Where did my baby girl go?
By admin | March 6, 2008
Twelve years ago I sat in my living room and watched the most beautiful three week old baby girl fall asleep in her little swing. Meigan was quite a handful. Born Feb 25, 1996 she scared us to death in the hospital with a collapsed lung. She had to stay in the hospital 2 weeks, which seemed like an eternity, but when she came home it was apparent that her little lungs had healed, and were quite healthy!
The swing….you see, after a maddening night of screaming and crying like infants are prone to do, I figured out I could put her in the swing, wind it up, and her little eyelids would get very heavy and she would fall off to sleep as the swing went back and forth..back and forth. It was such a peaceful, quiet time which I tried to enjoy since I knew she would soon awaken and demand to be fed.
She was the prettiest infant ever. I know, all parents say that, but really, she had the most beautiful eyes, and the softest light reddish blonde hair you’ve ever seen. We named her Meigan…poor girl doomed to have her name misspelled all her life, but the spelling was different, as she was different, and nothing but “Meigan” would do.
I remember her first smile. Her whole face would light up, and a big huge toothless grin would come across her face. Everyone commented at how cute her smile was. She was very friendly long before she could say anything. As she grew she bonded with me, and I was so proud that she was a “daddy’s girl.”
When she began to walk, she was a VERY hard to keep up with. Her mom and I would take turns chasing her, one of us would wear out and would say “it’s your turn”. Meigan was nine months old when my mother passed away, and I remember being in the hospital with Meigan visiting my mother during her last days…Meigan would run up and down the halls and was quite rowdy.
Although Meigan was very young, I am glad she got to know my mother if only for a brief time. Meigan got my mom’s red hair, and some of her strong determined personality.
What happened to my baby? This morning she brought me some poetry she had written. It blew me away, my baby girl now a 12 year old young lady who writes poetry…and is a vegetarian…and has opinions on politics, religion, and most anything. Meigan likes oldies, just like her dad. She knows just about anything, plays clarinet, plays basketball, loves animals, has a My Space, loves her friends…
My little baby girl is gone…she’s now a young lady. Soon it will be going off with friends, cars, boyfriends….how I miss that little swing in the living room.
Topics: Family, Ramblings | No Comments »
Mark Dunn and Steve Porter to play at Maytown Baptist
By admin | March 6, 2008
Maytown Baptist at is having a spring revival this April, and on April 6th, Mark Dunn and yours truly, Steve Porter will be providing special music for this service. There will be a guest speaker, and more details about him will posted soon. Maytown is a great place to worship, and home of one of the greatest ministers of our time, Rev John H Killian, or as his congregation calls him, “Brother John”.
If you haven’t heard Mark Dunn, you’ve missed hearing some great gospel saxaphone! He was instrumentalist of the year 2004 and brings the saxaphone alive in concert.
I will be accompaning him on some tunes, and will also play and sing a couple of my favorite songs.
Special thanks for John Killian and Lee Majors for the invite!
See you at Maytown!
When: April 6th
Time: 6PM
Topics: Annoucement | No Comments »
Goodbye, Hillary…?
By admin | February 29, 2008
Lord knows I am not a political analyst, but I do like to observe things about the candidate, and have my opinions. I just haven’t learned to keep them to myself…J
Is it just me or did Hillary look a little defeated in the debate a few nights ago? She’s still swinging for sure and talking like big candidates do, but something in her demeanor looked as if has conceded. Perhaps it was her defensive remarks about always getting the first question, but it just seemed more of a body language thing to me. The remarks certainly didn’t help her, although she did have a point. The media loves Obama…he brings a certain charisma, a newness we haven’t seen in a long time. Hillary? Well, she’s been around for quite sometime and seems almost old school compared to Obama.
I almost felt sorry for her. She has had an interesting political career, and has won my respect a long time ago, even I do not agree with her on many issues. The right wing pundits have ensured she has instant name recognition as she was trashed back in her husband’s term almost as much as ol “Slick Willy” himself.
She was the ultimate evil liberal, roots in the 60’s generation, wild eyed bra burning woman’s libber who clung to her husband mainly for political reasons. Rush Limbaugh told us how theirs was a marriage of convenience…(ha, imagine that, Rush Limbaugh judging someone else’s marriage..LOL).
