Small Town Living

Why are small towns dying? Why are companies moving out of small towns and into big cities? What do the cities really have to offer? Lots of people, congestion, pollution, bad tempers, high crime, etc.

People in small towns, especially in the Midwest, are hard workers. And we are much less likely to have a terrorist strike us, though we are not immune. Bad things do happen here, people are people, but there are more moderating influences here.

BTW, this has nothing to do with race. People in small towns are surprisingly open minded about race, they tend to take each individual or individual family on its own merits.

Not that small towns are perfect, there is not as much to do, but my sister moved during high school. In a city of 350,000 she complained of being bored, same as she did when she lived in town of 10,000. If you move to a town of over 10,000, then you can avoid much of the "everyone knows everyone else's business" that many people worry about with small towns.

Another problem with small towns today is the ubiquitous Wal-Mart. Although Wal-Mart probably makes prices less in actual terms, it severely limits the selection. There are other options however, many small towns also have chain hardware stores, auto parts stores, and other places one can find things like windshield wipers, paint, rakes, and the like.

Is the absence of a mega-mall really a negative thing? In truth, many small towns actually do have a mall of sorts.

Cost of living is less, but so is the pay, however you still come out ahead. I bought an 1800 sq ft brick ranch house for $85,000. My wife's cousin lives in LA and said our house would go for $260,000 in his area. There is no way that I could get a job that would make up that kind of difference without becoming involved in the entertainment biz.

Concerts don't come around here very often, mainly bands who’s last hit was in 1988. But that's a good thing for those that want to cut back on spending. If I lived in a big city I would constantly be tempted to go see bands that may or may not be worth the money. If I go to a concert now, It takes 2-3 hours of driving, so I have to really want to see them. Or win free tickets! (Hasn’t happened yet.)

With internet, cable and satellite TV, there isn't much in the way of home comforts that are denied in small towns.

Overall, one comes out ahead in a small town, unless you feel compelled to drive to the city to do your shopping. Many people here head towards a town 45 minutes away that is about 75,000 people, around 3 times our size. We never leave town for shopping. There really isn’t anything that we need that isn’t here.


I would like to encourage business to consider the pluses of small town life, and instead of relocating to a megalopolis, promoting the pluses of getting away. Towns of 10,000-75,000 within two hours of a major city are all over the place. Pick one with a college or university and there is more likely to be a culture that many people like.

Small town living is also more green. Less driving, means less fuel to burn. Where I live is 4 blocks from the elementary school, and 10 blocks from work, so I walk or ride a bike most of the year.



Technorati Tags:
Small Town Life, Wal-Mart, Small Towns, Frugal Living

ACLU and Public Religion

If ideologies are really religions, then the ACLU hasn't even begun its work. They would have to take themselves out of trying to effect government. How can one keep one's religion "private?" If one’s religion truly informs all actions, then it will affect how a person responds in public. I am not talking about being inconsiderate of others, which the ACLU has no problem with. Rudeness is a virtue to them. I’m flipping through radio stations in my car with my kids, who knows what kind of language they will hear. This kind of garbage is “protected speech.”

In a small town in the Midwest or the South if a person says a generic prayer for good sportsmanship and safety for the players, how is that offending anyone? Is it that much of a burden to politely be quite for one whole minute while the majority express some kind thoughts for the teams? That is not forcing one's religion on another person, nor is it the US Legislature "establishing religion." Instead it is the courts "restricting the free exercise thereof." My thought for today.

Tags:
ACLU, Public Religion, Parents, Parenting, Teachers, Home School, Homeschooling,

Next Great American Band the Next Great American TV Show?

One of the other television shows we watch is the Next Great American Band on Fox. I stumbled across this the first night it was on, and as I love music, I convinced my wife to let me watch. Well, now she and the kids are hooked as well. I’ve never seen American Idol, but I take it this is similar in format except it is for a whole band, not just a singer. Several genres are represented; bluegrass, country, southern gospel, rock, pop, and heavy metal.



Of the ones left, The Clark Brothers are my favorite. They are a country gospel trio that puts everything they got into each song. Their version of the Rolling Stones song “Gimme Shelter” was stunning. I was on the floor.

My wife likes Sixwire, a country band with lots of harmony. They put on a great live show and are fantastic musicians. Plus the lead singer is cute and has "great band hair."



Of the bands that are gone, the one that should have stayed is Franklin Bridge. These guys were seriously good. Similar in style to Living Color, they didn’t follow any one style too closely. It’s too bad they are gone, and the week they didn’t get to play, all the bands were playing Leiber and Stroller songs. You probably can’t name ten rock and roll songs without naming one by Leiber and Stroller. I would love to have heard what they were going to do with that.

