TheSmithViewpoint

30 September 2005

Bassist convinced he's the best musician in the worship band


LarkNews.com
FRANKFORT, Kentucky — Jerry Clark can slap the bass with the best players in town. And as a member of First Assembly of God's worship band, he's convinced he's better than anyone else on the platform.

"I'm way ahead of the other guys in terms of talent," he says during a break at Saturday worship band practice.

Clark has played in a local rock band for 18 years, honing his bass-playing gift. The band has made several CDs and tours widely in the southwestern tip of Kentucky.

Clark began lending his musical expertise to First Assembly 11 years ago, but at times gets fed up with the amateurs in the worship band.

"The piano lady can only play notes you put in front of her," he says. "She can't jam. I'll be over there slapping and grooving, and these other guys look at me like, 'What? What?' They get so caught up in what I'm doing, they lose their place. I'm like, 'Dudes, play the worship music!'"

Clark says he often feels he's "carrying the band," but he's committed to it as his ministry.

"Everyone's got their cross," he says. •

posted by Smith @ 9/30/2005 11:37:00 AM 0 comments

Quality time with Coldplay

Last night I had a gobsmacking dream that I was spending some quality time with the guys from Coldplay. We were in London. We weren't doing anything specific, however, we were on a bus for a brief time--a school bus that is. How barmy is that?

Like any Joe Bloggs would, I tried to be as close to Chris(topher Anthony John) Martin for as much of the time as possible. But I enjoyed being around Jonny, Will, and Guy as well. At one point we were waiting on the tube in London, and I was really admiring all of their jeans, which were each unique and saturated with style. At the same time I was wondering "Where is Gweneth, why isn't she here?"

I indulged in the moment that I was watching Chris and one of the guys mucking about just before we hopped on the tube. This was the last thing I remember.

I hope that Chris and the guys will invite me to hang out again soon. For the short time that I was with them I had a smashing time, and it was all yellow.

posted by Smith @ 9/30/2005 08:43:00 AM 0 comments

29 September 2005

This is the new nap


One of the coolest ideas I've seen in the service industry. MetroNaps promotes the strategy of power naps during the day to optimize your lifestyle in many ways. Their MetroNaps pod utilizes a comfortable reclining chair that is surrounded by a protective "cocoon" that gives you a sense of privacy.

Would it be too much to ask if we wanted to being a partner to snuggle up with while we both power up?

I'll take one right over here!

posted by Smith @ 9/29/2005 08:24:00 AM 0 comments

26 September 2005

The Myth of Hurricane Rita

It was a Hurricane party in Houston! But the guest of honor never showed up. I was both disappointed and relieved at the same time. However, trying to evacuate the fourth largest city in the United States is nothing less than a cluster-fuck.

Dayna and I decided to try and leave late Wednesday night, but after several hours of preparations, we needed some sleep before making what could potentially be a 24-(or more) hour evacuation. We had made a reservation at the nearest hotel with rooms available—Comfort Inn in Little Rock, Arkansas!

On Thursday morning we started out on our indefinite trip. We had about two-thirds of a tank, and needed to top it off before we headed out. We stopped at one of the very few gas stations that were still open and waited a good 25 minutes before it was our turn to pump.

After a fill-up and a stop at Randall’s for a restroom break and a $5 bag of grapes (our only healthy snack), we continued our venture. Staying mainly on back streets, we avoided most of the traffic until we were almost out of Houston. Just before we reached the city limits, our “almost-faithful” Ford Focus began to express her nervous hesitation. After several stalls and hearing that Rita was making a northward turn, we made a tough decision to turn around and head back home.

I have never been grateful for a car that brakes down. This is a first. Missouri City (where we currently live) received only a brush of Rita’s long arms, and turned out to be more of a peaceful storm than the fury we had feared. Our electricity wasn’t off for more than a few hours during the night—I think it was probably turned off manually as a precaution.

Some call it a “near-miss”—I think that’s a misnomer. I’d call it a “near-hit.” We lucked out, and I’ll be thankful for that.

posted by Smith @ 9/26/2005 08:32:00 AM 1 comments

12 September 2005

The Return to Makeshift Reality

After an entire week of jerking off (or being jerked off) in Guatemala, Jake has returned to his homeland to resume reality as he knows it. Welcome home; now, back to the task at hand: the hunt for an ass to cuddle.

posted by Smith @ 9/12/2005 09:57:00 AM 1 comments

08 September 2005

Sweet Guataland!

One humid morning in Houston, Jake, a close friend of mine, was sitting comfortably at his gate in Terminal C. He was certain as to which was the appropriate gate because he had read it aloud from his boarding pass several times. Was Jake alone? Certainly not. He was accompanied by an unbalanced ratio of those touring and those native to their destination.

Jake looked up from the page he was on in Harry Potter:The Liger in the Witch's Wardrobe to glance out of the terminal window. His eyes immediately moved to the aircraft on which he would soon be boarding. He noted the girth of the plane, and how alive the vessel seemed with so many men moving in and out of it. He looked down at the men, and imagined that they were there working only for him. This pretend sparked a wish within his head: Ooh, I hope one of the flight attendants is a man. In fact, I hope they're all men! Yum!

His thought was interrupted by the gate agent: "Ladies and gentlemen [blah, blah, blah]..."

"Ooh, that's me (or us?)!" He quickly grabbed his carry-on, almost forgetting to grab Harry, to which he whispers, "I couldn't leave without you, Harry!" He trotted over to the line already growing, trying to get as close to the front of it as he could get away with. "Move bitch!" he demanded, pushing a plump, middle-aged woman back where she belonged.

This was the trip Jake had been waiting for since his last trip in 2000, and he was not going to let some "weight-watcher" slow him down......

To be continued? We'll see......

posted by Smith @ 9/08/2005 03:11:00 PM 1 comments

07 September 2005

De Ja Vous Rendezvous

A precious appointment has slipped quietly past like a phantom, and there is no one who can catch it. Two remote friends turn in sync to watch it shrink hastily into the distance. There is nothing to do but gaze in confusion, wondering what went wrong.

I beckon my left arm to come up, and I look down at my timepiece. This reminds me of an important fact: as long as we are still living, there is always another chance. Let us all be grateful for the faithful and continuous appearance of opportunity, and never take it for granted.

posted by Smith @ 9/07/2005 11:28:00 AM 1 comments

My Photo
Name:
Location: Elmhurst, Illinois

husband, father, son, brother, friend; curious, skeptical, cognizant, reasonable, liberal, freethinker

Google