Beat that!
RSCT to Fr. Erik, who scored 5.7%.
Peace,
BMP
Showing posts with label memes/quizzes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label memes/quizzes. Show all posts
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
YOUR FIRST INITIAL DECIDES IT ALL!
I stole this quiz from Ann Nichols, a member of the Fans of Christus Vincit ANYWHERE! Facebook group.
Anyhoo...
Rules: It's harder than it looks! Copy to your own note, erase my answers, enter yours, and tag 10 people. Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following questions. They have to be real. . .nothing made up! If the person before you had the same first initial, you must use different answers. You cannot use any word twice and you can't use your name for the boy/girl name question.
1. What is your name: Brian
2. A four Letter Word: boot
3. A boy's Name: Bruce
4. A girl's Name: Brittany
5. An occupation: Bartender
6. A color: black
7. Something you wear: boots
8. A food: bananas
9. Something found in the bathroom: buttwipe
10. A place: Boston
11. A reason for being late: blowout
12. Something you shout: Banzai!
13. A movie title: BASEketball
14. Something you drink: Blue juice
15. A musical group: Beach Boys
16. An animal: bunny
17. A street name: Baxter Street
18. A type of car: bomber (as in a synonym for "klunker")
For anyone who wants to take this on, TAG! YOU'RE IT!
Peace,
BMP
Anyhoo...
Rules: It's harder than it looks! Copy to your own note, erase my answers, enter yours, and tag 10 people. Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following questions. They have to be real. . .nothing made up! If the person before you had the same first initial, you must use different answers. You cannot use any word twice and you can't use your name for the boy/girl name question.
1. What is your name: Brian
2. A four Letter Word: boot
3. A boy's Name: Bruce
4. A girl's Name: Brittany
5. An occupation: Bartender
6. A color: black
7. Something you wear: boots
8. A food: bananas
9. Something found in the bathroom: buttwipe
10. A place: Boston
11. A reason for being late: blowout
12. Something you shout: Banzai!
13. A movie title: BASEketball
14. Something you drink: Blue juice
15. A musical group: Beach Boys
16. An animal: bunny
17. A street name: Baxter Street
18. A type of car: bomber (as in a synonym for "klunker")
For anyone who wants to take this on, TAG! YOU'RE IT!
Peace,
BMP
Monday, September 8, 2008
Random Information. Take notes.
1. What is your occupation?
Entrepreneur and substitute organist.
2. What color are your socks right now?
White puma ankle socks.
3. What are you listening to right now?
The a/c blowing through the intake vent.
4. What was the last thing that you ate?
Pasta salad last night while watching the finale of Ice Road Truckers.
5. Can you drive a stick shift?
Sure can. My car has a standard transmission. Wouldn’t want it any other way. Automatics are for sissies! LOL!
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Chartreuse
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
The Democrat Party. They agreed to shake a finger at Hurricane Ike by arranging with 25 Catholic Bishops with sizable Service Appeal balances for a 10 million dollar welfare package to help keep the storm from entering the Gulf.
8. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
It wasn’t really sent. Brian had posted it. I like Brian. He’s groovy cool.
9. How old are you today?
38 and holding.
10. Favorite drink?
Non-alcoholic: Mineral water with fizz; Alcoholic: Dirty Martini with bleu cheese olives
11. What is your favorite sport to watch?
Foil fencing
12. Have you ever dyed your hair?
Never have, never will.
13. Pets?
One orange cat named Stuart. He doesn’t dye his hair either.
14. Favorite ethnic food?
Blutwurst und Sauerkohl mit ‘ner dicken Scheibe Roggenbrot und ein Maß Helles.
15. Last movie you watched?
Gravedancers on Scifi.
16. Favorite Day of the year?
My birthday. Loads of stuff happened in German history on that day, including my birth. In real Catholic churches, the gradual (note the use of the language of Catholicism!) is the Locus Iste on my birthday. I prefer the Bruckner setting.
17. What do you do to vent anger?
Vent anger? That’s what Germans usually call “getting even”. Forgiving is easy. Forgetting is stupid.
18. What was your favorite toy as a child?
My Xylophone.
19. What is your favorite season?
Atumn.
20. Hugs or kisses?
I prefer a jovial hand shake with most people.
21. Cherry or Blueberry?
Blueberry
22. Do you want your friends to email you back?
That depends on whether the email warrants a reply.
23. Who is most likely to respond?
To this? You never know.
24. Who is least likely to respond?
The Bishop of Rome.
25. What happened to the good ol' days?
The Versailles Treaty is what happened.
26. When was the last time you cried?
At Princess Grace’s funeral. Oh, and when Charlotte’s baby spiders took flight and she croaked.
27. What is on the floor of your closet?
Carpet.
28. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to?
I’m not sending it to anyone.
29. Who is the friend you have had the shortest that you are sending this to?
See #28
30. Favorite smells?
The vinegar brine for Sauerbraten.
31. Favorite sounds?
A Silbermann organ playing Bach. Second runner up: a good Lutheran chorale. Third runner up: The Dies Irae sung by a German choir. I far more prefer the masculine German pronunciation of Latin to the prissy Italianate version.
Entrepreneur and substitute organist.
2. What color are your socks right now?
White puma ankle socks.
3. What are you listening to right now?
The a/c blowing through the intake vent.
4. What was the last thing that you ate?
Pasta salad last night while watching the finale of Ice Road Truckers.
5. Can you drive a stick shift?
Sure can. My car has a standard transmission. Wouldn’t want it any other way. Automatics are for sissies! LOL!
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Chartreuse
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
The Democrat Party. They agreed to shake a finger at Hurricane Ike by arranging with 25 Catholic Bishops with sizable Service Appeal balances for a 10 million dollar welfare package to help keep the storm from entering the Gulf.
8. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
It wasn’t really sent. Brian had posted it. I like Brian. He’s groovy cool.
9. How old are you today?
38 and holding.
10. Favorite drink?
Non-alcoholic: Mineral water with fizz; Alcoholic: Dirty Martini with bleu cheese olives
11. What is your favorite sport to watch?
Foil fencing
12. Have you ever dyed your hair?
Never have, never will.
13. Pets?
One orange cat named Stuart. He doesn’t dye his hair either.
14. Favorite ethnic food?
Blutwurst und Sauerkohl mit ‘ner dicken Scheibe Roggenbrot und ein Maß Helles.
15. Last movie you watched?
Gravedancers on Scifi.
16. Favorite Day of the year?
My birthday. Loads of stuff happened in German history on that day, including my birth. In real Catholic churches, the gradual (note the use of the language of Catholicism!) is the Locus Iste on my birthday. I prefer the Bruckner setting.
17. What do you do to vent anger?
Vent anger? That’s what Germans usually call “getting even”. Forgiving is easy. Forgetting is stupid.
18. What was your favorite toy as a child?
My Xylophone.
19. What is your favorite season?
Atumn.
20. Hugs or kisses?
I prefer a jovial hand shake with most people.
21. Cherry or Blueberry?
Blueberry
22. Do you want your friends to email you back?
That depends on whether the email warrants a reply.
23. Who is most likely to respond?
To this? You never know.
24. Who is least likely to respond?
The Bishop of Rome.
25. What happened to the good ol' days?
The Versailles Treaty is what happened.
26. When was the last time you cried?
At Princess Grace’s funeral. Oh, and when Charlotte’s baby spiders took flight and she croaked.
27. What is on the floor of your closet?
Carpet.
28. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to?
I’m not sending it to anyone.
29. Who is the friend you have had the shortest that you are sending this to?
See #28
30. Favorite smells?
The vinegar brine for Sauerbraten.
31. Favorite sounds?
A Silbermann organ playing Bach. Second runner up: a good Lutheran chorale. Third runner up: The Dies Irae sung by a German choir. I far more prefer the masculine German pronunciation of Latin to the prissy Italianate version.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
THE GETTING TO KNOW YOUR FRIENDS MEME
Stolen from Lyn the Organ-ic Chemist.
To answer the tag (btw, anyone who wants to play, you're it!), simply copy and paste the whole thing and change the answers so that they're YOUR answers.
1. What is your occupation?
Customer Service Manager Trainee (for five more weeks, then the word "trainee" gets removed), Schwans Home Food Service / Organist for monthly extraordinary form Mass, St. Leo the Great Church.
2. What color are your socks right now?
Basic black
3. What are you listening to right now?
A stand-up comic, Brian Regan, on Comedy Central.
4. What was the last thing that you ate?
A freeze pop - you know, the ones that come in a box of 100, non-frozen, you have to freeze them overnight to enjoy the full effect.
5. Can you drive a stick shift?
Yes. In fact, when I took my first driver's job (in 1984), the secretary asked me if I could drive a stick. I quickly told her yes (in illo tempore I had never driven one), got the job, and taught myself quickly.
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Black (for my choir cassock).
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
My wife's friend (Hello, is your wife there? / Sorry, she's sleeping. She's not feeling too good...)
8. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
Yes. But she didn't send it. I stole it. LOL!
