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It seems these days for every prognosticator who thinks the Blue Jays will win the American League East, you find two who think they won't. At first I found this surprising, since I believe the club brought in one of the greatest arrays of talent from outside the organization that we're ever seen from any team.
Check off the names R.A. Dickey, Jose Reyes, Melky Cabrera, Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle. Yet, there are plenty of doubters. Most people wonder if this club will jell in time to be a factor, especially now with four key players still away at the World Baseball Classic.
Then, it's whether this will be the year that the likes of Colby Rasmus, Brett Lawrie, J.P Arencibia and Brandon Morrow will reach their full potential.
Then they ask; will Jose Bautista bounce back from his wrist injury and will Ricky Romero again become the pitcher he was two years ago?
There is another issue: where this club is coming from and where it has to go. The Blue Jays only won 73 games a year ago and finished fourth in the AL East. In all likelihood, they will have to win 92 or 93 games just to make it as a wild card team. That would be an improvement of 19 or 20 games over last season.
Guess what? In 36 seasons, the Blue Jays' largest single-season leap occurred between 1979 and 1980. They went from 53 victories to 67, or a plus-14.
Between 1984 and 1985, they were plus-10, going from 89 to a franchise record 99 victories. They did it again between 1986 and 1987, going from 86 to 96 wins for another plus-10.
On the flip side, their most precipitous crash came from 1993 to 1995. They went from 95 victories in 1993, to 55 in the abbreviated 1994 campaign where the season was shut down early due to labour troubles, to 56 wins in 1995 when again the season was shortened by 14 games due to late settlement to the labour strife.
One of the most incredible seasons was 1991. Minnesota and Atlanta both went from last place finishes in their respective divisions to meet in a classic World Series won by the Twins in 7.
In 1990, Atlanta went 65 and 97. They rose by 29 games to finish the 1991 season at 94-68. The Twins were 74-88 in 1990 and jumped to 95 and 67 in 91 for a net gain of 21.
Last season, three teams made titanic leaps up the standings, though none of the three made it to the World Series. In the National League, Washington went from 80 victories in 2011 to an incredible 98 in 2012 for a plus-18.
In the American League, Oakland went from a third place finish in the West in 2011 with 74 wins up to 94 victories last season for a gain of 20. Baltimore was even more spectacular, going from last place in 2011 and 69 wins to 93 for a plus-24.
I'm not saying the Blue Jays aren't capable of something similar but huge leaps like this don't come along every year and even when they do, as we saw last year, it doesn't necessarily guarantee you a spot in the World Series.
Having said all of that, I believe the Blue Jays will get into the playoffs for the first time since 1993 as a wild card with 92 or 93 wins.


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See the introduction and links to all installments at the top of my John Calvin, Calvinism, and General Protestantism web page; also the online version of the Institutes. Calvin's words will be in blue throughout. All biblical citations (in my portions) will be from RSV unless otherwise noted.
* * * * *
Sacraments are signs, but not only signs, with no further effect. Calvin has retained half of the traditional Christian definition and discarded the other equally important aspect (and a half-truth is little better than an untruth). He wants to make this an abstract and non-"transactional" process. But on what basis does he do so? As so often, Calvin's rationale seems utterly arbitrary. Where is the precedent? Who else thought this way?
He can and probably will bring in St. Augustine, but if so, he will likely ignore the "realist" aspect of St. Augustine's sacramentalism. St. Augustine refers to the "signs" aspect without denying the realism. He accepted all seven Catholic sacraments. Calvin reduces these to two, and redefines even those, so that there is no longer any regeneration in baptism, nor Real, Substantial Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist (things that even Luther retained).
We may also define more briefly by calling it a testimony of the divine favour toward us, confirmed by an external sign, with a corresponding attestation of our faith towards Him.
More abstractions and purely subjective characteristics . . . Calvin takes out the heart of the sacraments: the fact that they convey grace in order to bring about sanctification of the recipient. Hence, St. Thomas Aquinas wrote:
. . . a sacrament properly speaking is that which is ordained to signify our sanctification. In which three things may be considered; viz. the very cause of our sanctification, which is Christ's passion; the form of our sanctification, which is grace and the virtues; and the ultimate end of our sanctification, which is eternal life. And all these are signified by the sacraments. Consequently a sacrament is a sign that is both a reminder of the past, i.e. the passion of Christ; and an indication of that which is effected in us by Christ's passion, i.e. grace; and a prognostic, that is, a foretelling of future glory. . . .Catholic theologian Ludwig Ott further explains:
Since a sacrament signifies that which sanctifies, it must needs signify the effect, which is implied in the sanctifying cause as such.
(Summa Theologica, III, 60, 3)
The Sacraments are neither purely natural signs . . . nor purely artificial or conventional signs, as according to their inner composition, they are appropriate for vividly depicting inward grace. They are not merely speculative or theoretical signs, but efficacious or practical signs, as they not only indicate the inner sanctification, but also effect it . . .
The Reformers, by reason of their doctrine of justification, see in the sacraments pledges of the Divine Promise of the forgiveness of sins by means of the awakening and strengthening of fiducial faith, which alone justifies. Thus, the sacraments are not means whereby grace is conferred, but means whereby faith and its consequences are stirred into action. . . . Thus the Sacraments have only a psychological and symbolic significance. The Council of Trent rejected this teaching as a heresy.
(Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, translated by Patrick Lynch, edited by James Canon Bastible, 4th edition, Rockford, IL: TAN Books, 1974 [first published in German in 1952], 326-327)
You may make your choice of these definitions, which in meaning differ not from that of Augustine, which defines a sacrament to be a visible sign of a sacred thing, or a visible form of an invisible grace, but does not contain a better or surer explanation.
As predicted (I am replying as I read in this whole series), St. Augustine is brought in as a supposed witness for Calvin's heresies. But he certainly thought (vastly unlike Calvin) that the Holy Eucharist was the actual Body and Blood of Christ, to be adored, and that it effected grace and salvation:
He took flesh from the flesh of Mary . . . and gave us the same flesh to be eaten unto salvation . . . we do sin by not adoring.
(Explanations of the Psalms, 98, 9)Not only is no one forbidden to take as food the Blood of this Sacrifice, rather, all who wish to possess life are exhorted to drink thereof.
(Questions of the Hepateuch, 3, 57)
St. Augustine, in direct opposition to Calvin, held that baptism conferred regeneration:
. . . the churches of Christ hold inherently that without baptism and participation at the table of the Lord it is impossible for any man to attain either to the kingdom of God or to salvation and life eternal? This is the witness of Scripture too.
(Forgiveness and the Just Deserts of Sin, and the Baptism of Infants 1:24:34 [A.D. 412])
The sacrament of baptism is most assuredly the sacrament of regeneration.
(Ibid., 2:27:43)
Baptism washes away all, absolutely all, our sins, whether of deed, word, or thought, whether sins original or added, whether knowingly or unknowingly contracted.
(Against Two Letters of the Pelagians 3:3:5 [A.D. 420])
As its brevity makes it somewhat obscure, and thereby misleads the more illiterate, I wished to remove all doubt, and make the definition fuller by stating it at greater length.
Great! And we shall provide a Catholic answer to whatever errors Calvin produces in so doing.
This is only one aspect of the meaning. Calvin ignores (i.e., discards) the other. but if he is going to claim to simply be following patristic tradition, he can't possibly do that and not misrepresent what they taught. He wants to do his excessively rationalistic "either/or" false dichotomy thing, but the fathers and the Church take the "both/and" approach.
That is an apt description of Calvin's sacramentology: the sacrament as an "appendix."
In this way God provides first for our ignorance and sluggishness, and, secondly, for our infirmity; and yet, properly speaking, it does not so much confirm his word as establish us in the faith of it. For the truth of God is in itself sufficiently stable and certain, and cannot receive a better confirmation from any other quarter than from itself. But as our faith is slender and weak, so if it be not propped up on every side, and supported by all kinds of means, it is forthwith shaken and tossed to and fro, wavers, and even falls. And here, indeed, our merciful Lord, with boundless condescension, so accommodates himself to our capacity, that seeing how from our animal nature we are always creeping on the ground, and cleaving to the flesh, having no thought of what is spiritual, and not even forming an idea of it, he declines not by means of these earthly elements to lead us to himself, and even in the flesh to exhibit a mirror of spiritual blessings.
God is also so merciful that He desires to convey graces and spiritual power and aid by means of the sacraments. Calvin guts them of their nature and power by confining his definition to "sign and seal" only.
For, as Chrysostom says (Hom. 60, ad Popul.). "Were we incorporeal, he would give us these things in a naked and incorporeal form. Now because our souls are implanted in bodies, he delivers spiritual things under things visible. Not that the qualities which are set before us in the sacraments are inherent in the nature of the things, but God gives them this signification."
