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Eric's Top 25 iPod Songs for 2007
Dec/28/2007 01:52 PM | Permalink
It's the last week of the year, that means that it's
"End of the Year List" time.
As per with last year, there's just one I'll offer you. It's the list of songs below which --for whatever it's worth-- ended up as the most played songs on my iPod this year. I know this, because I intentionally reset the song count on my iTunes somewhere during the first week of last January.
It's a fun exercise, actually. I highly recommend giving it a shot. Because it gives you a little musical snapshot of your year...the things that were happening...what you were going through.
In the case of these songs, there are only two or three that ever got any airplay as "hits." (What does that say about me?!) You will also note that although this is advertised as a "Top 25," there are not twenty-five entries. Apparently, this is because iTunes will not include songs that are not also for sale at their store. Which is really just as well...since the most of the excluded ones are demos of my own songs and only got lots of plays just because I was listening for ways to improve them.
So, without further delay:
Eric's Most Played iPod Songs for 2007
Song Artist Album
1. Lullaby Dixie Chicks Taking the Long Way
Here's a general rule of thumb for songs on my iPod: If it's a song that I like, Dennise likes, and Maria likes, it's no brainer that it's gonna get a lot of plays. Even though we all three have iPods, mine's the one we listen to most on long trips. Point of this being, that this where all the Dixie Chick songs on this list came from.
The album is actually well over a year old. But we ran it into the ground listening to it this year. And this sweet song is everybody in the family's favorite among all of them. Of course, Dennise and I like it for the obvious reasons of how it makes us think of Maria.
2. Breathe Me Sia Colour the Small One
Right before Christmas last year, Dennise and I got on a kick of watching episodes of "Six Feet Under." We got so obsessed with the show that we went out and bought all the box sets. And around the holidays last year, we were on a serious "Six Feet Under" binge on our DVD player...sometimes staying up far too late watching "just one more" episode. In retrospect, it's an odd way to spend your holidays, watching a show about morticians and death. But we found ourselves obsessed.
Fans of show argue that the final episode is perhaps the greatest last episode of any show in television history. That's saying a lot. But I have to agree. It wraps things up better than perhaps any other show I've ever seen, pushing out the plotlines long enough so that you get to see just what happens to each character at their end. It was as fitting an end to any show --and especially that one-- as I've ever seen. Having been total steeped in the show for several weeks, when we finally watched that last show, I found myself bawling at the lyricism of it.
This song from Sia is the wordless soundtrack to the final minutes of the show...the final minutes that fans of the show rave so much about.
"Six Feet Under" probably used music better than almost any other show I know of. This hauntingly beautiful song was a marvelous "Coda." So, long after we stopped watching the episodes, I kept listening to this song.
3. The Long Way Around Dixie Chicks Taking the Long Way
Another from the Chicks. The opening CD track, so it also got a lot of play in the car this year. Many times, we all found ourselves singing along at the tops of our lungs while this one played.
4. Not Ready to Make Nice Dixie Chicks Taking the Long Way
Ditto for this song. It's such an angry song, but such an honest one. I really did like the "Taking the Long Way" CD, and I hope the new fans that found the Chicks find stay with them. As you may remember, I blogged about them in my "Things to Like About Texas" section. The things they went through seem more surreal all the time as the time passes. But it was all real, and all quite disturbing that it happened in modern day America.
5. A Remark You Made Jerry Douglas The Best Kept Secret
Charles and Mary invited us to go see Paul Simon at the Nokia sometime back. That would have been cool enough by itself...and it was a great show. But Jerry Douglas was the opener. It was actually an odd pairing...but I'm glad whoever thought of it did...because he and his band were fantastic.
I bought this CD during the intermission. Apparently, folks in know know that Douglas is one of the best slide players in the world, and he's done session work on an array of other star's CD. (Including Fogelberg's "High Country Snows," as I noticed earlier this week...) This song, as you may know, is actually a Spirogyra song, and I have that original CD and loved it for years. It's a really cool and creative cover on the slide guitar.
6. Souvenirs Gretchen Peters Gretchen Peters
Gretchen Peters is my biggest Columbus discovery for this past year. I bumped into her via MySpace, and then went out and bought several of her CDs. Her writing is smart and her voice is golden. I am always attracted to smart, nice lyrics that make you think...or at least give you permission to. Gretchen Peter's songs do just that.
Since my Columbus discovery of her, I now seem to see her name everywhere. I believe she even played Uncle Calvin's back a couple of months ago.
This song is a really fine tune about collecting both metaphorical and real "Stuckey's" souvenirs. My favorite line is:
"They got Mount Rushmore on a cup,
Everybody needs one of those.
For a dollar more, they'll fill it up,
And you can drink out of Lincoln's nose."
Brilliant.
If you haven't discovered her, consider this my high recommendation that you do.
7. Picasso And Me Gretchen Peters Gretchen Peters
A second song from Gretchen Peters. This one written, I assume, from the perspective of Picasso's longtime lover. Very nice.
8. The Aviator's Song Gretchen Peters Halcyon
This one made me cry. I think it was the first song I heard from her on her Myspace page.
Don't know how autobiographical it is, but it's about a pilot is his relationship to the writer. He's always off flying, and his family/loved ones are left on the ground and left behind. Very, very poignant bridge...and, again, very smart, nice lyrics.
9. Lightly Tread Billy Jonas Get Real
This one is the first cut from my good friend Billy Jonas' newest CD. Billy's another one who always offers up some tasty, thoughtful lyrics, and tackles issue of spirituality and life without become dogmatic. If you liked "Life So Far," you will love "Get Real." (And if you don't have "Life So Far," you should run out and get it.)
10. Hanalei David LaMotte Spin
Another one from a friend of mine. Like Billy, David is one of the great songwriters from Asheville, NC. This is not a deep song, but I love the feel, the music, and especially the way it builds to the closing chorus. David: if you ever sing this live and I'm around, I want to sing background with you.
11. Imogene Gretchen Peters Halcyon
Yet another from Gretchen Peters. This song ties her as the artist who appears most often in this year's top twenty-five list. A tasty song about a no-nonsense woman who wins the jackpot at the slot machines, but still keeps her life-bearings. Very, very catchy song, without being too "hook-y."
