CNN.com has an article today on disability overpayments made by the Social Security Administration ($1.3 billion over two years according to a recent Government Accountability Office report). Although people often associate government overpayments with fraud, often times it’s just bureaucratic bungling.
Take for example this fellow who tried to do the right thing. In fact, he’s still trying:
One 33-year-old veteran began receiving Social Security disability payments after his left foot was amputated following an explosion in Iraq in 2007. After going through rehab for his prosthetic leg, he began working full-time for a defense contractor in 2009. As soon as he started collecting a paycheck, the veteran, who asked to remain anonymous, reported his roughly $100,000 annual salary to the Social Security Administration.
When recipients of disability benefits reenter the workforce, they have a nine-month trial period in which they continue to receive benefits. Once the trial period ends and their earnings exceed a certain level – currently $1,040 a month – the payments are supposed to stop. And that’s exactly what happened in his case.
But then, last July, he noticed a $75,000 deposit in his checking account. Three days later, a letter arrived from the Social Security Administration saying it had reinstated his benefits because he had not been “gainfully employed” during the past three years.
He called the agency and was told the mistake would be investigated. Finally, in November, he was notified that the benefits he received were indeed a mistake and he must repay the agency. But, oddly, the amount requested was a few thousand dollars less than the $75,000 overpayment he had received.
Worried he’d be accused of defrauding a federal agency, he filed an appeal – which he was later told had been lost. His second appeal is still pending. While he hasn’t had to pay any interest on the overpayments, he has had to pay more than $23,000 in income tax on that additional “income.”
Yes, it’s just one story and millions of Americans receive accurate payment for benefits that they are legally entitled to. But as I discuss in a paper on Social Security Disability Insurance, the program is collapsing under its own weight. Indeed, at the same time this veteran is fighting to give the money back, the SSA is “properly” paying out disability benefits to… an “adult baby.”
(Emailed to White House on 3-15-13.) President Obama c/o The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President, I know that you receive 20,000 letters a day and that you actually read 10 of them every day. I really do respect you for trying to get a pulse on what is […]
Senator Pryor pictured below: Why do I keep writing and email Senator Pryor suggestions on how to cut our budget? I gave him hundreds of ideas about how to cut spending and as far as I can tell he has taken none of my suggestions. You can find some of my suggestions here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here, and they […]
(Emailed to White House on 3-15-13.) President Obama c/o The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President, I know that you receive 20,000 letters a day and that you actually read 10 of them every day. I really do respect you for trying to get a pulse on what is […]
The Dysfunction in Washington is Republicans and Democrats that are unwilling to cut spending in order to vote for more programs (Democrats want more food stamps etc but Republicans vote for their pet programs and wars too like No Child Left Behind Act, the Iraq war, the prescription drug entitlement, and the TARP bailout). If […]
Senator Pryor pictured below: Why do I keep writing and email Senator Pryor suggestions on how to cut our budget? I gave him hundreds of ideas about how to cut spending and as far as I can tell he has taken none of my suggestions. You can find some of my suggestions here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here, and they […]
If you want to cut wasteful spending then the disability program must be reformed radically!!! October 7, 2013 1:19PM 60 Minutes Disability Investigation By Chris Edwards Share The abuse and overspending in government disability programs is so bad that even National Public Radio and 60 Minutes have taken notice. On the heels of this excellent […]
If you really want to cut wasteful spending then why not shut down Dept of Housing and Urban Development, Dept of Education and SBA? There are many other areas that should be cut but these should be shut down!!! October 7, 2013 4:57PM Close Washington to Dismantle the Welfare-Warfare State By Doug Bandow Share […]
Senator Pryor pictured below: Why do I keep writing and email Senator Pryor suggestions on how to cut our budget? I gave him hundreds of ideas about how to cut spending and as far as I can tell he has taken none of my suggestions. You can find some of my suggestions here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here, and they […]
We need to stop wasteful government spending by privatizing the post office!! Postal Service Won’t Shut Down but Will Default on Its Debt James Gattuso October 1, 2013 at 9:30 am Newscom The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) defaulted on its debt last night. No, it has nothing to do with the partial shutdown of the […]
We need to stop the stupid spending by Bureaucrats!!! Bureaucrats Gone Wild: Government Spends Recklessly as Fiscal Year Ends Rob Bluey September 29, 2013 at 1:55 pm Credit: Tetra Images/Newscom Washington’s reckless spending is driving America into debt — and yet federal bureaucrats continue their wasteful and frivolous ways. The latest example comes courtesy […]
Reggie “Fieldy” Arvizu of Korn and his Christian conversion and deliverance from drugs Part 2
KORN’s Fieldy talks to Eric Blair about being Christian,New cd.and Head
Uploaded on Feb 2, 2010
Fieldy talks to Eric Blair about being Christian,New cd.and Head
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Korn – The Camel Song
Uploaded on Nov 19, 2007
You can find this song on the “End of Days” Soundtrack
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Eminem Nearly Dies Because Of A Drug Overdose
Uploaded on Jul 19, 2010
a video where eminem nearly died from an overdose of drugs and he only had a couple of second too live
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I wrote of series of four posts on the conversion to Christ of Brian Walsh of the heavy metal band Korn and that was because my son Hunter told me about Walsh’s Christian testimony. Then I stumbled on the Christian testimony of Reggie “Fieldy” Arvizu of Korn. This subject has always interested me and I have written about Lou Graham of Foreigner, and Kerry Livgren and Dave Hope and their similar experiences. In all of these cases they convert to Christianity and give their lives totally to Christ and then they are delivered from drugs.
First Posted: 04/13/09 06:12 AM ETUpdated: 05/25/11 02:10 PM ET
CHICAGO – The members of Korn are about to get a big apology from one of their own — and you can read it along with them.
Bassist Fieldy has released a book, “Got the Life: My Journey of Addiction, Faith, Recovery and Korn,” this week. The book includes letters Fieldy (born Reginald Arvizu) wrote to each band member apologizing for his past bad behavior.
Fieldy said he gave an advance copy to guitarist James “Munky” Shaffer but he has yet to hear his reaction. He said he expects frontman Jonathan Davis to read it as well. He didn’t give them the letters privately because he wanted to be open about his sobriety.
Fieldy, 39, struggled with alcohol, drugs and overeating. He would even eat food off other people’s used room-service trays — even trash cans. He also was a womanizer and liked to intimidate anyone, male or female, who disagreed with what he calls “Fieldy’s rules.”
He quit cold turkey when his father, a born-again Christian, told him his dying wish was for his son to find God. Now he’s married with three children and working on a new album with Korn and his side project, Stillwell.
AP: You were kind of a jerk when you were on drugs.
Fieldy: I was as bad as it gets. What I wrote in the book, I was probably worse than that. I couldn’t really explain how bad it was. Me trying to kill people wasn’t as bad as me tearing people down and making people cry and ripping them apart, because words never heal. That’s what I’ve learned. I’d rather raise my son and tell him, “If you get in a fight with your friend, just punch him. Don’t say anything, because the next day he doesn’t get over that.'”
AP: How old were you when you became an alcoholic?
Fieldy: About 13 or 14. I was full-blown. Every day we would hide the alcohol, stealing from stores or stealing it from our parents and hiding out in dirt fields and drinking it before school and after school.
AP: What could someone have said to you then to make you stop?
Fieldy: If somebody told me, “Not a good idea,” I would’ve said, “No, it’s probably a good idea if you get drunk with me.” I would’ve flipped it around on them. There was no way you could tell me anything. I wasn’t listening to any type of reason.
AP: You mention in your book you got your pills from “rock doctors.” How did that work?
Fieldy: In the rock ‘n roll slang world, they’re called rock doctors, or rock docs. They would come out to shows and like to hang backstage. You could get a prescription for anything you want from them. They just want to hang out and party. It’s crazy because you can get a prescription to anything. It doesn’t even matter what kind of doctor they are
AP: You quit cold turkey — no rehab, no Alcoholic Anonymous meetings. How did you pull that off?
Fieldy: I talk to people who go to rehab, and they get this AA book that they’ve got to read everyday — really thick book. They go through all these 12 steps and do all this and that. It’s crazy how everybody can sit and talk about rehab but if I come to say Christ was my rehab, it’s not cool to say that. … For me that’s my rehab. That’s what happened with me and it’s an amazing and powerful thing.
AP: Your former bandmate, Brian “Head” Welch, faced criticism when he decided to follow God and quit drugs. Do you think you will too?
Fieldy: I didn’t go and quit anything. I remained who I am, so I don’t know if anybody wants to criticize. I’m still me. I made some changes, I didn’t go around telling everybody I was ready to make changes, I just remained me. I may get more criticism today in putting this book out than I have. You know, maybe this is my time, but I’m ready to take the criticism and answer anybody’s questions.
Eric Blair of “The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show“ recently conducted an interview with KORN bassist Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu at this year’s NAMM (National Association Of Music Merchants) show, which was held January 14-17, 2010 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Watch the chat below.
KORN will top the bill on this summer’s Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival tour, which is scheduled to kick off on July 10 in San Bernardino, California.
The Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival will be the first major city tour for KORN in support of the band’s ninth studio album, tentatively titled “Korn III – Remember Who You Are”. The new album marks the return of producer Ross Robinson, who worked with KORN on their first two releases, “Korn” and “Life is Peachy”. Lead vocalist Jonathan Davis has said that the new material matches the pure raw emotion of KORN‘s early releases while the current touring band has never been tighter.
“We experimented with a lot of cool stuff on our last two records [2005’s ‘See You On The Other Side’ and 2007’s untitled effort], but we didn’t want to do another record like that,” Davis explained to Revolver magazine. “So we said, ‘Let’s strip it back again. Let’s do this as a four-piece and make it real raw like the old stuff.”
Eric Blair of “The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show“ recently conducted an interview with KORN bassist Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu at this year’s NAMM (National Association Of Music Merchants) show, which was held January 14-17, 2010 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Watch the chat below.
KORN will top the bill on this summer’s Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival tour, which is scheduled to kick off on July 10 in San Bernardino, California.
The Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival will be the first major city tour for KORN in support of the band’s ninth studio album, tentatively titled “Korn III – Remember Who You Are”. The new album marks the return of producer Ross Robinson, who worked with KORN on their first two releases, “Korn” and “Life is Peachy”. Lead vocalist Jonathan Davis has said that the new material matches the pure raw emotion of KORN‘s early releases while the current touring band has never been tighter.