But the same Chrysostom believed just as St. Augustine did, and thus is no witness to Calvin's entire heretical doctrine:
Further, because he said, "a communion of the Body," and that which communicates is another thing from that whereof it communicates; even this which seemeth to be but a small difference, he took away. For having said, "a communion of the Body," he sought again to express something nearer. Wherefore also he added, Ver. 17. "For we, who are many, are one bread, one body." "For why speak I of communion?" saith he, "we are that self-same body." For what is the bread? The Body of Christ. And what do they become who partake of it? The Body of Christ: not many bodies, but one body. For as the bread consisting of many grains is made one, so that the grains no where appear; they exist indeed, but their difference is not seen by reason of their conjunction; so are we conjoined both with each other and with Christ: there not being one body for thee, and another for thy neighbor to be nourished by, but the very same for all. Wherefore also he adds, "For we all partake of the one bread." . . . For he gave not simply even His own body; but because the former nature of the flesh which was framed out of earth, had first become deadened by sin and destitute of life; He brought in, as one may say, another sort of dough and leaven, His own flesh, by nature indeed the same, but free from sin and full of life; and gave to all to partake thereof, that being nourished by this and laying aside the old dead material, we might be blended together unto that which is living and eternal, by means of this table.
(Homily XXIV on First Corinthians, 4; NPNF 1, Vol. XII)
[N]o one can enter into the kingdom of heaven except he be regenerated through water and the Spirit, and he who does not eat the flesh of the Lord and drink his blood is excluded from eternal life, and if all these things are accomplished only by means of those holy hands, I mean the hands of the priest, how will any one, without these, be able to escape the fire of hell, or to win those crowns which are reserved for the victorious? These [priests] truly are they who are entrusted with the pangs of spiritual travail and the birth which comes through baptism: by their means we put on Christ, and are buried with the Son of God, and become members of that blessed head . . .
(The Priesthood 3:5–6 [A.D. 387])
This is commonly expressed by saying that a sacrament consists of the word and the external sign. By the word we ought to understand not one which, muttered without meaning and without faith, by its sound merely, as by a magical incantation, has the effect of consecrating the element, but one which, preached, makes us understand what the visible sign means.
The Calvinist (and general Protestant) tendency is always toward preaching as the focus, rather than the mystery and miracle and efficacious nature of the sacraments as rites designed to empower Christians to counter the world, the flesh, and the devil.
The thing, therefore, which was frequently done, under the tyranny of the Pope, was not free from great profanation of the mystery, for they deemed it sufficient if the priest muttered the formula of consecration, while the people, without understanding, looked stupidly on.
Note the denigration of what had always been central in Christian worship from the beginning. Calvin feels content to caricature the Mass as a priest dumbly muttering the "formula" (no doubt, in his mind, a dead one), with equally dumb, stupefied laymen helplessly watching. One could go on and on about the utter arrogance of this mentality, constantly exhibited by Calvin in the Institutes, but I trust that it is so obvious that we need not dwell on it too much.
Nay, this was done for the express purpose of preventing any instruction from thereby reaching the people: for all was said in Latin to illiterate hearers.
Any Catholic who knew anything at all about the Mass knew what was happening. That was one of the reasons for the "smells and bells" that are so despised. Protestant critics of Catholicism can't have it both ways: they can't condemn the Mass for supposedly keeping the people in ignorance and then turn around and condemn the very indications in the Mass (such as bells) that are precisely designed to help people know what is taking place. There are all kinds of signs and indications in the Mass of what is taking place, even if it was all in Latin.
Surely, Catholics were no more ignorant or impious or wicked than, for example, Lutherans, according to the descriptions of Luther himself (far more open and frank than Calvin ever was):
Who would have wanted to begin preaching, had we known beforehand that so much disaster, riotousness, scandal, sacrilege, ingratitude, and wickedness were to follow. But now . . . we have to pay for it.
(Johannes Janssen, History of the German People From the Close of the Middle Ages, 16 volumes, translated by A.M. Christie, St. Louis: B. Herder, 1910 [orig. 1891], XVI, 13; from EA, vol. 50, 74; in 1538. "EA" = Erlangen Ausgabe edition of Luther's Works [Werke] in German, 1868, 67 volumes)
Worse still than avarice, whoring and immorality, which had the upper hand everywhere nowadays, was the general contempt of the gospel.
(Janssen, ibid., XVI, 16; EN, IV, 6; in 1532. "EN" = Enders, L., Dr. Martin Luther's Correspondence, Frankfurt, 1862)
Now that . . . we are free . . . we show our thankfulness in a way calculated to bring down God's wrath . . . We have got the Evangel . . . but . . . we do not trouble ourselves to act up to it.
(Janssen, ibid., XVI, 16-17)
I have well nigh given up all hope for Germany, for . . . the whole host of dishonesty, wickedness, and roguery are reigning everywhere . . . and added to all else contempt of the Word and ingratitude.
(Janssen, ibid., XVI, 19; LL, V, 398, 407; letter to Anton Lauterbach, November, 1541. "LL" = Luther's Letters [German], edited by M. De Wette, Berlin: 1828)
Those who ought to be good Christians because they have heard the gospel, are harder and more merciless than before . . . Tell me, where is there a town . . . pious enough to . . . maintain one schoolmaster or pastor? . . . Thanks also to the dear Evangel, the people have become . . . abominally wicked . . . diabolically cruel . . . growing fat . . . through plunder and robbery of Church goods . . . Ought we not to be thoroughly ashamed of ourselves?
(Janssen, ibid., XV, 466-467)
I fear . . . that we are a greater offence to God than the papists.
(Janssen, ibid., XV, 467)
I've also documented elsewhere (see section V), Luther's successor Philip Melanchthon, and fellow "reformer" Martin Bucer expressing the same sort of disgust at Protestant moral laxity and impiety. So there was and is plenty of this to go around, but alas, in the Institutes we only hear about how ignorant, stupid, and impious Catholics are. To tell the fuller truth and to dirty his hands with accounts of the rampant sin and other problems in his own camp would go contrary to Calvin's purpose, and so he conveniently omits such unsavory considerations. Catholic readers tire of this, as it is a constant hypocrisy and double standard in anti-Catholic polemics.
At least there still was a consecration, that actually made something happen.
Very different is the doctrine of Augustine concerning the sacramental word. "Let the word be added to the element, and it will become a sacrament. For whence can there be so much virtue in water as to touch the body and cleanse the heart, unless by the agency of the word, and this not because it is said, but because it is believed? For even in the word the transient sound is one thing, the permanent power another. This is the word of faith which we preach says the Apostle" (Rom. 10:8).
Again, Calvin concentrates only on that which he wants to see and emphasize in Augustine, ignoring all that which goes contrary to his teaching (and surely he was aware of those, so this is more cynically deliberate omission).
Hence, in the Acts of the Apostles, we have the expression, "Purify their hearts by faith" (Acts 15:9). And the Apostle Peter says, "The like figure whereunto even baptism doth now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience)" (1 Pet. 3:21). "This is the word of faith which we preach: by which word doubtless baptism also, in order that it may be able to cleanse, is consecrated" (August. Hom. in Joann. 13). You see how he requires preaching to the production of faith. And we need not labour to prove this, since there is not the least room for doubt as to what Christ did, and commanded us to do, as to what the apostles followed, and a purer Church observed.
Preaching is fine, but Calvin passes over the baptismal regeneration that 1 Peter 3:21 (along with several other similar biblical passages) plainly teaches, as well as the same motif in Augustine. He sees what he wants to see (and assumes that his readers will do the same, guided by his sure hand). This is also an extremely common trait in anti-Catholic apologetics to this day.
Nay, it is known that, from the very beginning of the world, whenever God offered any sign to the holy Patriarchs, it was inseparably attached to doctrine, without which our senses would gaze bewildered on an unmeaning object. Therefore, when we hear mention made of the sacramental word, let us understand the promise which, proclaimed aloud by the minister, leads the people by the hand to that to which the sign tends and directs us.
And also, let us understand that baptism and the Holy Eucharist regenerate, empower believers for sanctification, and save.
The same Paul repeatedly taught baptismal regeneration:
Romans 6:3-4 (KJV) Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? [4] Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Galatians 3:26-27 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. [27] For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Colossians 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
The same Paul gave the following account of what was said when he himself was baptized. He did not disagree with it at all (therefore, he obviously agreed that baptism washed away sins; i.e., regenerated):
Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
And how, pray, can any one be greatly offended when we teach that the promise is sealed by the sacrament, since it is plain, from the promises themselves, that one promise confirms another? The clearer any evidence is, the fitter is it to support our faith. But sacraments bring with them the clearest promises, and, when compared with the word, have this peculiarity, that they represent promises to the life, as if painted in a picture.
They also bring about that life, as Holy Scripture plainly attests.
Nor ought we to be moved by an objection founded on the distinction between sacraments and the seals of documents—viz. that since both consist of the carnal elements of this world, the former cannot be sufficient or adequate to seal the promises of God, which are spiritual and eternal, though the latter may be employed to seal the edicts of princes concerning fleeting and fading things. But the believer, when the sacraments are presented to his eye, does not stop short at the carnal spectacle, but by the steps of analogy which I have indicated, rises with pious consideration to the sublime mysteries which lie hidden in the sacraments.
