Y'all fly with us agin soon!

I found this article, "Abandoned change adds up for TSA" in USA Today.* It says the Transportation Security Administration "has collected — and kept — more than $1 million in the past three years from airline passengers who forget coins at checkpoints." The top jackpot location was Los Angeles International Airport "...where passengers left behind $89,375 from Sept. 30, 2004 to Oct. 1, 2007...." And this was especially interesting to me: "The cash laggard: Chattanooga (Tenn.) Metropolitan Airport, whose 300,000 departing passengers in 2007 left just $1.20."

My analytical muscles started twitching, and my delight in seeing Chattanooga in non-crime-related national news and my desperate need to get laughs from theoretical total strangers (my readers) drove me to compose this explanation:

According to the stereotypes and popular misconceptions many people probably have about the city of my birth, there’s no change left at the Chattanooga airport because…
· We give it all to the guy doing shoe shines.
· The airport is practically empty; we all take the Choo Choo.
· After purchasing our tickets, we always have just enough change for the RC Cola and Moon Pie machine.
· Our beggars are very persuasive…bless their hearts.
· We put it all in them little binoc’lars on poles up ‘ar at Rock City. Looky, honey, I kin see the outhouse from hyear!
· If it ain’t Confederate money, what good is it anyway?
· We don’t use money; we prefer to trade via the barter system…’course, a fresh-killed hog don’t go near as far as it used to when a feller finds a gal he wants to git hitched to.
· Airport…whut’s ‘at?

In reality, there’s almost no change left at the Chattanooga airport because we natives throw coins at people who call it “Chatt-nooga” (like saying that one extra syllable would kill a person. Dang Yankees!).


*(via comic Suzy Soro's blog).

Macy the star

This is the little girl that those of us in my church singles group get to hear about from time to time (i.e., pretty much weekly) because her grandparents teach our class on Sunday mornings. Actually they show heroic restraint in the bragging department, and usually manage to work stories about Macy into the lesson of the day. Usually. Regardless, no one minds, because we know David and Beverly love us too. They just don't have room in their wallets to carry all our pictures. And it's not like any of US have budding careers as video actors or actresses. But I'm hoping Macy will put in a good word for me with Carrie Underwood.

The pic is a shot from the music video for "Beautiful Life" by Doc Walker, a Canadian country band clearly hoping to ride Macy's coattails to stardom as well. Get in line, guys.

Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life

I read a great book this weekend: Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life, by Steve Martin. Anyone who was even partially aware of the world in the 70's heard Steve Martin's absurd catch-phrases and one-liners more than once...quoted by friends, or from Martin himself on his live recordings, on TV (especially on SNL) or in person.

I've always been fascinated with the back-story of any cultural icon, and I appreciate unnecessarily-good writing, and Martin's book delivers on both counts. He shares some info about his early life, and focuses on the story of the progression of his entertainment career from selling programs at Disneyland to performing for tens of thousands of people in a night in venues all over the country, and for millions on the hottest shows on TV.

Between his vivid descriptions and deft phrasing and his quotes of his and others' material, I was alternately admiring his skill with words and laughing out loud (hope my apartment walls are as thick as they should be). But he is anything but flippant in sharing the deep emotional issues that accompanied his success, such as his father's mysterious antagonism toward him even in his moments of show business triumph. But this is not the whining of a spoiled rich guy; Martin's skill as a writer and willingness to be vulnerable make for a very redemptive reading experience, especially as he describes his final moments with each of his parents.

One thing about Martin's story was especially interesting to me, because it supports a theory of mine: during his collegiate studies in philosophy in which he and his friends had endless discussions that (according to the very philosophers under discussion) may have been pointless or even theoretically nonexistent or impossible, Martin decided comedy was a real and meaningful alternative and pursued that. There is something inherent in the act of creativity (and its subsequent presentation) that supports the meaning and value of life; it implies something beyond the immediately apparent world--a creator. Even when the content is at its most ungodly and vulgar, art implies a creator, and the artist is imitating the Creator (even if subconsciously), and is always on the verge of worship. (Martin's book is much funnier than this, trust me).