“We experimented with a lot of cool stuff on our last two records [2005’s ‘See You On The Other Side’ and 2007’s untitled effort], but we didn’t want to do another record like that,” Davis explained to Revolver magazine. “So we said, ‘Let’s strip it back again. Let’s do this as a four-piece and make it real raw like the old stuff.”
KORN‘s forthcoming effort was tracked last October at the band’s studio. “We recorded everything on tape, just like we did in the old days,” said Davis. “And we didn’t stack four or five vocal parts like I usually do. I’m singing one part for every song, which was scary. It’s just me and the microphone, and you can really hear the emotion.”
Jim Morrison’s sad drug death was followed by Pamela Courson’s sad story!!! pamela courson/ jim morrison interview Interview with Jim Morrison’s father and sister Uploaded on Aug 9, 2010 This interview is from “When You’re Strange” DVD bonus material. I do not own this video and own no rights to it! Pamela Courson Uploaded […]
__________ NICO – I’m Waiting For The Man – (1982, Warehouse, Preston, UK) One of the top 10 songs from The Velvet Underground and Nico is the song “I’m Waiting for the Man I’m Waiting for the Man From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search “I’m Waiting for the Man” Song by […]
The life of Lou Reed (includes videos from 1960′s and 1970′s) ____________ Rock & Roll – Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground – Venus in Furs – Live 1) Lou Reed – Sweet Jane – live in Paris, 1974 Velvet Underground-”Sunday Morning” from “Velvet Underground and Nico” LP Lou Reed From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump […]
Jim Morrison’s relationship with Nico Nico Icon documentary part 1. Nico Icon documentary part 2. ______________ Jim Morrison at Andy Warhol’s Party.wmv (with Nico) Uploaded on Apr 26, 2010 From the Oliver Stone movie. The Doors. _______________________ nico discusses jim morrison. Uploaded on Jan 2, 2008 nico discusses jim, and how he impacted her […]
I really enjoyed the movie “Savannah Smiles” last night and afterwards I looked up what happened to Bridgette Andersen and where she is today. IMDB notes: Bridgette Andersen was born on July 11, 1975 to Frank Glass and Teresa Andersen in Inglewood, California and grew up in Malibu. She always considered it good luck to […]
Today I heard Tim Todd’s testimony about drugs. Related posts: Whitney Houston dead at 48, long history of drugs and alcohol February 11, 2012 – 8:31 pm Sad news about Whitney Houston’s death tonight. I have included some earlier posts about drugs and alcohol and rock stars. LOS ANGELES (AP) — Whitney Houston, who ruled as […]
I have written about the “27 Club” several times in the past and I have got a lot of hits in the last 30 days on these blog posts below that deal with Rock and Rollers and drugs. Keith Richards’ wife is a bible believing christian Pete de Freitas of Echo and the Bunnymen is a […]
I’m In A Rock ‘N’ Roll Band – The Singer (Part 1) Jim Morrison – books on tape – w subtitles Light My Fire – The Doors The Rolling Stones – Satisfaction ________________________ The Rolling Stones – The Breakthrough The Rolling Stones – Brian Jones The Rolling Stones- Paint it Black Nirvana – Smells Like […]
Amy Winehouse died last week and she joined the “27 club.” Pete de Freitas of Echo and the Bunnymen is also a member of the “27 Club.” This is group of rockers that have died at age 27. A tribute to the amazing drummer of one of our biggest influences, Echo & The Bunnymen. We […]
cc ‘Janis Joplin’ 2/5 from True Hollywood Story (Janis was having affair with Pigpen) Jerry Garcia (guitar, vocals), Ron “Pigpen” McKernan (vocals, harmonica), Bob Weir (guitar, vocals), Phil Lesh (bass), Mickey Hart (drums), Bill Kreutzman (drums). Grateful Dead “Don’t Ease Me In” Live @ Canadian National Exhibition Hall Toronto, CA June 27th, 1970 Grateful Dead […]
Amy Winehouse died last week and joined the “27 club” which is a group of rockers that died at age 27. Gary Thain also joined that same group long ago and I wanted to look at his life today. Uriah Heep – Wizard bb By Sean Nelson, Special to MSN Music , July 23, 2011 […]
Recently Amy Winehouse joined the “27 Club” when she died of a drug overdose. The “27 Club” is a group of rockers that died at age 27. Unfortunately Jimi Hendrix died at age 27 in 1970 and Janis Joplin did the same three weeks later. Today we are going to look at her life and […]
JIMI HENDRIX : FINAL INTERVIEW . The other day when Amy Winehouse died she joined the “27 Club” which includes other famous rockers who died at age 27. Most of them died because of drugs. Unfortunately Jimi Hendrix joined the club for the same reason. Something special for all music and Beat Club-Lovers on YouTube: […]
Amy Winehouse died at age 27 and unfornately joined the “27 club” which is made of famous rockers that died at age 27. Pete Ham was a member of Bad Finger which was one of my favorite groups that I followed. “Come and get it” was my favorite song of theirs. ___________________________________ Badfinger perform a […]
Brian’s Blues, Brian Jones on guitar in the early stones years. unreleased track Brian Jones died at age 27 just like Amy Winehouse did. I remember like yesterday when I first heard the song “I can’t get no satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones. I immediately thought about Solomon’s search for satisfaction in the Book of […]
The Rise And Rise Of Kurt Cobain part 1/3 Amy Winehouse joined the “Club 27 the other day with her early death. I am going through the others one by one. Today is Kurt Cobain. 7. Kurt Cobain very rarely does an artist come along and not just upset the “apple cart” but drops […]
Pictures and Videos of Edie Sedgwick and the story of her losing battle against drugs and alcohol Part 2 Drugs and alcohol have taken the life of many people and I have posted many times about their unfortunate deaths. Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse, Gary Thain, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Brian Jones, Kurt Cobain, and Jim […]
Pictures and Videos of Edie Sedgwick and the story of her losing battle against drugs and alcohol Part 1 Factory Girl – The Real Edie Uploaded on Aug 30, 2011 Friends and family of Edie Sedgwick discuss what the factory girl was really like, and the battles and relationships she went through _____________ Edie Sedgwick Excerpt […]
Around 4 years ago I was in Philadelphia and the local radio station had a talk show that was blasting Alice Walton for coming into town and buying the 1876 Thomas Eakins’ masterpiece “The Gross Clinic” which was hanging at the Jefferson Medical College. However, the people of Philadelphia were given 45 days to […]
CBN.com – It is a wintry Wednesday afternoon in a non-descript city as an equally non-descript tour bus rolls to a stop in front of a revitalized inner city theater. From the bus’s environs bound five road weary musicians. A couple of them take a long exploratory look up and down the street while the other three busy themselves unloading equipment from the underbelly of the bus. The side of one of the equipment cases simply reads Flyleaf.
This scene seems like forever ago now for Belton, Texas based quintet Flyleaf. With their eponymous debut album firmly entrenched in the number three spot for the year on the Billboard Christian/Gospel chart, they have quickly become the darlings of the Contemporary Christian music scene. Appearances on MTV’s TRL and Jimmy Kimmel Live, have only heightened their popularity.
But they aren’t exactly your garden-variety rock and roll band. Fronted by the ferociously searing vocals of diminutive lead singer Lacey Mosely, Flyleaf is a flaming ball of energy fueled by seemingly tortured, dark, goth-tinged lyrics. For parents, it is music to cover your ears by. However, Flyleaf makes no allusion about their decidedly Christian beliefs.
“God has put us where we are for a reason,” explains bassist Pat Seals, in a recent interview with CBN.com. “At the beginning of the band we all sat down and said, ‘Ok, what kind of band are we?’ We just see this real world out there that is hurting so we made the decision to play churches as well as bars. We have done this since the beginning.”
“A lot of the kids today, when they hear about Christianity, all they hear about is judgment and hypocrisy and they can’t get clear answers, adds Mosely. “All they hear about is damnation and all that stuff based out of fear. We want to show them who God really is.”
Mosely knows those feelings all too well. The second oldest of six children raised by a single mother, Lacey slowly drifted into deep depression and eventually into addiction by the time she was a teenager. At age 16 she was contemplating suicide.
“I tried everything that I could get my hands on to try and make life make sense,” says Mosely. “The only thing that saved my life when I was going to take my life was Jesus. I am talking about the real Jesus – not the religious, churchy Jesus but a personal Jesus that you can relate to you and go through your life with you. When people hear our record, we pray that the Holy Spirit would touch them.”
Flyleaf’s sound is an enigma of sorts. With a decidedly aggressive approach to their sound, the band which also includes guitarist Sameer Bhattacharya, guitarist Jared Hartmann, and drummer James Culpepper, deliver sharpened, visceral lyrics that address the battle between good and evil. Their first single, “I’m So Sick”, reveals the need for deliverance from living in an infected world of darkness. “Perfect” is a direct reflection of II Corintians 12:9, while “I’m Sorry” poignantly illustrates Christ’s redemptive love in the face of our human frailty.
“Our lyrics have been drawn from, in some cases, personal, first hand, first person experiences with Lacey,” remarks Seals. “These are feelings that she has really walked in. They are very real.”
In a characteristically bold move, Flyleaf has opted to tour this summer with Korn, the antithesis of faith-based values. Whereas Flyleaf is all about shining light into a darkened, broken world, Korn is a case study in betrayal, alienation, and self-loathing. Their hope is that hearts will be softened both backstage and in the audience through their music.
Points out Mosely, “I just think it is cool that Korn lets Christians come out on tour with them. I do know that they are very anti-Christian. Just pray that we have strength and maturity and that we might be able to demonstrate all of the different fruits of the Holy Spirit. That we would love each other and that people would know us by our love for each other.”
With a fierce intensity that belies their youth, Flyleaf is positioned to be a force in the music industry for years to come. But ultimately their career ambitions have nothing to do with record sales but everything to do with facilitating positive change in hearts that are hurting.
“Everyone in this world needs to be valued, explains Seals. “That is what we are trying to do. Show people that they are valued.”