And the believer does not neglect the most important aspect of sacraments: that they literally convey grace to the recipient.
More of the same largely true but incomplete treatment already critiqued . . .
He offers more than a pledge in the sacraments. He offers grace itself.
but it is not apprehended save by those who receive the word and sacraments with firm faith: in like manner as Christ, though offered and held forth for salvation to all, is not, however, acknowledged and received by all.
Catholics agree that the sacraments have to be received worthily; with right disposition, or else they lose much of their good effect. This is obviously true of the sacrament of reconciliation (confession), and particularly also of the Holy Eucharist.
Augustine, when intending to intimate this, said that the efficacy of the word is produced in the sacrament, not because it is spoken, but because it is believed. Hence Paul, addressing believers, includes communion with Christ, in the sacraments, as when he says, "As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Gal. 3:27).
I produced the same verse above Calvin is assuming that the believers put on Christ first, then were baptized as a seal. But this makes no sense with regard to infant baptism, which Calvin himself accepts. If a baby can't exercise faith first before baptism, why baptize him or her? Therefore, it makes more sense in the overall picture, to believe, rather, that baptism confers regeneration, not that regeneration proceeds in other ways, and that baptism follows as sign and seal. Besides, Paul clearly taught baptism elsewhere (especially in Acts 22:16 and Titus 3:5), so we know that he believed that, so that wherever faith comes into play it doesn't cancel out the regeneration conferred by baptism.
If Calvin can't accept the plain words of perspicuous Scripture in order to derive his doctrine, perhaps he should start rewriting it? Acts 22:16 could then read something like the following:
Acts 22:16 (RCV: Revised Calvin Version) And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and receive the sign and seal of the fact that God already washed away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
Again, "For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body" (1 Cor. 12:13).
To become a member of the Body of Christ, one has to be born again, or regenerated.
But when he speaks of a preposterous use of the sacraments, he attributes nothing more to them than to frigid, empty figures; thereby intimating, that however the ungodly and hypocrites may, by their perverseness, either suppress, or obscure, or impede the effect of divine grace in the sacraments, that does not prevent them, where and whenever God is so pleased, from giving a true evidence of communion with Christ, or prevent them from exhibiting, and the Spirit of God from performing, the very thing which they promise. We conclude, therefore, that the sacraments are truly termed evidences of divine grace, and, as it were, seals of the good-will which he entertains toward us. They, by sealing it to us, sustain, nourish, confirm, and increase our faith. The objections usually urged against this view are frivolous and weak. They say that our faith, if it is good, cannot be made better; for there is no faith save that which leans unshakingly, firmly, and undividedly, on the mercy of God. It had been better for the objectors to pray, with the apostles, "Lord, increase our faith" (Luke 17:5), than confidently to maintain a perfection of faith which none of the sons of men ever attained, none ever shall attain, in this life. Let them explain what kind of faith his was who said, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief" (Mark 9:24). That faith, though only commenced, was good, and might, by the removal of the unbelief, be made better. But there is no better argument to refute them than their own consciousness. For if they confess themselves sinners (this, whether they will or not, they cannot deny), then they must of necessity impute this very quality to the imperfection of their faith.
At least Calvin agrees that some practical help comes of sacraments, by saying that it increases faith. We must be thankful for any bright spots in the midst of the serious error.
Calvin again acknowledges a practical benefit of a sacrament, but his overall doctrine of justification mitigates against baptismal regeneration. He is more consistent than Luther, because Luther's soteriology is in tension to some extent, with his sacramentology.
I admit, indeed, that faith is the proper and entire work of the Holy Spirit, enlightened by whom we recognise God and the treasures of his grace, and without whose illumination our mind is so blind that it can see nothing, so stupid that it has no relish for spiritual things. But for the one Divine blessing which they proclaim we count three. For, first, the Lord teaches and trains us by his word; next, he confirms us by his sacraments; lastly, he illumines our mind by the light of his Holy Spirit, and opens up an entrance into our hearts for his word and sacraments, which would otherwise only strike our ears, and fall upon our sight, but by no means affect us inwardly.
As far as it goes, this is true, but ultimately incomplete.
This seems like a distinction without a difference. Calvin is probably has in mind the Catholic doctrine of ex opere operato, which he rejects.
The sacraments duly perform their office only when accompanied by the Spirit, the internal Master, whose energy alone penetrates the heart, stirs up the affections, and procures access for the sacraments into our souls. If he is wanting, the sacraments can avail us no more than the sun shining on the eyeballs of the blind, or sounds uttered in the ears of the deaf.
But again, this makes no sense in the case of infant baptism. The infant receives benefits wholly apart from the Holy Spirit, since the Spirit comes precisely by virtue of the baptism. Calvin will probably say that others who represent the child (parents) have the faith, but it still remains true that the infant receives the benefit apart from his or her understanding of anything that is occurring.
Wherefore, in distributing between the Spirit and the sacraments, I ascribe the whole energy to him, and leave only a ministry to them; this ministry, without the agency of the Spirit, is empty and frivolous, but when he acts within, and exerts his power, it is replete with energy.
As a generality, this is true. All sacraments possess the power that they do because God wills it.
It is now clear in what way, according to this view, a pious mind is confirmed in faith by means of the sacraments—viz. in the same way in which the light of the sun is seen by the eye, and the sound of the voice heard by the ear; the former of which would not be at all affected by the light unless it had a pupil on which the light might fall; nor the latter reached by any sound, however loud, were it not naturally adapted for hearing. But if it is true, as has been explained, that in the eye it is the power of vision which enables it to see the light, and in the ear the power of hearing which enables it to perceive the voice, and that in our hearts it is the work of the Holy Spirit to commence, maintain, cherish, and establish faith, then it follows, both that the sacraments do not avail one iota without the energy of the Holy Spirit; and that yet in hearts previously taught by that preceptor, there is nothing to prevent the sacraments from strengthening and increasing faith. There is only this difference, that the faculty of seeing and hearing is naturally implanted in the eye and ear; whereas, Christ acts in our minds above the measure of nature by special grace.
Calvin approaches the whole truth of Catholic sacramentalism in his mention at the end of "special grace." Catholics rejoice in any similarities that can be found, while rejecting errors and novelties that depart from Scripture and traditional precedent.


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- Submit your music » Order by: Artist - Oldest First - Most Recent
by Cave DaysCave Days is a Brooklyn based rock band. It consists of Jon Murphy on vocals and guitar, Richard Thomas on bass and Robert Corsetti on drums. However, Cave Days was originally incepted as a two-piece band with Erik Leubs on electronic percussion, synthesizers, and background vocals. Erik and Jon wrote, produced and recorded the Cave Days EP (2011) consisting of 6 songs (7 songs if you got a copy at a show). These songs were originally written by Jon between 2007 and 2010.


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MAD Goes to Comic-Con
The San Diego Comic-Con 2012 is now history. Thanks to all those who attended the MAD panel or who stopped by the DC Entertainment booth to say hello.
We'll have more on the Con as the week goes on. In the meantime, here's some photos for those who couldn't be there. (Maybe next year!)
The rear of the MAD display in the DC Entertainment booth featured classic MAD cover art by Jack Rickard.
MAD at San Diego Comic-Con 2012
Artist Spotlight: Peter Kuper
Spy vs. Spy on the ski slope? Hey, espionage doesn't take a break just because the thermometer dips below freezing. In fact, you never know where the the Spies are going to show up with the phenomenal Peter Kuper at the helm! You see, Peter doesn't only draw the Spies' adventures — he writes 'em, too!
MAD Invades the San Diego Comic-Con
San Diego Comic-Con Goes MAD
Spy Vs. Spy Custom Toy Project: Peter Kuper
This year is the 50th Anniversary of Spy vs. Spy (time flies when you're blowing people up!). To celebrate, we asked a bunch of tremendous artists to customize Spy action figures — and we're showing a new one right here every day! Today, the spotlight is on Spy vs. Spy writer and artist Peter Kuper and his mesmerizing, murderous mini-mural!


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The Lift Bridge Brewing Company in Stillwater is on the lookout for a white-haired woman with a lot of brawn -- and a lot of nerve.
Surveillance cameras caught the woman walking away with the 100-pound concrete planter decorating the doorway just before 5:30 a.m. on Saturday.
The owner of the brewery told FOX 9 News two other planters were stolen last summer, but the business hoped it would be a one-time thing. Many other businesses in Stillwater are seeing similar thefts, he added.