One of my favorite quotes from the book is a line Martin listed among those that eventually went the wayside as he became more popular:

"I've learned in comedy never to alienate the audience. Otherwise, I would be like Dimitri in La Condition Humaine."

Here's a long excerpt (note the page no.'s at the bottom; click these to advance).

Terry and Carmen Thompson benefit

My career as a volunteer publicist continues....

I'm excited to have joined the group of folks putting the Terry and Carmen Thompson Benefit together (I'm doing the easy stuff, really). Should be a great night; good things are already happening. Terry has been a friend for several years, and played the first of the short series of house concerts I hosted awhile back (when I lived in a house). He and his wife Carmen make a great team, and have clearly generated a great amount of goodwill in their lives...and it's coming back to them in a big way. Carmen has been in a wheelchair since being injured last year, and has been honest about the ups and downs of the process of recovery and adjustment. There've been plenty of each.

Some very cool items have been donated for the silent auction, and the talent for the concert will be, typical of Nashville, astounding. Read the full story here (Word doc).


YOU can be a volunteer publicist TOO! To help spread the word:

Here's a link to the flyer. (2.5 MB pdf)

Here's a link to the press release--no media pass required to read and share! (Word doc)

Here's a link to a .txt file you can paste into a myspace comment or bulletin or even your home page or blog.

Save to a location on your computer before opening:
...on a pc: Right-click the link and "Save Target As..."
...on a Mac: Cntrl-click the link and "Download Linked File As..."
OR
Simply click link to open, then save to your computer (if you're asked for a password, click "cancel" and proceed--no tight security here). Not as reliable as the first option above.


* * *
See the followup post on how it went here. --MKH, July 3

Funny Girl (move over, Barbra)

Photo by Brent Humphreys/Redux,
for The New York Times

I just got around to reading this article in the New York Times Magazine, and I'm impressed all over again with comic Anita Renfroe. The reporter did a great job (with one possible exception, noted below) and Anita really shines in the interview. I'm glad to call her a friend (i.e. someone I knew before she was so famous and who still responds to pretty much all of my e-mails), and equally glad to call her my hero (one of 'em, anyway).

You may know her as the woman in the YouTube video doing the song ("Momsense") based on everything your mother told you and set to the tune of "The William Tell Overture." Which landed her a spot on Good Morning America, and maybe a regular network gig or two. I prefer to remember her as the wise and discerning woman who liked my song when I entered a songwriting contest at the Babbie Mason Music Conference about 10 years ago. You tend to stick with folks like that.

That said, I was a little shocked when I read this part of the article:
"She is round and soft, loves butter, carbs and sugar and worries routinely about her weight." Yep, she worries...nearly any woman would, especially when otherwise sharp reporters describe her as "round and soft." I checked--this was not Anita's line (apparently the reporter was caught up in the spirit of Anita's self-deprecating humor; it happens). For the record, Anita is not round--not even in cross-section. Oval or elliptical, maybe. But as you can see, she's a beauty, and no Lulu Roman by a long shot. Anyway, she's married already, so what difference does it make? (Huh? What? Did I say something wrong? Please. I can make jokes too, y'know. Where're you going, ladies?).

Col. Albert G. Kelly, 1892-1944

(Click to see larger pics at your own pace)

My great uncle, Col. Albert G. Kelly ("Al" to friends and family), was Chief of Staff of the 9th Armored Division from its activation in 1942 until his death in 1944. In my ongoing research of my family history (I've got the bug), I was struck by the irony and poignancy of his story, at least what I've gleaned from a few letters, newspaper clippings and pictures left by his little sister, my grandmother Harriet Raulston Kelly Vaught. She had my mother late in life so the generations go back a ways (just clarifying I'm not quite as old as the relation might imply).