12. Sir Aly B Jerry Douglas The Best Kept Secret
Another one from Jerry Douglas, from that same CD. Beautiful production and playing.
13. The Calling Mary Chapin Carpenter The Calling
The title track from Mary Chapin-C's new CD. This is great CD. And this song is classic Mary Chapin-Carpenter. If you've ever been a fan of hers, this CD will not disappoint. I like the way this song tackles the whole issue of people being "called," but broadens it out to be very inclusive.
14. To the Morning Dan Fogelberg Home Free
Before December 16th, there were no Dan Fogelberg songs in my Top 25. This one was must have been lurking just below the cut off. (Maybe in the 30s or 40?) Anyway, a few plays, and suddenly it appears at number 14. I'm so pleased about this. It's terribly fitting that Dan song or two make this list, and this is one of my all-time favorites...from him or anyone else.
This is the very first song on his very first CD. It's a song that I blogged about before, so I won't rehash all that here. But sufficed to say it's been a "desert island" song of mine for 25 years....and I was honored to be able to sing it at the Tribute show. (Seen here.)
"And maybe there are seasons,
And maybe they change,
And maybe
True love is not so strange."
15. Babylon David Gray White Ladder (Extra Tracks)
LIke the last entry, this is also not a new song. I first had my Columbus moment --with the song, and David Gray-- way back on the old "Mp3.com." And I loved the song ever since. Can't really tell you while. Just like it.
16. Paris in a Day Ellis Paul A Carnival of Voices
Once again, as with the last two, not a new Ellis Paul song. But it's my personal favorite. The joy of the music and the joy and spontaneity of the lyrics are infectious. The song is about two lovers --"foolish Americans" -- who try and see all of Paris in one day. Something about that just sounds like such a fun idea. And, actually, my one and only visit to Paris was very close. It was an about eight-hour layover where we did much the same thing....we checked out bags, took the train in from the airport, and rushed about from the Eiffel Tower, to Notre Dame, trying to cram as much into those hours as we could.
So, I've always really identified with the song and how fun it was to be in Paris, trying to cram as much in as we could. As with everything from Ellis Paul, the man really knows how to weave out a story in three to four minutes.
17. Marigolds Beth Wood Marigolds
This one's from my friend, Beth Woods, who lives just across town in Arlington, but whom I never see. It's title track of her great CD that came out around the time she won Kerrville New Folk.
18. Easy Silence Dixie Chicks Taking the Long Way
This is my personal favorite on the Chick's CD. I love it because it describes how I feel about Dennise. Both of us have such public lives, and the truth is that we're both incredible introverts that can often be misunderstood by those on the outside. But we're able to give each other a private space, and an "easy silence," that "keeps the world at bay."
This song ties the Chicks with Gretchen Peters for most-played-artist of 2007.
19. On With the Song Mary Chapin Carpenter The Calling
This song is a dedication to the Dixie Chicks from Mary Chapin-C's new CD. It takes on the reflexive "patriotism" of the early war period...when the Chicks were in the midst of such controversy. Interesting to note that things have changed enough that such a song by a country artist barely causes a "ripple" in the public's imagination now. But if you've been worried about the direction of this country, and concerned about free speech and free expression, you'll like this one.
20. Stars Dan Fogelberg Home Free
The second track from Dan's first CD. In the tribute show, Rusty and I sang this one back to back (as seen here). So, to me it's fitting that it also makes the list. Not my favorite Fogelberg song. But what it probably means was that I listened to "Home Free" more than I realized this year.
21. Free In You Indigo Girls All That We Let In
An old one from the Indigo Girls from my favorite CD of theirs in the past few years. Really fine CD, and a really fine song. It's a love song, talking about how love makes one free. But it also make a nice metaphor for the God/human connection too. This is one I play a lot because it's become a favorite of me and Dennise to describe our relationship.
Hope you enjoyed this list. If any of you post your own Top 25, let me know. I'd love to learn something new, and have some more Columbus discoveries.
As per with last year, there's just one I'll offer you. It's the list of songs below which --for whatever it's worth-- ended up as the most played songs on my iPod this year. I know this, because I intentionally reset the song count on my iTunes somewhere during the first week of last January.
It's a fun exercise, actually. I highly recommend giving it a shot. Because it gives you a little musical snapshot of your year...the things that were happening...what you were going through.
In the case of these songs, there are only two or three that ever got any airplay as "hits." (What does that say about me?!) You will also note that although this is advertised as a "Top 25," there are not twenty-five entries. Apparently, this is because iTunes will not include songs that are not also for sale at their store. Which is really just as well...since the most of the excluded ones are demos of my own songs and only got lots of plays just because I was listening for ways to improve them.
So, without further delay:
Eric's Most Played iPod Songs for 2007
Song Artist Album
1. Lullaby Dixie Chicks Taking the Long Way
Here's a general rule of thumb for songs on my iPod: If it's a song that I like, Dennise likes, and Maria likes, it's no brainer that it's gonna get a lot of plays. Even though we all three have iPods, mine's the one we listen to most on long trips. Point of this being, that this where all the Dixie Chick songs on this list came from.
The album is actually well over a year old. But we ran it into the ground listening to it this year. And this sweet song is everybody in the family's favorite among all of them. Of course, Dennise and I like it for the obvious reasons of how it makes us think of Maria.
2. Breathe Me Sia Colour the Small One
Right before Christmas last year, Dennise and I got on a kick of watching episodes of "Six Feet Under." We got so obsessed with the show that we went out and bought all the box sets. And around the holidays last year, we were on a serious "Six Feet Under" binge on our DVD player...sometimes staying up far too late watching "just one more" episode. In retrospect, it's an odd way to spend your holidays, watching a show about morticians and death. But we found ourselves obsessed.
Fans of show argue that the final episode is perhaps the greatest last episode of any show in television history. That's saying a lot. But I have to agree. It wraps things up better than perhaps any other show I've ever seen, pushing out the plotlines long enough so that you get to see just what happens to each character at their end. It was as fitting an end to any show --and especially that one-- as I've ever seen. Having been total steeped in the show for several weeks, when we finally watched that last show, I found myself bawling at the lyricism of it.