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. – II Corinthians 12:9
Lykke Li ”I’m Good, I’m Gone” Uploaded on Jan 30, 2008 Acoustic live version with guests: Robyn, Adam & Bebban (Shout Out Louds), Daniel (The Concretes), Lars (Laakso) and Mikael (Hjalmar). Director: Ted Malmros + Christian Haag Album “Youth Novels” out jan 30 2008. ________________________ Lykke Li – Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? Wikipedia has this […]
My favorite Christian music artist of all time is Keith Green. Sunday, May 5, 2013 You Are Celled To Go – Keith Green Keith Green – (talks about) Jesus Commands Us To Go! (live) Uploaded on May 26, 2008 Keith Green talks about “Jesus Commands Us To Go!” live at Jesus West Coast ’82 You can find […]
Coldplay Max Masters – Part 1 of 7 Uploaded on May 6, 2009 The ASTRA Award winning music documentary – Max Masters Coldplay – was voted MOST OUTSTANDING MUSIC PROGRAM for 2009. Sarah Linton Productions and The Post Box produced the Max Masters documentary to coincide with the album release of ‘Viva la Vida’. __________ […]
The Killers – Human The Killers – Read My Mind The Killers – All These Things That I’ve Done The Killers – Spaceman I have really enjoyed the music of The Killers band. The Killers From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Not to be confused with The Kills. For other uses, see […]
We got to stop spending so much government money and when we do then dumb things happen.
25 craziest things the U.S. government spends money on
Uploaded on Feb 20, 2012
Government Waste
The Economic Collapse Blog
You are not going to believe some of the things that the U.S. government is spending money on. According to a shocking new report, U.S. taxpayer money is being spent to study World of Warcraft, to study how Americans find love on the Internet, and to study the behavior of male prostitutes in Vietnam. Not only that, but money from the federal government is also being used to renovate a pizzeria in Iowa and to help a library in Tennessee host video game parties. These are just some of the examples in a new report on government waste from Senator Tom Coburn entitled “Wastebook 2010”. Even as tens of millions of American families find themselves suffering through the worst economic downturn in modern history, the U.S. government continues to spend money on some of the craziest and most frivolous things imaginable. Every single year articles are written and news stories are done about the horrific government waste that is taking place and yet every single year it just keeps getting worse. So just what in the world is going on here?
It almost seems as though Congress actually enjoys inventing new ways to waste U.S. taxpayer money. It seems nearly inconceivable that anyone could keep a straight face while trying to justify spending money on many of the things in the list below.
At a time when the U.S. national debt is closing in on 14 trillion dollars, government waste just seems more out of control than ever. The following are 20 of the craziest things that the U.S. government is spending money on….
The Dysfunction in Washington is Republicans and Democrats that are unwilling to cut spending in order to vote for more programs (Democrats want more food stamps etc but Republicans vote for their pet programs and wars too like No Child Left Behind Act, the Iraq war, the prescription drug entitlement, and the TARP bailout). If […]
Washington better wake up and cut spending or the USA will end up bankrupt like Detroit!!! Atlas Shrugs in Detroit July 25, 2013 by Dan Mitchell About two weeks ago, while making an important point about the Laffer Curve, here’s what I wrote about the fiscal disaster in Detroit. Detroit’s problems are the completely predictable result […]
When Governments Cut Spending Uploaded on Sep 28, 2011 Do governments ever cut spending? According to Dr. Stephen Davies, there are historical examples of government spending cuts in Canada, New Zealand, Sweden, and America. In these cases, despite popular belief, the government spending cuts did not cause economic stagnation. In fact, the spending cuts often […]
We got to cut spending and this farm bill is the perfect place to start!!! May 29, 2013 12:33PM Farm Bill Would Increase Spending 47% By Chris Edwards Share House and Senate farm subsidy supporters are pushing to enact the first big farm bill since 2008. Democratic and Republican supporters say that this year’s legislation […]
President Obama will not cut spending ever it appears. Early Details Show Obama Will Propose a Bait-and-Switch Budget Plan Containing Higher Taxes and More Spending April 5, 2013 by Dan Mitchell Are we about to see a new kinder-and-gentler Obama? Has the tax-and-spend President of the past four years been replaced by a fiscal moderate? That’s […]
We got to cut spending and stop raising the debt ceiling!!! When Governments Cut Spending Uploaded on Sep 28, 2011 Do governments ever cut spending? According to Dr. Stephen Davies, there are historical examples of government spending cuts in Canada, New Zealand, Sweden, and America. In these cases, despite popular belief, the government spending […]
Maybe Romney will focus on cutting spending now that Ryan is on board. Is the American Electorate that Dumb? Posted by Roger Pilon Today POLITICO Arena asks: Can Ryan boost Romney’s poll numbers? My response: Ryan is the shot in the arm that Romney needed. If last night’s “60 Minutes” interview of the two is […]
Why can’t we learn the lesson from Europe that we must start to cut spending and balance our budget or we will end up like Greece? Europe’s Crisis Is Because of Too Much Government, Not the Euro Currency July 19, 2012 by Dan Mitchell The mess in Europe has been rather frustrating, largely because almost everybody […]
A funny carton. Finally, Some Government Workers Who Want to Cut Spending April 23, 2012 by Dan Mitchell In recent years, taxpayers have been victimized by huge expansions in the burden of government spending. Among the highlights (lowlights would be a much better word): A corrupt bailout of politically connected Wall Street insiders. A bloated healthcare […]
RAISE TAXES: Report says Rick Crawford will break from GOP and back millionaires’ tax. The Arkansas Times reported that Congressman Rick Crawford has a plan that includes raising taxes for 5 years if there is an agreement to pass the Balanced Budget Amendment. However, if after 5 years the Balanced Budget Amendment does not get […]
In a presumably futile effort to change their minds by learning how they think, I periodically try to figure out the left-wing mind.
Why, for instance, do some people believe in Keynesian economics, when it is premised on the fanciful notion that you can increase “spending power” by taking money out of the economy’s left pocket and putting it in the economy’s right pocket?
But I’m getting off track. I don’t want to get too serious because the purpose of this post is to share this satirical look at the how leftists rationalize their anti-gun biases.
Let’s take a look at two cities that are quite similar in terms of demographics and income. But they have very different murder rates. Your job is to pretend you’re a leftist and come up with an explanation.
To be fair, we can’t rule out cold weather as a possible explanation given this limited set of data.
Make your own Gun Free Zone
For what it’s worth, however, scholars who actually do real research, like David Kopel and John Lott, reach different conclusions.
Let’s begin with a good jab at one of the anti-Second Amendment groups.
But remember the serious point. If you’re a bad guy and know that a potential victim is sure to be unarmed, does that make you happy or sad?
I realize that an anti-gun zealot will respond by arguing that they want a world where the thugs and crooks also will be disarmed, but how likely is it that such people will turn in their weapons? In any event, most criminals are young men and potential victims need guns to compensate for the inability to match the physical strength of their attackers.
Next let’s look at a poster showing the kind of instructions that statists such as Mayor Bloomberg should post in public places.
These clowns expect us to have blind faith in the ability of public authorities, but the odds of a cop being immediately available when trouble strikes are almost nonexistent.
Here’s a poster that captures the blind naiveté of anti-gun activists. I don’t think I need to add any commentary.
Last but not least, here’s a sign that all anti-gun leftists – assuming they have the courage to publicly celebrate their beliefs – should post outside their homes.
If you enjoy these posters, you can view previous editions here, here, here, here, and here.
___________
Thank you so much for your time. I know how valuable it is. I also appreciate the fine family that you have and your commitment as a father and a husband.
Sincerely,
Everette Hatcher III, 13900 Cottontail Lane, Alexander, AR 72002, ph 501-920-5733, lowcostsqueegees@yahoo.com
In 1980 I read the book FREE TO CHOOSE by Milton Friedman and it really enlightened me a tremendous amount. I suggest checking out these episodes and transcripts of Milton Friedman’s film series FREE TO CHOOSE: “The Failure of Socialism” and “What is wrong with our schools?” and “Created Equal” and From Cradle to Grave, and – Power of the Market. In this episode “The Tyranny of Controls” Milton Friedman shows how government planning and detailed control of economic activity lessens productive innovation and consumer choice.
In this first episode Milton Friedman asserts, “Adam Smith’s flash of genius was to see how prices that emerged in the market, the prices of goods, the wages of labor, the cost of transport, could coordinate the activities of millions of independent people, strangers to one another, without anybody telling them what to do. His key idea was that self-interest could produce an orderly society benefiting everybody. It was as though there were an invisible hand at work. The invisible hand is a phrase that was introduced by Adam Smith in his great book, The Wealth of Nations, in which he talked about the way in which individuals, who intended only to pursue their own interests, were led by an invisible hand to promote the public welfare which was no part of their intention. He was talking about the economic market. About the market in which people buy and sell. He was pointing out that in order for a butcher or a baker or a candlestick maker to make an income, he had to produce something that somebody wanted to buy. Therefore, in the process of promoting his own interests and looking to his own profit, he ended up serving the interests of his customers.”
Milton Friedman’s Free to Choose – Ep.2 (1/7) – The Tyranny of Control
Last week in this film series the distinguished economist Milton Friedman took us to Hong Kong to see a free market system in which he had a great deal of confidence and faith. This week he takes us traveling again to India, Japan and to Europe to see what happens in his view when governments think they can plan and control the economic activities of their peoples.
FREE TO CHOOSE 2: “Tyranny of Control” (Milton Friedman)Free to Choose ^ | 1980 | Milton Friedman
Posted on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 3:02:09 PM by Choose Ye This Day
FREE TO CHOOSE: Tyranny of Control
Friedman: It is harvest time and Japanese farmers gather their crops for the rice market in Kyoto. Of course, they will try to get as much for it as possible and the buyer’s will try to buy it as cheaply as possible. That is how markets are supposed to work. That is what Adam Smith, the Scotsman who turned economics into a modern science, observed 200 years ago. He observed something else too.
Adam Smith: In every country it is always and must be in the interest of the great body of people to buy whatever they want of those who set it cheapest. The proposition is so very manifest that it seems ridiculous to take any pains to prove it. Nor could it ever have been called in question had not the interested sophistry of merchants and manufacturers, confounded common sense of mankind. Their interest is, in this respect, directly opposite to that of the great body of people.
Friedman: Adam Smith’s flash of genius was to see how prices that emerged in the market, the prices of goods, the wages of labor, the cost of transport, could coordinate the activities of millions of independent people, strangers to one another, without anybody telling them what to do.
His key idea was that self-interest could produce an orderly society benefiting everybody. It was as though there were an invisible hand at work.
The invisible hand is a phrase that was introduced by Adam Smith in his great book, The Wealth of Nations, in which he talked about the way in which individuals, who intended only to pursue their own interests, were led by an invisible hand to promote the public welfare which was no part of their intention. He was talking about the economic market. About the market in which people buy and sell. He was pointing out that in order for a butcher or a baker or a candlestick maker to make an income, he had to produce something that somebody wanted to buy. Therefore, in the process of promoting his own interests and looking to his own profit, he ended up serving the interests of his customers.