KMSP-TV11358 Viking DriveEden Prairie, MN 55344
Phone: (952) 944-9999Fax: (952) 942-0455


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Through the Trees
Taken around sunset in center city Bethlehem, PA
Sundown in city center
Out for a walk with my son this afternoon. The photos captured with an iPhone never cease to amaze me in quality
Silver Trees
I've been busy in my studio. Which while fulfilling has sadly been taking me away from my photography
Down the tracks
Out near the monocacy after a recent snowfall
Bethlehem public library at sunset
It's been a while but I'm back :)
Cracked Glass
It's just about time to take Christmas down. We will this weekend after we celebrate little Christmas with the extended family. In the meantime. This was me playing around with my new iPhone lenses and the christmas tree. Happy new year all
First match
Today my son played in his first soccer match and did brilliantly. I'm so very proud of him
Loving Summer
Spent the day at the lake with my little man yesterday
Anonymous said: May I use your "Through the Dunes" photo as the basis for a watercolor? I am not a professional artist, just taking a watercolor class this summer. Thanks.
Yes you may thank you for asking
Sunset over the Bay
Digging through the archives and found this shot from 2002 in Monmouth County, NJ


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Home / View from Pope's Hill /
Autumnal Musings
"They're coming down in showers,
The leaves all gold and red.
They're covering the little flowers
And tucking them to bed.
They've spread a blanket fair
All up and down the street
And when we walk in the cool air,
They rustle 'neath our feet."
By Lacy McKay
Our yard looks great, thanks to our neighbor Phil and his crew. They took out all the weeds in our front lawn and planted new grass seed. The grass came up quickly and it looks positively beautiful. We still have a few roses blooming. Hubby took most of our tomatoes off the vines. We did have BLTs for lunch last week with our own tomatoes. They were so tasty. I worry about our impatiens but the temp has not been cold enough to kill these delicate little plants. Hubby was able to get up the electric jack-o-lantern on our rose trellis this past weekend. We also have an orange plastic pumpkin windspin with smaller plastic pumpkins inside the largest one. The smaller ones spin in all directions when there is a good breeze.
When I finally settled in at the Bostonian for rehab, two people came in to visit me. Chris, the maintenance man, had remembered me from three years ago. With him was one of his co-workers—and my longtime friend, Dick Connell. They wanted to see if everything was o.k. with me and to see how I was doing. Kim Denver from the Payroll Dept., also came upstairs to say, "Hello." (Her sister Marsha is a nurse at the Bostonian.) I instantly bonded with my nurse Grace the first evening she was working. She could easily have been one of my kids. She told me about her kids and I told her about the World's Greatest Grandchildren, Brendan and Erin. I also renewed a friendship with pal Nurse Beatrice. By the way, while I was at the Bostonian, I was on the Pope's Hill floor. That sign made me feel like I was really at home.
My cousins, Larry, Michele, Joe, and Jo sent me the most beautiful fruit basket, accompanied by the cutest little bear. Hubby took it home to dismantle it. Daughter Jeanne came in and ended up taking some of the luscious fruit back to Rockport with her. The Pope's Hill Association sent me a lovely dish garden, which was sprinkled with beautiful blue artificial flowers. It looks lovely on our front porch. Fr. George, Sr. Elizabeth, and the members of our church also sent me a dish garden. It stayed on the windowsill of my room until the day I left rehab. It sits next to the Pope's Hill dish garden on our porch. My friend Agnes came in one of the first days I was in rehab and brought me a red miniature rose bush. It is still on my porch and is doing well.
I met the therapists who were to help me regain use of my knee. Barbara and Rosie were two of them. Rosie had a preemie son, who was still in the hospital so we asked about him often. Jennifer, my main therapist, remembered me from three years ago. Linda Miller came around to the rooms to give out Communion. So did my longtime pal Mary Vinciguerra.
One quiet afternoon at the Bostonian, I was fortunate to receive a visit from two young gentlemen. Brendan Mannion and John Connolly are students at Pope John Paul II Academy's Neponset campus. They were sent my friends Mrs. Kathy Costello and Mrs. Maureen McKinnon to play their fiddles for me. Because I listen to the Irish Hit Parade on radio station WROL every Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., I knew the Irish songs that they played for me. I was even able to sing along with them. The kindergarteners and first graders even made get-well cards for me. What a lovely treat it was to hear the boys play and to receive the get-well cards. I send my thanks to Mrs. Costello and Mrs. McKinnon, their students, and to Brendan and John.
One of the first times I ventured out after knee surgery was to attend a Houghton St. Crime Watch Meeting at the Leahy/Holloran Community Center on Tues, July 27. Joan Pierce, Jane Cavaleri, and Courtney Murray organized the meeting. Our Community Service Officer Dennis Rorie, from District C-11, arrived to tell us what was going on in our neighborhood.
Dennis noted that car breaks were up all over the city. He urged us to take anything of value in our cars into our homes when our car was parked. He said that thieves were particularly interested in GPS devices, iPods, and cell phones. He also noted that the windows in the Murphy van had been broken, and that a motorcycle had been stolen on South Munroe Ter. He, once again, mentioned that a 911 call on a cell phone in Boston goes to the State Police. To make a cell phone call to Boston Police, you should dial 617-343-4911. At the end of the meeting, while those participating were enjoying soda and cookies, a pail filled with summer things, including sun-protection lotion, a Frisbee, and flip flops, was put up on a raffle by our friend Janie. Hubby won. (He is very lucky except in the Mass. Lottery.) He was thrilled. So were our grandkids when they saw the pail.
Hubby and I always look forward to the bi-monthly letter from the Castle Island Association. This is the time of year to renew dues in the association. If you are not a member and would like to be, send a check for $8 per person to: The Castle Island Association, Box 342, South Boston, 02127. If you have little kids, you probably would like to know that the annual Magical Halloween Castle at Fort Independence will be held Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 23 and 24, from noon to 4 p.m. each day. There is usually a big crowd attending and the kids seem to love it. Also in the Castle Island Newsletter, it mentions that there will be a "Support Our Troops" event at the Island from Friday to Sunday, Nov. 5 to 7. The troops need toiletries, alcohol-free wipes, phone cards, and hard candy. Hubby always gives the volunteers some cash to buy needed supplies. Cash donations are most welcome.
We knew that Oct. 10, 2010 was a special day. It was the date for the Irish Heritage Festival in Adams Corner. It was also a special day to be married since 10 in some sports means a perfect score. According to the TV on 10/10/10, there were 32,000 weddings across the U.S. on that day.
Speaking of the Irish Heritage Festival, I must heap compliments on Sean Weir and John O'Toole for organizing that wonderful event last Sunday. Adams Corner was filled with people. Many were from outside our area. I met people from Quincy, Roslindale, and Milton. There were even two Irish-Americans from Rockport. Daughter Jeanne and The World's Greatest Granddaughter Erin drove down from that northern suburb to the Irish Festival after church. We knew that they were there even before we even came to Adams Corner because we parked our car next to Jeanne's in the McKeon Post's parking area. It was there that we picked up the bus that took us to the festival.
When we got off the bus, daughter Sue called Jeanne on her cell phone. Jeanne told her that she and Erin were standing outside Gerard's. We met them there. I asked Erin if she could eat because she had four wisdom teeth removed on Thursday. "I can only open my mouth a little," was her reply. In we went to Gerard's for breakfast or lunch. We were greeted by our friend Theresa. Our waitress was pal Beth. Sue ordered French toast; Erin, blueberry pancakes. Jeanne ordered an omelet because she is on a gluten-free diet. Hubby and I ordered sandwiches because we had eaten breakfast early. Sue and Erin gave each other half of their breakfast so they could both enjoy French toast and blueberry pancakes. Erin was able to finish her pancakes and French toast. This was the first solid food she had eaten since Thursday, before her dental surgery.
I must thank the staff from Carney Hospital for administering flu shots at some many locations in the next few weeks. Hubby, daughter Sue, and I went to St. Gregory's early last Sunday. Flu shots were scheduled to be administered from 8:30 a.m. to noon. By the time we got there at 8:15 a.m., our friends Craig and Pat were already there. My friend and co-worker Barbie was there with her sons Joey and Timmy, and her sister Peggy. A former co-worker, Ginny, was there also. Daughter Sue brought our pal Eileen with her. Our friends Sis and Barbara from St. Gregory's Seniors were already there. It was like old home week at St. Greg's. Now we don't have to think about getting flu shots. God bless Carney for providing his service.
I loved this old proverb that I saw in "Birds and Blooms" magazine: "A wise old owl sat in an oak; the more he saw, the less he spoke; the less he spoke, the more he heard; why can't we all be like that wise old bird."
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|News & Events
Sound Arts MFA Program
"MemoryBook" app now available
MemoryBook is an interactive text/music/graphics application developed by Brad Garton for iPads and Android tablets (Kindle Fire HD/HDX readers in particular). From the app description:
"The "MemoryBook" is recollection of memories, but memories enhanced by music and graphics. Past stories act as a springboard for random speculations about life, memory, existence, all that fun stuff. The music and graphics are algorithmically-generated within the app. They are synchronized with the text at any point (and no matter what reading speed). Essentially it is a 'book with a soundtrack'."
for links to the Apple App store and the Amazon App store to download it.