This song from Sia is the wordless soundtrack to the final minutes of the show...the final minutes that fans of the show rave so much about.
"Six Feet Under" probably used music better than almost any other show I know of. This hauntingly beautiful song was a marvelous "Coda." So, long after we stopped watching the episodes, I kept listening to this song.
3. The Long Way Around Dixie Chicks Taking the Long Way
Another from the Chicks. The opening CD track, so it also got a lot of play in the car this year. Many times, we all found ourselves singing along at the tops of our lungs while this one played.
4. Not Ready to Make Nice Dixie Chicks Taking the Long Way
Ditto for this song. It's such an angry song, but such an honest one. I really did like the "Taking the Long Way" CD, and I hope the new fans that found the Chicks find stay with them. As you may remember, I blogged about them in my "Things to Like About Texas" section. The things they went through seem more surreal all the time as the time passes. But it was all real, and all quite disturbing that it happened in modern day America.
5. A Remark You Made Jerry Douglas The Best Kept Secret
Charles and Mary invited us to go see Paul Simon at the Nokia sometime back. That would have been cool enough by itself...and it was a great show. But Jerry Douglas was the opener. It was actually an odd pairing...but I'm glad whoever thought of it did...because he and his band were fantastic.
I bought this CD during the intermission. Apparently, folks in know know that Douglas is one of the best slide players in the world, and he's done session work on an array of other star's CD. (Including Fogelberg's "High Country Snows," as I noticed earlier this week...) This song, as you may know, is actually a Spirogyra song, and I have that original CD and loved it for years. It's a really cool and creative cover on the slide guitar.
6. Souvenirs Gretchen Peters Gretchen Peters
Gretchen Peters is my biggest Columbus discovery for this past year. I bumped into her via MySpace, and then went out and bought several of her CDs. Her writing is smart and her voice is golden. I am always attracted to smart, nice lyrics that make you think...or at least give you permission to. Gretchen Peter's songs do just that.
Since my Columbus discovery of her, I now seem to see her name everywhere. I believe she even played Uncle Calvin's back a couple of months ago.
This song is a really fine tune about collecting both metaphorical and real "Stuckey's" souvenirs. My favorite line is:
"They got Mount Rushmore on a cup,
Everybody needs one of those.
For a dollar more, they'll fill it up,
And you can drink out of Lincoln's nose."
Brilliant.
If you haven't discovered her, consider this my high recommendation that you do.
7. Picasso And Me Gretchen Peters Gretchen Peters
A second song from Gretchen Peters. This one written, I assume, from the perspective of Picasso's longtime lover. Very nice.
8. The Aviator's Song Gretchen Peters Halcyon
This one made me cry. I think it was the first song I heard from her on her Myspace page.
Don't know how autobiographical it is, but it's about a pilot is his relationship to the writer. He's always off flying, and his family/loved ones are left on the ground and left behind. Very, very poignant bridge...and, again, very smart, nice lyrics.
9. Lightly Tread Billy Jonas Get Real
This one is the first cut from my good friend Billy Jonas' newest CD. Billy's another one who always offers up some tasty, thoughtful lyrics, and tackles issue of spirituality and life without become dogmatic. If you liked "Life So Far," you will love "Get Real." (And if you don't have "Life So Far," you should run out and get it.)
10. Hanalei David LaMotte Spin
Another one from a friend of mine. Like Billy, David is one of the great songwriters from Asheville, NC. This is not a deep song, but I love the feel, the music, and especially the way it builds to the closing chorus. David: if you ever sing this live and I'm around, I want to sing background with you.
11. Imogene Gretchen Peters Halcyon
Yet another from Gretchen Peters. This song ties her as the artist who appears most often in this year's top twenty-five list. A tasty song about a no-nonsense woman who wins the jackpot at the slot machines, but still keeps her life-bearings. Very, very catchy song, without being too "hook-y."
12. Sir Aly B Jerry Douglas The Best Kept Secret
Another one from Jerry Douglas, from that same CD. Beautiful production and playing.
13. The Calling Mary Chapin Carpenter The Calling
The title track from Mary Chapin-C's new CD. This is great CD. And this song is classic Mary Chapin-Carpenter. If you've ever been a fan of hers, this CD will not disappoint. I like the way this song tackles the whole issue of people being "called," but broadens it out to be very inclusive.
14. To the Morning Dan Fogelberg Home Free
Before December 16th, there were no Dan Fogelberg songs in my Top 25. This one was must have been lurking just below the cut off. (Maybe in the 30s or 40?) Anyway, a few plays, and suddenly it appears at number 14. I'm so pleased about this. It's terribly fitting that Dan song or two make this list, and this is one of my all-time favorites...from him or anyone else.
This is the very first song on his very first CD. It's a song that I blogged about before, so I won't rehash all that here. But sufficed to say it's been a "desert island" song of mine for 25 years....and I was honored to be able to sing it at the Tribute show. (Seen here.)
"And maybe there are seasons,
And maybe they change,
And maybe
True love is not so strange."
15. Babylon David Gray White Ladder (Extra Tracks)
LIke the last entry, this is also not a new song. I first had my Columbus moment --with the song, and David Gray-- way back on the old "Mp3.com." And I loved the song ever since. Can't really tell you while. Just like it.
16. Paris in a Day Ellis Paul A Carnival of Voices
Once again, as with the last two, not a new Ellis Paul song. But it's my personal favorite. The joy of the music and the joy and spontaneity of the lyrics are infectious. The song is about two lovers --"foolish Americans" -- who try and see all of Paris in one day. Something about that just sounds like such a fun idea. And, actually, my one and only visit to Paris was very close. It was an about eight-hour layover where we did much the same thing....we checked out bags, took the train in from the airport, and rushed about from the Eiffel Tower, to Notre Dame, trying to cram as much into those hours as we could.
So, I've always really identified with the song and how fun it was to be in Paris, trying to cram as much in as we could. As with everything from Ellis Paul, the man really knows how to weave out a story in three to four minutes.