When Adam Smith published The Wealth Of Nations, Britain was still a largely rural and placid place. But the Industrial Revolution was already getting started and standards of life were beginning to rise. One obstacle was that trade with other nations was still tightly controlled. Merchants in the home market had persuaded the government of the day to impose heavy duties and taxes on all foreign imports in order to insure themselves a protected market.
One of the results was to turn Britain into a nation of lawbreakers. Smuggling was a national past time: brandy, wines, tobacco, anything with a heavy customs duty on it. For years, the revenue men fought a losing battle along the shores and inlets of the British Isles.
In 1846, after years of argument and partial success, the followers of Adam Smith finally persuaded the British Parliament to remove all duties on goods imported from abroad. Britain embarked on complete free trade, giving a further push to the rising standard of life.
What happened in Britain as a consequence of releasing the tremendous force of self-interest, had the unintended effect of benefiting millions of people all over the world, and by 1851 the evidence was proudly on show at the great Crystal Palace Exhibition.
Free trade enabled Britain to become the work place of the world. But was it all an accident? I don’t think it was. Consider what happened in 1868 on the other side of the world in Japan. For the preceding 300 years, the Japanese had lived in almost complete isolation. They had discouraged visitors from other nations, especially from the West. The result was that by the standards of the West, Japan was backward. It was a feudal society with lords and serfs and woe betide anyone who tried to change the order of things. Women were third class citizens.
In 1868, a new generation of rulers decided that the time had come for Japan to make contact with the outside world. And with the arrival of the first foreign traders from the West, things began to change. The Japanese followed the British trading pattern because Britain was a leading nation of the world. So free trade came to Japan. Japan became a magnet for other people’s ideas and developments.
One of the first traditional industries to feel the effects was weaving. From Europe, the Japanese imported the jacquard method __ a way of programming a loom to control the accuracy of the weave, and so the standardized output. Workers did well in the new atmosphere and so did their employers. The adoption of mass production techniques meant that workers were able to move out of the traditional industries and into the new industries, which all added to the trade boom. None of us can help being effected by the intellectual atmosphere that we breathe. In the middle of the 19th century, when Japan ended her self-imposed isolation and entered the modern age, it never occurred to her leaders to follow any other course than that of free enterprise and free markets. That was the intellectual atmosphere of the time, created by Britain’s success in applying the principles of Adam Smith.
In 1948, when India achieved independence, her leaders had all been trained in Great Britain. They had sat at the feet of Harold Laski and his associates at the London School of Economics, or of their counterparts at Oxford and Cambridge. It never occurred to them to follow any other course than that of central planning and government control. That was the intellectual atmosphere of the time. The intellectual seed took root. As it grew, it needed to be honored, even worshiped.
Every year on the anniversary of Gandhi’s birth, people all over India do just that __ in homage to the great Mahatma, they sit and spin using methods handed down through the centuries.
Milton Friedman The Power of the Market 1-5 How can we have personal freedom without economic freedom? That is why I don’t understand why socialists who value individual freedoms want to take away our economic freedoms. I wanted to share this info below with you from Milton Friedman who has influenced me greatly over the […]
Milton Friedman: Free To Choose – The Failure Of Socialism With Ronald Reagan (Full) Published on Mar 19, 2012 by NoNationalityNeeded Milton Friedman’s writings affected me greatly when I first discovered them and I wanted to share with you. We must not head down the path of socialism like Greece has done. Abstract: Ronald Reagan […]
Worse still, America’s depression was to become worldwide because of what lies behind these doors. This is the vault of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Inside is the largest horde of gold in the world. Because the world was on a gold standard in 1929, these vaults, where the U.S. gold was stored, […]
George Eccles: Well, then we called all our employees together. And we told them to be at the bank at their place at 8:00 a.m. and just act as if nothing was happening, just have a smile on their face, if they could, and me too. And we have four savings windows and we […]
Milton Friedman’s Free to Choose (1980), episode 3 – Anatomy of a Crisis. part 1 FREE TO CHOOSE: Anatomy of Crisis Friedman Delancy Street in New York’s lower east side, hardly one of the city’s best known sites, yet what happened in this street nearly 50 years ago continues to effect all of us today. […]
Friedman Friday” Free to Choose by Milton Friedman: Episode “What is wrong with our schools?” (Part 3 of transcript and video) Here is the video clip and transcript of the film series FREE TO CHOOSE episode “What is wrong with our schools?” Part 3 of 6. Volume 6 – What’s Wrong with our Schools Transcript: If it […]
Here is the video clip and transcript of the film series FREE TO CHOOSE episode “What is wrong with our schools?” Part 2 of 6. Volume 6 – What’s Wrong with our Schools Transcript: Groups of concerned parents and teachers decided to do something about it. They used private funds to take over empty stores and they […]
Here is the video clip and transcript of the film series FREE TO CHOOSE episode “What is wrong with our schools?” Part 1 of 6. Volume 6 – What’s Wrong with our Schools Transcript: Friedman: These youngsters are beginning another day at one of America’s public schools, Hyde Park High School in Boston. What happens when […]
Friedman Friday” Free to Choose by Milton Friedman: Episode “Created Equal” (Part 3 of transcript and video) Liberals like President Obama want to shoot for an equality of outcome. That system does not work. In fact, our free society allows for the closest gap between the wealthy and the poor. Unlike other countries where free enterprise and other […]
Free to Choose by Milton Friedman: Episode “Created Equal” (Part 2 of transcript and video) Liberals like President Obama want to shoot for an equality of outcome. That system does not work. In fact, our free society allows for the closest gap between the wealthy and the poor. Unlike other countries where free enterprise and other freedoms are […]
Milton Friedman and Ronald Reagan Liberals like President Obama (and John Brummett) want to shoot for an equality of outcome. That system does not work. In fact, our free society allows for the closest gap between the wealthy and the poor. Unlike other countries where free enterprise and other freedoms are not present. This is a seven part series. […]
I am currently going through his film series “Free to Choose” which is one the most powerful film series I have ever seen. PART 3 OF 7 Worse still, America’s depression was to become worldwide because of what lies behind these doors. This is the vault of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Inside […]
I am currently going through his film series “Free to Choose” which is one the most powerful film series I have ever seen. For the past 7 years Maureen Ramsey has had to buy food and clothes for her family out of a government handout. For the whole of that time, her husband, Steve, hasn’t […]
Friedman Friday:(“Free to Choose” episode 4 – From Cradle to Grave, Part 1 of 7) Volume 4 – From Cradle to Grave Abstract: Since the Depression years of the 1930s, there has been almost continuous expansion of governmental efforts to provide for people’s welfare. First, there was a tremendous expansion of public works. The Social Security Act […]
_________________________ Pt3 Nowadays there’s a considerable amount of traffic at this border. People cross a little more freely than they use to. Many people from Hong Kong trade in China and the market has helped bring the two countries closer together, but the barriers between them are still very real. On this side […]
Aside from its harbor, the only other important resource of Hong Kong is people __ over 4_ million of them. Like America a century ago, Hong Kong in the past few decades has been a haven for people who sought the freedom to make the most of their own abilities. Many of them are […]
“FREE TO CHOOSE” 1: The Power of the Market (Milton Friedman) Free to Choose ^ | 1980 | Milton Friedman Posted on Monday, July 17, 2006 4:20:46 PM by Choose Ye This Day FREE TO CHOOSE: The Power of the Market Friedman: Once all of this was a swamp, covered with forest. The Canarce Indians […]
Milton Friedman: Free To Choose – The Failure Of Socialism With Ronald Reagan (Full) Published on Mar 19, 2012 by NoNationalityNeeded Milton Friedman’s writings affected me greatly when I first discovered them and I wanted to share with you. We must not head down the path of socialism like Greece has done. Abstract: Ronald Reagan […]
Milton Friedman: Free To Choose – The Failure Of Socialism With Ronald Reagan (Full) Published on Mar 19, 2012 by NoNationalityNeeded Milton Friedman’s writings affected me greatly when I first discovered them and I wanted to share with you. We must not head down the path of socialism like Greece has done. Abstract: Ronald Reagan […]
On January 30, 2012, had Francis A. Schaeffer still been living he would have celebrated his 100th birthday. In recognition of this fact a number of Christian organizations have been paying tribute Schaeffer as one of the great evangelical Christian thinkers of the 20th Century. One of those is the Center for Faith and Culture at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, of which I am director.
There is a growing consensus among older evangelicals that Schaeffer must not be forgotten. So, efforts such as this are important as today many under the age of 40 have little awareness of Schaeffer’s impact on the evangelical world. It has been most encouraging to see the 100th anniversary of his life used as an opportunity to reacquaint the evangelical world with the life and ministry of Francis Schaeffer. Happily, there are a good number of evangelical notables who remember and understand the importance of Schaeffer’s legacy, not only as something to be remembered, but to be followed.
Schaeffer was a Christian theologian, philosopher and Presbyterian pastor (maybe a pastor first and foremost) who spent most of his adult life in Switzerland with his wife Edith and their four children. His insightful mind disturbed the evangelical conscience with his penetrating analysis of culture. In the 1960s he taught evangelicals to take seriously the questions brought to the surface by the anti-authority cultural revolution.
One of his major contributions was that he taught Christians the importance of worldview thinking both in living the Christian life and evangelizing the lost. I believe a strong case can be made that Schaeffer’s thinking, passion, and ministry are still able to inform present-day evangelicals on engaging culture and defending the Faith.
In 1948 Schaeffer moved to Switzerland to begin a children’s ministry (Children for Christ) in worn-torn Europe under the Independent Board of Presbyterian Foreign Missions. In time, however, his ministry developed beyond a children’s ministry to university students. Eventually, the Schaeffer’s purchased a chalet in Huemoz where eventually the ministry known as L’Abri (Fr. Shelter) was birthed 1955 (the story of the L’Abri ministry can be found in Edith Schaeffer’s wonderful book, The Tapestry). Truly it was a shelter for many who were thrown into intellectual and spiritual chaos by the anti-establishment forces of the 1960s encouraged by existentialism. In 1960, Time magazine took note of Schaeffer’s ministry in the Swiss mountains and referred to it as a unique ministry to the European intellectual.
Over the years, hundreds (probably thousands) of people came (some for days others for months) to L’Abri where many found Christ as Savior. This was especially true in the 60s and 70s and those of us who lived through those times remember the political and social upheaval as students on both sides of the Atlantic went into a rebellious mode full throttle. Many in evangelicalism merely condemned the senseless destruction (of course, in one sense it needed to be condemned) and ignored the legitimate questions being asked by the students.