I also liked Très Bien!, a 60s British Invasion type band, playing 1960s good-time rock and roll.

My kids love Light of Doom. They are a bunch of kids that are phenomenal and sound like Iron Maiden. They have a future, no doubt about that. We just pray that it doesn’t come too soon and wreck their youth.



Denver and the Mile High Orchestra plays big band arraignment of the songs. They are really good. Think Chicago or Blood, Sweat and Tears mixed with Harry Conick Jr.

I think Dot Dot Dot or Light of Doom is out tonight. Dot Dot Dot looks like a band, but they are musically the weakest. Plus, they play New Wave. Clark Brothers and Sixwire are the bands to beat.

I may actually buy this show on DVD!


Tags:
Next Great American Band, TV Show Reviews

Life, the greatest TV show in A Long Time

I don’t make it a habit to shill for television shows, but the NBC show Life is one of the sharpest written programs in a long time. We only watch about 4 shows a week at our house, so I certainly may have missed some good ones, but I still think Life would be in my top-two ever.



The story is about a cop named Charlie Crews who spent 12 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. He got some huge freakin’ settlement from the state when DNA proved him innocent and now he is back on the force looking for the real killer (and the one(s) who set him up) while solving 'ordinary' murders. Lots of conspiracy, everyone could be involved it seems, and Crews has accepted a “zen” way of life to deal with his anger. This makes him an annoyance to his partner and his way of speaking disarms the people he questions.

Of course, I would like to have seen him adopt a “grace” way of life. It would be interesting if Crews could meet up with a “grace” person and they could have a very interesting chat. Note to writers: don’t make the Christian a killer or hypocrite. Thanks. I hope the WGA writer’s strike ends soon so we can get back to some excellent TV. (BTW I agree with the writer’s strike, but that’s for another post.)



Tags:
Life TV Show

The Thin Man Series

Sequels are nothing new in Hollywood. But some things have changed. Where are the stars of today? William Powell and Myrna Loy are so perfect in these roles as Nick and Nora Charles, they command the screen. The level of wit in those movies is really something. Even with thin plots and some of the actors are less than A-list, the writing is sharp and the way the two leads deliver a line is something. Not just the lines, but the looks (and that is what makes stars). In one of the movies Nick tells Nora he likes their son, “We should do that again.” Nora replies, “Anytime, dear.” William Powell’s expression says more than any double entendre most modern screenwriters could accomplish. I love the way the banter just rolls from them, like it’s natural for a married couple to have fun. The wit may remind one of a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie, except they don’t hate each other in the beginning. And instead of a romantic comedy, Nick and Nora solve mysteries. Their dog, Asta, steals clues.

The Thin Man really shouldn’t be the name of the series, as it applies only to the case in the first film in the series.

Many people think that old movies are safe for the whole family; that may be true. Nick and Nora are a married couple crazy about each other, they don’t swear, and they sleep in separate beds. However, In the Thin Man movies William Powell is just short of an alcoholic, in fact in the first one, I say they both are. And many things they say are suggestive in a way that is clear to most adults, but goes over the head of kids. As a woman is walking away from their table, Nora says mentions the woman’s earrings. Watching the woman walk away, Nick says “Yes, quite beautiful.” “The earrings are higher.” Nora points out.



After the Thin Man is not very good. In the second film in the series, the first 40 minutes are wasted trying to set the story up, when really, there isn’t much story to set up. Too many sets are allowed to go on for too long, looking for that extra laugh that never comes. The mystery is OK, but the banter is weak and the wit is not as sharp. One of the most clearly suggestive items is a very clear “infidelity” on the part of Mrs. Asta, the (insert a word for female dog). This is kind of amusing, but it is carried too far and goes on too long. I’m surprised there were more Thin Mans made after this one. If there is any reason to watch, it’s the lovely Myrna Loy (especially in her New Years Eve dress) and a very young Jimmy Stewart in a role you may not expect. Another adult moment comes when a microphone is discovered in the one-room apartment of a woman seeing several men. When she realizes the eavesdropper could hear “everything,” the camera goes close-up on her wide-eyed face as she gasps, “Golly!”

I once heard that the 1930s could have been the 1960s in permissiveness if the depression, followed by World War II, had not happened. People tend to go conservative when the world goes out of control. I have no idea how accurate this is, but watching some of these early 1930s movies causes one to wonder.

I will review the rest of the series soon.



