I finally finished Pigs at the Trough today. This is the first political book I've read since Poli Sci in college. I'm rather nervous about volleying into the political sector for a couple of reasons. The first has to do with my last blog - just another group of people I could potentially offend. The other is that I'm pretty green, and I'm sure my opinions will have tons of blindspots and naive errors. Still, I'd really like to hear comments pro or con. For my first babystep, I think I'll just quote from Huffington's book. The context is the catastrophic greed and corruption of our society through corporate cheating, lobbying and campaign finances. CEOs, politicians, accountants, lobbyists, the media -- all are exposed in shocking vividness...

"To destroy this invisible government," wrote Theodore Roosevelt nearly a century ago, "to befoul the unholy alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics is the first task of the statesmanship of the day." (231)

"Never has the promise of prosperity been so vivid," said candidate George W. Bush in the days leading up to the 2000 election, while his opponent, Al Gore, blithely hailed "the greatest prosperity ever" and promised voters: "You ain't seen nothing yet." For his part, Bill Clinton, in his final economic report to Congress, assured the nation that "the expansion will continue" -- even though economic growth had already slowed by 60%.
This shared denial provided convenient camouflage for corrupt CEOs. In America, we keep score with money and the trappings of wealth -- so the psychopaths fit right it. They were nothing more than the winners of a game we all wanted to play -- a game that we knew rewarded certain aberrant tendencies.
As well as prosecuting all the crimes these Wall Street wolf boys committed, and instituting all the major reforms needed, we should take the opportunity as a culture to lie down on the couch and see what it was in our collective unconscious that created these nightmares.
But only for a little while. Because we have work to do. We were told again and again during the nineties that our unprecedented prosperity was fueled by consumer spending. Well, the time has come for the shoppers to leave the malls and take to the streets -- to go from invigorating our economy to reinvigorating our democracy. (256)

It's time for our business and political leaders to help redefine morality beyond sex, drugs, and rock and roll to include lying, hypocrisy, and callous indifference to those in need. That is the kind of leadership we must have if we're ever going to eradicate the culture of greed, corruption, and unethical behavior that has come to dominate both Wall Street and Washington. (270)

I have an altogether different blog that may emerge from this book later. For now, if you're interested in the vomitous realities and details of this stuff, check out:
ariannaonline
Mother Jones interview
Center for Public Integrity

So my wife Jolie very lovingly persuades me to buy this really cool leather jacket a few days ago. Wilson's is going out of business and it's 75% off. Perfect, I've always wanted a leather jacket. Thanks, beloved spouse!

So we're driving home from the mall and it dawns on me. "Real smart, Greg. You wait until you live in one of the largest animal rights extremists cities in the galaxy to buy leather. This is definitely going to offend some people you are trying to relate to."

So this leads me into a three-day inner exploration of all kinds of things related to being offensive. It appears that we live in a society in which having your own opinion will by necessity mean that someone will be offended. This makes blogging (among other things) rather tricky, because blogging by nature is about forming one's own opinions on potentially controversial issues.

I want to talk about how the best moments I've ever had with the Holy Spirit have consistently been maduro moments, but I risk offending teenagers (actually just their parents, but that's definitely not an issue I want to touch) and college students that I have deep ministry bonds with.

I want to talk about how I am beginning to understand how so many people "outside" of church feel about church, but I risk offending the very church people that I am depending on to support my extra-church activities.

I want to talk about the arrogance and misinformation I increasingly discover about liberals and Democrats, but I risk offending a large portion of people that I want to know better in Austin.

I want to talk about the greed and ignorance I increasingly discover about conservatives and Republicans, but I risk offending my closest friends.

I want to challenge so much of pop theology, but I risk offending sweet, well-intentioned folks that probably don't need rain on their parades.

I want to rise above the limitations of Enlightenment theologies like Calvinism and Dispensationalism, but I risk offending my in-laws profoundly.

I want to explore pacifism as the way of Jesus and therefore His followers, but I risk offending the closest members of my family who have served our country with great honor.

And on and on it goes...

