Mischievious Maurer's Miscellaneous Misquotes

Moving

2008-09-03T18:38:00.001-07:00

Part of my side business is building web pages for people. And lately I've been busy building blog pages for folks. I'm utilizing WordPress for these sites. [I'll sing the praises of WP later.]

In order to better support the software I'm using, I decided I should be writing my blog in WordPress. So..... drum roll please..... I'm moving this blog. Slowly, I will be migrating all the past entries to the new page as well.

You can now find my ramblings at mmmm.emidor.com. This will be my last post using the blogger site.

If you have my blog in any reader software, be sure to update the URL so you can continue reading my sporadic and inconsistent ramblings.

Thanks!

Presidential Election Surprise!

2008-07-18T21:40:00.000-07:00

Graduation 2008

2008-06-12T10:29:00.000-07:00

I remember with fondness the day Zach was born... the way his sister cuddled him as an infant... the intense feeling of pride and awe as this new little boy joined our family. I've had many memories since then of my baby boy growing into a young man. And today he took another memorable step. He graduated from the 8th grade.

And to add to that memory, Zach was honored with the Presidential Education Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence.

Way to go, Zach! Welcome to your High School years!

My Movies

2008-05-08T16:27:00.001-07:00

I'm a big fan of movies. Flixter is one of the web sites I use to track the movies I've seen and the movies I want to see. Here is a listing of my movie compatibility with a number of my friends.

If you would like to compare your movie tastes with me, you can
take the quiz by clicking here.

800!

2008-04-26T19:53:00.000-07:00

Today marked our 800th GeoCache find. We have been caching nearly every weekend with my cousin Sara. Today we went to Carlton, a small town just outside of Newberg, and then up into the Oregon coast range to the McMinnville watershed. This was a beautiful day.... temperatures nearing 70 degrees... beautiful vistas. And we found a couple of caches that we had been unable to locate previously. Here is the view from one of those caches.

On the north side of the mountains, we had to drive through a foot of snow in some places. A snowball fight just isn't the same when it is so warm!

Here we are at the top of the coast range. On a clear day you can see 9 mountain peaks. Today we only saw Mt. Hood as a hazy shadow.

I just love the places geocaching takes us. This waterfall was along side of one of the dirt roads we travelled.

Baker Creek runs out of the McMinnville watershed. Here is one of the scenic views we saw while seeking a cache.

What a fantastic adventure!

Zach at the Pentagames

2008-04-25T15:47:00.000-07:00

I had the honor today of watching 9 students from Mountain View Middle School compete in the 25th annual Pentagames. Pentagames are sort of Math Olympics where students compete in a number of games that center around various math skills.

Zach was one of the competitors and did VERY well. I lost track of his winnings, but at the end of the day he had a half dozen or so ribbons pinned to his chest along with a couple of medals. Not only did he do well, but his 8th Grade team took best of the day for their division. And the school won for highest school score.

FaceBook Fun

2008-04-06T06:41:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Dave and I'm a FaceBook addict.

Actualy, this social networking site has a lot of real fun ways to stay connected with friends and family that are scattered all around the world. One of the games on FB is called Friends For Sale. Using virtual dollars, you buy your friends which increases their value. Other friends are also trying to buy your friends, so you can see how the value circle can go.

I started this game after my daughter Kara was playing for awhile and her value had sky-rocketed. I made it my goal to raise enough funds through the Friends trade to buy my daughter. I made strategic alliances to help increase my funds, and finally at 6:30 AM on 6-Apr-08 I clicked the "Buy Kara for $117,241" button! Bet I won't keep her long as she is quite popular, but it is fun to have achieved my goal.

Customer Service at Chapters

2008-03-20T07:53:00.000-07:00

One of my intents of maintaining this blog was to discuss business issues. I really am a fan of small business and love to read and learn about individuals who have the tenacity to start their own companies. I also enjoy hearing about good (and bad) business practices and their effect on customers, industries, and communities. So here is my first business blog entry.

A common theme that will run throughout this section is Customer Service. I am a huge believer in providing quality goods and services in a friendly and fair manner. I think that customer service is an art that many people take for granted, but only a few truly master. I try to reward positive service by telling not only the person who gave it to me, but also their supervisor or business owner (and now the blog world).