I have to say it was fun watching all these batty right wingers warning us of the dangers of “Hillarycare” and scaring us to death about the Canadian system which according to them, left people waiting months and months for critical care. It’s amazing what some people can come up with in an attempt to discredit. Who can forget her health care proposal? I thought the folks at Fox News heads’ were going to explode, just like the classic scene in “the Scanner.” Why if passed, we might as well take down the American Flag, throw out the Constitution and put the Communist Manifesto in its place. Socialized medicine, government bureaucracy, it was the end of
But gradually things changed. She was elected to Congress and now looked less the crazy hippie flower girl, and more the intelligent congress-lady she was. Michael Moore in his movie “Sicko” took her to task as being part of the
I shouldn’t make prediction, but I think the 2007 elections are over for Hillary. She’ll bow out gracefully, but she’ll be back. She’s been cast in so many roles…the wild eyed liberal, the socialist, the poor woman whose husband cheats on her, the smart sassy powerful woman that makes conservatives shake in their jack boots, and now the moderate Democrat who is way too establishment for a country wanting change. What will she be when she’s back? Who knows, but I somehow think she’ll be around a long time.
Topics: Politics | No Comments »
The Power of Music
By admin | February 4, 2008
I haven’t been to a classical concert in years, but I remember one of my favorite things was sitting there a few minutes before the concert started and hearing the sounds of the instruments tuning up. It it a chaotic, non-musical type sound, but yet somehow very energetic. You could feel the anticipation.
Then, the conductor walks up, raises his baton, and everything comes together. From chaos springs beauty! Everyone is now on the same page, and although the notes and rhythms form complex patterns with all the instruments playing different parts, everything comes together and the listeners are inspired.
And the thing is, all those people in the orchestra have different backgrounds, beliefs, religions, cutures, even languages. Their instruments were designed and developed from different parts of the world by people who could only imagine that their invention would be part of a grand concert. And they play music that spans time…the great classics still alive as evidenced by the passionate players and eager audience. The composer might have lived 300 years ago, but his or her composition reaches out over time and speaks to those of us in the here and now.
This is course of human events. Different peoples, different cultures, sometimes warring with each other, sometimes not even aware of each other…then something or someone comes along that brings us together, and great things happen.
“…and the world can live as one”…World peace is a lofty goal. I don’t know if we will ever live in a harmonious world, but one thing I do know, music can help get us there!
Topics: Music, Ramblings | No Comments »
So the USA is a Democracy after all…
By admin | January 30, 2008
Something I hear a lot lately, particularly among conservative thinkers, is that the USA is not a democracy…it is in fact a “representative republic” And sure enough, if you try to find the word “democracy” in the constitution, you’ll come up empty handed. You will find this: “”The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government”
Hmmm, I’ve always thought we lived in a democracy, a government which derives its power from the people. A Republic can in fact be a dictatorship, and if you ask most people in the USA, a dictatorship is the last thing we want to become. I like to think that although a direct democracy would not be possible or practical (although with technology it is more possible than it was 200, even 25 years a go), a representative form of democracy is necessary if we are to be a free people. Maybe the conservative forces are right after all, and that the idea of a government of, by, and for the people is just an illusion.
But then I listened to President Bush’s final State of the Union Speech last night….”By trusting the people, our Founders wagered that a great and noble nation could be built on the liberty that resides in the hearts of all men and women. By trusting the people, succeeding generations transformed our fragile young democracy into the most powerful nation on Earth and a beacon of hope for millions.” President Bush, sotu 2008
And our President certainly seems to value Democracy, in that he say “The time has come for a Holy Land where a democratic Israel and a democratic Palestine live side-by-side in peace”
…not to mention we have expended great amounts of money and human lives in bringing democracy, not representative republic to Iraq.
So what is it? What do we have in the USA? I think people should ultimately hire and fire their leaders, and as much as some of the powers that be want to take that ability away from the people, that is the system we have now. The concept of democracy is a key ingredient in keeping us free. And I do agree with President Bush…we are, in fact a Democracy. Power to the people!