17. Marigolds Beth Wood Marigolds
This one's from my friend, Beth Woods, who lives just across town in Arlington, but whom I never see. It's title track of her great CD that came out around the time she won Kerrville New Folk.
18. Easy Silence Dixie Chicks Taking the Long Way
This is my personal favorite on the Chick's CD. I love it because it describes how I feel about Dennise. Both of us have such public lives, and the truth is that we're both incredible introverts that can often be misunderstood by those on the outside. But we're able to give each other a private space, and an "easy silence," that "keeps the world at bay."
This song ties the Chicks with Gretchen Peters for most-played-artist of 2007.
19. On With the Song Mary Chapin Carpenter The Calling
This song is a dedication to the Dixie Chicks from Mary Chapin-C's new CD. It takes on the reflexive "patriotism" of the early war period...when the Chicks were in the midst of such controversy. Interesting to note that things have changed enough that such a song by a country artist barely causes a "ripple" in the public's imagination now. But if you've been worried about the direction of this country, and concerned about free speech and free expression, you'll like this one.
20. Stars Dan Fogelberg Home Free
The second track from Dan's first CD. In the tribute show, Rusty and I sang this one back to back (as seen here). So, to me it's fitting that it also makes the list. Not my favorite Fogelberg song. But what it probably means was that I listened to "Home Free" more than I realized this year.
21. Free In You Indigo Girls All That We Let In
An old one from the Indigo Girls from my favorite CD of theirs in the past few years. Really fine CD, and a really fine song. It's a love song, talking about how love makes one free. But it also make a nice metaphor for the God/human connection too. This is one I play a lot because it's become a favorite of me and Dennise to describe our relationship.
Hope you enjoyed this list. If any of you post your own Top 25, let me know. I'd love to learn something new, and have some more Columbus discoveries.
|
Columbus Discovery
Dec/18/2007 08:15 AM | Permalink
Columbus Discovery:
"An artist, musician, writer, cultural figure who Eric stumbles on as if he's the first person to ever know about them.
Like Columbus, he's usually thrilled to have "discovered" this new and creative talent. Like Columbus, he usually later realizes that many of these people have been known for years --thank you very much-- and are only "new" to him.
Given how many times this has happened, Eric no longer assumes anything, and simply generically calls these moments "Columbus Discoveries," confessing ahead of time that, while they are new to him, he might just be the last clueless person to learn about them."
"An artist, musician, writer, cultural figure who Eric stumbles on as if he's the first person to ever know about them.
Like Columbus, he's usually thrilled to have "discovered" this new and creative talent. Like Columbus, he usually later realizes that many of these people have been known for years --thank you very much-- and are only "new" to him.
Given how many times this has happened, Eric no longer assumes anything, and simply generically calls these moments "Columbus Discoveries," confessing ahead of time that, while they are new to him, he might just be the last clueless person to learn about them."
Brand New, Super Cool, Email Blog Thingy...
Jun/20/2007 06:18 PM | Permalink
Every so often, as I'm doing routine blog
maintenance, I stumble on a cool new feature that
would be great to have.
That happened again recently. And so today I am pleased to announce the latest brand-new, super cool, blog feature: Blog entries via email.
That's right.
Let's say you want to keep up with "When EF Talks," but you just can't seem to remember to check back here as often as you'd like. Then, when you finally do, you feel like you've missed something.
Well, sign up with your email address today, and each future entry to this blog will be conveniently emailed straight to your inbox. Best of all, it comes to you as "rich html," meaning that all the formatting, pictures, and links are retained. (About the only formatting difference I can see is that the background is white instead of grey...) Or, you can click a url at the top of the email message you get, be directed back here to the blog itself, and read it on the web.
Your choice.
Either way, you won't miss a single new entry from now on. Think of it as your own personal "When EF Talks" TiVO.
So if you'd like to sign up, scroll down the right-hand navigation menu to here:
Enter your email address in the box, do a quick email verification, and presto-chango, you're all set.
I'm tellin' ya, this internet is a cool thing.
(ps: We promise not to use your email address for any other purpose than sending these blog entries, and you're free to unsubscribe at anytime...)
That happened again recently. And so today I am pleased to announce the latest brand-new, super cool, blog feature: Blog entries via email.
That's right.
Let's say you want to keep up with "When EF Talks," but you just can't seem to remember to check back here as often as you'd like. Then, when you finally do, you feel like you've missed something.
Well, sign up with your email address today, and each future entry to this blog will be conveniently emailed straight to your inbox. Best of all, it comes to you as "rich html," meaning that all the formatting, pictures, and links are retained. (About the only formatting difference I can see is that the background is white instead of grey...) Or, you can click a url at the top of the email message you get, be directed back here to the blog itself, and read it on the web.
Your choice.
Either way, you won't miss a single new entry from now on. Think of it as your own personal "When EF Talks" TiVO.
So if you'd like to sign up, scroll down the right-hand navigation menu to here:
Enter your email address in the box, do a quick email verification, and presto-chango, you're all set.
I'm tellin' ya, this internet is a cool thing.
(ps: We promise not to use your email address for any other purpose than sending these blog entries, and you're free to unsubscribe at anytime...)
Current Favorite iPod Songs
Apr/13/2007 08:30 AM | Permalink
File this under, "Why didn't I think of this years
ago?!"
I have created an "iMix" of my current favorite iPod songs. These are the songs that are getting the most ear-play on my own iPod.
You can find it here.
I've also added this link to the navigational window to your right, so that you can find it in the future too. Because I will update the songs list every-so-often, as the mood strikes.
Enjoy
I have created an "iMix" of my current favorite iPod songs. These are the songs that are getting the most ear-play on my own iPod.
You can find it here.
I've also added this link to the navigational window to your right, so that you can find it in the future too. Because I will update the songs list every-so-often, as the mood strikes.
Enjoy
Rising Like the Phoenix: The Rebirth of My Website
and Blog
Jul/31/2006 07:54 PM | Permalink
(Lyrics in italics from Dan Fogelberg's great song,
"Phoenix")
"I have cried too...I have cried too long
I have cried too...I have cried too long
No more sorrow. Got to carry on."