Schaeffer, on the other hand, listened carefully to their questions and helped them to see how historic Christianity answered those questions consistently within the reality all lived. While it was a time of entrenchment for many in evangelicalism, Schaeffer engaged the young people and the intellectuals (many were existentialists) on their own terms. He showed them that their explanation of the world was inconsistent with and insufficient for the world in which they lived. Then he would show how Christianity answered those questions.
A hallmark of Schaeffer’s apologetic was that it was driven by a deep and abiding love for humanity. He truly empathized with those who were struggling with life in a world that was terribly out of joint. I am told that Schaeffer would spend hours with one person asking questions until the individual had sufficient information to think further on the matter.
To understand Schaeffer’s approach to evangelism and his apologetic thought one must give attention to the three works that reveal the foundation of his understanding of man, reality, and the Bible. These three books serve as the foundation for all his other books, forming a trilogy: The God Who Is There, Escape from Reason, and He Is There and He Is Not Silent. According to Schaeffer all his other books fit into these as “spokes of the wheel into the hub”. In 1982, the works of Francis Schaeffer were edited by Schaeffer and published in a five-volume set in which the books in the trilogy are in the order in which they were written. This order reveals the development of his thinking apologetically and is essential to understanding Schaeffer and his apologetic method.
In these three books, one learns how Schaeffer’s view of man shaped his apologetic approach (which for him was part and parcel of his evangelism). Historic Christianity, according to Schaeffer, was creation centered and central to creation was that God created man in his image. The first apologetic implication of creation was that man had intrinsic worth which meant he was to be treated with respect and love. This truth shaped Schaeffer’s life and ministry as he was motivated and directed by love and compassion for man as a person. Apologetics, he urged, must be “shaped on the basis of love for the person as a person.”
While Schaeffer did not minimize the historic fall recorded in Genesis, he argued that the fall “did not lead to machineness, but to fallen-manness.” There was a greatness to man even though he could also be very cruel. He spoke of man being noble, not because of his achievements, but because of who he was as a creation of God—man was not a zero, to use Schaeffer’s words. Only Christianity, Schaeffer said, could explain both the greatness and the cruelty of man. This truth moved Schaeffer to take all men seriously and to answer the honest questions of fallen man. Furthermore, he argued that the Christian must take care to understand the person by looking carefully at cultural artifacts (especially the arts) to understand the underlying worldviews and presuppositions revealed in them.
The second apologetic implication of creation for Schaeffer was the intelligibility of creation. The categories of the mind of man correspond to the structure of the world as God had created both. The result, Schaeffer argued, was that common ground existed between the Christian and the non-Christian. This is not something man put upon the universe; it is simply the way it is. Man lives in a morally structured, rational universe and no matter how he might try to live against the way the universe is, Schaeffer was sure it would push back at him and create tension for his non-Christian presuppositions. Of course this was not a game for Schaeffer and he urged the Christian always to give the answer as understood in light of historic Christianity and to do so in a loving and compassionate tone.
He was convinced that when speaking to the non-Christian the first truth to present was that of the truth of the real world and the reality of man himself. For Schaeffer, the real point of contact with the modern (and post modern mind) was reality. Regardless what presuppositions a man claims as grounds for his worldview, Schaeffer showed how they can be tested for truthfulness when pressed against the reality in which every person must live.
In 1978 Schaeffer learned that he had lymphoma cancer succumbing to it in May 1984. However, almost until his death he maintained an active speaking schedule. During his life time he carried on a voluminous correspondence with many of the great evangelical minds of the day. Most of this correspondence is in the Francis A. Schaeffer Collection (of which I am director) given by the Francis Schaeffer Foundation which is now under the custodianship of the library at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
He wrote 27 books (and many pamphlets), and produced two films with his son Frank. Of the two films, the most well-known is How Should We then Live? which is a companion to the book by the same title. The second film, Whatever Happened to the Human Race with Everett Koop, Schaeffer shows the social and philosophical consequences of abortion. He wrote on responsible stewardship of creation long before others were talking about it. Schaeffer not only could think with the best minds of his day, he lived out his Christianity in very practical ways and urged all in the church to do the same.
The concluding thought is that Schaeffer remains an important apologetic resource for Christians in the 21st century. It goes without saying that the evangelical world owes much to the life and ministry of Francis Schaeffer. Every now and then, God gives His Church a unique voice for His people—Schaeffer was such a voice. It is without fear of contradiction to say that Schaeffer was one of the evangelical giants of the latter half of the 20th century. We will do well to listen, for to do otherwise will deny that which was intended for our profit.
The Francis and Edith Schaeffer Story Pt.1 – Today’s Christian Videos The Francis and Edith Schaeffer Story – Part 3 of 3 Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 1) ABORTION OF THE HUMAN RACE Published on Oct 6, 2012 by AdamMetropolis ________________ Picture of Francis Schaeffer and his wife Edith from the […]
THE MARK OF A CHRISTIAN – CLASS 1 – Introduction Published on Mar 7, 2012 This is the introductory class on “The Mark Of A Christian” by Francis Schaeffer. The class was originally taught at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Overland Park, KS by Dan Guinn from FrancisSchaefferStudies.org as part of the adult Sunday School hour […]
The Francis and Edith Schaeffer Story Pt.1 – Today’s Christian Videos The Francis and Edith Schaeffer Story – Part 3 of 3 Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 1) ABORTION OF THE HUMAN RACE Published on Oct 6, 2012 by AdamMetropolis ________________ Picture of Francis Schaeffer and his wife Edith from the […]
The Francis and Edith Schaeffer Story Pt.1 – Today’s Christian Videos The Francis and Edith Schaeffer Story – Part 3 of 3 Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 1) ABORTION OF THE HUMAN RACE Published on Oct 6, 2012 by AdamMetropolis ________________ Picture of Francis Schaeffer and his wife Edith from the […]
The Francis and Edith Schaeffer Story Pt.1 – Today’s Christian Videos The Francis and Edith Schaeffer Story – Part 3 of 3 Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 1) ABORTION OF THE HUMAN RACE Published on Oct 6, 2012 by AdamMetropolis ________________ Picture of Francis Schaeffer and his wife Edith from the […]
The Francis and Edith Schaeffer Story Pt.1 – Today’s Christian Videos The Francis and Edith Schaeffer Story – Part 3 of 3 Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 1) ABORTION OF THE HUMAN RACE Published on Oct 6, 2012 by AdamMetropolis ________________ Picture of Francis Schaeffer and his wife Edith from the […]
Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race?” (Episode 2) SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS Published on Oct 6, 2012 by AdamMetropolis The 45 minute video above is from the film series created from Francis Schaeffer’s book “Whatever Happened to the Human Race?” with Dr. C. Everett Koop. This book really helped develop my political views concerning […]
Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 1) ABORTION OF THE HUMAN RACE Published on Oct 6, 2012 by AdamMetropolis The 45 minute video above is from the film series created from Francis Schaeffer’s book “Whatever Happened to the Human Race?” with Dr. C. Everett Koop. This book really helped develop my political views […]
I have gone back and forth and back and forth with many liberals on the Arkansas Times Blog on many issues such as abortion, human rights, welfare, poverty, gun control and issues dealing with popular culture. Here is another exchange I had with them a while back. My username at the Ark Times Blog is Saline […]
Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 5) TRUTH AND HISTORY Published on Oct 7, 2012 by AdamMetropolis The 45 minute video above is from the film series created from Francis Schaeffer’s book “Whatever Happened to the Human Race?” with Dr. C. Everett Koop. This book really helped develop my political views concerning abortion, […]
I have written on the Book of Ecclesiastes and the subject of the meaning of our lives on several occasions on this blog. In this series on Ecclesiastes I hope to show how secular humanist man can not hope to find a lasting meaning to his life in a closed system without bringing God back into the picture. This is the same exact case with Solomon in the Book of Ecclesiastes. Three thousand years ago, Solomon took a look at life “under the sun” in his book of Ecclesiastes. Christian scholar Ravi Zacharias has noted, “The key to understanding the Book of Ecclesiastes is the term ‘under the sun.’ What that literally means is you lock God out of a closed system, and you are left with only this world of time plus chance plus matter.”
Let me show you some inescapable conclusions if you choose to live without God in the picture. Solomon came to these same conclusions when he looked at life “under the sun.”
Death is the great equalizer (Eccl 3:20, “All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.”)
Chance and time have determined the past, and they will determine the future. (Ecclesiastes 9:11-13)
Power reigns in this life, and the scales are not balanced(Eccl 4:1)
Nothing in life gives true satisfaction without God including knowledge (1:16-18), ladies and liquor (2:1-3, 8, 10, 11), and great building projects (2:4-6, 18-20).
You can only find a lasting meaning to your life by looking above the sun and bring God back into the picture.
This coming Sunday, my Church will begin a series of sermons on the book of Ecclesiastes. After swimming through the books of Titus and Philemon, we are swinging back to the Old Testament for wisdom. Lasting about 10-12 weeks, we will be going through the entire book, covering all 12 chapters. The general theme of the sermon series will be: “The Search For Meaning.” Along the way we will deal with issues of life, noticing the cyclical rhythms of the world we live in, of human philosophy, the follies of riches and pleasures, the limits of human wisdom, the futility of living in a rat race, and many heart gripping issues surrounding meaning, or the lack of it. There will be several guest speakers, with me of course at the helm preaching about once every fortnight. Let me begin this meditation on Ecclesiastes 1, most famously remembered for its recurring proclamation in verse 2:
“‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” (Eccl 1:2)
Is this statement of meaninglessness factual, or emotional? Is it only meaningless for the Teacher, or is it a statement of truth for the rest of us? Let me begin by sharing an interesting exchange between Ravi Zacharias and a man who attended his talk.
Man: “Everything is meaningless!”
Ravi: “Everything is meaningful.”
Man: “Everything is meaningless!”
Ravi: “Everything is meaningful.”
Man: “Everything is meaningless!”
Ravi: “Everything is meaningful.”
This went on for a while until the man got a little peeved. In reply, Ravi gently explained:
“Let me tell you why. If everything is meaningless like you have said, then what you have said in the first place is meaningless. You have effectively said nothing!”
How true. If everything in itself is devoid of meaning, then the very words that we speak is meaningless. One common understanding of Ecclesiastes is that everything without God is meaningless. I hold that view. Yet, that does not mean that we can easily dismiss everything secular or anything that does not mention God at all. God has created this world as it is.