9. How old are you today?
44
10. Favorite drink?
Lately, grape soda
11. What is your favorite sport to watch?
Red Sox baseball
12. Have you ever dyed your hair?
Nope
13. Pets?
My wife and daughter have a cat. I won't admit to owning the little ^!+$&.
14. Favorite ethnic food?
Golabki, after I remove the cabbage, and add either ketchup OR salt and pepper.
15. Last movie you watched?
Cars.
16. Favorite Day of the year?
December 26, the Feast of St. Stephen. Also, the first day of relief after having to endure the most banal "holiday favorites" played on radio 24/7 for six weeks before that.
17. What do you do to vent anger?
Hand out a WTF award...
18. What was your favorite toy as a child?
My first record player.
19. What is your favorite season?
Summer (when it's not raining three days a week like it often does here)
20. Hugs or kisses?
I'm a bit reserved in that category. I will offer a hug here and there, but I save the kisses for the wife, kids, and my mom.
21. Cherry or Blueberry?
Blueberry
22. Do you want your friends to email you back?
Sure, why not?
23. Who is most likely to respond?
Whomever wishes to waste time answering these silly questions.
24. Who is least likely to respond?
Whomever is smart enough not to spend time answering these silly questions.
(Note: the answers to #23 and #24 are Lyn's, but since I fully agree, I left them there.)
25. What happened to the good ol' days?
That era expired. Why do you think they call them "the good ol' days"? They were good, and they're old.
26. When was the last time you cried?
I don't remember.
27. What is on the floor of your closet?
Broom, rake, bags, dustpan and brush
28. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to?
Whoever reads it here.
29. Who is the friend you have had the shortest that you are sending this to?
See #28
30. Favorite smells?
Campfires, wood stoves, cookouts
31. Favorite sounds?
Ka-ching!
Peace,
BMP
To answer the tag (btw, anyone who wants to play, you're it!), simply copy and paste the whole thing and change the answers so that they're YOUR answers.
1. What is your occupation?
Customer Service Manager Trainee (for five more weeks, then the word "trainee" gets removed), Schwans Home Food Service / Organist for monthly extraordinary form Mass, St. Leo the Great Church.
2. What color are your socks right now?
Basic black
3. What are you listening to right now?
A stand-up comic, Brian Regan, on Comedy Central.
4. What was the last thing that you ate?
A freeze pop - you know, the ones that come in a box of 100, non-frozen, you have to freeze them overnight to enjoy the full effect.
5. Can you drive a stick shift?
Yes. In fact, when I took my first driver's job (in 1984), the secretary asked me if I could drive a stick. I quickly told her yes (in illo tempore I had never driven one), got the job, and taught myself quickly.
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Black (for my choir cassock).
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
My wife's friend (Hello, is your wife there? / Sorry, she's sleeping. She's not feeling too good...)
8. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
Yes. But she didn't send it. I stole it. LOL!
9. How old are you today?
44
10. Favorite drink?
Lately, grape soda
11. What is your favorite sport to watch?
Red Sox baseball
12. Have you ever dyed your hair?
Nope
13. Pets?
My wife and daughter have a cat. I won't admit to owning the little ^!+$&.
14. Favorite ethnic food?
Golabki, after I remove the cabbage, and add either ketchup OR salt and pepper.
15. Last movie you watched?
Cars.
16. Favorite Day of the year?
December 26, the Feast of St. Stephen. Also, the first day of relief after having to endure the most banal "holiday favorites" played on radio 24/7 for six weeks before that.
17. What do you do to vent anger?
Hand out a WTF award...
18. What was your favorite toy as a child?
My first record player.
19. What is your favorite season?
Summer (when it's not raining three days a week like it often does here)
20. Hugs or kisses?
I'm a bit reserved in that category. I will offer a hug here and there, but I save the kisses for the wife, kids, and my mom.
21. Cherry or Blueberry?
Blueberry
22. Do you want your friends to email you back?
Sure, why not?
23. Who is most likely to respond?
Whomever wishes to waste time answering these silly questions.
24. Who is least likely to respond?
Whomever is smart enough not to spend time answering these silly questions.
(Note: the answers to #23 and #24 are Lyn's, but since I fully agree, I left them there.)
25. What happened to the good ol' days?
That era expired. Why do you think they call them "the good ol' days"? They were good, and they're old.
26. When was the last time you cried?
I don't remember.
27. What is on the floor of your closet?
Broom, rake, bags, dustpan and brush
28. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to?
Whoever reads it here.
29. Who is the friend you have had the shortest that you are sending this to?
See #28
30. Favorite smells?
Campfires, wood stoves, cookouts
31. Favorite sounds?
Ka-ching!
Peace,
BMP
Friday, September 5, 2008
WHAT-WHERE-WHEN MEME
Sounds almost like the Who, What, or Where Game from the early 1970's (Art James was host).
Taken from the Catholic Caveman.
What were you doing when these things happened?
1. President Kennedy's Assassination - 22 November 1963
In illo tempore, I was almost two months in my birth-mother's womb (I was adopted at five months old).
2. England's World Cup Semi Final v Germany - 4 July 1990
I really can't remember exactly, but probably watching the fireworks at McCoy Stadium. We had just ordered Worship II at Precious Blood Church in Woonsocket that week, not long before they were put out of print. The guy I had talked to at GIA had tried to push Worship III, but I insisted (as did my boss at the time, the late Fr. Gagne) on II.
3. Margaret Thatcher's resignation - 22 November 1990
(Ah yes, the 27th anniversary of JFK's death) I really can't remember. I can tell you where I was organist/music director then... (still) Precious Blood Church.
4. Princess Diana's death - 31 August 1997
I was just a couple of months into my new job at St. Benedict's in Warwick. I left Precious Blood about a year and a half after Fr. Gagne retired. The new administrator (who was a pastor elsewhere in the city) put the Worship II hymnals "in storage", in favor of the Music Issue. His new music director: a guitarist! What a waste of a beautiful Aeolian-Skinner organ! Ironically, he's now a monsignor (he got the title just a couple of months before I left). In the parish bulletin, he wrote, "People are wondering what to call me. Please continue to call me 'Father John'". True story.
5. Attack on the twin towers - 11 September 2001
I had just gotten home from work about an hour before. I was working third shift at a courier depot with my brother Glen (his shift started about 5 AM, mine ended about 7 or 8 AM) to supplement my income at Holy Name (not that Holy Name paid poorly - Fr. Fisette really did the best he possibly could; the working conditions were impeccable - pipe organs in both church and chapel, Worship III in the pews after just a year (with Fr. Santos now pastor, they're STILL there, they didn't get put into storage like the W2's did at the other parish). At the same time, my wife was at her mother's helping her sister make candles for her family's candle business. It was shortly after - about 9:00-ish - when she came home with the news.
6. The election of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger to the papacy - 19 April 2005
I remember this one perfectly. I was sitting in my parlor, and when I heard the phrases "Habemus Papam", "Josephum Sanctæ Romanæ Ecclesiæ Cardinalem Ratzinger", and "Benedicti Decimi-Sexti" in a two-minute span, I was cheering as if the Red Sox had won ANOTHER World Series. My wife was in the kitchen at the time and didn't know what to make of it.
Incidentally, on the day of Pope John Paul II's death - 2 April 2005 - I was getting rolled out of my hospital room on my way to the OR to have my gall bladder removed.
TAG YOU'RE IT: anyone who wants in!
Peace,
BMP
Taken from the Catholic Caveman.
What were you doing when these things happened?
1. President Kennedy's Assassination - 22 November 1963
In illo tempore, I was almost two months in my birth-mother's womb (I was adopted at five months old).
2. England's World Cup Semi Final v Germany - 4 July 1990
I really can't remember exactly, but probably watching the fireworks at McCoy Stadium. We had just ordered Worship II at Precious Blood Church in Woonsocket that week, not long before they were put out of print. The guy I had talked to at GIA had tried to push Worship III, but I insisted (as did my boss at the time, the late Fr. Gagne) on II.
3. Margaret Thatcher's resignation - 22 November 1990
(Ah yes, the 27th anniversary of JFK's death) I really can't remember. I can tell you where I was organist/music director then... (still) Precious Blood Church.
4. Princess Diana's death - 31 August 1997
I was just a couple of months into my new job at St. Benedict's in Warwick. I left Precious Blood about a year and a half after Fr. Gagne retired. The new administrator (who was a pastor elsewhere in the city) put the Worship II hymnals "in storage", in favor of the Music Issue. His new music director: a guitarist! What a waste of a beautiful Aeolian-Skinner organ! Ironically, he's now a monsignor (he got the title just a couple of months before I left). In the parish bulletin, he wrote, "People are wondering what to call me. Please continue to call me 'Father John'". True story.