So, it's been more than three weeks since you heard anything from me on my blog. Sometimes, there's nothing behind that silence, except that life gets really busy and I don't have time to check in here. Sometimes the silence is that, believe it or not, I can't find anything to write.
Neither are the case here.
Behind the silence of these past three weeks have been long days of cyber-frustration that I aim to vent in this blog entry now...
What's been happening these last three weeks is that my blog software had a meltdown. I mean a complete meltdown. The day after my last post about the Rangers, I tried to create a new category and all hell broke loose amongst the bytes and bits.
First, the blog was gone completely.
(Lot's of wailing and knashing of teeth)
Then, it came back, but without the comments and the categories.
(More wailing. More knashing)
Finally, I found that I couldn't even post to the blog. Which, of course, defeats the purpose of having one.
(Waaay beyond wailing and knashing...)
And, as some of you know, this broke loose during a period where I had more visitors to my blog than ever in any month in history. The first six days of July seemed to indicate that it would also be a banner month. And then, the radio silence of sorry-software, and very likely hundreds of readers are wondering where I went and maybe are now gone forever....
Sigh...
I go from sad, to pissed, to resigned... to "what can you do?"
Add to it this last fact: there's no way for me to even add an apology, or a "we're-experiencing-technical-difficulties" warning to my old blog. It's just hanging out there in cyberspace, with all the entries ending on July 6th, and potentially hundreds of readers scratching their heads. (If you've found me again, bless you...)
"I have cried too...I have cried too long
I have cried too...I have cried too long
No more sorrow. Got to carry on."
So, it's been more than three weeks since you heard anything from me on my blog. Sometimes, there's nothing behind that silence, except that life gets really busy and I don't have time to check in here. Sometimes the silence is that, believe it or not, I can't find anything to write.
Neither are the case here.
Behind the silence of these past three weeks have been long days of cyber-frustration that I aim to vent in this blog entry now...
What's been happening these last three weeks is that my blog software had a meltdown. I mean a complete meltdown. The day after my last post about the Rangers, I tried to create a new category and all hell broke loose amongst the bytes and bits.
First, the blog was gone completely.
(Lot's of wailing and knashing of teeth)
Then, it came back, but without the comments and the categories.
(More wailing. More knashing)
Finally, I found that I couldn't even post to the blog. Which, of course, defeats the purpose of having one.
(Waaay beyond wailing and knashing...)
And, as some of you know, this broke loose during a period where I had more visitors to my blog than ever in any month in history. The first six days of July seemed to indicate that it would also be a banner month. And then, the radio silence of sorry-software, and very likely hundreds of readers are wondering where I went and maybe are now gone forever....
Sigh...
I go from sad, to pissed, to resigned... to "what can you do?"
Add to it this last fact: there's no way for me to even add an apology, or a "we're-experiencing-technical-difficulties" warning to my old blog. It's just hanging out there in cyberspace, with all the entries ending on July 6th, and potentially hundreds of readers scratching their heads. (If you've found me again, bless you...)
"Found deep water...for I even learned to swim
Found deep water...for I even learned to swim
Never thought I'd see the sun again."
Like an honest fool, I first turned to technical support. I tried the message boards associated with the software because that's what the company suggested. The software is called iBlog. And while I will name it for you, for reasons that must surely be dawning on you, I will not give you a link.
After a week of complaining there --all the while having the hunch that my issue was deeper than a message board could handle-- the actual tech support people from the actual company finally called me back.
Turns out it's one guy. That's the whole tech support department. That should have also been a big honkin' "Warning Will Robinson!" moment for me.
But no, I'm a sucker and he was a nice guy. He tried everything he could. I emailed him files. He emailed them back. He rebuilt the entire database and sent it back. He spent two evenings operating my computer remotely (from India?) trying to get the software to work. (It's weird to watch someone else move your cursor...)
But nothing ever worked, no matter what he tried.
Eventually, he just quit calling me back.
So, I went from cursing him...to being impressed by him...to cursing him again.
With no good solutions, and no returned phone calls, I decided enough was enough.
"Like a Phoenix...I have risen from the flames
Like a Phoenix...I have risen from the flames
No more living...
Someone else's dreams."
In the course of trying to figure how to port my messages to some other software (found there was no easy way to do that...) I stumbled on some software called "RapidWeaver." It's an all-in-one website/blogging solution. It's Mac-based, intuitive, and has GREAT technical support. It seems to be created by some really cheery folks in England. And for the past week, I've been pelting their message boards with questions, and I have gotten a great answer every time. And quickly.
So, this past week has been "rising from the flames" week. While it's still looked like radio-silence on your end, I've been busily converting my entire website to RapidWeaver on my end.
I've had the www.ericfolkerth.com website for almost eight years now. I've had the blog for three, going on four. Converting it over is a big job. RapidWeaver makes very easy. But with that kind of history, it's still a big job.
It's not really like cleaning your closets (the first analogy I thought of...). It's really more like moving to a whole new house. It's still all your old stuff, you just have to figure out where it all goes, what you want to keep, and what you need new.
I'm mostly done now. And the result, I am happy to report, is a fully integrated website and blog, with an eye-popping new design, and cool new features my old house/site never had.
Take the picture pages, for one. They're really, really cool. Check them out. Same old pictures. But they look a lot better here.
And, the blog is fully integrated with the website. So, if you find the blog, you'll find the website, and vice versa.
The new blog address, at least the main blog page, is a much easier url too:
http://www.ericfolkerth.com/wheneftalks/blog.html
That's a permanent new address. So, save it as a "favorite" now, and subscribe to the rss feed with this link. You'll have the ability to leave comments just as before, and I think that overall you'll come to enjoy it as I have this past week.
As for what I still need to do, I am still porting over the blog entries to the new system. That way, if you want to peruse old entries, you'll be able to do so within the new system, and ingore the old blog. Don't know how long that will take. I'll let you know when it's done.
So, welcome to the rebirth of my website/blog.
If you're a regular reader, I'm really glad you managed to find me again. I didn't leave you hanging on purpose. The old site will stay out there, like some dead satellite drifting around earth. It's not going to be updated. But there are too many folks who have linked to it through the years for me to take it down either.
So, sorry for the radio silence. As Han Solo used to say, "It's not my fault!!"
