I love this record. I hear something new everytime I listen.

I am looking for guidence or maybe insight as to where I fit spiritually. I feel some pressure to participate in church and I don’t know how to react. Barbara Brown Taylor is an Episcopalian and had a crisis of faith and maybe she can help me see the light.

I have read this book a couple of times and it amazes me how much new I see when I read it. Each era of world situation and whatnot brings Malcolm’s words into a new space.

The one thing that never changes is how strong of an individual Malcolm was that he could see the mistakes he made and then redirect. That takes a lot of personal strength and it is something we don’t let our leaders do these days. Once they make a decision it stays with them for life and that’s sad. It short changes the individual as well as the society.

What a different world we would live in if Malcolm hadn’t been killed.

I have open books in almost every room of the house. This book, Striver’s Row, has been in my backpack which is an unfortunate place because that’s where my book club book is too. So, this book is put on the backburner until I finish the current book club book. I finished Assassination Vacation a couple of days ago and so I have picked this up again.

It’s a fascinating book. It reads well and so far it’s filled with all sorts of New York Black history. It is especially interesting b/c I am finishing Autobiography of Malcolm X again and Kevin Baker talks lots about Malcolm in the early days. It’s cool.

John Cale is one of Alejandro’s heros. It makes sense that if he offered to produce Al would let him.

I don’t like John Cale’s production. The songs are a mishmash of previously released and previously unreleased. The songs range from pretty good to really good. The production sounds like 80s arena rock (without the crazy guitars).

Al is back and you should catch him on tour where he & his songs ALWAYS shine bright.

(Sorry no details. It’s early and I don’t have the CD at hand.)

Jon is a Sewanee grad and the thoroughness of his book is a trademark of the education we received.

His premise is that the Founding Fathers purposfully didn’t include reference to a specific religion or demonination when the put the Constitution down on paper and proceeded to follow it as a matter of political course.

They intended and hoped that US Presidents and other leaders would make decisions informed by their spiritual beliefs as well as the facts of the situation but they would in now way use their spiritual beliefs to dictate the law.

Political people are ok in religion and religious people are ok in politics but they should never be allowed to get over on the other.

Well done Jon.

Toure is my hero, actually he’s one of many.

This is the guy I would like to be and in many ways already am. He is New York and hip-hop which is ok; it’s not me and I don’t want it to be.

He and I are open-minded and educated. We are well rounded and well read.

He dresses like the hip-hop rock star he is and I’d like to be. He knows how to write which I am still learning.

Check this book out. It’s fun and informative. It will help you navigate the world of pop culture.

I think this will be on my top 10 for the year. It shows amazing breadth & depth.

This woman melts me.

I can’t hear Cassandra Wilson without thinking I would forsake house and home to spend time with her. She’s sexy; in a mature, worldly way – a way that makes you think know that she will take care of you when you need it and teach you when you need it, like Gaia, the mother of us all.

It’s not just her voice, with that hint of a lisp, it’s the relaxed delivery and it’s the oddly timed phrasing. She is style.

She is also smart. Her song choice is the best in music. Her ability to find the classics that will showcase her skills is impeccable. Thunderbird is actually filled with her own compositions and I haven’t gotten to them yet, I am still mesmerized by her voice – as I am with every album she release. This album is produced by T-Bone Burnett who has proven his ability to respect the song and the artist. Can I add Jim Keltner, Colin Linden, & Mark Ribot? If you understand what those names mean you know that’s all I have to say.

This is one of the quickest reads, a testament to Foer’s writing and the editing.

I love soccer but I had never read anything about it. I own Nick Hornby’s Fever Pitch but haven’t read it yet, so this was interesting for me to start.

I would first say this is about cultural globilization more than economic. It’s not a treatise on who soccer makes the global economy. It surveys how soccer is the catalyst, sanctuary and jump-off for many groups around the world. Foer does explore the economics of some of the team ownership but he also explores how soccer is used to promote ethnic pride and denegrate ethnic groups, how it is used to help politicians remain in power, get elected and how it is used to start political change. He talks about neighbor hoods who don’t have emotional outlets for their pride/predjudice will support teams in nearby locals who share their love/hatred. He talks about soccer stadiums and teams being the example of the perfect example of regional norms and how that can be exploited by politicians and/or religions.

He travels from Western Europe to Eastern, from South America to North and from the Mediterranean to Persia. He explores judiaism, islam, fascists, socialists, elites, underclass, history, present.

I found his chapters on judiaism, anti-semitism, US Soccer and, of course, Barcelona quite interesting.

You don’t have to be a soccer fan to enjoy the book but it helps.