After a career in the U.S. Army beginning in WWI, Uncle Albert's life ended--not in battle...not in a P.O.W. camp...but in his bed. According to his general in a letter to his mom (notice you can use the magnifying glass on the upper right of the linked page to zoom in to the graphic), Albert caught a cold during the trip to to England, and it got worse and worse until it brought on a heart attack on Sept. 19. This was just before his men joined the invasion of Europe, distinguishing themselves quite well, and just before he received an apparently-immminent promotion to Brigadier General. Kind of like Moses, in a way; led his people to the threshold, and could not cross over himself. Moses' sin kept him from progressing; can't say the same about my uncle, but he was a smoker, so in Baptist terms, the analogy is a sound one.

I'm sure Uncle Albert would've been disappointed and possibly ticked off had he known his fate beforehand. (Are you humming that Paul McCartney song yet?). But his contribution to the Allied victory was no less significant, in my eyes or (I'm sure) in the judgment of history (the collective body of knowledge of the past, not the TV channel--though they'd probably agree as well). I admit I'm not the most upfront, gung-ho, bumper-sticker-sporting cheerleader for our military, but I very much appreciate those guys and gals and the job they do, and I'm especially happy to share a name with this guy.

Julie Forester at the FQ

I hear Julie has been practicing her "ah-EEE"'s and singing with a Cajun accent for her performance with her band at the French Quarter in Nashville tonight. We'll see if it pays off. Either way, you're sure to have a good time (unless you happen to be a shrimp). And she's definitely easier to look at than Jimmy C. Newman.*

Just click the poster on the left (don't worry, there's more where that link takes you) and listen for yourself.

See you at 6:30.

*(that's an Opry reference, folks; try to keep up).

The dreaded answering machine

This is one of the most painfully hilarious scenes ever put on film. A guy calls a woman he's met earlier that evening (thus breaking the much-discussed standard "two day rule," so he's already living dangerously)...and overthinking sets in.

This clip helps answer a question women so often ask ("why don't men call?") and one that most of my friends and family are too polite (or afraid) to ask me ("why is a great catch like you still single?")*.

*(Except, in my case, for the "six-year relationship" part).

Dottie Rambo: "Sheltered" for eternity

photo courtesy of
Aaron Crisler | The Judy Nelon Group

A very sweet, humorous and godly woman reached her final destination early Sunday morning. Dottie Rambo was an amazingly prolific songwriter whose work was recorded by Elvis...well, you could stop right there, but also Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston, Porter Wagoner and countless others, including her own family gospel group. She was killed in a bus crash during high winds on the way to a gig in Texas, and her fellow passengers were injured.

I cannot claim to be as aware of her as some can, but in the last few years I did grow to have great respect and affection for her. Some of her songs, such as "We Shall Behold Him" and "Behold the Lamb," were favorites of the church choir I sang with in college.

I saw her in person a couple of times here in Nashville. One was at an NSAI Christian writers' retreat, where she cracked everyone up with her commentary between songs as she performed in the round for the attendees. The other was when she was the featured speaker at a very recent NSAI Christian workshop (a monthly meeting). A relative handful of us listened in rapt attention as she shared about her life, sang her songs (inviting us to join her, which we did) and, after the "official" webcast interview was done, took questions. I asked her to share a story from her years of traveling with her group (one that wouldn't damage any reputations or endanger any careers!). Life on the bus is a staple of Southern Gospel life (as are the resulting stories), so it's only fitting, in a way, that she would go out the way she did.

She told how she was the first one awake one morning and got the bus driver to bring her a large dead rattlesnake they saw in the road. She hid it under her armrest and after her groggy traveling companions were up and milling around, she screamed and tossed the snake at them. She said they spoke in many tongues, but not the kind you'd hear at church! (Actually I can't remember her exact final line, but that was the gist of it--call it the "writer's embellished version"). She was, in a word, a hoot.

She had said she was working on a book about her life; I hope she had enough done for her people to release it. She had achieved much, and suffered much; she had quite a story to tell, and was old enough not to have to be so careful how she told it. I look forward to hearing more from her one of these days, one way or another. I expect to laugh. Loudly. And often.