Disclaimer
Jul/29/2006 08:11 PM | Permalink
It goes
without saying (of course, if it really
did, I would not be writing
this) but....
The thoughts, opinions, ideas, stories, rants, meditations, information written anywhere on this this blog are totally and completely my own, and do not reflect the views of any church, denomination, political party, elected official, close friend, relative, musical group, sports team, city, state, county, nation, artist or musician friend, other blogger, or anybody else you can think of.
They're my thoughts, written as the human being that --first and foremost, and before anything else-- I am.
The thoughts, opinions, ideas, stories, rants, meditations, information written anywhere on this this blog are totally and completely my own, and do not reflect the views of any church, denomination, political party, elected official, close friend, relative, musical group, sports team, city, state, county, nation, artist or musician friend, other blogger, or anybody else you can think of.
They're my thoughts, written as the human being that --first and foremost, and before anything else-- I am.
Welcome to "When EF Talks!"
Jul/29/2006 07:23 PM | Permalink
Welcome to "When EF Talks!" Eric Folkerth's blog on
music, religion, politics and life.
This blog started as an appendage of my music website. Serving as a vehicle for promoting my music is still one of the main goals of these pages. But a lot of folks stumble on this site via the blog these days. So, if you're finding me this way, I hope you'll check out my whole site too.
The blog is organized into several categories, meant to be browsed. After reading about them here, you can click on the links below to browse by category (You'll also find them in the navigational menu, about half way down the main page...):
Categories on "When EF Talks"
Favorite Entries
These are entries that either mean a lot to me, or have meant a lot to other people. Sometimes they start out in other categories, and I move them into this one. Therefore, these entries are likely to cover a gamut of topics, and be something of a grab-bag.
Music News
A category for general info, news, gig announcements, about me and my music. I write about upcoming shows here, decompress about shows that have passed, talk about recording I'm doing, and pass along info. about musician friends too.
Angels and Pins
I have enough theological training to be dangerous. And this is the place for me to opine about all things theological, ethical, moral, and philosophical. Hopefully with words that most human beings can understand (Not something all theologians do all of the time....) Also, I used to write a weekly email devotional that, once upon a time, was read by more than 3,000 people worldwide. I don't write it anymore. But, now and then, you'll find something like those old devotionals in this section too.
Life Happens
To me. To my family. To those around me. So....these are entries about stuff that happens that I feel the need to put into words. Or, it's stuff that doesn't seem to fit anywhere else.
Balcony People
Joyce Landgraff invented the term over twenty years ago to describe folks in her life that were in her corner...cheerleaders, supporters, personal saints, heroes from history. She said that anytime she spoke or performed in public, she imagined that these folks with with her, "in the balcony," watching over her.
So, this category is to honor those who've meant something to me. Anybody who appears in this category is likely to be someone --living or dead, personal friend or hero from afar-- that has touched my life in some way.
Thoughts from Purple Land
Just after the 2004 election, I wrote a song called "Purple Land." We DO live in a Purple Land in that every state is both all both "blue" and "red." We are never just one or the other. I happen to personally trend more blueish than reddish, and the writing here will make that plain. But, in my life, I know a lot of truly fine, upstanding red folks too. This category is for political ramblings of my own imaginings, or to pass along stuff I've found other places. The opinions are my own, and do not represent the views of any church or other organization. (Just felt the need to say that...and I say it even more strongly here.)
My Own Amazing Race
I've been blessed to travel a lot of really interesting places in my life. I have a lot of pictures and memories, and I'm working on some entries that will be travelogues of some of the fascinating places and people I've met over the years. Stay tuned...
Things to Like About Texas
Lots of folks don't like our state these days. I know that. And I'm not at all an apologist. I can agree with a lot of the critique. But before you throw the baby out with the bath water, please read some of the things I've found to like about this state. You might be surprised. Or, even if you do still hate Texas, you might see us more as nuisance than anathema. And that'd at least be a step in the right direction.
HSO's from a Bitter P1
In 2006, I found myself blogging on sports far more than I ever imagined I would. This culminated during the Mavs playoff run, when my observations about Dwyane Wade got the attention of about 25,000 bloggers around the net, and got me the moniker "Bitter P1" from the "BaD Radio Show" on "The Ticket." It's a nickname I embrace with pride. (If you have to ask what an "HSO" or "P1" is, go here.) So, this is the category for all sport-related blogs.
Things I Meant to Write
Fairly self-explanatory. This is when enough time passes and it seems strange, in the fast-moving world of a blog, to bring something up. But, that "something" sticks in my craw, and I have to write about it anyway.
Synapse Clippings
This is a category filled with the stuff that most blogs have...quick hitting, short entries that link you to somewhere else. I've just found, over the years, that there is some benefit to brevity at times...at least in a blog. So, this is where all the quick thoughts that dash across my brain's white-matter go.
---------------------------------------
Navigation Menu
Note the navigational menu to your right. First, you'll see my blog roll. "Close to My Heart" are sites that I either have a personal/professional connection to, or sites that someone in my immediately family has a personal/professional connection to.
Next, you'll find "Musician Friends." I have a lot of musician friends, and I've been blessed by them all. But these folks I've shared gigs with, written songs with, recorded with, or had some other close connection. They are all incredible talents, and if you get nothing else from my blog, getting to know them better would make the visit worth your time.
"Writers and Other Artist Friends" is exactly like the last category, but are other kinds of art.
"Sites that Keep Me Sane" are sites that give political analysis that doesn't seem insane to me. "Sites That Feed Me" are sites that speak to the human soul, and issues of spirituality. "Passionate Causes" are groups I have either done volunteer work with personally, or actual agencies in Dallas I have a connection with.
"Hear it Here First" are political blogs and media watchdogs that, it seems to me, do a very good job breaking stories that the rest of us will be talking about as soon as they infiltrate the MSM.
Finally, as you can see, you can syndicate this site via "RSS" if you like, or sign up to get each new entry via email, so that you're always updated when I've written something new.