How To Read Ecclesiastes
It is because everything is meaningful, we have a reason to study Ecclesiastes. I like to suggest three keys to adopt when reading this book. Firstly, there is meaning in this world even without mentioning God. This does not mean that I disagree with the Teacher in Ecclesiastes. The difference with God is that meaning becomes more complete, more beautiful, and more significant in the light of God. Without God, there is meaning but incomplete, and unsatisfactory. In going through the philosophical arguments and complaints about the world, it is also important to recognize the person making such observations. The writer is able to complain because he is in search of something MORE meaningful than what he has. His cry of meaninglessness stems from the frustrations of a search that is without God. Just like the prodigal son who seeks to enjoy the world away from his family. After squandering away his inheritance, he realizes that life is more then sheer pleasure and materialism. Relationships form his core need and purpose of existence.
Secondly, as we read Ecclesiastes, remember that it is embedded in a genre of wisdom literature. There are important lessons for all of us to learn. In the Old Testament, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs are part of the Wisdom books called the ketuvim in Hebrew.
Job deals with the issues of pain, suffering, justice, and God’s sovereignty. Psalms contain many hymns, songs that describe faith and trust in God through the ups and downs of life. Proverbs give us great advice on how to live an honourable life of integrity with lots of practical applications for living. The song of songs is a joyful declaration and singing of the wonders and splendours of married life, an a relationship between couples in love. Ecclesiastes augment these wisdom literature with a journey through searching for meaning in all the wrong places, only to learn that only in God, will our search be redeemed.
Thirdly, Ecclesiastes remind us how finite we are, how imperfect are our human efforts, and the futility of any kinds of search for meaning devoid of God. Do not be too quick to jump to the conclusion in chapter 12. Be intentional in going through the first eleven chapters to explore honestly how we all feel inside our heads and our hearts.
Here is the rough outline for the next few weeks. Note that they are subject to change.
Stephen Miller calls the Book of Ecclesiastes as a tussle of “Smartest Man vs Toughest Question.” We may not be the smartest man on earth, but we can all participate in the search for answers to life’s toughest questions. May we have a meaningful ride as we join in the search through Ecclesiastes.
This from the American Humanist website: This week we’re pleased to publish a new poem “Ecclesiastes” by Frank S. Robinson. Frank S. Robinson is a retired New York State administrative law judge, a rare coin dealer, and author of five books, most recently The Case for Rational Optimism. He is married to the poet Therese […]
Tampa Bay Rays apologize for Avril Lavigne TMZ reported: According to local reports, Avril’s mic didn’t work at the start of her show … and she responded to the cavalcade of boos by yelling obscenities at crowd. Rays rep Rick Vaughn tells TMZ, “The Rays demand profanity-free performances from all of our concert performers and […]
I have gone back and forth and back and forth with many liberals on the Arkansas Times Blog on many issues such as abortion, human rights, welfare, poverty, gun control and issues dealing with popular culture. Here is another exchange I had with them a while back. My username at the Ark Times Blog is Saline […]
I have spent alot of time talking about Woody Allen films on this blog and looking at his worldview. He has a hopeless, meaningless, nihilistic worldview that believes we are going to turn to dust and there is no afterlife. Even though he has this view he has taken the opportunity to look at the weaknesses of […]
Chris Martin revealed in his interview with Howard Stern that he was rasied an evangelical Christian but he has left the church. I believe that many words that he puts in his songs today are generated from the deep seated Christian beliefs from his childhood that find their way out in his songs. His belief in […]
Picture of Adrian Rogers above from 1970′s while pastor of Bellevue Baptist of Memphis, and president of Southern Baptist Convention. (Little known fact, Rogers was the starting quarterback his senior year of the Palm Beach High School football team that won the state title and a hero to a 7th grader at the same school named […]
Chris Martin revealed in his interview with Howard Stern that he was rasied an evangelical Christian but he has left the church. I believe that many words that he puts in his songs today are generated from the deep seated Christian beliefs from his childhood that find their way out in his songs. His belief in […]
I have gone back and forth and back and forth with many liberals on the Arkansas Times Blog on many issues such as abortion, human rights, welfare, poverty, gun control and issues dealing with popular culture. Here is another exchange I had with them a while back. My username at the Ark Times Blog is Saline […]
I have gone back and forth and back and forth with many liberals on the Arkansas Times Blog on many issues such as abortion, human rights, welfare, poverty, gun control and issues dealing with popular culture. Here is another exchange I had with them a while back. My username at the Ark Times Blog is Saline […]
I have gone back and forth and back and forth with many liberals on the Arkansas Times Blog on many issues such as abortion, human rights, welfare, poverty, gun control and issues dealing with popular culture. Here is another exchange I had with them a while back. My username at the Ark Times Blog is Saline […]
I have spent alot of time talking about Woody Allen films on this blog and looking at his worldview. He has a hopeless, meaningless, nihilistic worldview that believes we are going to turn to dust and there is no afterlife. Even though he has this view he has taken the opportunity to look at the weaknesses of […]
I have spent alot of time talking about Woody Allen films on this blog and looking at his worldview. He has a hopeless, meaningless, nihilistic worldview that believes we are going to turn to dust and there is no afterlife. Even though he has this view he has taken the opportunity to look at the weaknesses of […]
The Bible and Archaeology (3/5) For many more archaeological evidences in support of the Bible, see Archaeology and the Bible . (There are some great posts on this too at the bottom of this post.) Robert Dick Wilson at the Grove City Bible Conference in 1909. IS THE HIGHER CRITICISM SCHOLARLY?Clearly attested facts showing that thedestructive […]
I have spent alot of time talking about Woody Allen films on this blog and looking at his worldview. He has a hopeless, meaningless, nihilistic worldview that believes we are going to turn to dust and there is no afterlife. Even though he has this view he has taken the opportunity to look at the weaknesses of […]
I have spent alot of time talking about Woody Allen films on this blog and looking at his worldview. He has a hopeless, meaningless, nihilistic worldview that believes we are going to turn to dust and there is no afterlife. Even though he has this view he has taken the opportunity to look at the weaknesses of […]
Above is a clip of 12 questions for Woody Allen. Below is a list of some of his movies. WOODY’S FINEST: Philip French’s favourite five Annie Hall (1977) In his first fully achieved masterwork, a semi-autobiographical comedy in which his ex-lover Diane Keaton and best friend Tony Roberts play versions of themselves, Allen created a […]
September 3, 2011 · 5:16 PM ↓ Jump to Comments Woody Allen on the Emptiness of Life In the final scene of Manhattan, Woody Allen’s character, Isaac, is lying on the sofa with a microphone and a tape-recorder, dictating to himself an idea for a short story. It will be about “people in Manhattan,” he says, […]
As far as I know they have never done an interview together. Therefore, I have included separate interviews that they have done below and I have some links to past posts I have done on them too. Shane Warne – Chris Martin Interview (Part 1) Uploaded by HandyAndy136 on Nov 24, 2010 Originally broadcast on […]
The Bible and Archaeology (1/5) The Bible maintains several characteristics that prove it is from God. One of those is the fact that the Bible is accurate in every one of its details. The field of archaeology brings to light this amazing accuracy. _________________________- I want to make two points today. 1. There is no […]
John Lofton noted: “DR. FRIEDMAN an evolutionist with ‘values’ of unknown origin but he said they were not ‘accidental.’ “ If anyone takes time to read my blog for any length of time they can not question my respect for the life long work of Milton Friedman. He has advanced the cause of freedom […]
Brian Welch of Korn and his Christian conversion and deliverance from drugs Part 2
Brian Welch: From Korn to Jesus
Uploaded on Aug 22, 2008
Former guitarist and co-founder of heavy rock group Korn, Brian Welch talks about the amazing turn his life took when he accepted God for who He is. Saved from drugs and addiction, Welch tells his amazing testimony of Jesus’ love and salvation.
CBN.com – On a peaceful Arizona afternoon, Brian Welch and his daughter Jeanea share a mutual love for music. But just a couple of years ago, Brian would have given anything for just a few minutes of peace.
“I want to be here for Jeanea,” Brian says. “She lost her mom to drugs. I need your help. ‘Help me, help me God.’ I said it from my heart.”
Brian, known around the world to his friends and fans as “Head,” made it big – multi–platinum big – as co-founder and lead guitarist of the band Korn.
“The second record came out, number three on the billboard chart. What’s up with that! We’re some heavy band,” Brian says. “We go to the third album…the album starts going 100,000 copies a week, we start selling. We kept climbing; we kept selling records, more videos, more fame, huge shows.”
The band’s unique sound, called nu-metal, is a mixture of heavy metal and alternative rock, and it catapulted these five friends from Bakersfield, California, into super stardom. And while most of the world saw Brian the rock star, the man who had it all, Brian tells a different story of how he was dying inside and attempted to kill the pain with drugs and alcohol.
“I’d go back on the road, starting drinking. ‘OK, guys let’s party.’ Sweeping the pain under the rug,” Brian says.
While it didn’t seem to affect his music, it had a devastating effect on his marriage.
“I’d go home and me and my ex-wife would do drugs and fight,” he says.
Brian tried several times to quit the drugs, but he felt powerless to fight them. Then, the arrival of his daughter Jeanea changed everything. Brian and his wife, Rebekah, went on the straight and narrow – at least for awhile.
“And that was like the best thing, I said, ‘Life is going to be good. Life is going to be good. I’ve got my band. I’ve got my wife. I’ve got my baby.’ We’re still climbing up and then I go back on tour. I got clean when she was born, and I go back on tour. Open a beer for the first show, instantly hooked again. Rebekah starts doing ‘speed’ at home with the baby and I’m still climbing success. And home is just terrible. Rebekah is missing. I’m missing my baby so bad. When I come home, I’m so drunk or hung over. Then, I spend a couple of days with my kid. I bump into someone who does speed. I do speed at home with my kid and it just gets worse at home as the success grows,” Brian says.
Then, his wife left him and Jeanea, and they eventually divorced.
“I panicked. My rock star dream, my money, nothing, none of my power, none of my gangster friends could stop that trauma from happening,” he says.
Brian won custody of Jeanea. And here began that tug of war in his heart. He wanted to care for his daughter, but hated exposing her to the wild party life of Korn.
“How can you leave a huge band that’s like one of the biggest bands that’s come around, rock bands, that changed music, how can you leave that?,” Brian asks. “But how can I not be there for my daughter?”
As Brian agonized over this decision, he dove deeper and deeper into drugs and alcohol. One day, he heard his daughter singing a Korn song.