One place I consistently receive good customer service is at Chapters in Newberg. I go to this bookstore / coffee shop twice a week to meet with friends and family. On Thursdays, the barista is Kat. The other day she had a sample of my favorite drink ready for me when I walked in the door. They were trying out a new blend of Chai Tea and she wanted my opinion. Before I could finish the small tasting, she had my drink ready for me. I hadn’t ordered it, but she knows my regular cup of choice and had it prepared. With all the people that come in to the store each morning, I’m impressed that she knows me, my drink preferences, and my routine well enough to have my Chai ready for me when I walk in. This has become consistent behavior. This is above and beyond the call of duty. This goes beyond a pleasant demeanor. This is true customer service.

Thanks, Kat!

American Idol - Season 7 Picks

2008-03-19T06:23:00.001-07:00

I am a fan of American Idol. I think the show represents a great mini-lesson in how the popular music system works. Jen and I faithfully TiVo every show and haven’t missed an episode in four or five seasons.

This year has been touted as the “best ever talent” and while I will agree that there are some amazing singers, I’ve been hard-pressed to find “my” singer. Last year I picked Melinda Doolittle in the early stages (she made it to #3). In season five I chose Taylor Hicks when I saw his audition tape (and he won the whole shebang). But I haven’t been able to latch on to one performer as “the one” … until last night.

Last night was the second week in a row that the contestants sang songs from the Beatles. And while the second show in the top-12 portion of the competition was filled with lackluster performances, I was able to finally flesh out my favorite competitors.

Guys – David Cook. This guy is consistent, rocks hard, has fun performing, and seems to have healthy attitude about the hype surrounding this show. I like him to win it all as the truly most talented competitor, except the teen vote will probably push through David Archuleta.

Gals – Carly Smithson. This tattooed, Irish lass can really sing. She is consistent in her performances and really knows how to choose a great song. This girl has great talent and she’ll go far in this competition. I think Carly has the best chance as a "rocker" to make the final cut because she has the softer pop side as well.

Honorable Mention
Amanda Overmyer: I love this rocker chick. She is the total package of looks, attitude, talent and presentation. Unfortunately I don’t think she’s consistent enough to make the final cut

Brooke White: While I’m not a huge fan of her style or the songs she sings, I like her attitude and song choices. Plus she is always on the mark. Now if she would just quit talking so much.

So there you have it. My picks for Season 7 of American Idol.

You Look Marvelous

2008-03-18T05:19:00.000-07:00

Back in the 1980s, Fernando Lamas (aka Billy Crystal) used the catch phrase “You look maahhvelous.” It was a great Saturday Night Live sketch. Today, I realize that I am still trying to make myself look marvelous. Back in October I wrote about my attempts to make myself look good.

Why is it that I still want to keep up appearances? What is so inherently ingrained in my psyche that I want people to like me and don’t want to show my flaws? Why can’t I accept the fact that there will be people who still accept me, despite my inadequacies?

I struggle with lots of things. I’ve typed the list here and reedited it and ultimately deleted it because… I fear showing people what I’m ashamed of in my life. The shortcomings, the addictions, the flaws… some are major, some are minor; some I’m working on, some I try to ignore myself.

Ultimately, I am scared of what people will think of me. I’m worried about disappointing my family and friends. I’m apprehensive that people won’t like me if I’m really vulnerable.

So, I continue to put fresh paint on the broken down parts of my life hoping that they continue to look good. And I think I’m doing a pretty good job at looking marvelous.

The Forecast Looks GREAT!

2008-03-12T21:14:00.000-07:00

My son Zach is a fairly normal teenage boy. He is full of energy, loves video games, has a passion for Bionicles, and has a very vivid imagination which he acts out from time to time… OK lots of the time. I will admit that he sometimes gets on my nerves with his boundless energy.

But tonight I was honored to see a different side of my son. We spent a couple of hours at the High School for Forecasting Night, gathering information about his upcoming Freshman year in school. I was impressed by his thoughtfulness in picking classes, his care in choosing electives, and his reasoning behind the school he should choose (Newberg High School is divided into five small schools).

Sometimes I’m so close to the daily routines of Zach’s life that I miss the young man behind the long hair and creative imagination. I’m very proud of the man Zach is becoming. And I’m excited to see how the careful choices he made tonight will effect him in the years to come.

