Making the Impossible Possible

For a long time, I've really wanted to get into wood working. I don't know a THING about it. Have no clue how to operate a drill press, circular or band saw, or most other power tools. See, the "Private School" I attended as a young man did me a great injustice by killing off "Industrial Arts" before I was old enough to take the class. SO, here I am. Wanting to start out and not having the faintest idea how to do it.

Here's what I will be making tho - a fret-less mountain banjo. Nothing sounds like them, nothing feels like them, and I know I can do it. There are gun and fiddle makers in my family, in fact, my great grandfather was one of them. It's got to run in the blood. How else do you know that you'll be successful before you even start?

Well, there's always the possibility that I'm a raving head case too...

It's Rob-Roy This Way,That Way, and Everywhere You Go

It's August and already Robin Carnahan and Roy Blunt are slinging mud at each other. I have dubbed them with the nickname "Rob-Roy" for convenience. You'll notice around every signature show on television, their commercials dominate to see who can out do who in the arena of nastiness. Gone already are the days of the positive effect someone could have in Washington. Gone are the speeches on high ideals, high ethics, the ability to affect things for the better, and actually, higher standards. Anyone who would dare speak in the positive MUST be "high" themselves!

But dear friend, when you look at the root cause, it's really not their fault, it's ours.

We don't respond well to "pie in the sky" ideals anymore. If it's all sunshine and apple pie, then it can't be worth our effort to know what the issue is or to go vote on it. It's also our fault that we have not pushed our Congressional Representatives and Senators to pass a strong campaign finance bill. When running for office in a heated Arkansas primary costs more than most people will ever make in 6 life times, the system is completely broken. Ditto in Missouri.

I expected better from Rob-Roy, and I am disappointed in both of you.

Sweet Sweet Music - Tim Eriksen

As I was working through things today, I decided that I wanted something to listen to while I was working. Lately, I've been fascinated with the sound of the Mountain Banjo - the kind you will find in "Foxfire 3" that Stanley Hicks made famous. As I was searching, I ran across a banjo player named Tim Eriksen. Tim sings everything that is old, from hymns to ballads, to story songs. He is a man after my own heart as I think I was born old in many ways.

Here is a snipped about him that I found on Wikipedia:

Eriksen is a Ph.D. candidate in ethnomusicology at Wesleyan University, having received an M.A. in the same discipline from Wesleyan in 1993, and has served as a visiting music professor at Dartmouth College, Amherst College, Hampshire College and the University of Minnesota.^[5] He has also taught in Poland and The Czech Republic.^[1] Additionally, Eriksen is a collector of variations of folk songs, and has conducted extensive research on traditional Yugoslavian music.^[2][6] Eriksen shared his extensive knowledge of folk music while a consultant for the soundtrack of the film Cold Mountain.^[1][2]

Amazing sound. I hope you will give it a listen and find a favorite or two yourself.

The Road To Hell...

When I started this blog some years ago, I meant it to be a daily reflection of my thoughts, feelings, and my unusual takes on life in the 417. Yet, I should have known better. You see, I am one of those people that a 1 year journal will last 3 years. I let my time get eaten up by other things, and end up not writing every day like I plan.

I guess it's not all a bad thing, but it does fall into that saying: "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions." I've had lots of good intentions over time but they don't always pan out.

So, to those of you who check back on occasion to see if I'm still fogging a mirror, indeed, I am. Thank you for your patience, and your reading. Best hopes that I don't take that road again anytime soon.

--MR