Tags:
The Thin Man, Movie Review

John Densmore of The Doors Won’t Sell Out

I just read an article called “Ex-Door Lighting Their Ire” by Geoff Boucher where he describes how drummer John Densmore, won’t allow Doors music to be sold to advertisers. The article was originally in the Los Angeles Times on October 5, 2005; I read it in the Da Capo Best Music Writing 2006 (Da Capo Best Music Writing). The other two surviving members of the band, Ray Manzarek and Robbie Krieger, are quite upset with him and wish he would sell out. After all, everyone else is doing it.

The arguments for licensing are “…people don’t frown on this anymore,” and it’s “not selling out; if it’s done right, it’s giving it new life.” What they mean by that last statement is that the only way for dinosaur bands to build a new audience is to have the song played for 15 to 30 seconds to shill high-dollar merchandise. That’s wrong. How many people ask, “Who was that in that commercial? I’ve got to run out and buy that.” If they like that style of music, they can hear it on classic rock stations. I’m betting there is at least one of those just about anywhere in the US that has radio stations. And it’s not like they don’t play The Doors.

According to Boucher, Cadillac approached the Doors before they got Led Zeppelin’s song “Rock ‘n’ Roll.” They offered 15 million dollars. Tempting offer. However, as Densmore says, “… On stage, when we played these songs, they felt mysterious and magic. That’s not for rent.”

Licensing a song for a movie is less intrusive. The Doors’ song “The End” was used to great effect in Apocalypse Now. Most people won’t hear the same song 20 times during a movie like they will during a televised football game. And several times a week if they watch that much TV. But few of us will watch any movie more than a couple times in our lifetime.

Selling your song to advertisers isn’t too bad for some groups. The Soup Dragons “Don’t be afraid of your freedom” for Visa is an example. They aren’t played on the radio all the time, and I bet many people have never even heard of them. But I can’t listen to Bob Seger’s “Like a Rock” anymore. Do radio stations still play that song? I’ve only heard it once on the radio since Chevrolet trucks started using it. Is Led Zeppelin’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll” going to be ruined the same way? Probably. Especially if it is used for many years. That’s too bad, cause a lot of us really love that song. I would especially hate to lose some Doors songs. I’m sure that advertisers swoon because whenever I hear “Like a Rock,” I think of Chevrolet pickups. But the down side is, I never hear that song. No one plays it. If it came on, I’d change the station.

So, as a fan, I would like to say to Mr. Densmore, “HOLD OUT! Don’t sell your songs, please.” I’ll end with the best quote of the article, “…hey, you have to respect that. How many of your principles would you reconsider when people start talking millions of dollars?” “None,” should be the correct answer.



Tags:
The Doors, Advertising

Migraines and Prescriptions

I've gotten my migraines under control somewhat. I tried Inderal and Topamax as daily prescriptions and neither one worked for me (the Inderal is cheap try it first). They seemed to take down the severity of the pain, but I want something that keeps the migraines from happening at all. The best thing I have discovered is weight lifting. Not pumping iron, just lifting some weights every day to build up the muscles and keep blood flowing through my neck and back. I'm only benching 50 pounds, so it's not a lot. And I only do about 10 or 15 minutes a day. I did too much once and gave myself a week of headaches. It put a strain on my joints and I had to see the chiropractor about every day for that week to get it sorted out. No, just exercise to build strength and stay flexible and I'm doing pretty well. Ask around, I got the weights free from someone that had them in their basement and weren't using them. Garage sales are great places to get exercise equipment cheap, and this is the season for it. Hope this helps someone out there.

Tags:
migraines, prescriptions, Pharmaceuticals, Migraine Prevention

A great post on Photographing cars

A great review of two books on How to Photograph Cars. Pithy and witty. Of course, I wrote it.

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Grand Duke Robert the Dulcet of Lower Bumhampton Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Seems to fit.

Links to Rants about NSA Phone scandal

Two related, but unrelated links today. Both mention the "phone scandal."

“We Have To Do Something” puts the issue into context with the movie United 93.

Last week made it clear yet again that some of us are still gaping mindlessly at what they refuse to believe while others—and thank God our Commander-in-Chief is among them—have found the courage to understand: We have to do something.

The other post, Mark Steyn says To connect the dots, you have to see the dots. The London bombing report (PDF) came out accusessess the British Government of not connecting the dots to see the bombing coming. Same thing as the 9-11 Commission report. Yet, people are throwing a fit about the government trying to connect dots of unimaginable scale on a random messy page. This is not preschool. There is complexity here and that requires access and resources. I'm as agovernmentment, pro-privacy as anyone I know, yet I realize that some things have to be done. I hope you do too.