CMC affiliates presenting at the 2014 joint meeting of the International Computer Music Conference and the Sound and Music Computing Conference in Athens, Greece (September 14-20):
September 15, afternoon session — Christopher Trapani (CMC) and Jose Echeveste (IRCAM): Real time tempo canons with Antescofo
September 17, morning session — Aaron Einbond (HUSEAC) Christopher Trapani (CMC), Diemo Schwarz (IRCAM), Andrea Agostini (HEM Geneva) and Daniele Ghisi (HEM Geneva): Fine-tuned control of concatenative synthesis with CataRT using the Bach Library for Max
September 17 — Paul Clift, Le détour permet le retour for string quartet and electronics
September 19 — Christopher Trapani, Five out of Six for six players, live electronics and live video by Things Happen (Madrid)
Rocket Science
Rocket Science (Evan Parker, Craig Taborn, Peter Evans, Sam Pluta)
Under the Viaduct
TUNNEL is a collaborative environmental sound installation by CMC/Sound Arts community members Victoria Estok, Dylan Kario, Nolan Lem, Jess Malcom, Ryan Pratt, and Douglas Repetto. Ambient and environmental sounds from the streets, the viaduct, the river, and the park are filtered and played back inside the tunnel while visitors explore the curious acoustical properties of the large curved space.
TUNNEL was created as part of the Under the Viaduct show, with support from the Computer Music Center and the West Harlem Art Fund. The installation is in the large tunnel just up the hill from the Cotton Club on Riverside Drive. Enter via the stairs across the street from Floridita. Bring your ears!
Under the Viaduct
SeismoDome @ AMNH
SeismoDome: Sights and Sounds of Earthquakes and Global Seismology
Earthquakes happen frequently—but what causes them? Why are they unpredictable? What do they tell us about Earth's deep interior? Explore these questions with Earth scientists, astrophysicists, and sound artists, as present the sights and sounds of seismic waves moving through and around the planet. Through movies and sound, explore five earthquakes from the last decade, as observed from space and deep inside Earth.
Speakers include Ben Holtzman, of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory; Jason Candler, of NYU; and Matthew Turk, of Columbia University.
(The CMC's Ben Holtzman, Nolan Lem, and Douglas Repetto are all part of this!)
Ensemble Pamplemousse : Repetitions/Recursions
Sunday May 18, 8pm
Ensemble Pamplemousse : Repetitions/Recursions
Six works investigate the concept of repetition across broad aesthetic boundaries, reconsidering the usual categorization by surface material.
Andrew Greenwald : A Thing is a Hole in a Thing it is Not (iii)
Carolyn Chen : Tragedy : Love duet for Clint and Ian
George Lewis : Mnemosis
Thomas Meadowcroft : Pretty Lightweight
Simon Steen-Andersen : Rerendered
Alec Hall : NEW WORK
Performed by Ensemble Pamplemousse : Natacha Diels, flute; Jessie Marino, vcl; Dave Broome, keys
Antescofo, a dynamic language for real-time musician-computer interaction
Lecture by José Echeveste (IRCAM)
May 5 2014 at 5 pm
Computer Music Center at Columbia University
Prentis Hall (632 W 125th Street), room 320
This talk focuses on programming time and interaction in Antescofo, a real-time system for performance coordination between musicians and computer processes during live music performance. To this end, Antescofo relies on artificial machine listening and a domain specific real-time programing language. It extends each paradigm through strong coupling of the two and a strong emphasis on temporal semantics and system behavior.
The challenge in bringing human actions into the computing realm is strongly related to the temporal semantics of the language and the precision of live execution despite heterogeneous nature of time in the two mediums. Interaction scenarios are expressed at a symbolic level through the management of musical time (i.e. events like notes or beats in relative tempi) and of the 'physical' time (with relationships like succession, delay, duration, speed). The Antescofo approach has been validated through numerous uses of the system in live electronic performances in contemporary music repertoire by various international music ensembles.
Antescofo language features will be presented through a series of real-world music examples which illustrate how to manage execution of different musical processes and their interactions with an external environment.
Sound Arts MFA 1st Year Show
Exhibition: May 4 – 12, 2014
Prentis Hall, 3rd Floor (632 W 125th St)
Join Carla Cisno and Nolan Lem, the first class of MFA Sound Arts students, for an exhibition of their work in celebration of the program's inaugural year.
Sound Arts builds on more than fifty years of interdisciplinary and collaborative sound innovation at Columbia. The interdepartmental program was developed by Faculty from the Computer Music Center, along with colleagues from Composition, Visual Arts, and Engineering.
Exhibition curated by Deborah Cullen, Director & Chief Curator of The Miriam & Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery.
Free and open to all.
RSVP & more info: arts.columbia.edu/sound-arts-exhibition
Jazz Hackathon!!!
Monthly Music Hackathon NYC &
Jazz Hackathon!!!
Sponsored by the Columbia University Electrical Engineering Department
Writing Against Time
Yarn/Wire/Currents, a new and ongoing collaboration of ISSUE and the acclaimed piano and percussion quartetYarn/Wire, continues with the premieres of newly commissioned works for the ensemble by Christopher Trapani and Pete Swanson.
Christopher Trapani's new piece, Writing Against Time, inspired by Micahel Clune's book of the same name, is about "stopping time"—the sensation of suspension in an enveloping present, prolonging the wonder and enchantment of a new aesthetic discovery. The piece unfolds as a long single line, always pulling forward, never referring back to earlier moments. There is repetition and variation, but no development—an emphasis instead on surface details and transformations in color. Interacting with live electronics, repeated patterns and irrational rhythms create an intricate, colorful collage that draws on a range of disparate sources.
At 7:00 pm Christopher Trapani and Author Michael Clune present a Pre-Concert Talk.
Michael Clune's book Writing Against Time explores the techniques various writers have exploited to evoke the sensation of "stopping time." Inspired by Clune's work, Christopher Trapani extends these ideas to the musical realm in his new work. The two will discuss their collaboration and thoughts about "stopping time" in music and literature in this unique pre-concert event.
"Time seems to slow when we perceive something for the first time. The moment of perception swells; the 'fraction of time' expands… a gap opens between the time of the clock and neurobiological time… In such moments we get a glimpse of the splendor of eternal life, of unfading color, unerased sensation. But these dilations don't last. What if they could?"
Narrative Through Flute and Electronics
Narrative Through Flute and Electronics
Friday, April 18
– – –
Thea Musgrave – Narcissus
Randall Woolf – Everything is Green
Rachel Susser – Piper
– – –
Refreshments will be served.
Come see one of several performances of Heiner Müller's Hamletmachine at Schapiro Studio at Columbia University from April 11 – 13 (Friday through Sunday) at 7:30pm. CMC Sound Arts student, Nolan Lem, has created the sound elements for this contemporary production.
Sex. Violence. Media. Facebook. What is our modern-day revolution? Heiner Müller wrote Hamletmachine in Germany in 1977 but the question is still pertinent today.
Müller's play already takes Shakespeare's Hamlet and rips it to shreds; this April, we will make it a fully interactive experience in search of answers to questions like:
What does it mean to stage a revolution today, and what do we have to fight against?
Performances will take place April 11th-13th at Columbia's Schapiro Studio. Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 1pm. Admission will be free.
NYC Electroacoustic Music Society Concert
On Friday, April 4th, 7:30pm pianists Tristan McKay and Jade Conlee will give the New York premiere of Nina C. Young's Kolokol for two pianos and electronics at the LeFrak Concert Hall, Copland School of Music, Queens College.
The concert is hosted by the New York City Electroacoustic Music Society (NYCEMS), a new offshoot of the organization that hosts the (now annual) NYC Electroacoustic Music Festival. (NYCEMF). Other works on the program include:
Prismes électriques (D'Amato Antonio)
Ghost Ensemble @ Spectrum
On Friday, March 28th, Ghost Ensemble will premier "Robot Wedding" for voice, electronics, accordion, and bass by Sky Macklay. "Robot Wedding" takes the listeners to the wedding ceremony of two robots where the voices of today's conservative talk radio pundits are recontextualized in the future.
They will also perform pieces by Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe, Luciano Berio, Damon Loren Baker, Alvin Lucier, and Joshua Morris.
The concert is Friday, March 28th at 7:30 at Spectrum (121 Ludlow, 2nd floor, between Delancy and Rivington, 2 blocks from the J and M trains at Essex/Delancy).
Sacred Court Music (Gagaku) and Secular Art Music (Hōgaku)
Sunday, March 30, 2014 at 4:00PM
Presenting classic repertoires for Japanese heritage instruments and newly commissioned works for Japanese heritage instruments and computer, featuring music by Akira Takaoka and Brad Garton
The concert is free and open to the public, but please register online at www.medievaljapanesestudies.org
Ensemble Pamplemousse : Escaped Fragments
Ensemble Pamplemousse : Escaped Fragments
5 works revel in acoustic detritus- bursts of glitchy theatrical noisy copycat coupled with silent mimicry.