2008-02-20T17:46:00.000-08:00

I have always been interested in genealogy. My active participation in research ebbs and flows based on my time and the tools I have around me. But I've discovered a cool new tool that is causing a resurgence in my ancestral investigation.

I've discovered Geni.com. This great web page is similar to social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace. I can invite my family members who can join and add the information they have on their family members.

On the first day, I personally added 100 names. In just 10 days, there are now more than 530 people listed in my tree, most of them added by other family members. How cool is that!

Spanish Love Song

2008-02-18T19:25:00.000-08:00

Maybe it is due to the distance between my wife and I right now (she's visiting family in North Carolina.) Or maybe it is because I keep trying to get my daughter to showcase her language skills. Whatever reason, I had to share this video!

Tag: Books

2008-02-18T16:42:00.000-08:00

I've received my first meme tag, a kind of viral "who are you" process by which you self-reveal information to the blogosphere. This one comes from Mike Comfort.

Here are the rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. No cheating!
2. Find page 123
3. Find the first 5 sentences
4. Post the next 3 sentences
5. Tag 5 people

Those who know me well know that I don't read a ton. But the book closest to where I sit is "The Billboard Guide to Contemporary Christian Music."

"Changing labels again, this time to Diadem, (Kim) Boyce released As I Am in 1997. This Adult Contemporary-slanted offering featured such key songs as the title track and "Amazing Love for Me," a duet about parenthood and sacrifice sung with her husband, musician Gary Koreiba. In recent years, Boyce has been active as a speaker at Christian inspirational conferences and other events."

I tag:
1. Josh
2. Jen
3. Janelle
4. Rich
5. Matt

A First

2008-02-15T19:05:00.000-08:00

My previous blog entry dealt with taking HS students to the coast where they will be helping direct a Jr. High retreat. One of those going, was my daughter Kara. Then about 5 hours later, Zach left to be an attendee of the same camp. I believe this marks the first weekend that both kids are gone on the same weekend and the parents are left kidless. Yikes... they're growing up!!!

Great Minds

2008-02-15T18:06:00.000-08:00

Today I drove the planning committee for Jr. High Jamboree to Twin Rocks (our church camp on the Oregon Coast). This group of eight High School students help to plan and organize a weekend getaway for junior high students from our church denomination. I really enjoyed being a “fly on the wall” as these bright students chatted about school politics, social issues, musical preferences, relationships, and more. I found this group to be articulate, thoughtful, and energetic.

We often hear the negative things about today’s youth, with all the problems of drugs, violence, and ambivalence to the real problems of the world. But I found great comfort in knowing that these young people were already becoming movers and shakers in our community and our world. I was honored to be in the company of these great minds as they openly discussed their involvement in the world around them. I am glad that I am a part of their community.

Oops, Thet cAint bee Wright

2008-02-13T16:10:00.000-08:00

I recently saw a widget on Mike Comfort's blog that supposedly rates your blog for readability. When I ran it on my page, I was shocked. I'm not sure I agree with the results, but here you go:

Inheritance

2008-01-09T06:45:00.000-08:00

A recent visit to my doctor revealed that I am mostly healthy. I was not surprised by the findings; relieved that I didn’t have diabetes. I do need to take off a few pounds and lower my blood pressure and cholesterol.

My research revealed that cholesterol is affected by diet, exercise, and genetics. While I can do something about the first two, the latter is part of who I am thanks to being my parents’ kid.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the traits and characteristics that are inherited. What parts of me are thanks to my parents, grandparents, and other ancestors? What am I passing on to my children?

I wonder if being a child of the King causes some “genetic” traits to be revealed in me as well. Sure I have responsibilities in staying spiritually healthy. But are there parts of my being that are a direct result of being God’s kid?

I sure hope so!

Finally, error messages I understand.

2008-01-09T04:52:00.000-08:00

We are all plagued by those pesky computer errors that pop up at the most inopportune time. Well, I've recently discovered some computer errors that were new to me. Don't you wish they were all written like this?

I've posted more of these at my website.

Kewl Links

2008-01-07T19:35:00.001-08:00

My friend Sherri often lists some of the cool web links she has found. So, I'm going to follow suite with my offerings:

Caloriesindrinks.com with my new attempt at watching my caloric and cholestorlic (?) intake, this site proved interesting.

Inca Cola! Many of us Peruvian missionary kids love this stuff. Now you can buy it here in the U.S.

