Blogs Moved

I have decided to split my blogs into two different blogs and I moved over to wordpress.com

The general blog is still called My Ramblings, but is located here.

and the sports blog is called Double the Post.

Everyone who was in my blog roll here, will be there as well.

Thanks

Daniel

Name Dropping: Marcoux Corner

Marcoux Corner is an acappella group from Minneapolis, MN. But I have known them since high school, too many years ago. Two of the members, Brent Thorson and Kevin Taylor, grew-up in Crookston, MN (which is a huge high school rival to EGF). They were also in a quartet that was "rival" to the Eastsiders (my high school quartet, included Name Dropping Alum, Adam Monley).

Anyway, I had the pleasure of singing with them on many occasions. I sang with Brent and Josh Baesler in All-State Choir and in the Concordia Choir.

They have been living the dream and singing all over the country and have even made trips outside of the US.

And if you can catch them in conert, you are in for some great music and an entertaining evening.

There pictures on the bottom are their albums, Buyin' Time, Tidings, and Live!

The members are; Josh Baesler, Kevin Taylor, Brent Thorson and David Phelps.

http://www.marcouxcorner.com/

Martin Sexton

On Wednesday night, my wife and I went to see Martin Sexton live at the Historic Fargo Theatre. I am telling you there is no other artist like him. Between his vocals, guitar playing, and the pure emotion that comes from his music, I always leave feeling like a better person. The goose bump factor is in full effect when you are there in concert.

If you don't know him. Click on the the song titles to see live clips.

Glory Bound

Hallelujah - he is just messing around with "Little Darlin"

Black Sheep

Women and Wine

Beast in Me

There are many more, but these are some highlights.

His biggest claim to the main stream fame is his relationship with John Mayer. Sexton is probably the biggest influence on Mayer as an artist and then have opened for each other at various times in the their careers.

The picture was from a couple years when I got to hang out on his bus.
We're tight!!

Jim Wallis: My Personal 'Faith Priorities' for this Election

Jim Wallis is a man of whom I have great respect. He has written two very influential books on religion and how it's role in the world and politics; God's Politics: Why the Right Gets IT Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It and The Great Awakening.

The article he wrote is what he - and he alone - will look to when choosing a president. Click on the title of the post to get to the article.

Here is his website: http://www.sojo.net/

Long Time Repulican Voting For Obama

Michael Smerconish is a Republican pundit who has his own column in the Philadelphia Inquirer. He also host makes appearances on radio and TV.

Here is an article by Smerconish. In the article the author lays out the reasons he is voting for Barak Obama.




You can check out Smerconishs work at www.mastalk.com.

Third Presidential Debate

Tonight is the third and final Presidential Debate before the election. I am not sure what to expect. But I am sure we will hear some pretty interesting things as one candidate trys to solidify his lead in the polls and the others does whatever it takes to get the lead back.

We will hear one candidate say one thing and the other candidate say that it is false. PLEASE do the research for yourself. Do not solely listen to the pundits on CNN, MSNBC or Fox News and let you opinon rest on what they tell you.

Please check for yourself at; http://www.factcheck.org.

Name Dropping: Adam Monley

Vol. 4.
Adam Monley is a good friend from way back, I'm talking early elementary school. We grew-up together in the same neighborhood and I tried my first cigarette on the roof of his house.

We later did many shows together, I was John the Baptist to his Jesus in our last high school musical Godspell! We also sang in many honor choirs and an a cappella quartet named the Eastsiders.

He has continued to on the stage and done very well for himself. He actually did a show with fellow name dropping alumni; Becky Gulsvig. At the time, they did not know the connections in my family to both of them and the fact the grew-up an hour from each other.

Adam has been doing some great things in NYC and across this country.

He has received a great deal of attention for his roles in the orginal Broadway cast of Mama Mia, Raul in Phantom of the Opera and Huck in the Deaf West production of Big River (both were national tours), and recently as Curly in a the Paper Mill Playhouse production of Oklahoma! off Broadway.

Here is an article about Adam.

Name Dropping: Kristin Rudrud

This will not be quite as cool - well it might be - but I recently music directed Little Shop of Horrors at the Fargo Moorhead Community Theatre, and one of the many that showed up for auditions was none other then Fargo's own Kristin Rudrud.

Kristin Rudrud is best known for her role as Jean Lundegaard - William H. Macys wife - in the movie Fargo.

Click here to view her performing resume'.

Name Dropping: Becky Gulsvig

After last weeks name dropping of Rich Sommer - and his crazy success on Mad Men and guest starring on The Office - I thought I could do some more. Everyone can use a little more attention of their achievements.

Becky Gulsvig.

