experience.

I had a fantastic time Robin and his band played a solid set of old and newer songs that lasted more than an hour and forty-five minutes, solid music, no time was wasted between songs. They just rocked.

Here is the set list for you real Trower fan out there.

Confessin' Midnight
Lady Love
Somebodys Callin'
Distant Places Of The Heart
Twice Removed From Yesterday
Daydream
Life Of Clay
Day Of The Eagle
Bridge Of Sighs
Shame The Devil
The Turning
Too Rolling Stoned
Little Bit Of Sympathy

encores
Rise Up Like The Sun
Not Inside Outside


If you get a chance to see them this tour take it, be there you will enjoy yourself at a clean clear well performed concert.

Thanks Robin Trower and band and Robin thanks for taking the time to autograph your new cd for me

The Opposite of Progress ?




Congress

Maybe it's time to clean house and start over

Just before 3 am this morning my wife's Grandmother received her promotion to glory.

Ruth Chitwood was a wonderful lady, a saint on earth. She was kind and gentle and soft spoken. I never saw her angry nor did I ever hear her say anything against anyone. A humble child of God who lived every day as an example. Her love and concern spread to all she knew. The entire family were always assured that when "Maw Ma" prayed for you, God heard. She wasn't my true earthly Grandmother but ever since I've started dating Kristie I have claimed her as mine too. I guess you would say she was my Grandma-in-law. And it wasn't just me. All her in-laws, the spouses of her grandchildren and great grand children felt the same way. She was a lady everyone loved. My dad one time told me after I informed him we'd invited her along on a joint family trip to the mountains, " that's fine with me.. she's great to have around". The ultimate compliment.

Her last actions a couple days ago on her deathbed were for friends and family she felt still needed Jesus. She left us a list of souls to pray for.

Maw maw you left such a legacy You taught all of us so many things. You taught us to live a life of filled with God's love. A life filled with compassion, concern and dignity. And in the past two weeks you taught us how to die the same way. Maw Ma you showed us how to prepare to see Jesus.

We are going to miss you here but have peace in our hearts knowing to be absent from this world for you is to be present with God.

We love you

Rejoicing has started.

Full eclipse of the moon tonight. Are you going to see it. If so bundle-up and put on a pot of coffee.

The real action starts at

1:32 AM: Eastern time here in the U.S.
2:40 AM: Total Eclipse

3:53 AM: End of the full eclipse

5:01 AM: Bed time the action has ended

Have fun

Third of U.S. teens with phones text 100 times a day

I have a cell phone and I am sure you do too. My wife and I were among the first people in the U.S. to carry a bag phone in our cars. I well remember that 7 pound monster with it's 5 watt output. Everyone who learned we had one wanted to see it. Man have time ever changed. In those days we used our phone only for outgoing calls and reserved those for car trouble. Now my phone travels everywhere I am, usually attached to my side. Good thing they reduced the size. These days phones are actually mini computers. You can surf the web, complete projects and send messages to virtually anyone in the world. In a pinch it'll even make an actual call.

One application that I truly think was a game changer is when phones were enabled to send short text messages. That at least frees us from having to commit to conversation, saving time so we can play with the on board or online games. I say that somewhat as a joke, but truly texting has become a way of life, especially for kids and teens.

I read a recent study that said around one in three U.S. teenagers now send more than 100 texts a day. ONE HUNDRED messages a day. That is crazy. They have even developed a sort of second language, a shorthand if you will to save time and space in messages.

Three weeks ago I was trying to fill a position within our office. We received a stack of resumes, some very qualified and many not so much. Among the stack was a cover letter from one job seeker that was filled with misspellings and apparently text message shorthand. Teenage texting slang in a cover letter? Really did they think that was correct? Needless to say, that didn't cut it, and that candidate was rejected. How unprofessional. What image were they trying to convey?

Anyway like it or not texting is replacing language, and seriously face- to- face conversation is a historic relic. It's a shame.

hope U R ok w this b/c it has b-cm U R GR8 new way 2 comm-u-cate catch U L8tr