Oregon Media Insiders an interesting way to stay up on the news of the inner workings of Oregon's media outlets.

iJunk

2008-01-07T19:03:00.000-08:00

Matt Butcher has helped me with my ChristianMusicArchive.com web site. This Christmas he had a very clever blog which, with his permission, I am reposting here.

As the holiday catalogs really start to stack up, I'm noticing a trend: iPod accouterments of all ilk grace the pages and websites of every retailer. And many of these are bordering on the ridiculous: A wall-mounted shower stall dock for your pod. A fake 3-foot juke box facade for you pod. And perhaps my favorite thus far, a desk lamp with an iPod dock (what it does, I don't know. Maybe the lights blink to the music.). I call this stuff iJunk.

So this got me thinking. Where in my life am I missing the capability to tote and play my entire music library? What moments of silence can be eradicated? I've come up with a top ten list. If you've got better ideas, send them my way.

1. StoveCast: An oven/stove appliance with an iPod doc that plays your tunes while cooking your food. Bonus feature: Music styles are matched to the ethnicity of the food being prepared.

2. DozeDock (aka PillowPod): A pillow with an iPod dock built in. It plays while you sleep -- perfect for subliminally absorbing information. Test tomorrow? Don't study. Just plug in your pod and hit the hay.

3. RockAroundTheMop: Household chores can really be a drag, but next time you get the urge to take a turn around the floor with your favorite mop, don't forget to plug in your iPod. With your favorite tunes at your fingertips, you can rock, rock, rock around the mop all night.

4. iSpresso: Get over the morning grog with a Latte and some tunes. It includes the wake-up cycle: (a) Play Bach's Wachet Auf ("Sleepers Awake"), (b) grind coffee, (c) play "Friday, I'm in Love" by the Cure, (d) make espresso, (e) play "Frothy the Snowman", (f) Steam milk and serve, (g) play "Flight of the Bumblebee" to get you pumped for the morning rush.

5. FirePod: There's nothing worse than having to put out a fire while not listening to music -- except maybe having a big red fire extinguisher that sits in your house with no other purpose other than putting out a fire if you should ever have one. Enter the FirePod: Make your fire extinguisher work for you. It plays tunes when you're not putting out fires. Heck, it even plays tunes when you are putting out fires.

6. MowDock: Jam while you mow the lawn. Along with a special vibration absorbing cradle, the MowDock includes automatic volume adjustment to really crank up the volume when the mower's on. WARNING: Frequent use of this device may cause hearing loss.

7. iAnswer: The answering machine was passé, almost eradicated by voicemail. But no more! Turn your iPod into an answering machine. Then, you can interleave those annoying messages with your favorite tunes. Listening to messages used to be a drag. Make it fun with iAnswer.

8. FlushDock (Several other possible names had to be removed here -- this is a family website): The average American spends over 40 hours a year using the toilet. (I'm at 72, and it is still November.) Do you really want to spend those 40 hours in silence? That's why there's FlushDoc. Just plug your iPod into the toilet and listen while you're on the go.

9. iSwear: Do you have a mouth like Chef Gordon Ramsey? Is that untamed tongue of yours getting you into trouble? If so, you need the iSwear iPod attachment. iSwear monitors your language, and when it detects certain speech patterns, it uses noise cancellation technology to censor your speech while simultaneously playing a socially appropriate alternative. Replace the F-bomb with "Golly." Downgrade excrement language. And with the auto-learning feature, iSwear can adapt to keep you out of trouble. Includes certificate for downloading audio files of "Golly," "Gosh," "[bleep]", "Darn it all to heck", "Goodness Me," and over 25 other socially appropriate alternative phraseologies.

10. SonicTooth: Medical research indicates that the average person spends far too little time brushing his or her teeth. Are we surprised? No! Precious listening possibilities are wasted while we brush those pearly whites. With the SonicTooth iPod dock, you can rock out while you knock out bad breath, gingivitis, and plaque. American Dental Association approval pending.

Christmas Came Late This Year

2007-12-29T19:42:00.000-08:00

Christmas came later than normal this year. Our family celebrates whenever we can get the clan together. We celebrated 5 days late this year so we could surprise Mom & Dad with a visit from my Sister and her family from Colorado!

Here the Nieces and Nephew open the door to surprise Grandma.

We really surprised Mom, who took about 30 - 45 minutes to really realize that the Haines were really there.