Becky is a good friend of my wife's. They went to school together and have done a number of shows together. I have had the pleasure of meeting Becky and getting to know her and her husband over the last couple years.

Anywho, Becky plays Elle in the national touring company of Legally Blonde: The Musical. Look here to find more info about the show and the tour.

Becky has also played Amber VonTussle in Hairspray, and was Leilani and the Elle understudy in Legally Blonde: The Musical on Broadway.

For the latest info, check out Becky's Website. She has a blog that keeps her fans up to speed on the progress on the tour.

Paul Newman

Last night Paul Newman past away age the age of 83 after being diagnosed with cancer. Newman was known best for his work in classic movies like; "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", "Cool Hand Luke", "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", "The Sting", and his Oscar winning performance in "The Color of Money".

Yet, there are two aspect of his life that set Newman apart from the majority of movie stars.
1. His Marriage to actress Joanne Woodard. They had been married since 1958 and had three daughters together.
2. Newman's Owe. All the revenue (reported over $220 Million) from his product line has gone straight to charity, including his own Hole in the Wall Gang camp for seriously ill children.

Here is the statement from the Hole in the Wall Gang website.
Here is an article written by Richard T. Jameson for MSN,

Katie Couric Interviews Vice President Candidates

Here is the link for the Sarah Palin interview.
Here is the link for the Joe Biden interview.

You can read the transcripts at http://www.cbs.com/.

Jon Stewart Hits Karl Rove, Bill O'Reilly, and Dick Morris on Sarah Palin Hypocrisy

When I first saw this clip, my jaw hit the floor. This is an article about the clip from the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, but the video is what you need to watch.

Makes me sad and happy at the same time.

Presidential Candidates Stances on Education

In the October 2008 issue of America Teacher, they had a breakdown of the stances that the two Presidential Candidates have on eduction issues.

As I have felt in past elections, this issue is extremely important. Along with; the economy, international relations, the war in Iraq, education must be a topic at the debates and through the rest of campaigns.

I was unable to find a link or graphic to show, so this the same content from the Oct. 2008 issue of American Teacher. All of the content and info are the same, I only changed the format.

John McCain: "Under my reforms, we will put money and the responsibilities where they belong - in the office of the school principal."
New York Daily News - 8/4/08

Barak Obama: "I oppose using public money for private school vouchers. We need to focus on fixing and improving our public schools, not throwing our hands up and walking away from them."
Speech at AFT Convention - 7/13/08

Issues

No Child Left Behind
Obama: Will reform NCLB. Believes "NCLB has done more to stigmatize and demoralize out students and teachers in struggling schools than it has to marshal the talent and the determination and the resources to turn then around."
Speech in Manchester, NH - 11/22/07

Supports full funding. Supports reforming and fully funding NCLB and ensuring that teachers are not forced to teach to the test.
www.barakobama.com

McCain: Supports NCLB as a "good start." Believes that the threat of tough sanctions gives schools and educators a big incentive to succeed.
Wall Street Journal - 5/29/08

Opposes full funding. Opposed multiple efforts to fully fund NCLB and provide schools, educators, and students the resources they need to succeed. Vote 35 - 3/10/04; Vote 60 - 3/09/03; Vote 5 - 1/16/03; Vote 192 - 6/17/01


Private School Vouchers
Obama: Opposes private school vouchers. Opposes using public money for private school vouchers.
Speech to AFT convention - 7/13/08; Education Week - 2/20/08; AFT 2008 Presidential Candidate Questionnaire

McCain: Supports private school vouchers. Supports expansion of private school vouchers and has repeatedly voted to set aside public tax dollars for vouchers.
Des Monies Register, editorial board, 10/24/07; Vote 170 - 6/12/2001; Vote 260 - 9/30/97; Vote 89 - 6/23/97

Head Start
Obama: Supports expansion of Head Start. Supports increased funding for and expansion of Head Start and Early Head Start, and proposes Early Learning Challenge Grants to help states move toward voluntary, universal preschool.
AFT 2008 Presidential Candidate Questionnaire; www.barakobama.com

McCain: Opposed increased funds for Head Start. Voted against increased funds for Head Start.
Vote 333 - 9/9/03


School Construction
Obama: Supports Additional funds for school renovation. Supports additional funding for capital improvements to schools to modernize their infrastructure.
AFT 2008 Presidential Candidate Questionnaire

McCain: Opposes expansions of school renovation programs. Opposed funding tax incentives and other programs for school construction and renovation.
Vote 108 - 5/16/01; Vote 242 - 7/30/99


You can find more about the candidates platforms at;
http://www.johnmccain.com/
http://www.barakobama.com/

This website is a quick way to see how you match-up with the candidates and also as info on specific issues - www.votechooser.com.