Ensemble Pamplemousse presents new and recent works for ensemble by Pamplemoussians David Broome, Natacha Diels, and Jessie Marino, alongside works by Joanna Baillie and Øyvind Torvund.Drawing the listener in with strange and disparate sound materials drawn from noisy everyday life, these works fashion soundscapes from a collage of found and repurposed objects, field recordings, electronics, tape, and instruments. They satisfy with traditional notions of beauty and excite with crackles of theatrics and curious perspectives. Staying true to the ensemble's mission of experimentation within music to the fullest, each piece will be unique, exciting, and truly Pamplemoussian.
Program :
Dave Broome : Ominousty for keyboard
Joanna Bailie : Artificial Environments #1-5 for cl, vln, vla, perc, tape
Jessie Marino : New York 1ne for pianist, percussionist, audio-visual director, and two assistants
Natacha Diels : Second Nightmare, for KIKU for violin and two assistants
The Garden of Dreams
The Garden of Dreams
This musical and visual installation proposes to the visitors the interactive exploration of dreams coming from all over the world, in many different languages, recorded both on the Internet and at the two installation locations in New York and Lyon (France).
These dreams take part in a collective memory, which visitors of the installation can consult by traveling through oniric universes.
On a website specially designed for this purpose, http://thegardenofdreams.org, or in a "Dream Station" in another room of the exhibition's building, one can video record herself/himself and share a dream. Once the recording validated, this dream is integrated into the installation (see below for dates and locations).
Dreams recorded in video will never be used as is, in a realistic way, but will be transformed and inserted in imaginary worlds.
A special performance, Distant Mirrors, will extend this singular experience by allowing two flutists, one in Lyon, the other in New York, to play together via the Internet, crossing the dreams and the oniric landscapes of the installation.
Maison française, Columbia University, New York
Conception, Composition, Computer Music and Graphics:
Realization : Grame, Image Auditive
Double CD Release Party – Carrier Records
We are delighted to celebrate the release of two new albums on Carrier Records
With performances by Jaime Oliver, On Structure (Natacha Diels & Jessie Marino), Aaron Einbond, and Bryan Jacobs.
Friday, March 14th, 2014 // 9pm // Exapno, 33 Flatbush Avenue
Or if you cannot join in person please purchase the discs at
Hope to see you there!
Aaron and Bryan
ArtLab: Music + the Mind // March 11th
What music does the mind make? On Tuesday, March 11th, ArtLab tunes into the sound of synapses with Music + the Mind: a live music-infused experiment in neuroscience. The evening features the Brainwave Music Project, which translates brain activity into electronic music—a project conceived by Columbia professors David Sulzer and Brad Garton.
Singer + multi-instrumentalist Lora Faye and jazz drummer William Hooker will strap on mind-reading EEG headbands to record the electrical impulses coursing through their brains, making music with their minds as they make music for the crowd. As they perform, they'll feed off neurofeedback, improvising to the beat of their neurons firing.
Rounding out the evening, ArtLab will explore the art and neuroscience of making brainwave music through moderated discussion and audience participation. What can we learn from listening to and playing with the music of the mind? What music does the brain make when it simply imagines making music?
The event will begin at 8:00 pm at the Cameo Gallery and is presented as part of Brain Awareness Week, featuring brain-themed events happening across New York City.
QUBIT presents MACHINE MUSIC
Commensurate with the scale of the Noise Non-ference in March 2013, Machine Music is Qubit's focal point of the 2014 season, highlighting the interstices of a variety of contemporary currents, including cutting-edge computer technologies, improvisatory instrumental practice and experimental sound installations.
The distinguished New York composer, trombonist and scholar, George Lewis joins us with a major new work, Spooky Interaction, for 2 pianists and 2 computer-controlled disklaviers. Composer and performer Courtney Bryan will perform live in New York, joined in a real time telematic connection from Melbourne, Australia, by renowned Australian musician, Paul Grabowsky.
Featured artists on the concert include Bryan Jacobs, Natacha Diels, Bjoern Erlach and David Bird.
Installations for 4 Disklaviers by Ranjit Bhatnagar and Alec Hall will be exhibited from February 12th to 14th between 4 and 7pm (6pm on the 13th).
Please join us for an opening reception on February 12th from 5 to 7pm. Concert February 13th at 8pm.


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Look who lumbered out of hibernation to offer sweet greetings!
To make a bunch for all your favorite cubs, fill small plastic bags (we found ours in the candy aisle of a craft store) with a mix of Teddy Grahams and Gummi Bears.
Write your message on card stock, use a hole punch to make a hole, and tie the tag on with ribbon.
Suggested Messages:
"Bag of bear hugs"
"You're unbearably cute!"
"Join the cub!"
"I can't bear being without you!"


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Dr. Mikulich recently appeared on Health Issues Television to discuss hyper-incarceration and racism with Christopher Sylvain.
By Alex Mikulich, Ph.D.
At a time when there seems to be deepening conflict over the meaning of freedom, I invite readers to take the opportunity this Independence Day to reflect upon the sacrifices made by the Freedom Riders in 1964. The Freedom Riders teach us about the deep yearning of African Americans for the full human flourishing of everyone.
Take the example of Diane Nash, one of the student leaders trained in nonviolence under the tutelage of the Reverend John Lawson at Fisk University in 1959-1960. Alongside John L. Lewis, among others, Nash helped lead the nonviolent sit-ins in Nashville in early 1960. MORE>>
"Meanwhile, racism, elegant, lovely, monstrous, carries on." So concludes The Atlantic essayist Ta-Nehisi Coates in his incisive analysis of overt racism by the rancher Cliven Bundy and the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team, Donald Sterling.[1]
The deeper problem concerns what the heralded Canadian Jesuit theologian Bernard Lonergan describes as cultural bias. Lonergan asks: "How, indeed, is the mind to become conscious of its own bias when that bias springs from a communal flight from understanding and is supported by the whole texture of civilization?" MORE>>
By Dr. Alex Mikulich
Over 100 years ago, in his introduction to The Souls of Black Folk, W.E. B. Du Bois wrote: "the problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the color-line." Despite claims that we live in a "post-racial" society after the historic election of Barack Obama, the fact remains that the color line and racial hierarchy endures in the 21st century. At issue for the Jesuit Social Research Institute, from the perspective of Roman Catholic social teaching and thought, is the persistence of disproportionate advantage for white Americans in relationship to pervasive and persistent disproportionate disadvantage for people of color in every sphere of life including health, wealth, income, education, housing, and the criminal justice system. More than one issue among others, the contradiction between Gospel values and practices of racial inequality is scandalous. The contradiction between Roman Catholic and American claims for universal human dignity and equality, and the reality of social, political, and economic advantage that white Americans consciously and unconsciously accept and assume, betrays this scandal. This article continues here.
The Monstrous Elegance of White Supremacy -- Mikulich
Six Myths of Payday Lending -- Mikulich
Martin Luther King, Jr.: Becoming Maladjusted for the Beloved Community-- Mikulich
Marching for Racial Justice in Contemplation and Protest-- Mikulich
The Gift of W.E.B. Du Bois and Double-Consciousness--Mikulich
Thomas Merton's "Letters to a White Liberal"--Mikulich
A Victory for Democracy: Americans repudiate voter suppression, racism--Mikulich
Race and the 2012 Presidential Election--Mikulich
The Real Fraud in "Voter Fraud": How so-called reform laws aim to disenfranchise voters -- Mikulich
The Payday Shark in Your Bank Account -- Mikulich
Changing the Script: A Starting Point for Reducing Gun Violence--Mikulich
Stop Casting Stones: The Failure of Punitive Crime Policy--Mikulich
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18 Reviews
Average Customer Review
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Heavy Metal Awesomeness !!!
I loved this book because of the back stories Mustaine tells so that all of his stories and situations tied together. I always thought of guys like Dave Mustaine as almost otherworldly and to put a human face on himself and relate to what he is,just a guy that has struggles like millions of others.Fantastic read and hard to put down at night !
Published 6 months ago by Darren Code
3.0 out of 5 stars some interesting parts
Very convoluted rock star tripe. That being said some interesting insight into the goings on of Mr. Mustaine.
But it's rock n roll so take it for what its worth
Published 8 months ago by mike
Most Helpful First | Newest First
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Heavy Metal Awesomeness !!!,
This review is from: Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir (Paperback)
I loved this book because of the back stories Mustaine tells so that all of his stories and situations tied together. I always thought of guys like Dave Mustaine as almost otherworldly and to put a human face on himself and relate to what he is,just a guy that has struggles like millions of others.Fantastic read and hard to put down at night !
4.0 out of 5 stars A book for any Mustaine fan,
This review is from: Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir (Hardcover)
This is a must read for fans of Megadeth and Dave Mustaine. He has lived quite a crazy life and has laid it all out in this book.