All in all, we had a great time, catching up and celebrating. Can you tell that we enjoy family get togethers like this.

Shawn Lewis of Hyper Static Union

2007-10-31T16:38:00.001-07:00

I've long been a fan of HyperStatic Union. I've known these guys since well before their RKT CD debut. These guys are incredibly talented and make some funky rock-n-roll. I've just about worn our their national debut release "Life Giver." You should really pick up a copy of this album!

Anyway, recently, I've stumbled on a video that I just had to share. Here is Shawn Lewis singing a song made popular by Michael Jackson. I've always been impressed by Shawn's vocal prowess. He is talented, earnest, and sound amazing. He even impressed Lenny Kravitz during the warm-up for a show in Portland.

I love telling you about quality musicians. Hopefully this video will encourage you to give a spin to HSU's music.

Encomium

2007-10-23T16:43:00.001-07:00

My weekly artist review is on Portland based band Encomium. This is a young band with some great talent. In 2006 they released “Expression of Praise”, an impressive 9-song disc which mixes rock riffs and worship lyrics.

One of the first things that grabbed my attention on this CD was the expert musicianship. This isn’t a sequenced garage band recording, but rather a major label quality offering. Many young bands have an album of songs that all sound the same stylistically. But this CD has a variety of sounds without becoming disjointed.

Led by Devy Jamin, the group has recently put out a new EP entitled “Like the Dawn”. The samples on their MySpace page promise more of the same quality and no-compromise lyrics found on their first effort.

Check these guys out at http://www.encomiummusic.com/

Keeping Up Appearances

2007-10-23T05:44:00.000-07:00

I have been bit by the Facebook bug. Like MySpace and other social networking sites Facebook allows you to connect with friends (new and old) through the Internet. I have enjoyed reading the profiles of friends whom I've not seen in years and finding out what they are now up to.

But as I've read the profiles of people from around the world, I'm struck by the fact that nearly all of us are trying to impress the readers of our profiles. We put our best foot forward. We tell about our accomplishments. We "brag" about where we've been and what we've done.

This has caused me to wonder what it would be like if we became really vulnerable and showed our true colors. What would happen if I told about my struggles and failures as well as my victories?

I'm not saying that we should avoid celebrating the high points of life. But I would guess that if we presented the dark sides as well as the bright we would be able to connect with each other on a deeper level. If we shared our frustrations and defeats we would most likely be able to relate better with others.

At this point in my life I've been longing for deeper connections with those people around me. I want to connect with people who have experienced the same struggles as I so that I can learn from them and discover how they worked through those difficult times. I want to share with others so they can learn from my mistakes and not have to repeat the negative lessons.

So, here is to being vulnerable; here is to presenting the real me, warts and all. And I hope that as we interact, we will be able to grow stronger as individuals and as friends through the better understanding of our shared victories AND failures.

Q v Q II

2007-10-14T07:37:00.000-07:00

A few months back I discussed my obsession with records in my GeoCaching quest. Since then Sam8994 and DarK JazZ have had many quality excursions. But today was a quantity day. 42 finds in 10 hours of hunting! Our new single day record. In fact, our new weekend record and a tie with the best week of caching.

Discovery

2007-09-13T07:33:00.000-07:00

One thing about living in a place for too long is that you begin to take things for granted. At least I do. I’ve lived in one of the most beautiful parts of the world for nearly ¼ of a century. But after the first few years I stopped exploring; stopped discovering; stopped recognizing. But then along came a life change, a fresh perspective, a new reason to enjoy my surroundings.

When my then future wife moved from El Paso to Portland, she was in awe of the wonder that is Oregon. And her excitement rubbed off on me. Again, my eyes were opened to the beauty, the majesty, the surroundings that I had become numb to. And I've spent the last seven years rediscovering my home.

During the past couple of weeks we have been exploring several of the small cities around us. These are places that I have had a very distinct mental image of what they would be like, despite never having been there. But with a renewed interest in exploring and looking and enjoying, it is with great pleasure that I recommend you visit: LaCenter and Battle Ground, WA, Silverton and Mt. Angel, OR… just to name a few. Go for the beauty. Go for the food. Go for the discovery.