5. Attack on the twin towers - 11 September 2001
I had just gotten home from work about an hour before. I was working third shift at a courier depot with my brother Glen (his shift started about 5 AM, mine ended about 7 or 8 AM) to supplement my income at Holy Name (not that Holy Name paid poorly - Fr. Fisette really did the best he possibly could; the working conditions were impeccable - pipe organs in both church and chapel, Worship III in the pews after just a year (with Fr. Santos now pastor, they're STILL there, they didn't get put into storage like the W2's did at the other parish). At the same time, my wife was at her mother's helping her sister make candles for her family's candle business. It was shortly after - about 9:00-ish - when she came home with the news.
6. The election of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger to the papacy - 19 April 2005
I remember this one perfectly. I was sitting in my parlor, and when I heard the phrases "Habemus Papam", "Josephum Sanctæ Romanæ Ecclesiæ Cardinalem Ratzinger", and "Benedicti Decimi-Sexti" in a two-minute span, I was cheering as if the Red Sox had won ANOTHER World Series. My wife was in the kitchen at the time and didn't know what to make of it.
Incidentally, on the day of Pope John Paul II's death - 2 April 2005 - I was getting rolled out of my hospital room on my way to the OR to have my gall bladder removed.
TAG YOU'RE IT: anyone who wants in!
Peace,
BMP
Friday, June 6, 2008
No, Reverend Father, you may not have numbers from La Cage at your first Mass, and we said "stole", not feather boa!
Lyn's been at it again, composing these complicated memes. She is indeed our very own Queen of Meme (hat tip to Leona).
Here are the rules: (I actually followed them this time, Lyn!!)
1. List your top five favorite musical artists.
2. List your top five favorite songs from each artist.
3. Tag five people to do the same.
Artists:
1. Herbert Grönemeyer (for when I’m pissed off)
2. Erste Allgemeine Verunsicherung (for when I’m really feeing catty)
3. Zarah Leander (for when I need a stiff martini and a cigar)
4. Rogers & Hammerstein (for when I’m feeling Martha Grahm, Martha Grahm)
5. Ute Lemper (for when I’m feeling, uh, er, ehem…ultra pious and devout, yeeeah!)
Songs/Works:
Grönemeyer:
1. Halt mich
2. Männer
3. Stück von Himmel
4. Leb in meiner Welt
5. Schmetterlinge im Eis
EAV:
1. Wo ist der Kaiser?
2. Ding Dong
3. s’Muaterl
4. Samurai
5. Es steht ein Haus
Leander:
1. Kann die Liebe Sünde sein?
2. Der Wind hat mir ein Lied erzählt
3. Er heißt Waldemar
4. Yes, Sir
5. Ich weiß es wird einmal ein Wunder gescheh’n
R&H:
1. You’ll Never Walk Alone
2. Hello, Young Lovers
3. Climb Every Mountain
4. Honey Bun
5. Shall We Dance
Lemper:
1. Das Lila Lied
2. Sex-Appeal
3. Peter, Peter, komm zu mir zurück
4. Ich bin ein Vamp!
5. Das Lied von Mackie Messer
Taggèd Personages:
1. Charles in CA – My comrade in seersucker
2. Paula Beehive – Hand the gal a mic!
3. Carl Close – Let’s hear it for the Ascension bass section!
4. Paula Beehive’s Anonymous Poster – we want everyone to partissipate, hon!
5. Any Roman priest who can decline the word “res” (Anyone? Anyone?)
Here are the rules: (I actually followed them this time, Lyn!!)
1. List your top five favorite musical artists.
2. List your top five favorite songs from each artist.
3. Tag five people to do the same.
Artists:
1. Herbert Grönemeyer (for when I’m pissed off)
2. Erste Allgemeine Verunsicherung (for when I’m really feeing catty)
3. Zarah Leander (for when I need a stiff martini and a cigar)
4. Rogers & Hammerstein (for when I’m feeling Martha Grahm, Martha Grahm)
5. Ute Lemper (for when I’m feeling, uh, er, ehem…ultra pious and devout, yeeeah!)
Songs/Works:
Grönemeyer:
1. Halt mich
2. Männer
3. Stück von Himmel
4. Leb in meiner Welt
5. Schmetterlinge im Eis
EAV:
1. Wo ist der Kaiser?
2. Ding Dong
3. s’Muaterl
4. Samurai
5. Es steht ein Haus
Leander:
1. Kann die Liebe Sünde sein?
2. Der Wind hat mir ein Lied erzählt
3. Er heißt Waldemar
4. Yes, Sir
5. Ich weiß es wird einmal ein Wunder gescheh’n
R&H:
1. You’ll Never Walk Alone
2. Hello, Young Lovers
3. Climb Every Mountain
4. Honey Bun
5. Shall We Dance
Lemper:
1. Das Lila Lied
2. Sex-Appeal
3. Peter, Peter, komm zu mir zurück
4. Ich bin ein Vamp!
5. Das Lied von Mackie Messer
Taggèd Personages:
1. Charles in CA – My comrade in seersucker
2. Paula Beehive – Hand the gal a mic!
3. Carl Close – Let’s hear it for the Ascension bass section!
4. Paula Beehive’s Anonymous Poster – we want everyone to partissipate, hon!
5. Any Roman priest who can decline the word “res” (Anyone? Anyone?)
MUSIC MEME
Tagged by Lyn.
Here are the rules:
1. List your top five favorite musical artists.
2. List your top five favorite songs from each artist.
3. Tag five people to do the same.
OK - Top five artists for me would be:
1. Raspberries
2. Eric Carmen (solo career)
3. Badfinger
4. Beatles
5. Beach Boys
Top five songs by each:
RASPBERRIES
1. Go All the Way
2. I'm a Rocker
3. Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)
4. I Don't Know What I Want
5. All Through the Night
ERIC CARMEN
1. Boats against the Current
2. Marathon Man
3. It Hurts Too Much
4. You Need Some Lovin'
5. Someone that You Loved Before
BADFINGER
1. No Matter What
2. Come and Get It
3. Baby Blue
4. Without You (a little known fact is that Pete Ham of Badfinger originally wrote this song - yes, this is the song that Harry Nilsson and Mariah Carey both covered and made popular at one point)
5. Day After Day
BEATLES
1. Helter Skelter
2. Hello Goodbye
3. Ticket to Ride
4. In My Life
5. Penny Lane
BEACH BOYS
1. I Can Hear Music
2. Heroes and Villains
3. Cabinessence
4. Caroline, No (Eric Carmen recorded a cool cover of this in 1997)
5. God only Knows
TAG YOU'RE IT! First five to read this!
Peace,
BMP
Here are the rules:
1. List your top five favorite musical artists.
2. List your top five favorite songs from each artist.
3. Tag five people to do the same.
OK - Top five artists for me would be:
1. Raspberries
2. Eric Carmen (solo career)
3. Badfinger
4. Beatles
5. Beach Boys
Top five songs by each:
RASPBERRIES
1. Go All the Way
2. I'm a Rocker
3. Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)
4. I Don't Know What I Want
5. All Through the Night
ERIC CARMEN
1. Boats against the Current
2. Marathon Man
3. It Hurts Too Much
4. You Need Some Lovin'
5. Someone that You Loved Before
BADFINGER
1. No Matter What
2. Come and Get It
3. Baby Blue
4. Without You (a little known fact is that Pete Ham of Badfinger originally wrote this song - yes, this is the song that Harry Nilsson and Mariah Carey both covered and made popular at one point)
5. Day After Day
BEATLES
1. Helter Skelter
2. Hello Goodbye
3. Ticket to Ride
4. In My Life
5. Penny Lane
BEACH BOYS
1. I Can Hear Music
2. Heroes and Villains
3. Cabinessence
4. Caroline, No (Eric Carmen recorded a cool cover of this in 1997)
5. God only Knows
TAG YOU'RE IT! First five to read this!
Peace,
BMP
Monday, May 26, 2008
The Alphabet Soup
A is for age:
38 and holding.
B is for burger of choice:
Home-made hot off the grill, thankyou.
C is for what kind of car you drive:
BMW 325i. Got it for a song. It's a standard, and the dealer wanted to unload it. Had to sing through the Schumann Liederkreis twice, but got it for the price of a Jetta (or thereabouts), with about 8K left to pay on my P.O.S. VW. If you need to make a car deal, feel free to ask me to come along.
D is for your dog's name:
I don't have a dog, but if I did, it would be named Algernon Sydney.
E is for essential item you use everyday:
Glasses. Blind as a bat without 'em. I wear contacts if I plan to be wearing sunglasses during the day.
F is for favorite TV show at the moment:
It's still Qunicy. Waiting for Big Love to start up again. Nothing like a primetime soap about polygamist mormons. Second in line is the Tudors. Not always the most historically accurate, I know, but great costumes and scenery. Good Latin for the most part too, but then again, it does take part mostly in England and not Rome. My favorite episodes were when Fisher and More got shorted by a head. Made me jump to my feet and grab my BCP! (cue Parry: Vivat, Vivat Regina Elizabetha!)
G is for favorite game:
Foil fencing.
H is for Hometown:
By birth and culture: Landstuhl, FRG. Where I grew up: LR, AR.