Name Dropping: Rich Sommer

Congrats to Rich Sommer. Rich plays Harry Crane on AMC's Mad Men, which won an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series.

I went to college with Rich at Concordia and we sang in choir together and may have done one directing scene together our freshmen year.

He will also be guest-starring on the season premiere of The Office on NBC Sept. 25th.







http://www.amctv.com/originals/madmen
http://richsommer.com/

Tonight

So, here in Fargo, ND we rarely get big bands to come and play. In the last view years, it has become easier to seen very popular acts. Kayne West is coming, Garth Brooks has been a handful of times, and Aerosmith has made a stop. But in the grand picture of things, we don't get to see a lot of "famous people". President Bush was here a couple years and one of his town hall meetings. Tonight, we have the chance to not only see and hear one historic presidential candidate, but two. Both Barak Obama and Hillary Clinton we have a chance to hear them both speak to a very large crowd at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, ND tonight. It will be interesting to see how the speak to this crowd. I am not sure what to expect, but I do have a feeling they will both touch on the 40Th Aniv. of Dr. Martin Luther Kings death.

I will give you details soon. Take care, safe travel.

Clooney Puts Pressure on Olympic Sponsor

Tuesday March 11 8:35 AM ET
LONDON (AP)

Hollywood star George Clooney has put pressure on an Olympic sponsor to speak out over China's foreign policy in Sudan.
Clooney promotes Omega Watches one of the worldwide Olympic partners for the Beijing games.
"I have talked with Omega (about China) for over a year and will continue to talk to Omega," Clooney was quoted as saying on the BBC Web site on Tuesday. "I have and will go to the places I and China do business and ask for help."
Clooney has publicly spoken several times about the crisis in Darfur, Sudan, where more than 200,000 people have been killed and about 2.5 million people displaced in three years of fighting between African rebels and government troops allied with Arab militia known as janjaweed.
China is a major trading partner with Sudan, and Beijing has resisted United Nations attempts to force Sudan to accept U.N. peacekeepers in Darfur.
The push to link the Beijing Games to the Darfur crisis gained wide attention last month when Hollywood director Steven Spielberg said he could not in good conscience serve as an artistic adviser to the opening and closing ceremonies.
"I have and will continue to ask China to use its considerable leverage with the government of Sudan."
Omega has been the official timekeeper for the Olympics since 1932 including the boycotted games in 1980 and 1984. Swatch Group chief executive Nick Hayek, whose company owns Omega, said executives had discussed the issue with Clooney.
"We have full respect for his strong engagement in the fight for the good cause and share his opinion, especially concerning Darfur, and we are proud to work with a person who has such high ethical views," Hayek was quoted as telling the BBC.
"It is our policy not to get involved in politics," he was quoted as saying, because it would not serve the cause of sport, which he called one of the noblest human endeavors "for creating understanding and peace all over the world."
Hayek said Omega would speak out on China's association with Sudan, but directly with high-level contacts rather than publicly.
"Of course, it is a continuous process but we do it the Swiss way of 'little strokes fell great oaks,'" Hayek said.

Thoughts on a warm day in March

Some days are a little slower than others. Some weeks, even slower. So I have been focusing on the summer, and for my family, it is a very important one.

1. My sister-in-law Jeanne is getting married to a great guy Kevin.

2. My brother Matthew is getting married to a great gal named Anna.

Isaiah, Katie and I are in both weddings. Here is the Line-up for each wedding:

Jeanne and Kevin's:

Isaiah - Ring Bearer

Katie - Matron of Honor/singing

Daniel - Usher/singing

Matthew and Anna's:

Isaiah - Ring Bearer

Katie - Bridesmaid

Daniel - Best Man

3. Isaiah turns 2 years old on August 12Th.

4. Katie turns 27 on June 5Th

5. I turn 30 on June 1st

I am sure there will be many things that pop in between all those events. So, I have started on my best man speech. What are the important things to "pass-on" to my brother that I can share in front of all our family and friends in 5-10 min? While I am not going to give that away, it has started my thinking about some of the events/people around me and what I would say to them about the adventure/path they are on. So I have decided to make a list of "Daniel Wisdom" that is good for everyone. So here it goes. Some will be blanket statements, others will be very specific.

1. To get respect, you first have to give it. It is truly earned and never should be expected.

2. Don't watch LOST before you go to bed. Your mind will never stop and then you can't fall asleep!

3. Hilary Clinton - don't run a dirty campaign. I am tired of this. And I don't want to see you fall into the trap. I fear it is too late.