Celebrating the Life of a Friend

2007-08-27T17:26:00.000-07:00

Today, I came home from work to find an e-mail that my college roommate and friend had passed away. I never know how to handle the passing of a dear friend or family member. My initial reaction is selfish… “We’ll never be able to _____ again.” Then I experience sadness for his family… “How will they cope with the loss of their husband and father?”

In the end, I have to remember that our life is a gift given us by God to use for a short while. There is no greater end to life then the knowledge that the fragile human shell we live in is stripped away and replaced with a perfect body and an eternity with God.

Jayson Jewell was a man that lived the example of Christ-like love and character, truly caring for others, brining joy to those with whom he came in contact with.

Despite the tears and sadness we are experiencing now, the world is a better place because God loaned us Jayson for a few short years. I am a better man because I knew Jayson as my friend and roommate. During this time of mourning, I pray that his family and friends can embrace his life in Christ even through his absence.

Exploring Oregon

2007-08-21T20:24:00.000-07:00

I love the Oregon Coast. This past weekend we spent three days with my cousin Sara traveling the Southern Oregon coast geocaching. We spent time in Bandon, North Bend, and Charleston.

The more we travel and explore our state, the more I am convinced that we live in the most beautiful part of the world. There is so much variety and beauty. There is urban connection and rural solitude.

Incidentally, we found our 300th geocache as well.

I'm Thankful For Friends

2007-08-20T23:49:00.000-07:00

I'm thankful for friends. I met my best friend at college in the late 80s. He is the kind of friend I hope I am to others. He stood with me through some of the darkest times in my life. He is always quick to offer a hand, provide a resource, or just hang out. He is always busy, but seldom for personal reasons. His schedule is filled with family activities, aiding his friends, and volunteering at church. He is a jack-of-all-trades. But most importantly, he cares. He has a genuine concern for those people in his life.

I'm thankful for friends. Today, I'm especially thankful for my friendship with Josh.

Chinese Food - for India

2007-08-16T00:59:00.000-07:00

I had chinese food for dinner tonight. That wasn't the highlite, though. For you see, this is a farewell dinner for the team of 11 who are going to India from our church. My purpose for joining these intrepid travelers is to support my daughter, who is one of the team.

This will be Kara's second time out of the USA (She went to Mexico during Spring Break.) But I am strangely calm through all of this. I'm proud of her desire to reach out to the less fortunate in the world, to better understand their situation in life, and to expand her world view.

I am completely amazed at how God provided for her trip. Her financial support came in well above what she needed and so she could support others on the team. She was inundated by letters of encouragment and commitments to pray while she is on this trip. WOW!

I invite you to pray with me for Kara and the team. You can stay up on their 15 day trip by visiting the team's official blog.

Because I've ALWAYS Done It That Way

2007-08-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

I started my annual fantasy football league yesterday. 12 years ago, when I started this thing, I religiously watched the football games and compared my picks with friends who joined in. I tracked everyone's picks in Excel and sent out e-mails on a weekly basis reminding everying to send in their choices for the week.

Now I utilize a the fantasy sports portion of Yahoo to drive my league and I only have to make my own picks, not track everyone else's activity. Due to my spot in life, I also don't watch as many games as I used to. Seems there are more important things to do with my time.

So, why do I continue this game? Why do I spam all my friend's e-mail boxes once a year to invite them to join, when only a handful actually participate?

I think it is because I like consistancy. I enjoy knowing that things stay the same. I like the fact that even though I'm not writing a personal e-mail, at least I'm contacting my friends on an annual basis. Not really the best mode of conversation and relationship building. But hey... I've always done it that way!

Quanity vs. Quality

2007-07-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

My wife and kids have been out of the state, and I am playing the bachelor role. So what better way then to hook up with my GeoCaching cousin and heading out to break all our personal GC records.

We went to Lincoln City and went for as many caches as we could in a day... ended up getting 35. Then on Sunday we went to the gorgeous Mt. Hood and went searching for GCs that were in beautiful locations.

This weekend we found 40 caches, set new records, and enjoyed exploring God's creation (some enhanced or de-enhanced by man.)

The Concert Season is Over

2007-06-21T09:43:00.000-07:00

For many, summer brings festivals and concerts from their favorite artists. But for me, the concert season ends tonight. For the past nine months I have had season tickets to concerts by my kids. Between private piano lessons, school concerts, jazz band, solo festivals and community band, my kids have showcased their musical talents.