I is for instruments you play:
Organ, piano, harpsichord, tenor recorder.
J is for favorite juice:
Cranberry
K is for whose butt you'd like to kick:
It's being kicked as we speak. Can't talk about it much, though. All I can say is "God don't like ugly."
L is for last restaurant you ate at?
Royal Panda (best buffet sushi in town)
M is for your favorite Muppet:
The crotchety crones in the balcony.
N is for Number of Piercing:
Don't have any of those.
O is for overnight hospital stays:
Never had one.
P is for people you were with today:
Mike and Robert, Mark and Jonathan.
Q is for what you do with your quiet time:
Knit, read, study.
R is for biggest regret:
I have no regrets, hon! I'm a scorpio and I do have a tail longer than most people think. So, I'm not the one doing the regretting.
S is for status:
Upper Middle Class.
T is for time you woke up today:
6:30 Central
U is for what you consider unique:
Other than a 100 year old human corpse that doesn't decompose, a nun with three tits. Which reminds me of a great joke a heard off the Vicar of Dibley. A nun was in her bath. There came a knock at the door. The nun sighed, "who is it?" "It's the blind man", came the reply from behind the door. The nun sighed again, charitable sister as she was, not wanting to turn away a poor sightless sot. "Well, ok, come in". The man entered and said, "Nice tits. Where would you like me to hang your blinds?"
V is for vegetable you love:
White Asperagus
W is for worst habit:
Being able to sum up someone's character after one glance. My mom can do the same. It usually freaks people out.
X is for x-rays you've had:
Zillions.
Y is for yummy food you ate today:
Royal Panda sushi
Z is for zodiac sign:
Scorpio, hon. And everything they say about scorpios is true for me.
38 and holding.
B is for burger of choice:
Home-made hot off the grill, thankyou.
C is for what kind of car you drive:
BMW 325i. Got it for a song. It's a standard, and the dealer wanted to unload it. Had to sing through the Schumann Liederkreis twice, but got it for the price of a Jetta (or thereabouts), with about 8K left to pay on my P.O.S. VW. If you need to make a car deal, feel free to ask me to come along.
D is for your dog's name:
I don't have a dog, but if I did, it would be named Algernon Sydney.
E is for essential item you use everyday:
Glasses. Blind as a bat without 'em. I wear contacts if I plan to be wearing sunglasses during the day.
F is for favorite TV show at the moment:
It's still Qunicy. Waiting for Big Love to start up again. Nothing like a primetime soap about polygamist mormons. Second in line is the Tudors. Not always the most historically accurate, I know, but great costumes and scenery. Good Latin for the most part too, but then again, it does take part mostly in England and not Rome. My favorite episodes were when Fisher and More got shorted by a head. Made me jump to my feet and grab my BCP! (cue Parry: Vivat, Vivat Regina Elizabetha!)
G is for favorite game:
Foil fencing.
H is for Hometown:
By birth and culture: Landstuhl, FRG. Where I grew up: LR, AR.
I is for instruments you play:
Organ, piano, harpsichord, tenor recorder.
J is for favorite juice:
Cranberry
K is for whose butt you'd like to kick:
It's being kicked as we speak. Can't talk about it much, though. All I can say is "God don't like ugly."
L is for last restaurant you ate at?
Royal Panda (best buffet sushi in town)
M is for your favorite Muppet:
The crotchety crones in the balcony.
N is for Number of Piercing:
Don't have any of those.
O is for overnight hospital stays:
Never had one.
P is for people you were with today:
Mike and Robert, Mark and Jonathan.
Q is for what you do with your quiet time:
Knit, read, study.
R is for biggest regret:
I have no regrets, hon! I'm a scorpio and I do have a tail longer than most people think. So, I'm not the one doing the regretting.
S is for status:
Upper Middle Class.
T is for time you woke up today:
6:30 Central
U is for what you consider unique:
Other than a 100 year old human corpse that doesn't decompose, a nun with three tits. Which reminds me of a great joke a heard off the Vicar of Dibley. A nun was in her bath. There came a knock at the door. The nun sighed, "who is it?" "It's the blind man", came the reply from behind the door. The nun sighed again, charitable sister as she was, not wanting to turn away a poor sightless sot. "Well, ok, come in". The man entered and said, "Nice tits. Where would you like me to hang your blinds?"
V is for vegetable you love:
White Asperagus
W is for worst habit:
Being able to sum up someone's character after one glance. My mom can do the same. It usually freaks people out.
X is for x-rays you've had:
Zillions.
Y is for yummy food you ate today:
Royal Panda sushi
Z is for zodiac sign:
Scorpio, hon. And everything they say about scorpios is true for me.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
NOW I KNOW MY ABC'S
Tagged by Lyn, who got it from our good friend Nick.
A is for age:
as of the day I write this, 43 years, 10 months, 23 days
B is for burger of choice:
Bacon cheeseburger plain. Yup - just the beef, the cheese, and a big wad of bacon, on a bun.
C is for what kind of car you drive:
1995 Dodge Ram 2500 conversion van
D is for your dog's name:
My landlord doesn't allow dogs. However, there is a cat in the house.
ADDENDUM: As a teen, I once had this little daschund/chihuahua mix named "Brutus".
E is for essential item you use everyday:
My computer
F is for favorite TV show at the moment:
There aren't many shows that will actually break me from my regular activities. However, I still like the Flintstones, Big Brother, and I'm a big fan of classic game shows (Press Your Luck, Weakest Link, in addition to the classic 70's lineups of Match Game, the original Jeopardy, yeah, with Art Fleming, Celebrity Sweepstakes, Card Sharks, Hollywood Squares, with Peter Marshall, and the 70's version of Password and Password All-Stars).
G is for favorite game:
Cribbage. BMP and AMP (my wife) will smoke all comers!
H is for Hometown:
Providence area
I is for instruments you play:
Organ, piano, throat, kazoo, guitar, bass guitar, some drums, my desk, and on occasion, the radio. (Note: at church, I only play the organ and voice, the rest I play in the secular world.)
J is for favorite juice:
Apple
K is for whose butt you'd like to kick:
I could name some names, but right now I need a job and the names I have in mind probably read my blog. So, I'll forego that question at this time.
L is for last restaurant you ate at?
McDonalds
M is for your favorite Muppet:
Animal - hands down! (The Swedish Chef, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, and Beaker get honorable mention, however.)
N is for Number of Piercing:
Zero, and proud of it!
O is for overnight hospital stays:
Let's see: pancreatitis (8/07), near heart attack (10/06), gall bladder removal (4/05), tonsils removed (1969)
P is for people you were with today:
Wife Ann, son Brian, and daughter Brittany
Q is for what you do with your quiet time:
anything computer related, anything from podcasting to gaming to answering this here meme.
R is for biggest regret:
LEAVING HOLY NAME! Since then my luck with holding down a job I love doing has been pure frustrating!
S is for status:
Other than my marital status (which I'm sure everyone who normally reads this blog knows - I'm happily married), current time status would be sitting on my arse with two hours left to kill before I go fill in at the console for someone who programmed hideous music (hint: I'm only doing it because that's $225 I wouldn't have had. I'll list the songs in a later post.)
T is for time you woke up today:
7:45 am Eastern Daylight Time
U is for what you consider unique:
Try candlepin bowling in Ohio. Only one candlepin house in the state, in a Cincinnati suburb.
ADDENDUM: or an ordinary form Mass in these parts that uses the chanted propers from the Graduale Romanum.
V is for vegetable you love:
Corn (sweet and buttery)
W is for worst habit:
Until 2/1/06, it WAS smoking. Now it's eating (I gained almost 60 pounds since I quit smoking).
X is for x-rays you've had:
too many to count.
Y is for yummy food you ate today:
freeze pops
Z is for zodiac sign:
Cancer
TAG YOU'RE IT - whoever is reading this!
Peace,
BMP
A is for age:
as of the day I write this, 43 years, 10 months, 23 days
B is for burger of choice:
Bacon cheeseburger plain. Yup - just the beef, the cheese, and a big wad of bacon, on a bun.
C is for what kind of car you drive:
1995 Dodge Ram 2500 conversion van
D is for your dog's name:
My landlord doesn't allow dogs. However, there is a cat in the house.
ADDENDUM: As a teen, I once had this little daschund/chihuahua mix named "Brutus".
E is for essential item you use everyday:
My computer
F is for favorite TV show at the moment:
There aren't many shows that will actually break me from my regular activities. However, I still like the Flintstones, Big Brother, and I'm a big fan of classic game shows (Press Your Luck, Weakest Link, in addition to the classic 70's lineups of Match Game, the original Jeopardy, yeah, with Art Fleming, Celebrity Sweepstakes, Card Sharks, Hollywood Squares, with Peter Marshall, and the 70's version of Password and Password All-Stars).
G is for favorite game:
Cribbage. BMP and AMP (my wife) will smoke all comers!