Maybe I should just stop blogging. After all, there's too many ways to take something like this out of context. And I don't want to be offensive. Really.

So who's example should I follow in this regard? Hmmm. Well, here's a list of 10 personal heroes:

1. Jesus of Nazareth - loved sinners, offended the self-righteous, crucified
2. Paul of Tarsus - loved Gentiles, offended the first leaders of the Church, beheaded
3. St. Patrick - loved the Celts, offended the Roman Catholic political system, died naturally (thank God)
4. The prophet Jeremiah - loved Jerusalem, offended Jerusalem's leaders, kidnapped / multiple attempts at murder
5. The prophet Ezekiel - ", offended everyone, wife smitten by God / laid on cow feces
6. The prophet Isaiah (can I count this only once?) - ", ", walked around naked for a year
7. The prophet Hosea - ", ", married to adulterous whore
8. Martin Luther - loved Germans, offended Roman Catholicism, died naturally
9. Galileo - loved Truth, offended narrow-minded Christian leaders, killed in Inquisition
10. Abraham Lincoln - loved U.S., offended half the U.S., assassinated

Maybe there's something to be said for being offensive after all. Maybe all of us could use a little dose of offendishness. Cause maybe the problem is that we're all wound up too tightly. We're too polarized and sterilized to be humanized and destigmatized. [Go back and read that statement again, imagining Jesse Jackson saying it.]

On the other hand, there's something to be said for dying old, too.

I apologize for the lack of blogs this week. Jolie and I have been working like crazy on the "Oaks of Righteousness" website. We've got 2 out of 3 pages uploaded now, so go check it out at oakvision.com.

Let me know your feedback...

With the fam back in town yesterday, I had to sidestep the late-night wanderings with Bob and Richard. Instead, Jolie and I went to the free Los Lonely Boys show at Town Lake. I mentioned a few blogs ago that these guys raked it in at the Austin Music Awards on Wednesday. This show was their triumphant salute to the Austin public for adopting them as local studsters. The largest crowd in SXSW history came out from every region and barrio to show their support. Even the drunk heckler standing next to Jolie couldn't ruin the calm breeze, spring weather and sheer happiness of the music these three brothers produce together. It was a great evening.

Thanks to my babies, J and C, for letting me roam the streets of downtown Austin like an unchained teenager with a new Trans Am and no curfew. I've heard a ton of bands this week, but the best sound to hit my eardrums was your voices greeting me at the door yesterday.

It's noon and I'm having my first cup of coffee. It reminds me of the day after the youth allnighters I did for 15 years. Feeling very crusty today. But the family reunion with J and C this afternoon should provide some extra enthusiasm.

Last night began with a convincing blend of The Cure and The Cult with The Vanished. I'm convinced that the drummer was my friend Chris Carroll, but dressed up like Adam Ant and snarling like Billy Idol.

Next I lived a one-hour Lost In Translation experience at the Japanese Band Showcase. The Response was definitely not the worst band I'd heard this week by any means. Very abstract with a creative female drummer. Although I feel like a minority at all these shows (no tattoos or piercings), it was especially fun to be surrounded by so many Asians having a great time.

Don't ask me how, but I ended up going down to the famed Continental Club for what may have been my favorite musical experience of the festival. I caught the last 15 minutes of blues great Charlie Musselwhite with Austinite Charlie Sexton (Archangels) and a totally "Memphis" rhythm section. Brought the house down. This was followed by Grady, a three piece band featuring Chris Layton (of Double Trouble and Archangels) on drums. It sounds weird, but I got goosebumps when Layton walked up on stage and started setting up his kit. My greatest musical regret is missing Stevie Ray Vaughn while I had ample opportunity. This felt like partial amends. The band itself plays music eerily close to what I always dreamed Grace Monkey (my old band in SC) could morph into - ZZ Top / Stone Temple Pilots / John Lee Hooker / Gov't Mule / King's X. If you know me, you already know I loved this band!