I am so grateful that the musical gene has been passed to the kiddos. It is fun to watch them get excited about different music styles and instruments, and to watch their eyes light up when they see a musician who does exceptionally well. It is also fun to watch them hone their musical chops, improving their technique, and fine tuning their craft.

So this year’s concert season is over. And I only have three months to sew the buttons back on all my shirts before the next season begins.

Invisible Children

2007-05-29T23:35:00.000-07:00

I just spent a couple of hours with some of the youth from our church who were showing a movie regarding the Invisible Children of Uganda. This is a documentary showing the suffering and plight of children who run from their rural homes to the cities to escape the atrocities of being abducted and forced into slavery, raped, turned into soldiers, or even worse, killed.

It seems impossible for me to express the impact this had on me, so I invite you to look at the InvisibleChildren.com website.

The documentary was very moving and made me wonder what I could do. I’m just one man and these kids are on the other side of the earth. Can I really make a difference?

And then I watch my daughter and her friends as they work to raise awareness of this African tragedy. Tonight they are recreating the 5-mile walk many of these kids take each day and night to go to school and then back to the safety of hospitals and other public places. They will sleep at the local hospital and then walk 5 miles back to school tomorrow morning.

These kids are putting action to their beliefs that we should do something. And while it may seem insignificant, they are jumping into action with the resources they have. So when did I become complacent and think that I couldn’t make a difference any longer? I fear I am making myself invisible out of ignorance and lack of action.

This... is American Idol

2007-05-23T01:52:00.000-07:00

As I watched tonight’s American Idol, I was like a giddy school kid to hear that Scott Krippayne was co-writer of the winning song in the new songwriter competition portion of the show. It has been fun over the past couple of years to see Christian music show up on this popular reality show. Season 4 had Nadia Turner sing “The Power of Love” by Ashley Cleveland. This year Chris Sligh sang dc Talk’s “Wanna Be Loved.” And who can miss 3rd place finisher Melinda Doolittle who has done some impressive backing vocals on albums by Charlie Peacock and others.

I am glad that music made by Christians AND Christian music is finding its way into the mainstream. There are so many components to why this is happening (society’s spiritual hunger, disgust with inappropriate lyrics, and quality production in recent years in the CCM industry to name a few.) But regardless of the reasons, I’m thankful that people in the high profile entertainment industry are staying true to God’s command to be salt and light to our world.

Benny's Back!

2007-05-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

When I was a much younger lad, and before I knew what an audiophile was, I really enjoyed the music of Benny Hester. Not only did he have a great sound, he wrote songs that really affected me during various times of my life. “Nobody Knows Me Like You,” was important during the break-up of a relationship. “When God Ran” helped during a difficult time in college. I even got to promote a concert with Benny when I was first starting my concert promotion business.Benny took a break for a while and worked in TV. From 1993 to 1996 he was a Music Producer and Songwriter for the Nickelodeon show Roundhouse (which incidentally starred an up-and-coming Crystal Lewis.)I’m happy to report that after a nearly 17 year break, Benny is working on a new record. Check out his new songs on his web site.

Bigger and Better

2007-05-16T09:50:00.000-07:00

"Now with twice the calcium!"
"Home of the largest airplane in the world."
"More horsepower than our competitors."

I’m struck by society’s need to out-do everyone. We want “new and improved.” We have to have more capacity. A large soda isn’t enough, we have to upgrade to an extra large.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand that technology allows us to create more for less money in less time. I’m aware that innovation spawns growth.

But sometimes I wish that we could all just enjoy status quo. That keeping up with the Joneses would mean staying in touch with them as individuals, not trying to buy a better boat or a bigger lawn mower. How can I make “bigger and better” refer to my relationship with people, and not with things? Is it possible to connect with people without having to compare ourselves with their things or their status?

I hope so…

A Hard Act To Follow

2007-05-10T19:58:00.000-07:00

When I started this blogging adventure, I had grandiose ideas of documenting my thoughts on a daily basis. But to be quite truthful, I’ve found it difficult to come up with anything interesting to say the past couple of days. I long for the skill to be witty and clever and to change the world with my thoughts [insert maniacal laugh of Dr. Evil here].

I have been inspired by several folks who blog nearly daily. These people write about their observations, feelings, and opinions.

My favorite is a second cousin whose nearly daily entries are succinct, entertaining, and thought provoking.