Topics: Politics | No Comments »
Meigan’s Perspective on Music
By admin | January 20, 2008
I was speaking with an old schoolmate, and as usual the conversation turned to kids and music. He mentioned his college age son was really into the same music we liked backed during our high school days…Beatles, Stones, Don McClean. Sure enough my son, now 25, likes all the music I used to love. Could it be that the music of the 60s and 70s is the new classical music that will live for generations….like music from the classical period that gave us Beethoven and Mozart?Who knows…but I did ask my 11 year old daughter to write out some of her thoughts on music. Meigan has very broad taste in music, and she somehow knows all the lyrics to songs I knew in the 9th grade. It’s cool that she and I can tune the radio to the oldies channel, and enjoy the same great old songsNow here’s Meigan….
I may be young, but my musical tastes grow beyond just Hannah Montana and Disney. I still love to listen to the oldies stations with people like Sly and the family stone, and songs like “Time of season” and “You’re no good”. Also, A really big part of my musical interests are the Beatles. I love all their music, or at least what I’ve heard. I think we should get more kids to listen to a wider variety of music. Don’t get me wrong, There are some great artists that have been introduced within the last decade or so, But some even greater ones before that. I really only know of one genre of music I don’t like rap. It just seems useless to me and I can barley understand the words they say because they talk so fast. Again, that is just my opinion. Some of artists I like that are younger include Raven Symone, Carrie Underwood, and Relient K. As I said before, almost all types of music are for me.Contributed By Meigan Porter
Topics: Music | No Comments »
Welcome Yamaha Musicsoft!
By admin | January 13, 2008
Sporter’s is very excited to have Yamaha Music Soft as a new sponsor. I have always been a fan of Yamaha equipment…we use Yamaha gear in our studio, and Yamaha pianos and keyboards are second to none.
Yamaha Music Soft has midi files, styles, sheet music, and various accessories for your Disklavier, Clavinova, and other Yamaha Keyboards. You will especially love the brand new exclusive PianoSoft downloads section. New downloads are added weekly.
It’s an exciting time to own a Yamaha keyboard…make the most by visiting Yamaha Music Soft and checking out some of the wonderful musical applications that are now available.
Topics: Yamaha | No Comments »
Reverse Crossover and Southern Gospel Music
By admin | January 6, 2008
Sporter’s is pleased to have contributor David Bruce Murray sharing his thoughts on an industry dear to my heart: Southern Gospel Music. Be sure and visit his website Musicscribe.com and read all his geat articles, CD and concert reviews, and lots of other great stuff. David alway has something interesting to say.
Kyle Boreing started this topic and Doug Harrison added to the conversation today. Here are my thoughts on the subject.
A fish from a big pond is always going to stand out in a small pond. Alan Jackson is going to sell more units than, say, Jeff & Sheri Easter. It doesn’t matter if it’s just a collection of hymns sung poorly (and I’m not saying Jackson’s Precious Memories CD is or isn’t sung poorly…I haven’t heard it), many of his existing fans will still buy it. PLUS a lot of gospel fans that might not buy a non-Gospel Alan Jackson CD will buy it too. It’s a win-win from a SALES potential standpoint. Whether SG radio stations will play it and if they do, whether Singing News will allow Alan Jackson to appear on their airplay chart are different stories. (Don’t get me started on why we need to have a Southern Gospel chart based on sales chart again…but if anyone wants to send me $5K a year…)
That’s why these “reverse crossovers” from well known artists like Jackson, Randy Travis, and others are so successful.
Kyle’s question is, “Why can’t Southern Gospel go in the other direction??” After all, it isn’t the Gospel message that’s keeping Country radio from playing a Southern Gospel artist. I see two reasons, which are probably one and the same.
1. If you were a MCA Nashville agent attending NQC or a Gaither event looking for an existing artist from the top of the Southern Gospel heap to take over to Country, who would catch your eye? Maybe Jeff & Sheri Easter and maybe the Isaacs…the point is that there aren’t that many from which to choose, and that’s reason number one. Of course, I’m speaking of these artists as they exist today. Many Southern Gospel artists have a Country sound, but they don’t have a Country look or a Country presence when they take the stage.
2. If you were Jeff & Sheri Easter and MCA Nashville came calling hat in hand promising you much fame and fortune, would you be willing to risk that against the immediate backlash you know would come from all your Gospel fans the minute they hear you’ve “signed with a secular record label?” That’s good enough reason for some artists to say no to such a deal.
