atlanta to belfast

so yesterday, and a little of the day before that, i was flying from atlanta to belfast, ireland. in between we stopped in frankfurt, germany, and london england. along the way, funny things happened and, since i couldn't blog immediately, i wrote them down. so here they go:

i started the day with multi-grain griddle cakes, lots of coffee, and chick-fil-a, not a good idea when about to get on a plane for 12 hours or so show. just if you're wondering - the bad outcome, the one you would expect, did not happen. i'm quite proud of that.

in the course of the day i went through airport security about a dozen times. one of them i need to write about. we were going through to get on the plane in frankfurt and, after emptying my pockets (i am quite a pro at airports these days), i set off the detector... so i'm asked to step to the side so the guard can wand me. he asked me if i spoke german or english. i told him english, but (in german) a little german too. he laughed and asked "you know enough to order a beer?" after that he had me raise my hands and spread my feet a bit and starting waving the wand around me. i couldn't help but laugh when the it went off as it passed over my crotch. for those of you who haven't seen spinal tap this isn't as funny, but still... oh, and it wasn't a cucumber. it was the button and zipper. the guard didn't understand when i started laughing, but i couldn't help it.

the last i'll tell you about was going through london heathrow airport. as you go through now, they take your picture so they can confirm it's the same person using the passport when you go to board your next plane. i had mine taken, and the guy said it was fine, and when i got to the place where they checked my picture, the guy started laughing. apparently in my sleep deprivation i had closed my eyes and made a funny face. glad i could provide some entertainment in just passing though the airport.

thanks to mini-snooch for helping us load up before leaving out

111.9

so if you haven't figured it out yet, one of my favorite places to be in behind a console mixing sound. today's blog is a flash back to a show i did about a month ago. i've recently begun carrying a pelican case filled with microphones, headphones, and assorted other equipment that makes my job easier, or helps me do it better. one piece i carry is a sound level meter.

after conversing with several other audio professionals and doing some research, i've come to find that 111.9 db is pretty stinkin' loud. it falls somewhere between a jet taking off at 200 feet away and standing on stage at a loud rock concert. in other words, probably louder than jaci should have been. but my ears never rang post-show, and nobody complained about it being too loud... so maybe my meter is wrong? in any case, it was good times, and i really enjoyed the sound system at this particular event.

sponsor?

guess what... i'm a table sponsor! i didn't even know until we showed up. you're welcome everyone at my table that enjoyed a great meal, and some good tunes.

the return of pictures!

so i finally got a new usb cable... actually, i borrowed one from carter. in any case, here come the pictures. a couple of months ago, we had a show in the seattle area. since i'd never been, and my brother and one of my best friends live there now, i decided to fly up a day early and stay after for a couple of days to experience what i'd heard was one of the coolest cities in the country. i was not let down. here's the most touristy shot from my trip. i had pike's place blend from the original starbucks in pike place market.

words

now that i'm okay with not having pictures... let me offer this up for your consideration. i spent a lot of time thinking the other night and here's what i came to.

everything that is bad in the world was created by man (those of you who are sensitive to gender please just substitute human in place of man). the thing that sticks out most to me is how much we argue over words, and what things are called. i remember someone saying the other day, "words only have power because we give them power."

when God created, all He called it was "good."

He left what to call it all up to us. and that has served to separate us, because we all want to be right. why do we have to hold so tightly to the names we give things, when the things are the same? infant baptism and baby dedication are both the commitment of the parents and church family to raise the child in a Christian environment. (lutheran) confirmation, also called affirmation of baptism, and adolescent baptism are both a public profession of faith and subsequent ceremonies. if the ceremonies (dunking, etc.) are just a outward expression of an inward movement, WHO CARES HOW THEY ARE DONE? if you understand it one way, fantastic, and i support you in that. please don't tell anyone else that their way is wrong.

main point - let us stop fighting over things that we understand differently and begin loving anyone who doesn't yet understand.

photos not required

sorry for the extended absence. i let someone borrow my usb cable that i use to get the pictures off my camera, and my planned blogs are still on the camera until i get my lazy and poor behind to the store and get a new one. i was reminded this morning, not by someone but by his blog, that pictures aren't necessary for a fantastic blog. please, if you have 2 minutes, check out my friend casey's blog - "how big is your God?"