Well, that's about it. Still haven't told you much about me. But I'm assuming most of it will become self-evident through the reading itself. In the menu to your right, you can peruse my favorite iPod songs, and snoop through my bookshelf. If you like, you can read my music site biography here. You can also tell a lot about a person by the quotes they live their life by. So here are some that mean a lot to me. Finally, you can learn a lot about me by reading this long blog entry too.
Leave me a comment or two. And thanks for taking the time to stop by.
Eric Folkerth
This blog started as an appendage of my music website. Serving as a vehicle for promoting my music is still one of the main goals of these pages. But a lot of folks stumble on this site via the blog these days. So, if you're finding me this way, I hope you'll check out my whole site too.
The blog is organized into several categories, meant to be browsed. After reading about them here, you can click on the links below to browse by category (You'll also find them in the navigational menu, about half way down the main page...):
Categories on "When EF Talks"
Favorite Entries
These are entries that either mean a lot to me, or have meant a lot to other people. Sometimes they start out in other categories, and I move them into this one. Therefore, these entries are likely to cover a gamut of topics, and be something of a grab-bag.
Music News
A category for general info, news, gig announcements, about me and my music. I write about upcoming shows here, decompress about shows that have passed, talk about recording I'm doing, and pass along info. about musician friends too.
Angels and Pins
I have enough theological training to be dangerous. And this is the place for me to opine about all things theological, ethical, moral, and philosophical. Hopefully with words that most human beings can understand (Not something all theologians do all of the time....) Also, I used to write a weekly email devotional that, once upon a time, was read by more than 3,000 people worldwide. I don't write it anymore. But, now and then, you'll find something like those old devotionals in this section too.
Life Happens
To me. To my family. To those around me. So....these are entries about stuff that happens that I feel the need to put into words. Or, it's stuff that doesn't seem to fit anywhere else.
Balcony People
Joyce Landgraff invented the term over twenty years ago to describe folks in her life that were in her corner...cheerleaders, supporters, personal saints, heroes from history. She said that anytime she spoke or performed in public, she imagined that these folks with with her, "in the balcony," watching over her.
So, this category is to honor those who've meant something to me. Anybody who appears in this category is likely to be someone --living or dead, personal friend or hero from afar-- that has touched my life in some way.
Thoughts from Purple Land
Just after the 2004 election, I wrote a song called "Purple Land." We DO live in a Purple Land in that every state is both all both "blue" and "red." We are never just one or the other. I happen to personally trend more blueish than reddish, and the writing here will make that plain. But, in my life, I know a lot of truly fine, upstanding red folks too. This category is for political ramblings of my own imaginings, or to pass along stuff I've found other places. The opinions are my own, and do not represent the views of any church or other organization. (Just felt the need to say that...and I say it even more strongly here.)
My Own Amazing Race
I've been blessed to travel a lot of really interesting places in my life. I have a lot of pictures and memories, and I'm working on some entries that will be travelogues of some of the fascinating places and people I've met over the years. Stay tuned...
Things to Like About Texas
Lots of folks don't like our state these days. I know that. And I'm not at all an apologist. I can agree with a lot of the critique. But before you throw the baby out with the bath water, please read some of the things I've found to like about this state. You might be surprised. Or, even if you do still hate Texas, you might see us more as nuisance than anathema. And that'd at least be a step in the right direction.
HSO's from a Bitter P1
In 2006, I found myself blogging on sports far more than I ever imagined I would. This culminated during the Mavs playoff run, when my observations about Dwyane Wade got the attention of about 25,000 bloggers around the net, and got me the moniker "Bitter P1" from the "BaD Radio Show" on "The Ticket." It's a nickname I embrace with pride. (If you have to ask what an "HSO" or "P1" is, go here.) So, this is the category for all sport-related blogs.
Things I Meant to Write
Fairly self-explanatory. This is when enough time passes and it seems strange, in the fast-moving world of a blog, to bring something up. But, that "something" sticks in my craw, and I have to write about it anyway.
Synapse Clippings
This is a category filled with the stuff that most blogs have...quick hitting, short entries that link you to somewhere else. I've just found, over the years, that there is some benefit to brevity at times...at least in a blog. So, this is where all the quick thoughts that dash across my brain's white-matter go.
---------------------------------------
Navigation Menu
Note the navigational menu to your right. First, you'll see my blog roll. "Close to My Heart" are sites that I either have a personal/professional connection to, or sites that someone in my immediately family has a personal/professional connection to.
Next, you'll find "Musician Friends." I have a lot of musician friends, and I've been blessed by them all. But these folks I've shared gigs with, written songs with, recorded with, or had some other close connection. They are all incredible talents, and if you get nothing else from my blog, getting to know them better would make the visit worth your time.
"Writers and Other Artist Friends" is exactly like the last category, but are other kinds of art.
"Sites that Keep Me Sane" are sites that give political analysis that doesn't seem insane to me. "Sites That Feed Me" are sites that speak to the human soul, and issues of spirituality. "Passionate Causes" are groups I have either done volunteer work with personally, or actual agencies in Dallas I have a connection with.
"Hear it Here First" are political blogs and media watchdogs that, it seems to me, do a very good job breaking stories that the rest of us will be talking about as soon as they infiltrate the MSM.
Finally, as you can see, you can syndicate this site via "RSS" if you like, or sign up to get each new entry via email, so that you're always updated when I've written something new.
Well, that's about it. Still haven't told you much about me. But I'm assuming most of it will become self-evident through the reading itself. In the menu to your right, you can peruse my favorite iPod songs, and snoop through my bookshelf. If you like, you can read my music site biography here. You can also tell a lot about a person by the quotes they live their life by. So here are some that mean a lot to me. Finally, you can learn a lot about me by reading this long blog entry too.
Leave me a comment or two. And thanks for taking the time to stop by.
Eric Folkerth
--30--
Merry Christmas from Eric and Dennise!!! (Read our
yearly e-Christmas card)
Dec/30/2005 05:11 PM | Permalink
The past few
weeks have been absolutely crazy-busy for me. That
adds on to the past two months that were also, by
themselves, crazy-busy. That's a whole lot of
busy-ness goin' on....
But, this week, it slowed down some, and I was able to get our yearly e-Christmas card done. For those unfamiliar, it's been about five years since we actually sent out a paper card. We send a combination card/letter that's packed with links to pictures, mp3s, websites, and quicktime home movies. It's a little multimedia snapshot of our year in review.