H is for Hometown:
Providence area
I is for instruments you play:
Organ, piano, throat, kazoo, guitar, bass guitar, some drums, my desk, and on occasion, the radio. (Note: at church, I only play the organ and voice, the rest I play in the secular world.)
J is for favorite juice:
Apple
K is for whose butt you'd like to kick:
I could name some names, but right now I need a job and the names I have in mind probably read my blog. So, I'll forego that question at this time.
L is for last restaurant you ate at?
McDonalds
M is for your favorite Muppet:
Animal - hands down! (The Swedish Chef, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, and Beaker get honorable mention, however.)
N is for Number of Piercing:
Zero, and proud of it!
O is for overnight hospital stays:
Let's see: pancreatitis (8/07), near heart attack (10/06), gall bladder removal (4/05), tonsils removed (1969)
P is for people you were with today:
Wife Ann, son Brian, and daughter Brittany
Q is for what you do with your quiet time:
anything computer related, anything from podcasting to gaming to answering this here meme.
R is for biggest regret:
LEAVING HOLY NAME! Since then my luck with holding down a job I love doing has been pure frustrating!
S is for status:
Other than my marital status (which I'm sure everyone who normally reads this blog knows - I'm happily married), current time status would be sitting on my arse with two hours left to kill before I go fill in at the console for someone who programmed hideous music (hint: I'm only doing it because that's $225 I wouldn't have had. I'll list the songs in a later post.)
T is for time you woke up today:
7:45 am Eastern Daylight Time
U is for what you consider unique:
Try candlepin bowling in Ohio. Only one candlepin house in the state, in a Cincinnati suburb.
ADDENDUM: or an ordinary form Mass in these parts that uses the chanted propers from the Graduale Romanum.
V is for vegetable you love:
Corn (sweet and buttery)
W is for worst habit:
Until 2/1/06, it WAS smoking. Now it's eating (I gained almost 60 pounds since I quit smoking).
X is for x-rays you've had:
too many to count.
Y is for yummy food you ate today:
freeze pops
Z is for zodiac sign:
Cancer
TAG YOU'RE IT - whoever is reading this!
Peace,
BMP
Friday, May 16, 2008
Of Candles, Corpses, and Queeny Clerics; Peat Bogs, Potlucks, and Polyglots
The mega Double-Meme. Lynn recently tagged us with memes. Here are two of them together. The first is the childhood meme, the second is the interview meme. You know, if Leona Helmsley had written these little questionnaires, she’d be known as the “Queen of Meme”. (cue laugh track)
What is your happiest childhood memory?
There are many many happy memories, in fact. The first one that came to mind was Christmas Day, 1980, when my mother, brother and I attended the Christmas morning service at the ancient Stiftskirche in Wünstdorf, Germany with our family friends Frau and Herr Hartmann. It was extremely cold that December, and we could see our breath in church. At the end of the service, we all sang O Du Froehliche and the organist opened up the instrument and the giant, vaulted space was filled with the congregation’s singing that wonderful Christmas tune to the sound of that glorious organ. After the service we all climbed up into the loft to take a closer look at the organ. The second happiest was during this same trip to Germany. This time in the nearby village of Idensen, where there is a church from the 10th century. It was known for its “phantom” wall paintings which had been covered up with plaster and recently re-discovered. The Romanesque paintings could best be seen at night by candlelight. The artist friend of ours taking us there showed up at the apartment wearing a full-length hooded cape. My cousin Klaus came along with us. We arrived at the church and trekked through the cemetery in the pitch darkness, the silhouette of the church visible in front of us. Frau Schwarte picked up the key from the parsonage and let us in. It was a feast of Medieval splendor, the church. We lit the candles affixed to the pew ends and the walls came alive with sparkling color as the stylized Romanesque figures of apostles and saints gazed down on us. We explored all around the church, even into the bell tower. The steps in the tower showed 1000 years of wear, as each one had a pronounced spot in the center where countless pairs of feet had ascended and descended. We climbed the ladder up to the clock, and we found an enormous brick of peat. The stuff was dug out of the earth in the nearby bogs. Of course, then, my mother told the story of the “Irrlichter” that my grandmother always talked about, how the earth gases will bubble up and ignite, producing a little flicker on the ground. Travelers would see the lights, and mistake it for a house or a village (if there is a splendid show of little lights), then fall into the bog and drown. “Irrlicht” means “deceptive light”, because it tricks you off the path and shows the wrong way. So, when our adventure was over, we extinguished the candles except for the ones we held in our hands. We went to the door, and found that Klaus had somehow succeeded in locking us into the church. After a couple minutes of carefully reaching through the inside grill and keying the door on the other side, the latch clicked and we were back outside crossing the cemetery to the car.
What is the worst?
On the evening of Advent I, our church would always have an Advent potluck for the entire parish. It was always loads of fun with the most excellent food, and always with some sort of musical program provided by the choir, ending with a hymn sing. I must have been in 2nd grade. My sister, husband and her niece were in town for Christmas. So I insisted that I should ride home with them in their car, since I was excited that they were with us. On the interstate as we drove home, we rolled over the corpse of a homeless person who had gotten drunk and wandered out onto the roadway. He had been hit initially by an 18-wheeler, and then every car in line hit him again and again and again, including my brother-in-law’s little yellow Mazda. It was like rolling over a pile of stones. The car leapt and jolted over the boney-fleshy mass. My sister screamed and became hysterical. At the time I didn’t realize what we had driven over. I thought it was a wild animal, since all I saw was what resembled the eviscerated and skinless carcass of a pig, according to what I knew from going to the butcher with my dad on slaughter day to pick up the blood for the blood sausage. All the cars pulled off the road to an Exxon gas station where we awaited the arrival of the police. We were there for hours. I got to skip school the next day, though, since I had gotten to bed so late. I had a really groovy story to tell, although it was quite grotesque. I was in Lutheran school then, and of course had seem all my classmates at the potluck, so they already had the frame story for my tale: “Guess what happened to my sister and me after the fellowship dinner….”
The second worst was when I had pneumonia in 3rd grade. I was out of school for 2 weeks. In the second week, I had to get a penicillin shot in the thigh. The shot was administered at the Air Force Base hospital with very little bedside manner. It hurt like all hell. The problem was that the nurse-guy had made the injection deep into my thigh muscle (this was the same hospital where, as a preschooler faced with the fact of having to have blood drawn, bolted out the lab chair and ran down the hall as fast as I could, my brother giving chase. Not only was my arm sore from the needle, but also my podex as soon as we got home, my having caused such profound embarrassment to my keepers). Having endured the penicillin, I walked out the hospital, and we drove home. By the time we got back to the house, I needed help getting out of the car. My muscle was in so much pain if any weight at all was placed on it. The worst part of this was that no one believed that I had any pain, since I had walked unimpeded immediately after having received the injection. To this day, I think my family still believes I was faking the electrical sting that would shoot up into my hip whenever I placed even the lightest weight on my leg. I received confirmation of the phenomenon just a few years ago when, having related my story to a friend, he told me the exact thing had happened to him as a child. After a few days, the muscle healed and so did my lungs. The up-side to the pneumonia was that I was able to overdose on Mork and Mindy and experience the premiere of the biggest TV flop of all time: Supertrain.
What’s your favourite food?
Hands down: Rouladen, Saurkraut (or Rotkohl), and Spätzle. No pickle, though, in the Rouladen. Old family story. This dish is a rolled bit of flank steak with onion, mustard and bacon inside. Traditionally, it comes with a pickle spear in the center. My grandmother never made it with the pickle, but my grandfather had been somewhere and eaten Rouladen where they put the pickle in. He ordered my grandmother to include a pickle. For some reason, the pickle thing didn’t work well, or she used some odd pickle sort. Opa’s comment about the pickle became a family saying of sorts: “Well, we’ve tried the pickle, and we won’t have it again.” As a result, the pickle was always left out of our Rouladen. I also do not include the pickle when I make it.
If you had unlimited time and money for cooking for me, what are you going to put on the table?
I would make the meal I described in the previous question. I would also probably make a Sachertorte if it’s fall or winter, or a fruit torte if its spring or summer.
If tomorrow were your perfect day and no matter what you did, it would turn out perfect, what you do?
I would perform an organ concert with the Dupre Preludes and Fugues on the first half and the Demesieux 6 Etudes on the second half. And this would be on the Sauerorgel in the Berlin Cathedral (THE Berlin Cathedral, not the Catholic roundhouse St. Hedwig’s).
You have complete editorial control over a new hymnal project. What kind of material will you include in it?
I would create a hymnal comprehensive between the Lutheran Hymnal (1941) and Hymnal 1982 with complete service music from both hymnals, including a complete psalter with Anglican chants.
What would be your ideal gig?
The ideal position would be a place with a progressive social outlook, fine taste and esteem for tradition and an eclectic appreciation for sacred music where one could freely prepare the proper music for every event within an atmosphere of open dialogue and congenial cooperation with clergy, vestry, and liturgical committees who present general frameworks which are enlivened by appropriate musical selection. I’d be more than happy to play “How Beautiful” as long as I can direct some Thomas Tallis as well now and then.