So I walked several miles back to Club Deville to catch up with Bob and Richard. The walk was exhilarating and peaceful. The final band of the evening was not. The Flametrick Subs are the resident kings of Texas Psychobilly (an actual genre). A shocking perversion of The Ramones and Johnny Cash, they had the crowd immersed in naughty fun. Essential to the atmosphere was "Satan's Cheerleaders," a group of girls sharing the stage dressed in pink shirts with "666" on the chest and pom-poms. It was too schtick and silly to be offended by. Here's a portion of one of the singer's mid-song diatribes: "If this is your first time to Texas, you may be surprised to notice how cosmopolitan it is. What you don't realize is that 5 miles outside of Austin in any direction is the end of cosmopolitan Texas. Texas is proud of its mile markers all across the state. In between every mile marker you will find a Southern Baptist Church. And in between every church, you will find a Country and Western radio station. And in between every station, you will find a trailer park..." (Did I mention that the stand-up bass player plays with a stub?)

OK, I've got to clean my room before Jolie gets home...

The one band I wanted to see most this week was The Thrills. As you can tell from my sidebar, I bought their CD last week after hearing a song on the radio. I've been listening to it non-stop since then. So Bob, Richard and I head to Exodus (a dance club converted into a large venue for South-by) about 45 minutes early to make sure we can get in. After waiting for half an hour, we are told by numerous persons that there is NO WAY we will be able to get in for the showcase. The venue is at capacity and noboby is leaving. There were close to 100 people hoping to get in ahead of me. So Bob and Richard wisely mosey on to another place. I tell 'em "I want to wait another 10 minutes." Ten minutes goes by and no movement in the line. I'm bummed. Everybody around me is bummed. A few of us start trying to pull stunts with the bouncer to sneak in. No can do. Then it occurs to us to pool our resources for a common good. Four of us (me and three people I'll never see again) threw in 5 bucks and slipped it to the very smiley Arab doorman. One by one, he made good on his end. Amazing how simple unity is when you're desperate for the same thing.

I'm literally thrown into a room so full of people that I can't do anything. Except turn around. Lo and behold, I have one of the best views in the whole place. I'm standing behind the roadies, stage right, with nobody blocking my vision. The monitor mix is very good, and I'm receiving more than ample gritty Telecaster delight. After all that, they don't disappoint. I am surprised by the natural charisma of the singer, and happy for the edgier sound they produce live. Another proud moment for the Irish.

In the "disappointment" category is Pedro the Lion. So many of my good friends love this band, and so I stood in line (and dissed Blues Traveler) in their honor. Did it never occur to any of you to tell me they play with tracks? What kind of crap is that? I'm guessing I would have enjoyed them more if I was really familiar with the lyrics. I didn't have the energy at 1 a.m. to listen that carefully, but it sounded poetically pleasing for the most part. I'm not in the "Cursing Police" either, but "f-ing A" has to be the most regretful profanity of them all. I couldn't tell if the singer is experiencing King's X Syndrome [I'm angry and I hate Christians now] or U2 Syndrome [the only way to reach a non-Christian audience is to offend and confuse Christians]. Either way, I tried to like them.

The band that opened for Pedro got my attention. Check out Denali.

I remembered to bring a key to the house last night. Beds are great, aren't they.

What kind of 33 year-old still likes to stay out until 3:00 a.m. listening to music on a Wednesday night? Quite a few by the looks of things last night at South By Southwest. Here's some bulletpoints:

Congratulations to Los Lonely Boys for winning Band of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year at Austin Music Awards. Hoping to catch them with Jolie Saturday night.

Drums and Tuba totally knocked me out. A 3-piece band with a tuba player hooked up to all kinds of electronica, a guitar player who occasionally played 2 guitars at once, and one of the tightest drummers I've ever heard. Really original and infectious.

Similar affect for Particle. I'm not huge on "jam bands," but these guys kept it interesting with funky rhythms, incredible mastery of their instruments and an enthusiastic keyboardist who looks more like Jesus than any film or painting I've ever seen. Plus, the 10-minute guitar solo / slow burn into complete frenzy was spiritual in and of itself.