“I heard Jeanea singing a Korn song called “Adidas.” It means all day long I dream about sex. It’s a party song. And I felt like a loser. I’m no good for this kid,” Brian says.
During that time, Brian went into real estate with two partners who happened to be Christians. They never troubled Brian with their faith. But, at one point they reached out to him through an e-mail. Brian had mentioned to his partners how his life was falling apart. Their reply — “Come to me, all you who are weary and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
Brian began to question, “‘Could Jesus be real?’ I was thinking in my mind, was this guy not just a goody, goody? Could there really be a God, and is He calling me? I looked up that scripture and I wanted it to be true.”
Eventually, Brian went to church with them.
“So we went to the service. And the music came on and all these people went up to the front and started praying. And I was like, that is just weird. But I was drawn, I felt something going on,” Brian says. “He said, ‘Does anybody want to accept Christ?’ And I did it for myself. I said the prayer and went home rolled up a hundred dollar bill, laid out a big line of ‘speed’, snorted it. And I said…I remember perfectly. I was clear…I said, ‘Lord, If you’re real like that guy says, please take these drugs from me. I can’t quit, I don’t want to do them, but I can’t stop. I want to be here for Jeanea. She lost her mom to drugs. I need your help, Just help me. Help, help me God.’ I said it from my heart.”
Brian snorted “speed” and read the Bible for a week, searching for the answers. Then one day…
“I felt this peaceful presence and I started shaking a little bit and I got goose bumps everywhere. And the first thing I felt was ‘I love you.’ And I was like, ‘Father?’ I was frozen. ‘Father?’ This was God and then it went away. But, it was so real. It took over the high. And when it went away the drugs said, ‘That’s just drugs. That’s not real.’ So I did drugs all night long. And the next day I woke up and I had the feeling to go to my Bible. I opened it up and pointed, the soul who sins is the soul who dies. And to me, right then, it was like God told me I revealed myself to you last night. It’s time for you to stop the drugs. It’s time for you to be done. And I was consumed with fear and I went and grabbed all my drugs and threw them in the toilet and I said, ‘I’m done God. I’m yours now. I’m yours.’ That’s the last time I did drugs.
According to Brian, the fact that he could become clean after being in drugs for so many years was a miracle.
At the same time, in 2005, Brian split from Korn and sent the heavy metal world into a spin. On the other hand, Brian was baptized in the Jordan River and started his new journey.
“To tell you the truth, God was real,” Brian says. “He revealed himself to me, kept revealing Himself to me, and I felt his presence at my house. He’s speaking to my kid and all this crazy stuff is happening, and that’s all that mattered to me. I was OK. This band stuff, the stardom, I mean everything, it doesn’t matter anymore. It’s God. He’s so real. I don’t care what I do the rest of my life.”
Brian has taken his responsibility as a father head on. Instead of lewd lyrics, Jeanea hears her dad talk about the love of God.
Brian’s music career also has taken on a new direction. His music now reflects his journey from self–destruction into the loving arms of God.
“He put me on Earth to have fellowship and intimacy with Him,” Brian says. “And I’m going to spend as much time I can possibly spend getting to know him everyday. I don’t want to waste any time. I’ve wasted enough time. That’s what I’m put on Earth to do. Be intimate with God. Get to know Him as much as I can. Let Him fill me with His spirit so He can do the work by bringing people into the Kingdom.”
Jim Morrison’s sad drug death was followed by Pamela Courson’s sad story!!! pamela courson/ jim morrison interview Interview with Jim Morrison’s father and sister Uploaded on Aug 9, 2010 This interview is from “When You’re Strange” DVD bonus material. I do not own this video and own no rights to it! Pamela Courson Uploaded […]
__________ NICO – I’m Waiting For The Man – (1982, Warehouse, Preston, UK) One of the top 10 songs from The Velvet Underground and Nico is the song “I’m Waiting for the Man I’m Waiting for the Man From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search “I’m Waiting for the Man” Song by […]
The life of Lou Reed (includes videos from 1960′s and 1970′s) ____________ Rock & Roll – Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground – Venus in Furs – Live 1) Lou Reed – Sweet Jane – live in Paris, 1974 Velvet Underground-”Sunday Morning” from “Velvet Underground and Nico” LP Lou Reed From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump […]
Jim Morrison’s relationship with Nico Nico Icon documentary part 1. Nico Icon documentary part 2. ______________ Jim Morrison at Andy Warhol’s Party.wmv (with Nico) Uploaded on Apr 26, 2010 From the Oliver Stone movie. The Doors. _______________________ nico discusses jim morrison. Uploaded on Jan 2, 2008 nico discusses jim, and how he impacted her […]
I really enjoyed the movie “Savannah Smiles” last night and afterwards I looked up what happened to Bridgette Andersen and where she is today. IMDB notes: Bridgette Andersen was born on July 11, 1975 to Frank Glass and Teresa Andersen in Inglewood, California and grew up in Malibu. She always considered it good luck to […]
Today I heard Tim Todd’s testimony about drugs. Related posts: Whitney Houston dead at 48, long history of drugs and alcohol February 11, 2012 – 8:31 pm Sad news about Whitney Houston’s death tonight. I have included some earlier posts about drugs and alcohol and rock stars. LOS ANGELES (AP) — Whitney Houston, who ruled as […]
I have written about the “27 Club” several times in the past and I have got a lot of hits in the last 30 days on these blog posts below that deal with Rock and Rollers and drugs. Keith Richards’ wife is a bible believing christian Pete de Freitas of Echo and the Bunnymen is a […]
I’m In A Rock ‘N’ Roll Band – The Singer (Part 1) Jim Morrison – books on tape – w subtitles Light My Fire – The Doors The Rolling Stones – Satisfaction ________________________ The Rolling Stones – The Breakthrough The Rolling Stones – Brian Jones The Rolling Stones- Paint it Black Nirvana – Smells Like […]
Amy Winehouse died last week and she joined the “27 club.” Pete de Freitas of Echo and the Bunnymen is also a member of the “27 Club.” This is group of rockers that have died at age 27. A tribute to the amazing drummer of one of our biggest influences, Echo & The Bunnymen. We […]
cc ‘Janis Joplin’ 2/5 from True Hollywood Story (Janis was having affair with Pigpen) Jerry Garcia (guitar, vocals), Ron “Pigpen” McKernan (vocals, harmonica), Bob Weir (guitar, vocals), Phil Lesh (bass), Mickey Hart (drums), Bill Kreutzman (drums). Grateful Dead “Don’t Ease Me In” Live @ Canadian National Exhibition Hall Toronto, CA June 27th, 1970 Grateful Dead […]
Amy Winehouse died last week and joined the “27 club” which is a group of rockers that died at age 27. Gary Thain also joined that same group long ago and I wanted to look at his life today. Uriah Heep – Wizard bb By Sean Nelson, Special to MSN Music , July 23, 2011 […]
Recently Amy Winehouse joined the “27 Club” when she died of a drug overdose. The “27 Club” is a group of rockers that died at age 27. Unfortunately Jimi Hendrix died at age 27 in 1970 and Janis Joplin did the same three weeks later. Today we are going to look at her life and […]
JIMI HENDRIX : FINAL INTERVIEW . The other day when Amy Winehouse died she joined the “27 Club” which includes other famous rockers who died at age 27. Most of them died because of drugs. Unfortunately Jimi Hendrix joined the club for the same reason. Something special for all music and Beat Club-Lovers on YouTube: […]
Amy Winehouse died at age 27 and unfornately joined the “27 club” which is made of famous rockers that died at age 27. Pete Ham was a member of Bad Finger which was one of my favorite groups that I followed. “Come and get it” was my favorite song of theirs. ___________________________________ Badfinger perform a […]
Brian’s Blues, Brian Jones on guitar in the early stones years. unreleased track Brian Jones died at age 27 just like Amy Winehouse did. I remember like yesterday when I first heard the song “I can’t get no satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones. I immediately thought about Solomon’s search for satisfaction in the Book of […]
The Rise And Rise Of Kurt Cobain part 1/3 Amy Winehouse joined the “Club 27 the other day with her early death. I am going through the others one by one. Today is Kurt Cobain. 7. Kurt Cobain very rarely does an artist come along and not just upset the “apple cart” but drops […]
Pictures and Videos of Edie Sedgwick and the story of her losing battle against drugs and alcohol Part 2 Drugs and alcohol have taken the life of many people and I have posted many times about their unfortunate deaths. Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse, Gary Thain, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Brian Jones, Kurt Cobain, and Jim […]
Pictures and Videos of Edie Sedgwick and the story of her losing battle against drugs and alcohol Part 1 Factory Girl – The Real Edie Uploaded on Aug 30, 2011 Friends and family of Edie Sedgwick discuss what the factory girl was really like, and the battles and relationships she went through _____________ Edie Sedgwick Excerpt […]
Around 4 years ago I was in Philadelphia and the local radio station had a talk show that was blasting Alice Walton for coming into town and buying the 1876 Thomas Eakins’ masterpiece “The Gross Clinic” which was hanging at the Jefferson Medical College. However, the people of Philadelphia were given 45 days to […]
Flyleaf is an American hard rock band, formed in the Belton[1] and Temple, Texas[2] regions in 2002. The band has charted on mainstream rock, Christian pop and Christian metal genres. They performed around the United States in 2003 until releasing their eponymous debut album, Flyleaf, in 2005. The album went platinum after selling more than one million copies.[6] The band won an online poll on yahoo.com and was named Yahoo!’s Who’s Next band of the month in March 2006 and they were named MTV’s artist of the week on December 24, 2007.[7][8] Flyleaf released their second album Memento Mori on November 10, 2009 which debuted and peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard charts.
Flyleaf’s third album New Horizons was revealed in October 30, 2012. At the same time, lead singer Lacey Sturm announced her departure and the band announced the new lead singer for the band, Kristen May.
Early on Lacey Sturm started playing with James Culpepper. Guitarists Jared Hartmann and Sameer Bhattacharya were later recruited. “Sameer and Jared are really experimental with melodies and pedals, and we all had different influences that were all blending together with the same passionate and hopeful heart, and that brought out this beautiful feeling. It was magical,” said Sturm.[9] Bassist Pat Seals joined after leaving his previous band The Grove.
As Passerby, the band released three EPs and played over 100 shows in Texas alone over the span of two years under the booking and promotion company Runt Entertainment.[citation needed] In 2004, Passerby played a showcase for RCA Records in New York City in hopes of getting signed. RCA passed on the band, but the president of Octone Records was very interested. They waited for two days in their van at a truck stop for a phone call about an Octone showcase. They were signed after the showcase, and on January 7, 2004, Octone Record’s website announced their arrival to the label.