3.0 out of 5 stars some interesting parts,
This review is from: Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir (Kindle Edition)
Very convoluted rock star tripe. That being said some interesting insight into the goings on of Mr. Mustaine.
But it's rock n roll so take it for what its worth
4.0 out of 5 stars Hes not well liked...,
Bootsy Bass (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir (Hardcover)
....but his memoir is exceptional and I like it a lot. It is well written and paced. I am curious to see Ellefsons book and compare the two. As of this writing (Sept 2013) the Ellefson book is on the cusp of being released.
5.0 out of 5 stars Fastest book I have ever read,
This review is from: Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir (Hardcover)
Wow, what a great story. Dave lets it all out and holds nothing back. Its truly a great read and throughly written. Its a must for metal fans. Buy buy buy it now.
5.0 out of 5 stars Best Rocker Autobiography Yet!!!,
Phil Curtis "Phil Curtis" (BC, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir (Hardcover)
This is the best autobiography about a rocker yet!! Once I started reading it, I did not want to put it down. I found every page to be entertaining. I have heard people say it was a bit rushed in the end.... but since he has turned christian, and has straightened out his life....what else is there to write about? Happy to say, I will be seeing him in concert in Calgary on the 18 of Feb..... if it wasnt for this book I probly wouldn't have sought out tickets for his sold out show. I have always been a Megadeth fan, and read about some of his struggles, but it is nice to hear his side of the story in more detail. So glad he is still with us today, and continuing to make awesome music. This book is deffinately a must have for any fan.
5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this book...do it....do it now!!!!,
This review is from: Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir (Hardcover)
If you are a Megadeth fan and a Dave Mustaine fan this is a must read. Some of the stories have been told before but they do go into further detail here in the book making them all the more interesting. A ton of great pictures and Megadeth/Mustaine moments
A must buy
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A Heavy Metal Memoir, The Title Says It All,
Tommy Skylar (The Great White North) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir (Hardcover)
I've read many rock/metal musicians' autobiographies over the years in hopes to learn more about my favorite artists , Megadeth happens to be on the list of bands that I really like and have strong respect for (especially Mustaine) so this was a must read for me. Honestly, Dave Mustaine's autobiography shouldn't be really all that surprising to anyone who's been a fan of his following him for years; a big part of his life has already been covered (addiction, getting kicked out of Metallica, his drug and alcohol abuses and his conversion to Christianity for examples). Megadeth founder and frontman, Mustaine has been in the rock'n'roll business for years, he's been successful and he's been in incredibly dark places in his life. Mustaine : A Heavy Metal Memoir is a great look at the rock'n'roll lifestyle and the excesses that comes with it. It's very much the good, the bad and the ugly, there's no shortage of any of them in Mustaine's memoir (even if the good is a little rarer). To be honest I expected more ink on the subject of his Metallica exit (make no mistake, he does talk about it quite a few times) and I'm glad that he didn't stop there.
Mustaine comes off as a smart person who's well aware of what he's done. He knows the damage he's done to himself with alcohol and drugs while at the same time hurting others around him. In fact he apologizes for hurting so many people over the years and learned to forgive others (yet you still sense he will never let go of Metallica, however he seems angrier at himself for blowing it). It's interesting to read about feuds Mustaine has had with bands such as Metallica, Slayer (Kerry King only it seems) and Pantera, one way or another it always seems to turn out alright (I'm not saying he was right or wrong). Mustaine's conversion to Christianity is a well-known fact in the metal community but reading about how it actually happened and how he found god and changed his life for the best (while still providing metalheads remarkable music, Amen to that!) was inspiring to say the least. I liked to read how even if he's a Christian he doesn't try to change anyone's personal beliefs and how it helped him reach balance and happiness in his life, not to mention that it strongly helped him get rid of his unhealthy addictions. He certainly has no problem acknowledging what he did well and what he did wrong, I'll give him that. Mustaine has very interesting views on things, for instance he disproves of satanic bands and his views on rehab were certainly...well interesting!
The book is filled with emotions, mostly negative ones. From the death of his father to whom he was not very close to his first job (selling substances) , being alone and not much of a family to support him. It seems what really saved Mustaine life was music like many other musicians, he had a passion and a strong will to succeed. I loved that Mustaine went in analysis of each Megadeth album, he talked about the events that lead to it, who played on it and what he or his fans thought. A Heavy Metal Memoir shows the true Dave Mustaine, he tells us the good when there's been good and bad when it was bad, he's very honest about what he says. I was touched by Dave's childhood story and when he talks about what he felt when his father died, I have to admit I cried, it's an intense book. It was nice to read about Metallica's RNR Hall of Fame Ceremony and their invitation to Dave, the answer he gave them said it all and he was not being arrogant or inconsiderate. On another note the pictures that are in the book (thought I must admit I'm not a big fan of the book cover) are very good and there are some very good ones of Mustaine playing live with Megadeth and one of each of his kids. There are some colored pictures in the middle of the book as most bios have and there are also others in black and white that can be found at each beginning of chapters and at many other places throughout the book.
The impression I had after reading the book was that Mustaine was seriously considering retirement, but it's not really a surprise since he's been talking about it for quite some time. He definitely loves the music but he wants to spend more time with his family and the music takes a big portion of his time let's put it that way. Recently Mustaine along with Megadeth performed some concerts celebrating the 20th anniversary of the metal masterpiece Rust In Piece and is still talking about new music, yet still talking about retirement. Enough with the retirement issue, some reviewers have commented that Dave didn't give away enough unknown content but I was rather satisfied with the book's content and how it turned out. It's a really interesting bio and I don't have much to criticize, in my opinion this is stuff fans want to know and want to read. Solid book, 4 ' stars.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Preaching to the converted, and nobody else,
Derek Draven - See all my reviews
This review is from: Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir (Hardcover)
Dave Mustaine has long been known as a walking contradiction. His personal feuds with members of Metallica and Slayer notwithstanding, Mustaine blazed a path of self destruction for much of his personal life before finally wrestling control over his demons long enough to stay grounded. To this day, one gets the sense that it might all come apart at the seams if Mustaine strays but a little from his difficult path. Reading 'A Heavy Metal Memoir' reinforces this fact, tenfold.
To those who know of Mustaine's early life and his subsequent rise as a heavy metal icon, most of this is nothing new. The story was told in largely truncated fashion on VH1's "Behind the Music: Megadeth" piece which did a pretty good job of summing up the band's musical career while touching largely on Mustaine's ascension to the throne. His book brings all this up again while adding more layers of complexity to the story that weren't known before this. From his festering anger of being picked on by bullies as a child to his self-admitted problems with alcohol and drug addiction which soiled relationships with friends and family members, Mustaine is being downright honest.
Or is he?
It's no secret that Mustaine has a notorious penchant for contradicting himself, skewing the facts and acting in such a manner as to present himself in the best light. Even self-deprecation is a tool that he has mastered to some great degree. Readers must remember that this is the same man who ridiculed Steve Tyler for being pompous and arrogant enough to call himself "Aerosmith," only to go on and call himself "Megadeth" years later because he was the sole, true contributing member of the band (reference the feud between Mustaine and bandmate David Ellefson). Reading 'A Heavy Metal Memoir' requires a large degree of caution on the part of the reader, for nobody truly knows if Mustaine is painting himself in the best light possible to smear those he talks about. For as vain and egotistical as he comes off, he can also sound quite humble when speaking of the stupidity of mass drug and alcohol use, the latter of which would admittedly put him in a confrontational and aggressive mood. On the flip side, Mustaine displays a surprising amount of callousness and lack of empathy towards those he admitted to wronging; fellows like Ron McGovney, reps from Combat Records, female bedmates that he used for shelter, food and drugs, and (naturally) Metallica. Granted, Mustaine is being straightforward and brutally honest about the way he perceived the world and people at these specific times in his life, but there's not even a hint of regret in his tone most of the time.
Reading the book from cover to cover, one thing becomes very clear: despite reassurances to the contrary, Mustaine is still hung up on his past. Badly. He may have settled enough feuds with musical contemporaries like Slayer and Metallica to have finally made the Big 4 event a reality, but it's clear that he refuses to forgive AND forget. For all his worldly knowledge and experience, Mustaine is still very much an angst-ridden, angry young man trying to solidify his sense of place in the world around him. As such, his views and opinions remain clouded because of that anger and distort the reality of his situation. Even Mustaine's woefully inaccurate and disturbingly skewed opinion of Jehovah's Witnesses seems more like lashing out at the most convenient party, while the blame should actually be placed on the fragmented dysfunction of his family life at the time. That being said, it's one man's opinion, and he isn't asking for a psychologist to sort out the tangled mass of wiring in his head, but...perhaps he should. The book goes on to document the progression of Megadeth's musical career and, once again, Mustaine's problems with band members and industry professionals who were all apparently out to get him. There's a dreadful sense of disrespect that the man displays towards certain key people who, for better or worse, played a great role in Megadeth's rise to the iconic band they are today. Rather than let bygones be bygones as Mustaine has repeatedly promised in the media, the reader gets the sense that he may have been thinking "I still hate you, but I don't want to fight anymore."