Power brokers pow-wow on power usage

The vacuum in my schedule continues to suck in all sorts of ways to waste time. So what's one more?

From the Tennessean:

"Prominent activist Robert Kennedy Jr. spoke to music industry leaders at the home of Emmylou Harris on Tuesday night about the growing environmental crises....

He was part of the Natural Resources Defense Council's gathering that attracted Sheryl Crow, Kathy Mattea, Big Kenny and Christiev Alphin, Matraca Berg and Jeff Hanna, J.D. Souther and Mayor Karl Dean and Anne Davis. Warner Bros.' John Esposito and Bill Bennett attended, as well as power managers Gary Borman and Ken Levitan.

NRDC's Allen Hershkowitz, who also spoke, said the music industry is progressive and has historically aligned itself with meaningful causes such as civil rights, peace and gender equality. So we wanted to identify and inform these leaders in the music industry about the liability that they unknowingly may be imposing on future generations by buying power to record and market their records from utilities using mountaintop-mined coal."

On the positive side, it's nice to see the political power of music recognized, and harnessed for an apparently good cause. If you think about it, the top is the best part of the mountain! But obviously the real agenda of the meeting was to get the music industry to help spread the message, maybe by putting out songs to move providers to stop destroying mountains to get coal. Fair enough, although it would've been nice if they'd been a little more up front with their aims. Surely they don't expect the music industry to use less power...I can see the results now:

Comments heard in the studio:

• "OK, we've used up all our non-mountaintop coal power allotment. Everybody take five while we plug the equipment into the alternate source for this last song. Cooter, put down that fiddle and jump on the bike; at least we know you can PEDAL on key!"

• "Billy Bob, they I see that methane is one of the approved low-impact energy sources. I told you that third helping of beans at lunch was a good idear!"

• "I heard Big Kenny's next single is gonna be called "Save A Mountaintop, Record An EP."

• "And Natalie Maines is doing a new version of the classic 'I'm Just An Old Chunk of Coal.' It's called 'I'm Just A Big Bag Of Wind.'"

And from Music Row magazine: "Industry sources are flocking to release new product on a new, mountaintop-friendly media: mp3's are quickly being replaced by wax cylinders, recorded on a hand-cranked machine. They're a little bulky, but they're nearly impossible to download illegally. Many listeners prefer the new media over the polished digital sound, especially for the 'pitchy' effect on vocals. 'It's just like hearing them sing live!' said one fan."


I know I'm missing an obvious "Coal Miner's Daughter" joke. Anyone? Feel free to pile on the silly sarcasm train.

Why I'm a dog person

In case you needed a pep talk today

Coach McGuirk is my favorite character on what is possibly my favorite show on TV, "Home Movies" (4-6 times a week--this is cable, folks). Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network at night, has some really good stuff, some really strange stuff, some really offensive stuff, and some stuff that is a combination of all the above. "Home Movies" is one of the more normal shows, about an 8-yr-old aspiring filmmaker...sort of the Woody Allen of the sandbox set (yes, they're too old for sandboxes, but they're cool with it).

Here's the followup "twist" to the story (SPOILER ALERT...like it makes a difference).

And in case the pep talk hasn't worked and things don't go so well, you may need to apply the "Slaughter Rule" (something of which I'm sure all coaches are aware).

Idiomatic Responses

The story that accompanied this list of “creative” approaches to time-worn phrases says that a first-grade schoolteacher presented each of her twenty-six students the first half of a well-known proverb, and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb. Whether you choose to believe that actually happened or not depends on how much faith you place in e-mail forwards. But it’s funny stuff, regardless.