In March 2004, Flyleaf traveled to Seattle, Washington to record an EP with Rick Parashar. Afterwards, they toured with Skillet, Breaking Benjamin, Staind and 3 Doors Down to promote their self-titled EP. Due to legal reasons, they renamed themselves Flyleaf in June 2004.[10] In October, the EP was released to stores (as Flyleaf), spawning their first official single and video for the EP version of “Breathe Today”.
Debut album (2005–08)
In 2005, the band recorded their first full-length album with Howard Benson. On October 4, 2005, the record was released under the title Flyleaf. Appearances on the album include Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction and Ryan White of Resident Hero. The first mainstream single from their debut album was “I’m So Sick“, “Fully Alive” was the second, “All Around Me” was the third, and “Sorrow” was the fourth.
In the summer of 2006, the band played on the mainstage of the Family Values Tour 2006 and in late 2006, Flyleaf toured with Disturbed, Stone Sour and Nonpoint on the Music As A Weapon III Tour. The band issued an exclusive EP, which was sold at the tour called Music As A Weapon EP which features an acoustic version of “Fully Alive”, and three previously unreleased tracks: “Much Like Falling”, “Justice And Mercy”, and “Christmas Song” (Much Like Falling and Justice and Mercy later appeared on Much Like Falling EP). A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the EP went to World Vision.[11]
In 2007 Flyleaf toured with Three Days Grace and throughout Australia with the Soundwave festival, and also toured Europe with Stone Sour and Forever Never. In the spring of 2007, Flyleaf headlined their Justice & Mercy Tour which first featured Skillet and Dropping Daylight. Later on they did a second leg of the tour which featured Sick Puppies, Kill Hannah and Resident Hero. Flyleaf again joined the Family Values Tour in 2007.[12] The music video for “I’m So Sick” appeared briefly in the 2007 film Live Free or Die Hard. Also a remix of the song “I’m So Sick” is on the Soundtrack to the movie Resident Evil: Extinction. “Perfect” was also released as a single in late 2007 to Christian radio stations. Released on November 5, 2007, the The Sims 2 expansion pack Teen Style Stuff featured the band’s song “Cassie” recorded in Simlish.
Flyleaf at Beale Street Music Festival on May 2, 2008.
Flyleaf also released a song entitled “Tina” which was the first song that they debuted in the release of Guitar Hero 3 as part of the Companion Disk Set. Also, the song “I’m So Sick” appears in Rock Band. On October 30, Flyleaf also released a digital EP titled Much Like Falling EP. The songs included on this EP were “Much Like Falling”, an acoustic version of “Supernatural”, the limited release song “Tina”, and The EP is available on iTunes along with the expanded edition of their debut album. On April 26, 2008, the band released their fourth video “Sorrow” from their debut album on MTV2.[13] The band toured with Seether in late spring, but had to cancel five shows due to a problem with Sturm’s voice. The members of Flyleaf took the fall off to write new music, hoping to begin recording by January.
When the band finished recording their second album, The band had selected 14 songs out of the 30 already written. Some of these songs, such as “Again“, “Have We Lost”, and “Beautiful Bride” have been performed live. The band reunited with producer Howard Benson and enlisted the mixing services of Chris Lord-Alge[14] It was released on November 10, 2009.[15] The album has been titled Memento Mori. It features songs such as “Beautiful Bride”, “Arise”, “Missing”, “Again” and “Set Apart This Dream” which was inspired by the Christian book Wild at Heart.[16] Flyleaf has debuted an additional two songs live during a small acoustic tour the band did in Afghanistan for United States Armed Forces called “Chasm” and “Circle”.[17] As they published on their MySpace page, Flyleaf’s first single “Again” was released on iTunes and also played on the radio. Meiert Avis directed the single’s music video titled “Again”.
The group, starting in Seattle, Washington on September 28, 2009, held VIP listening parties throughout the country inviting fans to be the first to hear a selection of songs from the new record and view brand new music videos before they aired nationwide. By partnering with Eventful, fans were given the opportunity to demand that their city get routed into the “Road to Memento Mori” using Eventful’s “Demand It!” service.
Based on overwhelming demand there were over 10 events. Fans saw Sturm, Sameer Bhattacharya, and Jared Hartmann, who made special appearances at these intimate gatherings across the country.[18]
On November 2, 2009, the band released a short Webisode for their new album.[19]
Flyleaf’s other video, “Beautiful Bride,” was shot in early August 2009 by director Don Tyler. The video was originally released at the Memento Mori listening events, but was later featured on Yahoo! the day Memento Mori came out. The video features James’ sister/Sameer’s wife, April, as the bride and Joshua Sturm, Lacey’s husband, as the groom. Like “Again,” this video features Pat’s artwork throughout the video. Future singles are set to include “Chasm” for rock stations and “Missing” for alternative.
Flyleaf toured throughout the United States with Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace that lasted from January to March 2010. They embarked on a headlining tour called the “Unite & Fight Tour” with 10 Years and Fair to Midland. The tour began on April 28, 2010 and ended on June 6, 2010. June 11, 2010 the group has acted on MUZ TV Award 2010(Премия МУЗ-ТВ) in Russia with songs: “I’m So Sick”, “Again” and a song: “All Around Me“. They are one of many bands that performed at Download Festival on June 12, 2010. The band encouraged fans to donate to stop human trafficking in other countries.
Flyleaf performing in 2010.
The band was scheduled to continue with the second leg of the “Unite & Fight” tour from September 10, 2010 to October 23, 2010, with Story of the Year, and performed at various festivals through the end of the year. They also released an animated music video for “Chasm” on September 22, which was directed/animated/illustrated by Giles Timms. At the end of the Unite and Fight tour in early November, Lacey collaborated with band Apocalyptica on the song “Broken Pieces”, as well as with Australian singer Orianthi in her new song “Courage”.[20] Soon after they released “Arise” as the next single from Memento Mori.
On November 6, 2010, the band performed at Rock the Hood, a festival at Fort Hood in memory of all the soldiers who have died, especially the 13 who died at the November 2009 shooting.
On November 15, 2010, Lacey publicly shared her pregnancy with the fans. Lacey said via Facebook that she and her husband Joshua would be expecting a baby boy in early 2011.[21]
On January 22, 2011, Hartmann announced that he and Culpepper were building a recording studio and preparing to record demos for their next album.[24] In February 2011, the band started pre-production for their next album at Treelady Studios in Pittsburgh, PA.[25][unreliable source?]
On June 1, 2012, the band confirmed via Twitter that the album and first single will be called New Horizons.[26] The single premiered on South East Michigan’s 89X Radio on August 1, 2012,[27] and released through iTunes on August 21, 2012.[28]
On September 4, 2012, Lacey Sturm’s birthday,[citation needed] Flyleaf released the official video for “New Horizons” on Fuse. The video included a picture in the background as a tribute to Rich Caldwell and footage of Lacey and Joshua Sturm’s son, Joshua “Jack” Sturm.[29]
Flyleaf also released an additional single, entitled “Call You Out”, on September 25, 2012.[citation needed] The album was released on October 30, 2012.[30]
On October 22, 2012, the band announced that Lacey Sturm was stepping down as the band’s lead vocalist. In a statement written by Pat Seals, Kristen May, formerly of Vedera, was announced as Sturm’s replacement. Sturm expressed that with the birth of her son, Jack, and the death of one of the band’s lead audio engineers, Rich Caldwell, that she knew the true meaning of “Memento Mori” (the title of their second full-length album).[31]
Guitarist Sameer Bhattacharya stated in an interview that they will write new music with their new lead vocalist Kristen May.[32]
Who We Are EP (2013–present)
Flyleaf released a new single on June 18, 2013 with May on vocals, “Something Better” featuring P.O.D. front man Sonny Sandoval. A new EP, Who We Are, was released on July 9, 2013.[33]
All members of the band are Christians.[citation needed] Their faith influences their music, but former lead singer Sturm doesn’t believe that necessarily makes Flyleaf strictly a Christian band. The band says they are Christians who play in a rock band, and their faith is heard within their music.[42] “We all share the same faith.”[this quote needs a citation] In 2005 Flyleaf performed a free concert at Los Angeles Pierce College for a Christian group at the college, which was a three-day event.[citation needed]
In a May 2010 interview, original lead singer Sturm was asked how it felt to be in a Christian rock band and play in Las Vegas:
Well, you know what? I don’t know what you mean by a “Christian rock band.” It’s hard to say that because people all have a different definition of what that means. If it means that we’re Christians, then yeah, we’re Christians, but if a plumber’s a Christian, does that make him a “Christian plumber?” I mean we’re not playing for Christians. We’re just playing honestly and that’s going to come out.[43]
New lead singer May has felt the band’s fans believe she’s “not Christian enough” despite professing to be a Christian. She also hopes that people don’t discount the band by using the “Christian” label.[44]
Band members
Current members
Sameer Bhattacharya – lead guitar, backing vocals (2002–present)
Jared Hartmann – rhythm guitar (2002–present)
Pat Seals – bass, backing vocals (2002–present)
James Culpepper – drums, percussion (2002–present)
Lykke Li ”I’m Good, I’m Gone” Uploaded on Jan 30, 2008 Acoustic live version with guests: Robyn, Adam & Bebban (Shout Out Louds), Daniel (The Concretes), Lars (Laakso) and Mikael (Hjalmar). Director: Ted Malmros + Christian Haag Album “Youth Novels” out jan 30 2008. ________________________ Lykke Li – Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? Wikipedia has this […]
My favorite Christian music artist of all time is Keith Green. Sunday, May 5, 2013 You Are Celled To Go – Keith Green Keith Green – (talks about) Jesus Commands Us To Go! (live) Uploaded on May 26, 2008 Keith Green talks about “Jesus Commands Us To Go!” live at Jesus West Coast ’82 You can find […]
Coldplay Max Masters – Part 1 of 7 Uploaded on May 6, 2009 The ASTRA Award winning music documentary – Max Masters Coldplay – was voted MOST OUTSTANDING MUSIC PROGRAM for 2009. Sarah Linton Productions and The Post Box produced the Max Masters documentary to coincide with the album release of ‘Viva la Vida’. __________ […]
The Killers – Human The Killers – Read My Mind The Killers – All These Things That I’ve Done The Killers – Spaceman I have really enjoyed the music of The Killers band. The Killers From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Not to be confused with The Kills. For other uses, see […]