4. To every musician out there. Play more!

5. There are many ways to say no and still be nice.

6. It's still NOT OK to wear all denim!

7. "March Madness" is a mental illness and you should be able to stay home because of it.

OK, there was not much Wisdom in there, but I needed to say it. Please check-out http://www.sojo.net/ it is a great website/blog about being a Christian in this world.[Photo]

Was Jesus a Politician? (by Jim Wallis)

Last Friday I was in Santa Barbara, California, to speak at Westmont College - where even on a Friday evening, the gymnasium was packed with students. Before that event I did an interview with The Santa Barbara Independent, a local weekly newspaper, which they titled The Next Great Awakening? One of the questions the reporter asked was, "Do you think Jesus was a politician?" Here is my answer:

Of course not. But he had a vision of the Kingdom of God which was spiritual, personal, relational, social, economic, and yes, political - because it talked about allegiances and loyalties and authority, and if Jesus was Lord, Caesar was not. His confrontation that he provoked in Jerusalem was with the religious and the political leaders. They saw him as a political threat. If they saw him just as a private pietist, why would they worry? [If he was] helping people get their lives together, helping their marriages, making them better parents and make them go to less Roman orgies and drunken parties, why would that have been a threat to the ruling powers? They regarded him as a threat. I remember I was at Wheaton College once and I asked this class, "Why was Jesus killed?" and they had no idea. They just couldn't comprehend the question. And then one young student said, "Well, to save us from our sins." And I said, "So you think Pontius Pilate was sitting there thinking, 'How am I going to save these American evangelicals from their sins? I'm gonna kill this guy and that will do it.'" Albeit that our theological understanding of the cross and our redemption — I'm orthodox on all those questions, but he was killed because he was seen as a threat to the rulers both religious and political. In the book I talk about how Jesus confronted the major political options of his day. All four of them were there, they're always there: One was collaborationist, one was pietist, one was withdrawn — you know, the kind of counter culture — and one was political insurrection, or revolutionary violence. He confronted them all, he rejected them all. There was a fifth option called the Kingdom of God, and that's our option.

Quick Check

This link www.votechooser.com is a quick and easy way to see how your feelings on certain issues match-up with the remaining Presidental Canidties. Have Fun.

Well Done, Thou Good and Faithful Servants (by Jim Wallis)

I found this on the Author of God's Politics web-site: http://www.sojo.net
A site that stands in the middle of politics and on the foundation of God.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008
John Edwards ended his campaign this afternoon at the same place he started it and with the same theme—ending poverty as a moral imperative. In the Ninth Ward of New Orleans, Edwards said that he was stepping aside in this presidential campaign, but that he would now continue his life-long work for economic justice. Before announcing his decision, he called both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to ask for a pledge to make ending poverty central to their campaigns for president and to their presidencies if they are elected.
John Edwards has changed the shape and the agenda of this campaign. He has put the needs of the poor and working families on the political agenda for the first time in many years. His clear and consistent voice has made sure that universal health care, fundamental issues of economic inequality, and the plight of so many Americans who are barely getting by would be on the front burner of this election campaign. John Edwards has championed the poor more than any white presidential candidate since Robert Kennedy did many decades ago. His campaign may be ending today, but he has already shaped the priorities of this election year in a decisive way.
Again today, he reminded us that "we have a moral responsibility to each other," as his valiant wife Elizabeth could be seen wiping a tear from her eyes. Because, he said, "But for the grace of God, there goes us." He called for an end to government "walking away" from poor and working people. Nobody has spoken of the 37 million Americans who wake up every morning in poverty more than John Edwards.
As he was on his way to give the announcement to withdraw from the presidential race, he stopped to talk to some homeless people under a bridge. One woman said, "Promise me you won't forget us." Edwards promised that he wouldn't. I believe him. I have admired John Edwards greatly - especially among the presidential candidates in recent years - and today I was so proud of him once again.
He closed by saying, "This son of a mill worker's gonna be just fine. Our job now is to make certain that America will be fine … it's time for all of us, all of us together, to make the two Americas one." And today he made a commitment for his party (to which he is now likely to continually hold them to account): "We will never forget you. We will fight for you. We will stand up for you." He said to all of those he had heard in the past several days asking him to speak for them, "I want you to know that you almost changed my mind."
The Bible says that a nation will be judged, more than anything else, by how it treats its poorest and most vulnerable. And seldom do we see a political candidate who sounds like a biblical prophet. So I just want to say thank you to John and Elizabeth Edwards. You may not become president this time, but you have been a prophet to the nation and will continue to be. As you said in your closing remarks, your presidential campaign may be over, but it's time to get to work. And I know we will be working together. God bless you both.