Download it here
Feel free to download to your little heart's content. It's in Adobe pdf version. And to enjoy it fully, we assume you have Quicktime, an mp3 player, and an image viewer. (most folks have all that stuff these days...)
Hope you're all having a safe holiday.
But, this week, it slowed down some, and I was able to get our yearly e-Christmas card done. For those unfamiliar, it's been about five years since we actually sent out a paper card. We send a combination card/letter that's packed with links to pictures, mp3s, websites, and quicktime home movies. It's a little multimedia snapshot of our year in review.
Download it here
Feel free to download to your little heart's content. It's in Adobe pdf version. And to enjoy it fully, we assume you have Quicktime, an mp3 player, and an image viewer. (most folks have all that stuff these days...)
Hope you're all having a safe holiday.
Merry
Christmas from Eric and Dennise!!! (Read our yearl
e-Christmas card)
The past few weeks have been absolutely crazy-busy for me. That adds on to the past two months that were also, by themselves, crazy-busy. That's a whole lot of busy-ness goin' on....
But, this week, it slowed down some, and I was able to get our yearly e-Christmas card done. For those unfamiliar, it's been about five years since we actually sent out a paper card. We send a combination card/letter that's packed with links to pictures, mp3s, websites, and quicktime home movies. It's a little multimedia snapshot of our year in review.
Download it here
Feel free to download to your little heart's content. It's in Adobe pdf version. And to enjoy it fully, we assume you have Quicktime, an mp3 player, and an image viewer. (most folks have all that stuff these days...)
Hope you're all having a safe holiday.
The past few weeks have been absolutely crazy-busy for me. That adds on to the past two months that were also, by themselves, crazy-busy. That's a whole lot of busy-ness goin' on....
But, this week, it slowed down some, and I was able to get our yearly e-Christmas card done. For those unfamiliar, it's been about five years since we actually sent out a paper card. We send a combination card/letter that's packed with links to pictures, mp3s, websites, and quicktime home movies. It's a little multimedia snapshot of our year in review.
Download it here
Feel free to download to your little heart's content. It's in Adobe pdf version. And to enjoy it fully, we assume you have Quicktime, an mp3 player, and an image viewer. (most folks have all that stuff these days...)
Hope you're all having a safe holiday.
--30--
Video of Prairie Chapel Road: Using my song as the
soundtrack (Very, very cool...)
Aug/20/2005 05:16 PM | Permalink
Video
of Prairie Chapel Road: It uses my song as the
soundtrack (very, very cool...)
Here's the low quality version.
Here's the high quality version.
For more about the song, go here.
For a discussion of my recent trip to Crawford, go here.
Here's the low quality version.
Here's the high quality version.
For more about the song, go here.
For a discussion of my recent trip to Crawford, go here.
--30--
Prairie Chapel Road: A Song Inspired by Camp Casey
and Cindy Sheehan
Aug/16/2005 11:31 PM | Permalink
In August of 2005, I had the great good fortune to be
a part of "Camp Casey," the organic and grassroots
peace movement inspired by Cindy Sheehan. During some
of my trips there, I was inspired to write a song
called "Prairie Chapel Road," which has now become
one of two great songs to come out of that movement.
It's been downloaded almost 3,000 times since then.
I've revised this original blog entry several times, and now it's sort of a "one stop" place to find all the other writing I've done about Camp Casey. The entry below tells the story of how "Prairie Chapel Road" first got written, and will give you the links so you can download/stream it yourself.
But I thought you might also be interested in some of the OTHER writing I've done about Camp Casey and what's happened since I wrote the song....
So, you can learn about my second visit to Camp Casey 1 here, where I played PCR for family members the very first time, at a Friday prayer vigil.
You can see an incredible video that uses PCR as the soundtrack at this second link.
This third blog entry tells about how BBC Radio used a clip of the song in a that aired on Public Radio in the states.
Fourthly (is this a word?), you can learn about my final visit to Camp Casey last August, on the last incredible Saturday, when 2,000 people were gathered there and I got to play the song on the big main stage at Camp Casey II, here .
Last but not least, you can read here how my musician friend, Jesse Dyen, has covered "Prairie Chapel Road."
But, before you read any this, you might want to start with what's below. It's the very first "Prairie Chapel Road" blog entry that tells the story of the song, and of how all this got started. Perhaps give it a read, and then explore some of these other links I've just mentioned....EF
---------------------------------------------
I went down to Camp Casey yesterday. It's only an hour and a half from home, and I'd been moved by what I'd been reading of the powerful questions she hopes to ask the President. So, me and two others from our church went down for the day.
We got off the shuttle at Camp Casey about 2 minutes before a H
I've revised this original blog entry several times, and now it's sort of a "one stop" place to find all the other writing I've done about Camp Casey. The entry below tells the story of how "Prairie Chapel Road" first got written, and will give you the links so you can download/stream it yourself.
But I thought you might also be interested in some of the OTHER writing I've done about Camp Casey and what's happened since I wrote the song....
So, you can learn about my second visit to Camp Casey 1 here, where I played PCR for family members the very first time, at a Friday prayer vigil.
You can see an incredible video that uses PCR as the soundtrack at this second link.
This third blog entry tells about how BBC Radio used a clip of the song in a that aired on Public Radio in the states.
Fourthly (is this a word?), you can learn about my final visit to Camp Casey last August, on the last incredible Saturday, when 2,000 people were gathered there and I got to play the song on the big main stage at Camp Casey II, here .
Last but not least, you can read here how my musician friend, Jesse Dyen, has covered "Prairie Chapel Road."
But, before you read any this, you might want to start with what's below. It's the very first "Prairie Chapel Road" blog entry that tells the story of the song, and of how all this got started. Perhaps give it a read, and then explore some of these other links I've just mentioned....EF
---------------------------------------------
I went down to Camp Casey yesterday. It's only an hour and a half from home, and I'd been moved by what I'd been reading of the powerful questions she hopes to ask the President. So, me and two others from our church went down for the day.
We got off the shuttle at Camp Casey about 2 minutes before a H