I also enjoy reading the thoughts from our music pastor and church secretary (yes, they are married… to each other).

My goal is to be more aware of my surroundings and document the things I care about. I think that means taking a more active, intentional role in my day-to-day activities.

It's OK...

2007-05-04T09:06:00.000-07:00

.... to be in a bad mood.

You know, growing up I thought that bad moods were supposed to be pushed down inside and covered with a fake smile. Being upset was a bad thing. My parents never really taught that in words, but that is what our family did in action. I've lived under that motto for nearly 3 1/2 decades.

Then I met the woman of my dreams. And she explained... no encouraged me to own my bad moods. All I have to tell her is that I'm mad, or grumpy, or sad. And I'm free to vent that emotion. I can't tell you how freeing that is. I'm no longer an emotional pressure cooker, shoving more anger and frustration inside, waiting for the top to blow. Now I just express my moods and let them desolve away. At least that is the goal. 35+ years of stuffing practice is a hard habit to break.

That being said... I'm in a funky mood. And its OK.

MMMM

2007-05-01T08:19:00.000-07:00

So, I've been watching several of my friends’ blogs and they have inspired me to attempt a daily routine of documenting some of my thoughts. I've been impressed by some of the clever names people give their blogs, and I knew I had to come up with something clever as well.

Problem: I don't consider myself to be very creative. In fact, I'm a numbers guy and do better with the constancy of numbers. (You only have to count to 10 as an accountant, you know.) Not necessarily part of the standard creative mind.

Solution: When I was a kid in high school, I published a monthly newsletter that I sent to all my friends as a way of keeping in touch (this was way before the advent of e-mail.) One of my friends came up with the name Mischievous Maurer's Miscellaneous Misquotes as the title of this weak attempt at communication. As I contemplated the name of this small space of internet real estate, I thought the title would fit here as well.

Finally, I decided to create a blog category called MMMM for the completely random and uncatagorizeable drivel I will spill on these pages; very miscellaneous, slightly mischievous, and largely misquotable.

So, I've succeeded in a couple of things today. I've created another entry into the public online diary that is my blog. I've been ever so slightly creative by giving homage to a historical burst of creativity (unfortunately not mine). And I've given myself yet one more opportunity to elaborate effusively on inconsequential topics.

Boy, isn't that a hook to keep you coming back for more!

Christian Music Heritage

2007-04-30T21:43:00.000-07:00

I am a music junkie. There, I said it. But that still doesn't remedy my problem... I have so much music, that I seldom get to listen to it all. But fortunately, the iPod came along. Now I shuffle through my entire collection randomly and within a four or five month period, I'll hear every album...

... except my records. But I've been in the process of ripping my vinyl to a digital format that can be played on my iPod. During this task, I've rediscovered a lot of really cool music! (It has to be cool, if it is in my collection, right?!)

So today, I'm listening to Sheila Walsh's 1983 "War of Love". I bought this record when I was working at a radio station in Boise. I loved the 80's techno beat, fairly rare in ccm at the time. Admittedly, it sounds a bit dated today, but it sure brings back some great memories!

All this has got me thinking about how thankful I am that people have been making music glorifying God. For decades artists have been expressing their beliefs through music, each in their own styles. And I am confident that the music industry today is a much better place thanks to the work of people like Sheila Walsh... or Martin Luther... or King David.

My hope is that generations from now, people will look back at the music of today and be thankful for the legacy Christian musicians are leaving right now.

The Music of Nature

2007-04-29T11:59:00.000-07:00

My wife and I enjoy GeoCaching. Yesterday we spent the day in the scenic Columbia Gorge of Oregon, and I was impressed again by all the music of nature.

Wind strumming through the trees

Water splashing over waterfalls

Birds singing

The percussive pops of the trees warming in the sun

And this doesn't even begin to touch on the sights and smells! What a wonderful, musical world God has made for us to enjoy!

It's Everywhere

2007-04-28T07:57:00.000-07:00

I am struck with the importance of music. The commercials on TV I remember most, have a catchy jingle. Everyone has a portable music device. Most stores have some kind of overhead music playing. The world seems to have surrounded itself with music.

All this makes me wonder, is my Christian walk as pervasive as music? Does my relationship with Christ affect everything I do and everywhere I go?

Unfortunately, I think not. Like most musicians, I guess I need to practice my Christian walk so as to be more "listenable".