1. Don't change horses...
until they stop running.
2. Strike while the...
bug is close.
3. It's always darkest before...
Daylight Saving Time.
4. Never underestimate the power of...
termites.
5. You can lead a horse to water but...
how?
6. Don't bite the hand that...
looks dirty.
7. No news is...
impossible.
8. A miss is as good as a...
Mr.
9. You can't teach an old dog new...
math.
10. If you lie down with dogs, you'll...
stink in the morning.
11. Love all, trust...
me.
12. The pen is mightier than the...
pigs.
13. An idle mind is...
the best way to relax.
14. Where there's smoke there's...
pollution.
15. Happy the bride who...
gets all the presents.
16. A penny saved is...
not much.
17. Two's company, three's...
the Musketeers.
18. Don't put off till tomorrow what...
you put on to go to bed.
19. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and...
you have to blow your nose.
20. There are none so blind as...
Stevie Wonder.
21. Children should be seen and not...
spanked or grounded.
22. If at first you don't succeed...
get new batteries.
23. You get out of something only what you...
see in the picture on the box
24. When the blind lead the blind...
get out of the way.
25. A bird in the hand...
is going to poop on you.
26. Better late than...
pregnant.

Mike Roe & co. rock the house

...And by "house" I mean an actual house, where people live, eat, sleep, watch TV, etc.

This past Sunday saw a gathering of phenomenal talents and those of us who've enjoyed them for--in some cases--decades. This was a house concert featuring Mike Roe of the 77's, a band that has been around, in one configuration of the other, since the late 70's. Possibly since 1977? Just a guess. Their first album was one my earliest purchases of what was termed "Christian rock" and later "Christian alternative" and now, well, whatever you call it, they're not likely to have it at the Wal-Mart. The album was called Ping Pong Over the Abyss (an inside recording engineer's joke with apocalyptic connotations--again, a guess, but this time a better-educated one). It showed a number of influences including Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, and the punk bands of the time that I mostly ignored except when they were on Saturday Night Live. The 77's incorporated all those styles and more into their own and only improved from there.

The concert was a preview of the forthcoming 77's album, featuring some very old songs in the gospel blues vein, given a respectful rock 'n' roll treatment without losing the dignity or power of the original message. It also featured our hosts, still in cultural transition from their former home of Chicago, performing as The Wayside as opening act.

As a bonus, some of the key figures from other bands that shared the small but intense spotlight with the 77's during the 80's shared the--uh, dining room with Mike: Jimmy A of Vector, Steve Hindalong of the Choir, Phil Madeira of--well, lots of things--and Matt Slocum of Sixpence None the Richer (Matt actually bowed his cello in the kitchen due to space restrictions). Really a cool day.

Mike joked that whenever he finds himself in the "throes of despair" on any given Sunday afternoon at home in Southern California, he cheers himself up by imagining that folks in Nashville are getting together to play the old songs, just like he was doing that day. It doesn't happen as often as I'd like (as far as I know). But at least this day the fantasy was a reality.

Go to the 77's myspace for some samples of past glory, and the official 77's site for everything else. And don't forget to wipe your feet; you weren't raised in a barn.

What is reality, after all?

In today's Tennessean celebrity column, Beverly Keel posed a question:

This is interesting: I was forwarded an e-mail from a casting agency that's holding an urgent casting call for an unsigned male country singer between 16 and 23 with teen heartthrob good looks. 'Think a country music Zac Ephron or young Brad Pitt.'

The e-mail says it's for immediate inclusion in the cast of NBC's Nashville Star. Didn't they find enough talent in their national search that attracted more than 25,000? Is it fair to bring in a "ringer"?

I thought it worth a response, reprinted here for your reading pleasure (or whatever):

In the contestant's application, it says:
"Contestants will be selected by Producer from the events, videotape submissions and other ways as Producer may determine in its sole discretion."

That means "Nashville Star" producers can pick contestants any way they want to, and can ignore any or all of the people discovered in the audition process. Not saying they will, just that they could.

But for what it's worth, at least one reality show does not draw its talent from the undiscovered masses as one would assume. Those who audition for "Last Comic Standing" watch comics being ushered past the line into the clubs, while they compete for attention with overworked production assistants. Most or all the contestants who make the show are professionals and many or all have pre-existing management deals with the producers. The other comics in the audition clips--all those wannabes who are not funny or downright delusional (my favorite part of any of these shows)--never have a chance. This is all within the rules of the show. Some may remember when Drew Carey stalked out after the guest judges' decision was overruled by the producers' because he had thought his vote mattered.

