Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Nothing says Autumn like...

turning colors all around

rustling at your feet

zipping up your jacket

scurrying squirrels

corn mazes and fresh apples

feste mit lederhosen

pumpkins and cornstalks

twilight coming so early

and for me...

reflection time

retreat weekends

special occasions

(sometimes even all together)

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

How very sporting.

This last weekend was a fab sports weekend for expatriate Wisconsinites like me on several levels. Not only did the Badgers football team acquit themselves well, but the Packers did also. The Brewers tried hard, but booted the pooch, as the saying goes. I was lucky enough to see two of the three events in person, too. :)

Here's proof:






(including proof that I didn't abandon my studies all weekend..)

Thursday, October 13, 2011

October Concerti

It is officially Autumn here in the heartland - my favorite time of year. The last blast of Summer's hot breath has breezed through, and for the rest of the month the daily high temp will apparently stay below 70. Ahhh.

So, I'm out in the elements a titch more, taking the occasional picture - like this one of a new electric powered vehicle filling station added to the parking lot of the local library in its recent renovation. How about that? Guess I can go ahead with that Nissan Leaf now. ;)


I've also been keeping track of a certain tree underneath which I park each workday. I remember her (him? it?) from last year as having red leafy highlights in her foliage, and true to form, she's at it again. Note the progress over the last two weeks:






I do love the walk to/from the building now. It has a soundtrack, provided by squirrels and my feet: rustle, rustle, rustle. :)

Okay, so I've covered the October part of the title to this post, but what about the Concerti part? So, here you go:

First, a show by Mat Kearney, with an opening act provided by a band named Leagues.



Kearney was great. He had a winning style with the audience, extemporizing lyrics on the spot to insert a local vibe into his songs, and even jumping down onto the floor and singing his way around the room. The girls in attendance went nuts at that part, crowding past where we were in order to "touch the singer". Easy, girls. Yikes!


So, all in all an excellent show, as was the next one about 10 days later: Explosions in the Sky. Woo! They are one of my favorites. Such good "study music" - no lyrics, ever.

Kind of an old, ragged venue, with the inside about as in need of a refresh as the neon sign on the outside.


The facility was huge, with loads of tables and some decent lighting off in a corner, so I could even knock off some assigned reading for TS794DE while enjoying the music. Just like at home, except ... louder!


The opener was a band named Wye Oak. Not really my speed, a little angry-sounding on both the guitar and vocal, but certainly enough to wake up the crowd.


The headliner, though, was just superb. The front man (if you can call him that) very politely introduced the band, made some kind remarks about being here, and then kicked of 90 minutes of non-stop music. And I mean non-stop. No break between songs, no thank yous or words of any kind again until they said thank you and good night. Crazy.


They remind me of a contemporary new-agey rock version of Phil Spector's old "wall of sound" concept. It just washes over you like an incessant pounding surf, insistent, rhythmic, and intense. Several times I needed to lean up against a pillar to keep from tipping backwards when I would close my eyes and simply "feel" it.

Great shows, and so far a great month.

Thursday, October 06, 2011

Religion and Economics Don't Mix

Or maybe they do!

USA Today ran a story recently about how Americans' religious views serve as a lens through which they view how the economy works (or should work). From this study one may be able to venture a guess at the predominant religious view of the folks taking part in the "Occupy Wall Street" movement. Read on...

Here's an excerpt from the story referring to the work of Paul Froese, one of the authors of a study by Baylor University:

Most (81%) political conservatives say there is one "ultimate truth in the world, and new economic information of cost-benefit analysis is not going to change their mind about how the economy should work," Froese says.

At the opposite pole, another one in five Americans don't see God stepping in to their daily lives and favor reducing wealth and inequality through taxation. "So they're less likely to see God controlling the economy. Liberal economic perspectives are synonymous with the belief that there is no one 'ultimate truth,'" Froese says.

So to Conservatives (at least to the religious ones) government fiscal policy stands in opposition to God's dominion over economic life. God is, or should be, in charge. But to Liberals (at least to the secular ones), government fiscal policy is an example of how humans work together to create social order; God has nothing to do with it.

This is another example of how the vitriolic partisan rhetoric of Republican vs Democrat is masking a more serious divide - an ideological one. Looking back on past ideological divides (independence, slavery, prohibition) one gets the sense that this one could also get violent without too much provocation. It's not about party affiliation. It's about worldview. And worldviews come from deep-seated convictions, which people will defend at great cost.
Who links to my website?