You are commissioned by Pope Benedict XVI to compose a new Mass that would reflect the new English translation, that would be debuted in Rome. What would you present?
If I were a composer, I would create a choral Mass ordinary in the style of C.V. Stanford, with congregational sections of the canticles sung to Anglican Chant. If we are chanting in English, Anglican Chant is the way to go. Key word stem: “Angl”. It was made for English, so use it. If we need the Latin, then we use the Gregorian stuff, since it was made for that language. On a side note: I don’t think the liturgical texts have ever been better translated since the first issuance of the Book of Common Prayer. Those guys got it right. Whatever the Vatican is cranking out nowadays is the product of much navel-gazing and a fixation upon political correctness. Stop tip-toeing through the tulips and translate the Latin, fellas! (I told the diocesan committee as much in my preface to my commentary on a draft of the new translation a while back). Same thing goes for the King James translation of Holy Scripture, which is as clear as day and utterly beautiful in its eloquence, surpassed only by Luther’s translation into German. Both these translations leave the Vulgate in the dust (sorry, Jerome).
Say you decided on a career change and leave the church music business. If you had a choice, what career would you choose?
Two choices: open a yarn shop or buy an enormous Victorian house in Eureka Springs, AR and open a bed and breakfast.
You have access to any organ anywhere in the world. Which would you want to play on a regular basis, and why?
The Sauer-Orgel in the Berlin Cathedral. You ask me why??? Why did Tristan like the Venusberg?
What is your happiest childhood memory?
There are many many happy memories, in fact. The first one that came to mind was Christmas Day, 1980, when my mother, brother and I attended the Christmas morning service at the ancient Stiftskirche in Wünstdorf, Germany with our family friends Frau and Herr Hartmann. It was extremely cold that December, and we could see our breath in church. At the end of the service, we all sang O Du Froehliche and the organist opened up the instrument and the giant, vaulted space was filled with the congregation’s singing that wonderful Christmas tune to the sound of that glorious organ. After the service we all climbed up into the loft to take a closer look at the organ. The second happiest was during this same trip to Germany. This time in the nearby village of Idensen, where there is a church from the 10th century. It was known for its “phantom” wall paintings which had been covered up with plaster and recently re-discovered. The Romanesque paintings could best be seen at night by candlelight. The artist friend of ours taking us there showed up at the apartment wearing a full-length hooded cape. My cousin Klaus came along with us. We arrived at the church and trekked through the cemetery in the pitch darkness, the silhouette of the church visible in front of us. Frau Schwarte picked up the key from the parsonage and let us in. It was a feast of Medieval splendor, the church. We lit the candles affixed to the pew ends and the walls came alive with sparkling color as the stylized Romanesque figures of apostles and saints gazed down on us. We explored all around the church, even into the bell tower. The steps in the tower showed 1000 years of wear, as each one had a pronounced spot in the center where countless pairs of feet had ascended and descended. We climbed the ladder up to the clock, and we found an enormous brick of peat. The stuff was dug out of the earth in the nearby bogs. Of course, then, my mother told the story of the “Irrlichter” that my grandmother always talked about, how the earth gases will bubble up and ignite, producing a little flicker on the ground. Travelers would see the lights, and mistake it for a house or a village (if there is a splendid show of little lights), then fall into the bog and drown. “Irrlicht” means “deceptive light”, because it tricks you off the path and shows the wrong way. So, when our adventure was over, we extinguished the candles except for the ones we held in our hands. We went to the door, and found that Klaus had somehow succeeded in locking us into the church. After a couple minutes of carefully reaching through the inside grill and keying the door on the other side, the latch clicked and we were back outside crossing the cemetery to the car.
What is the worst?
On the evening of Advent I, our church would always have an Advent potluck for the entire parish. It was always loads of fun with the most excellent food, and always with some sort of musical program provided by the choir, ending with a hymn sing. I must have been in 2nd grade. My sister, husband and her niece were in town for Christmas. So I insisted that I should ride home with them in their car, since I was excited that they were with us. On the interstate as we drove home, we rolled over the corpse of a homeless person who had gotten drunk and wandered out onto the roadway. He had been hit initially by an 18-wheeler, and then every car in line hit him again and again and again, including my brother-in-law’s little yellow Mazda. It was like rolling over a pile of stones. The car leapt and jolted over the boney-fleshy mass. My sister screamed and became hysterical. At the time I didn’t realize what we had driven over. I thought it was a wild animal, since all I saw was what resembled the eviscerated and skinless carcass of a pig, according to what I knew from going to the butcher with my dad on slaughter day to pick up the blood for the blood sausage. All the cars pulled off the road to an Exxon gas station where we awaited the arrival of the police. We were there for hours. I got to skip school the next day, though, since I had gotten to bed so late. I had a really groovy story to tell, although it was quite grotesque. I was in Lutheran school then, and of course had seem all my classmates at the potluck, so they already had the frame story for my tale: “Guess what happened to my sister and me after the fellowship dinner….”
The second worst was when I had pneumonia in 3rd grade. I was out of school for 2 weeks. In the second week, I had to get a penicillin shot in the thigh. The shot was administered at the Air Force Base hospital with very little bedside manner. It hurt like all hell. The problem was that the nurse-guy had made the injection deep into my thigh muscle (this was the same hospital where, as a preschooler faced with the fact of having to have blood drawn, bolted out the lab chair and ran down the hall as fast as I could, my brother giving chase. Not only was my arm sore from the needle, but also my podex as soon as we got home, my having caused such profound embarrassment to my keepers). Having endured the penicillin, I walked out the hospital, and we drove home. By the time we got back to the house, I needed help getting out of the car. My muscle was in so much pain if any weight at all was placed on it. The worst part of this was that no one believed that I had any pain, since I had walked unimpeded immediately after having received the injection. To this day, I think my family still believes I was faking the electrical sting that would shoot up into my hip whenever I placed even the lightest weight on my leg. I received confirmation of the phenomenon just a few years ago when, having related my story to a friend, he told me the exact thing had happened to him as a child. After a few days, the muscle healed and so did my lungs. The up-side to the pneumonia was that I was able to overdose on Mork and Mindy and experience the premiere of the biggest TV flop of all time: Supertrain.
What’s your favourite food?
Hands down: Rouladen, Saurkraut (or Rotkohl), and Spätzle. No pickle, though, in the Rouladen. Old family story. This dish is a rolled bit of flank steak with onion, mustard and bacon inside. Traditionally, it comes with a pickle spear in the center. My grandmother never made it with the pickle, but my grandfather had been somewhere and eaten Rouladen where they put the pickle in. He ordered my grandmother to include a pickle. For some reason, the pickle thing didn’t work well, or she used some odd pickle sort. Opa’s comment about the pickle became a family saying of sorts: “Well, we’ve tried the pickle, and we won’t have it again.” As a result, the pickle was always left out of our Rouladen. I also do not include the pickle when I make it.
If you had unlimited time and money for cooking for me, what are you going to put on the table?
I would make the meal I described in the previous question. I would also probably make a Sachertorte if it’s fall or winter, or a fruit torte if its spring or summer.
If tomorrow were your perfect day and no matter what you did, it would turn out perfect, what you do?
I would perform an organ concert with the Dupre Preludes and Fugues on the first half and the Demesieux 6 Etudes on the second half. And this would be on the Sauerorgel in the Berlin Cathedral (THE Berlin Cathedral, not the Catholic roundhouse St. Hedwig’s).
You have complete editorial control over a new hymnal project. What kind of material will you include in it?
I would create a hymnal comprehensive between the Lutheran Hymnal (1941) and Hymnal 1982 with complete service music from both hymnals, including a complete psalter with Anglican chants.
What would be your ideal gig?
The ideal position would be a place with a progressive social outlook, fine taste and esteem for tradition and an eclectic appreciation for sacred music where one could freely prepare the proper music for every event within an atmosphere of open dialogue and congenial cooperation with clergy, vestry, and liturgical committees who present general frameworks which are enlivened by appropriate musical selection. I’d be more than happy to play “How Beautiful” as long as I can direct some Thomas Tallis as well now and then.
You are commissioned by Pope Benedict XVI to compose a new Mass that would reflect the new English translation, that would be debuted in Rome. What would you present?
If I were a composer, I would create a choral Mass ordinary in the style of C.V. Stanford, with congregational sections of the canticles sung to Anglican Chant. If we are chanting in English, Anglican Chant is the way to go. Key word stem: “Angl”. It was made for English, so use it. If we need the Latin, then we use the Gregorian stuff, since it was made for that language. On a side note: I don’t think the liturgical texts have ever been better translated since the first issuance of the Book of Common Prayer. Those guys got it right. Whatever the Vatican is cranking out nowadays is the product of much navel-gazing and a fixation upon political correctness. Stop tip-toeing through the tulips and translate the Latin, fellas! (I told the diocesan committee as much in my preface to my commentary on a draft of the new translation a while back). Same thing goes for the King James translation of Holy Scripture, which is as clear as day and utterly beautiful in its eloquence, surpassed only by Luther’s translation into German. Both these translations leave the Vulgate in the dust (sorry, Jerome).