"American Idol" has been accused of doing the same thing, based on the previous industry experience (incl. record deals, common songwriters for past material, etc.) of many of the recent contestants, but I've never seen proof that they didn't have to pass the open-call auditions. As far as I know, the only advantage they have is the talent and knowledge an inexperienced amateur wouldn't have. As far as I know.

"Gone Country" would be an example of even the final results being at the total discretion of the producers. John Rich ticked off a lot of viewers by choosing Julio Iglesias, Jr. over Diana DeGarmo, because the assumption was that he was looking for someone who would be likely to be successful in the current U.S. country music market. Our mistake. Oh well.

Bottom line: The "reality" in reality TV contest shows is that they're entertainment, not the electoral process. The resemblance to real life is coincidental. Whether it's fair...like many things, I guess it depends on which side of the velvet rope you find yourself.

Have mercy

(BEFORE YOU CLICK: Be aware that the website takes time to load, then music comes on automatically)

I'm looking forward to taking part in some of the 25th anniversary celebration of Mercy Ministries next weekend. I've been moderately aware of this organization for a while, but was touched when I heard its founder and president, Nancy Alcorn, on the radio the other day. I was already considering attending the men's breakfast, and now it's a plan.

One of the points Nancy made was that without any spiritual element, rehab is useless and temporary, as she learned in her years of working in government programs, and seeing girls return to their old ways not long after finishing their time with her. Sometimes you just gotta preach if you want the message to stick. I can think of a few people in Hollywood that could stand to hear it.

Here's a link to a pdf flyer so you can download, print & share:
http://mercy25th.com/shared/docs/flyer.pdf

THE SCHEDULE:

Thursday, April 17th:
Gala reception and dinner at Titans Stadium
Masters of Ceremonies include Kevin Mawae of the Tennessee Titans and Shelly Breen of Point of Grace. Special guest appearance by Niki Taylor, international supermodel. Special music by CeCe Winans. Special message from Nancy Alcorn, Founder and President of Mercy Ministries.

Friday, April 18th:
Concert at Belmont University
Featuring Mandisa, CeCe Winans, BarlowGirl, Israel Houghton and New Breed, Natalie Grant, and Point of Grace.

Saturday, April 19th:
Men's Breakfast
9 a.m., Loews Vanderbilt, West End Ave.
Featuring author and speaker Ken Mansfield, former manager of the Beatles' Apple Records and best-selling author of The White Book: The Beatles, the Bands, the Biz: An Insider's Look at an Era. Ken will be showing an exclusive behind-the-scene film of himself and the Beatles. For more on Ken, check out www.fabwhitebook.com. Special Music: Performances by CCM "pioneer" Randy Stonehill and virtuoso guitarist, Phil Keaggy.

Also Saturday, April 19:
"Celebrate Mercy" Women's Conference
9:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m., Belmont University
Featured speakers include Mercy Ministries international founder, Nancy Alcorn, speaker and author Charlotte Scanlon-Gambill, former actress and best-selling author, Holly Wagner, internationally known speaker and author, Christine Caine, and motivational speaker, Priscilla Shirer. Worship will be led by Israel Houghton and New Breed and special music provided by Natalie Grant.

Ben Stein goes back to class

I'm looking forward to seeing this film. Not because I'm a fire-breathing proponent of any scientific theory, able to quote examples in detail and argue in-depth on the subject of the origins of humankind. Science is not my first subject, and I haven't formally studied anything evolution-related since junior high school. But I did study, and did OK. And I've watched a lot of PBS since then, and listened to discussions here and there on Christian radio. Most importantly, I learned how to think, and I'm aware of the importance of integrating my faith into my "real life"--and ongoing process.