"Not too shabby" goes to The dears from Montreal. Lots of cool ideas that were overly-underdeveloped and then abruptly segued into another overly-underdeveloped idea.

A mixed review of the locally rolled maduro I purchased at Bobalu Cigar Co. right in the thick of 6th Street. Good flavor, but I had to return the first one because it wouldn't burn.

Got home around 3 (think I already mentioned that) and realized that I didn't bring a house key with me. I didn't want to wake up my grandparents so I slept in their Lexus until morning. Wasn't that bad, except for the slight crick in my neck.

Not verbatim quote from Bob: "It's astonishing how much creativity was in downtown Austin tonight."

Loving Austin more and more. Not just "wow - isn't Austin a cool place" kind of love. Tearful prayer kind of love.

St. Patrick is still one of my heroes.

Enjoyed free stuff from the Blogger-Google empire at Club DeVille's last night. Found out I don't know much about the latest high-tech lingo, but that techies are nice people, too.

Seeing this guy and his 3-piece band last night -- I don't know if it inspires me to get my chops back on the guitar or just to hock all my stuff on ebay. I don't know if I'm more excited about going to South by Southwest this week or if I'll just be totally disappointed with everybody else by comparison. An Austin "staple," this dude plays an acoustic guitar like Eddie Van Halen, Albert Collins, Jimi Hendrix and Steve Vai all mixed together. And he can sing.

While enjoying the show, I was reminded of C.S. Lewis' sermon entitled The Weight of Glory. The gist of it was that humans are the second holiest creatures in the world (after God Himself of course), and that we would be tempted to worship one another if we were able to see each person's eternal potential for "glory." I usually feel entertained when I go to music shows. But occasionally (like last night) entertainment begins to morph into something closely akin to worship. Let's call it "veneration," since Orthodox Christians make much of the distinction (ok to venerate humans, but only worship God). Seeing such rare talent as that of Montgomery reminds me that we are all immortal - for better or for worse ultimately. I would do well to remember this not only when my mouth has dropped to the floor while watching gifted artists, but also when I want to wince and look away from the homeless man at the corner.

Last Saturday, my new friend Bob showed me around south Austin. We drove past the spot where the legendary Armadillo World Headquarters once stood. Tonight Jolie and I happened upon an old CMT special about Willie Nelson. Since 24 wasn't on this week, we weren't sure what to do with our hour, so I read from "Houses That Change the World" while semi-watching the show.

So Willie kinda backs his way into this hippie club, plays to a "totally different crowd," and they love him. Then he starts bringing his friends down to play with him (Waylon Jennings, et al) and they love them, too. This eventually leads to a new musical nomenclature - "Outlaw Country," the place where redneck and hippy intersect. He starts hosting outdoor July 4th festivals in Austin for 50,000 people before he's even had a national hit record!

Everyone knows about his initiation of the Farm Aid movement. It went from a one-time event to an annual event because the problems they seek to address only get worse every year, with virtually no state or federal assistance. Everyone also knows about Willie's woes with the IRS - to the tune of $32 million. When the IRS auctioned off all his stuff, guess who bought his childhood farm and gave it back to him? The starving farmers he had been advocating for.

I finished my story on Sunday and decided it was too long and cryptic to post here. Turns out, it was really necessary for ME to see some things more clearly. I believe it will have serious ramifications for how I proceed with future bloggings, as well. I no longer feel a need to justify myself to friends and family. The apologetics portion of this "chronicle of a leaf in process of ripening" (my old subtitle) is ending. I am beginning to understand who I am - who I really am when the expectations of "being spiritual" are no longer necessary in the context of being on a church staff. I wonder what I will blog about now that many chips have been surgically removed from my shoulder. I mean, you can't really have a successful blog without criticizing something, can you? When I try to write something constructive, I don't get any comments. But when I express my cynicism, the bandwagon loads up. Hmmm. Who am I kidding? There's plenty of chips still intact. Maybe I'll take a stab at politics...

Anyway, if you want to wade through about 4 pages of fact, feeling, metaphor and apocalyptic imagery (my short story), email me and I'll send it to you.