Say you decided on a career change and leave the church music business. If you had a choice, what career would you choose?
Two choices: open a yarn shop or buy an enormous Victorian house in Eureka Springs, AR and open a bed and breakfast.
You have access to any organ anywhere in the world. Which would you want to play on a regular basis, and why?
The Sauer-Orgel in the Berlin Cathedral. You ask me why??? Why did Tristan like the Venusberg?
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
INTERVIEW MEME
Tagged by Lyn, the Organ-ic Chemist.
Here are the rules as I was given:
1. Leave me a comment saying anything random, like your favorite lyric to your current favorite song. Or your favorite kind of sandwich. Something random. Whatever you like.
2. I respond by asking you five personal questions so I can get to know you better.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and offer to ask someone else in the post.
5. When others comment asking to be asked, you will ask them five questions.
Here are the questions Lyn asked me:
1. You have complete editorial control over a new hymnal project. What kind of material will you include in it?
2. What would be your ideal gig?
3. You are commissioned by Pope Benedict XVI to compose a new Mass that would reflect the new English translation, that would be debuted in Rome. What would you present?
4. Say you decided on a career change and leave the church music business. If you had a choice, what career would you choose?
5. You have access to any organ anywhere in the world. Which would you want to play on a regular basis, and why?
1. You have complete editorial control over a new hymnal project. What kind of material will you include in it?
It would have plenty of chant, traditional hymnody, propers, and music based on propers. This will be a combination of Adoremus, Worship II, and the Gregorian Missal all in one.
2. What would be your ideal gig?
Any parish that has an appreciation for a primarily traditional music program, with organ accompaniment, and/or a cappella. The organ should be one with pipes and a good three-manual console (two-manual consoles are too little for me, yet a four-manual console is too big LOL).
3. You are commissioned by Pope Benedict XVI to compose a new Mass that would reflect the new English translation, that would be debuted in Rome. What would you present?
Something in a traditional style that alternates between congregation (chant or metrical unison) and choir (in the style of a motet).
4. Say you decided on a career change and leave the church music business. If you had a choice, what career would you choose?
Trust me when I say I hope this won't be soon. I'm only a fortysomething. I think I have something left. I would probably try my hand at broadcasting if I really had to leave the church music scene.
5. You have access to any organ anywhere in the world. Which would you want to play on a regular basis, and why?
St. Anne's Church, Fall River, Massachusetts (80+ rank Casavant on three manuals) or the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul, Providence, Rhode Island (125-rank Casavant tracker on four manuals)
OK - so the idea is to ask a random question in the combox. I then respond by giving you YOUR questions to answer on your blog. Kapiche? Whoever reads this, TAG! YOU'RE IT!
BTW, Jason, you were tagged by Lyn as well.
Peace,
BMP
Here are the rules as I was given:
1. Leave me a comment saying anything random, like your favorite lyric to your current favorite song. Or your favorite kind of sandwich. Something random. Whatever you like.
2. I respond by asking you five personal questions so I can get to know you better.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and offer to ask someone else in the post.
5. When others comment asking to be asked, you will ask them five questions.
Here are the questions Lyn asked me:
1. You have complete editorial control over a new hymnal project. What kind of material will you include in it?
2. What would be your ideal gig?
3. You are commissioned by Pope Benedict XVI to compose a new Mass that would reflect the new English translation, that would be debuted in Rome. What would you present?
4. Say you decided on a career change and leave the church music business. If you had a choice, what career would you choose?
5. You have access to any organ anywhere in the world. Which would you want to play on a regular basis, and why?
1. You have complete editorial control over a new hymnal project. What kind of material will you include in it?
It would have plenty of chant, traditional hymnody, propers, and music based on propers. This will be a combination of Adoremus, Worship II, and the Gregorian Missal all in one.
2. What would be your ideal gig?
Any parish that has an appreciation for a primarily traditional music program, with organ accompaniment, and/or a cappella. The organ should be one with pipes and a good three-manual console (two-manual consoles are too little for me, yet a four-manual console is too big LOL).
3. You are commissioned by Pope Benedict XVI to compose a new Mass that would reflect the new English translation, that would be debuted in Rome. What would you present?
Something in a traditional style that alternates between congregation (chant or metrical unison) and choir (in the style of a motet).
4. Say you decided on a career change and leave the church music business. If you had a choice, what career would you choose?
Trust me when I say I hope this won't be soon. I'm only a fortysomething. I think I have something left. I would probably try my hand at broadcasting if I really had to leave the church music scene.
5. You have access to any organ anywhere in the world. Which would you want to play on a regular basis, and why?
St. Anne's Church, Fall River, Massachusetts (80+ rank Casavant on three manuals) or the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul, Providence, Rhode Island (125-rank Casavant tracker on four manuals)
OK - so the idea is to ask a random question in the combox. I then respond by giving you YOUR questions to answer on your blog. Kapiche? Whoever reads this, TAG! YOU'RE IT!
BTW, Jason, you were tagged by Lyn as well.
Peace,
BMP
Thursday, April 24, 2008
IT AIN'T EASY BEING GREEN
Following in Jason's footsteps, and title inspired by an old Kermit the Frog tune:
Peace,
BMP
| Your Life is 48% Green |
 Your life is pretty green - and you know a lot about how to live an eco friendly life. So congratulate yourself for being good to the earth. And maybe think about implementing some of the ideas from this quiz! |
Peace,
BMP
How Green?
Your Life is 60% Green |
Your life is pretty green - and you know a lot about how to live an eco friendly life. So congratulate yourself for being good to the earth. And maybe think about implementing some of the ideas from this quiz! |
So there you have it! I actually just yesterday replaced the lamp bulbs in my living room with the more "eco-friendly" ones. They do produce a different sort of light that I'm used to, but they work fine. I'll let the other bulbs just burn out before I replace them, since I spend most of my time in the living room when I'm home (knitting, watching TV), I figured that's where I should actually just replace. Now, we wait for the construction of Lafayette's Whole Foods store. That will be excellent! Hat tip for this survey to Paula at As We Wait. If you have a moment, drop by Paula's blog and render your support! We don't want to see her go, since we so much enjoy here posts!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
I SAY, YOU SAY
An original meme
OK - the object is to reveal your everyday terminology for everyday household items and what-not. You may answer with the choices given, or use your own.
TAG! Any and all readers are considered IT.
1. That shiny metal stuff that you use to wrap food with:
A. Aluminum foil / B. Tin foil / C. Reynolds Wrap
Son and I say C. Wife says B.
2. That clear plastic stuff that is also used to wrap food with:
A. Plastic wrap / B. Saran wrap / C. Glad wrap
Wife and I both say A (I used to say C as a kid). Son says B.
3. Those things you use for facial and nasal care:
A. Tissues / B. Kleenex / C. Snot rags
Depends on the company I'm around, I say either A or C. Wife says A and adds "Tissues for your Issues". Son says C.
4. The stringy pasta that you eat with meatballs:
A. Spaghetti / B. P'sghetti / C. Noodles
Son and I say A. Wife blatantly says B.
5. Those wooden sticks you see in a chips bag:
A. Pretzel / B. Prentzel / C. Sticks
See #4.
6. That mammoth trunked animal in the zoo:
A. Elephant / B. Elly-Phahnt / C. Wooly mammoth
I say A. Wife says B. Son says C.
7. The room in the house you have to use at least once a day:
A. The bathroom / B. The rest room / C. The little boys'/girls' room / D. The can
Both of us use all terms except B, plus others, like "outhouse", "office", and "throne". Wife adds "bait room". Son says D.
8. The paper you use after using the room described in question #7:
A. Toilet paper / B. Bath (or bathroom) tissue / C. Butt wipe
Wife and I both use anything but B. Son says C.
9. Your classification of a passenger van (full-sized or mini), besides van:
A. Car / B. Truck / C. Bus
All three of us say B. (As a former parts worker, I can vouch that vans, including passenger vans, are listed under truck, like "Chevy truck", or "Dodge truck", etc.) However, my son was looking for "tree" as a choice, to be funny.
10. OK, finally, something relating to liturgical music - your classification of a Hammond organ:
A. Instrument / B. Appliance / C. Furniture
Wife says A. I say B. Son says C.
Remember: you're not limited to the choices given.
Have fun!
Peace,
BMP
UPDATE: Fr. Erik's answers are especially funny!
OK - the object is to reveal your everyday terminology for everyday household items and what-not. You may answer with the choices given, or use your own.
TAG! Any and all readers are considered IT.
1. That shiny metal stuff that you use to wrap food with:
A. Aluminum foil / B. Tin foil / C. Reynolds Wrap
Son and I say C. Wife says B.
2. That clear plastic stuff that is also used to wrap food with:
A. Plastic wrap / B. Saran wrap / C. Glad wrap
Wife and I both say A (I used to say C as a kid). Son says B.