They say you cannot judge a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes, so one must exercise a bit of an open heart. Mustaine's humiliating expulsion from Metallica isn't exactly news, but his recollection of it is heartbreaking. You cannot help but feel a great degree of sympathy for a man who, in the space of a few hours, lost everything he held dear, only to board a bus with absolutely no money in his pocket and have to rely on the courtesy and compassion of complete strangers for donuts and water. Equally admirable is Mustaine's determination to fight back, starting with his penning of the lyrics to what would later become the Megadeth song "Set the World Afire" on the very same bus ride. While reading about Mustaine's powerful determination to become a metal icon and prove that he had what it takes to succeed, one can't really pinpoint if it is personal fortitude or a raging inferiority complex that fueled his stubborn will. Whatever the case, it's admirable that the man didn't stay in the gutter and fade away into nothingness, but rose from the pits of his personal hell to form one of the most successful heavy metal bands of all time. Unfortunately, I never got the sense that the people who assisted him on this road to success were ever necessary to him, or even mattered. Those who have stuck with Mustaine through the years have always been spoken well of...until they leave the band, at which point Mustaine shows either contempt, or nonchalant indifference. The reader will find much of that here.
If one is to read this book, they should do so with skepticism. I highly doubt Mustaine is a liar, but the brain plays tricks on its host, especially when plagued with a lifetime of psychological issues and a disturbing amount of substance abuse. To call the material in this book "fact" may be unwise and potentially dangerous. Better to think of it as "one side of the story." Droogies will go nuts over the chance to learn more about their favorite idol, but those like me who grew up diehard Megadeth fans, only to finally meet the man in person and see his moody indifference spill over onto both myself and dozens of loyal and loving fans (at the 2005 Gigantour) will take this memoir with a grain of salt, and they would be right to do so.
4.0 out of 5 stars Good book for die hard Megadeth folowers,
badreligion777 (Canada-AB) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir (Hardcover)
The most interesting aspect I found after reading Dave Mustaine's autobiography was how the progression of time combined with the abuse of substances had created in Dave's life a distortion of events that becomes more clear in hindsight. This changing perspective, one of extreem highs and lows(literally), is how the reader and the writer explore Dave Mustaine's life. It is all very dramatic, and far from average as is the excessive life of a metal god if you will. You feel the drama more profoundly I find because of this kind of tone of self exploration Dave uses to describe his experiences that alternate between a 3rd person nararator and 1st person accounts of what happened. The use of this writing style sepparates the book into two stages, appropriate for how Dave's life unfolds. Admitedly, I appreciate the first "stage" of the story more than the second. Dave seems to speak from the first person more in the stages of building Megadeth, and tends to enjoy this part more than the second. His days in Metallica are described as "loud and dangerous", with many accounts of almost fearless wrecklessness with regards to risky behaviour including substance abuse. This first half talks largely about Megadeth in it's stages of inception, in Dave's youth and has many rich detailed stories ranging from the difficulties of finding the perfect band, to girlfriend issues that are often laugh out loud funny, but also are rather deep, and make you reflect about friendships, and what they mean.
The second "stage" begins roughly halfway through the book and reflects an emotional decline in Dave's life that eventually brings the reader back to the scene described in medias-rez style at the very first chapter, describing the disaster that finally caused Dave to turn his life around and make the latest monster of an album, Endgame. I enjoyed reading this part less because Dave seemed to enjoy this part of his life less. Whether adulthood and lost youth was simply taking it's toll or that the continual drug abuse and recovery was the source of pain, there is a marked change of tone that leaves a dark impression on the reader. This is the reason I give the book 4/5, Dave Mustaine is like a hero to me, and reading the stories of relapse, recover, rehab, repeat are a bit unexpected and kind of pathetic. Dave, however is a self-described fighter, and his life is one of significant struggle. One has to give him credit not only for what he's accomplished, but for his ability to take on his "darkes hour" and come out alive. Many who go down that road are much worse off than him.
Most Helpful First | Newest First
Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir by Dave Mustaine (Hardcover - July 22 2010)
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How Much Juice Is in these Entertainment Companies?
Chris is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.
Entertainment companies are powerhouses of intellectual property. Sometimes they are able to draw upon decades of characters and make profits even during bad times by rehashing old stories or re-releasing old material. This is one of the strongest moats there is.
When an entertainment company has long-term connections to distributors and popular properties, it can virtually mint money. However, there is always the need to produce new content. Let's see how a few entertainment companies are operating as the recession's escapism wanes.
Too much opportunity to pass up
Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) is the largest media conglomerate in the world, and the second-largest entertainment conglomerate in terms of revenue. Time Warner can always turn some profit by using its New Line ownership of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise to crank out another Freddy Krueger movie -- the world can't get enough of them. Time Warner also has plenty of classical content via Hanna-Barbera that appeals to the Generation X crowd. Partially because of these options, the company is turning an 11% profit margin and is able to pay a 2% dividend.
I suggest watching Time Warner primarily because of the potential profitability of the intended spin-off of Time in late 2013. Historically, spin-offs have a tendency to be good chances for companies to focus on their core businesses, as well as unload debt and other unprofitable components of themselves onto their offspring. Nonetheless, these new businesses can often thrive by being more deeply connected to their core markets and can better satisfy their needs.
Time Warner still hasn't managed to make HBO relevant to the portable media market -- they're still hooked on cable. This is probably a portion of why the company is trading for a half-decent 18 times earnings and 1.8 times book value. With the spin-off potential and the off chance that HBO will eventually get its act together and break the cable, I'd suggest taking a chance on Time Warner.
Serious Prospects in Non-serious Media
Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS) is the biggest revenue generator of all entertainment conglomerates. Disney owns a mountain of intellectual property, including the Marvel universe of superheroes, Pixar, ABC and obviously all of the Disney characters. The company can put these characters on virtually anything, and has both media networks and consumer products divisions standing by to reap the rewards of doing so. As such, Disney has a healthy 13.6% profit margin and plenty of cash flowing through it to last through most anything. Moats don't get much wider and deeper than this company has.
Disney has a brilliant marketing method, though not a unique one. With most advertisements, the public gets the commercial message for free. When it comes to the characters in movies, however, people pay to see what is essential an ad for movie merchandise.
The only downside I can see to Disney is that it can run afoul of its own size. Firstly, a company this large can be incredibly complicated to run. Past directors and chief executives have had issues with mismanagement and flops at the box office, which cost the company dearly. A few poorly received movies can put a serious damper on the entire operation.
Also, having such a massive pool of intellectual property to draw from can lead to decisions that aren't popular at the time. While creating a cult classic is great, movie makers earn most of their acclaim and profits during opening weekend. Had The Avengers been released in 1998, computer graphics technology notwithstanding, there's a good chance it wouldn't have been nearly as large a hit as it was in 2012.
While Disney is a complicated company, it's still trading for a relatively inexpensive 19 to 20 times earnings. This isn't much higher than the S&P 500, and Disney has a lot that many companies don't. So I'd recommend it wholeheartedly.
Silly profitable
World Wrestling Entertainment (NYSE: WWE) has one of the silliest business models around. The company promotes pseudo-sports that it has outright admitted are fake and pre-determined to crowds who love it anyway. As the largest promoters of synthetic athletic contests with a large fan base, the WWE has a pretty solid moat. It also has a pretty decent 4.9% dividend yield.
Wrestling goes through phases of higher and lower popularity, and as of the past few years it's on the lower end of the sine wave. Also, the WWE is trading at more than 38 times its earnings as of this writing. In addition, the WWE is only pulling 3.9% profit margins. If the faux sport's popularity stays low for awhile, the overhead of the music and merchandising components may weigh down the company into unprofitability. Also, the McMahon family has a 96% voting hold over the company -- so ordinary shareholders shouldn't expect their opinions to be considered.
Overall, I only recommend the WWE if you believe that you can hold on through several low-profit years until this type of exhibition's popularity soars once again. This could be a solid contrarian play if you can find the WWE during a nice dip.
The Foolish bottom line
Entertainment has great potential for profit, but it is not guaranteed. Ultimately, entertainment companies rise or fall on the popularity of what they have to offer, and the public's tastes can be fickle. Ultimately, having a wide net of different intellectual property and the ability to efficiently market it all determines how well it ends up doing.
It's easy to forget that Walt Disney is more than just the House of Mouse. True, Disney amusement parks around the world hosted more than 121 million guests in 2011. But from its vast catalog of characters to its monster collection of media networks, much of Disney's allure for investors lies in its diversity, and The Motley Fool's premium research report lays out the case for investing in Disney today. This report includes the key items investors must watch as well as the opportunities and threats the company faces going forward. So don't miss out -- simply click here now to claim your copy today.
Chris Hodge has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Walt Disney. The Motley Fool owns shares of Walt Disney. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Is this post wrong? Click here. Think you can do better? Join us and write your own!