In addition to a passing interest in science, I have a fascination with human nature, and how truth is communicated and propagated in a fallen world, or in some cases denied and squelched. Every believer has a responsibility to "be prepared to give an answer" when possible, and science is some people's way of pursuing God, though they may not be aware of it at the time. So it's important to keep the way as clear of obstructions as possible, for my own sake as much as anyone's.

What I'm interested in seeing in this film is its intended portrayal of how the human nature of scientists and educators has led them to resist opposition to alternate lines of scientific inquiry, thereby contradicting the principles of freedom of thought they would verbally support and inflicting the same persecution they've taken centuries to overcome. This contradiction is not unrelated to the trend of lawsuits against religious expression in the public square (such as on school grounds) in the name of civil liberty and "tolerance" (as opposed to, gee, I don't know, letting everyone say what they think and dealing with it).

I've thought for some time that evolution as an explanation for our origins has taken on mythical properties, where new evidence is interpreted to fit the theory rather than the theory adapted to fit the evidence. Which would make scientific community the priesthood of the religion of rationalism in which we ostensibly put our trust. But really, among the masses even that religion is merging with the mysticism of New Age thought and superstition, to form a pseudo-scientific viewpoint evidenced, in my mind, by sales of "The Secret" as well as the popularity of "The DaVinci Code" and that ghost-hunting show on TV.

Warning: Fairly obvious "Ferris Buehler" reference ahead

I gather the film takes a sort of Michael Moore approach, using satire and humor but with more class and less deception. I'm sure Ben Stein would not tolerate (oops, that word again) anything less than an aboveboard treatment of its subject. Though apparently he was game for anything on the advertising, given the short pants. Maybe someone could offer some fashion advice for the premiere...? Anyone? Anyone?

Tour guide to the tour guides

Click this pic to see more

This weekend I had the pleasure of playing tour guide at the Opry for some friends from South Africa. Mike M. & Mike J. of African Encounter put together visits for individuals and mission groups, including drives through the game parks. They, along with Mike M.'s wife Meg, are in the U.S. visiting with various groups that have used or plan to use their services, and were part of the Living Hope Partners Conference hosted by my church last week.

Several of us American ministry partners who had been to Africa were eager to get our friends to the Opry, especially since a couple of them were on their first visit to the U.S. Fortunately one of the Living Hope partners was already on it; she's a former Opry staff member who attended the conference and plans to go back to Africa. I was the only one available to go to the show, and was thrilled at the chance to show our guests around. Almost redeemed all those times I had to clean up after audiences between shows (wearing a vest and tie) during my few years as an Opry usher. Almost.

Our "tourist" friends enjoyed the visit, even though they'd never heard of the stars they were meeting, including Jimmy C. Newman and Mel Tillis. (In all fairness, the same would be true for most people, regardless of national origin). The only song we heard that was familiar to them (other than snippets of hymns in a Bill Anderson song) was "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" by the Charlie Daniels Band. Simply put, the CDB tore the place apart. Definitely the highlight of the evening for all of us.

I especially enjoyed the "turnabout" aspect of the evening. In Africa, these guys take people to gawk at wild animals in their natural habitat, and I showed them country musicians backstage. The similarities are almost too obvious to mention.

I wasn't in full photog mode, but took a few shots. See the pics and read the captions for the rest of the story here.

Like Waffles and Spaghetti

This is a pretty good article from a book on the differences between men and women. No, not THOSE differences...it touches on personality, communication style, perception and even brain functions. Probably not news to some, but worth a review anyway, especially to anyone in a relationship or hoping to eventually be in a relationship or trying to figure out what happened to the relationship they used to be in. And it's entertaining.


Caution: once you've read this, don't get the idea you actually understand the opposite sex. I take it as more of a reminder to be patient with each other when things other people do don't make sense. It's easier than going through life thinking half the population is nuts (as tempting as it may be to draw that conclusion).

Benefit for tornado victims March 9

Here's another event for a worthy cause. Fellowship Bible Church is just around the corner from the "campus" of my own church.


You'll be glad you said "si" to this invitation.