3. Those things you use for facial and nasal care:
A. Tissues / B. Kleenex / C. Snot rags
Depends on the company I'm around, I say either A or C. Wife says A and adds "Tissues for your Issues". Son says C.
4. The stringy pasta that you eat with meatballs:
A. Spaghetti / B. P'sghetti / C. Noodles
Son and I say A. Wife blatantly says B.
5. Those wooden sticks you see in a chips bag:
A. Pretzel / B. Prentzel / C. Sticks
See #4.
6. That mammoth trunked animal in the zoo:
A. Elephant / B. Elly-Phahnt / C. Wooly mammoth
I say A. Wife says B. Son says C.
7. The room in the house you have to use at least once a day:
A. The bathroom / B. The rest room / C. The little boys'/girls' room / D. The can
Both of us use all terms except B, plus others, like "outhouse", "office", and "throne". Wife adds "bait room". Son says D.
8. The paper you use after using the room described in question #7:
A. Toilet paper / B. Bath (or bathroom) tissue / C. Butt wipe
Wife and I both use anything but B. Son says C.
9. Your classification of a passenger van (full-sized or mini), besides van:
A. Car / B. Truck / C. Bus
All three of us say B. (As a former parts worker, I can vouch that vans, including passenger vans, are listed under truck, like "Chevy truck", or "Dodge truck", etc.) However, my son was looking for "tree" as a choice, to be funny.
10. OK, finally, something relating to liturgical music - your classification of a Hammond organ:
A. Instrument / B. Appliance / C. Furniture
Wife says A. I say B. Son says C.
Remember: you're not limited to the choices given.
Have fun!
Peace,
BMP
UPDATE: Fr. Erik's answers are especially funny!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
The blog survey
What was I doing 10 years ago?
Getting ready to move to Lafayette
Five things on my "to-do" list today
1. Continue with the sock
2. Lessons
3. Choir rehearsal
4. Write a grocery list
5. Catch up on tevo'ed Crossing Jordans
Snacks I enjoy
Pretzels, cashews, ruffles and clam dip
Things I would do if I were a billionaire
1. Donate a chunk of cash to the Washington, D.C. Holocaust Museum in memory of my grandparents
2. Put the rest in the bank and live off the interest
Three of my bad habits
1. Putting potato skins down the disposal
2. Waiting too long to wash the car
3. Pumping the car accelerator while driving
Five places I have lived
1. Ramstein, Germany
2. Little Rock, AR
3. Fayetteville, AR
4. Regensburg, Germany
5. Lafayette, LA
Five jobs I've had
1. Organist
2. University German Instructor
3. High School Teacher
Getting ready to move to Lafayette
Five things on my "to-do" list today
1. Continue with the sock
2. Lessons
3. Choir rehearsal
4. Write a grocery list
5. Catch up on tevo'ed Crossing Jordans
Snacks I enjoy
Pretzels, cashews, ruffles and clam dip
Things I would do if I were a billionaire
1. Donate a chunk of cash to the Washington, D.C. Holocaust Museum in memory of my grandparents
2. Put the rest in the bank and live off the interest
Three of my bad habits
1. Putting potato skins down the disposal
2. Waiting too long to wash the car
3. Pumping the car accelerator while driving
Five places I have lived
1. Ramstein, Germany
2. Little Rock, AR
3. Fayetteville, AR
4. Regensburg, Germany
5. Lafayette, LA
Five jobs I've had
1. Organist
2. University German Instructor
3. High School Teacher
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
FIRST MEME IN A WHILE
Tagged by Ebeth at A Catholic Mom Climbing the Pillars
The rules are:
1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
What was I doing 10 years ago?
Celebrating my son's fifth birthday.
Five things on my "to-do" list today
1. Bring daughter to school
2. Go to bank
3. Attend funeral for a stillborn (the mother of the baby girl is friends with my wife)
4. Pick up daughter at school
5. Go grocery shopping
BONUS TRACKS:
6. Revamp web pages for a certain podcast
7. Watch Big Brother with wife
Snacks I enjoy
Oreos, Hershey Krackel Bars, Pringles Cheese'ums are on the top of a rather lengthy list
Things I would do if I were a billionaire
1. Pay all our debts, of course
2. Build a modest yet practical house (I'm not into big fancy mansions - if I'm going to live, I'd rather do it ON earth with all the other earthlings, not above them)
3. Personally oversee any and all restoration work (at my expense) on the three-manual 30-something-rank Casavant organ at St. Cecilia's Church (which has been home to a Hammond for over 25 years). The patroness of sacred music should have her pipe organ back.
4. See to it that all four of our kids are set for life
5. See to it that my wife is set for life
Three of my bad habits
1. Pessimism
2. Quick to slam something bad
3. Snacking (especially since my wife and I quit smoking on 2/1/06)
Five places I have lived
1. Boston MA (in my Berklee days)
2-5. assorted locations in Providence County, RI
Five jobs I've had
1. Music director and organist
2. Music minister
3. Substitute organist
4. Driver
5. Shipper/receiver
Five people I want to tag
1-5. The first five that read this
Peace,
BMP
The rules are:
1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
What was I doing 10 years ago?
Celebrating my son's fifth birthday.
Five things on my "to-do" list today
1. Bring daughter to school
2. Go to bank
3. Attend funeral for a stillborn (the mother of the baby girl is friends with my wife)
4. Pick up daughter at school
5. Go grocery shopping
BONUS TRACKS:
6. Revamp web pages for a certain podcast
7. Watch Big Brother with wife
Snacks I enjoy
Oreos, Hershey Krackel Bars, Pringles Cheese'ums are on the top of a rather lengthy list
Things I would do if I were a billionaire
1. Pay all our debts, of course
2. Build a modest yet practical house (I'm not into big fancy mansions - if I'm going to live, I'd rather do it ON earth with all the other earthlings, not above them)
3. Personally oversee any and all restoration work (at my expense) on the three-manual 30-something-rank Casavant organ at St. Cecilia's Church (which has been home to a Hammond for over 25 years). The patroness of sacred music should have her pipe organ back.
4. See to it that all four of our kids are set for life
5. See to it that my wife is set for life
Three of my bad habits
1. Pessimism
2. Quick to slam something bad
3. Snacking (especially since my wife and I quit smoking on 2/1/06)
Five places I have lived
1. Boston MA (in my Berklee days)
2-5. assorted locations in Providence County, RI
Five jobs I've had
1. Music director and organist
2. Music minister
3. Substitute organist
4. Driver
5. Shipper/receiver
Five people I want to tag
1-5. The first five that read this
Peace,
BMP
Sunday, March 9, 2008
CAN YOU COUNT TO 20...
...in Lingua Latina?
Me did. So did Domini Sumus, who I got this from.
Click here to take the test. (BTW, I already know Jason can ace it!)
Peace,
BMP
Me did. So did Domini Sumus, who I got this from.
Click here to take the test. (BTW, I already know Jason can ace it!)
Peace,
BMP
Friday, March 7, 2008
MY "QUESTIONABLE" SON
Well, there's no question Brian IS my son, nor is there any question that he IS a good kid.
What Punctuation Mark Are You?
Peace,
BMP
| You Are a Question Mark |
 You seek knowledge and insight in every form possible. You love learning. And while you know a lot, you don't act like a know it all. You're open to learning you're wrong. You ask a lot of questions, collect a lot of data, and always dig deep to find out more. You're naturally curious and inquisitive. You jump to ask a question when the opportunity arises. Your friends see you as interesting, insightful, and thought provoking. (But they're not always up for the intense inquisitions that you love!) You excel in: Higher education You get along best with: The Comma |
Peace,
BMP
It's Got A Semi
| You Are a Semi-Colon |
 You are elegant, understated, and subtle in your communication. You're very smart (and you know it), but you don't often showcase your brilliance. Instead, you carefully construct your arguments, ideas, and theories – until they are bulletproof. You see your words as an expression of yourself, and you are careful not to waste them. Your friends see you as enlightened, logical, and shrewd. (But what you're saying often goes right over their heads.) You excel in: The Arts You get along best with: The Colon |
I AM A COLON
...but not the one that needs regular cleansing!
RSCT to the Thorn in the Pew.
I was really pushing for the exclamation point, but...
What Punctuation Mark Are You?
BTW, my wife's a colon too! Talk about two minds thinking alike, eh? :)
Peace,
BMP
RSCT to the Thorn in the Pew.
I was really pushing for the exclamation point, but...
| You Are a Colon |
 You are very orderly and fact driven. You aren't concerned much with theories or dreams... only what's true or untrue. You are brilliant and incredibly learned. Anything you know is well researched. You like to make lists and sort through things step by step. You aren't subject to whim or emotions. Your friends see you as a constant source of knowledge and advice. (But they are a little sick of you being right all of the time!) You excel in: Leadership positions You get along best with: The Semi-Colon |
BTW, my wife's a colon too! Talk about two minds thinking alike, eh? :)
Peace,
BMP
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