Now, in the case of the Isaacs, they’re making an effort to get into Country, but it’s on Gaither’s label rather than a label like MCA Nashville with a proven track record in Country. They’re trying to do a double debut (artist and label). The deck is stacked against that ever working. On the other hand, if Gaither’s label had only taken care of the recording process and a big Country label took over from there with marketing singles to radio, we might be talking about how successful the Isaacs have become in Country by now.
It’s worth noting here that the Isaacs aren’t courting Country with overtly Christian lyrics…at least not at this point. They’re taking the Amy Grant approach to successful crossover status by pushing singles about family, love, etc. I completely understand Grant’s approach to pop music in the 1980s, but Country is a different animal. Christian lyrics will play on Country radio, as Kyle has mentioned. There’s no fundamental reason to limit song lyrics to family and love when pitching to Country. Going back to the Easters for a moment, I think Jeff’s “Tavern To A Temple” and “Goin’ Away Party” would have set well with Country audiences if either of those songs had been given a decent push by a successful Country radio song promoter.
The difference has to lie in marketing. Carrie Underwood had her Country music debut with “Jesus, Take The Wheel,” but she probably isn’t the best example. She was already a household name due to winning American Idol. Consider Josh Turner then, who made his Country debut with “Long Black Train.” That success didn’t come from his previous star power. It came because the MCA Nashville promotion machine devoted their attention to his initial success and got the ball rolling.
David Bruce Murray
Topics: Gospel, Music | No Comments »
The Iowa Caucus
By admin | January 4, 2008
I have to admit, I like politics. I don’t know why, I’m not much of a political person, and the debates and campaigning these days have all the entertainment value and credibility of Pro Wrestling. I think we are in an era of pop-politics..you know, where news reporters report on the candidates hair, or how nice their wife (or husband) is, or other things not really meaningful to the issues.
Of course there are issues. Like illegal immigration. The Iraq war. Health care. But who gives a hoot? What we really talk about are issues like “Is America ready for a black President?…” (Or woman President, in Hillary’s case). The “Jesus” factor. Will an evangelical in the White House be good or bad? Some people are party loyalist while others want the most conservative or liberal candidate. I think we have reached the point we do not believe the candidates are going to do what they promise anyhow, so we go on and on about other things that are significant in some way, but have little to do with actual running the country. And then there’s the media that likes to keep things stirred up.
One thing I have noticed, the candidates that do the best are better able to let all the mud thrown at them just slide off. If the mud sticks, they’re toast. And so far the best one at the game, imo, is Obama. He’s been accused of so much (his middle name is Hussein!), and at least one news person accidentally called him “Osama” (ouch!). And he is a minority. Yet he has steadily increased his popularity, and after all the caucusing is said and done, he came out on top, at least in Iowa. He’s even taken some mud from the Clinton camp, and walked away looking clean.
Hillary…lots of baggage. Edwards…looks like a college brat (does his mommy know he’s running for President?). And the Republicans…goodness…by virtue of just being a Republican have LOTS of baggage. Whatever you think about the Bush administration, they have not been able to let the mud slide off, a LOT has stuck.
I’m not endorsing anyone. I tend to think most politicians with the exception of Ron Paul and a few other obscure also-rans are just front men for corporate and business interest. But I do see changes on the horizon, and Obama might just be the icon that represents a new direction for the good ‘ol USA.
Topics: Politics | No Comments »
53 is NOT old….
By admin | January 2, 2008
Why do I keep telling myself that? Probably because Jan 3 is my birthday, and I get closer and closer to having that endearing term “senior citizen” applied to me. I don’t really feel old, but a few tell tell signs are starting to make me aware I am entering the phase of my life which I prefer to think of in terms such as “golden oldie” or “mature…” I should know better, but I tell my kids how hard life used to be…I mean we had to REWIND the freaking vhs tape before returning to the video store. We had to actually turn a knob on a radio to change the channel, and worst of all, there was no such thing as email, which meant we actually had to talk to other human beings…without cell phones at that. How did we ever survive?
Probably had something to do with the music. I mean it was pretty good. even my 11 year old prefers the oldie channels, and my 25 year old son is a Beatle fan….
Oh well, might as well enjoy being a coger. When my wife tells me to do something, I can always say I didn’t hear her…or I forgot.
Do they still make Geritol?
Topics: Ramblings | No Comments »