UPDATE: Son Throws Out Cosmic Hippo With Bath Water

Darn. One of the reasons I was so excited about the Flecktones' music was because of the fantastic bass playing. I've got a son who plays guitar, and I thought this CD would be something we could both enjoy.

Wrong.

My guitar-playing son listens to the same jazz station I do, and he had already heard Flight of the Cosmic Hippo and was not impressed. Totally not. There was no way he was going to listen to any more of their music, thank you very much.

But then... He heard this AMAZING bassist but missed the identifying commentary after the song, and was bummed. I showed him how to find the station's playlist online (yes -- me!!! I did that for him!!!) and you'll never guess what we discovered. Try. Can you guess? Yep, the bass player was none other than Victor Wooten, bassist for the Flecktones! Score one for the square mom!

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Suburban Mom Impacted by Flying Hippopotamus!

All I was doing was driving home from work one night. Sure, it was kind of late, and it was dark, but not THAT late. The hippo just came at me from out of nowhere, flying across the airwaves of my favorite jazz station. One line of that ultra-smooth, super low bass, and I was a complete goner. I saw that hippo floating across the night sky...

The tune was Flight of the Cosmic Hippo, by Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. The title track's name was goofy enough for me to remember when I got home, and the second-busiest library system in the nation had a copy available for me.

Along with needing to listen to more of this stuff for myself, I thought this might be something my guitar playing son would enjoy. Oh, wrong. He has heard one piece by the Flecktones, and wasn't impressed. Too bad! But I still can't get enough of them, so Pete's going to have to put up with me listening to it as often as I can... when he's not around to complain.

Amazing music. If you're not already turned off, here's my description. It's a little of Randy Newman's tonality, some incredibly low rumbly bass, percussion lines a la Mutemath, and pure fun. And banjo! Of all things, banjo and harmonica! Best of all, listening to it made me laugh. It was that much fun!

I'll be checking out more CDs once I get my fill of the Cosmic Hippo. A word to the wise, though. Copying music from library CDs is still a violation of the law. Don't go there. Thanks.

"I Need a Four Who KNOWS Something!"

The action in this weekend's game didn't bring me near the players so that I could overhear any incriminating comments, but I did catch this one from the head coach.

It was kind of a sorry excuse for a game. The other team, according to my sports-history-buff husband, might never have had a winning season. Ouch. Lots of reasons for this year not getting off to a good start, and all I can say is that I'm glad it's not us. It's one thing to have a horrible, awful, three- or four- or seven-year losing streak. But what about never attaining better than a .500 record, ever? Plodding along, trying to build a program, teaching fundamentals and evaluating your players' strengths and trying to come up with an overall plan that maximizes every potential, so that maybe this year you might come out ahead of your main rival.

During the second half, late in the second half, the other guys were moving the ball up the field against our subs. Our coach has never been one to run up the score, and he wasn't going to put in any first-string kids, but OH MY GOODNESS he got a little upset when a particular player didn't perform his duties adequately. Thus, the imperative statement quoted above. Sorry, I don't know what a "four" is, but that's beside the point.

It's hard to be a sub. It's hard to be ready, knowing that you're only going into the game if there's a significant injury or a substantial lead. It's hard to be out there under the lights and remember everything you've been taught in practice. Everything. And it's hard to play for a team with a mediocre record. No matter how good your best effort is, there are probably several players on the other team who are bigger, faster, stronger than you are, and they'll eat you for lunch.

What do you do, then? Keep practicing, learn your position (even you "fours"), and make sure you've got all your gear on for every game. You never know. You just never know. It could be just a short series of plays, or it could be the game on which the whole season depends.

Servants, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

Announcing...

My friend Linda has posted an interview -- mine! -- on her website. If you haven't already heard about my work in progress (aka, what I'm editing when I'm not here blogging) this gives a little introduction. Her website is gorgeous, and she's got interesting stuff posted besides this little piece, so jump on over and check it out! Here is Linda's website.

And, as always, thanks for checking in on the Wise Dogs. Woof!



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Ready to Fumble! (NOT)

Am I in an alternate universe, where there are now two suns? Or is this Two Moons over Miami? No -- even better than that, it's football season! And how's this for an unidentifying photograph?

Best sideline quote tonight: "I don't know what just happened, but [Coach] sure is angry. What happened?"

What happened was that we intercepted the ball, but our player was ruled out of bounds so there was no interception. This was in the fourth quarter, coming down to the end of the game. We lost.

After the teams exchanged greetings and the other guys sang their school song and did a happy dance, our players dispersed and the coaches and wives started chatting. "How are you? Did you have a good week? It's nice to see you again!" I was tallying up the numbers in the scorebook, and at first it struck me as odd that the adults seemed so happy. We LOST, darn it! But the game is the kids' game. The coaches did everything they could do tonight, and our boys didn't come up with a win. They will have films to watch and practices to run before next Friday, but for now we have lives to live. We might as well enjoy the company of friends, right?

I wonder what new tricks the inflatable mascot will invent for next week.

Difficult Instructions

origami
Originally uploaded by jtomas

The first time you made an origami figure, did it bother you a little that you had to fold the decorated side of the paper inside? But that's the side you want to display -- how come it's now hidden?

That's like the message I read recently in the book of Jeremiah. The Lord said to tell the people that the only way they'd have their land and their freedom was to give up their land and their freedom. To the Babylonians, no less! Anyone who tried to hang on to what he thought he owned, would lose it big time. But those who gave up, who submitted to captivity or slavery or occupation, the Lord would later vindicate.

I would probably have been one of the folks stomping their feet and saying, "No way! No way! No way!" But God is sovereign, He is all-knowing, and He does have a plan. It's going to turn out right in the end, for those who follow His directions every step of the way.