Tags:
9-11 Commission, Wire Tapping, Mark Steyn, United 93

Two Related Op-Ed Articles on Celebrity and Paparazzi

Leonard Pitts, Jr. and Betsy Hart each have an article over at Jewish World Review today that touch on fame. Leonard Pitts talks about how WE are to blame for celebrity culture. In many ways he is correct (as he usually is). People buy the magazines and watch the shows that use the pictures and stories that the paparazzi sneak and/or bother people to get. The example Mr. Pitts uses is Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have gone to Namibia for the birth of their baby. I didn't even know they were together, much less that they were expecting. I am guessing they have been together at least a year? Anyway, photographers have followed the couple to nowhere Africa and won't give them a moments peace. WHO REALLY CARES? That is my question. Leave the couple alone. They will show pictures when and if they are ready. As a side question, Namibia? How will this affect the kids status as a citizen? Does that matter the parents? Can they bathe the kid in the water?

The other article by Betsy Hart discusses the 1953 movie Roman Holiday. Audrey Hepburn is a princess who escapes from her duties for a day in Rome and meets a reporter (Gregory Peck) and his photographer friend (Eddie Albert). They spend the day being bad (by 1953 royalty standards) doing things like smoking and riding a motorcycle. Eddie Albert gets some great photos that could make him and Peck rich. In the end, they all do their duty, and the movie is really a tragedy of sorts about star-crossed lovers. If only photographers and reporters and us, the buying public, were willing to put duty above prurient leering into people's private lives. As Christians, doesn't this kind of stuff count as gossip? Romans 1:28-30 (New International Version) 28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;... Looks like sin to me.



Tags:
Paparazzi, Celebrity, Audrey Hepburn, Roman Holiday, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie

Password Security

From the Travelin Librarian, here is a link on how fast can your password be cracked? Depends on the computer and most important, the compexity of your password.

Tags:
Passwords,

Hippie Music at Wolfgang's Vault

For those of you who love music from the late 1960s, through the mid 1970s, you have to check out Wolfgang's Vault. Wolfgang was more commonly known as Rock Concert Promoter Bill Graham (NOT Evangelist Billy Graham). At Wolfgang's Vault, if you have a high-speed connection, you can listen to concert music from some of your favorites from the days of the Fillmore West and Fillmore East.

Tags:
Bill Graham, Fillmore East, Fillmore West, Hippies, Concerts

The Best Drug Available

This is the drug we ALL should be taking. Here is Panexa! Be sure to read the fine print.

Hit from Micheal Sauers.

Gone for a Week

I'll be gone for a week building in New Orleans with a team of Southern Baptists.

Track people via the Cell Phone

This is a really evil idea. This story tells how a guy tracked his girlfriend's whereabouts through her cell phone. He even set it up to where he could see where she had been all day, every thirty minutes. See, this is why I don't have a cell phone.

A Sort-of Wal Mart Story

Leonard Pitts, Jr., one of my favorite writers, has written a piece about the leaving of the Mom-and-Pop stores. I really like what he has to say. It's all about "soul." As the big-boxes take over, uniqueness loses out. The temptations are there, but you must resist! Buy small!

Carival of Homeschool #4

The 4th Carnival of homeschooling is up at the Common Room. What amazes me about this one is how many new blogs there are, like there is a whole other wing of publishers that I didn't know about. x-posted at Biblical Parenting

American Library Association Create Ugly Button

The ALA has created a button they sell on their own site that proclaims "Radical Militant Librarian." Sound like a Nazi thing to me. Perhaps it's just Communist, in which case we can all settle down and relax. Not only that, it's ugly. They are trying to claim the Bush administration is Hitler-like, yet here they are the ones making "Militant" noise. Odd. Very odd. I am aware that the phrase came from someone in the FBI who used it in a derogatory way. Still I wouldn't design an ugly button because of that.

Seen at Librarian.net.

Southern Baptists Advertise the Good they Do

It's about time! Dallas Morning News has a story about the SBC being FOR something instead of just AGAINST stuff.

Some critics say, though, that the ad amounts to putting a spotlight on a sideshow – highlighting activities that are genuine but not the denomination's main work.

I totally disagree. For the majority of Southern Baptists, helping people is what we are about. The Culture Wars, however, make more noise than does feeding the hungry. Our church is still sending people to help out with the hurricane messes. And we are a small congregation of less than 300. We have another chainsaw team going to Texas in February. Things must have been bad, this will be the 4th chainsaw team to go.